Since Evan and I have been blogging about it for some time now, TWO readers are likely familiar with the attacks on marriage equality in New Hampshire.

In case anyone needs a refresher, New Hampshire’s entire legislature flipped from Democratic to Republican control in the Tea Party-fueled red tsunami of the 2010 midterms. One unfortunate result of that was that the state’s marriage equality law, which made New Hampshire the fifth state to grant same-sex couples the freedom to marry when it took effect in January 2010, came under assault from anti-gay extremist elements of that state’s GOP. Despite polls decisively showing widespread opposition to repeal among citizens of the Granite State and editorials from several of the state’s major newspapers calling on lawmakers to end their mean-spirited efforts, Republican politicians have pushed ahead in their attempt to strip away existing rights from their LGBT constituents and spit in the face of the nearly 1,800 same-sex couples who have married there since the law was enacted. (So much for the whole “will of the people” thing, huh?)

According to the Nashua Telegraph, the state House of Representatives is expected to take a vote on the repeal measure very soon after the January 10 presidential primary. Just two years after New Hampshire lawmakers granted lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people the simple dignity of being able to marry the person they love, that precious freedom is in serious jeopardy.

Enter Craig Stowell. Craig is a Republican and a former Marine. He also happens to have a brother, Calvin, who is gay (and a Twitter phenom, but I digress). Bucking his party, Craig became the co-chair of Standing up for New Hampshire Families, the group working to preserve, protect, and uphold the state’s marriage equality law. He also launched a Change.org petition calling on the legislature to do the right thing and leave the law alone. Change.org always asks petition creators why their particular action is important, and Craig’s explanation brought tears to my eyes:

My brother and best friend, Calvin, was tormented all the way through high school because people knew he was gay. There were nights that I worried I may wake up and he wouldn’t be there any longer; crushed by the misery he was forced to endure. When New Hampshire extended marriage to gay and lesbian couples, two years ago, he finally felt accepted. He finally felt like he belonged. Since that day 1,800 loving and committed gay and lesbian couples have married.

Today, the right to marriage is under attack in New Hampshire. If HB 437 passes, same-sex couples will no longer be allowed to marry. This mean-spirited attack is nothing more than state sponsored bullying. The bill actually goes on to allow discrimination in employment and housing based on sexuality.

When I enlisted in the Marines, I took an oath to defend freedom and liberty. In 2004, I went to Iraq to do just that. As the co-chairman for Standing Up for New Hampshire Families, I am now defending my brother’s freedom here at home, and I hope you will help me by telling legislators to vote NO on HB 437.

Two recent polls have shown that Granite Staters overwhelming support marriage equality. One poll coming from the University of New Hampshire shows support at 62 percent. It should be obvious that the majority of New Hampshire believes this is a settled issue.

When my wife Berta and I were married, Calvin was right there by my side as my best man. I want the opportunity to be his best man when he finds the person he wants to marry. With your help, I know we can ensure that freedom will still be there when he does.

Once you can see your computer screen again through the tears and have swallowed the lump in your throat, please join me in heading over to Change.org and signing Craig Stowell’s petition. All of us at Truth Wins Out (along with so many others) have said for a long time that equality is not and should not be a partisan issue. The courageous and heartwarming actions of people like Craig Stowell give me hope that the day will come when that’s truly the case.

According to Gazeta.ru, two Russian oblasts (provinces) now outlaw “gay propaganda,” St. Petersburg and Moscow are considering doing so, and soon criminal prosecution of such “propaganda” may become federal law. In the news story, we see various individuals displaying the usual markers of ignorance, including the telling use of the term “propaganda,” protestations that the law is meant to protect children, and conflations with pedophilia:

“We must put a barrier against everything that destroys a child,” [said Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko.]

Few would disagree, Valentina, but “gay propaganda” doesn’t exist and information about homosexuality does not destroy children. Moreover, if the child you’re delivering as you give this interview [!] turns out to be gay, what of your barricade then?

Another deputy, Nina Ostanina, says that gay propaganda is very dangerous, especially when surrogate motherhood becomes legal in Russia…”Does it mean that gay couples could adopt a child?” she asked indignantly.

Yes, Nina, and if you cared to educate yourself on the matter you would learn that gay adoption is a good thing.

influential deputies from the ‘United Russia’ faction are in favor. Although, they remind the public that the new law defends children against harmful information. That will cover gay and pedophilic propaganda as well.

Really? Do Russian pedophiles organize and put out newsletters, pamphlets, and educational campaigns defending legal, consensual sexual acts?

I submit that, just as politicians going out of their way to attack LGBT people mark themselves as likely closeted gays, so do phrases like “gay and pedophilic” or “gays and pedophiles” mark the speakers as uninformed bigots. Are there any other reasons beyond ignorance and hatred to group these unrelated terms together during discussions of legislation or policy?

Gay activists in Russia haven’t been silenced. The courageous Nikolai Alexeyev, who has been at the front lines of the fight for equal rights for LGBTI people in Russia, spoke out in the Huffington Post:

[Alexeyev] said the bill could become “the main legal reason to deny any public actions by the LGBT community…It theoretically allows the ban of anything anywhere where kids could be present,” he told The Associated Press.

Like pride parades, for instance. HuffPost reports that when Alexeyev’s group tries to hold rallies it is often stopped by police and activists. This despite the fact that consensual homosexual activity was decriminalized in Russia almost 20 years ago. (Reportedly, Alexeyev recently stepped down from leadership of GayRussia for reasons he did not publicly reveal.)

Let’s show LGBTI Russians that they have allies on the other side of the world. Send some traffic to their advocacy group’s website. Let Google translate it for you and give them a follow on Twitter.

[h/t Mamba Online]

Michael Jones has the goods:

Look him up on opensecrets.org, and you’ll see that Kenneth Mehlman has given money to a wide range of politicians working to take away rights for LGBT Americans.

There’s $2,400 to Missouri Republican Roy Blunt, who has voted to add a marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage, as well as to ban gay adoption.

There’s $2,400 to Sen. John McCain, who wants to keep gay servicemembers out of the military.

There’s $1,000 to Ben Quayle, who is running for Congress in Arizona and who just labeled Barack Obama the worst President in history, and who just sent out a mailer to voters touting his opposition to marriage equality.

There’s $2,400 to Illinois Republican Mark Kirk, who voted to keep “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in place (and who himself is subject to lots of rumors about his sexual orientation).

There’s $2,400 to Utah Republican Sen. Robert Bennett, who tried to stop marriage equality from becoming a reality in Washington, D.C.

And the list goes on and on and includes Republicans like Rob Portman, Kelly Ayotte, Bob Corker, Richard Shelby, and Johnny Isakson, all of whom have taken positions completely contrary to full equality for LGBT Americans.

I have nothing to add to what Joe said about this:

I believe hookers call that “working both sides of the street.”

Heh.