Thanks to a unanimous vote in New Hampshire's House Judiciary Committe, repeal of marriage equality in the state is shelved, at least for the duration of 2011. By votes of 15-0, the panel sidestepped three bills seeking to steal away the marriage rights given to the state's LGBT in 2009.

From the Nashua Telegraph:

House Majority Leader D. J. Bettencourt, R-Salem, had decided that this divisive issue would distract from GOP priorities to adopt a balanced budget, change the education funding constitutional amendment and alter pension programs.

The committee decided to retain the bills (HB 343 and HB 437), which keeps them in its custody until early in 2012 without a further vote of the Legislature.

The panel unanimously recommended...

In an announcement that is sure to ruffle some feathers on the right, the U.S.'s top-enlisted soldier has revealed that DADT-repeal sensitivity training will be conducted on the battlefield in Afghanistan. 

"I have heard about the training that will be forthcoming to the battlefield," Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill said during a teleconference with press.

"We will take our directions from the Department of Defense, from the secretary of defense, the chairman, as well as the service chiefs of each service. Our plan is to take their direction, and we’re going to execute that training right here on the battlefield.

"Our goal is to not allow a unit to return to home station and have the unit responsible for that. While we own those...

Yesterday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, hot off the fierce heels of President Obama's shocking start to the dismantling of DOMA, announced she will introduce legislation that aims to put the final nail in the discriminatory law's coffin in the Senate. 

Today, we learn that Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) will re-introduce similar legislation in the GOP-controlled House next week when Congress returns from break. (Note: Speaker John Boehner criticized President Obama's DOMA move, saying, "While Americans want Washington to focus on creating jobs and cutting spending, the President will have to explain why he thinks now is the appropriate time to stir up a controversial issue that sharply divides the nation.") Last year Nadler added 120...

That was fast! Only hours ago the Obama Administration joyfully announced it will no longer enforce the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act in courts, and already the next move necessary to repeal it fully -- congressional legislation -- has arrived thanks to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

A statment just issued by Sen. Feinstein reads:

“As a Member of the Judiciary Committee, it is my intention to introduce legislation that will once and for all repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

My own belief is that when two people love each other and enter the contract of marriage, the Federal government should honor that.

I opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.  It was the wrong law then; it is the wrong law now; and it should...

It's flown under the gaydar and occurred in the shadows of huge political news today, but this afternoon's awaited unveiling by the Pentagon of its plan to implement DADT repeal is not without significance. 

As expected, the Pentagon's official plan focuses on training and instilling respect for all soldiers in the coming months, a three-tiered strategy of education the military is relying on the secretaries and leaders of each of its branches to enforce.

The Pentagon has laid out a March 1 deadline for the first progress reports from each military secretary. Following the progress reports, the military will enter the second phase of repeal, labeled the "Certification Phase." During this period, military officials will report to President...

Ascribing to a drastic interpretation of one hard-to-find phrase, while avoiding the sweeping "love thy neighbor" and "don't judge others" points of the Bible, has allowed Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin to anoint himself the "conscience of the Republican Party." We'd like to award him yet another crown for deciding that the Bible calls for capital punishment against gays: our prestigious D-Bag of the Day title. 

Recently, while speaking out against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal, Rep. Franklin used the Bible as justification for extreme bigotry to compare gays to unrepentant drug-dealers. 

"The Bible says it's a capital offense," said Franklin of homosexuality. "You want someone with unrepentant criminal behavior? And it's not...

June has traditionally been the month of save-the-date big days, and while we can't wear white (we'll burst into flames) for the Navy's just-announced big day, we're still pretty blissful. 

In an email that provides details on the three-tiered training, the Navy has revealed that it plans to finish all of its pre-DADT-repeal implementations by June 30th.

10. TRAINING COMPLETION DATES. TO MEET CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, ALL TIER 2 TRAINING MUST BE COMPLETED NOT LATER THAN 30 APRIL 2011 AND ALL TIER 3 TRAINING MUST BE COMPLETED NOT LATER THAN 30 JUNE

The streamlined timeline indicates that DADT-repeal could be implemented as early as six months from now.

Though he worried that DADT repeal would cost Marines life and limb, Marine Commandant James Amos has changed his tune. After all, what other option does he have now that repeal is law of the land? Check out his call for dignity and respect in a new video issued for troops.

(Via Towleroad)

As expected, the Pentagon today revealed its plan of action for DADT repeal. 

Though repeal is not anticipated to be fully enacted for at least three more months, the military will begin a three-tiered training approach in early February with a goal of instilling respect for all soldiers, LGBT or straight. The three tiers of the training program will be administrators, relevant leadership and finally, the rest of the military.

Also unveiled during today's press conference is news that the U.S. military will no longer ask recruits about their sexual identity and will cease tracking the private sexual lives of current servicemembers. 

But the biggest morsel out of today's Pentagon statement might be that the military has decided...

The Hill is reporting that Sen. John McCain has pledged to do 'whatever he could to help implement the policy's repeal,' indicating a complete reversal of policy on Don't Ask, Don't Tell from the extinguished discriminatory law's most ardent ally. 

McCain went on to say:

"I think I have to do everything I can to make sure that the important moral, retention, recruitment, and battle effectiveness of the military is minimized as much as possible," McCain said on Fox Business. "It is a law and I have to do whatever I can to help the men and women who are serving particularly in combat cope with this new situation. I will do everything I can to make it work."

It's nice that he's finally come around but will history -- and the gay community...

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a key force in the success of DADT repeal, appeared on The Daily Show last night to discuss her intimidating array of accomplishments with only two years under her Senate belt. 

We like to keep up with whatever Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach is up to (and it's not just because he's handsome). Yesterday he appeared on MSNBC to discuss President Obama's signing away the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.