Updated Wednesday, 11 a.m. EST

Madonna has had to explain her latest provocative on stage joke to the sudden rush of tea baggers flocking to her alter after she said "we have a black Muslim in the White House."

So, what does Her Madgesty have to say about the humor that has escaped some Americans?

It's good to know that this group of firefighters is looking out for LGBT Mainers in more ways than one. Check out what they have to say about the state's upcoming vote on marriage equality after the jump!

It might feel odd not to boo a guy on the Republican ticket, but the rest we're able to give those part of our vocal chords is quite soothing after a lot of recent use. Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan took a break from being heckled to say something in step with the American people for once. Details follow. 

Australia's House of Representatives, with help from Prime Minister Julia Gillard, voted to uphold the country's ban on marriage equality by a landslide. Details follow. 

The frequent marriage equality polling conducted by the New York Times and CBS has finally caught up with what similar surveys have been reporting for a few years now to reveal that a majority of Americans support marriage equality. 

The world's largest anti-gay bukake (otherwise known as the Values Voter Summit) has kicked off in Philadelphia and made itself a prime target for the more vocal of progressive protesters. Vice Presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan became the first target when a pair of women claiming to be part of ACT-UP Philadelphia interrupted his b.s. drivel. 

As new polls show support for Minnnesota's proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex either in the lead or in a dead-heat tie with the opposition, the Venturas have come out publicly to urge voters to vote no. Video after the jump. 

(Well, second biggest nightmare following seeing the federal government recognize the unions of all American couples.)

Despite a nasty effort from NOM and one of the most anti-gay mailers we've seen this election cycle, New York State Sen. Mark Grisanti, one of four Republicans to vote for marriage equality, has won his primary. Details follow. 

Jesse Jackson stopped by SiriusXM's OutQ station to urge Maryland voters to support marriage equality at the ballot box in November. 

So, what message does Jesse have for voters in the Old Line State?

Former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chairman Julian Bond penned an op-ed aiming to increase the discussion of same-sex marriage within the African-American community. 

The opinion piece was published in Afro-American newspaper, which is notable because the paper circulates in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Maryland will be the site of a voter referendum on same-sex marriage in November and 25 percent of the state's voters are African-American. 

Check out Bond's piece, "Why Marriage In Maryland Matters" after the jump!

As the 2012 Values Voter Summit approaches this weekend, a coalition of human rights groups including GLAAD, HRC and the National Black Justice Coalition have reached out to scheduled speakers and urged them not to appear at the annual hate fest hosted by the Family Research Council. 

Images from Corbin Fisher were close to being watched by more eyeballs in Erie, New York than in Chelsea for once thanks to a nasty anti-gay mailer attacking New York GOP Sen. Mark Grisant.

As you'll recall, Sen. Grisanti decided to be on the right side of history by voting in favor of marriage equality last year. With Grisanti facing a primary challenge from Kevin Stocker later this week, mailers featuring pornographic images from the Corbin Fisher company were printed in an attempt to scare voters away from the incumbent based on his vote for equality. 

Details and another image after the jump.