Utah State Sen. Chris Buttars (R) opens his mouth and inserts his foot. (via ThinkProgress)

Rev. Dr. Samuel Cruz of the Union Theological Seminary appearing at a protest outise of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Office in NYC. Many US citizens are shocked by the death of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, who was 19 when his body was found in the street said to have been burned, cut to pieces, even decapitated. A 26-year-old man, Juan Martinez Matos, has been arrested, and some news sources say he may have been looking for female prostitutes, but instead took home Lopez Mercado. Other news agencies are coming forth with news that a "gay panic" defense may be used by Matos. (NY1)

''What happened happened because I defended myself. I cut him and beheaded him and I accept it as a man.''

Martinez Matos reportedly speaking to Telemundo about his alleged action the night he is said to have met and murdered Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, a gay or transgender 19-year-old, that Matos may have picked up for sex, possibly thinking Lopez Mercado was a woman. Headlines this year paint the island nation in a near state of lawlessness, with enforcement officials claiming the more than 800 murders there this year are due to a culture of drug use and reliance on public assistance. (CNN International) (Latin American Herald Tribune)

Chaz Bono, 40, speaking with ''Good Morning America,'' and presenting a striking new presence since most people last saw him, before his transition from Chastity Bono to Chaz. GMA showed photos and mentioned Chaz's girlfriend, Jennifer, several times, but there was no current mention of famous mother, Cher. According to the show's host, 1 in 30,000 women has a sex change, and that Chaz's physical and mental process will take 4-5 years. (Good Morning America)

''I shave about once a week now... It started to come in, just like peach fuzz... Oh, my God, yeah. It was great.... I'm literally going throug puberty.''

Chaz Bono, 40, speaking with Mary Hart of ''Entertainment Tonight'' last month, about his transformation from female to male. He said he could not speak for Cher, but that everyone around him have been nothing but supportive. (ETOnline)

Sports Illustrated writer Jon Wertheim, responding to a reader question: "When is a high ranked men's player going to come out of the closet? Is the world that close-minded that one can admit to illegal drug use, but being openly gay in an individual sport is still going to ruin one's career? Why can't a gay dude be 'out' in the top 20?"

Twitter post from former staff of the now defunct gay newspaper, Washington Blade. It appears to indicate the name of their new venture, launching tonight at the Hard Rock Cafe in DC. A website domain name of the same title has been registered by Lynne Brown, the Blade's former Publisher. (Twitter.com)

Just a few of the many unchallenged quotes provided by Harry Jackson, a preacher from the Maryland-based Hope Christian Church, to the Washington Post faith writer Wil Haygood. (Washington Post)

In April Jackson held a public protest against gay marriage in DC where many of the speakers called gay people ''immoral,'' disgusting, and ''perverted.'' They accused gays of destroying families and trying to ride on top of the black community's civil rights struggle. Then they all gathered around the Council's building and waved their hands and chanted, "No Same Sex Marriage!" In October he testified that the City Council must allow the District's residents to vote on same-sex marriages, and lectured the Council on the historic struggle for voting rights in DC. Yet, when Councilman David Catania asked Jackson how many times he himself had voted in the District, Jackson had to admit that he has never voted, because he has never been a District resident until very recently.

Angry blog entry from Monsignor Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington. You'll have to guess at what the spin is on what he's saying here. First, he says all accusers are likely guilty themselves, then he immediately tosses out numerous accusations that the Council is forcing religious organizations into accepting gay marriages. Unsurprisingly, his claims are both false and misleading. No one in the government ever forced Catholic Charities or the Archdiocese to request money from the government or to agree to any government contract. Nowhere in Mr Pope's commentary is there a mention of this. His fiery argument appears to be written in a way that makes it seem like the government is taking money away from the church -- money that they somehow deserve. Nowhere in his article does he mention that Catholic Charities has an extremely well-paid president, Ed Orzechowski, who testified that his "nonprofit" organization refuses to share any type of spousal benefits with its own gay and lesbian employees even after they get legally married. (Archdiocese of Washington Blog)

''Under the bill, religious organizations would be exempt from participating in ceremonies or from teaching about same-sex marriage in religion classes and retreats in accord with their faith beliefs, but they would be required to recognize and promote same-sex marriage everywhere else, including in employment policies, and adoption and foster-care policies, against their beliefs.... Despite the headlines, there has been no threat or ultimatum to end services, just a simple recognition that the new requirements by the city for religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages in their policies could restrict our ability to provide the same level of services as we do now.... Since Catholic Charities cannot comply with city mandates to recognize and promote same-sex marriages, the city would withhold contracts and licenses.... This legislation won't end Catholic Charities' services, but it would reduce unnecessarily the resources available for outreach. We recognize that the council is likely to legalize same-sex marriage. It is the hope of the Archdiocese and Catholic Charities that council members will work with us to find a way to better balance interests so religious organizations that have served this city well for many decades may continue to provide services without compromising the tenets of their faith.''

Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl's op-ed for the Washington Post. Though his tone seems more conciliatory when compared with many other statements that have come out of the DC Archdiocese and the Catholic Church in the last few days, Wuerl still appears to plays the victim card here. He never once states in plain terms either of the two main options that his religious organization has in their disagreement with the DC Council over gay marriages: 1) Don't ask for the millions of taxpayer dollars that they have apparently come to rely on, or 2) Offer equal treatment to their own married gay employees and to gay couples who are willing to foster or adopt wards of the city. The Council has already made a huge change to the bill after listening to days worth of testimony from the Archdiocese and other organizations. Yet, the US Council of Catholic Bishops responded to all this by issuing a bizarre pastoral letter that strongly condemns same-sex marriage and homosexuality, and instructs gay Catholics to remain chaste and relate to one another in nothing closer than neighborly ''friendship.'' Catholic Charities is the Church's nonprofit organization that admitted to getting 75% of its funding from governments. And its president, Ed Orzechowski, testified in blunt terms that he will not provide equal services to married gay and lesbian employees or to gay and lesbian families in the District. (Archdiocese of Washington Blog)

''Is there something in you tent that needs assasinating?... Mmm, that's quite an offer, especially coming from another man, if we are both speaking of the same thing.... I was raised to take my pleasures where they could be found, for they do not come very often.

Cut scene of a naked gay romp between warriors in a ''Dragon Age: Origins'' a new and highly-rated video game of the ''Dungeons and Dragons'' role-playing genre. The company, Bioware, got in some hot water earlier this year with the LGBT community when, at least temporarily, it shut down chat discussions in their ''Star Wars'' forums that included the words ''gay,'' ''lesbian'' and ''homosexual.'' (Bioware)

Singer Adam Lambert who came in as runner up on the US's most popular television entertainment program, "American Idol." He gave an interview and appeared in a cover photo for the magazine's ''Out 100,'' but there appears to have been some questionable insistence from Lambert's publicist that he not come off as too gay. He is currently promoting his new music album, ''For Your Entertainment.'' (Out Magazine)

From a pastoral letter approved by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops on Tuesday. The letter says homosexuality is contrary to natural law and is under no circumstance to be approved. It makes a number of arguments against gay marriage, primarily that male-female marriages alone can produce children, and then backs up their logic with some amorphous usage of the terms like ''original sin,'' ''sacrament,'' and a ''communion'' between a man, a woman, and the Church, Jesus and their interpretation of God's will. Homosexual persons, it claims, deserve acceptance with ''respect, compassion and dignity,'' then immediately says gay men and lesbians should only exhibit chastity -- that same-sex relationships are to remain as just ''friendship,'' like with a ''neighbor.''

A recent report showed a significant decline in heterosexual couples seeking marriages within the Catholic Church, both here in the US and abroad, over the last several years. This USCCB letter also strongly criticizes cohabitation, the use of contraception, and the availability of divorce. It does appear to permit divorce in the case of violence, yet said that the Church could not recognize any subsequent marriages even in those cases. The Church and the Washington Archdiocese are currently trying to prevent the DC City Council from ending the discriminatory exclusion of gay and lesbian couples from receiving equal marriage recognition. (USCCB)

''The church focuses on the right to discriminate, but refuses to consider the effect on the couple. They provide these services in other states where same-sex marriages are permitted, I do not understand why they would not be able to provide them here.... I think it is important that we continue to have a discussion with the archdiocese and other churches as they wish. But I do have to say, the way this issue has been approached by the archdiocese in the past week was tantamount to drawing a line in the sand and it may be hard for them to show some flexibility.''

DC Councilman Phil Mendelson speaking for the City Council of the District of Columbia which plans to pass the ''Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009'' which will grant full access to marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Some religious groups have pestered the city's attempt at inclusiveness with complaints that same-sex marriage will stomp on their religious liberties. The Catholic Church and their nonprofit, Catholic Charities, in particular, have threatened to stop providing services to those in need of food, health care and education if they are not given millions of taxpayer dollars and the ability to say gay men and women are not worthy of spousal benefits. The city has already made one huge change to the law allowing far greater religious flexibility than it had originally planned. But the Archdiocese refuses to recognize that change, and the fairness that the bill provides to gay families, and their own need to concede or compromise for the sake of the needs of the people they claim they serve. The Council plans to vote on the bill on December 1, 2009 anyway. (Washington Post)

''It's a dangerous thing when the Catholic Church starts writing and determining the legislation and the laws of the District of Columbia.''

Tommy Wells, Ward 6 Councilman for the District of Columbia, who received his JD from Catholic University Columbus School of Law and is a strong supporter of the DC same-sex marriage bill. (Washington Post) (Tommy Wells)

''The demand for same-sex marriage has gone from toleration to tyranny. The DC government is prepared to force Christians to violate church teaching and become complicit in behavior that the Bible calls sin. This is just the kind of abuse against which opponents of same-sex marriage have been warning.... If Catholics are not allowed to be Catholic, none of us can rest secure in our liberty.... Wherever same-sex marriage has been available, only a small number have taken the opportunity. Yet, in order to satisfy that small minority, the DC council seems ready to put at risk 68,000 needy city residents. We see no signs of homosexual groups offering to open homeless shelters and medical clinics to fill the void if the Catholics are purged from the roll of city contractors.''

Alan Wisdom of the Institute on Religion and Democracy complaining for the Catholic Church about DC's upcoming same-sex marriage law. (Christian Wire News) His argument against the bill leaves out many of the facts and presents false assumptions:

1. No one is forcing Catholic Charities or the Archdiocese of Washington to accept, reject, or comply with anything.
2. Catholic Charities voluntarily asks for the DC government to provide it with millions of dollars of public, taxpayer funds.
3. Not all religious and nonprofit organizations believe, as the Catholic Church does, in the need to treat the citizens of the District in an unequal and discriminatory manner.
4. The Council and others have pointed out that there are other organizations who would eagerly comply with the law and serve the public's needs with this same money. The Council has recognized that Catholic Charities is one organization that does some good work, and has granted, up till now, that organization's requested funds.
5. A significant part of the District's public funds come from a population that includes a high proportion of gay and lesbian taxpayers. Meanwhile, the Church pays no taxes on either income or property related to its religious mission.
   
6. If, as he claims, the number of same-sex couples is so insignificant, then why would the Church make such a fuss about it in the first place?
7. There indeed are a number of gay and gay-friendly organizations and religious institutions which do provide charitable services. Also, many LGBT people provide funds and work within non-gay-specific charities -- one being Catholic Charities itself, as was acknowledged by that organization's president.

It is the choice of the Catholic Church to request public funds. It is their choice to reject government contracts that require fairness and equality. It is the choice of the Church's leadership to vocalize and act upon their discriminatory belief system. And it is their choice to stop providing an alleged 68,000 residents with much needed assistance.

The head of Catholic Charities, Ed Orzechowski, is paid $268,000 per year according to Washingtonian magazine. From the millions of dollars that the taxpayers of DC have granted to Catholic Charities, that amount appears to indicate a significant portion is going to his paycheck alone. And Orzechowski, in return, testified on the record last month that he will not place parentless children with same-sex couples nor would he provide spousal benefits to gay and lesbian employees who are in legally committed marriages. David Catania, an openly gay member of the DC City Council, pointed out that Catholic Charities provided just six (5%) of the wards of the DC last year. Catania also pointed out that he had been (up until the Archdiocese delivered it's ''offensive'' testimony) the strongest supporter of Catholic Charities at the Council.

Will Phillips, a 10-year-old boy in West Fork, Arkansas, who has opted not to stand for or say The Pledge of Allegiance. He feels that gays, because they are not allowed to get married, are not included as part of a nation that provides ''liberty and justice for all,'' plus there's a lot of racism and sexism. It is reported that Phillips skipped the 4th grade, and he says he wants to be a lawyer. His father says his son sat for four days facing criticism, until he lost his temper with his substitute teacher. (CNN)

''Yes, my son is 10. But he's probably more aware of the meaning of the pledge than a lot of adults. He's not just doing it rote recitation. We raised him to be aware of what's right, what's wrong, and what's fair.... The principal said we have to talk about Will, because he told a sub to jump off a bridge. My first response was: Why? He's not just going to say this because he doesn't want to do his math work.''

Laura Phillips, mother of 5th grader, Will Phillips, who refuses to say the pledge in part because gay men and women are not allowed to get married. Will tell the Arkansas Times that ''Freedom of speech. The freedom to disagree,'' is what being an American represents. (Arkansas Times)

David McCaffrey, a founding member of Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities, objecting to a ''reparative therapy'' program that gay Catholics are allegedlyl being referred to in St Paul, MN. McCaffrey, here, is also answering why Catholics don't pick up and leave the church behind. Speculation is that the Church as a whole has taken a hard turn toward the conservative right because of Pope Benedict's wishes. Complaints arose last week that the Church is stepping over the line from being a religion and into a political organization when they were seeing complaining to Congress about abortion and the proposed Health Care Bill, and also in DC where they are actively trying to pressure the DC City Council from enacting a widely-supported gay marriage bill. (Star Tribune)

Jose Maria Di Bello, who was just granted the right to marry in the Latin American country of Argentina. He and his partner, Alejandro Freyre, will be able to marry starting on December 1, 2009. The rather sudden and surprising ruling for this mostly Catholic country hasn't had time for political opposition to develop yet, but one Catholic Bishop there there is claiming that same-sex unions ''seriously endanger'' the common good. (AFP) (AFP)

Lynne Brown, Publisher of the Washington Blade, telling Metro Weekly that the 40-year-old gay newspaper for the District of Columbia has permanently ceased publishing. (Metro Weekly)

''Certainly we knew finances were tight, but none of us were expecting this today.... We had been told the impact on us would be minimal and that the company would be sold.''

Laura Douglas-Brown of the Southern Voice, one of several LGBT publications that were closed down today after a parent organization, Window Media, said they'd file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Window Media acquired the Washington Blade and New York Blade in 2001. (WIBW)