Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute whose new poll of California residents found that only 40% would vote to stop gay marriages, while 54% would allow legal gay marriages to stand in California, however, not all of the latter group approve of the idea of gay marriage. The population is said to be evenly split 47% to 47% in their personal opinion. (Time) A Field poll conducted in May found similar results of 42% opposed to legal gay marriage, and 51% will allow. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Gary Zenkel, President of NBC Olympics, in a brief statement released in regards to the network's lack of coverage of openly gay, Australian diver Matt Mitcham who prevented the Chinese from taking all 8 medals in the diving competition. (AfterElton.com)

"Supermodel" Janice Dickinson reacting to Tyra Banks' inclusion of a transgender contestant, Isis, on her long-running reality show, "America's Next Top Model." A MTF transgender, Claudia Charriez, was featured on the first season of "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" reality show. (New York Magazine)

Phyllis Lyon in a statement about the death of her wife, Del Martin, who passed away in San Francisco at the age of 87. The two lesbian rights pioneers were twice married by they city's mayor, Gavin Newsom, but only recently was it legally recognized. The couple founded the first lesbian rights organization and published the first lesbian newsletter.(San Francisco Chronicle)

Seth Unger, press secretary for California's corrections department, explaining how gay marriages in that state will affect relationships between prisoners. (Capitol Weekly)

''Somebody might force Scott Peterson to marry them or something? The Department of Corrections can come up with a myriad of reasons in their minds for passing this regulation. Very few of them have anything to do with reality. It's not based on a sound public policy but really on demonizing people in prison and denying them constitutional rights that have nothing to do with why they're in prison.''

Rose Braz of Critical Reistance, an organization that opposes the continued expansion of the current prison system. (Capitol Weekly)

Monica Helms, a Navy veteran and president of the Transgender American Veterans Association, responding to the findings of a poll of 660 transgender vets. According to the poll these vets did not use the VA.. Hospitals because transgender care was not covered and because of the lack of respect that they received when they did go to the V.A. (Air Force Times)

Excerpts from an interview with Representative Barney Frank [D-MA] about the Democratic National Convention that is occuring in Colorado this week. (PGN Blogs)

''As an African-American and a lesbian, I haven't been through one day without facing some sort of discrimination ... but this is just shocking.''

Lapriss Gilbert, 31, who was getting a Social Security card for her son but was ejected by a guard at the Los Angeles building because of her Lesbian.com t-shirt. After contacting her monther, Tanya Gilbert, who is also a lesbian, they called the police and were then allowed to enter the building. A spokesperson for the security of the building reportedly says they have notified the guard's employers that his actions were inappropriate and unacceptable. (Contra Costa Times)

Jerry Cox, President of the Family Council, a group which is reported to have collected over 85,000 signatures to have a ballot measure in place this November that would prevent unmarrieds -- including lesbian and gay people -- from adopting and fostering children. The effort is said to be a second attempt aimed at gays after the state's Supreme Court struck down a law in 2006 that specifically prevented gay people from fostering. (Associated Press)

"'A proposed act providing that a minor may not be adopted or placed in a foster home if the individual seeking to adopt or to serve as a foster parent is cohabiting with a sexual partner outside of a marriage which is valid under the constitution and laws of this state; stating that the foregoing prohibition applies equally to cohabiting opposite-sex and same-sex individuals; stating that the act will not affect the guardianship of minors; defining "minor" to mean an individual under the age of eighteen (18) years; stating that the public policy of the state is to favor marriage, as defined by the constitution and laws of this state, over unmarried cohabitation with regard to adoption and foster care; finding and declaring on behalf of the people of the state that it is in the best interest of children in need of adoption or foster care to be reared in homes in which adoptive or foster parents are not cohabiting outside of marriage; providing that the Director of the Department of Human Services shall promulgate regulations consistent with the act; and providing that the act applies prospectively beginning on January 1, 2009.''

Text of proposed law to ban same-sex adoptions and other adoptions by unmarried partners in the state of Arkansas. (Arkansas.gov)

''I would describe it as 'Take me.' ... My friends say my sense of style is bitch.'' -- Shawn Rachel, 28

''Today is classic and simple, but I'm usually a flashy person with bright colors and labels, and I like to be a little slut in the summer and show some skin.... Sometimes, I'm just randomly throwing stuff on, but other times it takes hours. When I was younger I used to stick to trendier clothing, like what was in for the season, but now I mix and match whatever I want.'' -- Moenae Johnson, 19, of Queens.

On-the-street interviews with some of the TS ladies of New York City's Greenwich Village night scene. (The Villager)

Professor Juliet Richters as published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Part of her study's findings show that BDSM interests are more common among gay men and lesbians and other sexually adventurous people in general. (The Australian)

Paul Colichman, die-hard Democrat and owner of the Advocate, Out magazine, GayWired.com and the Here! network, expressing his disappointment in both Hiliary Clinton's loss and Barack Obama's lack of total support for gay relationships. (The New York Post)

TEACH Ministries founders Mary Lou Wallner and husband Bob Wallner, whose estranged lesbian daughter killer herself in 1997, say they have gone from seeing gays and lesbians as having a troubled lifestyle to figthing for their acceptance and strong supporters of P-FLAG. (Missourian)

Carolyn Ball, a lesbian excommunicated in 2002 for refusing to choose the church over her partner, who has started one of a number of gay-supportive websites trying to counteract the Mormon Church's coordinated anti-gay marriage push. (Orlando Sentinel)

"It's going to take a while to sink in. My cheeks hurt from smiling. My face hurts from the chlorine. My legs are sore from jumping up and down. I'm in pain and I'm tired. But I'm so happy."

Matthew Mitcham, a gay diver from Australia, who was brought to tears after winning a gold medal at the Olympics for 10m platform diving. (LA Times)