Rita Mayfield is one of the Chicago-area Democrats who helped scuttle the marriage equality bill in the Illinois State House -- at least for the time being. She's pretty clear that she will not give gay people the same rights she enjoys because her religion treats gay people as pariahs,...

Republicans have a gay marriage problem. Even their own focus groups with young voters prove it.

They released a report "Grand Old Party for a Brand New Generation," which appears to be titled more on wishful thinking than on reality. God's Own Party is chasing young people into...

Drugs can kill users. Drug warriors can kill anybody.

A CBS report on street violence in Chicago makes clear that a major cause -- if not the major cause -- of these deaths is because drug gangs are fighting over turf. Jack Riley, the DEA...

Here is yellow journalism combined with bad politics: a young, otherwise healthy man from West Hollywood is in a coma from meningitis. Some West Hollywood politician made a public statement claiming he had died after contracting the disease at the White Party in Palm Springs. The young man's family

I get a bit tired of whiny conservatives imitating what they consider the worst of the Left, by pretending they are victims. Not only are they hypocritical in doing so, but usually imagining things. They whine about "special privileges" that gay people demand, but by this they mean the same...

If I were to debunk Christianity by writing about the absurdity of "temple garments," the lack of evidence that Jesus visited America, or baptism for the dead, it would become immediately clear that I have confused one unique Christian sect for the entire religion. That is what Maya Rupert

Most of us have run into anti-gay bigots who absolutely insist they have many gay friends -- though many choke on the word "gay" and prefer the more clinical term, "homosexual."

Point out their bias and they will give a litany of gay friends, co-workers or relatives. I suspect many...

In a rather typical fit of hyperbole, Rev. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention took some new swipes at the LGBT community -- one of his favorite targets.

Land claimed that LGBT "do not believe in a live and let live philosophy." Surely, this is an odd accusation...

"You can't just execute him," said attorney Glen Jonas.

Jonas is representing Emma Hernandez, 71, and Margie Carranza, 47. The two women were delivering newspapers when police officers simply opened fired on their pickup truck.

That same morning, David Perdue was pulled over by...

If anything defines the conservative mind, it is fear that disaster lurks around the corner. The end is nigh. Conservatives love to find ways to tie apocalypse to groups of people they just don't like. The modern liberal, on the other hand, believes he can remake society in his own...

A few days ago I discussed the awful verbal bashing that self-proclaimed advocates for the LGBT community meted out to Jodie Foster. Ms. Foster apparently didn't come out of the closet correctly; she didn't say the right things, and didn't do it according to the schedule these activists...

Fundamentalism, as a belief system, is an ugly, intolerant view of the world and no more attractive when exhibited within the LGBT community. A lot of people think one can't have fundamentalism within the community, especially among those leading the fight for social tolerance and legal equality.

But you can!

Religious Right groups are already claiming that a European Court of Human Rights ruling is an example of how Christians face "discrimination." Lillian Ladele went to the Court, according to the Christian Institute, because she "was pushed out of her job because of her stance against civil partnerships."...

Terrorists use fear to intimidate people in order to achieve political ends. Sadly, so do politicians. Fear is one constant used in political rhetoric. To quote Roseanne Roseannadanna, "It just goes to show you. It's always something; if it's not one thing, it's another." (Here at about 3:10)...

Uganda is set to pass new anti-gay legislation with provisions calling for the execution of gay people under some circumstances. The rumor of the death penalty clause being removed seems grossly exaggerated. Dr. Warren Throckmorton, who has followed the legislation closely, indicates that some Western media are erroneously reporting that...

Ayn Rand and Barack Obama have something in common.

Consider a rumor being spread on the Internet concerning a top Obama aide, alleged to have made comments about how the administration knows who the enemies are, and will be getting even with them for opposing Obama's reelection.

When...

One of the most bizarre opinion pieces I've read in a long time was one by David Ignatius in the Washington Post. Ignatius says that the recent presidential debate gave us a "glimpse" of "an emerging bipartisan consensus on foreign policy." What is truly bizarre is America has suffered from...

The polling company Gallup has waded into the debate regarding how many Americans are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. It asked 121,290 individuals about their sexual orientation and gender identity, and, based on their answers, it came up with an estimate of 3.4 percent.

Gallup recognizes...

The debate on marriage equality has often been stymied with shrill statements and hysterical hyperbole. One of the more absurdly extreme statements came from the former Archbishop of Canterbury, who likened the present status of gay-marriage opponents to that of Jews at the beginning of the Third Reich....

With the election just around the corner, perhaps we should start with the bad news -- either Romney or Obama will win. It is inevitable.

Right off the bat, that is bad news to about half the population and I suspect a fair percentage of the rest will be...