The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Nicole Hughes:

Should Drive-Thrus Be Banned?

Eco-Moms Mad About “Greenwash” Barbie

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Andy Kondrat:

Home Depot Will Recycle Your CLF Bulbs for Free

Department of Energy Predicts 50% Energy Increase By 2030

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Jon Popham:

NYC Waterfalls Installation Starts This Week

Capt. John Smith Is Back…and Running for President

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Giulia Rozzi:

Yoga Across the Border

Emile Norman: By His Own Design

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Gina Telaroli:

Silverdocs 08: A Post-Fest Wrap-Up

Human Rights Watch 08: Letter to Anna

Monday night the film Emile Norman: By His Own Design debuted on PBS. Emile Norman is a self-taught California artist, who at age 90 is still working on his craft. 

The film tells the story of Norman’s independent spirit—how it developed from his early days on a walnut ranch in the San Gabriel Valley and brought him success in New York City in the 1940s and

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Steven Colbert took on homophobia and intolerance during an interview with Tony Perkins the founder of the Family Research Council and a vocal opponent of gay civil unions and gay marriage. Colbert challenged Tony Perkins‘ use of religion to attack homosexuality by asking Perkins where in the bible Jesus talked about gay people. When Perkins mentioned a reference in the gospel according to Paul, Colbert responded that Paul also encourages adult circumcision. He also asked Perkins if he kept Kosher (as mandated by the Old Testament). Colbert was, of course, doing this under the guise of satire. Steven Colbert’s character was asking Perkins these difficult questions because he wanted to know how to win arguments on gay marriage. But the real Steven Colbert was asking these difficult questions to challenge Perkins: if you claim to ground yourself in a literal and narrow reading of the bible, then by all means do so, but be consistent. Just make sure you tack on adult circumcision and keeping kosher to your platform.

But Colbert is not merely a satirist taking on homophobia. He is a practicing Catholic and Sunday school teacher!

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Gay friendly Greenwich Village is considered the gay pride mecca. But maybe the rainbow flags hanging outside 90% of the gay aren’t as redundant and superfluous as we think. When Khadijah Farmer, a lesbian, went to a restaurant in the village after attending a pride parade, she probably didn’t expect to get kicked out. Last year, Farmer and her friends ate at the Caliente Cab Company, a Mexican restaurant in the heart of the West Village. When she went to the lady’s room, a bouncer followed her in and told her she had to leave. After Farmer showed him her ID, the bouncer, who must have a hard time apologizing, made Farmer and her party leave the restaurant. But there’s a happy ending!

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Lance Bass of NSYNC talks about the importance of GLSEN’s National Day of Silence in this public service announcement, leading up to the Day of Silence on April 25, 2008 to address anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools.

This year’s event will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed Feb. 12 by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students will come together on April 25 to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior. and get involved at http://www.dayofsilence.org/

The message of universal equality (and great music!) is at the heart of the True Colors Tour, which features a stellar line-up, including performances by Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Joan Jett, Rosie O’Donnell, Wanda Sykes, and others. The Tour hopes to bring about awareness to the discrimination that that LGBT community still faces today.

A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to True Colors’ non-profit partners to increase funding for organizations that are working toward furthering LGBT equality. Tickets went on sale last week, and performances will happen around the country throughout the month of June.

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Groundspark Film Project (formerly Women’s Educational Media) works with social activists and educators to produce truly visionary films that inspire social action. A spirit of innovation and energetic activism colors their Respect For All Film Project and accompanying educational campaigns as they engage with youth and adults alike on topics of human diversity and preventing prejudice. The project offers a variety of resources for educators and service providers, including award-winning documentaries, a workshop series, and curriculum guidelines.

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Harry Potter author JK Rowling outed her character Dumbledore in October. But now Rowling herself is coming out– against homophobia, which she describes as “a fear of people loving, more than it is of the sexual act.” Speaking to Student, Edinburgh University’s newspaper Rowling said:

There seems to be an innate distaste for the love involved, which I find absolutely extraordinary.The issue is love. It’s not about sex. So that’s what I knew about Dumbledore. And it’s relevant only in so much as he fell in love and was made an utter fool of by love.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Several topics really stood out this week, including the Oscars as social advocacy inspiration, civil rights and Black History Month, and lots of hot news on entertainment going Green. Check out our most popular posts of the week on these subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Happy Belated “Freedom to Marry” Week!

Rosa and Raymond Parks: Valiant Valentine #5

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Nicole:

Top 10 Oscar Picks to Inspire Social Action

Cornel West: Black Thoughts On Black History Month

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Giulia:

H&M’s “Fashion Against AIDS”

Ed Begley Jr. Goes Green

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Gina:

Top 10 Best Picture Winners That Inspire

Remixing “Chicago 10″

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Kerry:

How To Set the World On Fire Without Burning Out

Eco-Brokers Cater to Green Homebuyers

I was so busy celebrating Valentine’s Day, finding guilt-free Valentine’s Day Gifts, and awarding Valiant Valentines to social action-taking couples, I didn’t have enough time to blog about Freedom To Marry Week, the great week-long holiday that celebrates marriage for all people. Freedom To Marry is an inclusive non profit organization dedicated to ending the exclusion of same-sex couples and their families from marriage.

Do you believe that people who love each other and are committed to each other also deserve to be able to marry each other? Then ! Sign the Marriage Resolution! And watch Julie Goldman and Kate McKinnon in the music video for Julie’s song Commitment Ceremony, which is both hilarious, and inspiring. Not to apply an peer pressure, but FYI, when you sign the pledge you’ll be in good company, joining fellow pledgers like Gillian Anderson, Matthew Broderick, Bea Arthur, Beck, Neve Campbell, Alan Cumming, Ted Danson & Mary Steenburgen, Ellen DeGeneres, Laura Dern, David Duchovny, Nora Ephron & Nick Pileggi, Melissa Etheridge, Al Franken, Whoopi Goldberg,

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