December 10, 2008 is “Day Without A Gay” a nationwide strike and economic boycott by all Gays, Lesbians and their allies (whether straight, bisexual or transgendered). LGBT workers, business owners, consumers and taxpayers contribute over $700 billion to the U.S. economy each year, so a nation-wide boycott will send a peaceful and affective message about the need for equality. December 10th was chosen as the date for this national action because it is also International Human Rights Day.

The name “Day Without A Gay” was inspired by the film “A Day Without A Mexican” (I just checked out the trailer, it looks awesome) and the 2006 national strike called “A Day Without Immigrants”, in which people fought for immigrant rights.

So what should you do (or not do) to takepart and join the “Day Without A Gay” movement? Supporters are encouraged not to call in sick to work, but rather are encouraged to call in “gay”–and donate your time to service. For more information and more ways to fight for gay rights, visit http://daywithoutagay.org/

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!

Katie Halper:

Debra Winger and Rights Camera Action!

James Byrd Jr. and the Struggle for Tolerance

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Nicole Hughes:

Green Video of the Week: 5 Tips for Reducing Your Garbage

The Week in Green Politics

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Andy Kondrat:

Disappearing Destinations: Visit Before They Vanish

Chuck Norris Wants America to Start Drilling for Oil Here and Now!

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Jon Popham:

NASA Plans Voyage to the Sun

The Girl Effect

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Giulia Rozzi:

Gay Discrimination at Seattle Baseball Game

Bison Brucellosis

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Gina Telaroli:

Fathers Day Celebration of Movie Dads #1

My Father’s Gift of Tecumseh!

Last week, an usher at Safeco Field asked a lesbian to stop kissing her date because it made another fan uncomfortable.

As the Mariners played the Boston Red Sox on May 26, Sirbrina Guerrero and her date were approached in the third inning by an usher who told them their kissing was inappropriate, Guerrero said.The usher, Guerrero said, told them he had received a complaint from a woman nearby who said that there were kids in the crowd of nearly 36,000 and that parents would have to explain why two women were kissing.

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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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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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Alternet reports that in a segment that aired Friday, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres spoke about the horrific murder of 15-year-old Lawrence King, who was killed by classmate Brandon McInerney for being gay. Students apparently often taunted King who didn’t even have a safe home to return to after school: he was living in a shelter for abused and troubled children.

Ellen said:

“A boy has been killed and a number of lives have been ruined. And, somewhere along the line the killer, Brandon, got the message that it’s so threatening, so awful, and so horrific that Larry would want to be his Valentine — that killing Larry seemed to be the right thing to do. And when the message out there is so horrible that to be gay, you can get killed for it, we need to change the message. Larry was not a second-class citizen. I am not a second-class citizen. It’s ok if you’re gay.”

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is now here to give you the very best of Katie, Nicole, Giulia, Gina and Kerry! If you worry about missing your favorite bloggers’ posts as they push their way down the page each and every week - Never Fear! Check out our most popular posts of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Woody Guthrie: This Grammy Is Your Grammy / This Grammy Is My Grammy

Rambo Fights for Burma’s Freedom + 5 Steps You Can Take To Help Burma In 5 Minutes

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Nicole:

“Yes We Can” Obama Music Video a Unique Celebrity Endorsement

Top 10 US Grant, Scholarship and Fellowship Awarding Foundations

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Giulia:

Ba-Da-Bling Commercials Pulled in New York

“Safe Sex or No Sex” Shirts Get Teens Suspended

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Gina:

10 Internet Videos Featuring Celebrities Advocating For A Cause

Close Up: An Introduction to Iranian Cinema and Cinematic Rainbows

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Kerry:

Sheryl Crow’s Apocalyptic Peak-Oil Song

Solar Powered Soldiers Wear Uniforms with Built-In Batteries

L Word Trippple L awards are back. Last week, I brought you episode one of the LLL awards, in which I hypothesized that the show gave its stars like Cybill Shepherd and Pam Grier, longevity, youthfulness, and beauty, as well as new careers.

Well, here is episode II. And these women are not only as beautiful as they were 20 years ago, but MORE beautiful, which is why they get an additional award: The SS Award named after Susan Sarandon, for becoming more attractive over time.

She may have won an Academy Award for her performance in Children of a Lesser God, but move the Oscar out of the way and make room for the LLL award. As television’s first deaf lesbian character, Jodi Lerner, the the bohemian, iconoclastic, sculptor, helps Bette loosen up and give up some control. Whether she’s seducing or sculpting, this heart breaker signs, seals, AND delivers. Unless she’s rocking crimped hair, which she did in one scene in a restaurant… IN PUBLIC… ON A DOUBLE DATE! Let’s hope Marlee lets go of the 80’s and embraces the 2000’s as much as they’ve embraced her. Because she used to be cute, but she’s now beautiful, the child of a greater goddess.

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Watching The L Word on Showtime on demand reminded me of the great adage, immortalized by Matthew Mcconoughy in Dazed and Confused: “That’s what I like about high school girls: I keep getting older, they stay the same age.” Except “what I like about L Word girls” is “they keep getting older, they stay the same” or as beautiful” or even more beautiful.” But the L word does more than just make its stars youthful and beautiful. In the case of the four “thespians” discussed below, it actually resuscitates the dead careers of former it girls, turning them into L women, taking years off their lives, and giving them new leases (or contracts) on life.

So here are my top 4 tripple L’s (Longevity L-Word Ladies.)

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