Perhaps a hilarious song and dance number will encourage those who supported Califonia’s Propsition 8 to rethink their position on banning gay marriage.  Ask yourself:  WWJBD?  (What Would Jack Black Do?)  The answer is Prop 8: The Musical!

Brilliant.

takepart and Join The Impact by demanding equal rights for all people.

We’ve been writing a lot about the Prop 8 vote here on TakePart and in that spirit I wanted to share Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment on Prop 8.  No matter what you think of Prop 8, gay marriage or Keith Olbermann this is something you should watch.

takepart to help ensure that same-sex couples are afforded the same Constitutional rights as heterosexual couples with Marriage Equality.

Read on:
No On 8 Protest: They’re Not Getting Even, They’re Getting Equal
Prop 8 Protests
Proposition 8 Passed

As Danny mentioned, thousands of supporters of same-sex marriage protested in West Hollywood last night and took to the streets again today in response to the passing of Proposition 8 that amends the state constitution to limit marriage to a man and  a woman.

Lawyers for No on 8 have already filed a lawsuit.

Some Participants attended the protests last night and the one happening right now in Hollywood. Here are videos and photos:

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As I got ready for bed last night I heard the continuous flutter of helicoptors, and checked the news to discover a massive protest against the passing of California’s Proposition 8 roaming the streets of Hollywood.

What began as a relatively small gathering of supporters of same-sex marriage, quickly escalated into a peaceful march of nearly 2000 people, with similar numbers reported in San Fransisco.  There were only a few arrests, with one report of a protester being tackled

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Nearly 30 states have already passed discriminatory laws that prevent gays and lesbian couples from marrying. Why is marriage important for gays and lesbians? Aside from the obvious, that they ought to be allowed to demonstrate their love and devotion to each other as heterosexual couples do, there are many legal implications. Legal marriages allow for a host of protections including partner benefits, healthcare, hospital visit access and legal protections. Unfortunately, California, Florida and Arizona’s anti-gay marriage forces have reared their ugly heads again this election cycle. Even if you do not live in these states, please help to support efforts to defeat these measures and to send a message to anti-gay marriage politicians, religious leaders and activists nationwide that their hateful language and policies will not be tolerated.

takepart with No on 8 (California)
Check out these amazing no on 8 videos:

takepart with No on 2 (Florida)

takepart with No on 102 (Arizona)

Oh how sad. Yesterday, donors and supporters of Equality California began receiving threatening letters from the Yes on 8 campaign leadership.

Threatening to expose the donors listed on the Equality California website if they don’t donate to the Yes on 8 campaign, the letter was signed by four members of the “Yes on 8″ executive committee, saying

Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. You would leave us no other reasonable assumption. The names of any companies that choose not to donate to ProtectMarriage.com will be published.

We will contact you shortly to discuss your contribution.

Amazing. “Yes on Prop 8″ supporters are so desperate to eliminate away gay marriage rights that they are threatening people?

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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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California’s Gay Marriage Ban was banned today by the California Supreme court! In the 4-3 decision, the court ruled that Proposition 22, a ban on gay marriage, is unconstitutional. This is great news for people who, you know, like, care about equal rights or whatever! Here’s why the court deemed it unconstitutional to tell people who they can and can’t marry:

In contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual’s sexual orientation, and, more generally, that an individual’s sexual orientation like a person’s race or gender does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights. We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.

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Our second installation of the TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is here give you the very best of Katie, Nicole, Giulia, Gina and Kerry! More blogs means more to love this Valentine’s Day week, and more social action means a healthier and happier world for everyone. Check out our most popular posts of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

5 Ways to Take Action and Get Action On Valentine’s Day

Top 10 Guilt-Free Valentine’s Day Jewelry Gifts: Show Your Valentine You Have a Heart

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Nicole:

Kiva: Microlending to Change Lives

Top 10 New Releases to Inspire Social Change

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Giulia:

Alicia Keys Uses Grammys to Help Keep a Child Alive

V-Day Celebrates Its 10 Year Anniversary!

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Gina:

Top 10 Movie Characters That Make A Difference

Art As Politics In “The Silence Before Bach”

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Kerry:

Tap Project Gets Donations Flowing For Safe Global Water

Levon Helms’ “Dirt Farmer” Wins Grammy Gold

This Valentine’s day, as I promised readers last week, you don’t have to choose between buying your loved one a diamond necklace made by enslaved children, or a hemp necklace made under humane conditions (probably in Berkeley). And if you’ve seen Blood Diamond, whose trailer is above, or Gem Slaves, or Congo’s Curse, both made by IRIN, I have a feeling you’re not going to want to taint your valentine with blood-made jewelry. So here is a list of 10 great Valentine’s Day jewelry gifts that will let you glitter guilt-free. Make sure you come back tomorrow to check out my next top 10 Valentines Gifts with Heart list. For now, let’s talk about jewelry, starting with the most affordable and working our way up:

1. The Men’s Leather Cuff Bracelet from Global Exchange’s Fair Trade store is made sweat-free in Thailand and costs only $15 so you won’t have to sweat over the price of the gift or the circumstances under which it was made.
2. The Red Tie Necklace is made by the Tara cooperative in Deli, India and available at Ten Thousand Villages for only $16. Beautiful, unique, made of sparkling red glass beads, the red tie necklace will make your valentine want to tie the knot with you.

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