National Geographic

This aired last night on CNN.

"Focus on the Family finally got something right—the American people are rejecting their anti-gay toxic rhetoric and punitive politics, and are siding with loving and committed couples seeking the freedom to marry. With six national polls now confirming that a majority of Americans support the freedom to marry, it’s time for Focus on the Family and other anti-gay industry activists to move on and, ideally, redirect their resources toward tackling the real problems gay and non-gay Americans could be confronting together in these tough economic times." - Freedom To Marry head Evan Wolfson, responding to Focus president Jim Daly, who says the Christian right has lost the marriage battle.

With Freedom To Marry's Evan Wolfson looking on.

A coalition of openly gay celebrities and their allies have issued a public letter to the president, asking that he complete his "evolution" and come out publicly in support of same-sex marriage. The letter reads, in part:

Like so many Americans, you have spoken of your personal journey toward support for the freedom to marry. You have talked about the gay and lesbian people in your life, their commitment to each other and care for their kids, and their families that aren’t so different from any other family.

We ask you now for your leadership on ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, an exclusion that harms millions of Americans each day. Whether to end discrimination in marriage is a question America has faced before, and faces again today. With so many Americans talking it through in heartfelt conversations, it is a question that calls for clarity from the President.

Among those signing the letter: Ellen DeGeneres, Anne Hathaway, David Geffen, Martin Sheen, Eric McCormack, Lily Tomlin, Scott Fujita, and Julian Bond.

Even though the Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg famously called for the expulsion of all gay people from the United States, this hate group spokesdouche still gets invited onto national television. Today he sparred with Freedom To Marry's Evan Wolfson over the GOP's plan to defend DOMA. Hilariously, Sprigg claims that the main opposition to same-sex marriage isn't based on religion.

Freedom To Marry's Evan Wolfson has been named the winner of the weeklong online marriage equality debate with Maggie Gallagher at the Economist.

The votes are in and though the tally has fluctuated throughout the week, a steady majority of you are convinced that gay marriage should be legal. Congratulations to Evan Wolfson, who passionately defended the motion. He is your winner. Commiserations to Maggie Gallagher, whose losing argument still resonates with many Americans. In the end, our audience was not convinced that gay marriage would have a deleterious effect on society or heterosexual unions. Quite the opposite, in fact. Many of you noted the benefits marriage would bestow on gay couples and their families, while agreeing with Mr Wolfson's argument that "there is no good reason" for their exclusion. Marriage is as applicable to devoted gay couples as it is to their heterosexual counterparts, you concluded, and it is their right.

Congratulations to Mr. Wolfson!

All this week the Economist is hosting a rather unusual online debate between Freedom To Marry's Evan Wolfson and NOM's Maggie Gallagher. Click over and join in.

(Tipped by JMG reader Mark)