Yesterday, during a speech before the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington DC, potential presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) recounted her unsuccessful efforts to pass a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage as a state legislator and praised Minnesota’s current lawmakers for taking “that torch” and adding the issue to the 2012 ballot.

Bachmann urged other states to pass similar amendments ahead of the election, proclaiming, “this is the time” to outlaw same-sex marriages:

BACHMANN: Minnesota is the first state that has decided that this issue will be on the ballot in 2012, the state of New Hampshire will be taking this issue up as well, and other states. This is the time. And so I want to encourage all of you at home, if you don’t have a similar amendment, consider this in your home states. I believe this is the time to do it. So I just want to say thank you to those who continue to carry that torch.

Watch it:

New Hampshire Republicans have postponed an effort to repeal the state’s same-sex marriage law to next year and conservative activists have pledged to turn the marriage issue into a litmus test for potential 2012 presidential contenders. Lawmakers in other states, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Iowa have also introduced legislation prohibiting same-sex marriages.

The Army has launched a new website in anticipation of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The site “features current news articles, key facts, frequently asked questions and additional resources” and updates on the progress made toward lifting the ban. Interestingly, one article about repeal training notes that “only one chaplain of the 2,900 in the Army asked to leave the service due to pending repeal of the law” — undermining claims by proponents of the policy who predicted a “mass exodus” of Christian chaplains if the policy were repealed. Check out the site here:

President Obama signed repeal legislation in December, but the policy will remain in place until 60 days after the president, defense secretary, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that repeal will not undermine military readiness and effectiveness.