The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has targeted New York Sens. Mark Grisanti (R), James Alesi (R), and Carl Kruger (D) for their votes on marriage equality last month with a mailing campaign. Though NOM’s goal is to make it harder for senators like Grisanti to raise money, they’ve already seen spikes in their campaign fundraising since the marriage equality vote. The mailers accuse Grisanti of being a Benedict Arnold-style traitor for campaigning against marriage equality and then voting for it, while suggesting that Alesi is immoral and Kruger tried to “redefine the family”:

In addition to asking recipients to send back their contact information for future fundraising efforts, NOM is also encouraging people to attend their “Let The People Vote” rallies this Sunday when same-sex marriage becomes legal. Given that New York does not even have a public referendum process, the rallies in Albany, New York City, Rochester, and Buffalo are more likely direct protests of same-sex couples getting married. Sen. Rubén Díaz, the only Democrat to vote against marriage equality, has endorsed the rallies, calling for “the same drive that the Apostles had after the resurrected Lord filled them with the Spirit.”

In a new brief from the Center for American Progress (CAP), Crosby Burns and Philip Ross point out that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would prohibit employers from firing individuals on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, but it still would not offer protections in housing, health care, or public accommodations. This is besides the fact that ENDA, itself, is not expected to pass as long as there is a Republican majority in the House. Even if it did, a restaurant owner would be prohibited from firing a gay employee, but in many states could still kick a gay couple out of the establishment for kissing.

The brief makes the following recommendations:

- Enacting strong federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and in housing, health care, and areas of public accommodation.

- Extending the Fair Housing Act’s scope to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in its list of protected categories.

- State and local agencies strongly enforcing their nondiscrimination protections and investigating any and all complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

- Health care facilities adopting policies that would help ensure equal access to quality health care for gay and transgender patients.

- Areas of public accommodation ensuring their nondiscrimination policies include sexual orientation and gender identity.

CAP also released two other publications today related to ENDA: a FAQ about ENDA and a brief on the long history of the bill. The FAQ points out that there is strong public support for employment protections. Hopes were high that it might pass last year, but it wasn’t brought up for a vote. The latest incarnation of the bill is not expected to make any progress because of Republican control in the House.

A day before the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to hold hearing on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, the Obama administration has endorsed Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) legislation to repeal it. Responding to a question from Metro Weekly’s Chris Geidner, White House Press Briefing, Jay Carney said Obama was “proud to support the Respect for Marriage Act” to “take DOMA off the books once and for all.” “This legislation would uphold the principle that the federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections as straight couples,” he added.

Watch the exchange:

Obama has long favored repealing the 1996 measure and has instructed the Department of Justice not to defend Section 3 of the law, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. But in backing Feinstein’s measure, Obama is also signaling his opposition to Section 2 of the statute, which stipulates that same-sex marriages — unlike heterosexual marriages — shall not be automatically recognized across state lines unless the state has legalized marriage equality or allowed for the recognition of out-of-state marriages between same-sex couples.

Feinstein’s bill currently has 27 Democratic co-sponsors. It would extend over 1,000 federal laws and protections to same-sex couples, including: the right to file joint federal income taxes and claim certain deductions, receive spousal benefits under Social Security, take unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act when a loved one falls seriously ill, and obtain the protections of the estate tax when one spouse passes and wants to leave his or her possessions to another.

Condom Size Chart from MY.SIZE Condoms

A new study backed by the National Institutes of Health examines the association between self-perceived penis size and sexual health among men who have sex with men. While talk of penis size may inspire giggles, the study actually has some compelling conclusions about sexual health, body image, and mental well-being for gay men. FoxNews.com, however, chose to bury or ignore most of the valuable results, instead focusing on what was learned about gay men’s sexual positions. The article also largely highlights condemnation of the study from the Traditional Values Coalition, a conservative Christian organization the Southern Poverty Law Center identifies as a hate group for its anti-gay views:

“This country is broke and we cannot spend money on this kind of stuff,” said Andrea Lafferty, president of the Traditional Values Coalition, which drew attention to the report as part of a six-month investigation into NIH grants for examples of “institutional waste.”

“We’re spending money on wacky stuff,” Lafferty said.

Often times, studies produce answers that are not incredibly exciting, but that doesn’t mean the questions were not worth asking. For example, this study found that perceived penis size was not related to men’s frequency of partners, HIV status, or condom use. But the study did have a number of answers that are not only worthwhile, but might inspire more research. Here are some highlights of the “wacky stuff”:

- SKIN-TO-SKIN STIs: Men with “above average” penis sizes reported significantly higher incidence of viral skin-to-skin sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), specifically HSV-2 and HPV. Other research has shown that condom slippage and breakage play a significant role in the transmission of STIs, particularly among men with above- or below-average penis sizes.

- CONDOM AVAILABILITY: The study was conducted in New York City, where, as the study acknowledges, condoms for a “wider range of available sizes” are available “around the clock.” The same might not be true among rural populations, which means further research could reveal that effective condom use is less common when appropriately-sized condoms are unavailable.

- SIZE VS. POSITION: FoxNews.com was quick to share that penis size correlated with sexual position (the larger the penis a man had, the more likely he was to identify as a “top,” and vice-versa). What their story omitted, however, were the psychosocial ramifications of this result for the gay community. As the study asks, “Does their having a ‘smaller’ penis devalue these men’s sexual potential, socially-coercing them into sexual roles they may not have otherwise assumed?”

- BODY IMAGE ISSUES: Men with below average penises fared significantly worse on three measures of psychosocial adjustment. Studies have found that gay men have significantly worse body image than heterosexual men (PDF), and the “bigger is better” mentality adds to that. Given the correlation between size and position, the mental and sexual health consequences for some men could be quite complex and severe.

Fox and TVC might be quick to condemn this study as “bizarre” “institutional waste,” but that approach ignores the very real implications the study has for gay men. Given that HIV/AIDS is still rampant among men who have sex with men, any study that provides insight on how to improve the sexual health of that group should be applauded for every answer it offers.

The FAMiLY LEADER’s 14-point marriage fidelity pledge has divided the GOP’s 2012 presidential field and raised concerns among GOP operatives that the group and its president — three-time failed gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats — may be too extreme for the Republican state party and could be alienating moderate and independent voters. For instance, Vander Plaats regularly compares same-sex marriage to polygamy and incest, and the group’s pledge requires candidates to affirm that being gay is a choice and that homosexuality is a public health risk.

But in new video footage obtained by ThinkProgress, Vander Plaats goes even further in cementing his strong dislike for gay people. During an event in Audubon, Iowa in March of 2011, Vander Plaats explained that many Iowans were concerned about the state becoming “the butt of jokes” in the aftermath of a state Supreme Court decision which found that a law prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. He was then interrupted by an attendee who recalled a joke his wife tells about the “fags” marrying in Iowa law. Vander Plaats erupts in laughter:

ATTENDEE: You know what my wife says? She says: Iowa, the state where you can’t smoke a fag, but you can marry one.

[Laughter]

VANDER PLAATS: Oh shoot, that’s pretty good, that’s pretty good. Oh shoot.

Watch it:

Vander Plaats’ reaction is not entirely surprising, since the group has previously compared homosexuality to the cancerous effects of second-hand smoking and links supporters to ex-gay reparative therapy. What’s more telling is the willingness of Republican presidential candidates like Tim Pawlenty and Newt Gingrich to attend the group’s presidential forum and Michele Bachmann’s and Rick Santorum’s eagerness to sign its pledge.

For many Iowans, however, it’s not same-sex marriage that’s transforming Iowa into the “butt” of jokes — it’s Vander Plaats and his group who are so embarrassing.