Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) continues his quest to impose discrimination upon same-sex couples in the military through the Defense Authorization Act. He and 85 of his House colleagues have called upon the Senate to maintain the amendments he and Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) added, which extend the Defense of Marriage Act to prohibit same-sex marriages from being performed by military chaplains or on military bases:

We recognize that the national Defense Authorization Act is well underway and needed funds for our troops should be expedited without delay. However, we respectfully request that an amendment similar to that passed by the House be included to ensure that this administration follow the law as written and comply with DOMA. It is not the place of any citizen of this country to pick and choose which laws will be obeyed. We expect citizens sworn to defend those laws to set the example in their application.

Akin’s request is an overreach that directly targets servicemembers’ religious liberty. The Defense of Marriage Act defines what is recognized by the government as marriage, but in no way prohibits same-sex marriages from being performed.

A new poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) finds that support for marriage equality is increasing among independents in Maine, just two years after the state “narrowly voted to overturn a law allowing same sex couples to marry.” Fifty-one percent of voters say they support marriage equality, including 53 percent of independents:

Maine is a great example of the reality that public opinion is moving on the topic of gay marriage. 2 years ago voters in the state narrowly voted to overturn a law allowing same sex couples to marry. But now 51% of voters in the state say they think gay marriage should be legal to only 42% who continue to believe it should be illegal. Opinions among Democrats and Republicans haven’t changed a whole lot over the last 2 years, but independents have gone from opposing gay marriage by a 52/46 margin to supporting it by a 53/39 spread.

We also tested proposed language for a ballot measure next year that would allow gay marriage while also making it clear that no religious institution would be required to perform those marriages if it didn’t want to. Right now voters say they would pass that by a 48/35 margin.

Look:

In 2009, the referendum to overturn marriage equality passed by a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent.

When the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee marked up the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act (ESEA) of 2011 last month, two anti-bullying provisions were noticeably absent. This week, a coalition of LGBT groups and allies is calling upon the committee to do better, arguing in a letter that the bill should not advance without protections for LGBT students:

Discrimination and harassment of LGBT students, and those perceived to be LGBT, is a serious problem in public elementary and secondary school districts across the United States.  Despite this fact, the ESEA Reauthorization Act of 2011 fails to include any express protections for this vulnerable student population, or even to make reference to them.  While we recognize and appreciate the leadership of some members, including Senators Casey and Franken, who have been tireless in their advocacy on behalf of all students, including those who are LGBT, this reauthorization fails to ensure that LGBT students have access to a public education unhindered by discrimination and harassment.

Sen. Franken (D-MN) has said he plans to introduce the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) as an amendment when ESEA is brought to the Senate floor. It is unknown if Sen. Casey intends to do the same with the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA). Without either, the ESEA would have no specific mention of LGBT students and the unique challenges they face.

Among the signers of the letter were legal groups GLAD and Lambda Legal, family groups PFLAG and the Family Equality Council, the ACLU, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The Washington Blade notes that the Human Rights Campaign and GLSEN did not sign the letter, though both support SNDA and SSIA.

In a Deseret News feature profile, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan uses the soapbox opportunity to pontificate on his favorite topic: how marriage equality is bad for the Catholic Church. With little consideration for the experiences of same-sex couples and their families, Dolan’s primary concern is what backlash the Church will face as it continues to discriminate against and demonize the LGBT community:

“One of our arguments has always been that people of principle who feel this violates their deepest-held convictions are going to be forced to the wall,” Archbishop Dolan said. “We were told we were being Chicken Littles and that was ridiculous.”

But “no sooner was the ink dry,” he said, than priests throughout the state started coming to him with stories of couples threatening to sue if they didn’t agree to rent out their parishes for same-sex weddings.

Richard Barnes, executive director of the New York Catholic Conference, also echoed these concerns:

“I could foresee the state determining that we can’t make decisions on a moral or religious basis as we would have in the past regarding the employment of individuals who are actively defying church tenets,” Barnes said. “If that happened, we would be in a position where we were asserting our First Amendment rights in court.”

Dolan and Barnes are trying to suggest not only that they have a right to discriminate against people for being gay, but that they should also be shielded from criticism for doing so. Bishop William Lori testified before the House Judiciary Committee last week that he fears Church leaders will be smeared as “bigots” merely for practicing their “religious liberty.” But that “right” is an effort to demonize the gay community at every turn, which is why these Catholic leaders constantly try to paint themselves as the victims. Evoking sympathy for their beliefs distracts from their efforts to deny equality to the LGBT community.

It’s important to note that Dolan, Barnes, and Lori speak only on behalf of Catholic leadership, not all Catholics. In fact, only 35 percent of American Catholics oppose marriage equality, and most distrust the bishops because of their gross mishandling of the ongoing sexual abuse scandals. But that doesn’t stop individuals like Dolan from suggesting that the entire gay community should be subjugated to his minority beliefs. He claims that he’s the hero, offering “love, acceptance, dignity, and respect” to gay people, despite little understanding of the challenges their families face. Constantly harping about his own beliefs demonstrates what little concern he has for same-sex couples’ welfare.