Welcome to The Morning Pride, ThinkProgress LGBT’s daily round-up of the latest in LGBT policy, politics, and some culture too! Here’s what we’re reading this morning, but please let us know what stories you’re following as well. Follow us all day on Twitter at @TPEquality.
– House Democrats still want to know why Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is spending $750,000 to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, but conservatives don’t think he’s being tough enough. So far, Boehner has collected $742,000 to pay for the legal fees, skimming from House officer and employee salaries.
– Openly gay Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger has hounded the National Organization for Marriage for many years and proudly celebrated this week’s disclosure of its incriminating strategic memos.
– South Bend, Indiana, home of the University of Notre Dame, has passed a non-discrimination ordinance that includes sexual orientation and gender identity.
– Supporters of Anchorage, Alaska’s proposed non-discrimination ordinance are calling for an offensive anti-trans ad to be pulled.
– Two teens have been charged with a hate crime for anti-gay vandalism in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
– The victim of a recent anti-gay assault in Washington, DC has spoken out about his experience.
– A far-right leader in Serbia has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for making the death threats that led to the cancellation of Belgrade’s 2009 gay pride march.
– The White House photostream now includes an adorable photo of First Lady Michelle Obama with the openly lesbian executive director of Green Florida with her son.
– Martha Stewart has spoken out to stop bullying.
– Christian activist Stephen Baldwin told Rosie O’Donnell that gays should be legally allowed to marry so long as his church is not forced to marry them: