(TIME Warp) The AB101 Veto Riots; 28 years later!

In 2011, the GLBT History Museum in San Francisco held a program called “All the Rage: Stories From the AB101 Veto Riot,” featuring a documentary short about the queer riots in San Francisco in 1991 and a panel with organizers of the event twenty years ago and eyewitness accounts.  Called the AB 101 Veto Riot, it “ended with the police in retreat and a state office building in flames.”

I had never heard of the AB 101 Veto Riot before I got this press release, or the other two that accompany it in a trio, the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot of 1966 and the White Night Riot of 1979. It occurs to me that maybe no one has told you, either. Most of us got through school without even hearing about Stonewall, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to hear about. In honor of the people who put their safety on the line so that our rights had to be recognized, let’s take a moment to remedy that.

(TIME-Warp) Remembering the 31st anniversary of the guardianship case of Kowalski vs. Thompson!

Sharon Kowalski lived with her lesbian partner, Karen Thompson, in St. Cloud, Minnesota for about four years. Though Kowalski's parents were not aware of the relationship at the time, the couple had exchanged rings and named one another as insurance policy beneficiaries. On November 13, 1983, Kowalski suffered severe brain injuries in an automobile accident involving a drunk driver. The injuries left Kowalski with permanent physical disabilities, requiring her to remain in a wheelchair, and the mental capacity of a four to six year-old child.

Both Thompson and Sharon Kowalski's father, Donald Kowalski, petitioned to be named Sharon Kowalski's legal guardian in March 1984. With the understanding that she would have visitation rights, Thompson agreed that Donald Kowalski would be named Sharon Kowalski's guardian. The court's guardianship order, however, gave Donald complete control over visitation.

On July 25, 1985, Donald immediately cut off Thompson's visitation rights and moved Sharon from a nursing home near Thompson's home to one further away. Thompson appealed the order, but the appellate court affirmed the order initially, citing testimony by Sharon's family and nursing home staff that Sharon seemed depressed and sad after her visits with Thompson and postulating that it would be in Kowalski's best interest to discontinue visitation with Thompson.

(POP NEWS) Class Act; Gagging' Denial; Protest; Manscape; Losing; Condiments; Targeted; More Drama; Profiled; Excuses; Get it Out; Mis-Quoted; Running to Altar; No Way; Over; Noxeema!

• CLASS ACT: Margaret Thatcher Dead at 87! 

• GAGGING: Westboro Baptist to Picket 'Fag Enabler' Roger Ebert's Funeral!

• DENIAL: After Son's Suicide, Rick Warren 'Overwhelmed' by Support! 

• PROTEST: More Than 3,000 Signed Up for Gay Protest of Putin in Amsterdam as Rainbow Flags Fly at Half Mast! 

• MANSCAPE: Hamas Cops Grabbing Young Men, Shaving Their Head! 

• LOSING: Opponents of Marriage Equality Lose Challenge to Ballot Initiative Language in Oregon! 

• NO REGRETS: Brendon Ayanbadejo Talks About Leaving the Ravens and Reports of Gay NFL Players Coming Out:!

(POP NEWS) BE-WITCHED; PRIVATE; TOO ROUGH; BACK TRACK; LIBEL; DISCLOSURE; REDUCED; DRINK; LOL; MIS-STEP!

• BE-WITCHED:  News of Elisabeth Hasselbeck's 'View' Departure Has Been Greatly Exaggerated!

• PRIVATE CLUB: The Vatican Buys Europe's Biggest Gay Sauna!

• TOO ROUGH: Gay Adult Film Actor Wilfried Knight Has Died!

• BACK TRACK: Westfield Mall Official Apologies at Rally for Gay Men Kicked Out for Kissing!

(POP NEWS) Blame Game; Huge; Moving Inward; Offensive; Milestone; Decline; Accepted; Weed; Payout; Not a Fan; Sour Grapes; Size; Freaky!

• BLAME GAME: Russian Wrestling Coach Claims Masculinity-Hating Gays to Blame for Sport Getting Cut from Olympics!

• HUGE: Marriage Equality Legislation Filed in Texas!

• MOVING INWARD: Illinois Senate Passes Marriage Equality in 34-21 Vote!

• OFFENSIVE: AP Digs in Heels on Discriminatory 'Husband' and 'Wife' Guidance!

• MILESTONE:Gallup Breaks Down Percentage of LGBT People by State in Largest Study of its Kind!

• DECLINED: Gay Missouri Teen Told He Can't Bring Male Date to Prom!

• ACCEPTED: Same-Sex Couple Set for National Cemetery Burial!

(POP NEWS) Settled; Inspired; Stone Cold; Rehab; Advocate; Avenue-M; Bowie; Swift; Busy; Franco!

• SETTLED: Gay Troops to Get Full Discharge Pay, in Settlement of Case Against Defense Department!

• INSPIRED: Teen Awarded NPR's Top Storytelling Performance Prize for Powerful Tale About His Two Gay Moms!

• STONE COLD: James Holmes Sits Coldly in Sad Pretrial Hearing!

• NO REHAB: Winehouse Drank Herself to Death: 2nd Coroner!

• VISIBLE: 'The Advocate' Print Edition to Return to Newsstands After Two-Year Absence!

• AVENUE-M: It’s back to Broadway for Bette Midler!

• MOVE LIKE JAGGER: Bowie Turns 66, Releases 1st Song in 10 Years!

• NEW SONG ALREADY: Yet Another Breakup for Taylor Swift!

• LEZ-GO: Busy Phillips on lesbian rumors about her and Michelle Williams: “We don’t do it”!

• DETAILS: Dave Franco Reflects on F**king Himself!

(LIST) 18 Stars Who've Attempted to Trademark Catchphrases!

Ryan Lochte is trying to trademark his catchphrase, "Jeah!"—but he may have some problems, because TMZ reports that '90s rapper MC Eiht claims he's been using the word since 1988, and plans to send the Olympic swimmer a cease and desist letter. Maybe Lochte can get some advice from these 17 other celebrities, all of whom at least attempted to snag trademarks. From Celebuzz and The Frisky:

(POP NEWS) the QUEEN; Strung Out, Stahl; Zuckerberg Rings; Saverlin Loves USA; NPR; Arrow Re-cast!

• CORRECTION: Donna Summer Was 'Queen of Pop'!

• RESPECTED: Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton and other stars remember the late great Donna Summer!

• STRUNG OUT: Search for Terminator's Nick Stahl Turns to Skid Row!

• LOADED: Mark Zuckerberg Rings NASDAQ Bell as Facebook Goes Public!

• LUV: Saverin: Calm Down, Folks, I Don't Hate US!

• LAW: Sodomy Is a Civil Right!

• POSH: $90M+ Manhattan Penthouse Sets Record!

• LACK OF FUNDS: NPR Running in the Red, Considers Cuts!

• RE-CAST: Arrow' Preview Highlights Actor Stephen Amell's Super Body!

LOSS: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Breaks Down at Farewell for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords!

Congress bid farewell this morning to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz broke down as she said good-bye and read aloud Giffords' resignation letter. Giffords then presented her letter to weeping House Speaker John Boehner.

STOPPING THE JOKE: NJ Lawmakers Rip Chris Christie for Suggesting Civil Rights of Gay People Should Be Put to a Vote!

New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, and Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, are furious about Governor Chris Christie's call Tuesday day for a voter referendum on same-sex marriage.

"We do not put civil rights questions on the ballot," said Weinberg.

Added Sweeney to a reporter who questioned the point of "going through the exercise" of passing marriage equality given the threat of a veto by Christie: "The point of going through a fight for civil rights, are you kidding me? I'm offended by that [question]...If the governor wants to stifle and silence his colleagues that's one thing. But his not going to silence or stifle us...It's offensive for anyone to think 'why bother' if the governor doesn't want to do it. Well, guess what? He's wrong on this one."

WITCH HUNT: Hutcherson Says Washington Governor 'Trying to Put a Bullet in the Head' of Marriage!

Comparing her to Abraham Lincoln's assassin, pastor Ken Hutcherson, who was recently appointed to lead the charge against Washington state's marriage equality bill, used graphic and violent terms to frame Governor Chris Gregoire's decision to pursue equality there. 

"She might as well change her name to John Wilkes Booth because what she’s doing now is trying to put a bullet in the head of one of the greatest traditions that has ever existed and has built our society, and that is marriage between one man and one woman."

PIECE OF ASS: Brit Busted for Hawking the Butt of Saddam Statue!

A British company official has been arrested after auctioning a buttock section of the massive Saddam Hussein bronze statue toppled when US forces stormed Baghdad in 2003. The arrest was made after the Iraqi government issued a complaint to British police following an auction in Derby, where the two-foot hunk of metal failed to fetch the minimum price of $375,000 set for the sale. Under a 2003 British law, all cultural property seized in Iraq must be handed over to police, reports the BBC.

The bronze butt was offered for sale by Trebletap, a company that specializes in turning war memorabilia into art. Company director Jim Thorpe was busted and has been released on bail. The firm's founder, Nigel Ely, is a former SAS soldier who was working for British TV on the scene when the statue was pulled down. He used a sledgehammer and chisel to remove the statue's "bum," he told the BBC. He claims that when he asked a US Marine if he could take the souvenir, he was told: "No problem, Buddy. Help yourself." He said he planned to sell it to raise money for an unspecified charity. He has been ordered not to dispose of the metal rear or alter it until the case is resolved. A Trebletop spokesman has said the bronze bum is being held in a secret location.

THISCLOSE: Washington State One Vote Shy of Passing Marriage Equality as Senator Signals Support!

State Sen. Jim Kastama has said he'll support a marriage equality bill in Washington state, bringing the measure within one vote of having the votes to pass.

Said Kastama in a statement: “This decision is a deeply personal one. Unlike some of my colleagues in liberal districts, I will not return home to cheers and handshakes. I represent the district I was raised in. My wife and I purchased and live in the same house I grew up in and we have raised our family there. My district has known me my whole life and for 16 years has entrusted me to be a fiercely independent legislator. The people of my district are generous and decent, but I also know that there are childhood friends who will never forgive me for this vote."

24 senators are now on record in support of the bill.
In related news, six Washington-based companys wrote a letter to Governor Chris Gregoire today signaling their support. Microsoft, Nike, Vulcan, RealNetworks, Concur, and GroupHealth wrote a letter reading, "We write you today to show the support of our respective companies for SB 6239 and HB 2516 recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples."

PROTECTED: LA Passes Porn Condom Law!

Los Angeles has defied the porn industry's threat to quit the city and passed a law requiring porn actors to wear condoms during filming. The City Council voted 9-1 for final approval of the ordinance, which is set to go into effect in 90 days, the Los Angeles Times reports.

A film permit fee will fund surprise inspections on porn shoots. California occupational health authorities already require porn actors to wear condoms, but that rule is almost never enforced, Reuters notes. "Clearly, this is about the government overreaching and intruding into consenting adults’ decisions,” complained the chief of a porn industry trade group. “They are taking something they know nothing about and imposing their morality on our industry." The head of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which spent years fighting for the condom law, says he doesn't believe the porn industry will leave town. "They’d hardly be welcomed in West Virginia or Utah or Mississippi, or even a place like Nevada, where legal prostitution is highly regulated and condoms are required," he says. "And we will follow them wherever they go."

REJECTED: Three South Carolina Gay Couples to Request Marriage Licenses and Be Denied Today!

Protest is brewing in South Carolina as three gay couples plan to ask the state for marriage licenses on January 17th and 18th in Greenville: Alyssa Weaver and Michel McIver, along with the other two couples, know their request will be denied, because in 2006, the state passed a constitutional amendment not just banning gay marriage, but any other type of domestic union. But Weaver said she wants to call attention to the fundamental unfairness of denying her the ability to marry the woman who in their three years together supported her through breast cancer and has helped her as she goes through nursing school.

It's a campaign that's already had a run in North Carolina: Weaver and McIver and the other couples are being supported by the Campaign for Southern Equality, which backed about 20 same-sex couples in Asheville, N.C., who also sought marriage licenses knowing they would be denied. But North Carolina has never passed a ban on gay marriage, while South Carolina voters spoke emphatically about the issue.

VALID: Canadian Justice Minister: All Same-Sex Marriages are Legal!

Seeking to allay concerns about the legitimacy of same-sex marriages performed for foreigners in Canada following news yesterday about a pending court case, Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson spoke out Friday at a Canadian Club luncheon:Speaking at a Toronto luncheon Friday, Mr. Nicholson blamed the Liberal government that preceded his for not filling a “legislative gap” that has left thousands of same-sex couples in an agonizing position of being unable to divorce should they feel a need to.

The situation has been “completely unfair to those affected.” Mr. Nicholson said. “I want to make it clear that in our government's view, these marriages are valid.”

Nicholson added: The Civil Marriage Act will be changed to ensure that any marriages performed in Canada that aren't recognized in the couple's home jurisdiction will be recognized in Canada nonetheless, he said.

“This will apply to all marriages performed in Canada,” Mr. Nicholson said. “We have been clear that we have no desire to reopen this issue – both myself and the Prime Minister consider this debate to be closed.”

RED ALERT: Gay Commissioner Files $1 Million Sexual Discrimination Lawsuit Against IOWA Governor

Iowa's Workers Conpensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey has filed a lawsuit against Governor Terry Branstad (below) saying that the governor asked him to resign twice and cut his pay by half when he refused, because he's gay, the Des Moines Register reports: Iowa’s workers’ compensation commissioner today filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging defamation, harassment, sexual discrimination and extortion after Gov. Terry Branstad cut his pay by almost $36,000 last year.

A claim from commissioner Chris Godfrey asks for $1 million in compensation, a common line-item request in such litigation, said his attorney, Roxanne Conlin.

EDUCATED: D.C. City Council Candidate Who Wanted a Marriage Equality Ballot Measure Now Considers It Settled!

An activist who worked to put D.C.’s same-sex marriage law on the ballot in a voter referendum in 2010 is now running for City Council and says he no longer opposes the law, the Washington Blade reports: “I do not seek to overturn the Marriage Equality Act when elected,” Hunter told the Blade in a statement released on Tuesday.

“I will, however, continue to establish working relationships within the LGBT community to focus on issues that affect the quality of life for all residents of the District of Columbia,” he said...

...Hunter said he now considers the marriage law a “settled issue” and has no intention of raising it as an issue in a special election to fill Thomas’s seat that is expected to take place in May.

“My stance is that I respect the Marriage Equality Act,” he told the Blade. “It gives individuals the right to marry whom they chose. But also it gives our religious institutions the right to ordain marriage according to their beliefs. So that is something that I’m in agreement with. It is settled. It is a moot point.”

NOT LEGAL: LGBT Legal Groups Say Not to Worry About Canadian Same-Sex Marriages Being Invalidated!

Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, and Freedom to Marry have released a joint statement in response to news earlier today that the Canadian government had served notice by way of a court case that thousands of same-sex marriages by foreigners in that country could be invalidated, news which has prompted an international outcry.

Write the groups: We write to respond to a news report from Canada that a lawyer in the current government has taken a position in a trial-level divorce proceeding that a same-sex couple's marriage is not valid because the members of the couple were not Canada residents at the time that they married, and the law of their home jurisdiction did not permit them to marry at the time.

CLOSE: Marriage Equality Within Reach in Washington!

Marriage equality is closer than ever in Washington state, according to the AP:The AP has reached out to all 49 state senators over the past week and found that more lawmakers are firmly supporting gay marriage than opposing it, by a margin of 22-18. The measure needs 25 votes to pass the Senate.

Four other Democrats say they are considering whether to support it, including one who is leaning in favor. A pair of Republicans is among those supporting the proposal, and two first-term GOP members said they are still discussing the issue with constituents.

Two GOP state Senators, Cheryl Pflug and Steve Litzow, have come out in support of it in recent days.