A group of concerned Virginia citizens have formed the Protect Isabella Coalition in response to a custody battle between lesbian parents over their six-year-old daughter Isabella. Birth mother Lisa Miller who now lives in Virginia is fighting for sole custody of their daughter from her former partner Janet Jenkins in Vermont. The couple was joined by civil union in 2001 but split a few years later when Jenkins decided she was no longer a lesbian and moved back to Virginia. Isabella was just 17 months old.

To drum up support and media attention for the case the Protect Isabella Coalition has put out the following television ad in Virginia.

And from their website’s Action page…

What can you do to help?

First, pray. We believe God has a wonderful plan for both Lisa and Isabella. Please pray with us that they will be able to stay together, without the disruptive visitations ordered by the Vermont Judge. Pray that God would turn Janet Jenkins’ heart and open her eyes to Isabella’s real needs, which are far greater than her own. Pray for Janet’s salvation. Pray also for godly wisdom for our nation’s leaders, our legislators and judges.

Currently Virginia courts have refused to deny a Vermont court order granting Jenkins visitation rights. Unfortunately Miller has frequently been in contempt of that order by refusing visitation, and is reported in Newsweek as likening the visits to “…handing my child over to the milkman.” Miller who is now a devout Baptist also said that Jenkin’s lesbian “lifestyle” would be harmful to the child and was “fundamentally wrong.”

I wonder what’s more harmful? Having a lesbian mom or an ex-lesbian mom whose heart is filled with bigotry and hate?

Maggie Gallagher, President of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), defended their anti-gay “Gathering Storm” ad on Hardball today against Joe Solomonese of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

Since “Gathering Storm” debuted online yesterday, HRC has exposed its participants as actors having discovered the audition tapes for the ad…

Frankly I’m not all that surprised that these were actors, and bad actors at that. But they were too pretty. Sorry to go all “judging a book by its cover” on everyone but a lot of these haters are as ugly on the outside as they are in the inside. Fred Phelps anyone?

Visit HRC for a thorough debunking of the Gathering Storm ad.

The National Organization for Marriage is launching a nation-wide TV campaign against gay marriage starting in New York, Rhode Island and California. The ominous ad promises a “gathering storm” where freedoms are be taken away, churches punished, and schools are allowed to teach that gay marriage is “okay.” Watch.

Where marriage equality opponents see a gathering storm, the rest of us see the clouds breaking… and it’s a beautiful sight.

What an unexpected but lovely surprise. The D.C.  Council unanimously voted today to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Gay council member David A. Catania and Mayor Adrian Fenty responded to the decision in the Washington Post…

Catania: “I feel really heartened by this vote … I am obviously proud to be a part of the legislature of this city. I fully expect if we go forward, when we go forward, on marriage equality we will have a super-majority in support of it.”

Fenty: “I fully support today’s action and look forward to signing the legislation once the Council takes final action next month.”

Rea Carey, Executive Director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force also praised today’s vote…

“We commend the D.C. Council’s vote. It marks another step toward the full recognition of same-sex couples, their families and their lives. We urge the council to affirm today’s action during its final vote on the bill, and call upon Mayor Adrian Fenty to then sign this important legislation. It is our hope that Congress will ultimately respect the District of Columbia’s passage of a just measure that will provide fair recognition of our relationships.

Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council which is based in Washington, D.C. opposed the decision:

“Same-sex ‘marriage’ is a movement driven by wealthy homosexual activists and a liberal elite determined to destroy not only the institution of marriage, but democracy as well. Time and again, we see when citizens have the opportunity to vote at the ballot box, they consistently opt to support traditional marriage.”

“The vote today by the D.C. City Council was a direct affront to the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The radical Left wants to destroy the traditional union of one man and one woman across the country and they will not rest until they do so.

What’s is ultimately so wonderful about this decision is that it will force Congress to deal with the issue of gay marriage much earlier than expected, as the District’s laws are subject to their approval.

We’ll soon see if  marriage equality extends all the way to the Oval Office.