California representative Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) went toe to toe with Stephen Colbert last night in his “Better Know a District” segment where she defended the rights of gays and lesbians to marry, and then enjoyed a bit of skateboarding at the end. Rep. Speier is a staunch advocate for gay rights, supporting UAFA, ENDA and the repeal of DOMA and DADT. While some may wonder whether Rep. Speier was in on the “joke,” I suspect she was simply playing it straight. I’m so glad to have someone like her representing our district. Enjoy.

Only two days after signing the Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill into law, President Obama today signed an extension to the Ryan White Act which provides assistance and support to nearly half a million people suffering from HIV/AIDS.

“If we want to be a global leader in combatting HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it,” Obama said at the White House before signing a bill to extend the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. Begun in 1990, the program provides medical care, medication and support services to about half a million people, most of them low-income.

The bill is named for an Indiana teenager who contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion at age 13. White went on to fight AIDS-related discrimination against him and others like him and help educate the country about the disease. He died in April 1990 at the age of 18.

His mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, attended the signing ceremony, as did several members of Congress and HIV/AIDS activists.

Obama also said he will be finalizing an order on Monday that will lift the HIV immigration and travel ban that has been in place for 20 years.

Video of the ceremony below…

My friends… it was a very good week. First hate crimes and now this. It gives one hope for the future. Let’s hope the vote in Maine doesn’t erase all that.

In hardly shocking news, a Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll revealed that Southerners and Republicans buy into the birther nonsense more than anybody else. The poll asked a simple question “Do you believe Barack Obama was born in the United States or not?”

First by region. Note how Southerners are half as likely to believe Barack Obama is a citizen, while at least three times as likely to believe he is a foreigner, or they simply don’t have a clue.

Next by party affiliation. No real surprises here.

It seems that while perceived as a fringe movement from the outside, among Southerners, and by-and-large most Republicans, the birther movement is practically mainstream.

The poll did ask one other interesting question barely covered in the media reports. The question was “Do you believe that Africa and America were once a part of the same continent?” The results are shall we say, interesting…

After all the shitty news on DOMA today, we need a little disco to lift our spirits and fight another day (protest tomorrow anyone?). It is Pride month after all… Enjoy Shena Winchester’s new video “My Fantasy.”

I’m sorry Obama, but you are no longer invited to my party… I’m nolonger a fan.