The Broadway Impact Rally held in New York over the weekend brought out a host of celebrities supporting marriage equality including Ana Ortiz of Ugly Betty, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis of Sex and the City, Cheyenne Jackson from the Broadway show Xanadu, Audra McDonald from the television series Private Practice and David Hyde Pierce. Watch…

And as a bonus, a special message from Ana Ortiz to anti-gay New York State Senator Ruben Diaz: “You are behind the times papi!”

Today Washington governor Christine Gregoire signed “The Everything but Marriage” domestic partnership bill that grants new rights related to unemployment, disability, insurance, adoption and child custody. Said Governor Gregoire on QFox13.com:

“Today we are strengthening Washington by strengthening families. From the first bill I signed in 2007 to today’s bills, we have proudly made immeasurable strides on behalf of LGBT individuals and families. This represents the culmination of incredible work to treat all Washingtonians equally.”
…
“Many brave families have come forward to share their lives, their struggles and their moments of joy hard-working men and women who are in committed relationships, raising children, attending their places of worship, and volunteering in their communities. After meeting these families, people have come to know that lesbian and gay families are no different than their own. And what has naturally followed is the unsettling notion that despite the sameness of straight couples and gay and lesbian couples, there are, in fact, legal barriers that prevent the same treatment.”

Unsurprisingly, opponents have already filed a referendum to overturn the law.

Brave Denver third grader Ethan McNamee organized a rally this past weekend in support of gay marriage. Ethan decided to make the rally his class project after witnessing gay bullying on the playground and because he thought it was wrong that his lesbians neighbors were not allowed to marry.

Watch:

Even those with a different view offered praise for Ethan’s efforts. Senator Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield in the Denver Post:

“You have to admire his compassion and initiative,” Mitchell said. “I’d like to think that someday he’ll understand the issue is a little more complicated.”

No sir. It’s not complicated at all. The kid gets it. You don’t.

At a Georgia Republican Party convention over the weekend RNC Chairman Michael Steele said that gay marriage will create an undue burden on small business owners.

From the Associated Press:

Steele said that was just an example of how the party can retool its message to appeal to young voters and minorities without sacrificing core conservative principles. Steele said he used the argument weeks ago while chatting on a flight with a college student who described herself as fiscally conservative but socially liberal on issues like gay marriage.

“Now all of a sudden I’ve got someone who wasn’t a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for,” Steele told Republicans at the state convention in traditionally conservative Georgia. “So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money.”

Think again Mr. Steele.

Gay marriage has provided $111 million in economic stimulus to Massachusetts since becoming legal in 2004. If Proposition 8 had failed back in November, gay marriage would be pumping millions into the California economy according to this study.  Similar economic benefits have been projected in D.C., Maine and Vermont.

And just ask the florists, photographers, event planners and the whole range of other small business owners that would profit from marriage equality legislation.

This is simply another instance of forsaking party principals and letting bigotry and intolerance win out over profit. How un-Republican.