Sean Penn brings home a much deserved Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Harvey Milk in Milk. In a night dominated by Slum Dog Millionaire, Dustin Lance Black also won Best Original Screenplay for Milk.

Some words from Penn’s acceptance speech…

…For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect, and anticipate theor great shame, and the shame in theirgrandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.

Supporters of same sex marriage came out to San Francisco city hall yesterday on the 5 year anniversary of granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Organized by Marriage Equality, participants were given roses to to hand to the city clerk as a show of thanks for all the support provided by the city since the gay marriage debate began.

Keith Olbermman of MSNBC’s Countdown was invited to speak at the Greater New York Human Rights Campaign Gala on Saturday thanks in no small part to the Special Comment he made  on his program the week after the passage of Proposition 8. Olbermann opened his remarks by thanking everyone for all the things that had been said to him since the commentary, and then apologized for not making that commentary ten days earlier…

And in case we need to be reminded …

First civil unions. Now gay marriage. Progress.

Backed by 59 legislators, Vermont state Reps. Mark Larson and David Zuckerman introduced legislation today to legalize gay marriage.

The bill will likely be opposed by Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, who previously said he would not support same-sex marrage.

“I think the current civil union law is sufficient. It accords equality of rights to Vermonters in terms of their relationships and I think we should leave the law as it is.”

Vermont was the first state to legalize civil unions in 2000. And the world didn’t end then. And it won’t end because of gay marriage either.

More from the Burlington Free Press.