Tonight is the State of the Union address. Guess who will be escorting the First Lady? Lesbians! Also in the news:

• Lesbian ‘Sex and the City’ star Cynthia Nixon apparently never saw the “bisexual” episode of her show — she tells the New York Times she’s choosing to be gay.
• Think Progress says GOP Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has promised to divorce you and outlaw your same-sex civil marriage rights if he’s elected. But he hopes you don’t take it personally.
• Sex columnist and ‘It Gets Better’ founder Dan Savage was ‘glitter bombed’ again by trans activists. He’s getting so much glitter he and Santorum could get together and throw a crafting party soon.
• This explains ‘gay-dar:’ according to a new study, apparently gays tend to have more asymmetrically shaped faces to go along with their asymmetrical haircuts. Straights have boring symmetry. Some think its God’s way of helping us pick one another out during chemistry lecture and lacrosse practice.
• We’re sad to have to say goodbye to our friends at ‘UK Gay News,’ who are going away… but not totally. The site’s been picked up and will continue to be maintained by what used to be known as ‘Pink Paper,’ now ‘Gay Star News.’

Finally, check out this ‘It Gets Better’ video that OutServe members in Afghanistan put together. Oh the post-DADT world is even better than I ever imagined it would be!

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Republican hopeful Rick Perry received no sympathy from LGBT advocates on Thursday after he announced that he giving up a presidential campaign renowned for its demonization of gay people.

Trailing in the polls — even in the socially conservative state of South Carolina where the primary will be held Saturday — Perry told supporters in North Charleston, S.C.., he was ending his bid for the White House and throwing his support behind former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

“As I’ve contemplated the future of this campaign, I have to come to the conclusion that there is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign,” Perry said. “Therefore, today, I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich for president of the United States.”

Perry called Gingrich a “conservative visionary who can transform our country.”

In likely reference to Gingrich’s marital infidelities, Perry said Gingrich is “not perfect,” adding “there is forgiveness for those who seek God, and I believe in power of redemption, for it is a central tenet of my Christian faith.”

But the thrice-married Gingrich came under additional scrutiny following Perry’s exit on Thursday when media outlets published interviews with Marianne Gingrich, his second wife, who said the former House speaker had asked her for an open marriage.

Perry’s exit and new support for Gingrich could give the former House speaker a fighting chance in South Carolina, where the candidate has been encroaching on Romney in the polls.

The three-term Texas bows out of the presidential race after heavily courting the evangelical vote and espousing anti-gay positions throughout his presidential campaign.

The unofficial kick-off of his campaign took place in August at controversial day of prayer called “The Response” that was attended by an estimated 30,000 people. The event was reportedly financed by the anti-gay American Family Association.

Upon officially entering the presidential race, Perry signed a pledge from the National Organization for Marriage committing himself to back a U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. During in a speech New Hampshire, he praised efforts to repeal the same-sex marriage law in the state.

But Perry began pulling out the stops with anti-gay campaign tactics when fell from his status as front-runner to the bottom of the pack after poor debate performances and a series of gaffes — most notably when he forgot during a debate the third in a group of departments that he would eliminate as president.

In a Iowa TV ad called “Strong,” which was widely circulated on the Internet, in which Perry says, “There’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”

Perry also criticized President Obama’s decision to require his administration to have more active engagement against anti-gay human rights abuses, saying the act was an example of ”an administration at war with people of faith in this country.” The candidate also riled LGBT advocates when he said during a CNN interview he would “absolutely” reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” if elected president.

During an event in Deborah, Iowa, an 14-year-old bisexual woman challenged Perry over his views on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but was dismissed by the candidate.

“This is about my faith, and I happen to think that, you know, there are a whole hosts of sins — homosexuality being one of them,” Perry said.

LGBT advocates said Perry inability to rise in the polls after he made anti-gay campaign tactics part of his campaign is evidence they don’t appeal to voters.

Michael Cole-Schwartz, a Human Rights Campaign spokesperson, was among those chiding Perry for his approach to LGBT issues over the course of his campaign.

“Governor Perry distinguished himself by trying to use LGBT issues as a campaign weapon and it didn’t work,” Cole-Schwartz said. “It’s just another sign that going anti-gay doesn’t pay dividends, even in conservative-leaning primaries.”

R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the National Log Cabin Republicans, said the 2012 election is about “liberty and prosperity” and Perry didn’t have the capacity to unite conservatives and win the general election.

“Tactical blunders such as his ‘Strong’ video exposed a disconnect with the general electorate and the average Republican voter,” Cooper said. “Our nation was built upon individual liberty and individual responsibility, and open service by gay and lesbian servicemembers is directly in line with the vision of our Founding Fathers.”

Jerame Davis, executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats, said Perry had “embarassed” himself throughout his campaign and his exit from the race was in line with that behavior.

“As the final act of idiocy in his quixotic bid for the GOP nomination, Perry chose to endorse Newt Gingrich — a thrice married serial philanderer who demanded an open marriage with one of his previous wives,” Davis said. “It just goes to show how closely he holds his much touted ‘family values.’ Then again, maybe he just forgot who else was in the race. Oops!”

Saturday is the South Carolina primary and choosing one of the Republican candidates left in the race must be agonizing. Members of the LGBT community might differ on a lot of issues but opposing candidates who want to enshrine discrimination shouldn’t be one of them.

Republican, libertarian, Democratic or Green, candidates should believe that our basic rights are inviolable. It was laughable when Rick Santorum tried to favorably compare his position on LGBT issues with those of President Obama. The president supports repealing DOMA, passing an inclusive ENDA and same-sex parent adoptions; he pushed for and signed the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Santorum doesn’t support any of that and has said some of the most outrageously homophobic things — like children being brought up by a mother and a father, even if the father is in prison, are better off than children being brought up by two loving same-sex parents.

But then Santorum is only the worst of the current crop of Republican presidential choices. Their stands on LGBT rights do share one thing in common with President Obama: they all oppose same-sex marriage. But that is where the comparison ends. Mitt Romney once said he favored LGBT rights but he just disavowed a flier from a previous campaign in which he said he believed that all people regardless of sexual orientation should have equal rights. Whether he no longer believes that or is just pandering to the bigoted voters who make up a big part of the Republican primary vote is irrelevant. He is asking people to vote for him based on what he says today. The best of the lot was Jon Huntsman, Jr. who dropped out of the race this week. But it was apparent since he is a fairly reasonable guy he would have zero chance of winning the Republican nomination.

Voters decide whom to support on more than just LGBT issues and that is the way it should be. We can and do have many differing views in the community on tax policy, immigration, the federal government’s role in stimulating the economy, healthcare and issues impacting the environment among others. But I find it hard to fathom any member of the LGBT community would vote for a candidate who believes in and backs policies that ensure members of our community will remain second-class citizens during their presidency.

In all likelihood there will be divided government for the next four years. The Founding Fathers understood that would happen and they provided for three distinct roles — the executive, legislative and the judiciary. We have also seen the method devised for the checks and balances between the two houses of Congress. What I don’t think these men foresaw was the unwillingness of elected leaders to communicate and compromise. The result of that unwillingness to compromise has brought us the current do-nothing Congress.

It is my hope that the American people will see fit to change that by electing individuals who may agree with their disparate positions but are also adult, educated and knowledgeable enough to understand the need for real compromise. Clearly, as we heard on a recent edition of “60 Minutes,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) doesn’t know the difference between the words cooperate and compromise. He either thinks they mean the same thing or is merely trying to obfuscate and that is just as bad for the nation.

In the next 20 years — despite the Rick Santorums of the world — the LGBT community will achieve full civil and human rights. People will see through the lies of the Newt Gingriches who blame marriage equality for the Catholic Church’s withdrawal from adoption and other programs in places that have passed it, rather than admitting they were only willing to provide such services if they got government money to pay for them.

In our community, let’s have the same debate as the rest of the nation on the myriad issues that the government faces. But let’s also agree we will not support candidates who support laws that will ensure that we remain second-class citizens.

Aubrey Sarvis will step down from SLDN after four years. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Five months after the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Servicemembers Legal Defense Network executive director Aubrey Sarvis will leave the organization after four years in what the group called a “planned departure.”

“It’s not easy to leave SLDN,” Sarvis told The Advocate on Wednesday. “But there comes a time to move on, and this feels right. I think the next phase of the battle can be reinvigorated with new blood, new energy. For me, it was certainly a historic time to be here. I was honored to have been here during the fight.”

The organization announced that in order to fill the top position, it has retained the services of executive search firm McCormack and Associates of Palm Springs Calif. McCormack was the firm that led the search for a new executive at MassEquality in 2010.

SLDN was unable to disclose to the Blade the financial details of the search or what the organization plans to pay the new executive director, but tax returns from 2009 indicate that Sarvis was compensated $153,623 in salary and benefits for the year prior to the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

According to Zeke Stokes, SLDN’s communications director, the organization retains 12 employees, and at the moment there are “no other departures to report.”

Sarvis and SLDN played a crucial role in the successful 2010 effort to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law that prevented open service by gay and lesbian service members in the military.

“The search for a new Executive Director comes at a critical moment in the fight for full LGBT equality in our armed forces,” SLDN Board Co-Chair April Heinze, who chairs the national search committee, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Repeal of the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law, alone, is not enough. The fight for full equality marches forward – especially for those legally married gay and lesbian service members who today do not receive the same recognition, support or benefits for their families as their straight, married peers. The board and staff at SLDN will not rest until we overcome these and the remaining inequalities for LGBT service members.”

“Aubrey Sarvis was a hero in the DADT movement,” Josh Seefried, co-director of the active duty group OutServe, told the Blade Wednesday. “He dedicated his life to improving the lives of thousands of gay service members. He led SLDN at the most difficult time and I am sad to see him go. We are excited to work with his replacement.”

“Aubrey has been one of the prime movers of our community when it comes to LGBT military rights,” Monica Helms, president of Transgender American Veterans Association, told the Blade. “He will be a very hard person to replace. And hopefully the next person will be just as enthusiastic about helping trans military people to serve openly.”

The SLDN statement references the ongoing push for equal benefits for same-sex couples in the military.

“The new Executive Director will manage SLDN’s ongoing legal and legislative efforts to change the definition of ‘spouse’ in three titles of U.S. Code that pertain to benefits for married LGB service members and veterans and dismantle the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),” the statement reads. “He or she will oversee SLDN’s pro bono legal services for LGBT service members, work with the Department of Defense and congressional leaders for effective implementation of open service, and deal with any harassment or discrimination related to sexual orientation or gender identity that may occur.”

“In general, we all work together all the groups,” said Denny Meyer, media and public affairs director for Transgender American Veterans Association. “There’s little tensions and competitions, because every group has their own focus. But as of late SLDN has picked up on the trans issue, and has been helping trans veterans with issues, which wasn’t the main focus of the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,’ because the original 1993 law didn’t include trans people.”

“Its still sort of taboo on having trans service members serve openly,” Meyer continued. “Politics is politics unfortunately. In other countries England Canada and even Israel, transgender people were included [when they made their inclusive policies], but America is what it is, you know, we’re more backward. It just wasn’t on the table. The movement had to work with what they had. because in this country, if advocates said ‘its all or nothing,’ it would still be nothing.”

The open SLDN executive director position is currently posted at http://www.sldn.org/pages/careers.

Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire is pushing a marriage bill in that state. (Photo by Evan Derickson)

To the surprise of no-one Romney finished first in the New Hampshire primaries yesterday, with nearly 40% of all votes cast. The runners-up in order are Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry — who skipped the state to campaign in South Carolina instead. Here’s the rest of what is catching our attention this morning.

• A formerly NOM-backed city council candidate who once challenged Harry Thomas’ city council seat, and vowed to undo marriage equality in Washington D.C. now tells the Blade he will not seek to repeal the marriage law, and will try building bridges in the LGBT community.
• An Oklahoma lawmaker is seeking to reinstate ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ for his state National Guard.
• In an 8-1 vote on language introduced by openly gay council member Joe McDermott, Washington state’s largest county, King, voted to endorse the new marriage equality bill.
• The SoulForce Equality Ride is back to cross the nation again in 2012, driving to colleges from Philadelphia to San Francisco, with the announcement of new co-directors Jason Conner and J. Mason.
• The Daughter of anti-gay Australian Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, bucks her father and comes out in support of marriage equality. Cue awkward family dinner.

Finally, you have got to see Buy Junes’ ‘Shades of Purple,’ a really cute video about a couple that just wanted to be able to love.

The Iowa Capitol dome.

DES MOINES, Iowa — In the closest outcome in the history of the Iowa caucuses, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney edged former Sen. Rick Santorum by just eight votes Tuesday to win the first contest of the 2012 election.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had 30,015 votes while Santorum had 30,007, according to Matt Strawn, chair of the Iowa Republican party. In terms of percentages, both Santorum and Romney claimed 24.5 percent of the vote.

The virtual dead heat in the Iowa caucuses, in which a record 122,255 Iowa Republicans participated, raises questions about whether Romney can attract support from the party’s conservative base.

On Monday, Romney reportedly crowed that he was going to win the Iowa caucuses by telling a crowd of supporters, “We’re going to win this thing.” A Romney spokesperson later downplayed the remarks and said the candidate was referring to winning the Republican nomination.

MORE IN THE BLADE: DNC CHAIR: SANTORUM ANTI-GAY ATTACKS ‘UN-AMERICAN’

Libertarian Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who had enjoyed a lead in the polls just two weeks before the caucuses took place, finished in third place with 21.5 percent of the vote.

Troy Price, executive director of One Iowa, a statewide LGBT group, said the virtual tie demonstrates that social conservatives were unable to dominate the caucuses despite their efforts.

“This extremely close outcome shows that in spite of the millions of dollars and constant campaigning on the backs of loving, committed gay and lesbian couples in Iowa, the attempt by social conservatives to dominate the caucuses simply didn’t work,” Price said. “Rather, this tie between Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney shows the deep divisions that exist between social conservatives who want to harm loving and committed couples, and fiscal conservatives who prioritize job creation and a smaller government.”

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, a gay conservative group, congratulated Romney and Paul in a statement for placing in the top three slots — but notably left out any mention of Santorum, who’s known for holding anti-gay views.

“Tonight, we congratulate Governor Romney and Congressman Paul on their strong showings in the Iowa caucuses,” LaSalvia said. “It is clear that the message of economic renewal and limited government is resonating with Republican voters.”

LaSalvia commended Romney and Paul for offering plans that he said contrasted with the “big government approach” of President Obama without resorting to anti-gay rhetoric.

“While there are certainly big differences between Governor Romney and Congressman Paul, especially when it comes to foreign policy, both chose to emphasize issues like the economy and the size of government over demonizing gay people,” LaSalvia said. “We are pleased to see that so many Republicans in Iowa are focused on the issues that unite us as conservatives, instead of the side show issues.”

MORE IN THE BLADE: YOUNG, GAY IOWA GOP CAUCUS GOERS DISCUSS CANDIDATES

Brian Brown, president of the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage, praised both Santorum and Romney over “their photo-finish” because of the candidates’ opposition to same-sex marriage.

“It’s especially satisfying to see Senator Santorum, a longtime friend and champion for the family, come from behind to mount such a successful campaign,” Brown added.

Santorum and Romney were among the candidates that signed NOM’s pledge to oppose same-sex marriage by backing a Federal Marriage Amendment and defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court if elected president.

“The strong showing by both Santorum and Romney shows that supporting marriage is not only the right thing to do, it is the politically smart thing to do,” Brown said.

But Brown criticized Paul, who twice voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment and isn’t among the candidates who signed NOM’s pledge.

“This is a lesson that Ron Paul may be learning the hard way,” Brown said. “Paul suffered a big loss by finishing third in Iowa, a state he was expecting to win.”

Brown said ads NOM aired against the candidate in Iowa in addition to grassroots work “were a factor in Ron Paul’s poor showing.”

The results triggered the end of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s campaign. She won just 5 percent of the vote even though Iowa is her home state. Bachmann announced Wednesday she was leaving the race.

“I have decided to stand aside,” she told reporters in Des Moines on Wednesday morning.

MORE IN THE BLADE: LGBT REACTION TO BACHMANN’S IOWA EXIT

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who also enjoyed the status of GOP presidential frontrunners, had less than optimal finishes. Gingrich took fourth in the caucuses with 13.2 percent of the vote and Perry came in fifth with 10.3 percent.

In a speech after the contest, Perry said he was going to scrap plans to campaign in South Carolina and return to Texas to determine whether a path to victory remains.

The strong showing for Santorum comes on the heels of comments he made that raised the eyebrows of LGBT advocates in an interview Tuesday with ABC News’ Jake Tapper.

The candidate said he opposes the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling of Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down state sodomy laws throughout the country. He also said he opposes a court decision preventing states from prohibiting the sale of contraceptives.

Santorum said he personally would have voted against the state law in Texas prohibiting consensual sex between two males, but still thinks states should be able to pass such laws.

“I wouldn’t have voted for the Texas sodomy law, but that doesn’t mean the state doesn’t have the right to do that,” Santorum said. “I just didn’t think they should do it. We shouldn’t create constitutional rights when states do dumb things. We should let the people decide. If the states are doing dumb things, get rid of the legislature and replace them as opposed to creating constitutional laws that have consequences beyond the specific case that was before them.”

As Republicans in Iowa were deciding on the best candidate to represent them, Democrats also held caucuses throughout the state, even though President Obama was the only candidate on the ticket. More than 25,000 Iowa Democrats were estimated to have participated.

Obama delivered a message to supporters attending the caucuses via video and took a couple questions from attendees pledging their support to him. Among the accomplishments that he touted during the video was repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“Because of you, we’ve been able to end the policy of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ so that every American who want this country that they love can have that opportunity, regardless of who they love,” Obama said.

In a statement, Sue Dvorksy, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, said the Democratic Iowa caucus was ”a great opportunity to test our campaign organization and expand our volunteer base as we move toward November.”

“In a strong show of support, more than 7,500 Iowans tonight pledged to volunteer for the campaign over the course of the next year, underscoring their commitment to continuing the change the country has seen under President Obama’s leadership,” Dvorsky said.

Several young gay Iowa caucus goers discuss which GOP candidates they will support today. (Washington Blade photo by Chris Johnson)

DES MOINES, Iowa — For some gay Iowa Republicans, the 2012 presidential election is about more than just LGBT issues.

Economic issues and a belief in limited government are trumping concerns that the GOP presidential contenders are hostile to LGBT rights.

The Washington Blade interviewed five young gay Des Moines residents who will be among the estimated 120,000 Iowa Republican caucus-goers about why they support the GOP this year.

C.J. Petersen, 21, a customer service representative for Nationwide Insurance, is backing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney because of the candidate’s business background.

Petersen said he became interested in Romney as a high school senior in 2007 when he saw him speak during his last presidential run.

“I think, this year, he’s been a 100 percent better candidate,” Petersen said. “If you compare the YouTube videos from ’08 to now, he seems a lot less robotic and choppy and nervous. I think he seems a lot more relaxed, and almost presidential, ready to be a leader.”

Two other gay Iowa residents interviewed by the Blade said they’re backing Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) because of the candidate’s libertarian views.

Dereck Plagmann, 21, said he’s in the Paul camp because of the candidate’s adherence to the U.S. Constitution.

“I think it’s something that we’ve definitely drifted away from,” Plagmann said. “We need to get back to it basically. Other presidents, everybody’s trying to make changes to it. They’ve lost focus on what really made this country, and what made us who we are.”

Zach Coffin, 22, a collector for Wells Fargo bank, also plans to back Paul.

“I think that’s basically what this country needs right now is someone that will defend the core values and the core principles of the Constitution of the United States,” Coffin said. “That’s one thing that Ron Paul is focusing on well.”

MORE IN THE BLADE: ROMNEY, SANTORUM SHOW NEW STRENGTH IN IOWA POLLS

Two other gay caucus participants interviewed by the Blade had yet to make a decision on a candidate, but intend to support a Republican.

Bryan Pulda, 21, a processor for Wells Fargo Bank, said he still needs to research each of the GOP candidates.

“I come from a farming family, so it’s conservative or Catholic,” Pulda said. “Our personal views are more reflected in the Republican candidates.”

Although he hasn’t made a final choice, Pulda said he’s leaning toward backing Paul because he believes the candidate’s politics “are consistent” and he “hasn’t been in the news with anything controversial.”

Ryan Schrader, 22, who works at a local Casey’s gas station, was also undecided but said he’s leaning toward Paul.

“I come from a very conservative background myself,” Schrader said. “My family is very conservative Baptists. So his views are more towards letting the people, which would be all of us, make the decisions to shape our country.”

The candidates chosen by the five caucus-goers — Romney and Paul — have adopted some anti-gay positions, though they have not been as extreme in their views as other Republican contenders.

Paul supported the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and twice voted against a U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Romney backs such an amendment, but expressed doubts that there is enough momentum or interest to pass it. He’s also said he would leave open service in the military as it is.

MORE IN THE BLADE: ANTICIPATING THE WHIRLWIND YEAR AHEAD

Still, neither candidate has the track record or commitment that President Obama has demonstrated in advancing LGBT rights. But the gay Iowa caucus-goers say they’re backing a Republican candidate to address more mainstream issues affecting the country.

Coffin said social issues can motivate people because they’re easy to understand, but if voters take the time to learn about economic issues, they “usually wind up changing their mind and thinking about the big picture what’s really going on here.”

“I don’t know if it’s because I’ve always lived in Iowa, and Iowa is one of the states where you can be married,” Coffin said. “With the amount of rights that gay people have right now, I feel totally comfortable with what we have.”

While Iowa has achieved marriage equality, if a Republican administration succeeds in passing a Federal Marriage Amendment as many of the candidates have promised, the measure would abrogate the 2009 court ruling allowing gay couples to marry in the state.

Pulda similarly said issues like same-sex marriage are on the back burner in comparison to improving economic conditions in the country.

“I would find it almost selfish for me to go out and say, ‘I vote for this person simply because they want same-sex marriage,’” Pulda said. “There are so many more problems in this country affecting more people than just me.”

But there’s a limit to how much these caucus-goers are willing to look the other way. Candidates like former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, Texas Gov. Rick Perry or Rep. Michele Bachmann, who make anti-gay rhetoric a foundation of their campaigns, are turn-offs as potential candidates.

Petersen said he wouldn’t support a candidate who would make social issues a “central tenet of their campaign.

“I’m a Republican, but I’m not stupid,” Petersen said. “If they want to use those issues as a wedge to get voters to support them, I’m not really attracted to that.”

A recent anti-gay ad by Rick Perry that has been widely circulated on the Internet was a bridge too far for these caucus-goers. In the ad, Perry accuses Obama of engaging in a war on religion and says, “There’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”

Pulda said the ad made him think twice about Perry, but still isn’t ruling him out as a potential candidate to back during the caucuses.

“I liked Rick Perry, but the latest ad he put out — I think he used the wrong language,” Pulda said. “That wasn’t the ad to go out.”

Petersen took a dig at Obama, saying he’s been paying lip service to the LGBT community and that one of his major accomplishments — repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — “just kind of came to him.”

“It was basically Senators [Susan Collins] and Joe Lieberman who said they were getting this done at the end of the year,” Petersen said. “What ended up happening is a great victory for us in the sense that LGBT Americans can now serve their country in uniform. That’s a great thing, but I don’t really credit that to President Obama.”

The administration was seen by some as playing a passive role in the legislative effort to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” before the Pentagon issued its report on implementing repeal. But after the Pentagon report came out, observers said the White House was active in engaging with senators to push through the legislation.

R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, said support for the Republican Party among young voters will grow if the GOP steers clear of social issues.

“Younger conservative voters under 30 continue to increasingly poll disinterest over social issues and do not support perceived or real demonization of LGBT Americans,” Cooper said. “If social issues, however, remain a myopic priority for certain candidates, they will find as former [Republican National Committee] Chairman Haley Barbour stated in 2011, ‘Purity is the enemy of victory.’”

Peter Levine, director of Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, said involvement of young gays in the Iowa caucuses is reflective of the political energy among youth throughout the country.

“I think it’s sort of characteristic of this generation,” Levine said. “Even though the turnout in the end may not be that high, for various reasons, I think there is a lot of energy and enthusiasm.”

It’s not the first time that Petersen and Plagmann have participated in the Iowa caucuses. Petersen backed Romney in 2008, while Plagmann participated in the Democratic caucus and backed Obama’s candidacy.

Plagmann said he might vote for Obama during the general election if the Republican nominee isn’t to his liking, although he’s changing his party affiliation during the Iowa caucuses because he’s disappointed in the administration.

“Back then it was my first election,” Plagmann said. “I was 18. I didn’t really look a whole lot into it. I guess I could relate to him more. But surely now, I don’t think he’s been as effective as what America had hoped.”

Whatever the election results, at least one of the caucus-goers says he’ll keep gay rights in mind as he continues advocating for a Republican agenda.

“I personally would like to see same-sex marriage legalized in all the states, but I don’t think we have to leave the Republican Party in order to stand for most of our principles,” Petersen said. “I’m not going to base my entire vote on one part of my life. I have a financial future as well as a romantic future.”

President Obama signed the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in December 2010, but it didn’t take effect until September 2011. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The anti-gay law known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” finally came to an end on Sept. 20 after prohibiting open gays from serving in the U.S. military for 18 years.

No other news event had as much impact on the LGBT community as the lifting of the ban — allowing an estimated 66,000 gay people to begin serving openly — which is why we’re naming the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as the story of the year for 2011.

The law came to an end thanks to repeal legislation that President Obama signed into law in December 2010. The bill provided for an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” after 60 days passed following certification from the president, the defense secretary and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

After months of training and preparing service members for open service, Obama and defense leaders sent notification to Congress that they had certified an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on July 22. In accordance with the repeal legislation, the ban was lifted 60 days later from the books.

Alex Nicholson, executive director of Servicmembers United, said the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was the result of “persistent hard work of unwavering advocates, especially those who have been directly impacted by this issue, and some courageous politicians over the past six years.”

“As a result, those who continue to serve can sleep easier tonight knowing that they can no longer be arbitrarily fired because of their sexual orientation,” Nicholson said. “Justice has prevailed and ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is dead.”

According to Servicemembers United, an estimated 14,346 service members were discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” over the course of 18 years before the ban was lifted.

Year In Review: 2011

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, called the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” a “historic milestone along the journey to achieving LGBT equality in America’s military.”

“Thanks to veterans, active duty, leaders, allies and supporters everywhere, this is a monumental day for our service members and our nation,” Sarvis said. “Indeed, we have taken a tremendous leap forward for LGBT equality in the military.”

In the wake of lifting the ban, a number of service members who had previously kept their sexual orientation hidden made public the fact that they are gay. Air Force 1st Lt. Josh Seefried, co-director of the group OutServe who formerly went under the alias J.D. Smith, was among those who made his sexual orientation known.

Seefried, a New Jersey-based finance director for the Air Force, said during a news conference on Sept. 20 that being able to take part fully in the military family was particularly important to him.

“That’s what the military brags about so much is having that aspect of being part of the family, being part of the team,” Seefried said. “I almost resented the Air Force for not giving me that opportunity to be part of that team, not being able to bring someone to an event. Now I feel like I can go back to work and I can be part of that team now and actually be honest.”

Capt. Sarah Pezzat, a D.C.-based Marine Corps reservist who served in operations in Haiti, Iraq and Somalia, said at the same event that the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” made Sept. 20 feel markedly different than previous days.

“For me, it feels different because I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” Pezzat said. “I can post about it on Facebook, I can tell my co-workers if I want to what I did last weekend, things like that.”

The end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” preceded a number of other firsts for the U.S. military after the implementation of open service. For example, at the Marine Corps balls throughout the country where attendees celebrated the service’s 236th birthday, gay Marines attended with same-sex partners for the first time.

Observers have also said the end of the military’s ban would make gay service members more visible, and, in turn, build on efforts to advance same-sex marriage or employment non-discrimination protections for LGBT people.

Jeff Krehely, director of the LGBT research and communications project at the Center for American Progress, said prior to the lifting of the ban that open service would be significant for many Americans — not just those in the military.

“‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal is huge and tremendous, but I think there are much larger implications for society because a lot of people really respect the military,” Krehely said.

The story of the year was the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Here are our picks for the rest of 2011’s top LGBT news stories.

#2 N.Y. approves marriage

New Yorkers celebrated same-sex marriage during June Pride. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Empire State became the sixth and most populous state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage in June when the legislature passed and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed into law a bill legalizing marriage rights for gay couples.

Upon passage of the legislation, Cuomo said New York has “finally torn down the barrier that has prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry and from receiving the fundamental protections that so many couples and families take for granted.”

The achievement marks the first time that a Republican-controlled legislative chamber — in this case, the New York State Senate — passed legislation in this country legalizing same-sex marriage.

The law went into effect in the state on July 24. Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd, a lesbian couple from Buffalo, N.Y., wed in Niagara Falls at midnight and became the first couple in the state to benefit from the law.

#3 Rep. Barney Frank retires

Rep. Barney Frank announced in November that he wouldn’t seek a 17th term in the House. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The longest-serving openly gay member of Congress announced in November that he wouldn’t seek a 17th term in the U.S. House.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), 71, was first elected to Congress in 1980. The lawmaker made his sexual orientation known in 1987 — becoming the second to do so after Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.).

Frank said redistricting in Massachusetts and his desire to retire before reaching age 75 prompted his decision not to run.

“I have enjoyed — indeed been enormously honored — by the chance to represent others in Congress and the State Legislature, but there are other things I hope to do before my career ends,” Frank said.

The lawmaker is credited with helping shepherd through the passage of hate crimes protections legislation and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal in the 111th Congress. But Frank was criticized by transgender activists in 2007 for dropping gender identity protections from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The gay-only bill ultimately died in the Senate.

His most enduring legacy will likely be the passage of Wall Street reform legislation commonly known as Dodd-Frank, which he pushed through as chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

#4 Obama won’t defend DOMA; Boehner hires counsel

House Speaker John Boehner announced that he would hire counsel to defend DOMA in court after the Obama administration said it would no longer do so. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Obama administration made a significant reversal in policy in February when it announced it would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court.

In a Feb. 22 letter, the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder notified Congress that laws related to sexual orientation, such as DOMA, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage, should be subjected to heightened scrutiny.

“The president has also concluded that Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to legally married same-sex couples, fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional,” Holder said.

Obama’s decision riled House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who accused the president of abandoning his constitutional duties. In March, Boehner convened the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, which on a 3-2 party-line basis voted to defend the law in court in the administration’s stead.

To assist the House general counsel in defending the law, Boehner hired private attorney Paul Clement, a U.S. solicitor general under former President George W. Bush. The cost of the private attorney was initially announced at a blended rate of $520 an hour and total cost cap of $150,000, but Boehner later bumped up the cost cap to $1.5 million.

#5 Giffords shot; gay intern hailed as hero

Gay intern Daniel Hernandez was credited with helping to save the life of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The nation recoiled in horror in January after pro-LGBT Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) became one of 20 people shot people by a gunman during a town hall event in her district.

Daniel Hernandez Jr., a gay 20-year-old who had worked as an intern for Giffords for just five days at the time of the shooting, was credited with providing the first aid that saved her life.

“The attitude that I had,” Hernandez said, “was trying to make sure that those who had been injured were going to be OK, so to try to provide whatever first aid I could until someone else could come in and take over.”

Medics arrived on the scene to take Giffords and others to the University Medical Center in Arizona. Giffords slowly recovered and made her first appearance on the House floor in August to vote in favor of the agreement to raise the debt ceiling limit.

At a memorial service, President Obama called Hernandez a “hero” during his eulogy. The White House invited Hernandez — along with his father, Danny Hernandez Sr., — to sit alongside first lady Michelle Obama during the State of the Union address in January.

#6. Clinton, Obama endorse int’l LGBT rights

Hillary Clinton delivered a sweeping pro-LGBT speech in December calling for other nations to respect gay rights as human rights. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December gave a high-profile speech in Geneva, Switzerland in which she spoke out against human rights abuses committed against LGBT people overseas.

During the speech, Clinton reiterated her previously held belief that human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights and said LGBT people overseas “have an ally in the United States of America.”

“It is a violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave,” Clinton said.

Clinton gave the speech on Dec. 6 in observance of Human Rights Day, which recognizes the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948 by the U.N. General Assembly. More than 1,000 diplomats and experts were in attendance.

On the same day, President Obama issued a memorandum to government agencies urging them to step up efforts against anti-LGBT human rights abuses abroad. Among other things, the memo calls on agencies to work against the criminalization of homosexual acts overseas and directs the State Department to lead a “standing group” to respond swiftly to serious incidents threatening LGBT human rights abroad.

#7 Jamey Rodemeyer commits suicide

Year In Review: 2011

A 14-year-old from Williamsville, N.Y. took his own life in September after his parents said he was subjected to bullying in school over his sexual orientation.

Jamey Rodemeyer, who attended Williamsville North High School, took his life in an apparent hanging. Prior to his death, he sent his last message in the form of a tweet to Lady Gaga, which read, “Bye Mother Monster. Thank you for all you have done. Paws up forever.”

Rodemeyer made a video for the “It Gets Better” project, a website dedicated to preventing teen suicide, in which he identified as bisexual and described the harassment he endured from other students.

“I just want to tell you that it does get better [be]cause when I came out for being bi I got so much support from my friends and it made me feel so secure,” Rodemeyer says in the video.

Rodemeyer’s death inspired outrage across the nation. Lady Gaga told her fans via Twitter she spent the days after his suicide ”reflecting, crying and yelling.” She later met with President Obama over the issue of bullying.

#8 GOP hopefuls tout anti-gay views

Former Sen. Rick Santorum said he would resinstate ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ if elected president. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Presidential election season officially kicked off this year as Republican candidates seeking to oust President Obama from the White House touted their anti-gay views.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum likely took the prize for emphasizing anti-gay positions most often in his campaign. In addition to pledging to reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Santorum said, “our country will fail” as a result of same-sex marriage. He also raised eyebrows in August when he said same-sex marriage is like “saying this glass of water is a glass of beer.”

Activists with Truth Wins Out revealed the therapy clinic that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) co-owns with her husband, Marcus Bachmann, engages in widely discredited “ex-gay” conversion therapy aimed at turning gay people straight. The candidate has refused to answer questions about the clinic.

A total of five contenders — former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Santorum, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Bachmann — each penned their name to an anti-gay pledge from the National Organization for Marriage. Signing the document commits them to backing a U.S. constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage and to defending the Defense of Marriage of Act in court.

#9 Prop 8 fight continues in California

Litigation seeking to overturn Proposition 8 progressed through the courts this year amid questions over whether proponents have standing to defend the law and whether the sexual orientation of the judge who ruled against the marriage ban should have disqualified him.

In the case of Perry v. Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in January sent the question of whether Prop 8 proponents had standing to defend the amendment in court to the California Supreme Court. The question emerged after state officials declined to litigate on behalf of the same-sex marriage ban.

In November, the California high court issued a unanimous decision that Protect Marriage and other groups who worked to pass the anti-gay initiative in 2008 indeed could continue the case.

Another challenge to U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s decision emerged in April after the retired magistrate told reporters he’s gay and has been living with a same-sex partner for 10 years. Proponents of Prop 8 said Walker should have recused himself from the case.

But in June, U.S. District Judge James Ware ruled that Walker’s sexual orientation wasn’t a factor in the judge’s decision to rule against Prop 8 and upheld the previous decision. The anti-gay activists appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit.

The Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments on whether Walker’s sexual orientation should have disqualified him as well as whether the tapes of the trial should be made public. The appellate court has yet to make a decision on any of these issues.

#10 Solmonese steps down from HRC

HRC President Joe Solmonese announced in August that he would step down after six years at the helm of the nation’s leading LGBT advocacy group. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The head of the Human Rights Campaign announced in August that after six years he would be stepping down as president of the nation’s largest LGBT organization.

The co-chairs of the board of directors of HRC and its sister organization, the HRC Foundation, said Joe Solmonese will remain as head of both organizations until the completion of his contract in March to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Solmonese oversaw the defeat of the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 as well as passage of hate crimes protections legislation and repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” But he alienated many transgender activists in 2007 when he declined to oppose a decision by House Democratic leaders to remove protections for transgender people from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

The search committee seeking Solmonese’s replacement is being co-chaired by board members Joni Madison of North Carolina and Dana Perlman of Los Angeles. The replacement has yet to be announced.

As 2011 fades, the year that was stirs mixed emotions. I was fortunate to work at a job I love and have the opportunity to enjoy my friends and family. The end of the Iraq war, the official end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and the victory for marriage equality in New York were exciting.

On the down side: There remain too many people still out of work and suffering; the contentious debates and continued lack of civility in public policy discussions persist; the hurtful actions of the Congress and the president with regard to poor women and “choice” in the District is disappointing; the war in Afghanistan rages on; and the general meanness emanating from the candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination is painful to watch.

Year In Review: 2011

So I lift my glass to 2012 though I know it won’t be an easy year. Hope springs eternal that before it is over we will have elected leaders who will return our government to civility in discourse and set us on a path to rationality. I’m hopeful that the influence of the Glen Becks of the world begins to fade and the nonsense that he spews begins to fall on deaf ears. And I hope that the far right pundits exit stage right and the strident voices on the other side exit stage left.

The Republican Party debates have been humorous in many ways, especially for Democrats, but they have also been frightening. The candidates appear to be striving to appeal to the very worst in our nature. Some recently even called into question our independent judicial system, one of the hallmarks of our democracy. Newt Gingrich went so far as to say he would use federal marshals to haul judges into Congress to explain themselves. Collectively they want to drive the LGBT community back into the closet or worse.

In 2012 I look forward to seeing President Obama elected to a second term. However, we will first have to endure a long battle that will be both expensive and divisive. Each side will accuse the other of class warfare highlighting the divide between the haves and have-nots. My support of the president is not purely based on what he has accomplished, and he has accomplished much, but on what I hope he will stand up for in his second term.

After the shackles of campaigning are lifted from the president’s back, I hope he is free to speak out in his second term on what many people thought he believed when they first voted for him. I look forward to hearing his clarion call for the right of all women to “choice” and to contraception; to having the federal government move forward with regulations that will protect our environment and people’s health; to guaranteeing the right of all members of the LGBT community to live in dignity with the full panoply of civil and human rights afforded to all Americans.

2012 will be a year of destiny for our nation and for the world. We can either move further into the abyss of economic turbulence and political disintegration or we can come together here at home and with our global partners and move toward higher ground. We must agree that we all need to make sacrifices today if we are to ensure a better world for future generations.

As individuals we must move beyond just being satisfied with our own comfort and successes and while being thankful we must refocus ourselves and our government to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to live their lives to their full potential.