Morning Sweep

Fox News writes about the popularity and potential danger of niche debates in the presidential primaries, specifically citing the Aug. 9 HRC/Logo debate on LGBT issues. Seven of the eight Democratic candidates have confirmed participation (only Joe Biden isn't attending).

Republican George Amadore defeated Democrat Edward Kosiur in yesterday's special election in the 105th Assembly District. The seat was formerly held (for 24 years) by Democrat Paul Tonko, who supported marriage equality and the Dignity for All Students Act.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi answers a question (sort of) on strengthening gay families.

The Equality Forum (via Bilerico) has released a study showing evidence of an LGBT voting bloc. The study, which uses the Philadelphia mayoral primary as its testing grounds, suggests that "even in a field of gay-friendly candidates, a candidate who can provide the right cues can be the beneficiary of a GLBT block vote. Block voting increases a group’s political importance and power." I'd imagine that any serious candidate would have assumed this already, for example: the aforementioned Aug. 9 gay debate.

And finally, as a midweek treat, this from Daily News' Rush & Molloy on the closing of the much-hyped mini-revival of Gypsy this past weekend: "It was "gay pandemonium" at Patti Lupone's final performance in "Gypsy" at City Center Sunday night, our audience spy reports. The audience was so full of men that at intermission "the bathroom line for the men's rest room was five times longer than the women's." Lupone provoked a thunderous 15-minute standing ovation before pulling co-creators Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim onstage. "When people realized it was Sondheim, it was like the apocalypse," says our spy. "I bolted for the door before anybody got hurt."

Happy Wednesday.