Morning Sweep

A local paper writes on how New York’s Finger Lakes Community College now grants health benefits to the spouses of same-sex employees.

Obama has appointed John Berry, openly-gay director of the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park and former Assistant Interior Secretary under the Clinton administration, as director of the Office of Personnel Management. Berry is the highest-ranking openly-gay presidential appointment in history.

A Chicago newspaper has unearthed a 1996 questionnaire showing that Obama may be in support of same-sex marriage, even though he currently says he’s opposed.

A coalition of very influential labor unions in California has submitted an amicus brief in support of the case before the State Supreme Court seeking to overturn Prop 8. We at the Pride Agenda know a little something about engaging organized labor in the LGBT rights movement.

A Maine lawmaker has introduced a same-sex marriage bill, but it will likely face rigorous opposition.

David Mixner guest-blogs on Bilerico about the need to reevaluate and possibly rewrite national civil rights legislation.

Al Sharpton has eloquently voiced his opposition to churches being involved in anti-gay advocacy:
“It amazes me when I looked at California and saw churches that had nothing to say about police brutality, nothing to say when a young black boy was shot while he was wearing police handcuffs, nothing to say when they overturned affirmative action, nothing to say when people were being delegated into poverty, yet they were organizing and mobilizing to stop consenting adults from choosing their life partners. There is something immoral and sick about using all of that power to not end brutality and poverty, but to break into people’s bedrooms and claim that God sent you.”

Stan Lee, former head of Marvel Comics and creator of characters such as Spider Man, The Hulk and X-Men, is unveiling a gay superhero.