Just what are you playing at, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? Your communications director sidles up to the bar and announces your support for ordinances before the Salt Lake City Council that would ban housing and employment discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. He says you find these ordinances “fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage” and do not threaten religious freedoms, since they don’t apply to churches.

I could have sworn these laws constituted “promotion of the homosexual lifestyle,” (which is verboten for your members, resulting in excommunication) but maybe I’m wrong? Earlier this year, you flipped out when two gay men exchanged smooches as they passed in front of your headquarters, and now a hush falls over the saloon of Utah politics as the city council votes unanimously to approve these two laws? And Governor Gary Herbert clams up instead of repeating such gems as this:

“Where are you going to stop? I mean that’s the problem going down that slippery road. Pretty soon we’re going to have a special law for blue-eyed blondes … or people who are losing their hair a little bit,” Herbert, a Republican, said. “There’s some support for about anything we put out there. I’m just saying we end up getting bogged down sometimes with the minutiae of things that government has really no role to be involved in.”

These are strange tea leaves, o Mormon Church. Strange tea leaves, indeed.

Elsewhere…

Rhode Island – In one of the few times the Ocean State will ever appear in national news, Rhode Island’s governor vetoes a bill giving same-gender domestic partners the right to make burial arrangements for their loved ones. (JMG)

Teh Internets – The US looses to Yemen in a new ranking of women’s political empowerment (at 40th place), and nabs 31st place in the overall gender equity rankings. (Feministing)

D.C. – The American Medical Association says Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is not what the doctor would order. For the record, bad jokes probably aren’t either, but it’s good to see the AMA recognize that professional environments filled with fear (of job loss, of physical and psychological abuse, of murder) are less than ideal. (Associated Press)

D.C. – Speaking of DADT – Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) sez a repeal will probably be enacted next year, as part of the 2011 defense budget. Frank was giving the ol’ “screw you” to Senate Majority Leader Dick Durban (D-IL) for throwing cold water on the idea of a DADT repeal. Meanwhile, the HRC wet its pants at the mere thought of a lobby group taking leadership on this or any issue.

Asked about Frank’s prediction for the repeal strategy, Allison Herwitt, legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, said her organization “always takes its cues from its congressional allies.”

“They’re the ones that write the legislation and obviously [the defense authorization] would be a great bill to have repeal be a part of,” she said.

(The Washington Blade)

NYC – The NY Times looks at cross-dressing by teenagers in school. (The New York Times)

North Caronlia – Pam Spaulding of Pam’s House Blend reports that support (online) for a boycott of any DNC fundraising activities is growing:

It’s not just the LGBTs affected by the lack of commitment to progressive change now. That’s why you’ve seen Daily Kos and Firedoglake sign on to the effort, as well as Dan Savage, Michelangelo Signorile, David Mixner, Andy Towle and Michael Goff of Towleroad, Paul Sousa, Robin Tyler and Bil Browning for the Bilerico Project sign on.

She also points out that, of the agenda presented by the NGLTF and the HRC to the incoming administration in January, only one item on the rather enormous list has been achieved.

TheColu.mn has not taken a position on this…not like we’d have much of an impact. Yet. ; )

(PHB)