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VIDEO: Cory Booker Launches HRC's Americans for Marriage Equality

Newark Mayor Cory Booker launches the Human Rights Campaign's Americans for Marriage Equality. The campaign is based on HRC's popular New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign.

"I support equality because I believe in the 14th Amendment, equal protection for all under the law," says the Newark mayor, named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world and a strong gay rights and equality supporter. "I support marriage equality because I support love and in this nation we need a lot more."

The mayor has refused to officiate marriage ceremonies until "all people have the legal right to marry" in New Jersey. What an ally. Watch AFTER THE JUMP ...

NEWS: Syria, Doug Spearman, Celia Cruz, Cory Booker, Louis Smith

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Celiz Cruz and Tito Puente are honored with U.S. stamps.

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Syrian troops open fire on protesters. "Human rights groups said that since protests began seven days ago in the south, 38 people had been killed by government forces—and it appeared that many more were killed on Friday. Precise details were difficult to obtain Friday because the government sealed off the area to reporters and denied access to the country to foreign news media."

Boris Kodjoe cast in television pilot.

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GOP recall drive ahead of schedule in Wisconsin: "Dems say they’ve gathered more than half the signatures they need to hold elections to recall GOP Senators and are now flatly predicting they’ll take back the state senate."

Attention size queens! World penis size chart.

A cautionary tale: Black, gay NYC escort shares story of "hustling, drug addiction, bareback sex, AIDS, depression."

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AT&T's $39 billion deal to acquire T-Mobile faces "steep climb" for approval.

NYT profiles Newark Mayor Cory Booker's constant use of Twitter: "Part of Mr. Booker’s success is his real-world networking with the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt, but a huge part is his social networking dexterity. He’s quick, for obvious reasons, to mention Facebook as well as Twitter. Still, the most striking part is his Twitter feed, with its crowdsourcing on local problems, motivational snippets, Dalai Lama-citing, Springsteen-quoting and general air of hyper-caffeinated hyper awareness.

WATCH: Newark Mayor Cory Booker Speaks on Marriage Equality

In late November, Newark Mayor Cory Booker explained his support for marriage equality via Twitter after a constituent asked why he never officiated weddings at City Hall. Mayor Booker expanded upon this anecdote and talked about his support for marriage equality at a reception for Freedom to Marry in New York City last Friday.

"When I was first elected mayor, I told my mother that I was not going to marry anybody. My mom said, 'Please marry somebody, please!'" Mayor Booker told the audience, laughing. "I said that's not what I'm talking about. I'm not going to conduct any marriages as mayor until everyone in my state is allowed to marry."

Mayor Booker went on to deliver a rousing speech on equality and social justice. "We must prove to ourselves that every person in this country, no matter what your background," said the mayor. "Left, right, black, white, gay, straight, can enjoy the fundamentals of equality. This is our destiny."

Watch the clip AFTER THE JUMP ...

WATCH: Cory Booker Discusses Tucson Shooting on "Maddow"

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, last seen using Twitter to coordinate snow removal and explain his support of gay rights and marriage equality, appeared on "Rachel Maddow" to talk about gun control and the Tucson shooting rampage. Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...

NEWS: Swerv, Darryl Stephens, Nathan Williams, Krystian Legierski

Tyler Perry's mansion burglarized by teens.

Suspect arrested in slaying of Florida gay couple.

SWERV, the new Black LGBT publication from publisher Michael-Christopher, features the "Stars of the Black Gay 'Net": B. Scott, Pam Spaulding and Rod 2.0.  L. Michael Gipson on B. Scott and R20, Lisa Joyner chats up Pam. More later ...

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Rapper DMX admitted to prison psychiatric unit.

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Pommel horse hotness Louis Smith wins another gold medal.

Bernie Wilson, one of the last surviving members of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, dies at 64. With this year's loss of Teddy Pendergrass "Lloyd Parks [is] the sole surviving member of legendary band."

Newly-elected Warsaw City Council member Krystian Legierski: "Being gay in the U.S.A. is [easier] than in Poland—not because of law but because of the population's mentality. I know personally maybe 10 Black people in Poland."

Latina lesbian activist to run for Chicago City Clerk

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Darryl Stephens tweets from the set of his video shoot for "Envious Moon." It's now available at iTunes.

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The Billion-Dollar Blizzard: Bloomberg "facing increasing criticism" over the slow pace of cleanup. Newark Mayor Cory Booker praised for using Twitter to "rescue snowed-in residents with his own shovel."

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Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie vows to end birther controversy.

Segregation revisionist Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour using state planes for personal use?

 Nathan H. Williams in Chicago Tribune on his casting in Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys. "A lot of the images of African-American gay men on television are one-sided and stereotypical ... [I]t was time for America to see that we don't come in just one shape and one size. It was time to show a different face about what it means to be a black gay man."

Newark Mayor Cory Booker Tweets Support for Marriage Equality

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a strong gay rights and equality supporter, explains on Twitter why he doesn't officiate weddings at City Hall "like other big city mayors."

Funny how the mayor can explain the 14th Amendment in less than 140 characters. Perhaps Mayor Booker can tweet a few online civic lessons to Congress and the White House. Tweet your thanks to the mayor and let's draft Cory Booker for governor.

New Jersey Marriage Update

There are several new developments to the marriage equality fight in New Jersey. As you're aware, the Senate will vote tomorrow on the marriage bill (S1967/A2978) that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in December. The clock is running out of time but there are some strategies.

Via Blue Jersey:

"After a month in limbo, both houses in the NJ legislature cracked open new possibilities yesterday for a vote on marriage equality, with Senate President Dick Codey scheduling a full Senate vote for tomorrow, and Speaker Joe Roberts promising that if the bill clears the Senate, he will post it in the full Assembly 'immediately' for Monday, without committee hearing, leaving just a day for Gov. Jon Corzine to fulfill his promise to sign equality in marriage into law."

Meanwhile: Garden State Equality has begin an innovative online advert campaign through Google Ads that link to YouTube video.

John Bohrer also offers this advice at the Huffington Post:

"Currently, there are five Democratic Senators voting no. That means at least three Republicans are needed to pass. Right now, there is only one -- which is still one more than the New York state Senate had. Bill Baroni is a Central Jersey GOPer from a Democratic leaning district. But the guy is no Republican-In-Name-Only, nor the kind who has everyone wondering, 'Why doesn't he just switch parties already?' In fact, he's one of the brightest Republican stars on the state horizon. In terms of Jersey politics, think of him as the Republican Cory Booker, who, by the way, also supports marriage equality—which tells you where this issue is headed."

Last month, five of Baroni's Republican colleagues released a letter that said they would rather "fix" New Jersey's outdated civil unions legislation than vote for marriage equality. We'll see where they stand tomorrow ...