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READ: President Obama's Proclamation on Father's Day 2014

President Obama continues his tradition of releasing expansive and inclusive visions in his proclamations. There is a nice reference to gay fathers in the second paragraph of the Presidential Proclamation on Father's Day 2014.

Fatherhood is among the most difficult and rewarding jobs a man can have. It demands constant attention, frequent sacrifice, and a healthy dose of patience. Even in a time when technology allows us to connect instantly with almost anyone on earth, there is no substitute for a father's presence, care, and support. On Father's Day, we show our gratitude to the men who show us how to learn, grow, and live.

With encouragement and unconditional love, fathers guide their children and help them envision brighter futures. They are teachers and coaches, friends and role models. They instill values like hard work and integrity, and teach their kids to take responsibility for themselves and those around them. This is a task for every father -- whether married or single, gay or straight, natural or adoptive -- and every child deserves someone who will step up and fill this role. My Administration proudly supports dads who are not only present but also involved, who meet their commitments to their sons and daughters, even if their own fathers did not.

Today, let us reflect on our fathers' essential contributions to our lives, our society, and our Nation. Let us thank the men who understand there is nothing more important than being the best fathers they can be.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972, as amended (36 U.S.C. 109), do hereby proclaim June 15, 2014, as Father's Day. I direct the appropriate officials of the Government to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on this day, and I call upon all citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

The Obama Administration began the inclusive references to Father's Day with its first proclamation in 2009. That was also the first year that the White House held an historic reception for LGBT activists and their families to honor LGBT Pride and the 40th Stonewall anniversary. That has also become an annual tradition. The Obama Administration's sixth annual LGBT reception will happen later this month.

Utah Appeals Marriage Recognition

Unfortiunately this does not come as a surprise. Utah will appeal the federal court ruling that would require it to recognize the 1,000+ marriages performed after a judge invalidated the state's ban on marriage equality, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.

[Republican] Gov. Gary Herbert and state Attorney General Sean Reyes on Wednesday filed a notice in federal court that it would appeal U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball’s May order that the state must treat the same-sex marriages performed in December and January the same way it treats all opposite-sex marriages.

About 1,300 same-sex couples received marriage licenses during a 17-day window that opened Dec. 20, when U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby ruled the voter-approved ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional, and closed when the state won a stay while appealing that ruling. A ruling on the ban itself is expected any day from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, where judges heard arguments in April on its constitutionality.

Before the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay on the weddings Jan. 6, more than 1,000 same-sex couples had solemnized their marriages in formal ceremonies. State officials later said they would not acknowledge those marriages while its appeal on Shelby’s ruling was pending. But Kimball on May 19 ruled those marriages are binding, entitling those couples to the rights of marriage, such as inheritance, legal protection and child custody — even if the ban ultimately is found to be constitutional, Kimball ruled.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced on January 10 that the Obama Administration would recognize the same-sex marriages that were performed in Utah ... despite that state's decision not to do so.

The federal government has recognized same-sex marriages since the landmark Windsor case of June 2013 that struck down Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act—which prohibited federal recognition of legally married same-sex couples and denied more than 1,000 benefits, such as Social Security, pension benefits and preferential tax treatment.

Nineteen states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New  Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington—and the District of Columbia now allow same-sex marriage. Six Native American tribal jurisdictions also allow same-sex marriage.

Maya Angelou Dies at 86

PHOTOS: GETTY

Dr. Maya Angelou has died at her home in North Carolina. The distinguished and award-winning poet, memoirist, author, actress and civil rights activist was 86-years-old.

Winston Salem's FOX 8 was the first to report the news. Angelou has been in ill health recently and was briefly hospitalized.

Angelou's groundbreaking 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings describes her childhood in the racist and Jim Crow South. The book "was among the first autobiographies by a 20th-century Black woman to reach a wide general readership," notes the New York Times.

[A]s she recounted in “Caged Bird” and its five sequels, she had already been a dancer, calypso singer, streetcar conductor, single mother, magazine editor in Cairo, administrative assistant in Ghana, official of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and friend or associate of some of the most eminent black Americans of the mid-20th century, including James Baldwin, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Afterward, her six-volume memoir takes her only to the age of 40, Ms. Angelou was a Tony-nominated stage actress; college professor ; ubiquitous presence on the lecture circuit; frequent guest on television shows, from “Oprah” to “Sesame Street”; and subject of a string of scholarly studies

Throughout her writing, Ms. Angelou explored the concepts of personal identity and resilience through the multifaceted lens of race, sex, family, community and the collective past. As a whole, her work offered a cleareyed examination of the ways in which the socially marginalizing forces of racism and sexism played out at the level of the individual.

President Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, in February 2011. But it was almost twenty years earlier in January 1993 when Dr. Angelou's brilliance received world attention when she recited her poem On the Pulse of Morning at President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural ceremony. This may have been the very first time that the word "gay" was used in the context of same-sex love at a presidential inauguration.

So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew, The African and Native American, the Sioux,

The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek,

The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh,

The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,

The privileged, the homeless, the teacher.

They hear. They all hear

The speaking of the tree.

Dr. Angelou was later appointed the United States' Poet Laureate. Watch Dr. Angelou recite her poem at the Clinton inaugural AFTER THE JUMP ...

Angelou was a prominent supporter of LGBT issues. The acclaimed memoirist lobbied Democratic New York State senators on marriage equality in the summer of 2009 on behalf of the Empire State Pride Agenda. "To love someone takes a lot of courage," said the 81-year-old Harlem resident. "So how much more is one challenged when the love is of the same sex and the laws say, ‘I forbid you from loving this person’?"

Angelou’s birth name was Marguerite Annie Johnson. She was fluent in 6 languages. "Affectionately referred to as Dr. Angelou, the professor never went to college," adds FOX 8. "She has received over 50 honorary degrees and was Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University."

Dr. Angelou is famous for many sayings and one of the more well-known is this statement: "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Another saying that she famously told Oprah Winfrey on the latter's talk show: "Believe people when they show you who they are the first time." Oprah says that revelation "changed" her life.

Dr. Angelou may have transitioned from earth but her words and wisdom will live forever. Rest in peace and power, Dr. Maya Angelou.

Watch Dr. Angelou at the Clinton inaugural, recite Still I Rise, share her wisdom on Oprah and other moments AFTER THE JUMP ...

AG Eric Holder's Speech on LGBT Rights to Swedish Parliament

Attorney General Eric Holder delivered a major speech on LGBT rights to the parliament of Sweden—the Riksdag—today in Stockholm. The Attorney General described LGBT rights as one of the "civil rights challenges of our time"and called for an international movement to fight anti-LGBT discrimination.

Holder's remarks are only days before the opening of the Sochi 2014 Olympics. Russia's poor record on human and LGBT rights are likely to continue to dominate news coverage. Video has not yet been uploaded of Holder's speech but two highlights from the transcript:

Just as our forebears came together to overcome tremendous adversity – and to forge the more just and more equal societies in which we now live – so, too, must the current generation rise to the causes that have become the struggles of our day; the defining civil rights challenges of our time. I believe one of these struggles is the fight for equality for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender – or LGBT – citizens.

Holder also referenced the Supreme Court's historic decision on June 26, 2013 to strike down Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act in United States v. Windsor. Section Three banned federal recognition of legally married same-sex couples and denies more than 1,000 benefits, such as Social Security, pension benefits and preferential tax treatment.

This marked a major victory for the cause of equal protection under U.S. law, and a significant step forward for committed and loving couples throughout the country. Today, these couples and their families are one step closer to the equal treatment, and the full recognition, to which they, their loved ones, and their children are entitled.

The speech was "perhaps the strongest statement of his career at the Justice Department in favor of expanding LGBT rights," noted the Washington Post.

The Attorney General also highlighted the Obama Administration's other accomplishments on LGBT issues, such as pushing for the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and protections for LGBT domestic violence victims that were added to the Violence Against Women Act.

Holder also discussed other human rights challenges such as terrorism, human trafficking and gender inequality, economic justice and racial discrimination. 

Holder announced on January 10 that the Obama Administration will recognize the 1300 plus same-sex marriages that were performed in Utah—-despite that state's decision not to recognize those marriages pending a decision in the federal court system.

Sweden is generally regarded as one of the global leaders in human rights. It was the first nation to mandate a parental leave act and one of the first to ban discrimination nationwide against its LGBT citizens. Sweden became the seventh nation to mandate equal marriage in  2009 by an overwhelming vote. At least fourteen nations mandate equal marriage today—Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark,France, Iceland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden and Uruguay. Some jurisdictions in Brazil, Mexico and the USA also allow same-sex marriage. Legislation has been approved to mandate equal marriage in England, Wales and Scotland later this year.

Christie Administration Targeted Jersey City Mayor for Reprisals

New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie's Administration abruptly cancelled meetings and cut ties with Jersey City's Democratic mayor after he declined to endorse the governor's re-election campaign, according to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, the Star Ledger and others.

This comes after emails and other documents released last week proved that top aides to the governor worked with his appointees at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to shut down lanes on the George Washington Bridge in retaliation against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee. That mayor also declined a request to endorse the governor’s re-election. The lane closures disrupted thousands of motorists over four days ... and at least one person died after emergency response times doubled.

The documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal through a public records request showed communications between Mr. [Steven] Fulop and Christie administration staff members arranging the meetings in June and July, until the commissioners all canceled one meeting after another. ...

Bridget Anne Kelly, a senior staffer to Mr. Christie, was involved in the lane closures, and also appears in emails documenting the administration arranging meetings for Mr. Fulop. ... On July 18, Mr. Fulop was informed by his aide that four commissioners had canceled the meetings. No explanation was given, according to the emails. On July 19, Mr. Fulop was told that Mr. Baroni had canceled, and on July 22nd the last commissioner canceled, the documents show.

Mr. Fulop later sends several emails to Mr. Baroni to try and reschedule their meeting, but they aren't returned, according to the documents.

Kelly was the deputy chief of staff to Gov. Christie who was fired last week after the release of documents showing she gave the signal to shut down local traffic lanes feeding into the GWB: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee!"

Federal authorities are also investigating the state's use of Hurricane Sandy relief funds for a television advertising campaign that featured the governor and his family.

The revelations around the Christie Administration's hardball tactics aren't surprising. Everyone knows that Christie delights in confrontation and obstruction—this is the man who vetoed the marriage equality legislation passed by both houses of the legislature. But what is surprising: Christie was easily expected to sail to a comfortable re-election and didn't need the endorsements. What would happen in a hypothetical Christie presidency ... would he cut off heating oil assistance or delay SNAP benefit to states that didn't support him?

Obama Admin. Will Recognize Utah's Same-Sex Marriages

Excellent. Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Obama Administration will recognize the 1300 plus same-sex marriages that were performed in Utah ... despite that state's decision not to recognize those marriages pending a decision in the federal court system.

Watch the Attorney General's announcement AFTER THE JUMP ...

Utah Will Not Recognize Same-Sex Marriages During Appeal Process

Sadly, this was to be expected ...

Utah Republican Gov. Gary Herbert announced today that the state will not recognize the 1,000+ same-sex marriages performed in the state before the United States Supreme Court stayed a federal court judge’s decision overturning a ban on same-sex marriages, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.

The Supreme Court granted the stay on January 6 to halt marriage equality in Utah. In a letter to state agencies, Derek Miller, chief of staff to Gov. Gary Herbert, said those marriages will be "on hold" while it appeals the December 20 ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby that had legalized the unions.

With a stay in place, the original laws governing marriage in Utah are again in effect. In his letter, Miller told state agency directors that the state’s existing law prohibits not only performing same-sex marriages, but recognizing them. "Please understand this position is not intended to comment on the legal status of those same-sex marriages," the letter said. "That is for the courts to decide."

"Wherever individuals are in the process of availing themselves of state services related to same-sex marital status, that process is on hold and will stay exactly in that position until a final court decision is issued," the letter said.

However, if couples had already received, for example, new driver licenses reflecting new names, those licenses will not be revoked, the letter said. But couples may not now seek new licenses. ... Likewise, if someone had completed a process — whether that was filing for health insurance coverage or preparing joint taxes — they are now frozen at that point, he said.

Last week, the Utah Attorney General filed a request with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Justice Sonia Sotomayor for a stay pending the appeal of Shelby's decision. This after the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals' refused to stay Shelby's decision ... and implied that the state would likely lose its appeal.

Utah was the 18th state to mandate equal marriage during a brief two week window. Seventeen states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New  Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington—and the District of Columbia now allow same-sex marriage. Six Native American tribal jurisdictions also allow same-sex marriage.

The federal government has recognized same-sex marriages since the landmark Windsor case that struck down Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act—which prohibited federal recognition of legally married same-sex couples and denied more than 1,000 benefits, such as Social Security, pension benefits and preferential tax treatment.

2013 "Black LGBT Power 100" List

Popular Chicago-based blogger, publicist and promoter Waddie Grant has debuted his second annual "power" rankings. The first installment of the 2013 "Black LGBT Power 100″ was released this week. It boasts some familiar names and faces such as the MacArthur "Genius" Award winning playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney (above), basketball player and singer/songerwiter Will Sheridan, vlogger Derrick Briggs, Florida high school football player Leo Washington, American Idol's De'Borah (below)  and many others. There are also quite a few surprises and unfamiliar names. It's an eclectic mix of athletes, events, web series, promoters, writers, activists, social media and reality personalities and more. Very nice.

The "Power 100" was expanded from last year's list, said Grant. "After the release of 2012′s 'Black Gays Rock', the overwhelming response showed how seriously our fellow Black LGBT people took the intent of this list," said Grant. "We need to celebrate ourselves more—with and without rankings—and recognize who our power players are beyond our social circles and regions."

Hear, hear. Looking forward to the second installment of Waddie Grant's list as well as other year-in-reviews from across the web.

READ: Statement by the President on Marriage Equality in Illinois

PHOTO: GETTY

The White House has released this statement from President Barack Obama in response to tonight's historic marriage equality vote in Illinois.

Tonight, I applaud the men and women of the Illinois General Assembly, a body in which I was proud to serve, for voting to legalize marriage equality in my home state.

As President, I have always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally under the law. Over time, I also came to believe that same-sex couples should be able to get married like anyone else. So tonight, Michelle and I are overjoyed for all the committed couples in Illinois whose love will now be as legal as ours – and for their friends and family who have long wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and equally under the law.

I also commend the members of the General Assembly for approaching this issue in a fair and open way, and for recognizing the importance of our commitment to religious freedom by engaging the religious community in this conversation. Throughout this debate, they’ve made it clear that this is about civil marriages and civil laws, and made sure that churches and other institutions of faith are still free to make their own decisions that conform to their own teachings.

As I said in my Inaugural Address last January, our journey as a nation is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. And tonight, I’m so proud that the men and women elected to serve the people of the great state of Illinois have chosen to take us one step further on that journey to perfect our union.

President Obama has previously spoken out for the bill and urged Illinois legislators to vote "yes."

The successful vote for equal marriage in Illinois comes during an historic week for LGBT rights. The Senate advanced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act on Monday by a 61-30 cloture vote. That clears the way for a final up-or-down vote later this week. Meanwhile: The Hawaii House of Representatives is holding hearings on its marriage bill. The Senate passed its version of the bill last week.

Illinois Approves Marriage Equality

An historic day as the Illinois General Assembly approves marriage equality. Illinois has become the second state after Iowa to approve equal marriage in the nation's heartland. The state House narrowly approved the measure by a 61 to 54 vote with two voting present, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The amended bill then went back to the Senate, which passed it 32 to 21 shortly after 5 p.m... Because [Chicago Democratic Rep. Greg] Harris changed the bill’s effective date on Tuesday to June 1, the measure needed only 60 votes – instead of 71 – to pass the House. It now must go back to the Senate for a final sign-off before moving on to the governor, who praised lawmakers for breaking the impasse on an issue that was near the top of his legislative priority list.

Harris also amended his legislation to give greater safeguards to private clubs, so they don’t have to sanction same-sex marriages. That was recognized as a nod to Catholic lawmakers concerned that organizations like the Knights of Columbus would be compelled to open their facilities to same-sex wedding receptions.

Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign the bill as soon as tonight. The new law will become effective in June 2014.

The Senate approved its first marriage equality bill by a 34-21 vote on Valentine's Day.

Illinois became the sixth state to allow civil unions after Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed the landmark Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act in January 2011. That law became became effective on June 1, 2011. Quinn is a strong supporter of marriage equality, and campaigned on the issue. 

Fourteen  states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New JerseNew York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington—and the District of Columbia now allow same-sex marriage. Illiniois becomes the 15th state. Several counties in New Mexico and six Native American tribal jurisdictions also allow same-sex marriage.