In a document entitled "A resolution to re-affirm Savannah’s commitment to be an inclusive community", Savannah, Georgia, politicians pledged to treats gays and other oppressed groups fairly and equally.

The resolution came under pressure from Georgia Equality, who enacted the original request following the allegeldy homophobic attack on 20-year old fagling, Travis McLain. The homo-crusaderse also hoped the city would install a gay liaison and set-up a group to investigate homophobic incidents in the city. Unfortunately, Mayor Otis Johnson and his comrades didn't take it that far. While the city includes homos in its anti-discrimination laws, it does not extend employee benefits to same-sex couples.

Despite the city's short-comings, Savannah can now call itself a member of the National League of Cities Inclusive Communities Partnership. Expect to see it dressed up in a snazzy outfit and learning more about providing safe-space and equal access for minority groups.

• In Saudi Arabia, twenty men were arrested during a purported gay wedding, which had 400 men in attendance. Homosexuality is illegal there and punishments are determined under Islamic law. [IOL]

• Call them "mutant" (and damn fortunate) HIV patients: As many as one in every 300 people infected with HIV will never see the worst effects from it. Doctors want to go after these "elite" examples of HIV infections, which never lead to AIDS, but such lucky individuals often don't want the attention. [Reuters]

• In Georgia, Georgia Tech University repealed protections for gays in its student housing code of conduct to comply with the findings of a lawsuit filed by two students (who were represented by the Christian law firm Alliance Defense Fund). Students will no longer face the threat of punishment for using gay epithets and derrogatory language based on orientation. [Advocate]

• In Britain, a retrial of murdered lesbian Mandy Power finds a one David Morris guilty, which clears suspicion – at least legally – that it was Power's ex-lover Alison Lewis who killed her, her two children, and the children's grandmother. [BBC]

• In Oregon, the longtime leader of the Oregon Christian Coalition and staunch anti-gay advocate, Lou Beres, admits to sexually molesting young girls. [AP]

When he became the pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta six years ago, Bradley Smeling told the Bishop that although he was single at the time, he would not rule out the possibility of having a boyfriend in the future, and that he would be open if and when it happened. His congregation knew he was gay from the moment he took over the pulpit, and he was never in the closet.

Now that Pastor Schmeling has a boyfriend, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, an umbrella organization that includes St. John's, is crying foul and wants to have Past Shmeling disciplined for having gay sex. If the committee chooses to discipline Schmeling, he will be stripped of his clerical title and authority. He is prepared for either outcome, claiming, “What I hope is that in the disciplinary process, I will be able to tell my story, and shed light on the church’s policy, which I think is destructive to the ministry of the church because good and otherwise qualified people are eliminated from the ministry."

What we find funny about the whole thing is that just because you don't have a boyfriend doesn't mean you're not committing sodomy every weekend. The Lutheran Church is encouraging secret promiscuous sex in favor of public monogamy.

Atlanta gay pastor faces expulsion [Southern Voice]

Gay students and GLBT allies at White County High School in north Georgia are facing another obstacle on the way to getting their gay-straight alliance PRIDE up and running. Even though a July federal court ruling forced school administrators to allow the club – the high school had banned all extra-curricular activities as a means to keep the GSA out, which violated the Equal Access Act – the school is now forcing any students looking to join to get their parents to sign a permission slip. And that, of course, requires students to have "the talk" with their parents, which may be enough to keep many from joining.

White County School Superintendent Paul Shaw said that while PRIDE is now able to meet on campus, it was not part of the school’s listing of extracurricular activities when the 2006-2007 student handbook was created and is considered a new club. According to a new Georgia law, parents must give express permission for students to join new clubs.

“We did the handbook before the court ruling and [PRIDE] is not listed in the handbook,” Shaw said Aug. 8. White County schools started back on Aug. 7.

“Any new club that is started this year requires a parent’s signature for a student to join this one year,” he added.

Ga. school's students face new hurdle for gay-straight club [New York Blade]

Perry McGuire, a local Georgia politician who is running for Attorney General on the Republican ticket, has spoken out against the recent court decision that forced White County high school to allow a Gay Straight Alliance on their grounds.

He claims that "sex between minors is illegal; statutory rape laws apply." And of course in the next logical step in the sequence, since it is allegedly "illegal," then it is "much like allowing a pedophile club or a gambling club to meet at school."

Makes sense to us! However, it doesn't make sense to you, you can always call Mr. McGuire and let him know at this number: 404.805.8006 or email him here.

GOP Attorney General Candidate Compares Gay Straight Alliances To Pedophile Groups [365 Gay]

• Despite widespread reports to the contrary, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue never named actor Sir Ian McKellen a honorary member to the state's National Guard. Not only does the position not exist, but the entire rumor mill began after a misappropriated quote in Rush & Molly. [NYB]

• You TiVo is tattling on you. [NYT]

• Little Miss Sunshine is a critics' favorite across the board, which is surprising — since it actually does look worth seeing. [HWT]

• Even Andy Towle agrees: Sex sells. [After Elton]

• Rather than let the federal government decide what TV programming to censor, the entertainment industry is launching a $300 million campaign to convince parents it's their responsibility to keep their kids safe. [LAT]

What's more perverse and ungodly than homosexual intercourse? Gay books! And where do you find gay books? Gay bookstores! Protest the gay bookstores!

And they have protested the gay bookstore, for three weekends straight. The Outwrite Bookstore in downtown Atlanta has been the target of a religious dummy named Billy Ball and his followers. We realize that sounds more like a porn star name than a pastor name, but we cannot control what people call themselves.

Ball and members of his church in Primrose, GA have been standing outside the Outwrite, trying to drive business away, all because they "love these people enough to warn them and rebuke them."

We wish they would just stop loving us so much. It's starting to bug us. If you feel telling Pastor Ball as much, you can give him a call at this number: 770-251-7710.

Christian Groups Targeting Gay Culture [AfterElton]
Outwrite Bookstore [Official Site]

Need to fresher your news digest on yesterday's court ruling? Read this.

• If you weren't able to attend the Empire State Pride Agenda rally yesterday to protest the New York State Appellate Court's gay marriage ban decision, this new thing called "Internet video" lets you pretend like you were one of the sign-waving advocates in the crowd. [Good As You]

• The New York Times' displeasure with the court's ruling was all that could be expected. The lede says it all: "New York's highest court has harmed both the constitutional guarantee of equal protection and its reputation as a guardian of individual liberties by denying same-sex couples the right to marry." [NYT]

• And now that the gay marriage question has been decided by New York's highest court, what's a political party to do when it comes to reacting? [NYDN]

• In San Francisco on this morning, Hillary Clinton hosted a $1,000-per-plate fundraising that was supposedly open to the press — but she was kept guarded from reporters, which meant nobody could very well ask her to react to the Court of Appeals' decision. [SF Chronicle]

• Meanwhile, all may not be well in Massachusetts. [AP]

• And in Georgia, the top court reinstated a gay marriage ban than some three-quarters of voters approve of. [AP]

Earlier: Breaking: Court Decides to Keep Gay Marriage Ban Alive

No, it's not what you think. Elton John was not called "fag" at a rest stop or anything. Rather the tax authorities in the state of Georgia have allegedly overvalued his Atlanta penthouse condo by $900,000, resulting in an extra $16,000 per year in tax payments for the music legend.

Pardon us, Elton, but isn't $16K like pennies for someone with as much money as you have? We think Georgia would put the funds to better use than buying sparkly Versace blazers.

Elton sues US tax authorities over house [Digital Spy]

• The creepy basement guy from Desperate Housewives was canned for being a creepy flasher guy on set. He insists he's no longer on the show due to the buy out of his contract not because of improper conduct. Hmmm. You lose a lot of credibility once you start whipping your dick out to your co-coworkers.

• Oddly worded pro-gay billboards that read, "I sit next to you. And...I am a lesbian. We are your neighbors" are popping up all over Georgia. The others must say things like "take me to your leader" and "we come in peace."

• Canadians elected openly gay Andre Boisclair to be leader of the Parti Quebecois and he's causing quite a ruckus. Turns out Boisclair used to blow coke in his spare time. We don't see what the big deal is. Our leader was both a druggie and a lush.

• Poland is quickly becoming as gay friendly as Eminem at a pride rally.

• You've heard the old saying that everything seems to cause cancer. Everything now includes giving blow jobs.