Gay activists aren't giving up on gay marriage, and neither is Barbara Boxer!

The California Senator promised supporters yesterday that the fight is not over:

Boxer said that despite fellow Democrat Barack Obama’s historic presidential win and gains in both the U.S. House and Senate for her party, Prop. 8 “put a damper effect” on her election night.
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“This is so not over,” Boxer said at a Wednesday press conference held jointly with California Democratic Party chairman Art Torres. “The fight for equality goes on and on. The fight for a more perfect union goes on and on.”

Boxer pointed out that all the votes still had to be counted. She also suggested the fight might go back to the courts.

“There may be some inconsistencies with our law and our constitution still, so there will be legal challenges that will move forward,” she said.

And, hopefully, so will gay rights.

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Larry Craig just got the pummeling he's always wanted!

The Senate's Ethic Committee told the Idaho Senator this afternoon that he acted "unethically" and "brought discredit to the Senate," according to the AP. The committee, which is led by Democrat Barbara Boxer, - also wrote that Craig knew exactly what he was doing in that bathroom and attempted to misuse his position to sway the arresting officer:

The six members of the committee — three Democrats and three Republicans — told Craig they believed he "committed the offense to which you pled guilty" and that "you entered your plea knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently."

The panel also admonished Craig for showing the arresting officer a business card that identified him as a U.S. senator. Craig has been reported to have told the officer at the time, "What do you think about that?"

The committee wrote, "You knew or should have known that a reasonable person in the position of the arresting officer could view your action and statement as an improper attempt by you to use your position and status … to receive special and favorable treatment."

Despite their conclusion, Boxer and her colleagues did not recommend any further action against the politico. They must have taken pity on the man, who will not be running for reelection and whose legacy will forever be tarnished by his bathroom antics.

What's more, now everyone knows his trollish ways and he'll never again be able to cruise with shameful confidence. Poor thing.

The Senate Ethics Committee will get a gay earful today. Or, rather, an eyeful.

DC-centric newspaper The Hill reports that The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force will challenge the investigation into Senator Larry Craig's toilet trolling arrest. NGLTF head honcho Matt Foreman writes to Barbara Boxer and Senator John Cornyn:

We are writing to state the inherent contradiction between your treatment of allegations of ethical misconduct by Senator Larry Craig and Senator David Vitter and to insist that you open an investigation into Sen. Vitter’s conduct. There is no explanation for the diametrically opposed responses to these two situations, other than hypocrisy tinged by homophobia. There are only two ways to resolve this: drop the investigation into Sen. Craig or investigate the allegations surrounding Sen. Vitter.

Vitter, of course, came under fire after admitting to canoodling with prostitutes. The Craig investigation doesn't only highlight the Republican party's anti-gay ways, but the Democrats, too. Isn't politics just icky?

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Larry Craig's back to his old tricks. No, not trolling for dick! The Idahoan senator came out of his political shell yesterday to take on Democrats Barbara Boxer and Hillary Clinton. Apparently he's run out of personal and professional shame over that whole disorderly conduct guilty plea and public embarrassment:

[Craig] weighed in…on global warming, charging in a statement that [Boxer], chair of the Senate energy committee, is "rushing" into climate legislation without making a cost-benefit analysis. Boxer is a popular punching bag of conservative activists.
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Later in the statement, Craig offered back-handed praise to Hillary Clinton for what he says is her similar approach to global warming. Noting his support for a "sector by sector trading approach," Craig said, "I was pleased to see that Senator Clinton supports a similar approach, albeit on the unrealistic side given her political realities."

Need we remind you that your own career's just coming out of the toilet, Craig?

Dan Savage seems to have it all: looks, brains, a steady income. Underneath his boyish, sly smile, however, Mr. Savage suppresses a deep, paralyzing fear. What does Savage have to fear, you may ask? Well, plenty.

First and foremost, politics are frightening, something he's learned during his career and various editorial positions at The Stranger. So, sex's - a subject of which Savage has written extensively on in his syndicated column, "Savage Love". Desert islands are particularly horrific, especially when the escape hinges on unthinkable sexual acts. What else frightens Savage? Pictures of your oozing penis, so stop sending them.

How do we know all of this? We asked him. Read what Savage has to say about totally frightful things like Larry Craig, sexual hypocrisy and the aforementioned oozing penis.

After the jump, of course…

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• Actress JoAnne Worley fulfilled her The Drowsy Chaperone obligations and made a "special appearance" at J&R Music and Computer World yesterday. We love you Worley, but you look like a drag queen in this picture.

• Preliminary investigation begins for Larry Craig ethics hearing. Barbara Boxer says:

We are in the process of conducting a preliminary inquiry, and this stage is always closed to the public. If, at the end of the preliminary inquiry, the Ethics Committee decides to move into the adjudicatory phase, any hearings held would be public unless the committee votes to close them. But that is a decision that is made after we have completed our preliminary inquiry.

The Democrats are also reportedly worried public hearings will set a potentially embarrassing precedent.

• More evidence of Jossip editor Rebecca Aronauer's jerky ways.

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Elton John traveled to Washington Monday to receive the National Association of Broadcasters' Service to America Leadership Award. Ever socially aware, NAB honored John's tireless work against that international nightmare, HIV/AIDS.

The guest list looked like a who's who of American culture, with democratic Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative John Dingell sitting side by side with Miss America, Lauren Nelson and Inside Edition's Deborah Norville. Meanwhile, Oleta Adams put a jazzy spin on some of John's classics, like "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," which Elton no doubt did.

Taking the stage, Elton - who has cited Ryan White as his inspiration for his activism - told the enraptured audience,

This is a chance to make up for behavior I deeply regretted … I’m like the whore that goes around and rattles people’s wallets.

As opposed to the whore that goes around and rattles people's wieners? (Seriously, we've looked around for more quotes from his speech, but this is the only one we could find. It's a bit twisted, don't you think?)

In other Elton John fights AIDS news, Mariah Carey signed on to headline the Elton John AIDS Foundation's June 29th One Mighty Party. Fag favorite Carey will apparently sing six dance remixes at the Paris event. We're totally there!! In spirit, of course.