Over 100,000 protesters across the country and across the globe attended rallies and marched on Saturday in protest of California's Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage. From Fairbanks, Alaska, where 32 people stood with signs in 6 degree weather as snow fell to San Diego, where 25,000 people marched on an unseasonably hot autumn day that reached into the 90s, supporters of civil rights demanded equality.

"This is the first time in U.S. history that the majority voted to strip the rights of a minority. Who will be next?" asked Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lori Jean, who also credited young people as the driving force of the movement, saying "We now pass the torch to you!" The protests, organized via the website www.jointheimpact.com, spread through sites like Facebook, Myspace & Twitter.

Many of you sent in photos, videos and stories of the day. After the jump, we present some of these snapshots from across the country. You may want to grab a hankie.

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Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley's long been a pro-gay advocate, but that doesn't mean he's backing the city's potential gay high school. In fact, he's against it.

One day after his handpicked school board put off a vote on the School for Social Justice Pride Campus, Daley explained why — by expressing his misgivings.

"You have to look at whether or not you isolate and segregate children. A holistic approach has always been to have children of all different backgrounds– in schools. When you start isolating children and you say, 'Only 50 percent here, 40 percent here' — same thing we went through with the disabled — then you want to do that when they're adults," Daley said.

"It's controversial. Some people are for it. Some are against it– The Board of Education has to make the decision whether it's good for isolating children. I don't know– I'm just saying that's one of the problems– You start identifying them."

We actually agree with this one. Removing gay kids from potentially hostile environments may protect them, yes, but it does nothing to tackle the real problem: pervasive homophobia.

As Barack Obama jets around the nation shoring up support for his presidential campaign, lawmakers in his home base of Chicago are preparing to vote on the erection of a "gay" high school.

Though he's not voting on the proposal, a local Fox News channel began to wonder where the Senator stands on the matter.

And the politician's support, they say, has been anything but resounding…

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200 people met last night in Chicago to discuss a possible LGBT high school named, The Social Justice High School—Pride Campus. The school would offer college-prep classes. "Gay, lesbian and transgender students are often overlooked in our district." Chad Weiden, who would be the school's Principal, said.

Not everyone is excited about the idea. "My fear is that the rest of the system will be let off the hook. The notion that the Pride Campus is a silver bullet to set aside all needs of [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] youth is mistaken." Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network said.

In NYC, we've had success with the 2002 public accreditation of the GLBT Harvey Milk School - with a 95% graduation rate.

Mr. Thayer is lucky that he isn't currently attending one of Chicago's tougher schools. Pride Campus would serve GLBT youth who have been victims of harsh intolerance and whose parents don't have the money to send them to a liberal private school. Schools like Harvey Milk and Campus Pride are a great way to give kids a safe education now, while school officials continue to teach tolerance to the broader student population. The Pride Campus won't be the "silver bullet" for ALL the needs of GLBT youth, but it will certainly be the silver bullet for those lucky enough to attend who have been the victims of abuse and bullying.

Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now" has been rattling around our brain for a few days now, but it wasn't until this morning that we finally pinned down the track name. So, in an effort of exorcise this aural gem, we're passing it along to you.

We've resigned ourselves to our Wednesday reality, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a "Saturday In The Park." Doesn't that sound delicious?

And, yes, there will be ice cream.

Now this is a revelation. Key Republican donor Stuart Levine told a federal jury that he hosted dozens of drug-filled parties populated solely with male friends.
Chicago's Sun Times reports that Levine, a key witness against embattled real estate developer Tony Rezko, testified that his clandestine antics back to 1972:

Levine said he first experimented with drugs in 1972, primarily using marijuana and cocaine during that decade. He said he also tried quaaludes a couple of times in the same period and did LSD once.

In the mid-1980s, Levine said there was a change in his drug use when he began partying with a group of five male friends — two or three at a time — once or twice a month as his business schedule allowed.

Levine later moved on to crystal meth, which he apparently preferred.

Rezko's defense claims that Levine's drug use may have impaired his memory. They wanted to delve into the married father's sexual secrets, but the judge ruled them irrelevant. And to spare us the gory, easily envisioned details.

Charlene Cothran's back in action!

The "ex-gay" former Venus publisher has been hard at work on an inflammatory new project: a speech entitled "How Homosexuality Destroys Families, Not Just Values." Sounds like a real winner.

Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network will protest Cothran's appearance on March 13th.

As a publisher of Venus magazine, a publication formerly oriented towards African American lesbians, about a year ago Cothran apparently decided that the grass (and money) was greener on the Republican right, and has since become a tool of their movement and a professional gay hater. Her presentation, which is advertised as "free and open to the public," will be at 7 PM, Thursday, March 13th at the Hoffman House, 7550 E. State Street in Rockford, IL

GLN will be car-pooling from Chicago to counter her lies, with our protest beginning at 6:30 PM that night. GLN invites all LGBT people and our allies to join in countering Cochran's hate.

Those of you who want to say "hell no" to Cothran should email GLN: LGBTliberation@aol.com.

Black gay activists in Chicago claim two seemingly unrelated deaths have an unspoken connection:

Leaders of Chicago Black Lesbian and Gay Organizations announced a community alert Thursday morning after two recent homicides in which they believe black gay men were targeted.
…
The community organizations called the alert in response to the deaths of Larry Bland, on Nov. 17, and Donald Young, on Dec. 23, according to a news release.

Bland's mother believes that a potential lover shot him to death last November.

Young, a choir director and deacon, seems to have been murdered in an apparent pre-Christmas robbery.

Chicago-based Larry Bland died violently two weeks ago and his mother suspects his one his chat room mates may have murdered him. This isn't the first time online sex has been brought up in a gay man's murder.

Michael Sandy met his killers online, as have a number of other men who have come up on this site. Never in our eons of reporting gay murders, however, have we heard a story start with such panicked condemnation.

From local Fox reporter Darlene Hill:

Log in, type the address, and enter a world unknown to many: a world full of men seeking sex with men.

Josephine Bland says her son was so consumed by that activity, she moved out of her own home.

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