"Copycat" typically counts as a pejorative, but not in this case.

A dedicated group of Minnesota-based homos are pulling a California and filing a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on gay marriage. Though their numbers are small, they're hoping to rally the same-sex loving troops:

"We have waited long enough," says Doug Benson. He and his partner Duane, together for 18 years, are one of the pioneer couples looking to sue the state. "The point we want to make is to make sure equality is pursued wherever we can pursue it." He continues, "Because we cant sit around waiting for this to happen. We want this to become a reality here at home and we are trying through the courts as well as through the legislature."

The first steps include finding about 30 couples to get involved in the suit. "We want a critical mass of couples involved," Doug says. They've spoken with a law firm who is willing to take the case.

In order to cover some of the legal expenses, couples signing on should be prepared to pay as much as $1,000. Couples have until August 15 to sign up for the lawsuit.

So far, three have signed up, two of which have Canadian marriage licenses.

Those of you interested in fighting the good, gay fight should email Benson at dugby3@yahoo.com.

It's official! Larry Craig's the most pathetic disgraced politico in human history.

According to the AP, the toilet trolling Senator's legal team are again asking a judge to let him withdraw his disorderly conduct guilty plea.

Attorneys for U.S. Senator Larry Craig are asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to correct a "manifest injustice" by allowing the Idaho Republican to withdraw his guilty plea stemming from an airport restroom sex sting.
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Defense attorneys argued that even though Craig may have pleaded guilty to avoid publicity and face a more serious charge, that doesn't change the fact that the plea is inaccurate.

The Court of Appeals had not yet set a time for oral arguments.

It's almost as if he likes the notoriety. Did he hear about Spitzer and decide that he needs to remind the world he's tainted, too? Don't worry, Craig, we'll never forget.

Toilet trolling Senator Larry Craig has a friend in the ACLU:

In an effort to help Sen. Larry Craig, the American Civil Liberties Union is arguing that people who have sex in public bathrooms have an expectation of privacy.
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The ACLU filed a brief Tuesday supporting Craig. It cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling 38 years ago that found that people who have sex in closed stalls in public restrooms "have a reasonable expectation of privacy."

That means the state cannot prove Craig was inviting an undercover officer to have sex in public, the ACLU wrote.
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The ACLU argued that even if Craig was inviting the officer to have sex, his actions wouldn't be illegal.

"The government cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Senator Craig was inviting the undercover officer to engage in anything other than sexual intimacy that would not have called attention to itself in a closed stall in the public restroom," the ACLU wrote in its brief.

The ACLU also noted that Craig was originally charged with interference with privacy, which it said was an admission by the state that people in the bathroom stall expect privacy.

Craig resurrected his case earlier this month. Apparently he's a masochist, which makes sense.

• Out's February issue proves what we already knew: Richard Simmons is the queen of all queens.

• Lauren Williams hung out with Phylicia Rashad and the rest of the cast from the Debbie Allen Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and all we got was this incredible post!

• Hummer inspired by NYC-based fag rag HX? Wouldn't be the first time…

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Minnesota "manorexic" Jeremy Gillitzer won't be celebrating the holidays with his family. The former model - who we first met last October - has found himself forcibly committed to Minneapolis' Eating Disorder Institute.

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Religion's getting rebellious in Minnesota:

The small, liberal [Lyndale United Church of Christ] in south Minneapolis was the first of several Twin Cities congregations last year to stop performing civil marriage ceremonies as long as gay marriage is illegal. These churches, and a handful of others around the country that took the same step, will still hold a religious ceremony to bless the unions of straight and gay couples - but straight couples must go separately to a judge or justice of the peace for the marriage license.

A number of churches around the nation have adopted similar stances. While they can't change the law, their dedication can change minds. Or, at the very least, throw a wrench in the state's nuptial regulations.

Wallpaper's got a bad rap. Long the home decor choice for overzealous grannies and tacky rich people, floor-to-ceiling paper products have nearly become a thing of the past: a throwback to the days of yore.

Luckily there's a new breed of wallpaper creators intent on bringing interior coverings back to the forefront. New York City's Studio Printworks specializes in fine accoutrement, offering the consumer dozens of unique creations.

John Mahoney's just one of the Studio's army of artists, but he's also one of the best. We caught up with Mahoney recently to chat about his definition of home, kimonos, Frank Miller, the Quakers, art and, of course, wallpaper.

See what he has to say for himself - after the jump…

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A Minnesota judge gave "family" a workout this week. Lesbian couple Amy and Sarah Monson sued the Rochester Athletic Club after the club refused to give them a family rate.

Rochester's lawyers insisted they didn't discriminate, because their definition of "family" hinges on marriage and the women aren't married. Gay people, of course, can't get married, so they basically used discrimination to back up their discrimination. Clever. And effective: the judge agreed.

Though he ruled against the women this week, the judge used his ruling to blast Rochester Athletic Club's "anachronistic" policy:

This morally and legally defensible yet unrealistically narrow definition of family fails to recognize the underlying stability and commitment of the Monsons' relationship. Other, arguably more enlightened organizations… have chosen not to reduce the definition of family in such an anachronistic fashion.

The ladies say they're pumped to appeal the decision.

"I wrestled with it a long while," says Larry Craig of his lewd run-in with an undercover cop in a Minnesota airport. The Idahoan Republican also claims he kept his disorderly conduct conviction in the closet because he was "embarrassed". Little did he know how embarrassed he would be when the world heard the interrogation. Even we blushed!

The Examiner obtained excerpts from Craig and wife Suzanne's forthcoming interview with NBC's Matt Lauer, during which Craig also discusses presidential candidate Mitt Romney's political dis. Just one day after hearing news of Craig's July arrest, Romney dropped Craig from his campaign. Three days later, former Governor Romney called Craig "disgraceful". Craig describes the maneuvering as more than a backstab:

I was very proud of my association with Mitt Romney. I'd worked hard for him here in the state. I was a co-chair of his campaign on Capitol Hill. And he not only threw me under his campaign bus, he backed up and ran over me again.

And yet Craig still can't take a hint and give up his Senatorial post! This guy's dumber than, well, a post.

Poor Suzanne Craig, meanwhile, describes the utter shock of hearing her hubby's a toilet troll: "And I felt like almost like I was going down a drain for a few moments." Good to know you're keeping that marriage solid.

A Minnesota priest got an unwelcome surprise Sunday.

A group of unknown hooligans sprayed "Slay the priest" and a pentagram on the side of God's Children Metropolitan Church, a gay welcoming congregation. Though coppers have no leads on the culprits, they're investigating it as a "bias crime":

Minneapolis police are still looking for those responsible for spray painting a threatening message on an outside wall of a south Minneapolis church, but they have now classified the incident as a bias crime, said Sgt. Tammy Diedrich.

A police supervisor and a forensic photographer have collected enough information from God's Children Metropolitan Church to determine that graffiti at the scene was likely left by somebody with a bias against the church. Police did not elaborate.

So, these punks may not be necessarily be homophobic, but they're certainly anti-religion. Or Christianity, at least. Who knew we'd have an enemy in common with the Christian right? Unless the culprits are of the Christian persuasion and are hateful enough to desecrate a church simply for accepting queers. Quite a mystery…