Michelle Kulstad's fight continues.

The Montana-based lesbian celebrated yesterday after a judge granted her parental rights over ex-girlfriend Barbara Maniaci's two children, whom Maniaci adopted while the gals were together.

Unfortunately for Kulstad, Maniaci's lawyer, anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund's Austin R. Nimocks immediately filed an appeal. And, naturally, his argument rests on hyperbole:

Nimocks said Thursday the case has "absolutely nothing to do" with Kulstad's sexual orientation.

"If Miss Kulstad was a man, we would still be in the case and making the same arguments," he said. "Are we going to start granting ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends parental rights just because they lived under same roof? If so, how far do we go? Granting acquaintances and roommates parental rights over the objections of fit parents is a very dangerous precedent."

Gawd! Those right-wingers are such drama queens!

Gay rights made some headway in Montana yesterday when Judge Ed McLean ruled that a lesbian can have parental rights over two children adopted by her former lover.

Though it was technically Barbara Maniaci who had adopted the tots - a boy and a girl - McLean says that Maniaci's ex-girlfriend Michelle Kulstad deserves a say in their rearing:

"To discriminate further against Ms. Kulstad because of her sexual preference in this day and age is no different than telling a person to go to the back of the bus because of her skin color," McLean wrote.

Attorneys for both sides have said the same-sex parental rights trial was a first for the state, whose voters in 2004 rejected same-sex marriage by about a 2-to-1 margin.
…
The judge said Kulstad must receive joint decision-making authority in the children's lives, including their health care and spiritual upbringing.

Maniaci, who is now married, was represented by Austin R. Nimocks, a legal counsel for the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund. How far they fall!

Montana may seem like an unlikely place for a gay rights fight, but a recent survey suggests the state's ripe for change.

A poll of 600 residents shows that the majority support expanding non-discrimination legislation to include the homos. And the news obviously pleases State Senator Christine Kaufmann, who's also the Executive Director of the Montana Human Rights Network.

Said Kaufmann: "We really need to launch an educational effort so that people understand they're not alone in these kinds of feelings… When they accept and understand that employment discrimination is wrong no matter who it's directed at, that hate crimes are wrong no matter who it's directed at."

Well, it would seem that after all those nightmarish years, the Democrats may again have some power in Washington. As we're sure you know, the Demmies took back control of the House of Representatives for the first time since they lost it so tragically in 1998 (Correction: We meant the Dems lost the House in 1994, not 1998. It was early; we're human. xoxo).

While it's too soon to tell, it also looks as if they'll retain control of the Senate.

So, what does this all mean? Well, it means that perhaps some progressive policy can take place in Washington. It also means that while Illinois Republican Dennis "Hasturd" Hastert won reelection, he will no longer be Speaker of the House, opening it up to San Francisco based Nancy Pelosi. While she has not yet officially been made Speaker, she seems poised to take over, which would make her the first woman Speaker in history. What was President Bush's reaction? According to a White House spokesman:

His reaction was, he was disappointed in the results in the House. But he’s eager to work with both parties on his priorities over the next two years. He’s got an agenda of important issues he wants to work on, and he’s going to work with both parties.

Poor Bush, we bet he cried himself to sleep, because he knows his days of evil omnipotence have come to an end.

As for the Senate: well, that's still up in the air, with Montana and Virginia still undecided. It seems as if the race between Senator George Allen and Jim Webb may require a recount. In Montana, it seems as if Republican Senator Conrad Burns's lacking the votes to keep control out of Democratic challenger, Jon Tester. But, again, the votes haven't all been counted.

Now, with regard to same-sex marriage bans. Unfortunately, Americans in Virginia, Wisconsin, South Carolina, South Dakota, Idaho, Tennessee and Colorado all voted to ban same-sex marriage in their states. On a positive note, however, pro-marriage group Arizona Together fought a fierce battle and beat the proposed ban. We predict Arizona's the next big gay thing, whatever that means.

Oh, and you may also like to know that two homo-politicos, Patricia Todd (D-AL) and Paul Koering (R-MN) won their respective races. Meanwhile, reported homo-politico, Charlie Crist, won his Republican Governorship in Florida. Countering the balance, however, New York's gained Eliot Spitzer, who has promised to write more progressive gay legislation.

• Aside from being totally discriminatory, "Don't ask, Don't Tell" is also a colossal waste of time and money. [Reuters]

• New Superman Brandon Routh's bulge isn't naturally super. The codpiece under his uniform is padded. Shucks. [Zap2it]

• A travel company in Montana wants to make sure that you too can have a Brokeback Mountain vacation. And when you do, be sure to re-enact that scene in the pup tent. [Times Mirror]

• Blizzard wants the world to know that its games are "gay-freindly." [BBC]

• Just in time to join the 21st Century, India is reconsidering its ban on homosexuality. [Pink In The News]