Hoping to strike a balance between black and gay voters, presidential candidate Barack Obama enlisted Andy Sidden for his controversial Embrace The Change gospel tour. It would seem, however, that Sidden's not entirely uncontroversial.

The North Carolina-born Reverend (pictured, looking creepy) once worked with the massive gay-founded Metropolitan Community Church. In July of 2002, while working as a pastor at South Carolina's MCC-Columbia, Sidden campaigned to join the ranks of MCC's elders. He didn't get his wish. Less than one year later, the United Church of Christ - an equally inclusive church - asked Sidden to lead their pack. Sidden agreed.

In doing so, however, Sidden may have inadvertently destroyed MCC - Columbia.

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A gay/straight activist super team took to Greenville, South Carolina's mean streets Monday night. After marching to city hall, the group set up camp in the popular Piazza Bergamo to remind pedestrians that gays face discrimination.

Participant Susan Craine told NBC affiliate WYFF, "They're human just like us. Why wouldn't we stay out for them? This is the last civil rights frontier."

Craine and her allies joined hundreds of others in for the Soulforce-sponsored straight-led, seven-day protest extravaganza, Seven Straight Nights For Civil Rights. Alright!

The prisoner's rights debate takes on a new gay twist with two unrelated cases out of North and South Carolina.

A North Carolina prisoner named Joseph Urbaniak - who's serving up to 50 years after "taking indecent liberties with a child" - filed a suit against the state's Department of Corrections for denying him his favorite fag rags, like The Advocate.

Officials claim they have to withhold certain publications "for security and order in the prison". The ACLU, which wants the Department to provide a list of all banned publications, seems to sympathize with prison officials.

Spokesperson Jody Kent says, "Of course, the correction officials have a responsibility to protect the prisoner, so they often use that as a reason to ban certain materials." This argument holds water, yes, but only to a certain degree.

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No doubt South Carolina homo Sean Kennedy would be touched to know that over 250 people turned out to mourn his death yesterday in Greeville. 20-year old Kennedy died May 16th after being punched once by 18-year old Stephen Andrew Moller, according to police.

While eulogizing her son with dozens of onlookers, Elke Kennedy remembered a strong, proud young man…

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