A lot was in the mailbag….

* The Easter Egg Roll day at the White House went off without a hitch with over 100 gay families turning out for the event.  (You can see photos here).

No protesters surfaced, and some fellow egg-rollers even asked where they could find the rainbow-colored leis Family Pride members wore to identify themselves.  [Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Pride Coalition] Chrisler said her group used these questions as an opportunity to educate other families about their families. Even some of the National Park Service Rangers guarding the event gave them a subtle thumbs-up of support, she said.

* The superb Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin blows away the junk science of anti-gay “researcher” Paul Cameron again. Last week the news of his latest work, Homosexuality More Dangerous Than Smoking, was completely absurd. We learn that Cameron hijacked the reputation of a reputable organization or professional journal yet again, this time the Eastern Psychological Association. The problem is he didn’t present a paper, or speak at the convention of the organization — he participated in a poster session. Jim:

And what is a poster session? Well, it’s just what it sounds like: a chance for participants to summarize their research findings on a poster displayed in a hall or conference room. People can enter, walk around, look at all the posters – there were sixty-six of them in this eighty minute session – ask a few questions, and move on to the next poster. That’s it. But it’s just enough of a cover for Cameron to hijack the reputation of the Eastern Psychological Association to enhance his usual bag of tricks.

* You must read Clay Cane’s interview with Charlene Cothran, the “ex-lesbian” publisher of Venus magazine.

*  Blender Christine of BeyondExGay.com, another escapee from the ex-gay movement, is featured in a piece in Glamour Magazine, “They tried to cure me of being gay.” This one hilarious snippet caught my eye:

In the summer of 1993, the ex-gay group Love in Action came to speak to her parents’ congregation and made a strong impression on the Bakkes. A few months later, 22-year-old Christine decided to address her growing problems with depression and alcohol by moving to Santa Cruz, California. When she told her mother that she wanted to change her life, take a job as a graphic designer at a biotech company and put herself through the University of California at Santa Cruz, a confrontation followed.

“We talked to Love in Action,” Christine remembers her mother saying, “and they said if your daughter is moving to Santa Cruz, she’s definitely a lesbian.”

* The video How Can Lies Be Truth (from Truth Wins Out and Dan Gonzales) shreds the fundie movement to counter the anti-discrimination Day of Silence. The Alliance Defense Fund’s goal is to promote the toxic “ex-gay” conversion programs to gay young folks. Pass it along.

* The Boston Globe has an interesting article, When She Graduates as He, that addresses how women’s colleges are dealing with attendees who transition to men during their tenure at the school — and the tensions that have arisen.

* The L Word is alive and well (even though the season’s over) — you can enter the virtual world of Second Life at The Planet. On Tuesday night there will be a live chat with Christine Vachon, film producer (Boys Don’t Cry, Hedwig and The Angry Inch) about her new Showtime project This American Life.

* Kathy has a hoot of a post, I Gotcher Schadenfreude Right Here, on a Birmingham City Councilman who opposed an inclusion resolution (for LGBT citizens) who just got busted for public intoxication. The photo looks like someone gave him a good ass-whooping.

* Larisa asks: Why are they trying so hard to distract us?

* Irony headline of the day: Brownback promotes marriage in Iowa. No, sillies, Sam I Am is not talking about homos; he is suggesting welfare reform should encourage low-income (het) people to marry.

“One of the things we need to do is drive up the number of people who get married,” the Republican presidential hopeful said as he chatted with attendees at the Iowa Prayer Breakfast, the Des Moines (Iowa) Register reported Friday.

* The above smarts even more when paired up with this bit of sh*tty news: Democrats say Gay Civil Rights bill doesn’t have votes to pass. (h/t Paul):

A bill that would extend civil rights protections to gays and lesbians is stalled in the Iowa House of Representatives. Fifty-one “yes” votes are needed in the House for a bill to pass, but House Democratic Leader Kevin McCarthy of Des Moines says he doesn’t have 51 Democrats willing to vote for the legislation, and Republicans who support it aren’t willing to vote for it unless Democrats put up those 51 “yes” votes first.

* Jerry Maneker takes a look at the article, CSUF study says gays more likely than straights to be left-handed and asks a few questions: I’m concerned with the many studies seeking to find the causes of homosexuality! Why not study the causes of heterosexuality! Why not study why so many people feel the need to study homosexuality? Why not study the hateful, exclusionary animus that lies behind homophobia, and xenophobias of all kinds?

* Deb Price’s column is up: Former reporter digs up stories of anti-gay bias. Award-winning journalist Joel Engardio is looking for stories of anti-gay or anti-transgender job bias in light of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act coming up for a vote in this session of Congress.

So, the ACLU has teamed up with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign to ask victims of job discrimination to fill out surveys on their Web sites. Infuriating stories are pouring in.

Far more people have been hurt by job bias than could possibly testify on Capitol Hill, of course. So, Engardio will help pull together the most effective mix of storytellers. Others will be asked to talk to individual lawmakers and the news media before the ENDA vote.

* Need I say more: “Ted Haggard Is Completely Heterosexual.” (h/t DebHord).

* And as far as this goes, you decide if it’s worth the click: Ex-gay-for-pay Randy Thomas interviews former porn star/GOP luminary Marine Cpl Matt Sanchez. (h/t John S)