Each weekday, Get Busy, Get Equal brings you a sampling of national and regional LGBT news, the latest on what's new in LGBT relationships, and new developments in ACLU work. We're making progress, but since every step forward is met with resistance, we've got to fight smart to win. Get informed.

ACLU NEWS

Deane and Polyak v. Conaway

• Baltimore Sun: 5 years of substance, meaning: Dan Furmansky, leaving as head of Equality Maryland, sees a cultural shift that might lead to broader marriage rights

Kerrigan and Mock, et. al. v. Commissioner of Public Health

• The Boston Globe: Conn. Ballot Masks a Battle
• Connecticut Post : OP-ED: Vote No on the Constitutional Convention
• The Bilerico Project: Quick update on Connecticut's Question 1 to hold a constitutional convention
  Videos available at the above link

Arkansas Initiated Act 1

Reacting to the ACLU's unanimous victory at the Arkansas Supreme Court striking down an anti-gay foster care ban in Howard v. Child Welfare Agency Review Board, anti-gay activists managed to get an initiative on the ballot that would ban unmarried couples who live together from serving as adoptive or foster parents in the state of Arkansas.  The ACLU is part of the coalition opposing this needless measure that would only harm children by reducing the pool of potential homes.  Learn more about the Howard case here.  

• Northwest Arkansas News: Historic Presidential Race, Ballot Questions On State Ballot
• Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Campaign Focus : State lottery, unmarried foster ban among 5 to be decided
• The Bilerico Project: Arkansas: Going to the polls to ban adoption by Unmarried Couples

RELATIONSHIPS NEWS

California Prop. 8

• Los Angeles Times: EDITORIAL: No on Proposition 8
  GOOD stuff, read it!
• Sacramento Bee: Ad Watch: Prop 8 Ad Misleading
• Associated Press: Gay-Marriage Backers Make the Political Personal
• Joe. My. God.: Thousands Rally Against Prop 8 In San Diego's Gayborhood
• Opponents of gay marriage ban ride wave of donations: San Jose Mercury News
• MTV News: Barack Obama Answers Your Questions About Gay Marriage, Paying For College, More
• Pam’s House Blend: Breaking: Obama goes on MTV and declares opposition to Prop 8
• Good As You: Video: B.O. shuns initiative that smells like same
  Video available at the above link
• Pam’s House Blend: Combined Obama/No on 8 Rally in Monterey: What I Learned
• Good As You: 'It's the cruel and nasty bias, stupid'
  Bill Clinton does some No on 8 phone calls
• Joe. My. God.: Pelosi "Honors Her Conscience"
  Video available at the link above
• Pam’s House Blend: The Recent ProtectMarriage.com Mailer: "Shameful, Deceptive Tactic"
• San Diego Union-Tribune: Prop. 8 trails, yet gap keeps narrowing
• The Advocate: In the Belly of No on 8
• The Advocate: Marriage on the Mind
• The Advocate: The Decision of a Lifetime
• The Signal: Prop. 8 and the school debate: Santa Clarita Valley schools say they won’t teach gay marriage regardless of the vote’s outcome
• AlterNet: Dramatic Progressive Reforms and Evil Schemes on the California Ballot
• Sacramento Bee: Faith Leaders Make Final Push on Gay Marriage Ban
• The Advocate: Hindus Urged to Vote Against Prop. 8
• Pam’s House Blend: 'TheCall': a day-long religious frenzy for Yes on 8
• Rex Wockner: Jesus v. the homosexuals
• The Bilerico Project: Listening to TheCall
• Good As You: Audio: Eavesdropping on 'The Call'
  Audio available at the above link
• The Salt Lake Tribune: More Than 600 Show Up in Salt Lake City to Rally Against Prop. 8
• The Salt Lake Tribune: COLUMN: Ex-SLC Face Blogs on Gay Marriage
• Good As You: Video: Roll gay doubles? Mormons want to send your desires directly to jail!
  Video available at the above link
• LDS mothers of gay children plan anti-Prop 8 vigil: Salt Lake Tribune
• Pam’s House Blend: My Favorite Mormons: Steve and Barbara Young
• Prop. 8 sign-stealing ignites free speech debate: Orange County Register
• Top of the Ticket (Los Angeles Times): Ward Connerly, the affirmative action foe, takes a stand in support of same-sex marriage
• Good As You: Pro Bias Fighters Turn Light Towards 'Yes on 8'
  The Anti-Defamation League comes out strong against the Yes on 8 people for invoking images of Hitler and Nazis as part of their campaign for Prop. 8
• Media Matters for America: Savage: "If you're insane, hate the family ... hate your mother and father, hate the Bible, hate the church, and hate the synagogue," you oppose CA gay marriage ban
• Good As You: Glimpses of 8: A fighter, a church/state uniter, and a cunning linguist
• Joe. My. God.: Sports Heroes Say No On 8
  Magic Johnson and former 49ers quarterback Steve Young speak out against 8
• Good As You: Probably not the star power they would've liked
  Sacha Baron Cohen crashes a Yes on 8 rally. VERY NICE!
• The Bilerico Project: Sunday Funnies: McCain on SNL and Colbert on Prop 8
  Videos available at the above link
• Box Turtle Bulletin: Ann Landers Posthumously Opposes Prop 8
• Good As You: Video: Her life on the gay wedding invite list
  Video available at the link above
  Kathy Griffin and a bunch of young actors and actresses I don’t know talk about their gay friends and No on 8
• The Huffington Post: CA Prop 8 Reeks of the Stench of Hate and Bigotry!
  Just in case you were holding off on deciding how you feel about Prop. 8 until you found out how Fran Drescher feels about it

• The Bilerico Project: Arizona's proposition 102 updates
  Videos available at the link above
• Box Turtle Bulletin: New York Times on Proposition 102

• Miami Herald: OPINION: An unfair, shameful proposal
  ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon on Amendment 2
• Associated Press: Marriage Amendment Heads to Court Over Donations
• Good As You: Videos: Shameful pursuits, Florida edition
  Videos available at the above link

• The Bilerico Project: Help Win Marriage in New York...
• Politico.com: Same-Sex Marriage Issue on Back Burner
  It is?!
• Reuters: Gay Marriage Votes May Show Changing U.S.
• The Detroit News: COLUMN: Government Shouldn't Box Out Gay Couples

PARENTING NEWS

• Change.org: Study of the Week: Banning Gay Adoption Hurts Children
• Out and About Newspaper: Study shows barriers to same-sex adoption hurt children