(CNN) — Last week, Barack Obama went on record as the first American president to support same-sex marriage, but he doesn’t appear ready to take his commitment beyond the endorsement stage.

In an interview that aired Tuesday on ABC’s “The View,” Obama wouldn’t commit to fighting for the the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act — a federal law that defines marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman.

“My Justice Department has said to the courts, we don’t think the Defense of Marriage Act is constitutional,” the president said. “This is something that historically had been determined at the state level and part of my believing ultimately that civil unions weren’t sufficient.”

But pressed further about whether he would fight to repeal DOMA, Obama would only say, “Congress is clearly on notice that I think it’s a bad idea.”

More than 30 states have voted in favor of constitutional amendments that defend the traditional definition of marriage as a heterosexual union.

The president does see the issue looming large in the 2012 election.

“This is going to be a big contrast in the campaign, because you’ve got Gov. (Mitt) Romney saying we should actually have a constitutional amendment installing the notion that you can’t have same-sex marriages,” Obama said in the interview, recorded Monday.

Last week, Romney reaffirmed his position on gay marriage, saying marriage “should be a relationship between a man and a woman.”

“Let me make it very clear, that my preference is to have a national standard that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman,” Romney said. “That would then allow states to determine what rights would be provided for people of the same gender that wanted to have a relationship.”

While the full political implications of the president‘s same-sex marriage statement remain to be seen, Gallup released a poll Friday showing 51% of Americans approve of Obama’s support for allowing gay couples to marry, while 45% disapprove. The survey was conducted entirely after he announced his endorsement in an ABC News interview on Wednesday.

And a new Gallup poll out Monday gave further details into American attitudes on the topic. While 50% approve of same-sex marriage, a further breakdown of the numbers shows a significant gender gap: 56% of women say couples of the same gender should be legally allowed to marry, while 42% of men feel the same way.

This is Obama’s fourth appearance on “The View” and his second since taking up residence in the White House.

	POL-Obama-Same-Sex-Marriage-2-Image(s) Available (Originally Published: 5/15/2012 4:24 AM)  Update 12:12 p.m. — retops with interview aired Highlights  Poll: 51% of Americans approve of President Obama’s support for same-sex marriage This issue is going to be a big contrast in the 2012 campaign, Obama says Mitt Romney says marriage should be between a man and a woman This is Obama’s fourth appearance on “The View” Obama talks same-sex marriage on ‘The View’   By the CNN Wire Staff (CNN) — Last week, Barack Obama went on record as the first American president to support same-sex marriage, but he doesn’t appear ready to take his commitment beyond the endorsement stage. In an interview that aired Tuesday on ABC’s “The View,” Obama wouldn’t commit to fighting for the the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act — a federal law that defines marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman. “My Justice Department has said to the courts, we don’t think the Defense of Marriage Act is constitutional,” the president said. “This is something that historically had been determined at the state level and part of my believing ultimately that civil unions weren’t sufficient.” But pressed further about whether he would fight to repeal DOMA, Obama would only say, “Congress is clearly on notice that I think it’s a bad idea.” More than 30 states have voted in favor of constitutional amendments that defend the traditional definition of marriage as a heterosexual union. The president does see the issue looming large in the 2012 election. “This is going to be a big contrast in the campaign, because you’ve got Gov. (Mitt) Romney saying we should actually have a constitutional amendment installing the notion that you can’t have same-sex marriages,” Obama said in the interview, recorded Monday. Last week, Romney reaffirmed his position on gay marriage, saying marriage “should be a relationship between a man and a woman.” “Let me make it very clear, that my preference is to have a national standard that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman,” Romney said. “That would then allow states to determine what rights would be provided for people of the same gender that wanted to have a relationship.” While the full political implications of the president‘s same-sex marriage statement remain to be seen, Gallup released a poll Friday showing 51% of Americans approve of Obama’s support for allowing gay couples to marry, while 45% disapprove. The survey was conducted entirely after he announced his endorsement in an ABC News interview on Wednesday. And a new Gallup poll out Monday gave further details into American attitudes on the topic. While 50% approve of same-sex marriage, a further breakdown of the numbers shows a significant gender gap: 56% of women say couples of the same gender should be legally allowed to marry, while 42% of men feel the same way. This is Obama’s fourth appearance on “The View” and his second since taking up residence in the White House. The-CNN-Wire/Atlanta/+1-404-827-WIRE(9473) ™ & © 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.	President Obama Gay…

(CNN) – Truvada, a drug already approved by the FDA for AIDS treatment, may also become available as a preventative drug for those with high risk of contracting HIV.

On Thursday, an FDA advisory committee voted 19-3 that the agency approve Truvada for pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, for men who have sex with men and are not infected with HIV. They also voted 19-2 with one abstention to approve the drug for uninfected individuals whose partners are infected with the virus, and 12-8 with two abstentions to extend the approval to anyone who takes part in risky sexual practices.

Truvada is a daily drug that prevents the HIV virus from replicating, as opposed to eliminating it completely. Produced by Gilead Sciences, Inc., the drug is currently used in conjunction with other HIV medication.

Despite the committee’s votes in favor of preventative Truvada approval, over 40 health care professionals and advocates spoke out in resistance to such use, citing the likely decrease in other safe-sex practices and HIV-prevention tactics that might follow Truvada’s broadened availability, as well as the side effects that may harm patients using the drug.

“Approving PrEP would be a reckless act,” said Michael Weinstein, president and founder of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

In making their recommendation decision this week, the FDA looked at data from clinical trials that showed 43.8% fewer infections in men who have sex with men who used Truvada, and 63% infection rate reduction in healthy men and women deemed at risk for contracting HIV, as well as a 73% reduction in those who took both Truvada and another HIV drug, tenofovir. They also considered known side effects of Truvada, ranging from loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting to liver and kidney toxicity and bone density loss.

Supporters of the measure argued that health care professionals need more tools to fight AIDS and HIV infection. As American Foundation for AIDS Research vice president Chris Collins stated, “PrEP is certainly not for everyone, but it may have a role in HIV-infection rates down. It’s time to learn how PrEP may be useful in the real world.”

MTV will receive the Trevor 2020 Award at the annual Pride season event known as “Trevor Live” in New York City. By way of announcement, MTV issued the following press release:

The Trevor 2020 Award recognizes visionary organizations that increase the visibility and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) issues and support the LGBTQ community. MTV has been a leader in providing a voice for LGBTQ youth in the media since its founding in 1981. The network broke new ground nearly two decades ago when it introduced the first openly gay person with HIV/AIDS on television with The Real World’s Pedro Zamora, whose marriage to his partner was the first same-sex commitment ceremony ever documented on television. In the last year alone, MTV aired two original documentaries on LGBTQ youth, “Coming Out” and “It Gets Better,” working closely with The Trevor Project to ensure safety for both the show’s subjects and young people in the audience. In 2010 MTV was named the #1 network by GLAAD in its Network Responsibility Index for its broad inclusion of the lives of LGBTQ people in its programming. In addition, through its pro-social efforts, MTV galvanizes young people, whether it’s their “Love is Louder” campaign aimed at strengthening emotional health by promoting acceptance, or its “A Thin Line” campaign which has inspired more than a million young people to take action to stop the spread of digital abuse.

“The Trevor Project is proud to honor MTV with the Trevor 2020 Award for their visionary leadership among young people and the media, especially related to LGBTQ people,” said Abbe Land, Executive Director and CEO of The Trevor Project. “The teens and young adults who reach out to Trevor sometimes don’t know another lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person like them, but they can relate to the characters they have seen on MTV. And in some cases, they found out about Trevor from an MTV blog or show and made a decision to call for help.”

“We are deeply honored to be recognized by an organization whose life-saving work we have always admired,” said Stephen Friedman, President, MTV. “MTV shares The Trevor Project’s vision of a world where sexual orientation and gender identity have no bearing on one’s ability to realize their dreams, and we’ll continue using all our platforms to advance toward that goal.”

Trevor Live presented by Audi of America and Wells Fargo is a signature annual event of The Trevor Project, bringing together top entertainers and corporate leaders to support the organization’s life-saving, life-affirming initiatives for LGBTQ youth in crisis. Learn more at TheTrevorProject.org/TrevorLive.

Stampp Corbin on KPBS News.

LGBT Weekly’s publisher, Stampp Corbin, spoke with KPBS News about President Obama’s recent announcement in support of same-sex marriage:

(CNN) – Argentinian lawmakers passed a historic gender identity law Wednesday, allowing citizens to select the gender by which they are identified in official government documents.

The law gives individuals in Argentina the right not only to choose their officially recognized gender, but also to be treated in accordance with that decision. Anyone aged 18 and older may change their gender at a government office, if they so desire, and subsequently gain access to the rights and services allocated to members of that gender by the state.

According to the new law, “It is understood that gender identity is the internal and individual way that a person experiences their gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth.”

Argentina’s Vice President Amado Boudou described the law as “a path toward equality, inclusion and recognition of rights for all Argentinians.”

Stampp Corbin, co-chair of the 2008 Obama for America campaign’s National LGBT Leadership Council responded to President Barack Obama’s historic announcement about same-sex marriage by issuing the following statement:

“Today is an historic moment in the history of the United States; President Obama announced his support of same- sex marriage. In 2007, when I decided to support candidate Barack Obama, I was attracted by his honesty and truth of character.   During the 2008 campaign, Senator Obama announced his support for civil unions.  Later, as President, he said his position was evolving.  President Obama has been honest and truthful about his position from the beginning.

President Obama’s journey is that of most Americans as they conclude that equality, fairness and freedom are at the very core of American values.  I celebrate the President’s journey and commend him for his courage.”

Corbin is publisher of San Diego LGBT Weekly and LGBTweekly.com.

(CNN and LGBT Weekly) – President Barack Obama said Wednesday he supports same-sex marriage, raising the political stakes on an issue in which Americans are evenly split.

“At a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said in an interview with ABC News.

A Gallup Poll released Tuesday indicated 50 percent of Americans believe same-sex marriages should be recognized by law as valid, with 48% saying such marriages should not be legal.

But a CNN/ORC poll, taken in late March, indicated policies toward gays and lesbians were tied for last in the most-important issues facing the country.

Obama was “disappointed” by Tuesday’s vote on the issue in North Carolina, which he described as discriminatory against gays and lesbians, a spokesman said earlier Wednesday.

North Carolina voted to implement a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which was already prohibited by state law.

The president said he supports the concept of states deciding the issue on their own, ABC News reported.

San Diego LGBT Weekly publisher and former 2008 Obama for America campaign co-chair for LGBT issues, Stampp Corbin said he is proud the president announced his evolution on the subject.

“Today is an historic moment in the history of the United States; President Obama announced his support of same- sex marriage,” Corbin said in a written statement provided to the media shortly after Obama’s announcement. “In 2007, when I decided to support candidate Barack Obama, I was attracted by his honesty and truth of character. During the 2008 campaign, candidate Obama announced his support for civil unions. Later, the president said his position was evolving. President Obama has been honest and truthful about his position from the beginning.”

Obama said his daughters, Malia and Sasha, have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. “It wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”

Obama spoke Wednesday with ABC’s Robin Roberts. The interview will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America Thursday. Excerpts were to air Wednesday evening on World News With Diane Sawyer.

The president’s stance will be among many key differences with Romney, but it is not expected to be a key talking point in his campaign.

In comments Wednesday to CNN Denver affiliate KDVR, presidential candidate Mitt Romney reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Visit LGBTweekly.com for more coverage of this fast-breaking story from our own reporters and from our national media partners CNN and HuffingtonPost.com.

Christie Brinkley as Roxie Hart in Chicago the Musical (Photo: Andrew Eccles)

BY TOM ANDREW

Broadway San Diego’s short-stint offering (now through Sunday, May 13 at San Diego Civic Theatre) of Chicago the Musical starring Christie Brinkley and John O’Hurley should be seen for the ensemble and not necessarily for its headliners.

“Chicago,” written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, is based on the play of the same name. It originally premiered on Broadway in 1975, ran for close to 1,000 performances and then was revived in 1996 and has been running ever since. It has become the longest running revival on Broadway.

The original director and choreographer was the legendary Bob Fosse. His dance style is instantly recognizable and has been carried over to the recent revival and all of its national tours.

Fosse’s style and the choreography of the show makes for one very exciting night of theater. It’s precise, slinky and sexually alluring.

The story is about Roxie Hart (Brinkley) who has just been arrested and accused of killing her lover. She is sent to jail where she soon realizes that the only way she can avoid being convicted and hung is if she sensationalizes her case and casts her plight across the Windy City. She’s certain that with the right legal representation and plenty of press, she will endear herself to the public. That’s when larger-than-life media-maven lawyer and she and her lawyer, Billy Flynn (O’Hurley), glides into the picture.  Surely, Flynn will get her acquitted.

However, there are a few things that stand in her way. Her husband Amos (Ron Orbach), and Velma Kelly, (Amra-Faye Wright), a prison mate, who until Roxie came along, was herself a media darling.

The show is set in a vaudevillian style, and smattered with humor from that era. The set is a simple, yet impressive bandstand; and the cast wears formfitting shear, skimpy black outfits, which are easy on the eye and appear effortless to move around in.

The songs and music are great. Kander & Ebb know their way around a musical, having written and produced more than 20 of them, while receiving critical acclaim for many of them.

Songs like theirs should be heard and sung with heart. Most of the cast members in Chicago know this; a few don’t.

Christie Brinkley may look amazing on stage, but she is not up to the task of performing the role of Roxie Hart. She has a few genuine acting moments, but her singing is breathy, cautious and flat at times. During her signature number “Roxie” you could literally hear her losing the audience. And her dancing, while minimal, doesn’t appropriately convey the Fosse style the way it should, leaving those around her to over compensate.

John O’Hurley, best known as Julia Louis-Dreyfuss’ boss J. Peterman on Seinfeld, can just barely carry a tune and plays playboy lawyer Billy Flynn as if he is, well, J. Peterman – not appropriate for this role.

The reasons you should see this show are the rest of the cast members. Amra-Faye Wright plays Velma Kelly with gusto, gutsiness and grit and has the Fosse style down pat. She’s great. So is Carol Woods who plays Mama Morton. The two of them have a great duet in Act 2 called “Class.” One of the best-known numbers in the show is “Cell Block Tango” sung, danced and acted by the women prisoners of the Cook County Jail. It’s a great number; and all do a great job. But Melanie Waldron as Annie nails the attitude and style of the number more than anyone else succeeds in their respective portrayals.

Special mention should go to former San Diegan R. Lowe who plays Mary Sunshine. Lowe is taking a break from playing the role on Broadway to do this tour. Her performance is not to be missed.

The band, comprised mainly of San Diego musicians, is a little sparse, but they more than make up for what they lack in numbers by playing every note as if it’s the last time they’ll be playing them. They sound stupendous.

This production of Chicago may not be what Fosse envisioned, but it’s a decent touring show with a great band, and some excellent cast members, even if the headliners don’t live up to their names.

Mitt Romney apologizes for teen pranks/Source: CNN

(CNN) — Mere hours after President Obama’s historic announcement in support of same-sex marriage, Mitt Romney is under fire for possible anti-gay bullying during his time as a high school student at Michigan’s elite Cranbrook School. The GOP presidential candidate has apologized for pranks he was involved in as a young man, saying “I’m a very different person than I was in high school.”

According to a widely-cited story in the Washington Post, five of Romney’s former classmates have confirmed what one calls a “troubling” incident, in which a young Mitt Romney, together with fellow students, tackled a soft-spoken new student named John Lauber and cut his hair – possibly due to rumors about Lauber’s sexual orientation.

Matthew Friedemann, Romney’s childhood friend and dorm mate at Cranbrook, remembers the GOP frontrunner saying, “He can’t look like that. That’s wrong. Just look at him!,” in response to Lauber’s long bleached-blond hair. Lauber, who had been teased for being different and possibly homosexual, reportedly cried and “screamed for help” as Romney took to his hair with a pair of scissors in what another classmate, Thomas Buford, describes as “a senseless, stupid, idiotic thing to do.”

Romney addressed his former classmates’ remarks about the incident in a Fox News radio interview Thursday morning, apologizing for any pranks that “might have gone too far.”

“If there’s anything I said that was offensive to someone I certainly am sorry about that; very deeply sorry about that but there was no harm intended,” said Romney.