Minnesota state House Speaker Paul Thissen had early doubts there were enough votes for a marriage bill.

'I wasn't particularly confident at all that we could get there. I mean I wasn't un-confident, but I just didn't know.'

Four anti-gay Republican politicians form a delegation that will attend Lady Thatcher’s funeral on Wednesday (17 April).

The delegation is lead by two anti-gay Republican members of the US Congress.

John Boehner, the speaker of the House of Representatives, who is a staunch opponent of gay marriage.

As well as Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, who spearheaded an attempt to overturn marriage equality in Washington, D.C. and co-chaired the committee that drafted the 2012 national Republican platform, considered the most antigay in history.

US right wing politican and lawyer Mat Staver warned live on radio that gay marriage will destroy America, split the Republican party, labelling some of its leaders who support marriage equality as 'cockroaches'.

Staver who is the chair of the Liberty Counsel organization spoke yesterday (28 March) to Vic Eliason of Voice of Christian Youth America on Crosstalk, where the two agreed that legalizing gay marriage ‘would be the same as pronouncing the death sentence on America’.

One thing I have learned as a parent to two 10 year old boys – sometimes while a child sometimes says he wants one thing, he secretly may be hoping he doesn't get it. Their voices quiver as they ask for it, while their eyes say ‘get me out of this mess, Daddy!’

That is kind of what is happening these days with the Republicans and the Supreme Court and their former favorite wedge issue, the denial of marriage equality to LGBTQ people.

In the weeks leading up to the Us presiential election last month, the Log Cabin Republicans endorsed Republican Mitt Romney despite the candidate's staunch views against gay marriage.

The US presidential election was not so much an endorsement of Obama as a verdict on the Republican Party. Given the dire economic circumstances, any challenger would have strolled into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They even outspent the Democrats on their presidential campaign by a factor of 3.5 to one. The recriminations and post mortems are in full swing. At least Newt Gingrich has the honesty to admit being ‘far off’ wrong.

Things might be a little awkward at the next family reunion for Republican US Senate candidate Josh Mandel and some of his relatives.

Mandel, running for a seat from Ohio, is slammed in a full-page ad placed in the Cleveland Jewish News by a group of cousins (by marriage) who take issue with his stances against gay marriage and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell which prevented gays and lesbians from serving openly in the US military.

Saying they agree with his 'vision for America,' the Log Cabin Republicans on Tuesday (23 October) endorsed Mitt Romney for president even though that vision doesn't include gay marriage.

'The decision to endorse is the right one for our members, our community, and for the nation as a whole,' executive director R. Clarke Cooper said in a statement. Despite our disagreement with Governor Romney on the issue of marriage, on balance it is clear that in today's economic climate, concern for the future of our country must be the highest priority.'

Barney Frank, the first openly gay US congressman in history, has not backed off his harsh words for gays who belong to the Log Cabin Republicans.

Last week, Frank drew a strong response from the group's leadership after he labeled them 'Uncle Toms.'

This week Democrats meet in Charlotte, N.C. to nominate President Barack Obama as their candidate for the November election. Like Republicans last week, Democrats will accept their party platform. Unlike the GOP, Obama's party is firmly standing behind gay marriage.

Called 'Moving America Forward,'  the Democrats' platform offers unequivocal support for civil marriage rights.

While the Log Cabin Republicans are pointing to the anti-same sex marriage language in the Republican platform, GOProud wants voters to keep their attention on how the GOP can improve the economy.

Starting this week, the Republicans will have a convention where Mitt Romney is officially nominated to represent the party in November's election. The following week the Democrats do the same for President Barack Obama.