Tolerance.org has been following the gay marriage debate, and links (scroll down) to further coverage and activism by the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD.

HRC offers excellent background on the issue, the arguments and the politics, including a clickable map of relevant US State laws and statistics. Right now, you can join me (and, at time of writing, 326683 others) in signing the Million for Marriage petition (it will sign you up for an email newsletter, which is annoying but you can unsub). If the media are your thing, GLAAD is keeping an eye on them and offers a variety of ways to take action.

Update: Natalie Davis would like you to sign the Million for Marriage petition, too. Really, go do it.

Portland Communique continues to cover the local angle, and quotes this OPB story in which "County Counsel Agnes Sowle says any day now a same sex couple could ask for a marriage license in Portland, just like in San Francisco". So it's "cousel", not "council"! I'm a tool. b!X also points to gay marriage polls by KPTV, KATU and Basic Rights Oregon (whose homepage is still useless); go vote, because media polls can have a real effect on public perceptions. There was a KGW poll but it's disappeared; I did find this story on the flowers.

In the good news department, Mayor Jason West of New Paltz, NY will marry a small number of same sex couples today. Said Mayor West:

The people who would forbid gays from marrying in this country are those who would have made Rosa Parks sit in the back of the bus.

On a lighter note, George Wallace is a dab hand with a double dactyl; here's the first of a series of six entitled Epithalamion:

I

Hymen, Hymenaeus!
Gay men and lesbians
Flock to the City Hall,
Follow their bliss,

Purchase their licenses,
Swear to their permanence,
Pose for the camera crews
Sharing a kiss.

KPTV: "Do you think gay marriage should be unconstitutional?"

yes 54%
no 42%
not sure 4%
n = not specified

KATU: "Do you agree with President Bush's stance on gay marriage?"

yes 63%
no 37%
n = 2608

Basic Rights Oregon: "Do you support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage rights?"

yes 4%
no 86%
not sure 9%
n = 337

KGW (using "previous results" link): " Do you support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage?"

yes 50%
no 49%
not sure 2%
n = 5626

KGW earlier poll: "Should gay marriage be legal?"

yes 52%
no 47%
not sure 1%
n = 9771

Update: Atrios wants you to torture Lou via his CNN poll: "What offends you most?"

Howard Stern 5%
Corporate pornography 11%
Government standards of decency 26%
Gay marriage 12%
Opposition to gay marriage 45%
n = 12134