We were inspired by the It Gets Better Project and the Make It Better Project to record our own videos of Mainers offering encouraging messages to young people everywhere. We'll be uploading them over the next few weeks at the Portland Phoenix's YouTube site, as well as the IGB site. The first one is up now; its message is inspiring and moving.

These triangles, and a lot of purple sweaters, are all over Portland (and the US) today.

I've been working over the last few days to launch a local version of the It Gets Better project, and it looks like it's coming together! Expect to see some short videos here and on the IGB site over the next few weeks.

Congress couldn't seal the deal at the end of last month, so a federal judge did today what Washington politicos couldn't: placed an injunction on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell military policy that bars gay and lesbian soldiers from openly serving.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys have 60 days to appeal, according to the NY Times article.

Chris Gray, who has eyes like a hawk and an Internet bookmark list like an erudite fox, alerted me to this: Portland, Maine, is on the Daily Beast's list of America's Top 20 Gayest Cities. "Same-sex couples make up a larger percentage of households in Portland, Maine, than in any other city on the East Coast," the article notes.

GLAD is tweeting that Judge Joseph Tauro ruled today that the Defense of Marriage Act -- which defines marriage as between one man and one woman -- does violate the equal protection clause in the Constitution. He also issued a decision in a similar case brought by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. I wrote about these cases last month.

Domestic-violence and GLBT-equality activist/organizer Jill Barkley is running for Maine representative; she'll offiically announce her candidacy at the North Star on Sunday (and yes, PPH commenter, the North Star is actually JUST within her hopeful district lines). The 28-year-old, who works as public awareness and policy coordinator at the Maine Coaltion to End Domestic Violence, hoping to represent District 119, a compact zone that covers downtown/Parkside/Bayside and is currently served by longtime politician Herb Adams (his term is up this year).

EqualityMaine Applauds House Passage of Marriage Equality Bill

AUGUSTA - The momentum continues to build in favor of legislation granting marriage equality to same-sex couples in Maine. In the halls of the State House on Tuesday, leaders of the coalition backing the bill hailed the impressive vote in the House of Representatives sending the bill one big step closer to enactment.

I was remiss, when I wrote this week about today's Dyke March and after-party, in not mentioning all the great Southern Maine Pride 2008 events taking place on Saturday.

-- The parade starts at noon on Congress Street, and will make its way down to a festival in Deering Oaks Park

-- Said festival -- with music, food, etc.

It was with a smirk, and a bit of schadenfreude, that we read this email from Mike Hein today:

"Dear YES for Marriage Volunteers and Supporters,

It is with a heavy heart and reluctance that I inform you the YES for Marriage referendum effort has been canceled. The reasons are as simple as this: neither enough funds nor enough volunteer support to continue the effort