The Washington Blade profiles Rep. Barney Frank in advance of next week’s celebration of his 20 years of service as an openly gay Member of Congress. Victory Fund’s Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards event will also honor Rep. Kendrick Meek, one of our community’s strongest straight allies in Washington. There are still tickets left!

Gays and football. Contrary to a popular stereotype, they’re not strangers. In fact, there’s a whole public forum on the topic coming up in October in New York. GLAAD is among the groups hosting “The Closet Doors of the NFL.” And the next day? The Gay Super Bowl, of course.

Mark Ferrandino, an active member of Stonewall Democrats and state party Treasurer, was elected to fill a vacant seat in the State House. The Colorado Democratic Party blog has a nice pat on the back post up.

After Maryland’s high court this week OK’d a marriage ban, openly gay Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. says full marriage rights are still his legislative goal, though he understands the state legislature will probably pass a compromise measure.

The Republican mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders, did an about face yesterday, announcing he supports marriage equality for gays and lesbians. Sanders, who up until yesterday promised a veto, now says he will sign a city council-passed measure urging the state’s high court to rule in favor of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples. Sanders wept when he made the announcement alongside his openly lesbian daughter.

The city council, including Councilmember Toni Atkins, an open lesbian, earlier passed the measure by a 5-3 margin.