Recently discharged Army sergeant Darren Manzella spoke with The Frontlines, the blog for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, regarding his dismissal. Manzella, 30, gained attention after interviewing with 60 Minutes about his open service in the military.

Do you have any regrets about coming out on national television?

I do not and will not regret ever speaking out against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. I feel that I had an opportunity to use my voice and offer it to the thousands of gay and lesbian service members who are forced to serve in silence. I had the opportunity to request a board and rebut my statements that were seen on the 60 Minutes segment. I declined the option and said I would never take back what I said, and that I would never live my life in silence again.

Manzella served in Iraq and a received the Combat Medical Badge for providing medical care to fellow soldiers. Read the rest of the interview here.

After a contentious debate, Arizona legislators approved a proposal calling for a ballot measure this November that would prohibit marriage equality in the state. Though marriage between two people of the same gender is already illegal in the state, those pushing the proposal argued that in light of recent “judicial activism,” a constitutional ban is required.

Openly lesbian Sen. Paula Aboud was not convinced by the argument, calling the rhetoric a “fraud.”

According to The Arizona Republic, Aboud told her colleagues:

“I don’t think you’re afraid of judges. You’re afraid of me and my relationship.”

After coming short in the Dallas mayoral race last year, openly gay former city councilman Ed Oakley has started raising money for another bid at public office.

Oakley announced that he has raised more than $30,000 for a future run after holding a fundraiser this week.

The Dallas Voice reports:

But the event did more than just raise money. It helped him decide that he’s definitely going to run for something.

“The purpose of this get-together was to talk to the community and the folks that have supported me in the past and see where we go from here,” he said.

“I think after the birthday party and show of support, it’s inevitable that I’ll get back in politics. The question is, what office? I’m not ready to declare.”

Oakley did say that he most likely wants to stay in nonpartisan politics and will run next year — both hints that he would be challenging District 3 Dallas City Councilman Dave Neumann for his old seat.

“I spent 15 years doing one thing or another at City Hall, and it’s left kind of a big void because I had such a big space blocked out of my life to do that,” Oakley said.

If elected, Barack Obama will fight for the gay community just as hard as he has fought for working-class families, said his wife Michelle Obama. At a gay Democratic fundraiser in New York last night, Michelle Obama recalled his work as a community organizer to help poor families.

“Barack believes that we must fight for the world as it should be, a world where together we work to reverse discriminatory laws,” she said.

The Associated Press reports:

Michelle Obama also drew a connection between the struggles for gay rights and civil rights.

“We are all only here because of those who marched and bled and died, from Selma to Stonewall, in the pursuit of a more perfect union,” she said at the event, held days before the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots between gays and New York police, and the city’s annual gay pride parade.

“The world as it is should be one that rejects discrimination of all kinds,” she said.

Touting her husband’s record pushing for workplace discrimination legislation as an Illinois state senator and his support of civil unions, Obama noted her husband also had brought a call for equality to conservative groups, telling churchgoers they need to combat homophobia in the black community.

Although he does not support marriage for same-sex couples the Illinois senator opposes a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and says states should make their own decisions on the matter. He has said he’s interested in ensuring that same-sex couples in civil unions get federal benefits.

Reps. Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank testified today before a House subcommittee to advocate on behalf of the transgender community. During their testimony before the House Education and Labor Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions, Baldwin claimed that “corporate America and the American people are way ahead of the Congress in acknowledging the basic truth we hold to be self-evident… that all of us are created equal.”

The hearing, entitled “An Examination of Discrimination against Transgender Americans in the Workplace,” was the first in Congress dedicated exclusively to discrimination against transgender Americans. 

Currently, no comprehensive federal law exists that protects transgender Americans in the workplace.

Here is a segment from Rep. Baldwin’s testimony: 

The importance of nondiscrimination laws cannot be overstated.  Substantively, they provide real remedies and a chance to seek justice.  Symbolically, they say to America, judge your fellow citizens by their integrity, character, and talents, not their sexual orientation, or gender identity, or their race or religion, for that matter.   Symbolically, these laws also say that irrational hate or fear have no place in our work place.

Today, 39% of Americans live in areas explicitly banning discrimination based on gender identity and expression and at least 300 major U.S. businesses now ban discrimination based on gender identity and expression.  Corporate America and the American people are way ahead of the Congress in acknowledging the basic truth we hold to be self-evident… that all of us are created equal… and the laws of the land should reflect that equality.  It is high time that America declare discrimination based on gender identity and expression unlawful.

Rep. Baldwin has a history of championing transgender rights and gender equality.