"The biggest open secret in the landmark trial over same-sex marriage being heard in San Francisco is that the federal judge who will decide the case, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, is himself gay."

--The San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 7.

`Activists Kip Williams and Robin McGehee. Photo by Rex Wockner

"We had one thing on our agenda: Discuss ways to build a national network of activists to demand full equality now. We believe that it is time to escalate our demands through coordinated nationwide nonviolent direct action, and we hope to build a broad base of organizers to work with all who struggle for justice and dignity in their lives."

--Kip Williams and Robin McGehee reporting Jan. 28 on an invite-only gathering at a Tennessee retreat center where a group of national activists launched a new ACT UP-like movement to push for LGBT equality. For more information, see tinyurl.com/lgbtactup.

"This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It's the right thing to do."

--President Barack Obama in his Jan. 27 State of the Union address.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey. Photo by Rex Wockner

"President Obama tonight vowed this year to work with Congress and the military to finally repeal the reprehensible ban on openly lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. While we know the State of the Union speech aims to present broad visions, the next time President Obama speaks to or about our community, he must provide a concrete blueprint for his leadership and action moving forward -- this includes his willingness to stop the discharges happening on his watch until Congress can fulfill its responsibility to overturn the law. The time for broad statements is over. The time to get down to business is overdue. We wish we had heard him speak of concrete steps tonight."

--National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey, Jan. 27.

"Speaking for myself and myself only, it is my personal and professional belief that allowing homosexuals to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, it comes down to integrity -- theirs as individuals and ours as an institution. I also believe the great young men and women of our military can and would accommodate such a change. I never underestimate their ability to adapt. That there will be some disruption in the force I cannot deny. That there will be legal, social and perhaps even infrastructure changes to be made certainly seems plausible. We would all like to have a better handle on these types of concerns. And that is what our review will offer."

--Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Feb. 2.

"The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change (ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell), but how we best prepare for it. We have received our orders from the commander in chief and we are moving out accordingly. However, we also can only take this process so far as the ultimate decision rests with you, the Congress."

--Defense Secretary Robert Gates to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Feb. 2.

President Barack Obama. Photo by Rex Wockner

"We may disagree about gay marriage but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are -- whether it's here in the United States or, as Hillary mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed, most recently in Uganda."

--President Barack Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 4. Uganda's pending "Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009" would imprison for life anyone convicted of "the offense of homosexuality," punish "aggravated homosexuality" -- including repeat offenders and anyone who is HIV-positive and has gay sex -- with the death penalty, forbid "promotion of homosexuality" and incarcerate gay-rights defenders, and jail individuals for up to three years if they fail to report within 24 hours the existence of all LGBT people and LGBT sympathizers they know of.

"I'm not a poster child for gay rights by any means, but I have so many gay and lesbian friends and they're just so pure and so true. That's not politics to me. That's human rights."

--Dolly Parton to London's Times, Jan. 22.

Rosie O'Donnell. GLAAD photo

"Kelli and I are still close. Like many gay families that I know, gay women especially who have children together, we remain friends. Not that heterosexual people don't or can't do it, but every gay woman I know is friends with her exes, and they're involved with their lives in some capacity. Kelli is a big part of what made this family so amazing and what continues to."

--Rosie O'Donnell to the Los Angeles Times, Jan. 31.

"I didn't want to be gay. ... I wanted an easy life. And you know what? I am gay and I still have an easy life."

--Actress Jane Lynch, who plays coach Sue Sylvester on Glee, to London's Sunday Mirror, Jan. 31.

"Before Prop 8 passed, we were planning to go to Europe in 2010. The shock of losing our marriage rights caused us to rethink our priorities as an organization. Upon reflection, we have decided to eat our vegetables before having dessert. ... We believe to accept us, you have to know us."

--San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Executive Director Teddy Witherington on the chorus's recent performances in the California cities of Chico and Redding, and upcoming concerts in Bakersfield, Fresno and Tracy.

"Enough is enough. Infinite patience in the face of discrimination is irresponsible. Our clients suffer every day from unfair taxes and denial of basic legal protections that every family in Hawaii needs."

--Lambda Legal's Jennifer Pizer announcing Feb. 1 that the group is suing Hawaii for its failure to pass a civil-union law.

"For several years, Moscow has experienced unprecedented pressure to conduct a gay pride parade, which cannot be called anything but a Satanic act. We have banned such parades and will ban them in future as well. Everyone must accept this not as a theorem but as an axiom. It is high time to crack down with all the power and justice of the law rather than messing around with talk of human rights."

--Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, Jan. 25.

"The fight against intolerance and discrimination, and the consequent efforts to respect human nature, including sexual orientation, have guided our government since its first mandate."

--Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a message sent to the Latin America and Caribbean regional conference of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, which was held Jan. 26-31 in Curitiba, Brazil.

Mindy Michaels of Albania's Alliance Against Discrimination of LGBT. File photo

"We're definitely celebrating tonight!"

--Mindy Michaels of Albania's Alliance Against Discrimination of LGBT, after Parliament voted unanimously Feb. 4 to ban all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

"I'm having a bit of a mid-life crisis with (my beard). I'm growing it some more, but at 46, there's a big white patch right down the front and some white side-burns at the side. Aaron thinks it's hot; and all the twinks seem to love it. But I'm just not ready for the Santa look quite yet. So I've been dabbing some Just For Men on the white bits -- not totally, just dabs, to take the edge off -- and, after consulting various online beardologists, I'm using a color much lighter than my natural hue. Only my cattier acquaintances have noticed. And you know who you are. My excuse is that I'm bald already so I get a pass on the greybeard thing in my 40s."

--Gay writer Andrew Sullivan on his blog Feb. 4.

"Anderson (Cooper) has been white for almost as long as I've known him (ah, the Washington YMCA in the 1980s!), but he's so cute he can get away with anything. Brad Pitt's gray streak in what has to be admitted is a quite nasty little straggler is also offset by preternatural beauty. So I guess this (my use of Just For Men) is a kind of pre-emptive confession to make myself feel better about it."

--Gay writer Andrew Sullivan on his blog Feb. 4.