The Queer End Of Year Special:
The Quest “Hot 25”
2006’s Top Ten World/National & Top Ten State LGBT Stories
Plus: The Top Five Predictions for 2007

Political and judicial wins and losses over gay marriage, celebrity and political closets bursting open, right-wing attacks but greater visibility and acceptance: in short the 2006 Year In Queer can best be characterized as “more of the same.” To be sure the Mark Foley scandal story was certainly a page turner - not to mention a majority murderer. When evangelical megachurch pastor Ted Haggard showed up in a TV interview talking about escort massages and buying but throwing away meth it sent every gay man on the planet to his knees praying -  for his gaydar not to go “ding” (alas, for some prayers the answer is “no”). And for Wisconsin’s political size queens, bigger was not better when it comes to majorities voting for Constitutional amendments.
  So may great stories - so little room! Here are Quest’s picks for the top ten world & national and Wisconsin stories. And once again, we’ll pull out the crystal ball to make five predictions for 2007, but only after taking a quick peek at how we did in 2006. Let the dish be served!

Top 10 World & National Stories
1. Foley Scandal Brings Down GOP Congress.  The “October Surprise” in the 2006 election cycle was not one of GOP strategist Karl Rove’s making. In early October revelations that Florida Republican representative Mark Foley had been for years emailing and instant messaging seeking sexually-explicit conversations with underage male Congressional pages led to his resignation within days of the first stories and a firestorm of criticism of the Republican leadership who kept the scandal under wraps for political purposes.
  Already struggling with an unpopular war, the Foley mess and the revelations of a so-called “velvet mafia” of gay GOP staffers known and accepted by their on-the record “family values” elected officials impacted the Republicans’”values voters” base at the ballot box a month later. The irony that Foley also headed the Congressional Committee seeking oversight of online and other sexual predators was not lost on the nation’s Religious Right, who howled “wolf in the fold” rhetoric right up to election day.
  The Foley scandal also impacted gay issues voting in other areas, including Wisconsin’s passage of the Constitutional amendment banning same ex marriages and civil unions. Because of its wide ranging impact on the direction of the state and the nation, it Quest’s top national story of the year.

2. Gay Unions Gain Further Recognition.  The march to marriage equality worldwide continued its slow but steady pace in 2006. By year’s end five states in the USA had some form of legal recognition for gay couples. In late December New Jersey (see story below) became the third in the nation to institute civil unions. Connecticut and Vermont allow civil unions for gay couples. Massachusetts allows gay couples to marry; California has domestic partnerships that bring full marriage rights.
  Internationally, South Africa made gay marriages legal and the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Mexico City recognized gay civil unions. Israel recognized same-sex marriages performed by other countries. Ireland (both North and South) was poised to grant legal recognition as the UK celebrated the first anniversary of same sex unions. Canada’s new conservative majority in Parliament briefly thought about repealing that country’s same sex marriage law but decided not to December 7, just one month after Arizona became the first state in the USA to reject a constitutional same-sex marriage ban.

3. Judicial Setbacks On Gay Marriage Amendments.  Even as political gains were made on the marriage front, Supreme Courts in Georgia, New York and Washington dealt setbacks to those seeking to overturn the constitutional marriage bans in those states’ constitutions. A California appeals court also ruled against the “right to marry” for gay couples, though the Golden State’s Supreme Court accepted that ruling on appeal at year’s end.
  Nationally, the U. S. Supreme Court allowed a lesbian’s lawsuit to seek parental rights move forward, but turned away another gay marriage case. The John-Roberts-led court has been noticeable for its lack of involvement in hot button issues in 2006, though the mixed messages coming from state courts and legislatures ultimately may force the nation’s top court to take up the right of gay couples to have their unions legally recognized.

4. APA Slams “Ex-Gay” Movement.  Just hours after a demonstration by a so-called “ex-gay” groups garnered national attention, the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a formal denouncement to the so-called  “reparative therapy” at its national convention last August.
  Responding to the demonstration by about two dozen members of Exodus International and the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), the APA issued the following statement:   “For over three decades the consensus of the mental health community has been that homosexuality is not an illness and therefore not in need of a cure.”
  “The APA’s concern about the positions espoused by NARTH and so-called conversion therapy is that they are not supported by the science. There is simply no sufficiently scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Our further concern is that the positions espoused by NARTH and Focus on the Family create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish,” the statement said.
  The American Psychological Association ceased listing homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1974. Though ex-gay groups claim “thousands” have been “cured,” the only actual long-term clinical study the groups have ever permitted of their work showed just 4/10 of one percent actually ceased engaging in same-sex behavior in the long term after being “converted.” That study began in 1977 and ran for five years.

5. Supreme Court Upholds Military Campus Recruiting, 8-0.  The military has a right to recruit on college campuses and at law schools nationwide, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled March 6, despite the Pentagon’s policy of excluding openly gay men and women from its ranks. The justices rejected a free-speech claim brought by several law schools and professors who said they should not be forced to aid an employer who practices job discrimination based on sexual orientation.
  In his first major opinion for the court as Chief Justice, John G. Roberts Jr. characterized the case as “a stretch.” The decision upheld the Solomon Amendment, in which mandated that colleges and universities that take federal money must permit the Pentagon to recruit on campus.
  “The Solomon Amendment regulates conduct, not speech,” Roberts wrote in his opinion. “It affects what law schools must do - afford equal access to military recruiters - not what they may or may not say…. [It] neither limits what the law schools may say nor requires them to say anything.”

6. Top Evangelical Haggard Steps Down Amid Gay Sex, Drug Use Claims.  The election eve revelation by a Denver male prostitute about Rev. Ted Haggard, President of the National Association of Evangelicals, lead pastor at the 14,000-member New Life Church, Colorado gay marriage ban supporter and consultant to President Bush was probably the most damning example of the hypocrisy of the so-called Religious Right in 2006.
  Haggard eventually admitted to church elders that all of 49-year old former masseur Mike Jones’ accusations made public November 1 were indeed true, adding public lying to his earlier denials of the reports that he paid for gay sexual favors for three years and occasionally used crystal meth during those trysts. Haggard stepped down as head of the national evangelical group and as the mega-church’s pastor November 2, and was formally  fired less than a week later after an investigation by a church panel.
  Haggard’s accuser said he decided to go public because Colorado is considering an amendment to ban gay marriage. Jones said he was upset to discover that Haggard and the New Life Church oppose same-sex marriage.
  Weeks after the election a second Colorado evangelical pastor was fired for similar behavior.

7. Wal-Mart Reaches Out To Gays, Gets Slapped Left And Right.  Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. August announcement that it had joined the corporate advisory council of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce made neither its usual supporters - nor some gay activists - very happy.
  The world’s largest retailer reached out to more diverse shoppers in its bid to keep expanding beyond its rural and Southern roots, but it risked alienating loyal and long-standing patrons.
  Randy Sharp of American Family Association (AFA) immediately claimed he and others have stopped shopping at Wal-Mart because of its shift from a “pro-family” stance. Later, delegates at the annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention voted November 1 to warn Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that it was considering a boycott of the company because of its “pro-homosexual support.”
  Also, not all gay and lesbian groups took Wal-Mart’s move well. “Our community is a smart community, and we can see a shameless marketing opportunity when it comes,” Pride At Work program director Jeremy Bishop said. Pride at Work is a group within the AFL-CIO that represents gay and lesbian workers.
  Wal-Mart’s predicament is common to any business that tries to grow or change with the times. According to Nelson Lichtenstein, a professor of history at UC Santa Barbara and editor of the book Wal-Mart: The Face of 21st Century Capitalism, Wal-Mart is figuring out how to make itself welcome and amenable in every corner of America’s pluralistic society,  “Lots of companies once thought of as conservative culturally have made their peace with gay and lesbian rights. It’s become a standard corporate thing,” Lichtenstein said.

8. Mary’s Having A Little Lamb And Everyone’s Upset. Speaking of getting slapped left and right, Mary Cheney has incurred Gay Left and Religious Right wrath over her December announcement that she and life partner Heather Poe are having a baby.
  In highly predictable fashion the Religious Right voiced dismay at news that Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Dick Cheney, was pregnant. Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America described the pregnancy as “unconscionable.”
  Meanwhile the gay-rights group Family Pride said the vice president faces “a lifetime of sleepless nights” for serving in an administration that has opposed recognition of same-sex couples. 
  Cheney and Poe, 45 are expecting a baby in late spring, according to Lea Anne McBride, a spokeswoman for the vice president. “The vice president and Mrs. Cheney are looking forward with eager anticipation” to the arrival of their sixth grandchild, McBride said.
  President Bush also added his views, expressing confidence that Mary will make a loving parent, even as he continues to believe it is best that a child is raised by a man and woman married to each other. Talk about a bitch slap!

9. Lance Bass Leads the 2006 Celebrity Coming Out Parade. Following weeks of rumors in gay blogs and scandal sheets, former ‘N Sync heartthrob made it official in late July, coming out in a People magazine tell-all.
  “I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys’ careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything,” Bass told the weekly, referring to bandmates Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake.
  Six weeks later Grey’s Anatomy star T.R. Knight admitted that he’s gay, but hoped people don’t consider that “the most interesting part of me.” The 33-year-old actor addressed rumors of his sexuality in a statement to People magazine on October 19.
  “I guess there have been a few questions about my sexuality, and I’d like to quiet any unnecessary rumors that may be out there,” Knight’s statement read. “While I prefer to keep my personal life private, I hope the fact that I’m gay isn’t the most interesting part of me.”
  Two weeks later it was How I Met Your Mother’s Neil Patrick Harris turn to tell People that he was  gay – and wanted to quell recent reports that he had denied it.
  “I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love,” the former Doogie Howser star told the magazine.
  With so many male leads tumbling out of the closet in rapid succession, industry insiders wondered if straight America would continue to accept them in romantic straight roles.
  Of course not everyone was ready to scream “I’m a queen!” even when the evidence suggested otherwise. Long suspected pole-smoker John Travolta vigorously denied his front page National Enquirer man-on-man smooch was anything more than friendship for the fellow involved.

10. RIP: Betty Berzon, Gerry Studds, James West.  As in any year, the passing of notable figures in the LGBT community need to be recalled one last time.
  Pioneering lesbian activist Betty Berzon, a psychotherapist and author who championed gay rights after struggling for more than half her life with her own sexuality, died at 78 at her San Fernando Valley home January 24, according to her longtime partner Teresa DeCrescenzo. Berzon had battled breast cancer for many years.
  America’s first openly gay congressman, former 12-term Massachusetts Congressional Representative Gerry E. Studds died October 14 at Boston University Medical Center. He had been hospitalized after collapsing October 3 while walking his English springer spaniel Bonnie. The cause of death was complications from a blood clot in the lung. He was 69.
  Disgraced former Spokane mayor James West who was booted out of office last year after a sex scandal involving young men who were offered city jobs in exchange for sexual favors, died on July 22 of colon cancer. While a GOP legislator, West had co-sponsored a bill that would have made it a crime for unmarried teenagers to have sex, and often opposed gay rights proposals. West, 55, died at the University of Washington Medical Center here with his family and pastor by his side.
  Other passings of note: John Wilson, 56, New York Times journalist and founding member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association died of heart attack on August 25 and American gay rights activist Laurel Hester, 49 died of lung cancer on February 18.

Top 10 Wisconsin Stories
1. Wisconsin Marriage Equality Ban Passes 59-41%.  In terms of state stories, the different twist and turns in the nine-month campaign to defeat the constitutional ban prohibiting legal recognition of all unmarried couples in Wisconsin could have populated Quest’s entire top 10 for 2006. Over two years in the making, the late February vote by the State Assembly set the final process in motion. A day later Fair Wisconsin debuted and gathered support from thousands of volunteers, hundreds of prestigious mainstream groups, 72 county coordinators, dozens of supportive broadcast and print media, four ex-governors and sitting U. S. Senator Russ Feingold.
  But despite $5 million in its war chest, a half-dozen attention-getting TV ads, the unprecedented coalition of the state’s two most powerful gay activist groups and one of the most politically savvy campaign mangers available in the country- Mike Tate - all was for naught November 7 when voters approved the ban by a nearly 3-2 vote. Madison once again proved the “fifty square miles surrounded by reality” adage true by overwhelmingly opposing the ban, though LaCrosse County came close with just a few hundred votes more in favor than against.
  Fair Wisconsin’s get out the vote efforts in campus wards however did nab the group a consolation prize:  the turnover of the Wisconsin Senate to Democrat control and a thinning of the GOP’s Assembly majority from 14 to 5. Political figures from victorious Governor Jim Doyle to GOP Congressional Representative cited Fair Wisconsin’s efforts in the turnaround. The defeats of anti-gay Republicans John Gard, Mark Green, Dave Zein and Tom Reynolds also made the bitter pill of defeat easier to swallow.
  Though the actual effects on the new constitutional ban won’t be known for months, the election of a more gay-supportive legislature may - in fact - bring greater equality for gay and lesbian, coupled or otherwise. Action Wisconsin, keenly aware of the political power in the Fair Wisconsin “brand,” changed its name at year’s end.

2. Wisconsin First In The Nation To Pass Pro-Gay Funeral Protest Law.  Flanked by members of ten state families who had lost their soldier sons and daughters in Iraq, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed the Funeral Dignity Act on President’s Day, February 20. The bipartisan-sponsored bill had earlier passed both houses of the legislature with only three dissenting votes on February 2.
  Doyle’s signature made Wisconsin the first to enact such a law since the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church began conducting their anti-gay protests at military funerals. 14 other states were considering similar bills the day Doyle signed the Wisconsin version, some later passing them.
  Though court tests are expected, Fred Phelps’ “Westboro Wackos” have largely faded from public view at military funerals as a result of such laws. In early December, a Marine’s family successfully sued the Topeka group for the added security costs their protests caused, putting a new financial nail in their hate-filled coffin of anti-gay rhetoric.

3. Action Wisconsin Wins Storms Lawsuit. Wisconsin’s largest gay rights group was awarded $87,000 in attorneys’ fees by a judge who last January verbally spanked a Louisiana “pastor” and his lawyer for bringing a frivolous lawsuit claiming the group defamed him.
  Grant Storms had claimed in the lawsuit that Action Wisconsin defamed him by saying remarks he made at the “First International Conference on Homo-Fascism,” advocated the murder of gays. The day-long conference was held in Milwaukee in October, 2003 and sponsored by the now-defunct Wisconsin Christians United.
  But in her ruling, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Patricia McMahon said the AW’s interpretation of the remarks was reasonable and the lawsuit lacked merit from the day it was filed in February 2004. The judge also blasted Storms’ lawyer, James Donohoo of Milwaukee, saying he should have known the complaint was a waste of time.
  Donohoo also suffered the most financially. Donohoo had his bank accounts garnished in an attempt to collect the $87,452 awarded to the gay civil rights group. Madison attorney Lester Pines garnished about $20,000 from Donohoo’s accounts about one week after McMahon tossed the suit.

4. Milwaukee’s Pride Parade Steps Up And Storms Back. For the revitalized Milwaukee Pride Parade, the second time was the charm. With dozens of marching units from three states and the unfurling of a block-long rainbow flag, the parade’s 2006 edition wowed an estimated 2,000 watchers on June 10. Entries from Chicago, Minneapolis, Appleton, Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee and other cities strutted their stuff before the cheering bystanders, some waving rainbow flags and others holding professionally printed placards stating “Gay Marriage Doesn’t Scare Me - Not Having Healthcare Does!” The latter were distributed by the unions representing the teaching assistants in the University of Wisconsin.
  Stepping off about five minutes late with the Great Lakes Harley Riders leading the march, the entire review passed smoothly, taking about 75 minutes in all. A coterie of  fundamentalist protesters attempted to lead off the parade but were literally forced to the sidewalks by mounted police. A police horse immediately adjacent to the protesters relieved itself shortly after the group had set up its banners, making an unintentional but humorous editorial on the message being spouted by the “Christians.”
  Several of the Milwaukee bars outdid themselves with some of the biggest, most elaborate floats and parade entries in the history of Milwaukee Pride, regardless of sponsor. The Club M & M “Last Call’s Over But The Memories Linger” float brought both cheers and tears from the crowd. Triangle’s parade-ending unfurling of a block-long rainbow flag brought a fitting close to the cavalcade.
  Over at the Summerfest grounds, the 2006 edition of PrideFest was the most attended in the festival’s history. The not-so-good news was Wisconsin’s largest LGBT festival needed three days to break the 2005 record, set in just two. Margaret Cho broke records for Friday attendance, but cool, rainy evenings the first two nights had a lot to do with suppressing the weekend’s potential numbers. Some also pointed to the failure the market the festival’s promotional Pride Guides outside of the Milwaukee area as another cause.

5. Christian Group KOs Another Viroqua H.S. Diversity Day.  Viroqua High School canceled a Diversity Day for a second time in two years after an out-of-state Christian legal group threatened action over the inclusion of gay speakers. Speakers were to have included representatives of the African American, Latino, Jewish, Muslim, native American and gay communities.
  In 2004, about 400 people signed a petition asking that speakers on gay, lesbian and transgender issues not be included in the school’s Diversity Day. The school board cancelled the event, but it was reinstated after spring elections changed the board’s makeup.
  While pressure in 2004 came largely from within the community, in 2006 much of the challenge was from outside, according to Gregg Attleson, a Spanish teacher at the school who was on the Diversity Day planning committee.
  In a fax sent to the school on March 8, Liberty Counsel, a Florida-based Christian public interest law firm that regularly fights LGBT civil rights issues, warned that if Diversity Day went on the school could face legal action. School officials caved to the threat.
  Weeks later two Viroqua High School students brought the Diversity Day back to life and organized an off-campus event held May 8. Tasha Mills and Jenna Thompson collected donations sufficient to cover this year’s event and to provide seed money for future events. Diversity Day was held at The Move in the town’s Main Street Station mall.

6. Top Gay UW-Madison Researcher Exits Over Lack Of Benefits.  The University of Wisconsin’s gay-unfriendly benefits policies and the constitutional marriage and civil union ban caused a top-flight gay researcher to seek a new position in Pennsylvania, which prompted new debate over a feared “brain drain” in the UW system.
  Rob Carpick, an associate professor of engineering, told the Associated Press on August 24 that  he would depart for the University of Pennsylvania, a school that offers domestic partner benefits. Carpick took with him a nanotechnology research portfolio that  since 2000 has been awarded $3.4 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, branches of the U.S. military and private companies.
  “After six and one-half years of working very hard, I found it’s problematic to work in an environment where you are not treated equally,” Carpick said. “Fortunately there are other entities that are more enlightened than the state of Wisconsin on this issue, and the University of Pennsylvania is one of them.”

7. UW-Madison, Appleton’s Lawrence Make Lists of LGBT-Friendly Campuses. Rob Carpick might not like UW-Madison but the editors of the nation’s top gay magazine certainly did. The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Lawrence University in Appleton were recognized as two of the best campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students respectively in The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students and the Princeton Review.
  The Advocate book profiled 100 colleges and universities nationwide that offer resources and create a positive living and learning environment for LGBT students. A number of UW-Madison’s programs and services and LGBT Campus Center were listed among its attributes.
  The Princeton Review recognized Lawrence University in the 2007 edition of its annual book, The Best 361 Colleges for providing an outstanding undergraduate experience and campus community. The book, which featured student survey-based rankings of top 20 colleges in about 60 categories, included about 15% of the nation’s four-year colleges and universities. The Review’s guide was the first comprehensive campus guide to offer such a list in the United States.
  It listed Lawrence as twelfth in how accessible professors make themselves to students outside the classroom; twelfth in how accepting the campus was to the gay community; and twentieth in how popular college theater productions were on campus. About 300 students per campus were interviewed.

8. Midwest Sulu Sightings Tickle Trekkies.  Just months after news that Star Trek’s George Takei was openly gay became widespread, two appearances by the actor - one in Madison and one as the Grand Marshall of Chicago’s Pride Parade - caused Trek fans from the Planet Cheesehead to swoon with delight.
  The national struggle for marriage equality - and what he considers a personal slap in the face by another famous film celebrity, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who vetoed a bill granting California gays full marriage rights - initially sent the sonorous-voiced Takei on his new mission where no Star Trek actor had gone before: a spokeperson for the Human Rights campaign.
  The HRC starship landed at UW-Madison  April 18 for Takei’s Wisconsin stop in his month long equality lecture tour.  Takei and his life partner of 19 years, Brad Altman later rode in a front vehicle as Grand Marshal for this year’s Chicago 37th Annual Pride Parade June 25.
  Quest’s exclusive interview with Takei remains available online.

9. Madison’s Gay Hockey “Thunder” Create A Storm. What started about seven years ago in New York City managed to make its way to Madison this year. Former New York City Gay Hockey Association player Patrick Farabaugh founded the Madison Gay Hockey Association last August. Teammates have come from Madison, Milwaukee and other cities around the state.
  The Thunder stepped on the ice for the first time on October 15 and will meet every Sunday night through February at the Madison Ice Arena.
  The team joins Wisconsin’s long time softball and bowling leagues in expanding the options for those seeking to participate in gay athletics.

10. Judge Dismisses “Naked Boys Singing” Lawsuit.  In December, fifteen months after Milwaukee police shut down its production of “Naked Boys Singing,” a federal judge threw out a civil rights lawsuit filed by the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center (MGAC). U.S. District Judge Charles N. Clevert Jr. dismissed the suit, saying that to proceed, the center “must establish that the violations were part of a custom or policy by the municipality.” (full details)

Top 5 Predictions For 2007:
Before looking at our new predictions lets see how we did in 2006. Here were the five forecasts: 1. The Wisconsin Marriage Amendment Will Lose. It passed, and with numbers bigger than a similar measure in Virginia, the Cradle of the Confederacy. If its any consolation, pundits much more famous than I got burned on similar predictions as well. 2. The Democrats Will Regain Control of The Wisconsin Senate. Yep, make that one for the lavender crystal. 3. Governor Jim Doyle Will Be Re-Elected. My predictions about how Doyle would paint Green as an extremist were right on target too. 4. Republicans Will Barely Retain Control Of Congress. Well, they barely lost the Senate. Pundits nationally agreed with me that GOP gerrymandering probably saved at least twenty Republican seats in the House. Other than that, the prediction was off the mark. Foley, that is. 5. Samuel Alito Will Be Confirmed As A Supreme Court Justice. That one turned out to be the slam dunk I predicted and then some. It happened just weeks after the prediction hit the streets.
  Three for five wasn’t so bad, compared to my dear departed idol Jeanne Dixon. Once again dabbing on her brilliant red polish, here are my predictions for 2007.

1. The UW System Will Get Some Form of Domestic Partner Benefits. The political winds have blown and the reality that Wisconsin is the only school in the Big Ten without this lightly-used fringe benefit will sway the few Republicans in the Assembly needed to get this through the budget process. FRI-WI’s Julaine Appling will wave the 59-41 marriage ban win in the Assembly’s face. Too bad its not an election year, dear.  Confidence in the prediction is only 60%, due to the number of Republicans who have to switch.

2. California’s Supreme Court Will Set Up The Federal Test On Gay Marriage. If the court had wanted to rubber stamp the appeals court ruling they could have declined the case. The decision will conflict with 2005’s rejections in Georgia, New York and Washington. Hopefully the ruling will center on equal protection under the law and legal recognition, not the “M” word. Confidence in this prediction 70%.

3. Jim Doyle Will Make At Least One Notable Openly-Gay Appointment. Doyle thanked Fair Wisconsin on election night. Can he get away with absolutely no political payback? Probably not. A visible appointment? Yes. High profile? Maybe but don’t bet the farm. Confidence in this prediction is 80%.

4. The Episcopal Church Will Teeter But Not Fall Into Schism. Like the United Church of Christ, which has lost several dozen churches nationally but picked up the Dallas Cathedral of Hope - the largest LGBT-focused ministry in the country, the U. S. Episcopal Church will continue to see some parishes in conservative areas slip to Anglican supervision. But the communion will remain overall intact. Too much history and overall support for the sect’s social progress will keep the denomination from a full split. Prediction confidence is 70%

5. There Will Be Little Progress In Undoing The Wisconsin Marriage Ban. Lip service has been paid. Trial balloons have been floated. But the issue is still too hot to handle and the real impact of the amendment’s passage simply isn’t known yet. It will take more than a year to see what it all means. Expect rhetoric but no revision on the issue. My confidence in the prediction is 90%.

World & National News:

State News: