I recognize that reality—it's one of the reasons that, despite my desire to be legally married and feeling just as entitled to marriage as any safe-seeming lesbian couple (they could have a dungeon in their basement, for all anyone in court could tell), I would never volunteer to be a test case or run out and file a lawsuit on my own behalf.

Oh, and here's a hilarious detail: Pedersen was involved with Lambda Legal at the time. I send them a big check every year—and the party that Amy Jenniges and I had to celebrate our wedding? It was a benefit... for Lambda Legal.

Not that the case would have went well even with ideal plaintiffs (i.e., who really wanted to be married), but it still set the bad precedent we live with today.

"The seat Ed Murray’s is vacating isn’t a gay seat, and there are three other gay men—Dave Upthegrove, Joe McDermott, and Jim Moeller—in the House. Perhaps we should look at what distinguishes the six candidates in the 43rd from each other, not the issues on which they’re all in agreement."

It's a good bunch of candidates,and the 43rd is fortunate that there are so many.

But when all is said and done, the candidate with the best knowledge of the District and its needs, the most experienced, and the one most ready to represent the District at the same level as Frank Chopp and Ed Murray do, is Dick Kelley.

You make the following statement: "But what did Pedersen tell the Times? Not that I was the “wrong public face for the gay marriage issue,” as the PI put it this morning, but that I was going to file a lawsuit and that this was hugely problematic because I wouldn’t be a good test case—you know, since I don’t have a kid and I’m not in a long-term relationship."

I can't find that anywhere in the article. What I read is "advocates and Sims were worried Savage would file a lawsuit challenging the state law before their own hand-picked gay couples did, thereby undermining an effort to use the most sympathetic local gays to test the legal waters." This does not seem to be Pedersen's wording, but that of the article's author, Bob Young.

In your previous post you indicated that Pedersen had said something awful about you and your family. The quote I read in the Times is as follows: "No offense to Dan, he is a very important voice. But what lawyers look for are people who want to achieve the ends of the lawsuit but don't have a different agenda. Dan has a newspaper. He has an interest in publicity," said Pedersen.

Also, "There was always that concern that a case would be brought," she said, "and Executive Sims' thinking was that the best possible case should be brought forward to question the law." This would indicate that not only was Pedersen worried you would bring a lawsuit, but that other were, as well.

The point is that I don't find the article all that slanderous, and if you have issue, it should be with Bob Young. You gotta admit, you are outspoken and a tad bit unpredictable (this same article reports you "infiltrated Republican Gary Bauer's presidential campaign in Iowa. He licked doorknobs, coffee cups and ink pens in an unsuccessful attempt to infect Bauer with the flu"). If Pedersen and others, who had been working on this case for a long time, thought that their efforts might be thwarted by a journalist known for being outspoken, and at times, outlandish, I think they had that right. I'm not convinced that he slandered you. I am, however, convinced that you went over the top with your criticism, and threw some dirty punches.

This is not the pre-determined "gay seat". there will be three other homos in the House not to mention ED MURRAY, the gay powerhouse, is moving to the SENATE to get things done.

the seat should go to whomever is the most well-rounded and experienced candidate. jamie is a one-issue guy and let's face it, that issue is being well-covered.

We love reading about your licking doorknobs, your phoney marriages, and all your publicity stunts.

Seattle would be really boring without you Dan.

Seattle (heart) Dan.

Keep giving them hell no matter what they write about you. Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.

his marginalization would make him ineffective -- and ineffectiveness in the 43rd representation is exactly why ed made his bid for the senate and gave up the seat in the first place. it would be a mistake to replace such a great, well-rounded legislator as ed with someone who resembles a shrill lap dog.

Dan, when are those people going to realize: you aren't some lawsuit-filing "activist" for God's sake, you're an ENTERTAINER. The biggest gosh-darn gay sex advice entertainer in all of Seattle, thank you very much!

I for one am sick of people taking Dan seriously, and The Stranger seriously for that matter. This is NOT where you go for news and serious talk, it's where you go for fun, frolics, and practical jokes!

So yay! funny Dan! Boo serious gay advocates! Enough serious talk already! Let's hear more about Sugar! Let's get back to what gay people do best: Par-tay!

No wonder you are outraged, Dan! Somebody is getting publicity saying you are interested in publicity? that's so unfair!

Why, that makes you mad enough to tell people you get drunk and then write slogs. Or tell people that you licked a door knob!

And aren't you protesting a bit much to say your "positions" were misrepresented? Or that no one one bothered to call you and check the facts. Sorry, Dan, but isn't that pretty much the daily style book for the Stranger -- burn 'em and mock 'em, and then repeat the attack when they complain.

Dan, your whole gig is to zap people and then hit 'em when they don't laugh it off and show what good sports they are. But when you are the subject, and take offense, the operating rules are much different. There's a word for you, Dan: hypocrite. If you dish it out, you've got to take it as well.

Several suits were consolidated, anyone with some desire could have filed about the same time and asked for consolidation.

By the way - the combo of ACLU, Lamda Legal and Northwest Women's Law Center --- well if there is a better progressive legal team - backed by Preston Gates - if there is a better team than that - tell me about it.

Very pleased with the overall push and plan. Top drawer from start to almost finish.

Some people like to whine and whine - still not too late to send a brief, well maybe, but could be symbolic if folks feel left out.

Don't know about your John Longenblah sighting though. I've never met the man and don't want to. Plus he writes for the Seattle Weakly, which is stupid and filled with old people. Give me my fun-lovin' Dan and his Stranger friends any day over those retards!

If you'd REALLY like to know me, you big handsome gay editor guy, drop on by Victrola again! It's my favorite haunt, and my heart always skips a beat when you come in! I'll come over and heart you in public!

But you shouldn't have been trying to do it.

You're an editor, now. You're supposed to present the news, not become it.

I have a lot of respect for the work you've done, but I think you're having a hard time understanding that your role as an editor necessarily means less face time for you as an activist. If you don't want The Stranger's credibility to slip, you need to back off of your personal forays into newsmaking.

This doesn't mean changing the liberal slant of the paper. It does mean taking your own ego down a couple of notches. This isn't journalism, Dan, it's grandstanding. Knock it off.

The issue is not Dan, however much of an annoying publicity whore he may be. The issue is Jamie Pedersen. This is the same Jamie Pedersen who pummeled me with requests to become his MySpace friend - presumably because I checked the "gay" and "Seattle" boxes in my profile - until I put Stephanie Pure in my "Top 8" friends.

Jamie Pedersen seems to assume that the gay community will collectively bend over for him because he's the only fag in the race. I hope more and more queer voters in the 43rd stand up to challenge this insulting assumption.

snoooooooooze!

This is SUCH a dull subject.

What happened to the FUN in all you people? I couldn't care less about local elections and did Dan mean this or did he do that.

I want my Dan back, my sweet fisting-loving-outrage-provoking-dress-wearing-"Hey Faggot!"-writing-gay icon!

Stop trying to make Dan political! He's not political! He's MUCH bigger than that!

He IS Seattle Alternative!

He IS Gay and Here to Stay!

He IS whom I Heart, with all of my...well, you get the idea.

See you at Victrola, cutie!

Loved you in Adams Family II, by the way.

PS: all rumors that "Gomez" is an alias for Tim Keck are unfounded.

Once again, I would argue that the real news story here should be that candidates in a legislative race are falling all over themselves to declare how PRO-marriage equality they are.

THAT's news. Even though it's crazy, left-wing, 43rd District Seattle; it's a start.

Typical gay drama between two guys in the 43rd is NOT news; it's a common occurrence.