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Herb Kohl’s retirement from the U.S. Senate at the end of his fourth term opens the way for a rush of candidates to the wide-open race in 2012.

I’d love to see U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin make a run for the seat. She’s great on all the bread-and-butter issues – LGBT and women’s rights, healthcare, labor, Social Security, agriculture, clean energy, consumer rights and peace.

As an LGBT advocacy publication, we seldom find ourselves in agreement with the Catholic Church. But we applaud those faithful who are pressing for an expanded definition of “pro-life” that includes actual living, breathing humans.

Seventy priests, nuns and professors recently took U.S. House Speaker John Boehner to task for what they called an “anti-life budget” that shrugs off the Christian duty of the powerful to care for the powerless. It’s refreshing to see followers of Christ asking, “What would Jesus do?” and realizing it would not be to force people to starve and die in the streets in order to give tax breaks to the insanely wealthy.

After years of advocacy, progressive leaders have prevailed in repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

President Barack Obama fulfilled a campaign pledge in signing legislation to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the Armed Forces. It was a signature achievement for LGBT rights that symbolized our full equality as citizens.

(An open letter from 24 New York business leaders urging members of the state’s legislature to legalize same-sex marriage.)

New York has rich resources that position our state for continued success in the 21st century – a leading financial center, strong industry clusters, and renowned educational, research and cultural institutions. But major employers know that the single greatest asset New York has to offer is its ability to attract the best talent from around the world. This is crucial, because the size, quality and diversity of the talent pool are the first criteria for business in determining where to locate jobs.

With Pridefest coming up, I’m just wondering how others feel about the Pride parade. I’m not happy about people dressing inappropriately.

No, I am not a stuffy old queen, but do we really need people flaunting their boobs or guys with fake dicks hanging out for children to see? Are we not marching for acceptance? People who are being obviously vulgar should be thrown out of the parade. Am I just a fuddy-duddy or do others agree?

Last week my doorbell rang unexpectedly at 6 a.m. while I was sitting in my apartment reading the newspaper. I warily walked down the hallway to see who could be calling at such an early hour. Outside the glass door stood a disheveled young man who demanded to be let inside.  After ascertaining that he didn’t live in the building, I turned him away.

Suddenly in a raised voice he said, “You’ve got a fucking Jew living here,” and read the name of one of the tenants listed on the building directory. This ugly outburst caught me so off guard that it felt like a hot poker jammed into my brain.  A verbal scuffle ensued as I tried to get the man to leave the premises.

Only four months into the year, we already have witnessed our entire state government take a radical turn to the right. It started with an unprecedented attack on working families, but it is quickly extending beyond. No wonder an unprecedented number of recall efforts have been launched.

The enthusiasm to recall eligible Republican state senators has been demonstrated in many ways. In most cases the efforts have led to 40 to 50 percent more signatures being submitted for recall than were required by law. Six of the eight eligible Republicans could face recall elections this summer.

If there was any question about whether Democrats or Republicans have the advantage in efforts to recall state senators, it’s been answered.

Democrats have submitted six petitions for recall elections, all of them involving senators who are considered at least somewhat vulnerable. Republicans, meanwhile, have submitted petitions against only three of eight eligible Democratic senators.

The news that state revenues are $636 million higher than originally projected is a gift from the Democratic majority from the last budget. Our responsible budgeting that raised revenue from the most wealthy, closed corporate tax loopholes and held the line on taxes for the poor and middle-class has paid off.

Now, it is up to Republicans to be as responsible as Democrats were two years ago. Republicans have an opportunity to roll back Walker’s Draconian gutting of SeniorCare, replace some of Walker’s devastating cuts to public education and roll back Walker’s job-killing $250 million in cuts to the UW System.

The following is a response from the LGBT Intimate Partner Violence Committee of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault to statements made by Waupaca Judge Phillip Kirk in sentencing Delton Gorges on May 9.

While sentencing convicted child molester Delton Gorges, Judge Philip Kirk made some distasteful jokes about gay people. He then went on to say that Gorges must be gay and a victim of society’s homophobia, which explains his crimes. In effect, Kirk vilified gay men and tried to make Gorges appear just another victim of society.

When actress Geri Jewell was 12, she found what looked like cute little balloons in her parents’ bedside drawer. She blew up a few, rubbed them in her hair and made them stick to the wall. Then her dad walked in.

A bit disconcerted, Jack Jewell explained to his daughter that, well … they were toe warmers that men wore under their socks. He then opened two more condoms, put them on his big toes, finished dressing and left for work.

Last month the Wisconsin Gazette reported on two incidents of abuse and violence by Christians against LGBT people.

In Pennsylvania, a man claimed the Old Testament inspired him to stone an elderly gay man to death. From Iowa came news that a pastor engaged in sex with teenage boys to “cure” them of homosexuality.