After today's profoundly disappointing news that gay marriage was repealed in the state of Maine -- alas, unadulterated hate wins again -- rallies will be held across the country starting tonight.

To find the gay marriage rally closest to you, or to start one in your hometown, please check out and contribute to this handy Twitter feed. It has loads of up-to-the-second information.

In related news, San Francisco will have a gay marriage protest tonight, starting at 6 p.m. Check it:

What: One Struggle, One Fight
Time: 6 pm - 9pm
Location: Harvey Milk Plaza (intersection of Market and Castro Streets), SF
Date: Tonight, Nov. 4

Today also marks the one year anniversary of Prop 8, California's anti-gay marriage proposition. Sigh. But on the brighter side, as Brian Devine expertly put it, "bigots die off; it's only a matter of time." (Frank Schubert, campaign director of Stand for Marriage Maine, thankfully, doesn't look like he has much life left in him to spread further pain.)

But not all news is glum, friends. Former Miss California, professional homosexual hater, and confused free-speech advocate Carrie Prejean has a sex tape. All it cost her was a million-dollar lawsuit against Miss California USA.

SF Appeal brings it to our attention that smarmy San Francisco-based (located on Maiden Lane, specifically) "independent integrated marketing communications company," Criswell and Associates, earned about $700K in the past couple of months producing anti-same-sex marriage ads for Stand For Marriage Maine with the help of SF production company Coyote Films.

Apparently, instead of creating TV spots in Maine with real people, like their pro-gay marriage counterparts did, they had been flying actors out to California, who were given scripts spouting the same false propaganda that the Prop 8 people did -- that if gay marriage were made legal, kids would be taught about homosexuality in schools. They also bought up ads on pro-gay marriage sites via Google AdSense, like the Prop 8 people did.

The folks at Criswell and Associates have failed to respond to SF Appeal's numerous phone calls, so if anyone out there has any questions for them, feel free to reach out. Bill Criswell and Alan Randolph at 58 Maiden Lane, 2nd Floor, (415) 398-2220, or email Bill at billcris@pacbell.net.

The people who sponsored last year's gay marriage ban must hand over certain internal campaign records to lawyers looking to overturn Prop 8. Turning down a request to block their super-special information from being made public, U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker, KTVU reports, "said the Protect Marriage campaign had failed to show that providing private e-mails, memos and reports would inhibit the political activities of gay marriage opponents or subject them to unbridled harassment."

In related news, marriage in the state of Maine is under threat. Travel For Change, a local site that raises funds and airline miles for volunteers needed in Maine to work for marriage equality, could use a few donations. Senator Mark Leno just handed them a cool $1,500. How about you? If you'd like to give them a little bit of help (money or miles), go here for more information.

This story comes out of Florida, not San Francisco, but it's pretty compelling. See, a few years ago, a hospital refused to let a lesbian, Janice Langbehn, see her dying partner, Lisa Pond, simply because they don't like gays. The couple had three kids together too, which made no difference to the Miami hospital. "[Jackson Memorial Hospital] did everything it could to prevent Langbehn from having any contact with Pond, and succeeded in keeping them apart until Pond died," reported Independent Gay Forum. Very recently, Langbehn sued the hospital and lost, with the court ruling that the hospital is under no obligation to accommodate homos. This is insane; this is inhumane. And as horrible and cruel as it is, this is what the people pushing Prop 8 (and Question 1 in Maine) actually WANT to happen to queer folk.

That said, there's a few hours left to donate to No On 1 before their next filing deadline. Donations end at midnight tonight.

Please visit Stop8.org for up-to-the-second information on marriage equality.

As some of you know, Marc Leno's pushing a bill that wouldn't change any same-sex marriage laws, just clarify existing ones. See, Leno wants the state of California to recognize gay marriages taking place in other states. It didn't sound too controversial when we first heard about it, but sure enough, some people, like whimsical hate-group the California Catholic Daily, found a reason to object.

As expected, their reasoning is flimsy and ignores the Supreme Court's affirmation of existing marriages. (Remember, this group, like the former Miss California, isn't just opposed to gay marriage, they're opposed to gay PEOPLE. And, bottom line, they'll take any opportunity to try hurting people who happen to be queer.)

In related news, a slew of pro-Prop 8 people just moved to Maine and they're trying to the same thing that they did in California. The group that wants to force "Maine's new gay marriage law with a referendum vote says it has gathered enough signatures to put it on the ballot in November." This is scary. Obviously, people who force their beliefs based discrimination into state law need to be stopped. One way you can do this is by donating to this fund that will help save marriage in the state of Maine. Anything little amount, big or small, will do!

As always, check out Stop8.org for comprehensive information on same-sex marriage.

Well, would you look at that, California? A state known primarily for lobster rolls and Stephen King just signed into action a bill allowing same-sex marriage. Maine Governor John Baldacci had this to say after signing the landmark bill, "In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions. I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage." What startling logic and clarity, Baldacci. Kudos to you.

In related DOMA news, their spokesperson, Miss Claifornia's Carrie Prejean, is a liar who showed off 17-year-old titties in exchange for cash. Which, oddly enough, renders her a wee bit awesome in our eyes. So, kudos to you, too, Carrie.

For comprehensive info and coverage on gay marriage and Prop 8, please visit Stop8.org.