(From Ron at Apollo: Iowa holds a unique role in US politics. The first Presidential Caucus is held there every four years, and people look to this "heart land" state and made their bets on who will win in the coming election. By court order Iowa in now one of the sixth US states where gay marriages are legal. The following is a report from an Apollo Man in Iowa.)

The anti-gay people have protested, but I haven't heard or read of any movements to get the new law banned. Dubuque, where I live, has a very rich, conservative Catholic history. I moved here in 1994 when I met my partner. Since then the gay rights ordinance had been presented to the city council several times and failed. One of the arguments that had been used against a gay rights ordinance was that it would destroy the American family. It finally passed a couple of years ago and so far the American families are intact. Well, half of them are. When I read the birth notices in the paper, literally half the children are born out of wedlock. So much for the straight society's argument to protect the institution of the American family.

Actually, Dubuque is coming around, especially with the younger generation. I believe that the exposure of gay characters on TV series and other shows such as HGTV have helped people see that we are just like anyone else except that we happen to be gay. People really are becoming more accepting here in Iowa.

(The following are some important dates in the gay movement in the US. I wish gay men in other countries would put together a similar time chart for their countries. I will be more than happy to post it here.)

1969 June 27 in the earlier hours NYC police raid a small bar in the Greenwich Village. The men in blue were shocked when "the ladies in pink" fought back. Gay men were supposed to go quietly to the fate that god and society had previously demanded. The riots when on for three days, and the bar gave its name to the gay revolution: Stonewall

1970 First Gay Pride Protest March on Stonewall First Anniversary. The city allowed the marchers just one lane on Sixth Avenue.

The recent news about a famous Miami Roman Catholic priest being sexually involved with a woman brought again to surface that church's painful problems with sex. Father Alberto Cutié (pronounced koo-tee-ay) was popular because of a Miami radio talk show for Cuban Americans, and it did not hurt that he had drop dead good looks. (At Right: No longer a priest Alberto Cutié.)

The good news: For the first time a poll has shown that the people in the state of NY favor making gay marriage legal. The 51% tipping point has arrived. (At Right: NY Times photo on report of a gay couple.)

The bad news: The state Senate in Albany is controlled by conservative who, like the religious leaders in Iran, do not give a damn what the people want, and not only do these homophobic legislators not want gay marriage to come to a floor vote, they are fighting to keep it from even coming to the floor.

(The following is just a portion of an Article posted in the Apollo Forums (Gay Issues). If you have something to say, pro or con, post it in the forum section. All views are welcomed.)

From an Aussie Man: I don't know, for sure. If enough people enjoy them and benefit from them, they can't be all bad. (At Right: Scene from Sydney's world famous Gay Pride Parade.)

However, my personal attitude is that they are past their best-by date, and all the expense (millions), all that fantastically creative energy, could be channeled into some community activities that are more 21st century and more productive, more likely to achieve our aims of being accepted as Fully Human and Not Terribly Scary After All.

Let's acknowledge the incredibly important role of such marches and parades in having helped us get to where we are now, but let's also get over them, and move with the times, for chrissake.

Do we really need Pride Parades? On the surface this may appear a controversial question and raise some ire among gay people, our Apollo Men included. (At Right: Michelangelo's Bacchus, 1497, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence.)

But consider the following:

1. When pride parades were first organized circa 1970s/80s, it was an entirely different world than now. No one dreamed of legal gay marriage. Gay people just wanted fairness under the law and civil rights extended to all people, regardless of their sexual behavior.

Dear Apollo Doctor: Can the PSA numbers be influenced by antibiotics if there is cancer, or only if its an infection? The doctor wants to get a biopsy, but I'm not convinced it's the thing to do. For the past few years my PSA has been elevated (once as high as 8 or 9), but after antibiotics comes down to 2 or 3. A digital exam reveals nothing but enlargement. A negative biopsy won't prove there isn't cancer. I think I have a chronic infection and need a longer course of antibiotic. Doesn't the PSA being influenced that much point toward infection? Thanks, Greg

If you were pushing a huge rock over a cliff, you would start off with gravity being your foe, but as you get more of it over the edge, you reach a tipping point. Then gravity becomes your friend, and pulls the rock over the edge. (At Right: Titan (1490-1576) painted Sysyphus doing his eternal punishment of pushing a rock up a mountain only to have it roll back to the bottom every time.)

For forty years since the Stonewall Riots, gay people have been pushing hard against a homophobic boulder, trying to get it off the cliff and from blocking our civil rights. We have come a long, long way.

Hate murders run unchecked. This week saw its second hate murder in as many weeks. First it was an abortion doctor, murdered in a worship service. Next came a killing in the museum honoring six million murdered victims, the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. (At Right: A younger David Frost whose career was jump started by TWTWTW.)