Isaiah Washington, who might hate the Grey's Anatomy producers more than anyone on earth, has joined in on the fray regarding the firing of Brooke Smith, who played a lesbian doctor on the show. Shonda Rhimes, the show's creator, has repeatedly said that she was not fired because of her storyline. Washington, who was fired from the show because he directed homophobic slurs at either T.R. Knight or Patrick Dempsey, depending on who tells it, had this to say: "It's unfortunate because it was probably, at the time, the most progressive show on television. Now I see it [being] systematically torn apart."

 The solution, he says? Hire him back. Okay, Isaiah. [Us]

It looks like Proposition 8, the California initiative to ban gay marriages, will pass, although all the results are not yet in. Update: The ban has officially passed. Discrimination reigns.

Gay marriage is now legal in Connecticut. The state supreme court ruled 4-3 today that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The majority opinion: "We conclude that, in light of the history of pernicious discrimination faced by gay men and lesbians, and because the institution of marriage carries it it a status and significance that the newly crated classification of civil unions does not embody, the segregation of heterosexual and homosexual couples into separate institutions constitutes a cognizable harm. We also conclude that our state scheme discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, for the same reasons that classifications predicated on gender are considered quasi-suspect for the purposes of the equal protection provisions of the United States constitutions…" You do not have to be a Connecticut resident to get married there. [QT]

From Us: "'I don't have a problem discussing the topic of somebody being gay, but I do have a problem discussing my personal life,' Latifah, 38, told Sunday's New York Times magazine. 'You don't get that part of me. Sorry,' she added. 'We're not discussing it in our meetings, we're not discussing it at Cover Girl…nobody gets that. I don't feel like I need to share my personal life, and I don't care if people think I'm gay or not," she said. 'Assume whatever you want. You do it anyway.' Latifah had been linked to her longtime personal trainer. Last December, she denied rumors that they were getting married."

From the New York Times: "Pape Mbaye gets a lot of attention. Even in jaded New York, people watch the way he walks (his style defines the word sashay) and scrutinize his outfits, which on a recent afternoon featured white, low-slung capris, a black purse, eyeliner and diamond-studded jewelry. And he likes it… Mr. Mbaye, 24, is an entertainer from Dakar, Senegal, known there for his dancing, singing and storytelling. But while his flamboyance may be celebrated in New York, he attracted the wrong kind of attention in West Africa this year, and it nearly cost him his life… In July, the United States government gave him refugee status, one of the rare instances when such protection has been granted to a foreigner facing persecution based on sexual orientation."

From the Advocate: "Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and New York governor David Paterson have more than a few things in common. Of course, there’s the obvious: Both men are handsome, charismatic, and in their 50s. Both are the first black governors of their states—and only the second and third nationwide since Reconstruction. But less obvious — at least to the average voter — is their similar dedication to pro-gay politics. Unlike his antigay Republican predecessor, Mitt Romney, Patrick has continually flexed his political muscle to ensure all of his constituents are treated equally… Paterson is just as impressive. A soft-spoken, legally blind politico, who represented Harlem in the state senate for two decades before becoming New York’s lieutenant governor in 2006, he’s been a staunch ally and ahead of the curve on gay issues."