Congressman Jared Polis And Partner Marlon Reis Proud Parents Of Beautiful Baby Boy, Pentagon Releases New Guidelines Permitting Military Chaplains To Officiate At Same Sex Weddings, Majority Of North Carolinians Polled Oppose Constitutional Amendment Banning Same Sex Marriage, Toby Keith Supports Both Repeal Of Gay Military Ban And Same Sex Marriage, Gay Days At Disney Expected To Draw Thousands, Alex Pettyfer A Hot Mess

Colorado Congressman Jared Polis and his partner Marlon Reis announce that they are now the proud parents of an infant boy born Friday. The Denver Post reports that the couple’s birth announcement says the boy’s name is Caspian Julius. His birth weight is eight pounds and 12 ounces. “Baby and parents are doing well,” the announcement says, “baby has learned to cry already!” Polis, D-Boulder, said this June that the couple expected to have a baby in September. The congressman said at the time that most details would remain a private family matter, and there were few new details offered today. “No gifts please,” the birth announcement says, “just nice thoughts for Caspian, humankind, the planet, and the universe!” Caspian, by the way, judging by the photograph, could well be one of the cutest newborns ever.

U.S. military chaplains will be allowed to officiate at same-sex weddings under new guidelines following repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays serving openly in the military, the Pentagon said on Friday. Reuters is reporting that a chaplain may participate in or officiate at any private ceremony on or off a military installation as long as the ceremony is not barred by state and local laws, the Defense Department said in a statement. Chaplains do not have to officiate at ceremonies that go against their religious tenets, it said. The repeal of the Defense Department policy that barred homosexuals from serving openly in the military -- known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- took effect on September 20. More than 14,000 U.S. service members were thrown out under the rule, which dated from 1993. The new guidelines said that decisions on the use of military property should be made on a "sexual-orientation neutral" basis, the statement said. Six states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage. Thirty-nine states specifically ban it.

56-percent of North Carolinians oppose a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, according to a new poll out of Elon University. WFMY News 2 reports that the poll was conducted September 25-29 and surveyed 594 North Carolina residents. The poll shows growing support for same-sex marriage, as opposition to same sex marriage has dropped 4-percent since the poll asked the same question in March of 2009. Additionally, the number of people who would prefer to see no legal recognition for same-sex couples has dropped 10-percent since pollsters asked the same question two years ago. North Carolinians will go to the polls in May to vote on a constitutional amendment after lawmakers approved the ballot measure late this summer. The poll also found a majority of North Carolinians disapprove of the job of the General Assembly, with 41-percent disapproving and 39-approving. Governor Bev Perdue's job approval rating stands at 41-percent approve and 51-percent disapprove. Gov. Perdue faces re-election next November, mere months after the vote on the constitutional amendment.

Perhaps a sign of the sea change regarding conservative America’s relationship to homosexuality, Toby Keith says he has no concerns about the recent repeal of the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning openly-gay troops from enlisting and serving in the armed forces, although he questions the safety of females who are sent to the front lines of battle. "That whole gay issue thing, that's never bothered me," he told CMT Insider correspondent Allison DeMarcus. "I've never seen what that affects and [why] anybody should care -- and they never do affect me." He continued, "First of all, we're going to stop somebody from getting a marriage license because they're gay? You won't stop them from living together, so what have you accomplished? ... Wasting a lot of money here and a lot of time that could be spent working on this deficit that we're under ... I never saw the reasoning behind getting in people's personal lives." Keith went on to say, "But the military is a tough thing. I don't worry as much about the heterosexual people fighting as I do ... about the gays. ... In the military or any class in life, you have people who have problems with it, and I'm wondering how that's going to be compatible on the battlefield. That's the only question I have, other than that I don't care. It's just such a big issue that people make such a big stink about -- 'don't ask, don't tell’ ... And that sounds like our government: 'We'll fix it by saying, "Don't ask, don't tell." Everybody agree, raise your hands. All right, let's go get a snack,'" Keith added with a laugh. Keith said "You know, I don't know enough about what they proposed or what they've put in place here. ... Somebody's sexual preference is like, 'Who cares?'"

Once an underground gathering that was regularly protested by religious groups and conservative politicians, The Los Angeles Times reports that the annual Gay Days at the Disneyland Resort marks its 14th anniversary this weekend and is expected to draw more than 30,000 people to the Anaheim amusement parks. Though not officially sponsored by the Disneyland Resort, the annual celebration has become one of the most crowd-dependable and popular gatherings at the park. This year, there are to be Disney-themed "Gay Day" T-shirt sales, discount tickets for attendees, an ABC television screening, concerts and a chance to talk with 90-year-old actress Carol Channing or meet up with Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Lynch, a star of the hit TV show "Glee." The weekend-long celebration is sponsored by Alaska Airlines, Motorola and Paramount Pictures, among others. Gay Days got its footing in the 1990s with about 2,500 attendees, though at the time it triggered protests from Southern Baptists and the conservative American Family Assn., which also launched boycott efforts against Disney. Within several years though, the discord faded and, except for a lone Orange County minister with a history of protesting everything Disney, the protesters vanished.

Alex Pettyfer, sporting a seriously horrible-looking high-tech tracksuit, spotted arriving at the Chateau Marmont Thursday.