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Stories change hearts and minds. We know that. What we also know is that stories in person, and in video, move hearts and minds the best. And as the struggle for equality continues for LGBT people, we know there are no shortage of stories regarding personal struggles... and no shortage of minds to change.

That's where you come in. This morning, Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Milk and other award-winning movies and documentaries, sent an e-mail to our Courage Campaign members announcing the Testimony: Take A Stand video contest:

It’s a partnership we are doing in an effort to find the next great stories that shape public opinion about LGBT equality -- submitted by you or your friends, family and colleagues. Testimony: Take A Stand is the name for our new project we have been rolling out: a one-stop shop hub for stories of struggle to achieve LGBT equality.

Dustin Lance Black and his camera crew will be reviewing submissions and pick three incredible stories to record for television. He will then hop on a plane to fly to wherever you live and record your submission for TV, so Americans can learn why its important for our community to be equal. You can sign up here, and the deadline is June 15th.

Think of what it could achieve — Zach Wahls’ story, or Dan Choi’s, or Ed and Derence’s featured here at C&L in March, targeted to advertise in places like Minnesota, where we need to change minds on marriage in advance of the 2012 ballot initiative. Or New York State, where we have a few Senators whose constituents are on the fence about marriage equality. From marriage to adoption, bullying to being transgender, there is no shortage of stories, and no shortage of minds we need to change. That’s where this project comes in.

You can sign up and get more details here. Or, do you know someone — a kid who’s been bullied at school, a couple who faced medical problems at the hospital because of DOMA, a transgender women fired at the workplace? Let them know. Submissions are due by 11:59 PM PST on June 15th.

So flip open those camcorders, handheld cams and computer cameras and take a minute to record your Testimony. Let’s change some minds.

http://www.couragecampaign.org/DustinLanceBlack

Disclosure: I serve as Director of Online Programs at the Courage Campaign.

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The Oil Spill Commission held its first hearing on the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico Monday at the New Orleans Hilton. During the public comment portion, local residents came forward to tell their own stories of loss and fear and frustration over the oil spill and the moratorium.

When words failed, music prevailed.

I don't remember a time where I've seen a hearing like this. I hope another never needs to take place. Whether the Commission hears or not, I did. We all should.

But for all their passion and courage, they concerned me. Many comments concerned their fear that a moratorium would destroy their business and their livelihoods. Others expressed concern that New Orleans would die for certain under a moratorium.

Their testimony left me wondering how on earth drilling can be made safer without a moratorium. It's a no-win situation, unless there is a way to structure the ban in a way that fast-tracks safety measures or other procedures are put in place to keep these people from losing everything they've worked so hard for.

These are the voices of the ones on the front line. Six kids and a second chance slipping from the grasp of a mom. A fisherman. A musician. And a life they've known slipping away from them.

I don't envy this Commission. There aren't any easy answers. On the one hand, these people see a moratorium as insult to injury. On the other hand, not imposing a moratorium gives them at least a shred of a hope they'll survive.

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If you were watching last weeks' live blog of BP CEO Tony Hayward's testimony before Congress, you got to experience my shocked reaction to Joe Barton's shameless apology to BP for having to escrow $20 billion for victims' losses due to the oil spill.

Later in the same day he apologized for that apology after some Republicans called for his head (and ranking member status).

And then he decided the apology for the apology wasn't all that necessary after all. Are you following all this?

A staffer is now taking the hit for actually posting this tweet, but I have no doubt the cue was Barton's.

Bottom line: Joe Barton thinks BP has been unfairly treated for having to take responsibility for the devastation in the Gulf.

This is how shills are born. They come into the world as politicians "representing constituents." When the constituents they represent are the wealthy oil companies in their districts, they sell themselves to the highest bidder, BP, in this case.

Joe Barton, as you might recall, was one of the chief architects of the Cheney Oil Act that gave BP the necessary exemptions to drill that well without all of the required EIRs (Environmental Impact Reports). Joe Barton is Big Oil's handmaiden, and he is shameless about it.

Conservatives fuel Barton's walkback of the walk back, decrying Big Government and its heavy hand on the shoulder of corporate America. Yes, the Party of Personal Responsibility is certainly all for Personal Responsibility until, well...someone is responsible. Then it's not really all that necessary to believe in personal responsibility.

Or to believe in corporate "person"al responsibility. The smell of Barton's hypocrisy is as pungent as the stench of oil washing up on Louisiana shores.

BP CEO Tony Hayward will testify before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce this morning. Join me here as I live blog the proceedings.

Senate to Atone for Lynching Ban Delays

"The Senate seldom says it's sorry, although it is now ready to officially express its remorse over the failure to outlaw lynching in the United States. A resolution that the chamber was likely to take up Monday voices regret for the Senate's unwillingness for years to pass a law stopping a crime that cost the lives of over 4,700 people, mostly blacks, between 1882 and 1968....read on"

I never realized that it was legal in the first place. How sick is that? The fact that it was then allowed to last until 1968 is unimaginable. Read this exchange if you want to have your stomach turned from History Matters In the following testimony to a House subcommittee, four Southern Congressmen discussed their reasons for opposing what they deemed federal interference in state judicial responsibilities and defend segregation and the “peaceful relations now existing between white man and Negro” in the South. Congressman Charles E. Bennett (Florida) also offered his historical explanation for lynching. read the full transcript.

Try to figure out what group of people are being targeted now. Also, some from the right will try to equate these types of filibusters to what is going on in the judiciary. I doubt they can see how contemptable that comparison is.

Bill Moyers on Condi Rice

This is a feature on her appointment as Secretary of State.

Video

It points out her failures as NSA and her testimony to the 9/11 Commission, as well as her various TV appearances promoting the Iraq war.

I'd like to thank John for letting me spread the word about this cause, and I'd like to thank everyone here at Crooks and Liars for helping pitch in. It's important that we work to end the war in Afghanistan, and it's important that we support progressive voices who work to do so.

Six months ago, President Obama had ordered in tens of thousands of new troops to Afghanistan while admitting that there was no strategy. Support for the war in Afghanistan was at 50%. Today, 58% oppose the war in Afghanistan. And President Obama right now is engaged in the process of "rethinking Afghanistan."

For the last few months, too, progressive blogger Derrick Crowe has been writing on the Afghanistan war. And his posts have made a difference.

Derrick has brought to bear facts, video testimony, statistics, political insight, and thoughtful arguments to drive home the point that escalating the war in Afghanistan is the wrong policy. Derrick has been writing and researching so prolifically because he's been on a three month fellowship, using funds provided out-of-pocket by the good folks over at Brave New Foundation and the editors at The Seminal.

Yesterday, Derrick's three month fellowship came to an end. Now I'm asking for your help to keep it going, and to support a strong voice against the war in Afghanistan.

Can you pitch in $10 or $20 to help extend Derrick Crowe's blogging fellowship against the war in Afghanistan? Your contribution will go directly to Derrick, and if we can raise $5,000, we can keep the fellowship going for an entire year.

Click here to donate.

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Counterpunch: A Muslim American Hero

Oliver Willis: "I Am an American Conservative Sh*theel"

PERRspectives: What's the matter with Oklahoma?

Rants From The Rookery: No wonder Republicans hate science

Welcome Back to Pottersville: Open letter to David B. Brown, "Attorney at Law"

The Brad Blog has done a great job covering FBI whistleblower, Sybil Edmond's, testimony

Many thanks to Blue Gal and Batocchio for filling in the past couple weeks

Give me your thoughts on Eric Holder's testimony so far...

Uh, isn't this what Krugman and Stiglitz have been saying? It's why the two Nobel prize winners have been urging Obama to nationalize the banks:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday said difficulty in setting a value on banks' toxic assets was a continuing hindrance to their ability to lend and borrow.

In prepared testimony for delivery to the Congressional Oversight Panel that monitors Treasury's efforts to bail out troubled banks, Geithner said toxic assets were "congesting" the U.S. financial system and making it hard to get credit flowing normally again.

"Uncertainty about the value of legacy assets is constraining the ability of financial institutions to raise private capital," he said, adding that he hoped a public-private investment program will improve the ability to put a price on troubled mortgage and other assets.