Top Political Blogs

There's no denying that blogs are a major contributor to the daily news cycle, and as such, Advocate.com has decided to rank some of our favorites. Listed below with their Technorati ranking (a directory that takes on the task of ranking the number of websites that view you as a relevant news source) are some of the blogs we go to each morning to see what's happening in the political world.

The Bilerico Project : To be fair, Bilerico is a little bit of everything, but as the famous expression of the feminist movement goes, the personal is political. Bilerico deploys citizen journalists and experts across the country to report back to its loyal readers each day on events and the hot topics of the day. The big-name celebrities may lend their voices to The Huffington Post, but the insightful gays blog for Bilerico. Technorati rank: 4,030

GayPatriot : Admittedly, many liberal gays probably would prefer to surround themselves with others who love the idea of universal health care and roar loudly for hate-crimes legislation. But Bruce Carroll and Dan Blatt at GayPatriot challenge all LGBT folks to question their leaders -- political and not -- and the issues that identify them. Though we might not agree with everything said there, GayPatriot provokes conversation, which all good political blogs should do. Besides, the greater GOP is not exactly in high regard right now, and the party's gays and their allies may be the ones who whip out the defibrillators to revive the compassionate heart of the Right. Technorati rank: 5,340

Immigration Equality's Blog : When it comes to gay issues, hot-button topics like "don't ask, don't tell" and marriage equality (or lack thereof) tend to monopolize the cable news crawl -- often to the exclusion of equally heinous injustices. Nevertheless, Immigration Equality, which lobbies for LGBT immigration rights sorely missing from current U.S. law, seems to be doing just fine, thank you. The group has been instrumental in formulating two bills currently before Congress and features an incisive sampling of immigration issues on its blog. Technorati rank: n/a

BlogActive : Anyone who's seen Outrage! knows how Michael Rogers made a name for himself -- outing closeted, antigay politicians. And while BlogActive.com doesn't deal exclusively in outing antigay conservatives, much of what Rogers blogs about has to do with hypocrisy. And since he has a reputation as one of the most feared men in Washington, you'd better believe that when Rogers sniffs out a story, it's good ... really good. Technorati rank: 40,107

David Mixner : Best known as the man who took President Bill Clinton to task over "don't ask, don't tell" (which effectively made him persona non grata at the White House), out spoken gay rights activist and political advisor David Mixner's take on Washington is one of experience and history. Most recently, Mixner made waves by yanking his financial support from and LGBT fundraiser for the Democratic National Convention. Technorati rank: 86,797

Politico : Since its launch in early 2007, Politico.com has quickly became the go-to site for people who care about national politics. The site prides itself on keeping pace with Web advances and embracing changes in journalism while continuing to provide rigorous, accurate political reporting. "We're not a circa-1999 venture trying to catch Internet lightning in a bottle," editor in chief John Harris, who jumped ship from The Washington Post to start the venture, told TheWashingtonian. Online, on TV, and also in print in the D.C. area, Politico covers and analyzes Washington like no other. Technorati rank: 5

Joe.My.God : The name sounds salacious, but the content is anything but. Not to say Joe Jervis's six-year-old blog is boring -- it just gets to the point when it comes to gay politics and news. Reporting from New York, Jervis also has his ear to Washington. He seamlessly blends big-picture posts (on the White House, GLAAD, "don't ask, don't tell" protests) with more local stories, covering gay bashings that often go unreported. Technorati rank: 1,906

HRCBackstory.org : The largest gay rights group lobbying in Washington, it would make sense that the HRC should have its finger on the pulse of what's happening with gay rights. But HRC Backstory frequently shifts the focus to smaller battles taking place across the country - from marriage in Maine to a list of ex-gay groups doing business in the United States.

Citizen Crain : A former editor with Windows Media ( Genre, Washington Blade, etcaEUR|), Chris Crain left the fold in 2006 and has been blogging ever since. Though there is the occasional weeklong time lag between posts, longtime editorial writer Crain attracts readers with opinionated pieces on topics from philandering politicians to immigration to the war in Iraq. Technorati rank: 38,865

The Daily Beast : The cheater's guide to news, The Daily Beast does some original reporting but earns its keep in the Web news world by aggregating and commenting on "must reads from all over." The site was launched less than a year ago by former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown. Why should you fish the Beast out of a sea of HuffPo/Slate/Drudge-type blogs? "Sensibility, darling," says Brown. Technorati rank: 21

Drudge Retort : If you're seeking a counterbalance to Matt Drudge's conservative online paradise, try its cyber-doppelganger. Drudge Retort surveys the best in right-wing amusement -- from a church performing a gay teen's exorcism to Sarah Palin's latest grievances with bloggers, the mainstream media... and David Letterman. Technorati rank: 17,442

The Atlantic's The Daily Dish : Firebrand Andrew Sullivan operates this uber-popular, insidery Atlantic magazine blog. Launched nine years ago (and not affiliated with The Atlantic at that time), Sullivan's site is a barrage of need-to-know D.C. updates. But it's a bit like Twin Peaks; if you're not a regular visitor to The Daily Dish, it can be a bit hard to catch on, thanks to many exposition-less references to names, incidents, and articles. But stick around -- Sullivan knows what's worthy of mention and what's not, and most readers feel like D.C. insiders after a few days. The gay, Roman Catholic, British-born Sullivan covers a wide array of Beltway issues but regularly finds room for a post on DOMA or ENDA. Technorati rank: 23

Five Thirty Eight : If you're a poll dork like some of us, you've already had an RSS feed of Five Thirty Eight pumping into your bloodstream since the presidential primaries. Opinion polls can be a cold way of getting the temperature of the nation's voters, but Nate Silver -- the brilliant electoral vote projector behind the website -- and contributor Sean Quinn do it with a style that replicates a Saturday of fantasy baseball. Technorati rank: 63

Gay Politics : Perhaps you remember Oklahoma legislator Sally Kern's asinine tirade against gays caught on tape last year? That alone is reason to include GayPolitics.com on this list. GayPolitics is run by the Victory Fund, which already has the scoop on a majority of openly LGBT politicos. Technorati rank: n/a