America's 5 Favorite Ways to Ignore Jesus

Kermit the Frog: Bert and Ernie Are Straight

Heart-Melting Australian PSA for Marriage Equality

Conan O'Brien to Officiate Gay Wedding on His Show

Conan O'Brien is taping at NYC's Beacon Theatre next month and will reportedly be officiating a gay wedding on air:

Vulture hears that O'Brien will be officiating an on-air wedding during one of those episodes, and it's the sort of marriage ceremony that couldn't have taken place back when O'Brien used to tape his show in New York: a legal wedding between two men.

Show sources are quick to caution that the potentially groundbreaking event is no mere publicity stunt, and isn't intended to make light of gay marriage — in fact, O'Brien will be marrying a longtime staffer and his partner.

Mo'Nique Speaks Out for Marriage Equality

'Let's Use Our Will to Let Others Be Free'

Fox Hosts Freak Out About 'Gender Neutral' Housing, Co-Ed Dorm Life

Of all the things... they get this worked up over "gender-neutral."

Gay Service Members Sue for Equal Benefits

"We were in a position to potentially represent a number of gay military families like ourselves,” the lead plaintiff, Maj. Shannon McLaughlin, told The Advocate. "This is an issue of equity."

Gay 15-Year Old Student Stalked, Brutally Beaten

A gay 15-​year old student at Union-​Scioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, was stalked and then brutally attacked as this cell phone footage that originally was posted to Facebook shows. While the images are blurry, it’s clear that he boy’s attacker was waiting for him, then hurls punches on him. “I covered myself, I shielded my body, but he kept on hitting me,” the boy says, adding, “and nobody did anything.” The attacker left the 15-​year old boy with a possible concussion and a chipped tooth. For his hate crime, all the attacker received was a three-​day suspension.



This is not bullying. This is pre-​meditated assault and needs to be handled by the police, not by the school — the school should be calling the cops.

The victim’s mother, who says her son “is a homosexual,” walks us through the attack, and what led up to it. She adds, “All those people who have that hate in their heart, they need to let it go. Because people are going to be who they are.” Her son, the 15-​year old victim, adds that his attacker called him “the definition of a faggot,” via Facebook.

The teenager’s mother adds that no one did anything — everyone stood around and watched. Only one person took any action — which was to record this video.

Boy who identifies as girl, may be allowed to join Girl Scouts

Bobby Montoya, a 7-year-old boy from Denver, Colo., who identifies as a girl, may be allowed to join the Girl Scouts after initially being told no by a local troop leader.

“Bobby identifies as a girl, and he’s a boy,” his mother, Felisha Archuleta, told KUSA-TV.

Archuleta still refers to Bobby as “he,” but said Bobby dresses and behaves like a girl.

“He’s been doing this since he was about 2 years old. He’s loved girl stuff, so we just let him dress how he wants, as long as he’s happy,” she said.

Missouri teacher under fire for suggesting more gay youth should commit suicide

A high school teacher in Joplin, Mo., is the latest teacher under fire for allegedly posting anti-gay remarks on Facebook, which included a suggestion that more gay youth should commit suicide.

Jim Whitney, an instructor at Joplin High School, allegedly posted a comment on the wall of a former student’s Facebook profile on Oct. 19, reported the Joplin Globe.

The former student had posted a link to a news article about Jamie Hubley, a 15-year-old gay teen from Ottawa who committed suicide recently.

In response to the link, Whitney allegedly replied, “Moral of the story: Don’t be gay.”

The brief thread included this question from another commenter: “How many more kids have to kill themselves before everyone realizes that this is an actual issue?”

The reply, attributed to Whitney’s Facebook account, was “11-13 ought to do it.”

Brazil's Supreme Appeals Court Says Gays Can Marry

Brazil's Supreme Appeals Court overturned rulings by two lower courts yesterday and said that two women can be legally married, the AP reports.AFP adds:

In a 4 - 1 vote, the highest federal court ruled that the Constitution "makes it possible for stable civil unions to become marriages".

Indeed "sexual orientation should not serve as a pretext for excluding families from the legal protection that marriage represents", the court said in a statement. Brazilian federal law has not specifically legalised same-sex marriage. And while state courts are not required to follow the same line as the highest court, the Supreme Court ruling should play some role in discouraging Brazil's states from blocking same-sex marriage, legal experts say.

'Crazy' GOP Candidate Rhetoric: Even Pat Robertson Says 'Tone It Down'

part two - where it gets really good:

Iraq Withdrawal Giving Republicans 'Empty Nest Syndrome'

Up to 2 Million Children with Gay Parents Suffer from Stigma and Biased Laws

A new report on children raised by gay parents is out today from the Family Equality Council, Center for American Progress, the Movement Advancement Project, the National Association of Social Workers and the Child Welfare League of America, the AP reports:

Increasingly, the welfare of these children will be a core part of gay-rights strategies, as evidenced by a comprehensive report being released Tuesday. Compiled by an alliance of advocacy and child-welfare groups, it summarizes how laws and social stigma create distinctive challenges for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families.

While the U.S. Census does not count children of gay parents, the report estimates them at 2 million:

Among the barriers and inequities they face, as detailed in the report:

—Many government safety net programs use definitions of family tied to marital status which may exclude same-sex partners.

—Because of lack of legal recognition for their unions, gay and lesbian parents can face heavier tax burdens, higher costs for health insurance, and diminished financial protections in the event of death or disability.

—When same-sex parents separate, one parent may lose custody or visitation rights, even in cases where he or she had been a child's primary caregiver.

Overshadowing all these problems is pervasive social stigma, according to the report.

LA Asks LGBTs To Adopt!!

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services recently teamed up with three non-profits to recruit gay and lesbian families to foster and adopt children during November, National Adoption Month

N.H. Panel Recommends Repeal of State’s Marriage Equality Law

"A New Hampshire committee is asking the House to repeal the state’s 15-month-old same-sex marriage law and replace it with civil unions for any unmarried adults including relatives.

"It is astounding that Republican legislators would repeal New Hampshire’s marriage equality law when not only do 60 percent of New Hampshire voters oppose the repeal, likely Republican presidential primary voters oppose repeal as well," added Ray Buckley, chair of the state’s Democratic Party."

Is Another GOP Gay Sex Scandal Brewing In NJ?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Republican Voters Are Pushing Party Too Far Right

Denmark To Legalize Gay Marriage

Legislation will be introduced early next year with the goal of allowing same-sex couples in Denmark to marry.

According to the Copenhagen Post, the government plans to introduce a bill after the New Year that would allow same-sex couples, who are currently entitled to the civil status of “registered partnerships,” to hold weddings in the Church of Denmark and be considered “married” under the law.

Support Federal Marriage Ban

"Tea Party favorite Herman Cain says he's changed his mind and now supports a federal amendment banning same-sex marriage."

Teach Your Children Well

The Wilfahrt Story- A Gay American Soldier

State's Largest Union Urges Passage of Marriage Equality in Washington

Washington’s largest private sector union, UCFW 21, said on Thursday that it will support efforts to pass marriage equality there, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

“Domestic partnerships were a giant step forward and provided working families with important protections. However, only marriage can provide gay and lesbian couples and their children legal rights that provide essential protections such as social security, spousal and survivor benefits,” the 35,000-member union, which represents people in the retail and health care sectors, said in a statement.

Last month a poll conducted by Seattle political consulting firm Strategies 360 found support for gay marriage marriage in Washington state at at 54-35.

Washington's current domestic partner bill was called an "everything but marriage" bill because it gave same-sex partners the rights of marriage but not the label.

How Sad - Homosexuality in High School

More Than 900 Methodists in NY and CT Defy Church in Pledge to Support Same-Sex Marriage

More than 900 members of the Methodist church in New York and Connecticut, including "clergy members who will perform weddings for gay couples, lay members of the denomination who support them, and congregations who have adopted policies to formally make weddings available to all couples," signed a covenant this week in defiance of the denomination's ban, to support same-sex marriage.

Number Of Gay Couples Adopting Has Skyrocketed In Past Decade

The number of gays and lesbians adopting children has nearly tripled in the past decade despite discriminatory rules in many states, according to an analysis of recent population trends.

"It's a stratospheric increase. It's like going from zero to 60," said Miami attorney Elizabeth Schwartz who has coordinated more than 100 adoptions for gay and lesbian families in the past year. "I think many really dreamed of doing this but it wasn't something they ever thought would become a reality."

About 21,740 same sex couples had an adopted child in 2009, up from 6,477 in 2000, according to the Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law. About 32,571 adopted children were living with same sex couples in 2009, up from 8,310 in 2000. The figures are an analysis of newly released Census Bureau estimates.

New York-based Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute released a report Thursday culminating a four-year project surveying 158 gay and lesbian parents and their experience with the adoption process. Their researchers found the highest number of homosexuals adopted children from Massachusetts, California, New York and Texas.

Sarah Silverman plans 'N*****head' live show in Rick Perry's home state

Comedian and TV actress Sarah Silverman is set to thump Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry with a provocatively titled live comedy show in his home state.

Silverman is marshaling fellow comics for a fund-raiser in Texas titled, “Live From N*****head: Stripping The Paint Off Of Good Ol’ Fashioned Racism.”

The title refers to the controversy over Perry’s West Texas hunting campground where the candidate has entertained friends and supporters. The campground’s former name, “Niggerhead,” was painted on a rock at the entrance for many years.


On lighter news:  Michele Bachmann 2012 Campaign Staffers In New Hampshire Quit

Rush Limbaugh Accuses Obama of Killing Christian

In Less Than A Minute Alan Grayson Explains Occupy Wall Street To The 1 Percent

Herman Cain, Choicer

Dear Herman,

If being gay is a choice, show us the proof. Choose it. Choose to be gay yourself. Show America how that's done, Herman, show us how a man can choose to be gay. Suck my dick, Herman. Name the time and the place and I'll bring my dick and a camera crew and you can suck me off and win the argument.

Very sincerely yours,

Dan Savage

Occupy Wall Street

Michigan panel votes to ban domestic partner benefits

"A committee in the Republican-led Michigan Senate has approved legislation aimed at blocking the offering of taxpayer-paid health insurance to domestic partners living with public employees."

Botswana's Former President Calls for Decriminalization of Homosexuality: 'These are Citizens'

Former Botswana President Festus Mogae told the BBC that his country should decriminalize homosexuality:

Mr Mogae, who heads the Botswana government-backed Aids Council, said it was difficult to promote safe sex when the two practices were illegal. He also called for condoms to be distributed in prisons. His views are controversial as many conservative Batswana frown upon homosexuality and prostitution.

Said Mogae: "I don't understand it [homosexuality]. I am a heterosexual. I look at women. I don't look at other men. But there are men who look at other men. These are citizens."

Mogae said sex workers should be left alone: "To protect them and their clients from being infected, you have to assist them to protect themselves. I don't think by arresting them you help them...If people can go to prison HIV negative and come out of it HIV positive, it means that prisons, whatever the law says, are one of the sources of infection."

NJ Governor Chris Christie Calls Teacher Viki Knox's Anti-Gay Facebook Remarks 'Disturbing'

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was asked about the furor set off by Union High School teacher Viki Knox and her remarks on Facebook calling homosexuality a "perverted" sin that "breeds like cancer", the Star-Ledger reports:

"I think that kind of example is not a positive one at all to be setting for folks who have such an important and influential position in our society," Christie said this morning on 770 WABC Radio. "I'm really concerned about those kinds of statements being made."

Christie said he finds the comments "disturbing."

Hundreds protested yesterday outside a school district board meeting.


Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz1bGL9l4kt

'Pitting Americans Against Americans' With 'Take Our Country Back' Rhetoric

Toddler Run Over Twice, Over A Dozen Passersby Ignore Her

Horrifying footage of a 2-year-old girl in China being run over by two separate vehicles and left to die by passersby has stirred outrage throughout the country, with CNN reporting that security footage of the incident has led the nation of 1.3 billion people to do some collective soul-searching.

Lesbian Couple of 30 Years Arrested in North Carolina After Being Denied Marriage License

Minnesota Archbishop Instructs Every Priest in the State to Push Passage of Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

Minnesota Archbishop John Nienstedt is taking a page from the playbook used by PR firm Schubert Flint in successful efforts to pass Proposition 8 in California and sending instructions to all his Minnesota minions to get on top of efforts to pass the ballot measure in the upcoming election that would ban same-ex marriage, the Minnesota Independent reports:

“It is imperative that we marshal our resources to educate the faithful about the Church’s teachings on these matters, and to vigorously organize and support a grass roots effort to get out the vote to support the passage of the amendment,” the letter read. It went out on Oct. 4 to every priest in the state.

The archbishop said it wants priests in every parish to identify a “church captain” in order to create an “ad hoc committee” in every church in the state. The “church captain” is a component of the Schubert Flint strategy used in 2008′s divisive Proposition 8 battle in California.

ABC News anchor Dan Kloeffler comes out during broadcast

Dan Kloeffler, an ABC News correspondent and occasional anchor on the overnight “World News Now” — inspired by actor Zachary Quinto’s announcement this weekend that he is gay — has publicly acknowledged that he too is gay.


During the early morning broadcast on Monday, Kloeffler, 35, joked that he might drop his rule about dating actions after delivering the news of Quito’s coming out.

Later, on his ABC News blog, Kloeffler wrote:

I’ve never shared that I’m gay on-air, even though I’ve been out to my family, friends and co-workers for years. In fact, an old boyfriend – now best friend – has always given me a hard time about not doing so. But for the same reason that Zach decided to come out, I too, no longer wanted to hide this part of my life.

There have been too many tragic endings and too many cases of bullying because of intolerance. As a kid I wanted someone to look up to, someone that could relate to the feelings I was having. Most of all, I wanted to know that it would get better.

And it did.

As a journalist, I don’t want to be the story, but as a gay man I don’t want to stand silent if I can offer some inspiration or encouragement to kids that might be struggling with who they are.

3 HIV Positive People Dead In UK After Churches Tell Them To Stop Taking Antiretroviral Drugs

At least three people living with HIV in the UK have died after being told by their churches to stop taking their antiretroviral medications reports the BBC.

The women believed "God would heal them" after receiving advice from their Evangelical Christian pastors and then discontinued the use of drugs prescribed to fight their HIV infections.

"I know of a friend who had been to a pastor. She told her to stop taking her medication - that God is a healer and has healed her," Jane Iwu, 48, from Newham, east London, who is herself living with HIV, told the BBC.

"This lady believed it. She stopped taking her medication. She passed away."

Another woman in east London is came forward with a similar story of a friend who passed away and Prof Jane Anderson, director of the Centre for the Study of Sexual Health and HIV, in Hackney, said she was involved in another case.

"We see patients quite often who will come having expressed the belief that if they pray frequently enough, their HIV will somehow be cured," Anderson said.

Straight People Don't Get It

Rugby superstar turned equality activist Ben Cohen says that a lot of straight people don't get why he's fighting antigay bullying and discrimination, in a new interview with NBC Miami.

Cohen, who is straight and the 10th highest point scorer in England rugby history, retired from the sport to create the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, which raises awareness for the long-term effects of bullying. Cohen says he was inspired to create the foundation after his father was killed trying to break up a fight in a nightclub.

Gay Canadian Teen Latest Casualty of Bullying

A 15-year-old Canadian youth has killed himself after enduring bullying and posting messages online in which he talked about his struggles and his pain.

Jamie Hubley, the son of a city councilor for Kanata South, Canada, wrote on Tumblr about being openly gay, a status that marked him for harassment at school, numerous online reports said.

"Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 10 and 24 and disproportionately affects gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth," said an Oct. 17 article published by the Ottawa Citizen.

Actor Zachary Quinto Comes Out

"After years of refusing to discuss his own sexuality, actor Zachary Quinto, who played several notable gay characters in recent years, has come out. Quinto made the revelation in a New York Magazine interview in which he touched on the recent suicide of a gay teen."

Male Cheerleader Suspended For Kissing Another Boy

A male high school student from Alice, Tex., says he was booted from the cheerleading squad and suspended from school for kissing a male student on campus.

The young man, who has not been identified, says the kiss was captured by a surveillance camera, which leads him to believe that school official were targeting him because of his sexual orientation.

While the school’s superintendent declined to comment on the incident, the student’s parents say if their son isn’t reinstated to the cheerleading squad, they will take further action.

South Carolina’s Episcopal Diocese May Secede Over Gay Issues

Episcopals in South Carolina are at a crossroads over homosexuality—and the end result might be the diocese seceding from the national church. In a recent Reuters story, Rev. Jeffrey Miller of St. Helena Church in Beaufort, SC, said, “The question is not whether we can stay. It is whether they will let us stay and follow what we believe.”

The national church’s position on LGBT issues has evolved significantly since 1991, when the General Convention astated that “physical sexual expression” is only appropriate within a monogamous union of husband and wife. By 2000, the church affirmed “the variety of human relationships in and outside of marriage.” The 2009 Convention approved the ordination of partnered gays and lesbians and gave bishops the choice whether or not to bless same-sex unions.

But South Carolina Bishop Mark J. Lawrence, who has led the state diocese’s move to distance itself from the national church, accused it of preaching a “false gospel of indiscriminate inclusivity… that has suffocated the mission of the Church.” Earlier this month Lawrence was charged with “abandonment”of church doctrine for not reprimanding individual churches that have or are considering secession to the Anglican church.

GLAAD's Amplify Your Voice

Competititive Pole Dancing in Hungary

We Do

From October 3rd to 14th The Campaign for Southern Equality had same-sex couples request marriage licenses at the Asheville, North Carolina Buncombe County Register of Deeds.



The Campaign for Southern Equality edited the footage from their “WE DO” action into a heartbreaking video that shows each couple requesting legal recognition and then getting turned down by city clerks. There’s tears, disappointment, and yet hope as one genuinely regretful clerk says that she hopes the state will legalize marriage equality soon.

North Carolina voters will decide whether to include a marriage equality ban in their state constitution this May.

Victoria Jackson Goes to Occupy Wall Street

Who could have predicted when she was on SNL that Victoria Jackson's ultimate character would be a teabagging loon bigger than any she played on the comedy show — and the joke is on her. I don't think Jackson realizes how stupid her own video makes her look!



Mark Frauenfelder writes:
I think Jackson deserves to be congratulated for publishing this video, because the people she interviews (particularly the second guy that she spends about 10 minutes with) obliterate every claim and loaded question she delivers.

California Schools Are Now 'the Devil's Schools' Because They Teach That Gays Exist

Kelsey Grammer Rejects Tea Party Due To Anti-Gay Marriage Stance

California Gay History Law Repeal Fails

Opponents of a California law requiring that the contributions of gays and lesbians be taught in public schools failed Wednesday in their attempt to qualify a ballot referendum to repeal the law.

The groups wanted to force a vote on Senate Bill 48, the nation's first law requiring that public schools include gay rights milestones and gay and lesbian contributions in social studies lessons. It takes effect in January.

Groups that had been circulating signature petitions said they would not meet Wednesday's deadline.

Harvard Wrestling Team Comes Out as LGBT Allies for National Coming Out Day

Harvard's wrestling team made a huge show of support for LGBT rights yesterday on National Coming Out Day, wearing t-shirts and pins in support of a gay non-resident tuto rand their LGBT peers, the Crimson reports:

According to wrestler David J. Lalo ’13 (above, left), it was a non-resident tutor in Lowell House, Robert Joseph “R.J.” Jenkins, who inspired the team to participate in National Coming Out Day. “[R.J.] has made a tremendous impact across our team,” Lalo said. “We wanted to show him we support the LGBT community.”

Jenkins, who is openly gay, said that he casually brought up the idea of wearing the pins one day while speaking with several athletes in the Lowell dining hall. He said the men responded positively to his proposal.
“I started to imagine it as an opportunity for them to come out as allies,” he said. “To think about a day for allies to come out and say, ‘I accept these people in my life. I accept them for who they are.’”

Said team captain Walter Peppelman in a press release obtained by Towleroad: "The Harvard Wrestling family believes that it is important to send a message of hope, love, and acceptance to the Harvard community. Today is also an opportunity for us to begin to break down some of the negative stereotypes attached to our sport and to athletics in general. We want to show that the members of Harvard Wrestling love and respect individuals for who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation and pledge to do our best to make them feel at home at Harvard."

Florida School Board Rejects Program With Boy Scouts Connection

The Pinellas County School Board in Florida decided to sever ties with an educational program affiliated with the Boy Scouts because of the organization’s refusal to admit gay members.

Matthew Shepard Anniversary

Oct. 7, 1998

After driving west, McKinney and Henderson tie Shepard to a fence and beat him, taking his shoes, $20 and a credit card before heading back into town at about 12:30 a.m. Still tied to the fence, Shepard is discovered at about 6:00 p.m. by Aaron Kreifels, a passing cyclist who is said to have mistaken him for a scarecrow at first. After Kreifels calls the police, Shepard -- who had been outdoors for 18 hours in near-freezing weather -- is admitted to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., in critical condition

Oct. 12, 1998
Shepard is pronounced dead at about 12:30 a.m. He never regained consciousness after being admitted to the hospital.

Oct. 16, 1998
Matthew Shepard's funeral is held in Casper, Wyo. Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. protests outside the funeral with anti-gay picket signs.

April 5, 1999
After pleading pleads guilty to felony murder with robbery and kidnapping, Henderson (left) is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole.

Nov. 4, 1999
Though acquitted of first-degree murder, McKinney is convicted of two counts of felony murder, second-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. He is sentenced to two life sentences, to be served consecutively.

February 2000
"The Laramie Project," a play based on Shephard's case (seen here in a 2002 production photo), premieres at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Productions of the controversial play have since been mounted both professionally and by high schools, colleges and community theaters both locally and abroad.

Oct. 22, 2009
After numerous legislative setbacks, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is finally signed into law by President Obama, effectively expanding the 1968 U.S. federal hate-crime law to include those crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Geraldo Driven Out of Wall Street Protest by 'FOX News Lies' Chant

Supreme Court Declines Gay Adoption Case

In February 2010, a federal appeals court upheld a December 2008 ruling by U.S. District Court judge Jay Zainey ordering the state of Louisiana to list both names of adopted gay parents, Oren Adar and Mickey Ray Smith, on their son's birth certificate. Their son was born in Louisiana but they adopted him in New York. The couple now lives in Orlando, and their case was overturned in April.

In July, Lambda Legal asked the Supreme Court to take on the case.

The Court has declined:
The court said Tuesday it won’t review a federal appeals court ruling against the adoptive parents. The appeals court ruled that the Louisiana registrar’s insistence that only one father’s name can go on the certificate does not violate the child’s right to equal protection under the law or deny legal recognition of the adoption by both men. The adoption occurred in New York, which allows same-sex couples to adopt.

lifornia governor signs ‘Seth’s Law’ anti-bullying measure, two transgender rights bills

California Governor Jerry Brown (D) on Sunday signed “Seth’s Law,” an anti-bullying measure aimed at giving public schools tools to prevent and address bullying through mandatory policies, and systems to help discourage harassment and track incidents when they do occur. The governor also signed two significant transgender rights bills.

The anti-bullying bill (AB 9), introduced by openly gay Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), is named for Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old gay teen who committed suicide in September 2010 after enduring years of bullying due to his sexual orientation.

The new law mandates that schools post anti-bullying policies throughout campuses, provide complaint forms on their websites, and give schools a timeline to investigate and resolve complaints.

Governor Brown has also signed into law two significant transgender rights bills.

The first measure, entitled the Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 887), makes “gender identity and expression” its own protected category at work, at school, in housing, at public accommodations, and in other settings. The second, the Vital Statistics Modernization Act (AB 433), makes it easier for transgender people to get a court-ordered gender change and updated birth certificate.

Equality California Director Steps Down After A Whopping Three Months

Days after Equality California announced that it would not challenge Prop 8 at the ballot box, their director Roland Palencia announced his plans to step down. He served just three months on the job.

When asked why he’s stepping down, Palencia gave the following answer:

“I want to make sure that everyone supports the organization. This is the time for all of us to rally and support Equality California. I have seen how this organization literally changes lives. It is a community asset and we have to keep our eye on the prize.”

Britain warns it will cut aid to African nations for persecuting LGBT citizens

Britain’s Tory led government has announced that it will reduce financial aid to nations that persecute their LGBTQ citizens.

“The government is committed to combating violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in all circumstances, in this country and abroad. We take action where we have concerns,” according to a spokesperson for Andrew Mitchell, Britain’s International Development Secretary .

“We now allocate funds every three months, rather than every year, so that we can review a country’s performance, for example on human rights, and take swift action when governments fall short. We only provide aid directly to governments when we are satisfied that they share our commitments to reduce poverty and respect human rights,” the spokesperson said.

Britain has already cut aid to the African nation of Malawi by £19 million after two gay men there were sentenced to 14 years hard labor. Mitchell also warned Malawi leaders not to introduce plans imposing draconian new anti-lesbian laws.

Mitchell is also threatening to impose further aid sanctions against Uganda and Ghana for those nation’s hard-line anti-gay measures. This policy was disclosed after Prime Minister David Cameron defended his decision to legalize gay weddings when he addressed last week’s Conservative Party conference in Manchester.

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Marines Recruit at SoCal Pride Event

Marine recruiters looking to add to the ranks of the few and the proud attended the San Gabriel Valley Pride festival in Pasadena over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Santorum on DADT and Segregation

Michele Bachmann Brags About Antigay Record

Before her campaign started sinking in the polls, Michele Bachmann had habitually downplayed her opposition to all things gay as irrelevant. But in a new ad, brought to you by new campaign leadership, she wears it as a badge of honor.

"I'm running to be president of the United States," she reminds voters at the start, which is coincidentally a line she had once regularly employed to dodge questions about her belief in so-called reparative therapy to "cure" homosexuality and her opposition to same-sex marriage.

"Conservatives are being told once again that we should settle for anyone but Barack Obama," she argues. "Well, friends, this is the one year where we can't settle. I have fought for life from the statehouse to the United States Congress. I've led the charge as a champion for traditional marriage. And as president, I want you to know I'll fight for life and for marriage."

The ad is posted on YouTube under the headline "Don't Settle on Life and Marriage." It's a stark change from her "meet the candidate" interview on Meet the Press in August.

LeAnn Rimes Poses for Marriage Equality Campaign

Pop singer LeAnn Rimes is the latest celebrity to stand up for LGBT equality by posing for the No H8 campaign.

This isn't the first time Rimes has stumped for equality. While performing in concert with the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles last December, Rimes admitted to being saddened by the bullying epidemic. “It's really sad when people can't be themselves,” she told the audience, before dedicating "The Rose" to LGBT teenagers.

Sarah Palin's 'Dishonorable' Campaign Fundraising

Herman Cain: Being Gay Is A Choice - "Show Me The Science It's Not"

Michele Bachmann Responds To Gay Bullying Petition: 'Bullying Is Wrong'

Rep. Michele Bachmann responded Monday to a petition that urged her to publicly address gay bullying.

"Bullying is wrong," she says, according to the blog Dump Bachmann.

Two weeks ago, Tammy Aaberg, whose son Justin committed suicide last July, met with members of Bachmann's staff to request that the congresswoman denounce the anti-gay bullying that Aaberg said led to her then-15-year-old son's death. She presented a box carrying 141,000 petitioning signatures, The Advocate reported.

A few days later, a Costa Mesa, Calif. rally attendee asked Bachmann about how she will address school bullying in her district.

"That's not a federal issue," she said, according to CBS News.

Bachmann's official response to the petition Monday notes that she is "very aware and concerned about the cases of bullying and suicides that have occurred" in Anoka-Hennepin Schools -- Minnesota's largest school district that falls in Bachmann's Congressional district. The blog Dump Bachmann published the full statement.

"In response, my office has been in communication with both school officials and with individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide," the statement reads. Bachmann also notes that she is just one of the members of Congress who represent the Anoka-Hennepin school district.

Principal Assaults H.S. Student for Pro-Gay Shirt

A high school student in Madisonville, Tenn., said he was verbally and physically assaulted by his principal last week for wearing a T-shirt supporting the establishment of a gay-straight alliance at Sequoyah High School.

Chris Sigler wore a homemade T-shirt to school last Tuesday that read, "Gay Straight Alliance: We've Got Your Back." Moser grabbed Chris's arm, shoved him against a wall, and chest-bumped him several times, while asking, "Who's the big man now?" The attack ended when Sigler's mother arrived at the school to find Moser leaning over her son, shouting in his face.

Boehner Triples DOMA Legal Budget

House Speaker John Boenher has tripled the allocation to defend DOMA to a possible $1.5M.

At a time when Americans are struggling through one of the worst economies in our nation's history, it is shameful that House Republicans are now tripling the spending of tax dollars - including those of gay and lesbian Americans - to defend a discriminatory anti-gay law that makes it even harder for committed gay and lesbian couples to take care of and protect their loved ones. The so-called Defense of Marriage Act is indefensible, and wasting tax dollars on perpetuating discrimination is unconscionable.

Gay Men Offered Fewer Job Interviews

According to a study published today in the American Journal of Sociology, men whose resumes indicate that they’re gay are 40% less likely to be called in for job interviews, especially in the south or Midwest.

This 90 Percent Successful Vaccine May Be Our Best Chance to Eradicate AIDS

Spanish researchers have completed the first human trial of a new vaccine against HIV. It has been successful in 90% of the HIV-free volunteers during phase I testing. This vaccine brings great hope to eradicate this plague forever.

The team lead by Dr Mariano Esteban, a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council's Biotechnology National Centre, has been working on this method since 1999. They are using an attenuated virus called the MVA-B, a variation of the Modified Ankara Vaccinia, which was previously used to eradicate smallpox. The Modified Ankara Vaccinia also forms the base of other vaccines. The B refers to the HIV-B, the most common HIV subtype in Europe.

Dr Esteban's team inserted the HIV genes Gag, Pol, Nef and Env in MVA's genetic sequence. In 2008, they tried the resulting HIV nuke on mice and monkeys. It was a complete success.

Hudson Taylor's Work Combating Homophobia in Sports

 The NCAA and Buick are sharing stories of former NCAA student-athletes who are making a difference in the world today. Check out this great video that they produced about Hudson Taylor and his Athlete Ally organization.

Governor O'Malley is a Marylander for Marriage Equality

Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the coalition of groups working to pass same-sex marriage legislation in the state, launched a new video series on Monday. O’Malley, who has pledged to make the legislation a priority in 2012, appears in the first video.

In the 45-second spot, O’Malley talks about balancing religious freedom and the freedom to marry.

“As a free and diverse people of many different faiths, we choose to be governed under the law by certain fundamental principles, among them, equal protection of the law for every individual and the free exercise of religion without government intervention,” O’Malley says in the video. “The legislation we plan to introduce in the 2012 legislative session will protect religious freedom and equality of marital rights under the law.”

O’Malley, a former Baltimore mayor, announced in July that he would prioritize marriage equality legislation after receiving criticism for not being vocal enough in his support of the bill during the 2011 legislative session. Like Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who successfully pushed for such legislation in New York this year, O’Malley is mentioned as a potential Democratic presidential hopeful in 2016.

9 Facts About The Stonewall Riots

Stonewall Riots

While the struggle for LGBT equality is more than a century old, many mark the 1969 Stonewall riots as the official “shot heard round the world” that sparked the beginning of what we know as the modern gay-rights movement. Even today, the last Sunday in June is marked by gay Pride around the world.
Check out these facts on the origins of Pride:
1. The Stonewall riots started at 1:20am on Saturday, June 28,1969 at The Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York City. Another incident took place later that night.
2. The first gay Pride march didn’t take place until June 28, 1970. There were no floats—it was more of a politically-driven demonstration to commemorate the Stonewall Riots than the non-stop party it is today.
3. A unknown lesbian is responsible for starting the first riot. When a cop hit her in the head with a billy club and cuffed her, she turned to the crowd and screamed, “Why don’t you do something?!?” After an officer threw her into the back of a paddy wagon, “the scene became explosive”.

Early Pride Marchers

4. Kick lines and a re-write to the Howdy Doody theme song were part of the crowd’s reaction to the police attempting to control rioters.
5. The Stonewall Inn was owned and operated by the Mafia. There was a peephole in the door and if the bouncer didn’t recognize you or didn’t think you were gay, you weren’t getting in.
6. Stonewall had no running water behind the bar (plastic cups were not all the rage in the ’60s) and overflowing toilets were common.
7. At the time of the riots, cross-dressing was illegal. You could be arrested for not wearing a certain number of gender-appropriate garments. The night of the riot, female police officers took patrons dressed as women into the bathroom to confirm their sex.
8. Believe it or not, The Village Voice, today a gay-equality champion run by a lot of gays, took an anti-gay stance in covering the riots. Angry protesters threatened to burn their headquarters down.
9. The Voice provided favorable coverage of the Pride march the following year. In fact, the media as a whole began its painful, gradual ascent to a fair and balanced approach to LGBT issues.

Marriage News Watch

Toby Keith Weighs In On Gay Marriage and Don't Ask Don't Tell

Toby Keith says gay marriage doesn't bother him and trying to stop it wastes time and money.

The country superstar tells "CMT Insider" airing Saturday on CMT that he doesn't see the reason behind getting into people's personal lives. He says refusing a marriage license to people because they are gay won't stop them from living together, so it accomplishes nothing.

Keith also weighed in on the military's now-repealed "don't ask, don't tell" policy that banned gays serving openly in uniform. He says that anyone with the training and passion should have the right to defend the country, adding: "Somebody's sexual preference is, like, who cares?"

The "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" singer has taken part in nine USO tours to entertain U.S. troops overseas.

Wal-Mart Extends Anti-Discrimination Policy to Trans Employees

Retail giant Wal-Mart has extended its non-discrimination policy to trans employees, drawing praise from GLBT equality advocates. Wal-Mart’s policies already covered gay and lesbian employees, though there have been claims of anti-gay harassment at specific store locations.

"What matters in the workplace is how you do your job, not your gender identity or sexual orientation," the president of the Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solmonese, said in a Sept. 28 news release.

"As the nation’s largest private employer, Wal-Mart shows that doing the right thing is also good for business," Solmonese added. "We urge them to continue to move forward by ensuring all of their LGBT employees receive equal benefits."

Pentagon Decides Military Chaplains May Perform Gay Marriages

The Pentagon on Friday announced it would allow military chaplains to officiate the marriages of gay service members, including on a military installation, the AP reported.

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley issued the ruling in a memo released this morning.

“A military chaplain may participate in or officiate any private ceremony, whether on or off a military installation, provided that the ceremony is not prohibited by applicable state and local law,” Stanley wrote.

The ruling comes 10 days after the military ended an 18-year-old policy that banned gay and bisexual troops from serving openly, known as “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”

Obama Talks Gay Rights

Lights of LA

LA Light from Colin Rich on Vimeo.

Alec Baldwin Plays "Who's on Top"

Pope says Catholics cannot accept gay marriage

Pope Benedict said on Saturday the Catholic Church could not accept gay marriage and urged young people to root out evil in society and shun a "lukewarm" faith that damages their Church.

The 84-year-old pope ended the third day in his homeland with a rally for more about 30,000 young people at a fairground outside the southern city of Freiburg, a Catholic area where he received the warmest welcome of his trip so far.

"The world in which we live, in spite of its technical progress, does not seem to be getting any better," he told the young people. "There is still war and terror, hunger and disease, bitter poverty and merciless oppression."

He urged them to root out all forms of evil in society and not to be "lukewarm Christians," saying that lack of commitment to faith did more damage to their Church than its sworn enemies.

Young people in the crowd cheered as he spoke.

"The Church is shown very negatively in the media these days so it is important for us young people to see we can also be proud of the Church, and the Church itself is not bad even if some people have let it down," said Kathrin Doerr, 26, who attended the youth rally.

Earlier, at a meeting with Orthodox Christian leaders, Benedict spoke out against abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage.

"We as Christians attach great importance to defending the integrity and the uniqueness of marriage between one man and one woman from any kind of misinterpretation," he said.