NC MOTHER INSTRUCTS SON TO FLOG HIS BROTHER WITH BELT TO 'BEAT THE GAY AWAY'

Mary Gowans, a maother in Whiteville, North Carolina, is facing misedemeanor child abuse charges after she directed her 12-year-old son to beat his 15-year-old brother with a belt in order to "beat the gay away", WNEM reports:

According to the report, a 15-year-old said his mother, Mary Gowans, had his 12-year-old brother strike him repeatedly, and he was not allowed to fight back. She then reportedly made the teen strip down to his underwear, and proceeded to strike him with a belt across his body.

Police say there was a large abrasion on the 15-year-old's back.

Gowans, however, says the allegations aren't true. She said her son was intoxicated when he reported the incident to police, and that although she doesn't agree with the gay lifestyle, she would never harm her children. According to Gowans, her 15-year-old son has been visiting a gay man, whom she heard had molested him.

Gowans claims she was trying to protect her son by beating him.

Bayard Rustin: The Gay Dreamer Behind Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” Speech

Today commemorates the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s seminal “I Have a Dream” speech, which could not have happened without the guidance of openly gay civil rights pioneer, Bayard Rustin. Portions of this story originally appeared in Eight LGBT African-Americans Who Changed the Gay Community.  

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream—and a gay ally who helped make it come true.

A pacifist and activist, Bayard Rustin (1912-1987) learned to take a nonviolent yet effective stand for equality from his grandmother, Julia, and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. In his youth, Rustin rallied against Jim Crow laws and the racially charged case against the Scottsboro boys.  Later, he debated Malcolm X, stressing the importance of seeing the world’s various races as one big family.

Rustin first met King in 1956, when Rustin helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He educated MLK in Gandhian nonviolent protest principles and went on to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where King made his immortal “I have a dream” speech.

But Rustin’s homosexuality posed a problem: some civil rights leaders took issue with it, while members of the U.S. government used Rustin’s sexuality—and his arrest in 1953 for a “sex perversion” offense—to undermine his effectiveness. Strom Thurmond blasted Rustin as a “communist, draft-dodger and homosexual” and had his arrest file entered in the congressional record.  (Thurmond also produced an FBI photo of Rustin and MLK chatting while the latter was taking a bath, to suggest the two were lovers.)

Before views about homosexuality softened, much of Rustin’s accomplishments in the civil-rights movement went unsung—though they are chronicled in the brilliant documentary Brother Outsider.

By the 1970s, Rustin began championing gay rights more directly: In a 1986 speech, “The New Niggers Are Gay,” he drew an explicit connection between the struggles of the black and LGBT communities:

“Today, blacks are no longer the litmus paper or the barometer of social change. Blacks are in every segment of society and there are laws that help to protect them from racial discrimination. The new ‘niggers’ are gays. It is in this sense that gay people are the new barometer for social change. The question of social change should be framed with the most vulnerable group in mind: gay people.”

Gays Use Rings To Infect Others With AIDS

Tuesday on the “700 Club,” Pat Robertson told co-host Terry Meeuwsen that gay men in cities like San Francisco attempt to spread HIV/AIDS to others by cutting them with a special ring when shaking hands.

Half of New Mexico's Citizens Now Enjoy Marriage Equality

A New Mexico district judge has ordered Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties to offer marriage licenses to same-sex couples, reports Think Progress.

The ruling, which follows on the heels of the Doña Ana County clerk Lynn Ellins’s decision to begin providing marriage licenses to same-sex couples last week and a different judge's order for Santa Fe County to do so, was handed down Monday by Judge Alan Malott. Malott determined that while New Mexico’s state code did implicitly prevent same-sex couples form obtaining marriage licenses, those prohibitions were in direct violation of the equal protection clauses in both the federal and state constitutions.

“There is no benefit to the parties or the public interest in having this matter progress through a lengthy path of litigation while basic constitutional rights are being compromised or denied on a daily basis,” Malott wrote.

While the ruling clears the way for any county in New Mexico to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the three that have already begun to do so — Santa Fe, Bernalillo, and Doña Ana — encompass nearly 50% of the state’s population.

Gay Russian Teen Uses Twitter to Fight Homophobia

Despite Russia’s antigay legislation banning public discussion of LGBT issues, one gay teen in the country is bravely battling homophobia through Twitter, reports Vice.

Using the account @ru_lgbt_teen, a young man known as Kirill gives a rare firsthand account of what daily life is like for LGBT people in the Russian city of Novosibirsk through frequent tweets, dealing with subjects such as how he endures bullying at school, photos of same-sex couples kissing, and his desire to seek asylum.

First Same-Sex Couple Gets Marriage License After Yesterday’s New Mexico Ruling

The first marriage license to a same-sex couple in New Mexico’s Bernalillo County was issued this morning to a couple identified as Pat and Karen. “Can I kiss the bride, yet?” she asked after the ceremony at the Bernalillo County clerk’s office was complete.

Yesterday afternoon, a New Mexico district court judge in Albuquerque, Alan Malott, ruled that state’s ban on same-sex marriage was “unconstitutional and unenforceable” and has removed it from Bernalillo County, the state’s most-populous.

“I’m very happy and proud to finally be issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples in Bernalillo County. Furthermore, I am beyond relieved to have some judicial guidance in this matter that immediately resolves the conflict that existed between state law and our state constitution,” Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced upon hearing the ruling yesterday. ”Marriage is a fundamental civil right that should be acknowledged and respected at all levels of government. Judge Malott’s ruling today has made it clear that the fundamental assumption of that civil right outweighs other technicalities and concerns.”

Yesterday’s action follows a similar ruling by another New Mexico judge last week for Santa Fe county, and the act of a Doña Ana county clerk earlier in the week who announced he could find no constitutional reason to deny same-sex couples licenses.

“This is a great day to be a resident of New Mexico,” said ACLU-NM Executive Director Peter Simonson. “Our state is now on the brink of joining the growing list of states who live and honor the values of family, liberty and love. Every family in this state is made richer by this step toward justice for all.”

N.C. churches drop Boy Scout charters over policy to allow gay scouts

A handful of churches in North Carolina say they’re not renewing their charters with the Boy Scouts of America after the organization announced this year that it would no longer deny membership to openly gay boys.

The First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, N.C., announced last week it would not renew its longtime charter,reported The Gaston Gazette. Senior Pastor Matt Kuiken emailed a statement to The Gazette saying the decision was made “with deep sadness.”

“While we welcome all in the name of Christ to worship and enjoy the ministries of First ARP Church, and while Troop #4 of the BSA has been a wonderful part of our history and ministry, and a great blessing to all who have participated in its activities, this change in policy by the BSA has compelled us to take action,” according to a statement from Senior Pastor Matt Kuiken.

Piedmont Council CEO Connie Bowes, who oversees Boy Scout troops in 11 N.C. counties, said two additional churches in Cleveland County said this month they are severing ties with the organization. She declined to name the churches.

Most populous N.M. county begins issuing marriage licenses to gay couples

More than 100 people were lined up in Albuquerque Tuesday morning as the clerk in New Mexico’s most populous county began issuing marriages licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

The clerk opened her office to the crowd at 8 a.m., and a mass wedding was planned at noon in Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza.

New Mexico Same-Sex Marriages To Begin TodayAs Judge Lifts Unconstitutional Ban

A New Mexico district court judge in Albuquerque has ruled a ban on same-sex marriage is “unconstitutional and unenforceable” and has removed it from the counties in which he has the authority to do so. Second district court judge Alan Malott ordered Bernalillo County and Santa Fe County clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples “without regard to the couples’ sexual orientation or gender.” Bernalillo County is the state’s most populous county.

Banning Marriage Equality Is 'Just Discrimination'

The Roman Catholic bishop of Honolulu is rallying the faithful troops to oppose legislation that would make Hawaii the 15th U.S. jurisdiction (including D.C.) to embrace marriage equality, reports ThinkProgress.

Responding to Hawaiian governor Neil Abercrombie's statements last week that he was "very likely" to call a special session of the legislature to consider a marriage equality bill this fall, Bishop Larry Silva published an open letter on Thursday asking Hawaiian Catholics to speak out against the legislation in support of "just discrimination" against same-sex couples. 

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis win best video with social message for ‘Same Love’

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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were among Sunday night’s top winners at the MTV Video Music Awards, taking home trophies for best hip-hop video and best cinematography for “Can’t Hold Us,” and best video with a social message for “Same Love.” “Gay rights are human rights,” Macklemore said during the telecast. “There is no separation.” They performed “Same Love” with Mary Lambert and Jennifer Hudson in a show-stopping moment.

TENNESSEE CHURCH KICKS OUT FAMILY FOR SUPPORTING LESBIAN DAUGHTER

The Coopers of Collegedale, TN had been members of the Ridgedale Church of Christ for over three generations. That all changed when they were photographed at a city council meeting that voted 4-1 to approve same-sex benefits to government employees. The Coopers' daughter, Kat, is a lesbian and a detective with the Collegedale Police Department and had been leading the cause to have those benefits extended to gay couples. Because they showed up to support her, the church met privately with Kat's parents, aunt, and uncle and gave them an ultimatum: repent for their sins and ask forgiveness in front of the congregation, or leave the church, the Times Free Press reports.

Tegan and Sara surprise Taylor Swift Fans at Staples Center In Los Angeles on Aug. 20th to perform their single "Closer" with Taylor during her "Red" Tour. 

Oxford English Dictionary Revises Definition of Marriage to Reflect Same-Sex Relationships

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the online  Macmillandictionary.com have revised their definitions of marriage to reflect the legal recognition of same-sex relationships, The Guardian reports:

The definition of "marriage" now reads: "The relationship between two people who are husband and wife, or a similar relationship between people of the same sex," with the second clause newly added.

RICK PERRY QUIETLY ASKS FOR $100 MILLION OBAMACARE BENEFIT, EVEN THOUGH HE OPPOSES IT

Rick Perry has vocally opposed 'Obamacare' for years, be it throughout his failed presidential candidacy or simply his three-term stint as the governor of Texas. As recently as this past April, Perry turned down $100 million in federal funding to help expand Texas' Medicaid program--funding which, according to ThinkProgress, could have helped provide basic health benefits to 1.5 million low-income Texans. Now, Perry is in negotiations with the White House to receive $100 million in order to help expand a program called Community First Choice. ThinkProgress reports:

"The Affordable Care Act grants state funding to expand a program called Community First Choice, which aims to improve the community-based medical services available to disabled and elderly Americans. The wildly popular program is administered through Medicaid and could prevent thousands of disabled and older Americans from being uprooted from their homes and into a long-term care facility for their treatments. Approximately 12,000 Texans could take advantage of it in the first year alone."

‘I Am Chelsea Manning. I Am A Female’

After Bradley Manning was arrested for handing 750,000 items, documents, and videos to WikiLeaks, there were a few reports stating Manning was transgender. After being sentenced to 35 years in prison, Manning has now made it official.

“As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female,” Manning writes in a letter released to the public. The letter also thanks her supporters.

I want to thank everybody who has supported me over the last three years. Throughout this long ordeal, your letters of support and encouragement have helped keep me strong. I am forever indebted to those who wrote to me, made a donation to my defense fund, or came to watch a portion of the trial. I would especially like to thank Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network for their tireless efforts in raising awareness for my case and providing for my legal representation.

As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition. I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.

Thank you,
Chelsea E. Manning

RUSSIA DEFENDS ANTI-GAY LAWS, SAYS IT WILL NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST HOMOSEXUALS AT SOCHI

The Russian government has responded to the International Olympic Committee's request for clarification about application of its laws during the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, the AP reports:

The IOC received a letter Thursday from Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak (pictured) giving assurances the host country will comply with the Olympic Charter's provision against discrimination of any kind.

However, Kozak didn't back down on the issue of the new law, which penalizes anyone who distributes information aimed at persuading minors that "nontraditional" relationships are normal or attractive...

...Kozak says the law applies equally to everyone and "cannot be regarded as discrimination based on sexual orientation."

IOC President Jacques Rogge seemed pleased with the response, calling it a "strong written reassurance."

Wentworth Miller, “Prison Break” Star, Comes Out As Gay, Declining Russian Film Festival Invite

Prison Break actor Wentowrth Miller came out of the closet today in a letter to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival declining an invitation to appear there. 

Wrote Miller in a letter published on GLAAD's website:

Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes.

However, as a gay man, I must decline.

I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.

Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice.

Said GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz: "Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians: you are not alone. "As people from across the globe continue to speak out against this horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."

Greg Louganis: Olympic Games must follow own discrimination policy

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Coming Out Has Made My Life Better

NBA star Jason Collins says coming out gay has changed his life for the better.

Collins, 34, is the NBA free agent who came out gay in April in a cover story for Sports Illustrated, making him the U.S.'s first openly gay professional athlete.

In remarks to Chicago gay weekly Windy City Times, Collins said that coming out “has changed my life for the better in so many ways.”

“Coming out has made me much happier; I don't have that stress anymore. As I often tell people, you don't know how good you are going to feel once you get rid of that stress,” he said.

Collins credited his smooth coming out to Arnn Tellem, his agent.

“I wouldn't have been able to do this without him,” he said.

“I still remember, toward the end of last season, debating how I was going to do it. What am I going to do? At the end of the day, everyone has to do what is best for them, what will make them happiest.”

Though he remains a free agent, Collins said that he was looking forward to next season: “The most important thing for me now is being in shape and ready to play basketball.”

HAWAII GOVERNOR NEIL ABERCROMBIE SAYS SPECIAL SESSION FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL 'VERY LIKELY'

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie told a group of Democratic leaders in the state that it's "very likely" he will call a special session this fall to try and pass marriage equality, the Washington Post reports:

“I think we can put together something that can achieve a solid majority, that will give us the opportunity to establish marriage equity in the state of Hawaii commensurate with the recent Supreme Court decisions, and will satisfy and resolve the issues that are presently before the appeals court on the mainland,” Abercrombie told a gathering of state Democrats.

Abercrombie’s chief of staff, Blake Oshiro, is working on language with the state attorney general’s office, the Star-Advertiser reported Monday. State Senate leadership says they have the votes to pass a same-sex marriage bill.

Possible Protest Of Anti-Gay Law

After winning the 4x400-meter relay at World Athletics Championships Saturday, runners Tatyana Firova and Kseniya Ryzhova shared a kiss. Then the gold medalists kissed again during the award ceremony.

While some speculated that the Russian athletes' kiss on the winners podium was an apparent jab at the country's anti-gay law, local media questioned whether it was a political gesture or simply a congratulatory embrace.

Chris Christie To Sign Gay Conversion Therapy Ban

Gov. Chris Christie plans to sign a bill Monday barring licensed therapists from trying to turn gay teenagers straight, making New Jersey the second state to ban so-called conversion therapy, along with California.

The bill passed both houses of the New Jersey Legislature with bipartisan support in June. Assemblyman Tim Eustace, who sponsored the bill and is openly gay, described the therapy as "an insidious form of child abuse."

In a signing note accompanying the bill that will be made public Monday, Christie said he believes people are born gay and that homosexuality is not a sin. That view is inconsistent with his Catholic faith, which teaches that homosexual acts are sins.

The Republican governor also said the health risks of trying to change a child's sexual orientation, as identified by the American Psychological Association, outweigh concerns over the government setting limits on parental choice.

"Government should tread carefully into this area," he said in the signing note, which was obtained by The Associated Press, "and I do so here reluctantly."

Stephen Colbert to Olympians: Cool It on Gay Stuff

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Athletes Must Comply With Russian Law

The head of the U.S. Olympic Committee says he expects athletes to “comply with the laws” of Russia during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, including the oppressive so-called gay propaganda law recently adopted in the nation, although exactly what compliance means remains unclear.

“The athletes are always going into countries with laws different than his or her own country,” Scott Blackmun, CEO of the committee, told Russian news source R-Sport this week. “They’re going to agree with those laws in some ways, they’re going to disagree with those laws in other ways. It’s our strong desire that our athletes comply with the laws of every nation that we visit. This law is no different.”

Boycotting Stoli Has As Much impact on Putin’s Policies As Boycotting Borscht

"The Stoli boycott is the most obviously misguided. First, the company that makes Stoli isn’t based in Russia and the vodka hasn’t been made there for more than a decade. It’s made in Latvia, which is part of the European Union. The owner moved it out of Russia precisely because of his opposition to President Vladimir Putin and the values of his party. In addition, the company that owns Stoli — and is based in Luxembourg — has stated publicly that it stands “strong and proud” with the global LGBT community “against the attitude and actions of the Russian government.”

Clearly, not only does boycotting Stoli hurt a company that actually supports us, but it has about as much impact on Putin’s policies as boycotting borscht!

Most important of all, many Russian LGBT leaders — and LGBT activists in Latvia — have advised that boycotting Stoli is NOT helpful. They’ve said the same thing about an Olympics boycott, as they believe the Games may offer an unprecedented opportunity to impact public opinion among a Russian populace that overwhelmingly opposes LGBT rights.

Calls to boycott Stoli and the Olympics can attract media attention or capture the popular LGBT community’s imagination. But ideas that appeal at first glance to many of us in the U.S. may not actually advance the cause of LGBT equality in Russia. In fact, they could have the opposite effect.”

– Lorri L. Jean, CEO of L.A.’s Gay & Lesbian Center, in “Think First, Act Second to Support LGBT Equality in Russia,” an op-ed she wrote for Huffington Post

Gays ‘Will Not Be The Scapegoat Of The World Any Longer’

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'People Who Are Destroying America'

Russian TV Host Was Fired Hours After Coming Out As Gay On Live TV

Anton Krasovksy, a Russian TV personality, decided to come out on live television, leading almost immediately to his dismissal.

“I’m gay, and I’m just the same person as you, my dear audience, as President Putin, as Prime Minister Medvedev and the deputies of our Duma,” Krasovsky, 37, said earlier this year in January on the Kremlin-backed television and internet network he helped launch, KontrTV.

Though his admission was followed by a “storm of applause” by the audience and the show’s staff, Krasovsky was fired the very same night. By the next day, his presence had been completely erased from the network’s website; all of his corporate accounts and his email were blocked.

Krasosvky was surprised because “it takes them half a day to put up a banner when I ask them to, and here we had such efficiency.”

Pentagon To Extend New Benefits To Same-Sex Partners

"The Pentagon plans to extend to legally married same-sex couples the same privileges and programs that are provided to legally married heterosexual couples, including benefits tied to health care and housing, the official said."

"In addition, the official said that service members who are stationed in one of the 37 states where same-sex marriage is illegal will be offered up to 10 days of leave so they can travel to one of the 13 states, plus the District of Columbia, that grant same-sex marriage licenses."

'Fox And Friends" Angered By California Transgender Bill

US track star wins silver medal in Russia, dedicates win to LGBT friends back home

American runner Nick Symmonds is a well-known LGBT ally who had vowed not to get political during the World Track and Field Championships in Moscow.

But after winning the silver medal in the 800 meters Tuesday (13 August), the 29-year-old could not stop himself and dedicated his medal to his LGBT friends back home.

'As much as I can speak out about it, I believe that all humans deserve equality as however God made them,' Symmonds told Russia's R-Sport.

He added: 'Whether you're gay, straight, black, white, we all deserve the same rights. If there's anything I can do to champion the cause and further it, I will, shy of getting arrested.'

Symmonds comments could be a test of Russia's anti-gay propaganda law which criminalizes public expression of support for 'nontraditional' relationships. Foreign citizens are subject to fines of up to 100,000 rubles, up to 15 days in prison, and deportation and denial of re-entry into Russia.

'I respect Russians' ability to govern their people,' said Symmonds. 'I disagree with their laws. I do have respect for this nation. I disagree with their rules.'

Olympic officials push Russia to clarify anti-LGBT law

The International Olympic Committee says it is awaiting clarification from the Russian government on laws banning LGBT "propaganda." IOC President Jacques Rogge said Friday that Russian officials' promises that participants in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi would be safe were insufficient. "There are still too many uncertainties in the text," he told reporters. LGBT advocates have criticized the IOC for not taking a stronger stance against the law, which Russian officials confirmed Monday would be enforced during the games.

Gay Sailor Proposes To Boyfriend At Connecticut's Naval Submarine Base After Six Month Deployment

It was quite the romantic scene at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Conn. on Aug. 12, when a sailor on the USS New Mexico popped the question to his longtime partner after six months at sea.

The New London Day reports that Petty Officer 2nd class Jerrel Revels dropped to one knee before proposing to his partner, Dylan Kirchner, at the base's Pier 31. 

"It kind of tickled my mind every now and then that (he would propose) but I never expected this," Kirchner, a Connecticut resident who was introduced to the Texas-born Revels last September, told The Day's Kerry M. Flynn. "I didn't really care everybody was around. It felt just like the two of us."

Calif. governor Jerry Brown signs landmark transgender student rights bill

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the School Success and Opportunity Act into law, a landmark bill to ensure transgender youth have equal opportunities to fully participate and succeed in schools programs across the state.

Gov. Jerry Brown (D-Calif.)

The law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2014, is the first of its kind in the country, and requires that California public schools respect students’ gender identity and makes sure that students can fully participate in all school activities,sports teams, programs, and facilities that match their gender identity.

Olympic committee leadership ‘cross’ with Russia over anti-gay law

he Olympic leadership is “cross” with Russia for implementing anti-gay legislation ahead of the Winter Games, a senior IOC official said Monday, insisting that there must be no restrictions on athletes in Sochi next year.

The law, which provoked an international outcry and calls for a boycott of the Olympics, bans “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” and imposes fines on those holding gay pride rallies.

Lefteris Pitarakis, AP
Activists participate at a protest against Russia’s new law on gays, in central London, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013. Hundreds of protesters called for the Winter 2014 Olympic Games to be taken away from Sochi, Russia, because of Russia’s new anti-gay law.

The IOC asked the Russians last week to provide written re-assurances about how the law will be applied.

And C.K. Wu, an IOC executive board member, said the Russians must “fully understand” that the human rights of athletes, as enshrined in the Olympic charter, have to be respected during the Feb. 7-23 Olympics in the Black Sea resort.

“We want to know during the games what will happen in different situations,” Wu told reporters in London. “‘What are you (Russia) going to do?’ So we are waiting for them to really respond.”

2014 Russia Olympics Boycott Continues To Stir Debate Among LGBT Community

RUSSIAN TV OFFICIAL DEHUMANIZES GAYS ON POPULAR NEWS PROGRAM

Prime Minister Wants to Bring Marriage Equality to Australia In 100 Days

Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd reinforced his support for marriage equality Saturday at a debate against his challenger, opposition leader Tony Abbott. 

"One: I support marriage equality," said the prime minister, responding to moderator David Speers's question about whether each candidate would move to legislate marriage equality in Australia if elected to the nation's top political position. "And the reason I do has been well canvassed in the national debate, and why I've changed my position."

"My commitment to you is that in the first 100 days of a  reelected government, a bill would come forth … to legalize marriage equality," promised the Labor leader, who first came out with his support for marriage equality in May. "We would, on our side, of course, allow a full conscience vote."

7 Out Of 10 Republicans In Georgia Believe In Creationism

The vast majority of Republicans in the state of Georgia believe in creationism. A new PPP poll finds that 70 percent of those who identify as Republican in the Peach State still believe in the debunked concept of creationism, and only 17 percent believe in evolution. Thirteen percent were unsure.

But liberals and those who take science seriously shouldn’t get their hopes up too much. 43 percent of Georgia Democrats believe in evolution too — and only 33 percent believe in evolution. One in four Georgia Democrats were unsure.

Overall, 53 percent of Georgians believe in creationism, only 29 percent believe in evolution.

Be Masculine - What does that even mean?!

Obama Says He Has No Patience For Countries That Harm LGBT People

"[I have] no patience for countries that try to treat gays of lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them…You know, I think Putin and Russia have a big stake in making sure that the Olympics work, and I think that they understand that for most of the countries that participate in the Olympics, we wouldn’t tolerate gays and lesbians being treated differently. They are athletes. They are there to compete. And if Russia wants to uphold the Olympic spirit, then every judgment should be made on the track or in the swimming pool or the balance beam and people’s sexual orientation shouldn’t have anything to do with it.”

– President Obama addressing Russia’s antigay propaganda laws during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

2016 President Speculation

STEPHEN COLBERT WANTS THE RAINBOW BACK FOR HIS TERROR ALERTS

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Judge to hear arguments on whether to dismiss challenge to Ill. gay marriage ban

A judge in Cook County, Ill., is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday on whether to dismiss a case challenging Illinois’ ban on same-sex marriage.

Circuit Judge Sophia Hall will consider a defense motion to dismiss the lawsuit involving 25 couples who filed for marriage licenses in Cook County and were denied.

Pennsylvania Marriage Dispute Heats Up

P!NK Says She Is Proud to be Called A Lesbian

P!nk scoffed at followers on social media who called her a "lesbian" after she danced with a rainbow flag and draped it around her neck at a concert in Melbourne, Australia over the weekend.

Christie Administration Urges Judge Not to Issue Quick Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage

Chris Christie's government has filed a brief in a case challenging the state's civil union law, urging a New Jersey judge to not hastily grant marriage equality, the AP reports:

The state says gay rights advocates may be misinterpreting details of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in their push to get gay marriage recognized in New Jersey, that the issue is not ready to be decided yet and that a quick ruling would be inappropriate.

"Plaintiffs, by virtue of their summary judgment motion, seek to side-step the Supreme Court mandate concerning the need for a factual record," the state Attorney General's Office says in its brief.

The filing Friday is the first legal word from the administration of Gov. Chris Christie in a legal tactic that flows directly from a June U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidates the key components of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which had prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex nuptials.

Meet the Gay Teen Already Changing the World

Media startup Vocativ sat down with the teenage prodigy to talk about life as an openly gay teenage scientist.  

Jack Andraka is 16 years old. He's an award-winning scientist, an advocate for open source information, and at 14 years old, he developed a revolutionary way to test for pancreatic and ovarian cancer that is faster, cheaper, and more accurate than the current medical standards. That discovery led him to a series of highly acclaimed TED Talks, and a sit-down with President Obama. 

Judges Extend High Court Same-Sex Ruling

Just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of a federal law that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, judges in lower courts are citing and even building on the ruling in battles over state laws concerning same-sex marriage and other issues affecting gays and lesbians.

A federal judge in Cincinnati cited the June ruling in U.S. v. Windsor in finding Ohio's 2004 law banning the recognition of same-sex marriages from other states "likely" to be unconstitutional, at least in regard to the couple that brought the suit.

So far, all of the rulings have come during preliminary stages of cases, so they might not lead to state laws being upended. But they show how the Supreme Court's decision could quickly reshape state law on marriage even though it only addressed a single part of a federal statute.Another federal judge, in Detroit, relied partly on the Windsor case to temporarily strike down a Michigan law denying domestic benefits for gay and other unmarried couples. Days later, a different federal judge in Detroit cited the Windsor case in allowing a lawsuit challenging Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage to move forward, over the state's objections.

"It's a pattern that's emerging—and it's striking," said David Cruz, a law professor at the University of Southern California and an expert on civil-rights law. Rather than finding ways around Windsor, he said, "judges are embracing its principles."

-Wall Street Journal

GAY OLYMPIANS BLAKE SKJELLERUP AND JOHNNY WEIR SPEAK OUT ON CNN AGAINST SOCHI BOYCOTT

Rep Ellison Celebrates Marriage Equality in Minnesota

Marriage equality became a reality in Minnesota on August 1 and Rep. Keith Ellison took to YouTube to celebrate with a rendition of "This Land Is Your Land".

Ellen Degeneres to Host 2014 Academy Awards

Ellen Degeneres, one of the foremost funny people in America, will be hosting the 2014 Academy Awards on March 2, 2014. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement this morning amid the already fresh buzz about the newly elected president of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs. Isaacs is the first African-American president of the Academy, and she resoundingly approved of Ellen's nomination to host.