EXXONMOBIL TO OFFER BENEFITS TO MARRIED GAY COUPLES

 Exxonmobil ExxonMobil which is facing a major anti-gay discrimination lawsuit in Illinois, says it will give benefits to legally married same-sex couples for the first time, the AP reports: The company says it will recognize "all legal marriages" when it determines eligibility for health care plans for the company's 77,000 employees and retirees in the U.S. That means if a gay employee has been married in a state or country where gay marriage is legal, his or her spouse will be eligible for benefits with the company starting next year. Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz2gIiI9CsB

God's Giving The Pope One Message And Republicans Another

Straight Man Gets Emotional Over Gay Brother's Struggles After Wedding

In this emotional video, David Stevens, a straight man, discusses what happened after he posted pictures of his gay brother's wedding on Facebook. After telling the reader about the beautiful and loving relationship between his brother and his partner, Stevens shares a Facebook message he received following their decision to tie the knot. The message reads:

Hey David, I am removing you from my friends list. Sorry man, that latest post is way over the top. Homosexuals joining in holy matrimony? I don't think so. The holy bible speaks out against homosexuality and speaks highly of holy matrimony between a man and a woman. It's nothing more than a slap in the face to those who choose God's word for homosexual s to join in a holy marriage. I'm only defriending you so I don't have to look at your anti-God stuff anymore -- nothing personal.

Miami City Attorney Proposes To Girlfriend Cop During City Hall Meeting

Despite Florida's reputation as an "anti-gay state," a recent public and very heartwarming marriage proposal hints that the atmosphere is a lot more welcoming in the southern tip of the state.

Thursday, Miami city attorney Julie Bru popped the question to her girlfriend cop Suzy Izaguirre during a city hall commissioners' meeting.

IOC Satisfied that Russia’s Anti-Gay Law Doesn’t Violate Olympic Charter

The International Olympic Committee is satisfied with Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law, ahead of the Winter Games in Sochi next year, since it doesn’t violate its charter. Besides, it’s not like they could do anything about it, according to chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission Jean-Claude Killy.

“The Olympic Charter states that all segregation is completely prohibited, whether it be on the grounds of race, religion, color or other, on the Olympic territory. That will be the case, we are convinced,” Killy said during a news conference Thursday, following the commission’s 10th and final visit to Sochi. ”Another thing I must add: the IOC doesn’t really have the right to discuss the laws in the country where the Olympic Games are organized. As long as the Olympic Charter is respected, we are satisfied, and that is the case.”

Russia passed a vaguely-worded law back in June banning ”propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors,” which Russian officials — including President Vladimir Putin — claim is not discriminatory, but simply a measure to protect the children.

“Regarding this law, if people of traditional sexual orientation spread propaganda of non-traditional sex to children, then they will also be held accountable,” said Dmitry Kozak, a deputy prime minister overseeing the Sochi Olympics. “So there is simply no need to talk about discrimination.”

BS: PASTA CHAIRMAN GUIDO BARILLA APOLOGIZES FOR ANTI-GAY REMARKS AMID INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGE

Chairman Guido Barilla apologized on Facebook yesterday morning after remarks he made on a radio program inspired calls from all around the world for a boycott of the pasta maker.

Said Barilla on Facebook (loosely translated):

With reference to my statements yesterday to the press, I apologize if my words have offended some people.

For clarity I would like to point out that I have the deepest respect for all people, without distinction of any kind.

I have the utmost respect for homosexuals and freedom of expression. I also said, and repeat, that I have respect for marriages between people of the same sex.

Barilla in its advertising has always chosen to represent the family because this is the symbol of hospitality and love for everyone.

Said Barilla on the Italian radio show La Zanzara last night:

“I would never do an advert with a homosexual family…if the gays don’t like it they can go an eat another brand...For us the concept of the sacred family remains one of the fundamental values of the company....Everyone has the right to do what they want without disturbing those around them..."

He then added: "I have no respect for adoption by gay families because this concerns a person who is not able to choose."

GAY MARRIED MILITARY COUPLE TALKS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO GET BENEFITS

On September 3, 2013, the Department of Defense officially extended spousal and family benefits to same-sex couples. Here's the story of a couple utilizing those benefits.

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH SERVES AS WITNESS TO GAY MARRIAGE IN MAINE

Former President George H.W. Bush served as an official witness at the marriage of Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen, the owners of a general store in Kennebunk, Maine.

 Clement and Thorgalsen posted on their Facebook page, writing: "Getting our marriage license witnessed!"

The WaPo reports:

In an email from their honeymoon in London, Clement told us they’ve known the former first couple for years and were thrilled they accepted the wedding invitation. Thinking about “how monumental this time is in our lives” and “how blessed we are to be in their lives,” they decided to ask them “to really personalize it for us” as witnesses.

“This is such a wonderful time for change in our legal system,” she added. “Who would be best to help us acknowledge the importance of our wedding as our friends and as the former leader of the free world. When they agreed to do so we just felt that it was the next acknowledgment of being ‘real and normal.’”

Clement and Thorgalsen have been together for 12 years.

Catholic US Military Chaplains Banned From Presiding Over Funerals Of Married Gay Soldiers

Calling same-sex marriages “evil,” the Archdiocese that is in charge of Catholic priests serving U.S. service members has released a statement banning its chaplains from presiding over the funerals of legally married gay, lesbian, or bisexual military personnel.

Soldiers and other military personnel, including officers, who die of the field of battle or in other service to their country — for example, if they had been among those who were killed in the D.C. Naval Yard shooting — will be denied a Catholic funeral.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, in a statement that “reiterates Church teaching on homosexuality,” commanded that while “the tradition of the Catholic Church always tries to find reasons to bury the dead, a priest may not be placed in a situation where his assistance at a funeral for a Catholic would give the impression that the Church approves of same sex ‘marital’ relationships (see CIC, c. 1184, §1,3º).”

Additionally, regardless of faith, Catholic chaplains have been directed to not formally participate in weddings of same-sex couples, to not participate in “marriage retreats” if same-sex couples will be present, and to refuse to counsel service members who are in same-sex relationships.

Modern Family Proposal - Spoiler Alert

Spoiler Alert:  Not watch if you want to know how Cam and Mitchell propose on Modern Family.  Or watch it if you want to see a really cute proposal.

  

Barilla Chairman Comes Out As A Raging Homophobe

Guido Barilla, chairman of the world’s biggest pasta brand, Barilla.

“I would never do an advert with a homosexual family,” Barilla told Italy’s La Zanzara radio show Wednesday night. “If the gays don’t like it they can go an eat another brand. For us the concept of the sacred family remains one of the fundamental values of the company.”

“Everyone has the right to do what they want without disturbing those around them,” Barilla added. “I have no respect for adoption by gay families because this concerns a person who is not able to choose.”

Barilla accounts for almost half of Italy’s pasta market and a quarter of that in the US, but its chairman’s anti-gay comments have prompted calls for a boycott.

“This is another example of Italian homophobia,” Alessandro Zan, politician and gay rights activist told The Independent. “I’m joining the boycott of Barilla and I hope other parliamentarians do the same.”

New Federal Rules for Recognizing Marriages

Marriage may return to Pennsylvania, despite a ruling two weeks ago that put licenses on hold. Organizers in North Carolina are mounting a challenge to the state's marriage ban, but first they need to find a clerk willing to challenge the law. Plus new guidance from the Labor Department means benefit plans must recognize marriages in every single state.

'Obamacare Is Your 'Springtime For Hitler'

You May Want to Dace with Somebody After Watching This

South Carolina Sentor Says He Was Wrong and Now Supports Marriage Equality

Former South Carolina State Senator John Hawkins, who led the charge in South Carolina to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage, announced on Wednesday at a speech before the Alliance for Full Acceptance that he now regrets what he did and supports full marriage equality.

 Said Hawkins to WCSC: "I was wrong about pursing the marriage amendment. I wish I hadn't been so strident against it....I'm really hoping that people are going to walk away from this with a little bit of healing...It would be great if everyone who stood against us in the Senate said, 'We were wrong; In fact, you really do deserve equal rights.'"

Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports

A New Frankenstein Molecule Makes HIV Self-Destruct

Chris Cuomo, Catholic League's Bill Donohue Clash Over Pope's Comments, Homosexuality

Chris Cuomo clashed with Bill Donohue, the leader of the Catholic League, on Friday's "New Day" over Pope Francis' recent comments about homosexuality.

The pope made headlines in a new interview where he criticized the Catholic church for being "obsessed" with gays and abortion at the cost of making the church a "home for all." On Friday, Cuomo asked Donohue — a vocal opponent of LGBT rights — to respond to Francis' comments.

Donohue said he agreed that the church was not about social and political issues, but about "salvation." Cuomo suggested that Donohue was "one of the people [the pope's] sending this message to."

Gay rights leads to incest, bestiality, persecution of Christians

Conservative political activist and author Alan Keyes returned to “Dr. Chaps” Gordon Klingenschmitt’s “Pray In Jesus Name” program on Thursday where he made the case that there can be no such thing as a “right to homosexuality” because all rights come from God, and God has said that homosexuality is an abomination.

“Only those things that are demonstrated to have a relationship with what is right from the point of view of the society, of human nature, and of the things that God requires of us as part of our responsibility to him, those things can be claimed as right,” Keyes asserted.

Letting “people who love each other do whatever they want,” Keyes said, would lead to pedophilia, incest, and bestiality and persecution of Christians:

Catholic Church’s Obsession With Gay Marriage, Abortion Could Be Its Downfall

Pope Francis I says the Catholic Church must stop being “obsessed” with preaching about same-sex marriage, birth control, and abortion, or it may find itself extinct. In a lengthy, shocking, and blunt interview that was given and published in secrecy, the Pope added, “I am a sinner.”

“We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards,” the 76-year old pontiff from Argentina told La Civiltà Cattolica, a Jesuit journal.

“He said he had been reprimanded by some Catholics, who felt he had not spoken out forcefully enough on issues such as abortion and gay marriage,” the Independent reports:

In response, he said he did not see the need to discuss those issues constantly, because he agreed with Church doctrine and considered the matter closed.

“It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time,” Francis said. “We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods.”

Of the Catholic Church overall, he said: “We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards.”

The wide-ranging interview was due to be published simultaneously by 16 Jesuit publications around the world at 4pm UK time, in a dozen languages including English.

It was conducted and disseminated in the utmost secrecy, with even some Vatican officials unaware of its content, and was hailed as a “scoop” for the Jesuit movement.

THE HOTTEST BOOTYLICIOUS MILEY CYRUS PARODY YOU HAVE TO SEE

‘I Have To Believe’ — Russia Told Us ‘Sochi Will Be Free’ Of Anti-Gay Laws

An official from the International Olympics Committee says she has faith in the Russian government when they say they will drop their anti-gay laws during the Sochi Olympics. Newly-elected International Olympics Committee executive board member Anita Defrantz says she has to believe that because some members of the Russian government have sent assurances they’ll drop the ban against “homosexual propaganda” during the Olympics, they actually will.

This is the level of professionalism and practiced protection LGBT people and allies will be existing under when they travel to Russia in February. Belief and faith.

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Fortunately, Defrantz was balanced by Harvey Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk, of the Harvey Milk Foundation, who condemned Putin’s anti-gay laws. “This law actually incites hatred and incites violence,” Milk said.

“We have seen that throughout Russia and through out Eastern Europe where there are other nations like Lithuania that had the same type of anti-LGBT propaganda law since 2008. So they’re using their cultural nationalism as the basis for discrimination. And the one thing that I think we have to look out for is how long is their shopping list?

It may start with LGBT people, but it doesn’t stop with them. So this is a real warning, and the international community’s response and IOC’s response is what the world is watching right now.”

 Milk also called on Russia to remove their ban on the Pride House. “I think we need to be supporting a Pride House. We have these wonderful cultural houses that are sometimes national, sometimes regional, sometimes cultural. And the Russian government has banned what we had for the previous two Olympics. They’ve banned an LGBT Pride House. So let’s move that into the Olympic village, do a Pride House. Show that the Olympics is inclusive of everyone.”

 Defrantz was opposed to moving the Pride House into the Olympic Village. “My hope is that we don’t have to segment out the Olympic Villages for the athletes. That’s their home away from home. It needs to be private. It needs to be allowed, for them to be free, and not have a focus on that.”

 In typical conservative speak, Defrantz called on tradition. The Olympic athletes “express themselves as they have for centuries as they are as people and sharing the experience together and respecting one another. To me that’s what’s important — to keep it as it is and to not create more divisions.”  Read into that as you will.

 And then it came. “They’ve assured us that all of Sochi,” Defrantz proclaimed, “all of where the Games are, will not have this [law] into effect.”
 “Anita, you don’t believe them?,” O’Donnell asked.
 “I have to. I have to,” Defrantz replied.
 O’Donnell challenged her: “No, you don’t. Why would you believe them?”
 “Because they told us that Sochi will be free of the enforcement of these laws. So are we going to give them the chance?”

 Why would we, when they’re literally allowing rape and violent anti-LGBT hate crimes to be perpetrated unpunished?

Same-sex spouses have benefit rights, regardless of residence

Legally married same-sex couples enjoy the same federal rights as other married couples when it comes to pensions, 401(k)s, health plans and other employee benefits, even if they live in states that don’t recognize their union, the Labor Department said Wednesday.

The new guidance is the latest effort by the Obama administration to clarify questions left unanswered after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in June which invalidated part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.

The interpretation is consistent with a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service last month that legally married gay couples can file joint federal tax returns even if they reside in states that do not recognize same-sex marriages.

“This decision represents a historic step toward equality for all American families, and I have directed the department’s agency heads to ensure that they are implementing the decision in a way that provides maximum protection for wo rkers and their families,” said Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.

Mormon Church stakes out new position in Hawaii same-sex marriage debate

Just weeks away from a a special session of the Hawaii legislature called by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to move forward on a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, the Mormon church is once again calling upon its membership to get involved.

But, according to Ruth Todd, spokeswoman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the difference in this post-Proposition 8 era is that that the emphasis will be focused not on telling members of the Church which side of the issue to take, but to study the Mormon church’s philosophy that endorses marriage as between one man and one woman.

In a letter dated Sept. 15 and read at LDS temples on Sunday, church leadership urged Mormons to “study this legislation prayerfully and then as private citizens contact your elected representatives in the Hawaii Legislature to express your views about the legislation.”

Whether Mormons favor or oppose the potential change, the letter said, they should push for “a strong exemption for people and organizations of faith” that would protect religious groups “from being required to support or perform same-sex marriages or from having to host same-sex marriages or celebrations in their facilities; and protect individuals and small businesses from being required to assist in promoting or celebrating same-sex marriages.”

If lawmakers pass a bill, Hawaii would join 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in legalizing same-sex marriage.

Mayor stripped of duties for declaring June LGBT pride month

An ongoing clash in Porterville, Calif., between the mayor and city council members over a proclamation designating June as LGBT Pride month, has cost the mayor and vice mayor their jobs.

Mayor Virginia Gurrola and Vice Mayor Pete McCracken were stripped of their largely ceremonial titles earlier this week after the other three council members — Brian Ward, Greg Shelton, and Cameron Hamilton — voted to strip them of their positions.

Under the city charter, the duties of mayor and vice mayor are rotated among elected council members, who select from their peers who will fill those positions. The charter also allows for council members to strip the mayor and vice-mayor of their duties by simple majority.

Gurrola and McCracken will remain active city council members, without their mayoral titles.

Of Course, Syria Will Bring The Apocalypse

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Colbert Loses It Over Twitter's Racist Reaction To Indian Miss America

GREENWICH VILLAGE STREET TO BE RENAMED FOR BRAVE GAY COP WHO CAME OUT OF THE CLOSET IN 1981

A New York Community Board is expected to vote to rename a block in Greenwich Village - Washington Place, between Grove St. and 6th Ave - after Sergeant Charles H. Cochrane, who came out of the closet in a City Council meeting in 1981 when he testified in support of a gay rights bill, the NY Daily News reports.

"I am very proud of being a New York City policeman,” Cochrane said. “And I’m equally proud of being gay."

A 14-year veteran assigned to the Manhattan South Task Force, Cochrane testified that gays were “not cruel, wicked, cursed, sick or possessed by demons.”

Cochrane had testified moments after a police official claimed he knew no gay cops.

Cochrane's coming out inspired the formation of Gay Officers Action League, or GOAL. The street to be honored was chosen because it's the home of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, where GOAL meetings were held, the paper adds, and was also the target of bomb threats after Cochrane came out.

Cochrane died of cancer in 2008, at age 68. His sister has promised to come to NYC from her home in Illinois for the street-naming ceremony.

Ice Cream is Better Than Hate

Shirley Phelps, daughter of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps, went to Bozeman, Montana with a few of her family members last week to protest at Montana State University and at a local Bozeman high school. What the “God Hates Fags” group got in return was a well-organized cold shoulder from an estimated 1000 protesters, aided by 1500 scoops of free ice cream.

Jake Gyllenhaal addresses rumors that he's gay

On an episode of Inside the Actors Studio set to air at 8 pm on September 19, Jake Gyllenhaal addresses rumors that he's gay, and says he misses Heath Ledger every day.

 Bravo writes:

"Heath and I knew each other for years before that because we had both auditioned for Moulin Rouge together," Gyllenhaal says. After experiencing Ledger's brash, loose sense of humor in person, "I remember thinking, 'I like this guy.' He's just like, super lovable," Gyllenhaal recalls. He later admits Ledger's death hit him extremely hard: "It felt like losing a family member, and it still does to this day."

 Gyllenhaal also addresses the gay rumors that came following Brokeback, but he says he wasn't rattled. (That portion of the interview will be featured in the full episode.) In fact, "It's a huge compliment," he says. And as for what turns him on, Jake says his tastes are simple: "Tits and ass."

'IT'S VERY UNCOOL TO BE IN THE CLOSET NOWADAYS'

Actor Gilles Marini is asked if he would ever lie to help a famous gay friend stay closeted. 

Says Marini: "We're in 2013. I think it's very uncool to be in the closet nowadays. I never was a witness in any wedding in my life, and the first time I was a witness in a wedding in my life was for my dear friends Philippe and David--same-sex couple--and I think it was fantastic. Don't stay in the closet. You'll only hurt your heart and, down the line, probably your family. They need to know the truth about what you like and what you want in life."

Cher Turned Down Olympics Gig Because of Russia's 'Gay Hate'

Not that LGBT people needed another reason to love Cher, but there is one — she turned down a chance to give the opening performance at the upcoming Olympics in Russia because of all the “gay hate” there.

“I can’t name names but my friend called who is a big oligarch over there, and asked me if I’d like to be an ambassador for the Olympics and open the show,” she told Canadian newsmagazineMaclean’s. “I immediately said no. I want to know why all of this gay hate just exploded over there. He said the Russian people don’t feel the way the government does.”

Stephen Colbert Orders a Lesbian Strike on Syria

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Pastor Had Sex With Teens to Make Them Straight

A youth pastor from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was arrested earlier this year on 60 counts of suspected sexual exploitation of a minor by a counselor or therapist after at least eight young men filed complaints that the pastor molested them. The victims allege the pastor had sex with them while praying to help them gain "sexual purity in the eyes of God," according to an affidavit obtained by Omaha's KETV. 

Brent Giroeux, 31, told police in February he had sex with four young men starting in 2007 because it was his duty to "help [them] with homosexual urges by praying while he had sexual contact with [them]," reports UPI. But since that confession, at least four other men have come forward with complaints. 

Giroeux pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse and was sentenced by a judge on Wednesday to 17 years in prison. But the judge suspended the sentence to allow Giroeux to receive sex offender treatment, followed by five years' probation. Giroeux will also register for life as a sex offender.

Giroeux is a married father of four, including two foster children. His wife is currently filing for divorce, and she issued statements urging anyone else victimized by her husband to come forward. 

Rand Paul's Contradictory Criticisms Of Obama's Syria Policy

Stephen Colbert hates Obama. Rand Paul hates Obama. So why is it so hard for Stephen Colbert to agree with Rand Paul? Oh, right, because Paul's criticisms of Obama's Syria policy are barely coherent.

Marriage Equality Was Satan's Creation

The Roman Catholic archbishop of Minneapolis-St. Paul says marriage equality is a concept that came straight from Satan.

Archbishop John Nienstedt urged Minnesota's Catholics to reject marriage equality laws, but the state rejected a ballot measure for a marriage ban last November, and then the governor approved a bill to establish legal marriage rights for same-sex couples earlier this year. As the state started issuing marriage licenses to couples August 1, Nienstedt wrote in Legatus Magazine that the traditional family is now under attack.

"Today many evil forces have set their sights on the dissolution of marriage and the debasing of family life," he wrote. "Sodomy, abortion, contraception, pornography, the redefinition of marriage, and the denial of objective truth are just some of the forces threatening the stability of our civilization. The source of these machinations is none other than the Father of Lies. Satan knows all too well the value that the family contributes to the fabric of a good solid society, as well as the future of God’s work on earth."

Male Driver's License Isn't Enough to Let Trans Teen Run for Homecoming King

A driver's license doesn't count as legal proof of gender in Johnstown, Pa., according to a school board in the community about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh. 

That's essentially what Richland School District board members told Kasey Caron at a meeting last night, where the transgender senior at Richland High School fought to appeal the school's decision to list him on the female ballot rather than with fellow male classmates in the running for Richland's homecoming court. 

Flanked by more than 100 supporters wearing blue to demonstrate their solidarity, Caron laid out his case before the school board on Monday night. Caron cited Pennsylvania's Fair Opportunities Education Act in his defense, which prohibits stereotyping based upon gender in public institutions.

The Karma Chameleon is back!

Boy George is dropping a new single entitled "King of Everything" from his upcoming album "This Is What I Do" on October 28.

Colvilles become sixth Native American tribe to recognize same-sex marriage

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington state are the latest Native American tribe to recognize same-sex marriage.

The Colville Tribal Council voted last week to recognize same-sex marriage, a provision that affects over 9,360 members who are descendants of 12 different tribes, about half of which who live on the 1.4 million-acre Colville Indian Reservation in north central Washington state.

Council Chairman Michael Finley said tribes have always known that gay people — whom they call Two-Spirited Peoples — have a special place in their society, reported The Wenatchee World.

Finley said tribal culture has long recognized that some people are drawn to those of the same gender. “They’ve always been accepted,” he said. Now, tribal law will also treat them equally and with respect, he said.

Under the newly passed amendment, married same-sex partners will have the same rights as a married, heterosexual couples. One change already enacted allows anyone who works for the tribe to add a spouse of the same sex to their insurance and benefits.

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation becomes the sixth Native American tribe to recognize same-sex marriage. The others are the Coquille Tribe (Oregon), the Suquamish tribe (Washington), the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (Michigan), the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians (Michigan), and the Santa Ysabel Tribe (California).

TRANSGENDER STUDENT VIES FOR HOMECOMING QUEEN AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL

Speed Skater Anastasia Bucsis Is 'Proud to Be Gay'

Canadian speed skater Anastasia Bucsis, who is likely headed for a spot on her Olympic team this winter, says she is "proud to be gay."

Bucsis, 24, told the Globe and Mail newspaper that she came out two years ago to family and friends, but felt compelled to speak publicly as tensions rise over Russia's so-called gay propaganda law.

“I could never promote that message of concealing who you are with all of this going on in Russia. I’m kind of happy that I did it on my own terms,” the long-track speed skater said.

"I…have faith in Russia," she said. "I think — I hope — that things will get better.

Boy Comes Out On Facebook, Mother Writes Incredible Letter Of Support

New Project Spotlights LGBT-Affirming Christians

Christians proclaiming their belief in full LGBT equality.

Dan Savage describes his new project spotlighting LGBT-affirming Christians - The Not All Like That Christians Project hopes to counter homophobic voices.

Jane Lynch Gets her Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

The promise of an HIV vaccine

A vaccine to prevent HIV has aced clinical testing, according to Canadian researchers.

The team, from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University, says the first phase of testing not only succeeded, but boosted the production of antibodies in patients it was tested on.

SAV001, one of only a handful of HIV vaccines in the world, is based on a genetically-modified 'dead' version of the virus.

“We infect the cells with a genetically modified HIV-1,” team leader Dr. Chil-Yong Kang told Ontario Business Report. “The infected cells produce lots of virus, which we collect, purify and inactivate so that the vaccine won’t cause AIDS in recipients, but will trigger immune responses.”

U.S. clinical testing began in the in March 2012, looking at HIV-infected men and women between the ages of 18 and 50. Half the target group was administered a placebo, while the other group was given SAV001. The first phase of trials wrapped up last month, with researchers optimistic about the vaccine's future.

Ohio Must Recognize Same-Sex Marriage

For the second time in two months, a Cincinnati federal judge granted an order allowing the out-of-state marriage of a gay couple to be recognized in Ohio even though the state bans same-sex marriages.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Black on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order allowing David Michener of Cincinnati to be listed as "spouse" on the death certificate of his husband, William Herbert Ives, who died last week. The couple was married in Delaware this past summer.

In July, Judge Black had granted a temporary order allowing James Obergefell the right to be listed as "spouse" on John Arthur's death certificate after Obergefell and Arthur were married in Maryland.

Arthur suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal disease and is not expected to live long, according to court documents. Obergefell had sued the state, challenging as unconstitutional a law defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman.

The rulings by Black represent a victory for same-sex couples in a state where voters in 2004 restricted marriage to between a man and a woman. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia allow gay and lesbian marriage.

In making his ruling on Tuesday, Black cited the U.S. Supreme Court's June decision striking down a key part of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

"The issue whether states can refuse to recognize out-of-state same sex marriages is now surely headed to the fore," Black wrote.

Russians Share Their Thoughts On The 'Gay Witch Hunt'

‘Our Gay And Lesbian Brothers And Sisters Must Be Treated Equally’

President Barack Obama today is in Sweden, and held a press conference with his counterpart, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. Noting similarities in the two countries in his opening remarks, President Obama told reporters, “our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters must be treated equally under the law.”

Marriage Equality Expanding Fast in New Mexico

Breaking news from New Mexico, where lawsuits and rulings are coming faster than ever. Plus Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett is unhappy to discover his lawyers insulting gay and lesbian couples. And Tennessee is launching an aggressive campaign to overturn the state's marriage ban.

Obama to meet with LGBT activists while in Russia

President Barack Obama will meet with several LGBT and human rights activists during his trip to Russia for the G20 conference, a White House source confirmed Monday.

The meeting will take place Thursday at the St. Petersburg’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, according to Buzzfeed:

The groups include veteran human rights activists Lev Ponomarev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, legal aid NGO director Pavel Chikov, and Coming Out, a St. Petersburg-based LGBT organization. Another local LGBT group, the LGBT Network, is believed to be attending, though director Igor Kochetkov declined to comment to BuzzFeed, saying that he had been “asked not to say anything.”