Marriage Equality, DADT, BSA, Politics and Media, International

Marriage Equality

• Illinois GOP chairman facing backlash over gay marriage support—The state is expected to pass it on 14 Feb. Salon
• Jose Antonio Vargas On John McCain: Gay Undocumented Journalist Criticizes Senator's Immigration Stance—"I can get married in the state of New York where I live, but because of the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal government, which hands out visas, won't recognize my marriage."
• France's parliament approve gay marriage article
• UK: MPs vote in favour of gay marriage—Still a long way to go (around 10 more steps), but it's getting there.
• Study: Porn helps straight men support gay marriage

DADT

• Deal restores severance pay for military gays
• Gay Army cadet and his boyfriend are an adorable pair at winter formal
• Marine Corps tells spouses clubs to admit same-sex spouses if they wish to remain on bases
• Chuck Hagel Promises To Extend Benefits To Gay And Lesbian Military Families—And Panetta's working on that as well.
• Pentagon Bans Access To Gay Blogs but Not Ann Coulter

BSA

• Boy Scout leaders to vote on ending ban against gay membership—Then again, maybe not.
• President Obama: Boy Scouts should let in gay members
• 'Gravely distressed': Religion looms large over Boy Scouts decision on gays—Claiming religious liberty as a means to discriminate.

Politics and Media

• Wyoming Gay Rights: Conservative State Takes Small Steps Forward
• Tennessee Republican compares homosexuality to 'shooting heroin'
• Gresham bakery finding buyers, backers amid wedding cake controversy
• Big drop in those who say being gay's a sin, study says
• Chris Culliver of San Francisco 49ers apologizes for anti-gay comments
• ACLU: "Protecting" LGBT Youth by Putting Them in Harm's Way
• Scans see 'gay brain differences'

International

• 'Gospel of Intolerance'—"The filmmaker Roger Ross Williams reveals how money donated by American evangelicals helps finance a violent antigay movement in Uganda." NYT
• Two men jailed for 'looking gay' after ordering Bailey's Irish Cream acquitted
• UK Police Accused Of Wrongly Taking Gay Men's DNA

Marriage Equality, International, Politics, Discrimination, LGBT

Marriage Equality

• 'I Didn't Know You Had Families' Mitt Romney Told Group Of Gay Parents
• After Vote for Gay Marriage, Senator Roy McDonald Faces G.O.P. Primary Fight NYT
• Meet the Mystery Donor Backing Gary Bauer's Anti-Gay-Marriage Super-PAC
• Ravens Linebacker Who Supports Same-Sex Marriage Says 'Our Team Doesn't Believe in Discrimination'
• "They Won’t Magically Turn You Into A Lustful Cockmonster"--"Chris Kluwe explains gay marriage to the politician who is offended by an NFL player supporting it."
• Australia: 'Smoking healthier than gay marriage'--"The head of the Australian Christian Lobby Jim Wallace says smoking is healthier than the lifestyle that would be promoted by same-sex marriage." Smoking, eh?
• Gay man gets 'maternity' leave in Brazil--"Brazil's social security agency has, for the first time, given a four-month "maternity" leave to a gay man so that he can care for his adopted child."

International

• Witch-hunt in Iraq--"Iraqi law enforcement agencies are involved in the systematic and deadly persecution of gay men and women there, a BBC investigation has revealed."
• China: Booklet tells parents to 'prevent' homosexuality
• Putrajaya lists homosexual 'symptoms' to prevent spread among schoolchildren
• Uganda charges British producer David Cecil over gay play
• Chile's army chief apologizes for anti-gay memo
• Evangelical Christian doctor in Australia banned from practicing as GP for prescribing chemical castration to "cure" teenager of being gay
• Halifax man pepper-sprays teen over gay slurs

Politics

• Cardinal Dolan's Speech Changes Irk Gay Catholics
• Barney Frank Won't Walk Back 'Very Harsh' Language On Gay Republicans
• New York GOP State Senate Candidate Attacks Primary Opponent For Being Gay Friendly
• Jerome Corsi, Tea Party Activist, Reports Obama Is Gay And Familiar With Chicago's Bathhouse Scene
• Don't Ask Don't Tell Study Shows No Negative Effects On Military One Year After Repeal

Discrimination

• A discrimination lawsuit. The Catholic Church and a gay, married couple--This is "a case about two men who wanted to buy a church property to build an events center."
• School Cancels Cosmetology to Stop Gay Students From Joining
• Couple settles discrimination lawsuit with Vermont resort--Vermont is one of a number of states that disallows discrimation for places of public accommodation.

LGBT

• Australia PM backs Sydney's gay rugby bid--"Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard has endorsed a bid to bring the global gay rugby championships to Sydney in 2014, offering 'strong' support despite her opposition to same-sex marriage."
• A Gay, Male Vampire Slayer Joins "Buffy Season 9"
• XBOX Live: Progress

Marriage Equality, Boy Scouts, Religion, Politics and Media, LGBT

Marriage Equality

• Barney Frank marries longtime partner
• The First Gay Military Wedding
• Episcopal Church approves same-sex blessing service
• Taiwan to stage first same-sex Buddhist wedding--"Two women plan to tie the knot next month in Taiwan's first same-sex Buddhist wedding, as gay and lesbian groups push to make the island the first society in Asia to legalise gay marriage."
• Google Announces Global Campaign To Legalize Gay Marriage
• NY appeals court throws out challenge to same-sex marriage law--"A New York appeals court... dismissed a lawsuit brought against the state’s year-old marriage equality law, ruling that the state legislature did not violate open meetings rules while working toward a deal on the measure."
• Minnesota anti-gay marriage group says Facebook page "hacked"

Boy Scouts

• Boy Scouts uphold ban on gay members, say policy 'is in the best interest of Scouting'
• A Gay Father's Response to the Boy Scouts of America: You Haven't Gone Far Enough
• Major League Soccer will not renew partnership with Boy Scouts of America following 2012 season--Coincidence?

Religion

• Rift Forms in Movement as Belief in Gay 'Cure' Is Renounced NYT
• A tempest in my soul: A son's secret brings a Southern Baptist minister to his knees
• Episcopal Church Approves Transgender People Ordination

Politics and Media

• DC Republicans Endorse LGBT Equality In Party Platform
• Jan Brewer Asks Supreme Court To Strip Benefits of Same-Sex Partners
• S.C. Dem Candidate Closes Twitter Account After Staffer Call GOPers 'Homos'
• Boston Mayor Vows To Block Chick-Fil-A From Opening Restaurant After Anti-Gay Remarks
• Anderson Cooper: "The Fact Is, I'm Gay."
• Lady Gaga Accused of Trying to Turn Teenagers Gay
• Troops march in San Diego gay parade - in uniform

LGBT

• LGBT's worst foe: The Closet Monster Salon
• Punks who blinded eighth-grader in anti-gay attack at Roy H. Mann H.S. in Brooklyn face slap could get as little as 18 months
• New Chinese dictionary in row over 'gay' omission

Marriage Equality, Religion, Politics and Media, Military, Educamation, Comics

Marriage Equality

• 54% of Americans now support gay marriage--Tell that to the 20% of Nevada Republicans, 63% of whom support legalizing brothels.
• Court: Rejection of Calif. Prop 8 stands--Setting up a Supreme Court showdown.
• Indiana Republicans, Democrats pull a platform reversal over gay marriage
• ACLU challenges Ill. same-sex marriage ban
• Australia: NSW upper house votes to back gay marriage

Religion

• Maine churches raising money with collection plate to fight gay marriage
• Group objects to voting on gay issue at N.C. churches
• Catholic Cardinal Authorized $20K To Pay Off Pedophile Priests, Then Railed Against 'Immorality' Of Gay Marriage
• Church of England warning on gay marriage
• Denmark Approves Gay Weddings In Church

Politics and Media

• Victory, unprecedented Salon
• State Sen. Stacey Campfield defends comments on origin, transmission of AIDS--Says the "facts out there" that states that the disease "originated from a man having sexual intercourse with a monkey."
• Charlie Crist Gay? Former Governor Allegedly Paid Men To Cover Up Affairs
• Eagle scout challenges Boy Scouts with 275,000 signatures demanding it change its anti-gay policy
• In a sign of new times, NY court says it's no longer slander to falsely call someone gay
• New Mexico Appeals Court Rejects Claim That Religious Right Can Ignore Anti-Discrimination Laws
• Spreaker Pulls Down Hate Speech by Gay-Bashing Radio Host Caiden Cowger

Military

• Pentagon to mark gay pride month--"Last summer, gays in the military dared not acknowledge their sexual orientation. This summer, the Pentagon will salute them, marking June as gay pride month just as it has marked other celebrations honoring racial or ethnic groups."
• House Republicans vs. Gay Troops--"Don't Ask, Don't Tell is dead, but thanks to congressional Republicans, the fight over gays in the military is just beginning."
• House Republicans Attempt To Ban Gay Marriages On Military Bases
• Gay Students Graduate Openly at Military Academies
• Israel: Army's 'gay soldiers' photo was staged, is misleading--"Male soldiers holding hands in IDF's viral photograph are not a couple, only one is gay, and they both serve in spokesman's unit."

Educamation

• Kameron Slade, New York Fifth Grader, Prohibited From Giving Gay Marriage Speech At School --The school has since changed its decision
• Minnesota Catholic School Forces Teacher to Resign for Disagreeing with Church on Gay Marriage
• Shorter University's 'Personal Lifestyle Statement' Which Bans Gay Employees Leads To Faculty Exodus
• Cincinnati School Hires Music Teacher, Then Calls Him In, Asks if He is a Homosexual, and Fires Him
• ACLU: Allow anti-gay T-shirt at Conn. school--"The ACLU says it disagrees with the student's opinion, but that he has the right to express it."

Comics

• Gay Superheroes & Same-Sex Marriage: Why Comics? Why Now?
• James Robinson Talks Alan Scott, DC's Gay Green Lantern--The "new"Alan Scott isn't the iconic version of Green Lantern.
• Asking DC Comics The “Gay” Question
• One Million Moms targets DC, Marvel over gay storylines--They temporarily retreated to "Vacation Bible School" after their bigotry backfired and have now returned.
• Archie Comics to reprint gay wedding issue for Comic-Con--One Million Moms launched an attack against the marriage of Kevin Keller that fell flat on its face.

Marriage Equality, Religion, Educamation, Politics and Media, International, Teh Gay

Marriage Equality

• Gay Marriage: Nothing to be Afraid of Anymore
• Group sought wedge between blacks, gays to fight same-sex marriage
• The Catholic Hierarchy's Quest To Erase Same-Sex Marriages From The Universe
• Rick Santorum says he'll try to unmarry all same-sex married couples if he's elected
• How the New Hampshire GOP voted to keep gay marriage--It's a good thing or else left-handed people would've been left hanging. Salon
• Gay Marriage Effort Attracts a Novel Group of Donors NY
• Romney: Fag Hag?

Religion

• D.C. archdiocese: Denying Communion to lesbian at funeral was against 'policy'--It was his perogative not to give communion, but it was inexcusable that he "did not come to the grave and made no arrangements for another priest to be there."
• Suicide Leads to Calls for Improved Treatment of LGBT Mormons
• Dutch Catholic church abuse: at least one youth castrated for 'homosexuality'
• Robertson: Satan Behind Homosexuality, Abortion Rights
• Protesters gay the pray away

Educamation

• How Anoka-Hennepin Failed Its Bullied LGBT Students--"In most of the cases, the district placed burdens on the bullied student rather than take steps to interrupt the harassment"
• Minnesota school district drops anti-LGBT policy that spawned national controversy
• Judge Slaps School for Blocking Gay Websites--"A federal judge ordered a central Missouri school district to stop using Internet filtering software that blocks access to gay, lesbian and transgender issue-related websites."
• Principal Who Condemned Gay And Pregnant Students Resigns--She told them they were going to hell.
• Iowa school assembly devolves into surprise anti-gay and anti-choice bash fest
• Alabama's First Gay Legislator Teams Up With Republican To Repeal State's Anti-Gay Sex-Ed Law
• Yanked Student Body President Gives His High School a Lesson--"The student body president claims in court that Alpharetta High School stripped him of his office because he asked the Student Council to change the title of "Prom King and Queen" to "Prom Court," "so that a same-sex couple could be elected," if students voted for them."

Politics and Media

• Sen. Mike Lee: Employers Have Right To Fire People Because They're Gay Or Transgender
• Why CNN Suspended Liberal Roland Martin For Offensive Comments But Not Conservative Dana Loesch
• Gay Marine's Kiss Was 'Four Years Of Pent-Up Emotion And Secret Love'
• Is homophobia disappearing? Salon
• Paul Babeu's Mexican Ex-Lover Says Sheriff's Attorney Threatened Him With Deportation--Well, there's a little silver lining.
• Anti-gay Conservative Radio Host Accused Of Hit-And-Run After Visiting Gay Bar
• Wang's, Chicago Gay Bar, Investigated Over Reports That It Bans Women During Busiest Hours

International

• WATCH: The Speech You’ve Been Waiting For--Hillary Rodham Clinton's address before the United Nations in Geneva
• Malawi to review homosexuality ban after US aid threat
• African Union: Ban Ki-moon urges respect for gay rights
• Boycott St. Petersburg
• What It's Like To Be Gay in Tajikistan .
• Nobel peace prize winner defends law criminalising homosexuality in Liberia
• Proving you're gay to the Turkish army

Teh Gay

• 5 Myths About Gay People Debunked by Science
• Blizzard's swear filter banned 'homosexual' and 'transsexual' but let through 'faggot'
• Marvel Invites You To The Wedding Of Northstar And Kyle
• My Grindr love affair Salon
• Ooooh Canada--Just lovely.

LGBT: DADT, Sports, Comics, Religion, World News

DADT

• After Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: The ongoing battle
• The Day the Wall Came Down: One Gay Soldier on the End of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
• Marine: Fears of end to gay ban prove unfounded--"Marine Gen. James F. Amos, the face of opposition in the military to lifting the ban on gays serving openly, now acknowledges his concern has proven unfounded that repeal would undermine the war effort. In fact, he says, Marines have embraced the change."

Sports

• David Testo's coming-out decision gets strong support--"Montreal Impact midfielder David Testo says the reaction has been 'all positive' after he announced last month that he was gay. Still, there may be negative repercussions for his career."
• The Playmaker Backs Gay Rights
• Gus Johnston: The reality of homophobia in sport

Comics

• Marc Andreyko, on Manhunter and Being Out
• X-Factor Writer Peter David Talks GLAAD Award, Shatterstar & More
• Kevin Keller, Gay Archie Character, Gets Married In January Issue
• Christos Gage speaks out on "Avengers Academy's" character coming out--Spoiler alert if you're following the series.
• DC Comics Relaunch: Scott Lobdell’s Superboy & Teen Titans Takes Cues From Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol

Religion

• Israel's religious gays battle for acceptance
• Israel's Treatment of Gay Palestinian Asylum Seekers
• Gays In The Middle East
• Was Vittorio Arrigoni Murdered Because He Was Gay?
• Gay British Muslims seek marriage

World News

• In Prague, a Fight for Gay Rights Goes International
• Brazilian City Seeks Heterosexual Pride Day
• Gay men blood donor ban to be lifted
• Collingwood's Sircuit Bar wins right to ban women
• Parenting Bill passes with large majority--A bill allowing "same-sex parents in South Australia to have both their names included on their child's birth certificate."
• Openly gay candidate tripped up by controversy in Irish elections
• New Australian passports allow third gender option
• Hundreds rally in Nepal for sexual rights--"Hundreds of gay, lesbian, transgender people marched with supporters in a southern Nepal town today to demand equal rights under a new constitution the country is in the process of writing.

DADT, Marriage Equality, Intolerance, Politics, Comics

DADT is d-e-a-d

• Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal
• After 70 years, US Navy clears military record of gay WW II veteran given an undesirable discharge
• Lesbian sgt. discharged after police tell military--This happened last year. I wonder if there's a way for her to get reinstated.

Marriage Equality

• Rory's Story
• Cheney on Marriage Equality: "I Certainly Don't Have Any Problem With It"
• Clint Eastwood: 'I don’t give a f*ck' if gays marry
• N.C. House approves gay-marriage-ban vote
• S.F. gay married couple loses immigration battle--"Citing the Defense of Marriage Act, the Obama administration denied immigration benefits to a married gay couple from San Francisco and ordered the expulsion of a man who is the primary caregiver to his AIDS-afflicted spouse."
• Judge decides to unseal video of Prop. 8 trial--"The public has the right to view video recordings of last year's Proposition 8 trial, a federal court judge in San Francisco ruled Monday."
• Florida Teacher Suspended for Anti-Gay Marriage Posts on Personal Facebook Page--I don't agree with the suspension.
• Yelp to pull critical reviews of anti-gay marriage bridal store
• The Most Hilariously Effective Signs Supporting Gay Marriage
• "If you don't like gay marriage..."

Intolerance

• Chess row over gay rights T-shirt: Chess chief claims he was barred from presenting prizes at British championships because of his Stonewall T-shirt
• American Family Association: Gays Unfit for Employment
• Gay Couple Told to Move to Back of Bus
• Twins' Guard Reprimanded For Scolding Lesbian Couple--"Well here in the stadium, we adhere to the 10 Commandments."
• Transgender woman settles DMV suit
• Study: Gay professors face discrimination from students
• 15 Year Old Gay Student Killed, "Gay Panic" Used as Defense
• California Christian Coalition Explains Repeal Effort Against Gay Education Law: Bullying Is Normal
• Anti-Gay Christian Right-Wing Activist Says 'There’s No Proof' LGBT People Exist
• The Most Transphobic Article You Will Read This Week, Courtesy Of Fox News

Politics

• The Revenge of Obama's Anti-Bullying Czar--"Not only did Kevin Jennings survive relentless attacks from the right, he brought the issue of anti-gay harassment in public schools out of the closet."
• John Boehner's $520/hr lawyer caught misrepresenting studies to a federal court--"[Former Solicitor General Paul] Clement cites a study by University of Utah psychology professor Lisa Diamond to claim that gay people can somehow transform into straight people. Diamond responded yesterday with an affidavit explaining that Clement 'completely misrepresented my research."misrepresented my research.'"
• Minnesota Mom Calls On Bachmann To Condemn Anti-Gay Bullying With 130,000 Signatures
• Christine O'Donnell explains why she walked out on Piers Morgan interview: Morgan was engaging in "borderline sexual harassment" when asking about her anti-gay religious beliefs
• GOP Legislator: Homosexuality Is 'More Dangerous' Than Terrorist Attacks Because We Have To Deal With It Every Day

Comics

• Openly Gay Superhero To Join DC's Relaunched 'Teen Titans'
• Gay Archie Character Kevin Keller Gets Married--Stay classy, Fox commenters.
• Batwoman Is the Black, Gay Sheep Of Batman's Comic Family

Debt-rimental Developments, Marriage Equality, Bachmann, Politics, DADT

Debt-rimental Developments

• "So President Obama — perhaps with some backstopping from Democrats in Congress — has his limits. And he seemed genuinely angry. Good." NYT
• Boehner, Reid work on partisan debt plans
• Eric Cantor's glaring conflict of interest--He's the GOP's chief debt ceiling negotiator. He's also invested in a fund that will skyrocket if there's a default Salon
• How the Deficit Got This Big NYT
• Asian markets fall on U.S. debt crisis

Marriage Equality

• Gay weddings: In New York, gay weddings held as new law takes effect
• N.Y. Republicans who backed gay marriage see coffers, criticism soar
• Franken Destroys Focus On The Family Witness, Exposes Misuse Of HHS Study--"I checked the study out … and it actually doesn't say what you said it says."
• Obama endorses Feinstein bill to repeal Defense of Marriage Act
• Rhode Island legislature passes civil union bill
• David Frum admits he was wrong about gay marriage
• Church of England to review same-sex relationships policy
• Gillard stops aussies from marrying in New York--"Julia Gillard again refuses to authorise same sex marriages in New York and does not budge on same sex marriages being illegal in Australia."
• Vatican Reverses Stance On Gay Marriage After Meeting Tony And Craig The Onion

Bachmann and Teh Gay

• The Teen Suicide Epidemic in Michele Bachmann's District--Two years. Nine suicides. Why critics blame the congresswoman's anti-gay allies for contributing to a mental health crisis.
• Reports: Bachmann's clinic performs 'ex-gay' therapy--They been caught on tape.
• Michele Bachmann in Her Own Words: 'Gays Are Part of Satan'
• Bachmann’s Husband Calls Homosexuals ‘Barbarians’ Who ‘Need To Be Educated’ And ‘Disciplined’--Watch Jerry Seinfeld give Jon Steward some comedy repression therapy
• Gay "barbarians" descend on Bachmann's clinic Salon
• Gay Republicans are a joke: GOP Proud supports Bachmann--They're fucking delusional.

Politics

• Hartzler Stands By Her Anti-Gay Comments
• Virginia Foxx adds anti-gay amendment to Defense Appropriations Bill
• GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios resigns amid AT&T scandal--Things just got from GLAAD to worse, and now they've dropped their support for the merger.

The end to 'don't ask, don't tell' follows shifting public attitudes--Officially over on 20 September 2011.

Double DADT

DADT: Debt and Deficit Talk

• Shame on them: The Republicans are playing a cynical political game with hugely high economic stakes
• Taxes and Billionaires--"Do we really want to close down the American government and risk another global financial crisis to protect the tax bills of billionaires?" NYT
• Wonkbook: Can the GOP still say 'yes'?--They said before they were open to 'raising revenue' and now they may have painted themselves into a corner.
• Senate Dems insist they'll protect Medicare in debt talks
• During Bush Presidency, Current GOP Leaders Voted 19 Times To Increase Debt Limit By $4 Trillion
• We have a Congress problem, not a deficit problem, in one graph
• The final nail in the supply side coffin: Taxes are low and corporate profits are high, but nothing is trickling down to the American worker Salon

DADT: Don't Ask, Don't Tell

• Military Suspends DADT And Will Now Accept Openly Gay Recruits
• Court bars enforcement of 'don't ask, don't tell'
• House: No gay weddings by military chaplains
• Soldier leaves legacy much larger than 'he was gay'
• "Which one is the gay one?"