Congressman defends remarks that employers should be able to fire gay employees
2012-05-18 20:30:58
Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) earlier this week told Think Progress that being gay is a “sexual preference” and a “choice issue,” and that he wouldn’t support employment protection legislation because people aren’t born gay.

Zimbabwe: Minister urges eviction of people who support gays
2012-05-18 20:00:10
HARARA, Zimbabwe -- Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo has urged traditional chiefs to banish 'people who support homosexuality' from their communities and take away their land.

Maryland high court: Same-sex couple married out of state may seek divorce
2012-05-18 19:30:33
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Maryland Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, on Friday ruled that same-sex couples married out of state are legally permitted to seek a divorce in the state, even though Maryland does not yet permit same-sex marriages.

Senior Pastor of President Obamas Former Church Stands By His Marriage Stance
2012-05-18 16:56:27
An influential preacher stands up for gay rights. read more

Bristol Palin Watches Too Much Television in Best Tweet Ever
2012-05-18 16:07:32
Gaysayer reads LGBT-related tweets, picks the most hilarious, and then sends them your way. read more

The Gap targeted by One Million Moms over ‘homosexual billboard’ - Group claims credits for JC Penney quarterly loss
2012-05-18 16:00:50
Clothing retailer The Gap is the latest target of “One Million Moms” — the 47,000 member group of anti-gay conservative moms — for, what else, embracing its gay and lesbian customers. One Million Moms, “a project of the American Family Association (AFA)” — an organization designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law [...]

Gap targeted by One Million Moms over ‘homosexual billboard’ - Group claims credits for JC Penney quarterly loss
2012-05-18 16:00:50
Clothing retailer The Gap is the latest target of “One Million Moms” — the 47,000 member group of anti-gay conservative moms — for, what else, embracing its gay and lesbian customers. One Million Moms, “a project of the American Family Association (AFA)” — an organization designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law [...]

World Health Organization Affiliate Discredits ExGay Therapy and Urges Nations to Condemn It
2012-05-18 15:30:52
The group is part of the World Health Organization, representing WHO in the Americas. read more

Southern Poverty Law Center Intervenes After Tennessee Student Banned from Supporting Gay Rights
2012-05-18 15:02:08
An assistant principal refused to allow students to wear anything with a rainbow on it, saying the image implied sex. read more

Rape Should Not Part of the Penalty for Prisoners
2012-05-18 14:47:14
A board member of Just Detention International explains why the long-awaited new rules will save lives. read more

Hot Sheet for May 18 2012
2012-05-18 13:35:03
The top 10 entertainment highlights on our gaydar this week: Dustin Lance Black tells a personal story, Joan Crawford is back in the saddle, Beth Ditto makes some noise, and more. read more

Male Student Suspended for Wearing a Skirt
2012-05-18 12:29:27
Boys cannot wear skirts, according to one Maryland high school that reportedly suspended a student for doing just that. NBC4 News in Washington, D.C. reports that Calvert High School punished Warren Evans, who is bisexual, after he showed up wearing high heels, a mini skirt and a long black wig. 'I feel annoyed that they would go out of their way to make it a problem,' Evans told the station, 'just for me wearing a skirt.' read more

Activists Say TV Debate Was Game Changer for Marriage in Australia
2012-05-18 11:50:34
An honest moment from a TV news show is being shared online, spiking traffic to LGBT websites, and activists say it could be the game changer needed to bring marriage equality to Australia. Finance Minister Penny Wong, a lesbian who is known for her direct answers, appeared alongside treasurer Joe Hockey on Q&A. An audience member asked Hockey why he opposes same-sex marriage. He said it's because he's a parent and wants the 'very best' for them. read more

Call Me Maybe Singer Speaks Out For LGBT Equality
2012-05-18 11:21:14
Carly Rae Jepsen, whose video for her infectious single 'Call Me Maybe' ends with the singer losing the boy of her dreams to another guy, says she's always been at ease with gay people, during an interview with Time magazine. read more

Out of the Closet and Onto the Road
2012-05-18 11:10:46
AIDS/LifeCycle rider Tim Lee understands now that he once had a lot of learning to do. read more

Michigan Lawmakers Refuse to Sign Award for Lesbian
2012-05-18 11:01:01
A lesbian who was supposed to get one of the Kalamazoo YWCA's annual 'Women of Achievement' awards got slighted Thursday, and now LGBT rights leaders want to know what happened. read more

Divorce Becomes Legal in Maryland Before Marriage
2012-05-18 10:18:06
It's not yet legal to get married in Maryland, but an appeals court ruled today that same-sex couples can already get divorced. Maryland's Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that any Marylander legally wed in another state can get divorced in their home state. The case centers on Jessica Port and Virginia Cowan, who were married in California in 2008 during the brief period when it was legal. Two years later they sought a divorce in their home state of Maryland and were denied. read more

Malawi President Wants to Decriminalize Being Gay
2012-05-18 09:26:44
Malawi's new president wants to decriminalize being gay in her country, she announced in a national address. The Associated Press reports that President Joyce Banda, who took over after her predecessor died in office, user her first nationwide address to make her declaration. 'Indecency and unnatural acts laws shall be repealed,' she told Parliament, saying the country's 'bad laws' her made their trading partners 'uncomfortable.' read more

The First Digital Revolution Lesbian Directed Hysteria Hits Theaters
2012-05-18 09:24:47
When lesbian filmmaker Tanya Wexler heard about the treatment for female hysteria (i.e. orgasms) she says, “It made me laugh. I knew it was a story I had to tell.” Her new film, Hysteria, which premiers today, is a romantic comedy wrapped around the amusing story of the first electro-mechanical vibrator, invented in 1880 by happenstance, at a time when Victorian prudishness coincided with the dawn of the electrical age. read more

MMA Fighter Jessica Aguilar Comes Out As Bisexual
2012-05-18 09:04:09
As mixed martial arts fighter Jessica Aguilar gears up to fight the top-seeded female strawweight in the world, she told Sports Illustrated's Loretta Hunt that she has learned to be more open about her bisexuality. 'I don't put it in any titles,' said Aguilar, 'but I'd say when I've found the right person—whether it's a man or a woman—I'd be happy.' read more