Galleycat tells us about a dumb contest with a dumb name that got cancelled because of a dumb rule: The Romance Writers of America has cancelled its “Where the Magic Begins” writing contest after their refusal to accept same-sex entries created a controversy…The cancellation comes after authors around the blogosphere expressed anger about the new […]
LGBTQIA+
Posted inTV
Ellen Has A Few Words for the ‘One Million Moms’ Who Want Her Fired for ‘Open Homosexuality’
Last week the American Family Association offshoot One Million Moms pushed to get JC Penney to fire Ellen Degeneres as its spokesmodel due to her open homosexuality. Afterwards JC Penney rightly told the bigot moms to shove it. During a show taping today, Ellen addressed the kerfuffle (along with the reconfirmed unconstitutionality of Prop 8) […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
Meanwhile, in Russia…
On the heels of California’s Prop 8 victory, St. Petersburg officials voice their own take on homosexuality. But it’s not pretty. The new bill, passed yesterday by city legislature, would subject residents to fines of up to 500,000 rubles (approx. $16,700) for “public activities promoting homosexuality, bisexualism and transgender identity,” specifically in front of minors, […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
It’s Not Over Until We Say It’s Over
The decision in California today is heartening—even if no same-sex couples will be getting married in California anytime soon, even if the ruling is so narrowly worded that it applies only to same-sex couples in California. But, hey, let’s celebrate! I’m at the airport in Dallas, where I’m enjoying a celebratory Patrone margarita with salt […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
California Overturns Prop 8; Love Wins Again
Awesome news from Cali: A federal appeals court has ruled that the homo-hatin’ same-sex marriage ban Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, garnering cheers from awesome people who are in favor of basic human rights and more grumbles from grumpy pants haters who now vow to take their battle to the Supreme Court. Listen to them seethe. […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
More Good Progressive News
Earlier this week, the American Family Association group One Million Moms lashed out against JC Penney’s new choice of spokesmodel: Recently JC Penney announced that comedian Ellen Degeneres will be the company’s new spokesperson. Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
Big Nonprofit News! LGBT Youth Resource Group Joins Forces With Q Center
Photos via qPDX and Flickr Two of the city’s biggest LGBT groups are joining forces: The North Mississippi-based Q Center confirmed today that it’s merging with the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC), a nonprofit that provides counseling, events, and a drop-in center for queer-identified folks age 12 to 23. While it was prompted in […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
New Federal Housing Rules Redefine “Family” To Include LGBT Folks
Big news on the homefront! While the official definition of marriage as a right shared only between one man and one woman still stands on the federal lawbooks, one federal department has made its official definition of family more queer-friendly. Today, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it has formally rewritten […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
Enormous Asshole Behind Tennessee’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Denied Service in Local Restaurant on the Basis of His Enormous Assholery
Tennessee state senator Stacey Campfield authored that state’s “dont’ say gay” bill—which would make it illegal for teachers and school administrators to acknowledge the existence of gay students—went on the radio last week and argued that bullying is good for gay kids (because it help them “get back from that” gayness stuff), that straight people […]
Posted inElection 2012
Teabaggy New Jersey Governor Thinks Civil Rights Should’ve Been a Referendum
New Jersey governor Chris Christie has promised to veto any gay marriage law that crosses his desk. Remember, this guy is on every shortlist for Republican vice presidential material: See, as part of his push to have New Jersey voters vote on gay marriage in a referendum (so that he doesn’t have to be on […]
Posted inReligion
High School Paper Publishes Editorial by a Christian Student Who Believes that Gays and Lesbians Should Be Put to Death Because THE BIBLE!
The relevant question isn’t whether, under the 1st Amendment, the student paper had a right to publish the editorial and the kid had a right to think those thoughts. It did, he did. The relevant question is whether the same student paper would publish an editorial arguing that high school girls who aren’t virgins should […]
Posted inLGBTQIA+
Gay Marriage Lines Up Votes to Pass in Washington!
While marriage equality won’t be a possibility for Oregon this year, it looks like same sex marriage may soon be legal in Washington. This afternoon, Democrats announced they had the 25 votes needed to pass a marriage equality bill in the state senate. Washington’s house already has the votes lined up and Governor Christine Gregoire […]