DENVER -- Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on Thursday told lawmakers the time has come to allow same-sex couples to form civil unions here. Hickenlooper, addressing a joint session of the Colorado General Assembly, said in his State of the State address Colorado believes in equal rights.

NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Star-Ledger -- the state's largest newspaper -- on Thursday called for an amendment to the New Jersey state constitution that would legalize same-sex marriage in the Garden State.

If it weren’t discouraging enough that the Tennessee legislature will consider a “license to bully” bill and reconsider the “don’t say gay” bill, the new session has opened with the introduction of a blatantly transphobic bathroom bill.

UNION TOWNSHIP, N.J -- The school board of Union Township, New Jersey has filed tenure charges against Viki Knox, the high school English teacher whose anti-gay remarks on Facebook raised a firestorm over her free speech rights and her role as a public school teacher.

CONCORD, N.H. -- New Hampshire's lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill to repeal the state’s marriage equality law as early as next week. A senior legislative assistant, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that a vote on the measure has tentatively been scheduled for next Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Eric James Borges, 19, of Visalia, California, succumbed to suicide Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Known as EricJames to his friends, he was an intern with The Trevor Project, and a Supplemental instructor at the College of the Sequoias.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state may soon become the seventh U.S. state to legalize gay marriage. A same-sex marriage bill is expected to be introduced in the state legislature by the end of the week, and according to a tally by the Associated Press, more Washington lawmakers are firmly supporting gay marriage than opposing it.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma City Republican lawmaker has introduced a measure that would reinstate the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to ban openly gay service members in the Oklahoma National Guard.

TROY, Mich. -- Troy, Mich. Mayor Janice Daniels is embroiled in controversy again after members of a local high school Gay-Straight Alliance accused her of making homophobic remarks during a meeting Monday.

We're just one week in and already 2012 is looking like a strong year for marriage, with encouraging action in Washington, Maryland, and Colorado. The governor of Michigan revokes health care coverage for domestic partners, leaving families with no access to medical care. And a binational couple in San Francisco gets a two-year reprieve, but their eventual fate may depend on whoever occupies the White House two years from now.

TRENTON, N.J. -- The Democratic leadership of the New Jersey legislature on Monday said they will introduce marriage equality legislation this session and would make the measure in both legislative bodies Senate and Assembly the legislative top priority.

Bradford Wells breathed a sigh of relief this week following the news that his Australian-native spouse, Anthony Makk, won’t be forced to leave the United States anytime soon -- Wells received a letter from U.S. Customs & Immigration Services that potential deportation action on Makk won’t happen for at least two years.

PHOENIX -- Openly bisexual Arizona state Senator Kyrsten Sinema has announced she's resigning her Senate seat to launch a campaign for U.S. House, representing Arizona's newly drafted Ninth Congressional District.

CHATHAM, N.J. -- Bruce Harris was sworn in this week as Mayor of the borough of Chatham, N.J., and became what is believed to be the first openly gay, black Republican mayor in the country.

Bills calling for legalizing same-sex marriage and banning discrimination against transgender persons are among the hot-button issues set to emerge next week when the Maryland State Legislature begins its 2012 session.