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Here’s ten of LGBTQ Nation’s most-read posts

Here’s ten of LGBTQ Nation’s most-read posts
Thank you for helping us reach this important milestone.
Thank you for helping us reach this important milestone.

LGBTQ Nation has reached an important milestone, and we’d like to thank you for making it possible.

As reported by Publishers Daily, Q.Digital today announced plans to consolidate two of its existing online properties — GayCities and  Queerty — with three newly acquired websites: Bilerico Project, Dragaholic, and, yes, LGBTQ Nation, which Q.Digital has owned and operated since July.

The company, formerly known as GayCities Inc., makes the move on the heels of hitting a new milestone in growth, having surpassed both Here Media (Advocate and Out) and the Gay Ad Network in Quantcast’s monthly ranking of sites with more than 4.5 million unique monthly users.

LGBTQ Nation is by far the most-followed LGBT news source. As of September 2015, we are fast approaching one million Facebook fans, adding hundreds every week. Your comments and “likes” add an important dimension to each post, adding discussion and engagement to our trusted “Just the facts, ma’am” approach, providing insights into current events, the culture wars (we’re talking you, Kim Davis!), and charting the incredible LGBTQ road to equality and freedom.

To celebrate this new chapter in LGBTQ Nation’s history, which will allow us to bring even more great articles, we’ve gathered some of our most popular posts and highlighted some of our favorite reader comments.

Thank you, again, and keep ’em coming.

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Only one person showed up to Seattle’s Heterosexual Pride “Parade.” Guess who it was.

Seattle’s first-ever Heterosexual Pride Parade was far from a roaring success. In fact, only one person even bothered showing up — and that was the event’s organizer, anti-gay blogger Anthony Rebello. “If only he’d hired a gay party promoter,” one commentator quipped. Another noted that “the photos show Rebello wearing a T-shirt with a crucifix on it. I think his Savior had something to say about pride…”

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Straight men everywhere are making out with each other to spite Kim Davis

Yes, we know: You’ve had it with Kim Davis and Kim Davis coverage, but this detail of the story was pretty special. Our audience couldn’t get enough of the #KissesForKim campaign, which found heterosexual men all over the world making out with their buddies and posting pictures on social media; a clever (and sexy) way to show solidarity with all things LGBTQ, and to show Kim Davis that love is the answer. “Man that’s so freaking hot!” cried one commentator . “Anything that promotes love over hate is the way to go,” replied another.

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Gay couple assaulted by a homophobic thug leave him “covered in his own blood”

When a same-sex married couple fought back against a man who struck at them while slinging homophobic slurs, the Internet exploded. Many hailed Daniel Lennox-Choate and Larry Lennox-Choate as heroes, while others felt it sent the wrong message to be celebrating violence of any sort, whether or not it was self-defense. “I’m not a fan of violence,” said one commentator, “but they were obviously in the right.” Another chimed in: “I’m very troubled by the overwhelming relishing of the violence described by those commenting.”

“Self defense is not violence,” sniffed another.

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How this mom reacts to homophobic vandalism is amazing

One of our most popular posts from last summer told the true story of how one family combated anti-gay graffiti sprayed across their garage door — armed with nothing but a few cans of fresh paint and a positive outlook. “What an excellent response!” praised one commentator, after viewing images of the rainbow flag now gracing the door. “It’s beautiful — something I have never said before.” “I have a rainbow flag displayed on my front porch in a somewhat homophobic town,” said another, “and I don’t care what they think. This is my house, paid for in cash, so anybody who doesn’t like it can kiss my ass.”

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Alabama boss asks trans employee two terrible questions, fires her, and now has to pay up

“What are you?” That’s the question Jessi Dye confronted upon showing up for her first day at work, and things managed to go downhill from there: “What am I supposed to do with you?” Jessi immediately filed a workplace discrimination lawsuit with the help of Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center and won a settlement, demonstrating that employers need to start seriously considering their obligations under federal law to not discriminate against an employee’s gender identity. “Jessi represents decency,” said one commentator, “and so do her lawyers. Congrats to all.”

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Gay man shuts down younger sister’s homophobic bully with one fantastic Facebook post

Joseph Flinders proved that the pen really is mightier than the sword. After discovering that his 11-year-old sister Lola had been told by a schoolmate that it was “disgusting” to have a gay brother, he posted a heartfelt open letter on Facebook addressing the situation. One commentator predicted that “some day, ‘My brother is gay’ will evoke no more emotion than ‘my sister is an accountant,’ and we can all get on with our lives with a lot less drama.”

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Homophobic bar owner goes off on gay couple; the Internet goes off on her

Bigots continue to underestimate the power of social media. A North Carolina bar owner who kicked a gay couple out of her establishment for exchanging a kiss got the sour surprise of her lifetime — when her Yelp page was overtaken by advocates championing the couple and calling for a boycott of her place of business. “Sounds to me like this woman is more or less the Kim Davis of the North Carolina bar scene,” quipped one commentator.

“At a bar of all places!” exclaimed one. “Not the most moral of stomping grounds, I must say.”

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More straight men are going gay than ever before

We can’t say we’re all that surprised that our readers got excited upon hearing that 49 percent of Brits between the ages of 18-24 identify as something over than “100 percent heterosexual,” according to a recent survey by YouGov. “Perhaps it is time to stop talking about gay and straight,” one commentator suggested, “and just admit that everyone is just a little f*cked up about sex.”

“Sexuality may be complex,” said another, “but it is also very amusing.”

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Benham Brothers say marriage equality is the worst thing to happen in America

Jason and David Benham can be relied upon to regularly say something infernal, and they certainly rose to the occasion this summer when they suggested that the legalization of same-sex marriage was “the worst thing that could have happened to our nation…Now we get a chance to experience real persecution, and when persecution comes, that’s God’s prescription to purify us.” One commentator cannily noted that “in the heart of every fundamentalist there is a desire to be persecuted.”

Even more on point, another commentator said “these two have written a new book and are out publicizing it, profiting off of hatred.”

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One Million Moms want The Muppets taken off the air

The group One Million Moms proved once again why it’s one of our most absurd (and strangely entertaining) foes when they waged war against The Muppets reboot, a few months after targeting Chobani Greek yogurt for featuring a lesbian couple in an advert. “The Muppets thank you for the free publicity,” crowed one commentator, while another gently chided the organization with the reminder that “the routines on ‘The Muppet Show’ were often more risque than the routines on ‘Sesame Street,’ and with reason: different audiences.”

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