JUNEAU, Alaska — Leaders of the Alaska House apologized Monday for the laughter that erupted from some caucus members when asked about same-sex partnerships.

CHICAGO — The Chicago Tribune, the eighth largest daily newspaper in the United States by circulation, on Monday announced support for legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois.

Neil Clark Warren, the Christian co-founder of the dating site eHarmony, said he’s “tired” of the debate over marriage equality for gays and lesbians, and blamed same-sex marriage for damaging his company.

Jeanne Manford, the pioneering straight ally in the gay rights movement, and the founder of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), was honored posthumously with the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor, at a White House ceremony on Friday.

Conservative talk show host Janet Mefferd has waded into the controversy about an Indiana high school where a group of students wanted to organize a separate prom that would specifically prevent gay and lesbian students from attending.

Following recent news that the Boy Scouts of America is considering a change to its membership policy banning gay scouts, the organization is now embroiled in new charges of discrimination, this time regarding its hiring practices.

Musical theater lovers, rejoice! Show business has a new star, and you won’t have to fork over a month’s rent paying Broadway-style ticket prices to see her. Not only can you watch her from the comfort of your very own home, but she performs from her very own home, with living room or bedroom as the only scenery.

GRESHAM, Ore. — Police in Gresham, Ore., said they have arrested five young people for beating and robbing a man they lured into a park under the pretense that he would be meeting another man for sex.

INDIANAPOLIS — A coalition of gay rights organizations is trying to bolster the confidence of gay teens in response to an Indiana teacher’s assertion that gays have no purpose in life.

MINSK, Belarus — Police in Belarus are going after gays, raiding their clubs and locking up clubbers overnight, and summoning gay activists for questioning. One activist accuses police of beating him during questioning, while others say they were interrogated about their sex lives.

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Education on Friday issued directives for handling transgender students, including allowing them to use the bathrooms or play on the sports teams that correspond to the gender with which they identify.

BISMARCK, N.D. — Lawmakers in the North Dakota state Senate had killed a bill that would have given gay and lesbian residents protections in the areas in the areas of housing, government, public services and the workplace.

It seems that lately Tim Tebow has been making more speaking appearances in church than he has quarterback appearances in NFL games. Tebow made headlines with his Easter address in Georgetown, Texas in April, and his talk at a Scottsdale, AZ church earlier this month. And now he’s got another gig at a megachurch in Dallas, only this one comes with a large helping of controversy.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — As more state legislatures around the country consider whether to legalize same-sex weddings, an analysis of gay marriage votes in eight states shows that Republican lawmakers who backed it often faced consequences — including loss of their seats.

SIKESTON, Mo. — An openly gay teen in the southeast Missouri town of Sikeston will be allowed to take his boyfriend to the prom, school district officials said Friday.

‘My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended’ — And with that statement, former Major League Soccer player Robbie Rogers announced Friday that he is gay, and — at the age of 25 — is retiring from the sport.

A pair of bills introduced in the U.S. Congress this week would change the definition of “spouse” in four areas of U.S. Code related to recognition, support, and benefits for married service members and veterans, in an effort to provide key military benefits for same-sex spouses of gay service members.

PRINCETON, NJ — The percentage of U.S. adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) ranges from 1.7 percent in North Dakota to 5.1 percent in Hawaii, and 10 percent in the District of Columbia, according to a new study by Gallup.

A gay couple in Singapore seeking to abolish a long-standing law banning gay sex had their case heard in court Thursday, just days after a former department store manager sued his boss for alleged discrimination against homosexuals.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has decided to allow the same-sex spouse of a member of the military to be buried in a U.S. national cemetery. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki used his discretionary authority to allow the burial of Nancy Lynchild’s ashes, the agency said Thursday.