ST. PAUL, Minn. — The National Organization for Marriage on Monday said it will spend $500,000 to defeat Republican lawmakers in Minnesota who vote to legalize same-sex marriage.

EDINBURGH, Scotland — Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has resigned amid allegations that he made homosexual advances to younger clergy in his diocese.

CHICAGO — A group of prominent Latino leaders said legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois would strengthen families and is “the right thing to do.”

One thing that I have learned as a parent to two 10-year-old boys — sometimes while a child sometimes says he wants one thing, he secretly may be hoping that he doesn’t get it. Their voices quiver as they ask for it, while their eyes say “get me out of this mess, Daddy!” That is kind of what is happening these days with the GOP and the Supreme Court and their former favorite wedge issue, the denial of marriage equality to LGBTQ people…

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican lashed out Saturday at the media for what it said has been a run of defamatory and false reports before the conclave to elect Pope Benedict XVI’s successor, saying they were an attempt to influence the election.

As an ally I find it difficult to believe how minimum and ironic the current Virginia government’s treatment of the LGBT community really is. Whether it is Virginia Delegate C. Todd Gilbert’s refusal to acknowledge LGBT oppression; another country’s use of a Virginia landmark civil rights case; or the failure of the House to even hear an amendment which would have given hope to same-sex marriages in the state. Delegates in Virginia have a lot to learn about human rights.

JUNEAU, Alaska — House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula has introduced a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of traits that businesses, unions and landlords cannot discriminate.

ALBANY, N.Y. — A bill making its way in the New York state legislature would protect gender identity or expression from discrimination and subject violators to a potential hate crime prosecution.

WASHINGTON — The House and Senate appeared headed for another partisan battle as the House prepared to take up its version of the once-noncontroversial Violence Against Women Act.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday ruled that when same-sex couples have children together, both parents can be fully recognized as co-parents under Kansas state law.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A gay U.S. soldier who was booed during a Republican presidential debate in 2011 has joined the effort to overturn Ohio’s ban on same-sex marriage.

The Obama administration on Friday filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing why it considers the federal Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional.

ROME — A controversial article by Italy’s respected, leading daily newspaper, La Repubblica, has linked the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI to the discovery of blackmail, corruption and a network of gay prelates in the Vatican.

SYDNEY, Australia — A federal court judge in Australia has ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is not gender discrimination since neither gay men nor lesbians are allowed to marry under the legislation, and thus both sexes are treated equally.

In these modern times, it is funny how we forge interesting and new kinds of relationships through media, social and otherwise. We gain unique attachments to people we have never met, some of whom we interact with on Twitter or Facebook, and some of whom we have never interacted with at all. I have such a pseudo-relationship with former first lady Laura Bush. This week our relationship, which had moved into a rather warm and appreciative state of late, took a turn for the worse.

American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer is none too pleased about Tim Tebow’s decision to pull out of a speaking engagement at far-right pastor Robert Jeffress’ megachurch, a gig first reported by Right Wing Watch.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The debate over same-sex marriage in Rhode Island is moving from the Statehouse to the boardroom as supporters argue the state is at an economic disadvantage with its five New England neighbors, which already allow same-sex nuptials.

TRENTON, N.J. — Democratic leaders in the New Jersey Legislature will try to override Gov. Chris Christie’s same-sex marriage veto. Assemblyman Reed Gusciora of Trenton, one of two openly gay state lawmakers, says Democrats agreed to renew the push for marriage equality during a meeting Thursday. The strategy could include putting the question to voters […]

I really hope that Robbie Rogers reconsiders retirement and promptly returns to the field. I’ve got news for him, he will be gay for the rest of his life, but his athletic ability will be short-lived. If soccer really gave him such incredible joy, there is no reason he can’t discover himself while still on the team. Presumably, they will allow him to visit gay bars and join LGBT political organizations after practice is over, so I don’t really see the conflict…

DALLAS — A pro-marriage equality group says it’s “sorry” former first lady Laura Bush does not want to be included its national advertising campaign featuring prominent people speaking about gay marriage, and said its campaign will “now move to new and different voices.”