The Miami Herald. Uruguay, long-regarded as one of the most progressive countries in Latin America, set a standard for the region by allowing same-sex couples to adopt children with a bill that passed the Senate on Wednesday. The bill was approved 17-6, with most of its support coming from legislators of the ruling leftist Frente […]

The 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard shocked the nation. The 21 year-old college student was viciously murdered in Laramie, WY, bludgeoned to death while tied to a fence. Matthew was targeted because he was gay. Matthew’s death and the subsequent trial and convictions of his attackers incited demonstrations and debates over gay rights. For many, […]

UPDATED 17:30 PT — A judge on Tuesday refused to block a proposed ballot initiative on expanded domestic partnership benefits for gay couples in Washington state. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee rejected arguments today in an Olympia courtroom in the lawsuit filed by Washington Families Standing Together. The group challenged the validity of […]

Alexi Giannoulias is running for the U.S. Senate, and says he favors legalization of same-sex marriage and repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. The 33 year old Illinois State Treasurer, who in July announced his bid for the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama, has been a longtime supporter of gay […]

Maine’s Catholic church continues to be active in the fight against same sex marriage. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland has asked churches to take up a special second collection next weekend to support Stand For Marriage Maine, the group leading the effort to repeal Maine’s same sex marriage law. Bishop Richard Malone also noted […]

ALBANY — Gay marriage may be on the New York state Senate’s agenda as early as this month if Gov. Paterson has his way. In an interview with the Advocate on Thursday, Paterson said he intends to put the bill legalizing same-sex marriage on the agenda when he calls the Legislature back into session to […]

SACRAMENTO — A bill to designate a day of honor for slain gay-rights activist Harvey Milk could be headed for another veto by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once the California legislature sends it his way. The bill to designate Milk’s birthday, May 22, as a day of “special significance,” was passed by both houses of the […]

It’s been five years since Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage, and as Rachel Maddow points out, despite all the fear, the sky didn’t fall. In fact, divorce rates are down to pre-1940’s level, and Massachusetts now boasts the lowest divorce rates in the country. From Thursday night’s broadcast of the Rachel […]

Supporters of Washington’s “everything but marriage” gay partnerships are continuing their court battle over Referendum 71. R-71’s conservative sponsors have collected enough petitions to force a vote on the latest expansion of domestic partnership rights, but gay-rights activists say that state election officials accepted thousands of improper signatures, and filed a lawsuit in Thurston County […]

The fate of Maine’s gay marriage law now lies in the hands of the voters. Election officials announced Wednesday that gay marriage foes surpassed the threshold of signatures necessary to put the state law on the November ballot, setting the stage for a furious, two-month campaign. The referendum means Maine voters have the chance to […]

Protect Maine Equality has released its first two television ads following Wednesday’s announcement that a ballot measure to repeal the state’s marriage equality laws has made it November’s ballot. (See related post.) The first features Sam Putnam af Portland, who plays high school football and baseball, and is the pride and joy of his mother, […]

Meet Sam Putnam of Portland, he plays high school football and baseball, and is the pride and joy of his mother, Jennifer and her partner, Michelle. For Sam, it’s pretty basic — this is his family and he wants them to be valued and treated equally in Maine. See related posts: Maine gay marriage on […]

Thousands of tourists, gay and straight, are descending on New Orleans this weekend for the annual Southern Decadence Festival, which organizers says is “one of the gay world’s major annual events.” In the almost four decades since it started, Southern Decadence has become a traditional Labor Day weekend, end-of-summer, event. But for two of the […]

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri is defending his decision to speak at a fundraiser for a Massachusetts group that considers homosexuality “destructive” and “an unhealthy practice.” Carcieri said on WPRO Radio on Wednesday that he agreed at the request of a friend to be the keynote speaker at a fund raising banquet for Massachusetts Family […]

Same-sex couples in Vermont began exchanging vows at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday morning, taking advantage of the state’s new marriage equality law. Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan (pictured) were among the the first same-sex couples to legally marry under the new law that took effect at 12 a.m. September 1. Slimback and Sullivan […]

The Anoka-Hennepin School District reported that two teachers who repeatedly mocked a student they believed was gay are on leave, a district official said Tuesday. Diane Cleveland and Walter Filson were placed on leave within the past week, said Ginny Karbowski, director of career and technical education for the Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP), where […]

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak is the latest celebrity to pose for the NOH8 Campaign. The “Tardy for the Party” singer, whose single was released Tuesday, tweeted, “the noh8 campaign shoot was hot. and I am topless!!! Just to cause a stir to make people pay attention!” The NOH8 Campaign, launched by […]

Washington state’s Referendum 71, which will give voters a chance to overturn the new “everything but marriage” same-sex domestic partnership law, has moved a step closer to being on the November ballot. The secretary of state’s office ruled Monday that the referendum had 121,486 valid voter signatures, nearly a thousand more than needed to make […]

Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean is suing pageant organizers claiming she was wrongfully fired for saying marriage should be only between a man and a woman, her attorney said on Monday. Two months after her controversial statement at the Miss USA pageant in April, Prejean was fired by pageant officials who said she missed […]

Vermont’s gay marriage law is set to go into effect on Tuesday, September 1st, and supporters of same-sex marriage already are gearing up for what promises to be an emotional week. But officials are not expecting a rush to the altar. The landscape has changed since 2000, when lawmakers passed the civil union legislation, making […]