LGBT Issues

In NJ Conversion Therapy Lawsuit, A Teenage Boy Begs To Continue Counseling for His "Unwanted Same-Sex Attractions"

At the end of August, two therapists in New Jersey sued the state over its recently signed ban on "conversion therapy," a practice which purports to turn gay people straight. In new affidavits filed with the court last week, a 15-year-old boy and his parents say that conversion therapy had been life ... More >>

Petition Asks Selena Gomez to Agitate at Russia Concerts; Russia Yanks Her Visa First

Celebrities putting the screws to the Russian government is becoming a popular tool in the push-back against the country's "homosexual propaganda" law. Actress/Singer/Disney invention Selena Gomez might have added her name to the list of A-list agitators.

Surprise: Anti-Abortion & Anti Gay-Marriage Groups Are Uniting to Donate Lots of Money Against Gay City Council Candidates

The City Action Coalition is an assemblage of conservative religious groups, whose members mostly pop up to oppose abortion and hold rallies against legalizing gay marriage. But this election season, they've also quietly expanded into city politics, holding a mayoral candidate forum at Monroe Colleg ... More >>

Dubious Christian "Counseling" Organizations Sue New Jersey Over Gay Conversion Therapy Ban

Two New Jersey therapists, along with the anti-gay Christian counseling groups they belong to, are suing the state over the recently signed ban on "conversion therapy," an absurd, scientifically discredited practice that purports to turn gay people straight. Dr. Tara King and Dr. Ronald Newman are b ... More >>

New Jersey Bans Gay Conversion Therapy, Only the Second State in the U.S.

New Jersey just became the second state in the Union to ban conversion therapy for minors. Telling teens they can overcome their gayness through therapy and prayer, a practice considered by just about everyone with half a hemisphere to be religiously motivated quackery, was banned by legislation sig ... More >>

The New Black and Other Docs Ask, "Why Has Black Been Made the Face of Homophobia?"

Another Damn Anti-Gay Hate Crime, This Time in Koreatown

One more hate crime and New York City will earn its "Hate Crimes" merit badge. NY1 is reporting that yet another anti-gay bias crime has gone down in Koreatown. The man allegedly verbally attacked one of the victims before kicking one of them in the shoulder. After the assault the man took off dow ... More >>

Hey! We're Gay! We're Married! Let's Move to ... Virginia? (UPDATED)

"Hey, sweetheart, let's move to Virginia and make a life for ourselves there free of intolerance and inequality," said no gay couple ever. Or at least, that's what an effete writer working for a New York publication long-entwined with the city's gay community might assume. You see, there's an odd g ... More >>

Scenes of Jubilation at the Stonewall Inn as the Supreme Court Strikes Down DOMA

This morning, The Supreme Court ruled the federal definition of the Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional. The 5-4 vote cleared the way for marriage equality in 12 states and Washington, D.C. In addition, California's Proposition 8 appeal was dismissed, making this a landmark day for gay ri ... More >>

DAMN. IT'S GAY MARRIAGE, Y'ALL.

This morning, at just a touch past 10, the Supreme Court announced its long-awaited ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, striking the law down in an uncharacteristically sweeping 5-4 ruling. In all the media analysis mumbo-jumbo since the case was argued back in February, the fundamentals of the c ... More >>

Pride Issue: High Schools, Colleges Lag Behind the Pros in Fighting Homophobia

Gay is still not OK

Pride Issue: Genderqueers Face the Real World

Will Generation LGBTQIA redefine the workplace?

Honing in on a Global Epicenter of LGBT Rights with Call Me Kuchu

New Report Highlights Police Hostility Toward Transgender Women of Color

It was broad daylight, Kerri says, when she and a gay friend were stopped by a cop while walking down the street in Jackson Heights. "An officer walks out of the corner store and says [he] heard a report up the street that we were harassing somebody," Kerri said. When Kerri asked who made the report ... More >>

Mark Carson Was One of 5 Anti-Gay Attacks in Manhattan This Month Alone

On Friday night, Mark Carson was walking with a male friend in the West Village when three men started following them. "Look at these faggots," one said, before taking out a revolver and shooting Carson in the face, according to charges filed Sunday. The 32-year-old was pronounced dead shortly there ... More >>

Activists to Hold a Non-Quinn-Affiliated March for Mark Carson Outside St. Vincent's Hospital

Expressing the LGBTQ community's grief and outrage following the murder of Mark Carson in the West Village on Friday, several LGBTQ groups are co-sponsoring a rally held at the LGBT Community Center tonight. Speaker Christine Quinn jumped on the rally as well--and the Facebook page for the event lis ... More >>

Rightbloggers Enter "Conversation" on Jason Collins, Are Pissed No One Wants to Talk to Them

Last week NBA player Jason Collins came out as gay -- spectacularly, in the pages of Sports Illustrated. He did so not because he had been arrested in a men's room or outed by a news site, but because, as he told SI, he wanted to "start the conversation" that would make it easier for young gay athle ... More >>

Jeremy Irons: "Could a Father Not Marry His Son?"

Oscar winner Jeremy Irons might have a reversal of fortune after his remarks on gay marriage, which are accepting yet questioning yet ironic yet Irons-ic. Irons said he doesn't have a strong feeling about gay marriage either way. But then he added that it's fantastic because "living with another an ... More >>

Rightbloggers Take Cover as Gay Marriage Reigns Supreme

Last week the Supreme Court heard a couple of gay marriage cases and, with so many politicians and even some conservatives running to grab the rainbow flag, it seemed as if a corner on the contentious issue had been turned. How went the rightbloggers? Most continued to -- paraphrasing Buckley -- s ... More >>

Another Big Day for Same-Sex Marriage as the Supreme Court Hears Arguments on DOMA

Following yesterday's hearing on California's Proposition 8 (whose decision will likely fall into the hands of swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy), another case is coming through the Supreme Court this morning. The justices are hearing arguments on the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Mar ... More >>

AG Eric Schneiderman Thinks SCOTUS Should/Will Strike Down DOMA

Today, the Supreme Court will begin hearings on the cases pending constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and Prop 8. It is the first legal step in a process that will end in June, when the Nine is expected to release its opinion to the public - one that could have drastic effects on the ri ... More >>

Supreme Court Hears Arguments Against California's Same-Sex Marriage Ban, Punts

At approximately 10:15 this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court started hearing arguments on Proposition 8, the 2008 California initiative that banned same-sex marriage in the state. It was the court's first major hearing of gay rights in 10 years, and will be followed by consideration of the Defense of ... More >>

White House Files Voluntary Amicus Brief, Demands SCOTUS Overturn Prop 8

Nothing like a Presidential push to get the ball rolling. Yesterday was the deadline for parties to file amicus curae briefs -- or "Here's what we think you should do" memos -- to the Supreme Court before the Nine hears the arguments facing DOMA and Prop 8 at the end of March. And, in this past wee ... More >>

When Your Boyfriend Becomes Your Ex-Girlfriend: A Nightlife Star Tells All

LGBTQ Reactions to President Obama's Second Inaugural Address

Toward the end of his second inaugural speech today, President Obama said that, "our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law ... More >>

[UPDATE]: Prop 8 and DOMA Head To The Supreme Court

UPDATE: According to the New York Times, the Supreme Court agreed this afternoon to decide on the constitutionality of the Proposition 8 appeal and the Defense of Marriage Act.It is, arguably, the most significant social battle in America's courts since Roe v. Wade or even Brown v. the Board of Educ ... More >>

Dear Ohio Parents: Here's What Prez Romney Would Do To Your Gay Sons

It's even worse than you think. He's not only against gay marriage, he's against civil unions. He doesn't believe in gay parenting.

Andrew Cuomo Actually Acknowledges Idiot Rabbi's Gay Marriage/Hurricane Rant

Every time a natural disaster destroys entire communities, a handful of religious idiots blame it on gay people and the politicians who defend their civil rights. Hurricane Sandy is no exception.In most cases, however, the moronic ramblings of fringe lunatics are routinely ignored by elected officia ... More >>

Chris Kluwe Takes a Stand

The Vikings punter is prying open America's last closet: major league sports

DOMA Unconstitutional, Rules New York Appeals Court. But It's Not Dead -- Yet

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York ruled today that parts of the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) are unconstitutional because they discriminate against same-sex couples.But don't get your hopes up just yet -- the issue of DOMA's constitutionality will li ... More >>

Question One

Should Health Insurance Providers Pay For Sex-Change Operations?

Yesterday, the group Transgender Legal Defense & Education announced that an insurance company has agreed to a settlement that will require it to pay for a sex-change operation for a transgender person.Ida Hammer, 34, was born a man but has been living as a woman for the past several years. Acco ... More >>

Two Gay-Friendly GOPers In Primary Trouble; Homophobes Claim Victory

We're sad to report that two of the four Republican state lawmakers who voted in favor last year of Governor Andrew Cuomo's gay marriage bill might not be headed back to Albany following yesterday's primary -- and "traditional marriage" advocates see this as a big victory.When the Legislature passed ... More >>

Scientology's Homophobia: Even the Church's Token Gay Guy Was Disgusted

One of Scientology's enduring mysteries is that it has attracted Hollywood stars when it has such a reputation for homophobia. The sexual orientation of its top celebrities is always a matter of popular speculation, and even those with the barest understanding of Scientology seem to know that if cel ... More >>

Gay Activists Join to Make One Last Plea to Stop Demolition of "Gay Commune" 186 Spring Street

Earlier today, around 40 gay activists and onlookers including State Senator Tom Duanes and City Councilmember Danny Dromm gathered in SoHo today in front of 186 Spring Street, the site of a nearly 200-year-old house that they argued played a major role in gay rights and AIDS activists history in th ... More >>

"Access: Use It to Give Voice to the Voiceless (and Hell to the Powerful)," An Address to the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Video courtesy of James Schmitz/Inner City Media. On Friday, August 3, the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association named me NLGJA Journalist of the Year 2012. The above video shows CNN's Miguel Marquez presenting the award to me in Las Vegas before I addressed NLGJA's annual gala with my acc ... More >>

Kirk Cameron Would Prefer To Remain An Ignorant Homophobe Than Meet With Gay NJ Teen

Former "Growing Pains" star Kirk Cameron's douchebaggery apparently knows no bounds -- after saying in March that homosexuality was "unnatural and destructive," he has now declined an invitation from a gay New Jersey teen who wanted to sit down with the former "Mike Seaver" and politely explain that ... More >>

The Skinny With Patrik-Ian Polk, the Gay Filmmaking Love Child of Spike Lee and Tyler Perry

Before meeting the director of The Skinny for lunch recently, I had seen Patrik-Ian Polk refer to himself on his Twitter profile as "The gay Tyler Perry. Shut up." But I'd also heard of him referred to as the gay Spike Lee. So which is it, I inquired when we met, especially since many people consi ... More >>

Edith Windsor, Octogenarian Lesbian Widow: Take My DOMA Case to the Supreme Court!

Edith Windsor, the octogenarian lesbian widow who successfully sued the federal government for over chariging her $363,000 in estate taxes, wants to take her case to the Supreme Court. According to a press release from the New York Civil Liberties Union, which is representing Windsor along with the ... More >>

Rep. Barney Frank Breaks Down the Same-Sex Marriage Barrier in Congress

In 1981, as the booming gay culture was being hit with the AIDS epidemic and a rising conservative culture in Washington, Barney Frank, a young Democrat from Massachusetts, entered Congress. Six years later, he became the first elected official on the Hill to voluntarily tell the public about his ho ... More >>

The Columnist: Joseph Alsop's Fabulous Gay Life As A 'House Faggot'

The Voice's Michael Feingold already reviewed The Columnist, in which John Lithgow brilliantly portrays columnist Joseph Alsop in David Auburn's new play on Broadway. But, we wanted to share a few thoughts about our experience watching it this weekend, in light of other things we've been writing abo ... More >>

BREAKING: League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Passes Same-Sex Marriage Equality Resolution

Another Saturday, another national group of brown people proves Toure right by being homophobic passes a same-sex marriage equality resolution. LULAC, the League of United Latino American Citizens, passed a resolution at their annual convention today in suport of equal marriage rights for same-sex ... More >>

Chuck Norris Wants Boy Scouts To Stay Anti-Gay! Lesbian Ex-Den Mother Fights Back!

A righteous vigilante onscreen and off, Chuck Norris is determined to keep openly gay people out of the Boy Scouts while propping up his imaginary gun and tracking down just who's trying to undo that bit of wacko wisdom. But a feisty lesbian is fighting back! This release says it all: "Chuck Nor ... More >>

It's the First Anniversary of the Marriage Equality Act Passing and the Weather is Perfect: Happy Pride Sunday!

One year ago today, we had the chance to travel to Albany for our first and only day of reporting there. As days of political reporting go, it did not disappoint. On arrival, the halls were filled with passionate protesters: those demanding that gay and lesbian people not be allowed to "sully" the ... More >>

Rightbloggers Have Another Miserable Pride Week

Hope you folks had a good Pride week. Rightbloggers didn't, much. For one thing, last week anti-same-sex-marriage heavyweight David Blankenhorn finally gave up the fight. And with more states (and President Obama!) on the SSM bandwagon, rightbloggers' traditional hatred of homosexuals looks like les ... More >>

La Raza Endorses Gay Marriage, Joining the NAACP, President Obama, a Majority of Americans, and Even Prop 8 Defenders!

Happy Pride weekend. Here's some more good news on the marriage beat to share with you this beautiful weekend here in New York. La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights organization, unanimously approved a resolution supporting same-sex marriage equality, the Washington Blade reported excl ... More >>

Pack It In, Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown: the Gay Marriage Debate is Over

When you've lost the likes of Prop 8 proponent David Blankenhorn, Jutice Anthony Kennedy can't be far behind. Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage can't recover from this. Blankenhorn, who once staunchly fought to take gay marriage away from LGBT Californians ... More >>

Will GLAAD Condemn Dan Savage for His "House Faggots" Tweet?

In this week's feature in the Voice Pride Issue "Does 'Gay Inc.' Believe in Free Speech?" we take a long look at GLAAD, the self-described "PR firm for the LGBT community." Since the story was published Tuesday afternoon, a few events have happened as if on cue (one nationally, the others on a muc ... More >>

Selling a Newly Out Armed Forces

The Pentagon makes sure the public supports 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal