Find out more on this at the original source: The Queer Sphere!

According to a  post on Variety:

On Simmons, Barrios added: “Whether speaking out against the unfair nature of California’s anti-gay Proposition 8 or advocating for the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ Russell Simmons has become a critical ally who inspires diverse communities across the country to support equality. As a cultural icon, Simmons’ steadfast support of our community has also encouraged countless gay and transgender people of color to be proud of who they are.”

More here!

A group whose  ‘In your face’ attitude and language  offends many both in and out of the gay community,  the group that famously trashed the whole ‘It gets better’ video collection for The Trevor Project as fucking shit.  The group that used a 4 year old baby shouting obscenities in one of their videos is back to shout in your face again.  Yep, the   FUCKH8 group launched their bold new 2011 charity calendar.

Reinforcing the negative stereotype that us gay folk just cant keep our hands of those straight boys, to the absolute max, they’ve come up with ‘STR8 AGAINST HATE’ calendar!       They’ve pulled out the stops and hired a bunch of straight models (and pulled one of the street)  stripped them,  sprayed them with a ton of oil and photographed them.

Dudes take it off so the homos can get their rights on! is how they see it, and say it in the behind the scenes video which was too explicit to be shown on YouTube without being edited.   The charity group which raises funds for the US fight for equal marriage and ‘queer’ youth counselling and suicide prevention.   The small but cute calendar is just $3,   $2 of which goes to the charity fund.

The stereotypes don’t stop there,  all the guys are muscle bound hunks,  fine specimens of beefcake, because Luke ‘the fag’ behind it,  likes ‘em like that.  It’s hardly representative of the whole community,  but having said that,  they are rather nice eye candy,  it’s reminiscent of a colour version of the muscle pictorial magazines of the 50’s and 60’s!

“STR8 Against H8″ 2011 Charity Calendar

www.seafrontdiary.com

According to a post on Focus on the Rainbow:

Remember that anti-gay dumbass bastard the Reverend Scott Lively who has been a hero to the dumbass anti-gay bastards in Uganda ? Well the idiot has opened a coffee shop of all things with God on the side in Springfield, MA.

More at: Focus on the Rainbow!

However, in one place, possibly not highly suspect, crime against the LGBT community dropped sharply.  That place is Dallas, Texas.

According to the Dallas Voice:

Violent crime was down 23 percent last year in a 1-square-mile area that encompasses Dallas’ largest gay entertainment district, according to statistics from the Dallas Police Department.

The statistics from DPD show that the number of violent offenses recorded in the area known as the Cedar Springs-Wycliff Target Area Action Grid dropped from 220 in 2009 to 169 in 2010.

More here!

If two people want to get married, it’s their prerogative — we hope. Everybody should be able to do what they want to do and be in the pursuit of happiness. Ever since I was a little girl, my mother was very open-minded and had many different types of friends, so being gay never seemed wrong or strange to me. Her best friends were a gay couple, Ernie and Mort, and they kind of co-raised me. They were the nicest guys ever, and they would watch my little shows when I’d sing. Today, I guess they’d be called my guncles. Sometimes they’d put us up when we didn’t have a place to go. I couldn’t wait to go stay at their house because it was so beautifully done.

More here!

Mariah's super hot hubby Nick Cannnon

But even with the growing acceptance and inclusion, anti-gay and homophobic sentiment still exist and sometimes, we find it in places where we may not think we would…including the library at Harvard University.

According to a post on The Washington Post:

Police at Harvard University say they are investigating vandalism to about 40 books about lesbian and gay issues at a school library as a hate crime.

Security staff at Lamont Library said in a report filed with campus police on Friday that it appeared someone poured urine on the books on Nov. 24. An empty bottle was found nearby.

More here!

According to a post on Examiner.com:

Over the last few months the mainstream media has really begun to shed a light on bullying in the school system, as well as online, especially when it comes to gay and lesbian youth. Celebrities from all walks of life, aspects of the entertainment industry, and across sexual orientations have come out to make videos reminding anyone going through a tough time that it is only temporary and the strength that they will gain from powering through will ultimately provide them with a better life. But words can only do so much, and it is the actions behind them that speak much louder.

More here!

According to a post by Steve Charing on his blog:

The causes of bullying have various roots. Often, we find the bullies have been bullied themselves during their young lives, or even worse, abused by family members. Some have genuine self-esteem issues, and picking on a smaller, fatter, poorer or gay kid helps him or her elevate their own worth. Others ascribe the bullying of gay kids as a normal ritual in high school in an effort to be popular. But one cannot draw the conclusion that bullying of gay kids results from sexual conflicts or confusion, although undoubtedly that is a factor in some cases.

As the bullying and harassment of Kurt by Dan Karofsky continues, the taunts and threats of bodily harm seem more frequent and darker (perhaps fueled by rejection). And if Kurt ever disclosed the kissing incident, Karofsky would kill him.

Read the entire post here!

The Atlanta City Council voted 14-0 to pay the sum (of $1 million) to the Eagle Bar after nineteen men claimed they were illegally searched and detained in September, last year.

The local authority made the decision yesterday. However, the settlement must now go back to a federal judge for final approval.

More here!