This past Saturday, 26-year-old gay activist Joseph Jefferson from Brooklyn, New York, left the following Facebook message to his friends before hanging himself to death:

"I could not bear the burden of living as a gay man of color in a world grown cold and hateful towards those of… Read full post »

ILGA-Europe this month released the Rainbow Europe Country Index, which rates each European country on its legislation affecting the human rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people (ILGA-Europe is working with Transgender Europe on identifying the categories and data collection which will enable a… Read full post »

For "Playing for the World," in the June issue of Vanity Fair, Annie Leibovitz traveled to Milan, Madrid, London, and Brooklyn to photograph World Cup soccer players, some of whom, like Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, have in recent years become immensely popular gay icons.

Other pla… Read full post »

Tremendous news from the world's most populous country. UNAIDS reports that the Government of China has decided to lift its national travel ban for people living with HIV/AIDS. The move comes just ahead of the opening of Shanghai Expo 2010, an international fair expected to attract millions of visito… Read full post »

Major news from the Philippines Supreme Court, who on Thursday overturned a decision barring the LGBT rights political party, Ang Ladlad, from standing in May's national elections. In a 13-2 vote, the Court declared that Ang Ladlad, whose name translates as "coming out," had complied with all legal r… Read full post »

The Give a Damn campaign, which promotes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equality by educating and engaging the American straight community was launched Thursday morning by Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund with the release of its first series of videos featuring celebrities Cyndi Lauper,… Read full post »

This is not the most surprising news from one of the messiest places on the planet right now, but the words of Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai seem too absurd to not share with you, my loyal readers. From Same Same, in recent discussions about the inclusion of LGBT rights in… Read full post »

The Quebec government's current campaign for preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) encourages young people to use condoms with their partners and to continue using condoms after their initial relations. With the theme, "Beware and Be Aware," posters remind all of us that infected individu… Read full post »

American actress Cynthia Nixon, best known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the series Sex and the City, has joined the newly established Fight Back New York movement, which is working to replace 38 New York State Senators, both Republican and Democratic, who voted against marriage equality in… Read full post »

Mexico City handed out its first licenses for same-sex marriage Thursday, allowing gay couples not only to wed legally, but also to adopt children and receive government benefits. The legislation was passed in December 2009 and applies to the approximately 10 million inhabitants of Mexico's capital c… Read full post »

Today, Wednesday 3 March 2010, is a milestone for progress in the United States as same-sex marriage became legal in the nation’s capital, this despite efforts by opponents to block its implementation through both legislative maneuvering in the House and Senate and a last minute call to the U.S… Read full post »

In the week before Washington D.C. will begin allowing same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses, Douglas F. Gansler, the Attorney General of neighbouring Maryland, released an opinion Wednesday that the state may honor marriages of same-gender couples validly recognized in other jurisdictions.… Read full post »

Since November 2008, at least eight transgender people have been murdered in the Turkish cities of Ankara, Istanbul, and Antalya. From The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC):

"The most recent killing was of a transgender woman called Aycan Yener on Feburary 16, 2010, in t… Read full post »

Openly gay fashion designer, Lee Alexander McQueen, the innovator who won the coveted award "British Designer of the Year" four times between 1996 and 2003, was found dead Thursday after taking his own life at his home in central London, reports The Daily Mail. His death comes just days after his… Read full post »

At the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C., President Barack Obama on Thursday denounced the proposed anti-gay legislation in Uganda that would broaden the criminalization of same-sex relationships, and, in some cases, call for the death penalty. From AFP:  

"We may disagree about gay m… Read full post »

Just about an hour before it was to begin, Beijing police canceled what was otherwise going to be an historic event for the gay community in China. Citing procedural illegalities, the police shut down the nation's first Mr. Gay China pageant, the winner of which would have earned a spot at… Read full post »

After a passionate debate in the New Jersey Senate that included brilliant speeches from Democratic Senate President Richard Codey, who referenced civil rights inequalities throughout American history with the mantra, "What were they thinking? What were they afraid of?" and Nia Gill, who declared, "T… Read full post »

Citing security concerns, a Malawian judge rejected a bail application by Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, the two men who were charged with public indecency after holding an engagement ceremony in December 2009.

From the BBC, Judge Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa said:

"The accused have the right to b… Read full post »

In the sometimes frantic and out of control search that gay people conduct to find role models in an entertainment world where there are few, it's bound to happen that some of the guys we suspect to be gay are, in fact, straight. But brood not boys. These fellows can still… Read full post »

Lawmakers in Mexico City, the capital and most populous city of Mexico with nearly 9 million inhabitants, approved a gay rights bill Monday that will change the definition of marriage to a "free union between two people" instead of the current version, which specifies a union between a man and a… Read full post »

After the recent oppressive defeats on the same-sex marriage front for the LGBT community in Maine and New York, this past weekend finally brought some historic happy-making news to America with the election of openly gay Annise Parker as mayor of Houston, Texas, the fourth largest city in the United… Read full post »

The parliament of Austria passed legislation Thursday allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil unions. Of the 174 lawmakers who cast ballots, 110 voted in favor of the bill, while 64 voted against it. The new law, which comes into effect on 1 January 2010, will give gay couples access to,… Read full post »

New Jersey born music superstar Bruce Springsteen has released a message on his website endorsing gay marriage in his home state:

"Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I've been following the progress of the marriage-equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton. I've long believed i… Read full post »

As international condemnation grows for Ugandan MP David Bahati's anti-gay bill, which proposes, among other things, life imprisonment for anyone convicted of having gay sex, a man in Spain has become the first to receive an official letter apologizing for his past imprisonment for being gay.

In 197… Read full post »

Openly gay film directors Lee Daniels and Tom Ford are both multiple nominees for the 25th Anniversary Independent Spirit Awards. Mr. Daniels received two nominations, for directing and producing best film nominee Precious, starring Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe. Mr. Ford's A Single Man, featuring Colin Fi… Read full post »