New York shooting highlights surge in hate crimes
The Daily Beast, May 21, 2013
Mark Carson was shot because he was gay. Straight people might be shocked, but the gay community says this is no surprise—hate crimes are rising.

NYPD to up presence after bias killing of gay man
Star-Telegram, May 21, 2013
A spate of hate-fueled attacks on gay men in New York, including a killing in the heart of one of its most gay-friendly neighborhoods, is stirring up anxiety, disbelief and outrage heading into what is usually a time of gay pride celebration.

Baltimore mayor to preside at Pride Festival mass wedding
WMDT.com, May 21, 2013
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will officiate a mass wedding for same-sex couples during the Baltimore Pride Festival next month.

The South's longer wait for equality
Advocate.com, May 20, 2013
While steps toward marriage equality come fast and furious, the South drags its feet.

Bans of same-sex marriage can take a psychological toll
National Public Radio, May 20, 2013
As the country awaits two important Supreme Court decisions involving state laws on , a small but consistent body of research suggests that laws that ban gay marriage — or approve it — can affect the mental health of gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans.

Puerto Rico Senate approves non-discrimination bill
Washington Blade, May 17, 2013
The Puerto Rican Senate on Thursday approved a sweeping bill that would ban anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and government services in the U.S. territory.

Gays 'thrown under the bus' in immigration bill
Wisconsin Gazette, May 17, 2013
The Senate Judiciary Committee is marking up the massive bill that leaders in both parties agree presents the best opportunity to reform immigration policy in decades. The bill contains many provisions sought by progressive groups, but lacks protections for LGBT families, specifically binational same-sex couples whose relationships are not recognized by the government.

Majority of votes support equal marriage in Michigan and Virginia
PinkNews.co.uk, May 16, 2013
Polls in two more US states have found that a majority of voters support equal marriage, as Michigan and Virginia join states with a majority in support.

LGBT group at San Diego State renamed Queer Student Union
FoxNews.com, May 16, 2013
A student group at San Diego State University for its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is reportedly changing its name — but some are questioning whether the move is politically correct.

Lesbian NYC mayoral candidate Christine Quinn reveals bulimia struggles
Edge, May 16, 2013
New Yorkers might have felt they knew about the personal life of Christine Quinn, the veteran politician seeking to become the city’s first gay and first female mayor. On Tuesday, Quinn disclosed a difficult piece of her past that she had kept private: She was bulimic for a decade in her teens and 20s.

Nevada Gov Primed to Sign Trans-Inclusive Hate Crime Bill
Advocate.com, May 16, 2013
A bill is headed to desk of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval's desk that would add crimes based on a person's gender identity and expression to the state's hate crimes laws after the state assembly passed the legislation 30-11 on Tuesday.

One-fifth of gay, lesbian population lives in states where they can marry
Houston Chronicle, May 16, 2013
UCLA’s pro-gay Williams Institute think tank reports today that with the addition of Minnesota to the ranks of states that have legalized same-sex marriage, more than a fifth, or 22 percent, of gays and lesbians now live in states where they can marry.

Over half of voters in Arizona support equal marriage
PinkNews.co.uk, May 15, 2013
A new poll has found that over half of voters in Arizona are in favor of allowing same-sex couples to marry. The poll found that 55% of Arizonans were in favor of equal marriage, with 35% opposed and 10% were unsure.

Poll: Majority in Michigan now support gay marriage
Detroit News, May 15, 2013
A majority of Michiganians supports gay marriage and broadening rights for homosexuals, a dramatic reversal from just a few years ago, according to a statewide poll released Tuesday to The Detroit News and WDIV-TV Channel 4.

Religious leaders back marriage equality push in New Mexico
Wisconsin Gazette, May 15, 2013
Dozens of religious leaders have signed a statement supporting marriage equality in New Mexico, the only state in the U.S. that has not specifically addressed same-sex marriage in its statutes or its Constitution.

Minnesota Senate clears way for same-sex marriage
New York Times, May 14, 2013
Gov. Mark Dayton says he will sign a bill making Minnesota the 12th state to permit same-sex marriage and the first in the Midwest to do it without a court forcing it to.

Ernst & Young CEO wishes Boy Scouts had ‘gone further’ for inclusivity
PinkNews.co.uk, May 14, 2013
Ernst and Young CEO James Turley, a member of the board for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), has spoken out to say that he wishes the organisation had “gone further”, to be inclusive of gay members, volunteers and staff.

Black churches key to Illinois gay marriage debate
NewTimes.com, May 14, 2013
When a proposal to legalize gay marriage started gaining momentum in the home state of President Barack Obama, it seemed a quick and easy deal: The pastor of his former megachurch endorsed it with powerful testimony at the Capitol and Democrats control Illinois' government.

Minnesota Senate vote on equal marriage bill imminent
PinkNews.co.uk, May 9, 2013
The US state of Minnesota could soon become the twelfth to legalize equal marriage, as on Monday its Senate will vote on a measure to legalize it. Leaders in the Senate have already said they had gathered enough votes to pass the bill.

Minnesota House passes equal marriage bill
PinkNews.co.uk, May 10, 2013
The House in the US state of Minnesota passed a bill to legalize equal marriage on Thursday, with a clear majority in favor. The final vote was 75 to 59. If it passes in the Senate on Monday, Democratic Governor Mark Dayton could sign it into law as early as next week.

Minnesota House poised to pass equal marriage bill
PinkNews.co.uk, May 9, 2013
Minnesota could be the next US state to legalize equal marriage, as its Democratic-controlled House will vote on a measure to legalize it on Thursday, a possible signal that its advocates have gathered enough votes for it to pass.

Poll finds majority acceptance of gays
ABC News, May 9, 2013
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds further public acceptance of gay rights in the United States, in areas ranging from the professional basketball court to the Boy Scouts, as well as the institution of marriage.

Delaware becomes 11th U.S. state to allow gay marriage
Reuters, May 8, 2013
Delaware legalized gay marriage on Tuesday, making it the 11th U.S. state to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. The state Senate approved the bill by a vote of 12-9 on Tuesday and Governor Jack Markell signed it into law half an hour later.

Delaware senator comes out during same-sex marriage vote
PinkNews.co.uk, May 8, 2013
Delaware State Senator Karen Peterson came out as a lesbian during her speech to convince colleagues to vote in favour of same-sex marriage.

Gay rights amendment offered to immigration bill in Congress
WTAX.com, May 8, 2013
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy on Tuesday introduced a gay rights amendment to the Senate's immigration bill, prompting one of the measure's Republican sponsors to repeat his prediction that it would sink the legislation.

Gay marriage clears Minnesota House panel; floor vote on hold
TwinCities.com, April 7, 2013
Efforts to legalize gay marriage in Minnesota are coming to a head this week. A Senate Finance Committee will review the potential fiscal impact of a bill allowing same-sex couples to wed at a meeting Tuesday morning, May 7.

Delaware Senate to consider equal marriage bill
PinkNews.co.uk, April 7, 2013
Lawmakers in the US state of Delaware are to take up a bill to legalize equal marriage on Tuesday, which could potentially make the Diamond State the eleventh to allow same-sex marriage.

Some Democrats back same-sex amendment to immigration bill
National Public Radio, April 7, 2013
The immigration overhaul bill before the Senate would provide, among other things, more visas for migrant farm workers and high-tech workers, and a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. One thing it would not provide is help for same-sex couples in which one partner is an American and one foreign-born. Some Democrats hope to change that with an amendment.

Gay immigrants pose thorny test for ‘Gang of 8?
RollCall.com, April 7, 2013
“Gang of eight” immigration negotiators purposely didn’t include provisions for immigrants in same-sex relationships in their bipartisan bill, but the issue they so carefully avoided may rear its head this week.

First lady to fundraise with Jason Collins
TheHill.com, April 7, 2013
First lady Michelle Obama will attend a fundraiser later this month with Jason Collins, the NBA player who last week became the first openly gay athlete on a major men’s U.S. sports team.

70 percent of young adults support gay marriage
On Top Magazine, April 7, 2013
Seven in ten young adults, those born after 1980, support gay marriage. According to a Pew Research survey conducted in March and released on Monday, Millennial support for gay nuptials is 21 percent higher than the national average and far higher than in any other generation.

Minister caught in Methodism's split over same-sex marriage
New York Times, May 6, 2013
The Rev. Dr. Thomas W. Ogletree, a Methodist minister and former Yale Divinity School dean, faces a potential canonical trial for officiating at his son's gay wedding.

Group against gay marriage protests Detroit meeting of inclusive Catholics
Detroit News, May 6, 2013
For 16 years, Dignity Detroit has been gathering at Sacred Heart Chapel on Sunday evenings with little to no fanfare. This evening, those arriving for the 6 p.m. service at Marygrove College's chapel in Detroit were greeted by a crowd of protesters intent on showing support for Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who recently said those who support gay marriage should not take communion.

Mariela Castro points to progress on LGBT rights in Cuba
Advocate.com, May 6, 2013
Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban president Raul Castro and niece of former president Fidel Castro, said Saturday that she’s proud of the advances she and her allies have made on LGBT rights in Cuba.

Archbishop of S.F calls Rhode Island marriage equality ‘a serious injustice’
RawStory.com, May 6, 2013
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco on Friday lashed out at the state of Rhode Island over a newly signed law that allows same-sex couples to legally marry.

Rhode Island lawmakers pass gay marriage bill; governor to sign it
Reuters, May 3, 2013
Rhode Island lawmakers gave final approval to a bill to legalize gay marriage on Thursday, making it the 10th U.S. state to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples and the last of the six New England states to do so.

Senate minority to derail immigration bill if it protects LGBT families
Wisconsin Gazette, May 3, 2013
LGBT groups are reaffirming support for comprehensive immigration reform following reports that some senators have threatened to derail legislation if it is amended to include protections for binational LGBT families.

Michigan same-sex partner benefits survive Supreme Court appeal
PinkNews.co.uk, May 3, 2013
A decision to allow same-sex partners of Michigan state government employees health insurance benefits, has remained intact despite a Republican appeal to the Supreme Court.

Pentagon to keep anti-gay pastor at National Prayer Day event
Washington Blade, May 2, 2013
The Pentagon is allowing a pastor who’s called homosexuality “outside of God’s order” to stay on as an attendee of an event related to the National Day of Prayer — a move that’s drawing criticism from LGBT advocates who’ve called for his ouster.

LGBT groups demand equality in immigration bill
RollCall.com, May 2, 2013
As the immigration overhaul process accelerates in Congress, expect specific constituencies with a stake in the outcome to begin signaling their demands for support — as well as grounds for joining the opposition. The latest to speak out was a collection of leading advocacy organizations for individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual.