502. Anderson Cooper: Gay

In an email exchange with The Daily Beast columnist Andrew Sullivan published Monday, the 45-year-old journalist finally indicated that he is, indeed, a gay man.

"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud," the CNN anchor wrote.

tags: Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt, CNN, gay, lgbt, GLBT, equality, Gay Rights, Gay Flag

501. the Gay Oreo

The rainbow cookie that Oreo posted to its Facebook wall is just the latest example of corporations coming out in support of gay rights. Meanwhile, according to Chuck Norris, President Barack Obama and his administration are working behind the scenes to create a "pro-gay Boy Scouts of America."

The issue of gay members and leaders in the Boy Scouts of America came to a head in 2000, when the Supreme Court ruled that since the BSA was a private organization, it could restrict its membership. But in April of this year, a resolution that would permit individual units to accept gays as leaders was presented at the May Scouts national meeting, along with a petition from Change.org with over 275,000 names protesting the removal of a lesbian den mother.

442. Santorum Family Values

As Rick Santorum sprinted Thursday through New Hampshire,  his views on social issues like same-sex marriage were quickly challenged. A midday event in front of a gathering of college students turned into a testy exchange in which Mr. Santorum compared allowing gay couples to marry to polygamy, apparently equating the two as equally undesirable.
“If you’re not happy unless you’re married to five other people, is that O.K.?” he asked.

The students booed Mr. Santorum during the 10-minute exchange and loudly booed when he left the room.

(tags: blow-up doll, Dollars, election, family values, Gay, Gay Rights, GOP, Homophobia, Homosexual, Political Series, Polyamory, President, Rick Santorum, sasquatch, Senator, sheep)

409. Identity Crisis

(tags: Cowboy, Entertainment Series, Gay, GBLT, Political Series, Race, Racism, White Trash)

387. Westboro Baptist Church

The First Amendment protects a fringe church's anti-gay protests at military funerals, a nearly unanimous Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a powerful opinion that spoke to the nation's tolerance for even hateful public speech.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that Westboro Baptist Church's picketing at fallen soldiers' funerals "is certainly hurtful and its contribution to public discourse may be negligible." But he said the reaction may not be "punishing the speaker."

"As a nation we have chosen a different course - to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate," Roberts said. (read more: http://alturl.com/an3h2)

(tags: Political Series, Religion, Westboro Baptist Church, Devil, Satan, Gay, Gay Rights, Fred Phelps, Phelps)

372. The Glory Hole

(Political Series,  Military, US Army, USA, Navy, Marine, Air Force, AAFES, USMC, Gay, Gay Rights, DADT, dont ask don't tell, Kilroy, Bin Laden, GLBT, Glory Hole)

367. The Death Of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

In a landmark vote for gay rights, the Senate voted today to advance legislation that would overturn the blatantly discriminatory and homophobic policy of "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT).  The 63-33 test vote all but guarantees the legislation will pass the Senate and reach the president's desk before the new year. Repeal would mean that, for the first time in American history, gays would be openly accepted by the military and could acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out.

(tags: Political Series, Military, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, dont ask don't tell, Gay, Gay Flag, Gay Rights, Homophobia, Homosexual, Homosexuality, GBLT)

360. Homophobia Defined

WASHINGTON — A doubting John McCain led Republican opposition to letting gays serve openly in the military, sternly clashing with the Pentagon's top leaders and warning that troops would quit in droves if Congress repealed the "don't ask, don't tell" law. In tense exchanges with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, McCain and other Republicans dismissed a Pentagon study on gays as biased and said objections by combat troops were being ignored. (and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah)

(Tags: DADT, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, dont ask don't tell, Equality, Gay, GOP, Homophobia, Homosexual, Homosexuality, John McCain, Laws, McCain, Military, Political Series, Senate, Senator)

351. GBLT Sandwich

(Tags:  Political Series, Generic Series, Gay, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, DADT, dont ask don't tell, GLBT,  LGBT, GBLT, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, transgender, Flag, US Flag, Gay Flag, Rainbow)

346/272. Ricky Martin Comes Out (again)

The tweet heard 'round the world . . .

Ricky Martin said to Oprah that, “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man.” He revealed that when he first came out, he felt “numb” and then “relieved.”

Regarding his coming out tweet, Ricky said, “When I realized, okay, I just pressed send, whoo … I was alone. I was in my studio alone for a minute. My assistant walked in and I just started crying like a little baby. I started crying.”

321. Elena Kagan SCOTUS Confirmation

273. The Cougar, The Bear, And The Twink

272. Ricky Martin Comes Out

Ricky Martin reportedly stated via twitter that "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am." His coming-out admission revalidates statements of the obvious.

267. Census 2010

250. The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Conundrum

Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified on 2 Feb 2010 that the time has come for the military to repeal its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy. In doing so, the military strangely resurfaces as society's Petri dish for dispelling prejudice, advancing civil rights and exposing hypocrisies and conundrums in U.S. policy and law.