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)

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)