Obama Celebrates Gay Pride at White House Reception

Today President Obama speaks at a reception marking LGBT pride month. Video and transcript below. 

American Psychological Association - Gay Parents Are A-Okay

As LGBT rights opponents continue to try and discredit same-sex parents (a recent “study” questions gay and lesbian parenting skills, saying that kids of gay and lesbian parents fare worse than those raised in heterosexual families), major scientific and medical associations have spoken up.

The report has already been widely discredited. To start, it was funded by the Witherspoon Institute and the Bradley Foundation, groups that are well-known for their support of conservative causes. As a result, even the American Psychological Association (APA) released a statement this week defending its belief that sexual orientation has no bearing on being a good parent:

“On the basis of a remarkably consistent body of research on lesbian and gay parents and their children, the American Psychological Association (APA) and other health professional and scientific organizations have concluded that there is no scientific evidence that parenting effectiveness is related to parental sexual orientation. That is, lesbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide supportive and healthy environments for their children. This body of research has shown that the adjustment, development and psychological well-being of children are unrelated to parental sexual orientation and that the children of lesbian and gay parents are as likely as those of heterosexual parents to flourish.”

Brian Brown Blast Cereal Maker General Mills for 'Declaring War on Marriage'

A national group opposed to gay marriage blasted Golden Valley-based General Mills' decision to oppose a marriage amendment in Minnesota, calling it "one of the dumbest corporate PR stunts of all time."

General Mills said Thursday it opposes a proposed Minnesota constitutional amendment to bay gay marriage, the largest company in the state to come out against the measure so far.

"We do not believe the proposed constitutional amendment is in the best interests of our employees or our state economy - and as a Minnesota-based company we oppose it," Ken Charles, vice president of global diversity and inclusion for General Mills, wrote in a letter to employees and the public.  "We value diversity. We value inclusion. We always have . and we always will."

“Marriage as the union of one man and one woman is profoundly in the common good, and it is especially important for children,” said Brian Brown, National Organization for Marriage president. “General Mills makes billions marketing cereal to parents of young children. It has now effectively declared a war on marriage with its own customers when it tells the country that it is opposed to preserving traditional marriage, which is what the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment does.”

Minnesota already bans gay marriage by statute, but gay marriage opponents have said putting the ban in the state constitution would make it harder for courts to undo it. Voters will decide the issue in November.

General Mills Stands Up For ENDA and Against Same Sex Marriage Bans

One day after a General Mills executive testified before the Senate HELP Committee about why the States need Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), the cereal company announces that it opposes efforts to write a same-sex marriage ban into the Minnesota state constitution.

Minnesotans United announces -

"Fortune 500 Company General Mills has just announced that the Golden Valley, MN corporation opposes the constitutional amendment seeking to limit the freedom to marry for committed same-sex couples in Minnesota.

Sign our petition today thanking General Mills for supporting all Minnesota families!"

Israeli Defense Forces Posts Photo of Gay Soldiers Holding Hands to Official Facebook Page

A photo posted on the Israeli military's international Facebook page is causing a cyber-stir. The photo, which depicts 2 soldier holding hands, carries the caption: "It's Pride Month. Did you know that the IDF treats all of its soldiers equally?"

Not All Loving Relationships Need Marriage Certificates - Australia Prime Minister

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has drawn on her own relationship to defend her opposition to same-sex marriage.

Gillard is not married to long-term partner Tim Mathieson but says that doesn't mean they aren't in a committed relationship.

"I think you can have a relationship of love and commitment and trust and understanding that doesn't need a marriage certificate associated with it," Gillard told ABC TV last night.

"That's my life experience - so I'm speaking from that life experience."

Gillard was responding to a question about her opposition to gay marriage from Sydney plumber and Vietnam veteran Geoff Thomas.

Thomas, whose son Nathan is gay, in 2010 asked Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on national TV when he would overcome his ignorance and start treating homosexuals with the respect they deserved.

Country Queen Speaks Out For Gay Marriage – But How Will Conservative Fans Take It?

She is the musical darling of American conservatives: a God-fearing farm girl from Oklahoma who became a music phenomenon on the back of wholesome hit records about faith, family and the greatness of the United States.

Until now, that is. In a development that will doubtless outrage her many fans on the religious right, the nation's most popular country singer, Carrie Underwood, has come out vehemently in favour of gay marriage.

"As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry," she said. "I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love."

The endorsement, in an interview with The Independent, puts Underwood in the line of fire of one of America's most divisive social debates. Barack Obama recently endorsed same-sex unions, indicating that he wishes to make the subject a key talking point in the forthcoming presidential election.

Australian Christian Lobby accuses Australian TV show of breaking impartiality code

THE Australian Christian Lobby has complained to the media regulator about the involvement of Channel Seven's Sunrise program in a campaign for same-sex marriage.

The breakfast news program has joined with campaigners Australian Marriage Equality and GetUp! and Marie Claire magazine to collect signatures for a petition to legalise same-sex marriage and will broadcast today from pro-gay marriage events in Melbourne and Sydney.

The Christian Lobby has told the Australian Communications and Media Authority that Sunrise's involvement in the ''I do'' campaign is a breach of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, which requires news to be presented impartially.

Teacher Claims He Didn't Get Job Because He's Gay

A music teacher said Tuesday that Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy changed its mind about hiring him because he is gay.

The case is the latest in a string of local and national conflicts involving religious institutions firing employees based on what they say are religious reasons but what some critics say are discriminatory reasons.

Jonathan Zeng, a music teacher and singer who lives in downtown Cincinnati, says Cincinnati Hills, a nondenominational Christian school, offered him a teaching job there Friday after several days of interviews and observing him leading a third-grade class.

But several hours after he accepted the job at the academy’s downtown Armleder School, Zeng said, school officials called him back and asked him if he is gay.

Zeng asked why that was pertinent. He said school officials replied that Cincinnati Hills has a policy against employing teachers who live as homosexuals because they would be around children and the school believes in the sanctity of marriage.

Why Marriage Equality Is Important - Thailand

Gay Me Design, a multi-media design studio in Thailand has created a cute infographic based animation arguing the case for same-sex marriage. The studio is made up of a group of designers who believe in using their professional abilities to help create a better society and creating media for social good.

The video compares a lifetime of legal rights of Ton (straight) and Eak (gay) who graduate from university at the same time.

Check out the video. Click CC for English subtitles.

Appeals Court Refuses Rehearing On California's Proposition 8

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has denied request by Prop 8 proponents for a rehearing of the case.

California’s voter-approved measure sought to strictly define marriage as only between a man and a woman, thereby negating a 2008 ruling that from the state’s Supreme Court that legalized same-sex marriage.

The Reitan Family Voting No On The Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment In Minnesota

The Reitan family has recorded a spot for Minnesotans for All Families, the campaign to defeat the anti-gay marriage amendment in Minnesota.

Human Rights Campaign and Kenneth Cole Join to Help Elect Equality

HRC is unveiling its latest collaboration with fashion designer and longtime activist Kenneth Cole as part of the designer’s AWEARNESS campaign. This collaboration aims to encourage Americans to support LGBT equality at the polls this election cycle. 

JC Penny Gay Dads Ad

JC Penney launched a Fathers' Day advertisement a couple of days ago featuring a gay couple with their children, noting that the ad portrays "real-life dads Todd Koch and Cooper Smith with their children, Claire and Mason". The ad builds on the department store's recent decision to stand with the LGBT community. In February, JC Penney came under fire from the anti-gay group One Million Moms for bringing on the openly-gay comedian Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson. The store stood behind its partnership with Ellen. Ana Kasparian and John Iadarola discusses this issue on The Young Turks. Check it out.

Michelle Obama Discusses Her Support for Marriage Equality

Michelle Obama says fairness and equality are values she and the president are trying to teach their daughters, Sasha and Malia. In this video, posted online by the White House Thursday night, the first lady answered questions submitted via Twitter. The last questioner in the series asks her about marriage equality.

"Please tell us about your family discussions about marriage equality and thank President Obama for his support!"

Michelle Obama: This is an important issue for millions of Americans, and for Barack and me, it really comes down to the values of fairness and equality we want to pass down to our girls. These are basic values that kids learn at a very young age and that we encourage them to apply in all areas of their lives. And in a country where we teach our children that everyone is equal under the law, discriminating against same-sex couple just isn’t right. It’s as simple as that.

Watch the video below.

Kansas Pastor Says Government Should Kill Homosexuals

CNN - When a Christian pastor in North Carolina told his congregation on Mother's Day that the way "to get rid of all the lesbians and queers" was to put them behind an electric fence and wait for them to die out because they couldn't reproduce, hundreds of people demonstrated against him.

But the protests are not silencing other preachers who believe homosexuality is a sin condemned by the Bible.

Kansas pastor Curtis Knapp went even further Sunday, preaching that the government should kill homosexuals.

"They won't, but they should," he said, according to a recording of his sermon posted online.

Like the sermon from Charles Worley at Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, North Carolina, earlier this month, Knapp's sermon drew an angry response.

His voice mail filled up with messages saying "things you don't want your kids to hear," he told CNN affiliate KTKA.

Zach Wahls, His Two Moms And The Future Of Same-Sex Marriage

What's the most persistent myth about being raised by gay parents? "That you are a child abuse victim," says Zach Wahls, author of the new book, My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength and What Makes a Family.

Wahls became an internet sensation after a video of him defending his mothers' same-sex marriage was uploaded to YouTube. His 2011 testimony before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee has racked up over 18 million views and led to appearances on The Daily Show, Letterman, Ellen, and many other places.

Now comes My Two Moms, in which the 20-year-old University of Iowa engineering student explains what it's like to grow up as a child as the child of same-sex parents and uses the lessons he learned as an Eagle Scout to talk about why marriage equality should be the law of the land.

2012 Campaign Video Envisions a Brighter ‘Someday’ for Singapore’s LGBT Community

Singapore will once again celebrate the Freedom to Love at the very first night Pink Dot on June 30, 2012 – and in keeping with its community engagement, Pink Dot Sg today released a landmark campaign video marking a key milestone in the lead up to the main event.

Directed by acclaimed Singaporean director Boo Junfeng, this year’s campaign video, dubbed ‘Someday’, invites Singaporeans to envision a future in which Singapore’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community will be able to openly celebrate their diversity, free of discrimination and prejudice.

Check out their campaign video below.

Anne Hathaway Receives Human Rights Award

Just stumble across this old video of Anne Hathaway giving a very moving speech onstage as she accepted her award from the Human Rights Campaign in 2008. If you have not watch it before, check it out. Her award was given to her for being openly supportive of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community. This is a topic very close to Anne, who grew up with a gay brother. Her speech was very powerful, and she spoke of not being "brave" for openly supportive of gay rights, but being just a decent human being.

Muslim Council of Britain: Civil partnerships were a ploy to attack marriage

The Muslim Council of Britain has launched a website, Muslims Defending Marriage, which describes the civil partnerships system as a ‘ploy’ designed to ‘attack traditional marriage’ by giving gay couples the same legal rights as straight couples.

The site says “many people now recognise” that the purpose of the civil partnerships system was in fact to “attack traditional marriage” by allowing people to argue that marriage is “just civil partnership by another name”.

With just over a fortnight until the public consultation on marriage equality between gay and straight couples in England and Wales closes, the Council said the Muslims Defending Marriage website is not intended to be homophobic, but to promote an Islamic view of marriage.