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Bizarre gay pride photobomb makes it to front page of local paper

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 17:02:00 +0000

Gay pride revelers around the country had two major Supreme Court victories to add a little extra oomph to their weekend festivities, with many people coming out to local events with signs celebrating the death of the Defense of Marriage Act and the reversal of California's Proposition 8.

Delaware's News Journal captured one such moment, when, on Monday, state Sen. Karen Peterson and Vikki Bandy became the first same-sex couple to be married in Delaware.

Except the photo features one apparent interloper.

Among a group of people holding poster boards donned with messages like "I love my 2 moms," stands a smiling man holding a pink sign declaring "I'm here for the gang bang."

It's hard to say what motivated the photobomb. Was the sign-holder part of the small anti-gay rights contingent protesting outside of the courthouse? Did he use Apple Maps to get directions to a group sex rally and simply wind up in the wrong place? Is he a clueless young guy trying to insert petty homophobia into an otherwise happy event?

Significantly, no one in the photo seems to much notice him or care that he's there. They're too busy celebrating to be bothered by one man's stupidity.

Anthony Weiner makes jokes about his name at NYC pride

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 12:59:00 +0000

New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner cracked jokes about his name at New York City's gay pride parade on Sunday, amid cries of "Weiner" "Weiner" during his march down Christopher Street in Manhattan.

Politicker NY reports:

“We love Weiner and you can quote me on that!” shouted 25-year-old Justin Curtis after Mr. Weiner passed, flanked by a slew of supporters who followed in his footsteps, holding a “Weiner!” sign that stretched the length of the street itself.

“You guys know that’s my name right?” Mr. Weiner offered at one point. “We’re not just saying that.”

Bert and Ernie come out on The New Yorker cover

Fri, 28 Jun 2013 13:54:00 +0000

Long rumored to be more than just friends, "Sesame Street" roommates Bert and Ernie have come out on The New Yorker's cover, celebrating the Supreme Court's ruling that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional:

The magazine found artist Jack Hunter's image, titled "Moment of Joy," on Tumblr. Hunter said, “It’s amazing to witness how attitudes on gay rights have evolved in my lifetime."

“This is great for our kids, a moment we can all celebrate.”

Military recruiters set up shop at San Francisco Pride

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:13:00 +0000

For the first time since the 2011 repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, military recruiters will be stationed among the revelers (and copious corporate sponsors) at San Francisco's gay pride parade, according to organizers.

The California National Guard will have two booths at this weekend's event, tabled by gay soldiers who have volunteered to answer questions about military life for out service members.

The military has loomed large over the city's 2013 pride, as organizers recently stripped Pfc. Bradley Manning of an honorary role as Grand Marshal following backlash among conservation and military-affiliated LGBT individuals and groups. The event board released a statement this spring rescinding Manning's honorary title, and reaffirmed their position earlier this month:

Poland’s first openly gay MP assaulted during pride event

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:55:00 +0000

The first and only openly gay member of Poland's parliament, Robert Biedron, was verbally harassed and assaulted during a gay pride event in Warsaw on Saturday.

“An aggressive man insulted us, using homophobic statements. He began to choke one of my friends and punched him in the face. When he recognized me he spat in my face, raised his fists and and kicked me in the stomach,” Biedron said of the assault.

He said the incident is an important reminder that violence against gays and lesbians remains problem in Poland, though he remarked that, in contrast to previous years, no stones or bottles were thrown at marchers over the weekend.

News anchor drops f-bomb in story about gay pride

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:30:00 +0000

While segueing out of a story about the "Pledge of Allegiance" and into a story about Minneapolis' gay pride festival, KSTP-TV news anchor Bill Lunn dropped a critical letter from the word "flag":

"I pledge allegiance to the fag," Lunn stumbled before quickly correcting himself.

Ah, bloopers.

To be fair, Lunn seemed genuinely horrified at the slip, and later took to Twitter to apologize and sounded genuinely remorseful:

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h/t Towle Road

Jason Collins and Joe Kennedy march for gay pride in Boston

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 18:49:00 +0000

Jason Collins, who in April became the first openly gay male professional athlete is marching for gay pride in Boston with his old college roommate, Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy III. Earlier today, he tweeted a picture of them together:

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The picture is particularly meaningful as Collins decided he needed to come out publicly after Kennedy marched in last year’s parade and Collins didn't feel like he could participate.

Kennedy is proud of Collins' decision and recently wrote an op-ed in Bay Windows, a blog for New England's LGBT community, about why he participates in the march:

Moscow rejects petition for gay pride march

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:29:00 +0000

Days after a 23-year-old gay man was brutally murdered in what Russian authorities believe to be a hate crime, Moscow city officials have denied a permit request to hold a gay pride memorial march in the victim's honor.

After filing the request on Monday, gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev announced a plan to hold the march for Vladislav Tornovoi, “whether authorities grant permission or not."

City officials denied the request, saying there is "no need for such events in the city," as the Moscow Times reports:

Boy Scouts set to lift ban on gay youth members

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

In news that will go largely unnoticed due to the ongoing manhunt for the Boston bombing suspects, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America announced that the organization is set to vote in May on lifting a ban on gays in the organization.

Reuters reports:

If the vote is approved, "no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone," Deron Smith, the organization's spokesman, told Reuters.

Smith noted that the decision drew from three months of research, surveys and discussions and was "among the most complex and challenging issues facing the BSA and society today."

As the Washington Post points out, though, the statement stipulates that the organization will continue to ban adults “who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.”

Study finds rise in gay characters on network TV

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:29:00 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) -- The number of gay and bisexual characters on scripted broadcast network TV is at its highest-ever level in the season ahead, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The total on cable television is also going up.

The 17th-annual "Where We Are on TV" report released Friday by GLAAD found that 4.4 percent of actors appearing regularly on prime-time network drama and comedy series during the 2012-13 season will portray lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender characters. This is up from 2.9 percent in 2011, which saw a dip in what had been a growing annual trend.

The study reviewed 97 scripted TV programs scheduled to air in the upcoming season on the broadcast networks, counting a total of 701 series regular characters. The study found that 31 of them are LGBT characters.

ABC has the highest amount with 10 out of 194, or 5.2 percent, of their regular characters identified as LGBT.

After leading last year, Fox ranks second with six LGBT characters out of 118 total series regulars, or 5.1 percent.

Must-see morning clip

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Anderson Cooper and Kristen Chenoweth opened the season's first episode of "Anderson Live" by talking about Cooper's decision to come out earlier this summer. Chenoweth goaded Cooper about his "big summer," saying, "I just wonder if you'd like to say, like, I don't know -- you went out a lot. You came out, and talked."

Cooper officially came out via a letter to the Daily Beast's Andrew Sullivan in July, where he explained his decision to come out:

I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something - something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.

Cooper echoed the same sentiments on camera yesterday, reiterating his message on the importance of transparency, "the tide of history only moves forward when everyone is fully visible."

Watch the full clip here: