National

Virginia lawmaker: "Sodomy is not a civil right"

WASHINGTON — Virginia Republican delegate Robert Marshall, who led the efforts to derail the judicial nomination of an openly gay Richmond prosecutor, said in an interview on CNN Thursday morning that “sodomy is not a civil right.”

Marshall was defending his actions and that of fellow lawmakers and right wing christian conservative activists who opposed Tracy Thorne-Begland, who, had he been elevated to the General District Court Judgeship, would have been the first openly gay judge to serve in the state.

Disco diva Donna Summer dies at age 63

Donna Summer, aka the Queen of Disco, died today in Florida. She was 63.

Summer's sexy songs such as "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls" and "Love To Love You Baby" ruled the dance floors during the disco era, and she was a goddess to many gay men during the '70s. Her classic "Last Dance" often closed out an evening of dancing at the discos across the world.

She also appeared in movies such as "Thank God It's Friday" and "Divas Of Dance."

Virginia GOP lawmakers block judicial nomination over sexual orientation

RICHMOND, Va. — GOP lawmakers in the Virginia House of Delegates, led by virulently anti-gay Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William), have blocked the judicial nomination of an openly gay Richmond prosecutor.

Tracy Thorne-Begland, a Richmond prosecutor for the past 12 years, had been nominated for an open judgeship, but the nomination was quickly decried by the conservative group The Family Foundation and Marshall, who argued that Thorne-Begland’s sexual orientation would conflict with his ability to hold up the state’s constitution.

Bomb threat prompts evacuations at D.C. offices of LGBT advocacy groups

WASHINGTON — Offices of the Human Rights Campaign headquarters and a building that houses the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and several other prominent LGBT advocacy groups were evacuated Tuesday afternoon following a bomb scare.

Rhode Island to accept out-of-state same-sex marriages

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island's governor on Monday declared that the state will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, giving gay couples the same rights as heterosexual ones when it comes to health insurance and a slew of other benefits.

The order signed by Gov. Lincoln Chafee in a Statehouse ceremony directs state agencies to recognize marriages performed out of state as legal and treat same-sex married couples the same as heterosexual ones.

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Two new polls show that most Americans support same-sex unions

Two separate polls show that a majority of Americans are increasingly supportive of gay and lesbian relationships, a trend that been moving steadily upward for years now.

CBS News/New York Times Poll

A new poll, taken after President Barack Obama come out in favor of marriage equality, shows that most Americans support some form of legal recognition for same-sex unions.

The CBS News/New York Times Poll, taken May 11-13, shows that:

• 38% say gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry

• 24% say same-sex couples should be allowed civil unions

Mitt Romney’s character under scrutiny as report of anti-gay bullying surfaces

WASHINGTON — GOP front runner and presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney engaged in several incidents of pranks during his high school years, at least one incident in particular that LGBTQ activists are calling anti-gay bullying, according to a report by The Washington Post.

"Ex-gay" group cancels conference due to lack of interest

One of the most prominent ex-gay organizations in the country, Exodus International, has been experiencing an exodus of a different sort, one it surely isn’t pleased to see. The group canceled its next Love Won Out (LWO) conference, which was scheduled for May 19 at Legacy Church in Albuquerque, N.M.

Gay teen jumps to his death; family says bullying was a factor

ROCHESTER, Minn. — An openly gay teen in Rochester, Minn., took his own life on Sunday, and according to the boy’s father, anti-gay bullying played a “a big part” in his son’s suicide.

Shortly before midnight on Sunday, Jay “Corey” Jones, a 17-year-old student at Century High School, jumped off a pedestrian bridge near his school in Rochester and died, reported the Rochester Post-Bulletin.

Senate panel agrees to hold hearing on ENDA

WASHINGTON -- A Senate committee has agreed to hold a hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act following calls from advocates and senators for lawmakers to hear testimony on LGBT workplace discrimination.

In a statement Thursday, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, announced he intends to hold a hearing on ENDA on June 12.

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