ST. PAUL, Minn., May 14 – Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed a law legalizing marriage for same-sex couples today. Dayton signed the bill shortly after its passage by the state legislature. 

New York, May 14– Today Brazil’s National Council of Justice ruled that government offices have no standing to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples, moving the freedom to marry forward for gay and lesbian people nationwide. The ruling follows decisions by 14 of Brazil’s states and the national capital region that same-sex couples could marry without a court petition, as well as lower court rulings in favor of the freedom to marry. While the High Court could modify today’s ruling, that seems unlikely, and Brazil is now likely to become the latest country to embrace the freedom to marry nationwide.

COLUMBIA, S.C. May 14 – The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Advocates for Informed Choice (AIC) and pro bono counsel for the private law firms of Janet, Jenner & Suggs and Steptoe & Johnson LLP filed a lawsuit today against the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Greenville Hospital System, Medical University of South Carolina and individual employees for performing an irreversible and medically unnecessary surgery on an infant in the state’s ca

Geneva, 15 May 2013 – The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) has launched its 2013 issue of the state-sponsored homophobia report, a world survey of laws on criminalisation, protection and recognition of same-sex love, from its newly opened office in Geneva.

NEW YORK May 15 – ACLU Action, a new initiative of the American Civil Liberties Union, launched a campaign today urging "Modern Family's" producers to script a wedding episode for popular gay characters Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker. The campaign comes as Americans await the Supreme Court's decisions on two important marriage equality cases, the DOMA and Prop 8 cases – the ACLU is direct counsel in the DOMA case, United States v. Windsor – and as a stream of states pass marriage equality measures. The campaign can be found at ModernFamilyWedding.com.

Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - Following is a statement regarding amendments to the Title 4 provisions of the immigration bill that will be debated by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. The statement can be attributed to the National Center for Lesbian Rights, GLAAD, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, United We Dream and Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project, Equality Federation, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance and GetEQUAL.

May 16, 2013, New York, NY - Today, GLAAD released profiles of and highlighted quotes from three of the most prominent public figures arguing against allowing gay youth and parents to participate in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), exposing the real motivation behind their efforts: anti-gay animus. The profiles will be shared with media covering the BSA vote next week and are included in GLAAD's Commentator Accountability Project (CAP), which documents the vitriolic hate speech of the nation's most vehemently anti-gay activists.

Earlier this week, One Million Moms launched a campaign against the annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) day at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom®, taking place Saturday, June 1, 2013.   On its website, One Million Moms claims that the intent of the LGBT community is “to expose and desensitize children to this lifestyle by same-sex couples holding hands, hugging and kissing”.  They are urging members to e-mail Disney officials and demand the park ‘no longer go along with Gay Day.’  In response, Darcy Christ, a heterosexual mother who strongly opposes the views of One Million Moms, has created her own Facebook page, Millions of Moms for Love, (https://www.facebook.com/MillionsOfMomsForLove).  Christ is hoping to receive as many “likes” as possible to prove anti-gay beliefs are not shared by most moms in America.

London, UK - According to reports, Turkey’s official television station cancelled the broadcast of a planned episode of Eurovision included a lesbian kiss on Thursday night. Finland’s entry, Krista Siegfrids told Gay Star News she kissed a woman on stage to support marriage equality throughout the world and in Finland.

New York, NY- Violence erupted during a peaceful celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHoT marchers) in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Friday. Orthodox Priests lead thousands of anti-gay marchers in the clash, injuring at least 28 people. RT News reports 10,000 Orthodox marchers met the peaceful IDAHO demonstrators

Paris, France -  On Saturday, President Hollande signed a bill that gives gays and lesbians the right to marry France.

New York May 10– Today Freedom to Marry and OutServe-SLDN released the latest in its "Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry" video series featuring Major Shannon McLaughlin and her wife, Casey McLaughlin, spotlighting the harms of federal marriage discrimination to their family. Although they are legally married in the State of Massachusetts, the McLaughlins are not treated the same as other military couples because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies legally married same-sex couples more than 1,100 federal protections automatically granted to opposite-sex couples.

COLUMBUS OH - May 10– Equality Ohio is happy to announce that today Representatives Ross McGregor (R-Springfield) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), and Senators Frank LaRose (R-Akron) and Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood) introduced the Equal Housing and Employment Act which will protect Ohioans from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. 

I’m working with the ACLU of Pennsylvania in an effort to gain legal protections for same-sex couples in Pennsylvania.  We know that getting these protections will take real couples who are willing to come forward publicly to share stories about their love and commitment.

HARRISBURG – Today, a bipartisan group of Pennsylvania legislators introduced critical legislation to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people from discrimination.  The bills would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression statewide in employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations.

HARRISBURG, May 7 – A record number of state legislators are sponsoring bills that would protect LGBT people from discrimination in Pennsylvania.

DOVER, Del. – Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed a law legalizing marriage for same-sex couples today. Markell signed the bill shortly after its passage by the state legislature.

RED LION, Pa. – The Red Lion Area School District (RLASD) has refused to change its policy regarding transgender candidates for prom court, nor will it agree to allow transgender students to use a name at graduation to match their gender identity, according to a letter from the school district's solicitor.

Portland, Maine - May 3 – Today, the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other child welfare organizations filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief with the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in support of a transgender girl who experienced discrimination and harassment at her Orono school.

NORTHAMPTON, MA – After more than 4,000 people signed a petition on Change.org started by Smith College student group Smith Q&A, the College announced that it will be re-examining their admissions policies regarding transgender applicants.

OCALA, Fla. – Just one day after 14-year-old Bayli Silberstein filed suit against the Lake County School Board to enforce her constitutionally protected right to establish a Gay-Straight Alliance at her school, today the School Board has ended months of delay and efforts to block the GSA, and will allow the club to meet. The consent decree entered today in federal court allowing Silberstein to finally establish the GSA settles a lawsuit filed only yesterday, May 1st, which was the result of months of the school board repeatedly delaying and thwarting the establishment of the GSA.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.–  Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee signed a law legalizing marriage for same-sex couples today. Chafee signed the bill shortly after its passage by the state legislature.

DETROIT, MI – A young woman who was fired from a Michigan Boy Scout camp for being a lesbian has launched a new petition on Change.org urging her local Boy Scout council to vote to end the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) ban on gay youth and adult leaders at its National Council meeting this May.

RED LION, Pa. – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Pennsylvania sent a letter today on behalf of a male transgender student who was denied the chance to run for prom king when his principal placed his female birth name in the column for "prom queen" despite repeated requests to be listed under his correct gender identity.

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is urging Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would protect against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The measure was introduced today in both chambers of Congress by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).

WASHINGTON, April 24   The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds today's Senate passage of a bill granting same-sex couples the freedom to marry in Rhode Island. The measure passed in a 26-12 vote. A similar measure passed the House in January, and the bill now returns to the House for a largely procedural vote on small changes made on the Senate side. Gov. Lincoln Chafee has promised to sign the bill into law.

Providence – Today the Rhode Island Senate approved legislation that would end the denial of marriage to same-sex couples in Rhode Island. The House of Representatives approved similar legislation in January by a vote of 51 to 19. The bill will return to the House for minor changes before it is sent to Governor Lincoln Chafee, who has promised to sign it.

Providence – Today all five Republicans in the Rhode Island Senate announced their support for S38, the marriage bill to end the statewide exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, and their intention to vote for it on the floor. The bill passed easily in the Rhode Island House of Representatives in January, and the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hold a vote on it today. This will be the first time ever that a party caucus in a legislative branch -- Republican or Democratic -- will have voted unanimously in favor of freedom to marry legislation.

WASHINGTON, DC – Just days after the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) announced a proposed resolution that would allow gay youth to participate in the organization but would maintain its ban on gay parents and leaders, two openly gay Boy Scout brothers want to know why the BSA believes just one of the brothers should be allowed to participate in Scouting.

COLUMBUS, OH – Students at Bishop Watterson Catholic High School near Columbus, Ohio, have launched a petition on Change.org asking the Diocese of Columbus to rehire Carla Hale, their teacher who was fired after someone complained that a female partner was listed on Hale’s mother’s obituary. 

On Tuesday, March 26, Marriage Equality for Pennsylvania held a vigil in front of the Federal Courthouse at 6th and State, Erie PA in response to the US Supreme Court hearing arguments about the California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Candidates for Erie County Executive, Erie County Council , Erie City Mayor and Erie City Council were asked about their positions on GLBT issues. Their responses appear below. The Pennsylvania Primary Election will be held May 21, 2013. Contact your county voter registration office if you have questions about your registration. This Voters Guide is compiled by Erie Gay News. The EGN Voters Guide does not endorse or rate candidates, but offers each candidate the opportunity to present their positions, efforts, and experiences in their own words. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

Harrisburg – Today, Equality Pennsylvania released its slate of endorsed candidates for the Primary Election on May 21. These pro-equality candidates have all pledged to be leaders in the journey toward full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the Commonwealth. The slate includes 9 openly LGBT candidates.

December 11, 2012: Grindr for Equality is again demonstrating Grindr’s power to mobilize its 4.5 million users to change history for GLBT rights, by leveraging in-app messages and social media to create awareness and drive signatures to a petition to denounce an anti-gay bill up for legislation in Uganda. The bill, known as the Anti-Homosexuality Bill -which discriminates against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people - appeared on the Parliamentary Order of Business on November 21 and the Ugandan Parliament could start debating the bill at any time.