Via the Wall Street Journal: Pope Francis’ September address to Congress will be broadcast live on the west side of the U.S. Capitol building, so members of the public can watch in a setup similar to presidential inaugurations, House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) announced Wednesday. The pope is expected to deliver brief remarks to the public assembled outside the …

Via Gothamist: The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will be honored with a ticker-tape parade on Friday to celebrate their recent World Cup championship. On the heels of a growing petition and entreaties from the Manhattan Borough President and others, Mayor de Blasio’s office announced today that the parade will kick off at 11 a.m. on July 10th. The parade …

“Because of the lack of respect by Judge Bariso for JONAH’s spiritual practices, it was practically impossible for the jury to hand down a not-guilty verdict. At nearly every point before, during and after testimony was given, the judge undermined JONAH’s freedom of religion. Potential jurors who believed homosexuality is a sin were screened out; defense attorney Charles Limandri was …

“I can’t believe this was once on his ass.”

Eurovision reports: This morning, SVT revealed Stockholm as the Host City for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. The capital city’s Globe Arena will stage the contest for the second time in its history. The Semi-Finals will be held on 10 and 12 May, the Grand Final on 14 May 2016. Information about ticket sales is expected later this year. The …

I first wrote about Maclean back in 2013 for the release of his quirky Australian hit Stupid, which made my top ten for that year. Today he’s back with a lovely ballad.

Via the New York Times: With an eye toward the mainstream success of gay-themed films like “Philadelphia,” 20th Century Fox has secured the rights to make a movie about the Supreme Court case that effectively legalized same-sex marriage. Fox said Tuesday that it had bought the life rights of Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that last month …

Via the Friendly Atheist: Remember the anonymous woman who said she would go ahead with her planned abortion unless pro-lifers raised $1 million (which she said would be put in a trust fund for the child)? Turns out it was a hoax. A great big publicity stunt. The website ProLifeAntiWoman.com no longer has the woman’s plea. It’s now a website …

On Friday the ACLU sued the clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses. On Monday a couple filmed their refusal in clerk Kim Davis’ office and the clip went wildly viral last night. At 9:31 in the video a uniformed officer is shown entering the room and walking to the counter to converse with the …

Fortune reports: Macy’s. NBC. Nascar. Serta. The PGA. The list of large companies and brands moving to distance themselves from Donald Trump has snowballed since he entered the 2016 Presidential campaign with a racist diatribe against Mexican immigrants. Add one more: Phillips-Van Heusen, the clothing conglomerate behind Trump’s brand of mid-priced menswear. “Mr. Trump and Macy’s have both addressed the …

RELATED: Interviewer Randall Terry advocates for the criminalization of all forms of birth control. In 2004 his adopted son Jamiel came out in an Out Magazine essay, prompting Terry to blame Jamiel’s gayness on his birth parents. Jamiel died in a car accident in 2011. One of Terry’s daughters has converted to Islam and another was reportedly banned from his …

As you’d expect, Teabagistan is losing its shit.

Yes, he’s a Democrat: Nixon says the order makes clear that local governments must comply with the ruling as well. One Missouri county, Schuyler, is still not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Nixon also called again on the Missouri legislature to pass the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, which would bar discrimination against LGBT Missourians in employment, housing, and public accommodations. …

Today in wingnut grandstanding: Gov. Sam Brownback issued an executive order Tuesday prohibiting state government from taking “discriminatory action” against a clergy member or religious organization that “chooses not to participate in a marriage that is inconsistent with its sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and …

Hey Todd Starnes – I have an idea…why don’t you use a photo from this century?

Via Buzzfeed: Deaf West Theatre is a premiere deaf theater company based in Los Angeles. Their recent production of the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Spring Awakening, performed simultaneously in American Sign Language and spoken English, is headed to Broadway this fall.

Via the Wichita Eagle: The same-sex spouses of state employees are now eligible for the state’s health insurance plan, according to a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. A same-sex spouse of a state worker or public university employee can now apply to be added to their spouse’s plan through the agency or school’s human resources department. …