“NOM was a major financial contributor to the Campaign for Houston, the grassroots group that spearheaded the referendum, and we worked hard to organize our supporters all over the country to contribute directly to the campaign, and to get out to vote against the ordinance. The results give us a tremendous sense of pride and encouragement to redouble our efforts …

The NFL was quick today to head off any demands that Super Bowl 2017 be moved from Houston in the wake of yesterday’s victory by anti-gay hate groups. Their statement: “This will not affect our plans for Super Bowl LI in 2017. We will work closely with the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee to make sure all fans feel welcomed …

In 2008 Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter issued an executive order establishing the Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs. Since that order could be undone by a future mayor, yesterday voters approved a referendum item permanently establishing the office in the city’s charter. The Philly Voice reports: The office is responsible for working on policies that aid the …

Former Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Seblius has joined the global advisory board of Out Leadership and penned an op-ed for the Guardian in which she calls on corporations to back the Equality Act. She writes: We can’t do this without the support of the business community, which was vital throughout the marriage equality fight and will be no …

The Guardian reports: The British government has suspended all flights to the UK from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh after declaring it believes the Russian plane that crashed over Sinai may have been brought down by an explosive device. The government ordered a temporary moratorium on flights from the beach resort while security assessments were carried out, after receiving …

Two weeks ago Goshen, Indiana city council candidate Brent Randall was outed for having a profile on Adam4Adam. Divorced in 2007 after 22 years of marriage to a woman, Randall dismissed the hook-up profile as a “little experiment” and maintained that he continues to oppose a local LGBT rights ordinance, falsely declaring that Indiana already protects its LGBT citizens under …

Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat, the Michigan Tea Party-backed anti-gay Christian lawmakers who were busted in a bizarre adultery cover-up scheme, yesterday lost their bids to retake seats in the chamber which expelled them early this fall. The Associated Press reports: Ms. Gamrat had 9 percent of the vote, with 90 percent of precincts reporting in her former southwestern Michigan …

A Chick-Fil-A franchise in Tennessee has co-sponsored an LGBT film festival, much to great outrage across the hate-o-sphere. While the company’s corporate leaders have taken pains to point out that franchise owners act independently when it comes to local events, that’s not good enough for Christian activist Ted Shoebat. And therefore everybody at Chick-Fil-A must be executed. “What does Saint …

Emboldened by yesterday’s result in Houston, California’s haters today rushed out a press release urging support for their campaign to place a repeal of transgender rights on the 2016 statewide ballot. They write: The people of Houston have spoken and defeated that City’s proposed bathroom ordinance. But it almost did not happen. The voters were almost denied the right to …

“Political strategists warned LGBT activists in the days ahead of the vote: There was little Spanish-language outreach, no big ad buy in Spanish-language media — in a city that is 44% Hispanic — countering the lies of the opposition, who’d certainly been doing their own outreach. Monica Roberts, a long-time African-American transgender activist, warned of little outreach in the black …

Last month perennial Toledo mayoral candidate Opal Covey promised that God will destroy her city if the election were to be stolen from her once again. “Bahalaa asha tiyah tololo!” warned Covey, in an interview with Toledo’s NBC affiliate. So get ready Ohio: Incumbent Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson, 64, who became mayor in February automatically as council president when Mayor D. …

Donald Trump had one of his patented meltdowns on CNN this morning, raging at host Chris Cuomo because the network failed to show the “yuuuge lines stretching to Park Avenue” at yesterday’s book signing at Trump Tower. Trump and Cuomo sparred for more than 20 minutes about polls and how everybody is being so terribly unfair to Donald Trump. By …

“This is a national game changer. Today’s vote is a massive victory for common sense, safety, and religious freedom, not just in Houston, but for all of Texas. The eyes of the nation were on Houston, and the people sent a clear message and soundly rejected this intentionally deceptive and dangerous ordinance. Millions of dollars pouring in from national LGBT …

“I congratulate Matt Bevin on his win. I am ecstatic. He is such a genuine and caring person. I will be forever thankful that he came to visit me while I was in jail. At a clerks’ meeting he hugged me and said he was praying for me. I am looking forward to his leadership as our new Governor.” – …

And yet another big win in Salt Lake City. From the campaign’s Facebook page: Thank you! Thank you to my family for standing next to me through this campaign, for my volunteers for putting in countless hours knocking on doors, making calls, and talking to their friends. Thank you to all my supporters, your enthusiasm, donations, and moral cheers really …

Another bright spot from last night. The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Salt Lake City voters elected Jackie Biskupski as Utah’s first openly gay mayor and only the second female top executive in the capital city, according to the unofficial election-night count. Those vote tallies had Biskupski with 52.19 percent to two-term Mayor Ralph Becker’s 47.81 percent — less than a …

KKK-affiliated pedophile-employing hate group leader Tony Perkins has rushed out a late night celebratory press release in which he claims credit for tonight repeal of Houston’s LGBT rights ordinance. He writes: A digital ad campaign by FRC Action’s Super PAC, the Faith Family Freedom Fund, was seen by nearly 300,000 Houston residents in recent weeks. Last year, Family Research Council …

“Dear Joe, this is the hardest letter I’ve ever had to write. Tonight the Homosexual Lobby, led by furtive long-haired men in warehouses, conspired to rob me of my Jesus-ordained seat on the Loudoun County board of supervisors. But I remain strong and will continue to fight the Gay Bill Of Special Rights. Won’t you please send me $10, $25, …

The Associated Press has called it for the haters as Houston’s LGBT rights law goes down to defeat by, at this writing, a significant margin. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who paid for his own anti-gay ad campaign, has issued a celebratory press release. Also applauding is virulently anti-gay Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. See both messages below.