LGBT News

After a “heated” public debate, yesterday the Oklahoma City Council voted 5-4 to ban anti-LGBT discrimination in housing. Oklahoma City’s NBC affiliate reports: “I just feel this incredible relief and happiness and joy that our kids are going to turn on the TV tonight and think: Oklahoma is standing with you,” said Cindy Cason, whose son is gay. She lives …

A bill introduced yesterday by Democratic Missouri state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed [photo] would have police officers record the “perceived” sexual orientation of drivers stopped for infractions. The Fair & Impartial Policing Act is endorsed by the ACLU of Missouri and is part of a broad anti-profiling campaign. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports: “This is not an attack on law enforcement,” …

From Britain’s Telegraph: As an expat, Humphies is always grouped with fellow Australians Germaine Greer and Clive James. “I don’t mind; they’re friends,” he says. On the other hand, he disliked being linked to Rolf Harris. “He behaved evilly,” says Humphries. Greer attracted fury after claiming that “trans” women such as Caitlyn Jenner (formerly the Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner) are …

From Canada’s Daily Xtra: “For years Wendy Gritter ran the ex-gay ministry New Direction. But shortly after starting in 2002, she discovered that making gay people straight was not working. In fact, it was doing more harm than good. In this episode of “Heaven or Hell” Wendy blows the whistle on the ex-gay movement and apologies for the harm it …

Clip recap: VIVA stars Héctor Medina as Jesus, a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, who dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama (Luis Alberto García), Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father Angel (Jorge Perugorría) abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly …

According to a press release from the new gay hook-up app Hanky, 80% of applicants are turned away by the votes of existing members, ostensibly in order to prevent the app from being overrun with “creeps, trolls, and time-wasters.” Uh huh. From Hanky: Hanky wants to eliminate the trolls: in order to join Hanky you need an invite code from …

Last night in Staten Island. ABC News reports: As Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson shook hands after a New York town hall meeting Monday night, one attendee among a small crowd asked, “Do you think I chose to be gay?” and cursed at the neurosurgeon after his response. “I have a quick question,” said the attendee, who was wearing a …

CNN reports: Ben Carson’s new campaign chairman, retired Major Gen. Robert F. Dees, says it’s time for the U.S. to reevaluate military policies like letting women serve in combat positions and allowing openly gay troops to serve. Carson is debuting his “reinvigorated” campaign after a holiday shakeup that included the departure of a handful of top advisers and new leadership, …

The Associated Press reports: Jackie Biskupski has been sworn in as Salt Lake City’s mayor, becoming the first openly gay person to hold the office. The 49-year-old former Utah lawmaker said Monday she is humbled by her history-making election but said more needs to be done for LGBT rights. Biskupski is no stranger to making history in the state. In …

Houston’s CBS affiliate reports: Investigators are looking into what started a fire Saturday afternoon at The Eagle, a popular neighborhood bar in Montrose. Dozens of firefighters battled the blaze for hours, as flames kept sparking around the roof. A handful of customers and employees were inside when the fire started. “There was a flicker of lights and then all of …

In tonight’s season debut episode of ABC’s Galavant, Kylie Minogue guest stars as the queen who performs a camp disco number with real-life boyfriend Joshua Sasse. Gay references abound: “Don’t be shy boys / go to town / I’ll bet that chest / Is heaven blessed.” Also: “Save some room, boys, for dessert / Oh, off with his shirt.” Watch …

The Associated Press reports: Clark County partnered with the Las Vegas business community to mark a local gay marriage milestone on New Year’s Eve. According to the county, Phoenix residents Ronald Bauman and Dumitru Alexeev received the 5,000th same-sex marriage license issued in Clark County since the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of gay marriage in the …

Ugh. The Daily Mail reports: A group of parade marchers in Philadelphia drew the ire of LGBT groups and the mayor with a comedy skit that mocked Caitlyn Jenner. The Mummers Parade, held each New Year’s Day and said to be the oldest folk festival in the country, has tried in recent years to be more diverse, but a musical …

One of Key West’s most beloved traditions took place last night when local drag star Sushi was lowered to Duval Street in a giant glittery pump at the stroke of midnight. This year, however, Sushi (real name Gary Marion) finished the ritual by getting married before the adoring throngs. Watch it all below. I had the pleasure of meeting Sushi …

Go Hawaii! Also: Kleenex alert! Civil Beat reports: Despite its longtime leadership on issues such as anti-discrimination laws, civil unions and marriage equality, Hawaii has been shy about using that street cred to leverage more same-sex destination wedding tourism. Until now. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau — the private, nonprofit marketing organization for the tourism industry — released an …

Over the objections of the ACLU and Equality Michigan, activists at Fair Michigan have cleared a procedural hurdle and will be allowed to begin gathering petition signatures to place an LGBT rights bill on the 2016 state ballot. The Detroit Free Press reports: Supporters of amending Michigan’s constitution to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity cleared an …

I’d say this is unbelievable, but this is Texas. Via the Houston Press: The State of Texas continued its scorched-earth strategy in dealing with Planned Parenthood this week by stopping more than half a million dollars in federal funding the organization uses for HIV prevention and screening across the Greater Houston area. That money, some $600,000 every year, comes from …

Whoa. Via Reuters: A book to be published in Hong Kong in the new year says Zhou Enlai, Communist China’s much-respected first premier, was probably gay despite his long marriage, and had once been in love with a male schoolmate two years his junior. It is a contention certain to be controversial in China, where the Communist Party likes to …

Ynet News reports: Likud’s first openly-gay MK Amir Ohana, who entered the Knesset following the retirement of minister Silvan Shalom, was sworn in on Monday, while members of ultra-Orthodox faction United Torah Judaism decided to leave the plenum in protest. “I am here with everything that I am – the things I chose to be and those I didn’t – …

Despite raising over $500K via Christian crowdfunding campaigns, Oregon’s anti-gay bakery refused to pay its fine. Until today: The co-owner of a Gresham bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple delivered a $136,927 check that covers the couple’s damages following the January 2013 incident. Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, …