Joe.My.God. LGBT News

Via Buzzfeed: It is illegal to be gay in 76 countries. Punishments range from fines to short and lifelong prison sentences, hard labor, forced psychiatric treatment, banishment, whippings, and death by public stoning. The upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi have put Russia’s “gay propaganda” law and the international community on an unavoidable collision course, but whatever happens in February …

Bronx gang member Nelson Falu, 20, was yesterday sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a 2010 gay bashing and torture incident that horrified New York City. Falu was among eight members of the “Latin King Goonies” who tortured and beat two teenage boys and a 30-year-old man over the course of several hours in a Bronx …

Thousands of our people are rallying today outside of Russia’s consulate in London. I’ll add more photos and video as they come in.  (Photos via JMG reader Sam)

“Obama said he is looking forward to ‘maybe some gay and lesbian athletes bringing home the gold or silver or bronze, which I think would go a long way in rejecting the kind of attitudes that we’re seeing there.’ It sounds like the president is suggesting a litmus test for membership on the U.S. Olympic team. The president also suggested that …

Raw Story reports: The audience at a town hall event held by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) on Thursday was none too responsive to a young atheist blogger’s questions for Burgess regarding atheist military chaplains. Video posted by Daniel Moran, who goes by the name The Barking Atheist online, shows that when he pushed Burgess on his vote for a ban …

Next weekend a group of Chicago activists will rally outside the McDonald’s corporate headquarters in protest of their sponsorship of the Sochi Olympics. Members and supporters of StonewallAgain plan on marching at McDonald’s headquarters, 2111 McDonald’s Dr. in Oak Brook, on Aug. 17 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The group is calling on McDonald’s to cease their support of the Games …

This is the same guy who went on national television to declare that President Obama looks like a “skinny ghetto crackhead.”  He’s the founder of Tea Party Nation.

Via press release from the office of Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. I am pleased to announce that Social Security is now processing some retirement spouse claims for same-sex couples and paying benefits where they are due. The recent Supreme Court decision on Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, made just over a month ago, …

The Nation made an apparently rare local endorsement today, backing the mayoral bid of New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. No doubt there will be tremendous challenges should de Blasio become mayor. New York is a fractured and fractious city, and he will almost certainly face strong headwinds from a number of quarters, the city’s powerful Wall Street …