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Miley Cyrus And Our Other Favorite Celebrity NoH8-ers

Posted 11/29/11 9:52 am EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus is a girl with a cause (or nine)!

Yesterday, we gave Miley a little grief for her inability to stop her friends from recording her saying and doing silly things but perhaps we were a little too hard on the 19-year-old pop star because time and time again she steps up to prove her heart is always in the right place.

She recently unveiled a video for a remixed version of her track “Liberty Walk” to support the Occupy Wall Street movement, and now photographer Adam Bouska has posted a behind-the-scenes photo to his Facebook profile of Cyrus posing for the NoH8 campaign. NoH8 is a silent protest campaign that supports same-sex marriage equality.

Cyrus has been long been a vocal advocate for gay rights, going so far as to tattoo an equal sign on her middle finger in a showing of her support for marriage equality. After she posted a pic of her new ink on Twitter in late July, some of her followers criticized the political statement she was making but Cyrus did not back down, saying, “Where does it say in the bible to judge others? Oh right. It doesn't. GOD is the only judge honey. GOD is love.” Later, she added, “If u don’t stand 4 something you’ll fall for anything.”

Tell it, Miley!

The young pop star’s decision to further involve herself in the NoH8 movement got us thinking about a few of our other favorite stars who have taken a stand for LGBT equality. Read on for a few more and why we think their commitment goes above and beyond the rest. Read More...

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Conan O'Brien Officiates Same-Sex Wedding Ceremony On His Late Night Show

Posted 11/4/11 11:29 am EST by in Conan O'Brien, Gay Rights

In New York City for a week of shows, Conan O'Brien decided to do something he couldn't do in California, where his TBS show normally tapes. He performed a same-sex marriage ceremony for his show's costume designer Scott Cronick and his partner, David Gorshein.

O'Brien officiated the ceremony after getting ordained online by the Universal Life Church Monastery. The set was decorated in a fall-like fashion and Scott was escorted across the stage by his favorite celebrity, Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" host Andy Cohen. The ceremony was brief but truly touching.

Check it out below and watch O'Brien's ordination process after the jump.

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Less Gay Characters On Fall TV, GLAAD Says

Posted 9/28/11 10:14 am EST by in Gay Rights

The number of LGBT characters featured on TV for the 2011 season is down a full percent from where it was last year, but the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, in its 16th annual "Where We Are on TV" report, is happy with the prominent role many LGBT characters play on some major shows.

"While the number of LGBT characters is down, some of the most popular shows with critics and viewers, such as 'Glee,' 'True Blood' and 'The Good Wife,' weave storylines about gay and lesbian characters into the fabric of the show,” GLAAD acting president Mike Thompson said in a statement. “Whether it’s the growing household of Mitchell and Cameron on 'Modern Family' or the recent wedding of Callie and Arizona on 'Grey’s Anatomy,' Americans expect to see the diversity of our country represented in their favorite programs and that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people."

For the first time in six years, ABC is not in the lead, having significantly dropped its percentage of regular LGBT characters, from 7.2 percent in 2010 to 3.4 percent for the upcoming season. That made room for FOX, led by "Glee," to be the major network with the most gay characters – 8, or 6.8 percent of its 117 series regulars. Read More...

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Celebrities Share Excitement Over Same-Sex Marriage In New York

Posted 7/25/11 3:00 pm EST by in Gay Rights

Ricky Martin

Yesterday, New York became the sixth and largest state in the country to recognize same-sex marriage. The first weddings took place just after midnight on July 24, just one month after the state passed marriage equality legislation. From Niagara Falls, where the first ceremony was performed, to Manhattan, where 659 couples picked up marriage licenses, it was a historic and celebratory day.

So it’s no surprise that entertainers like Ricky Martin and NKOTBSB’s Jonathan Knight took to Twitter to share their excitement over the newly enacted legislation. Martin and Knight both added GLAAD's “I Love New York” button to their Twitter photos in recognition of marriage equality.

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Helping Michele Bachmann Find A Campaign Song

Posted 6/29/11 12:45 pm EST by in Gay Rights, Obama, Politics

Open-minded political figure Michele Bachmann, she of gay people being “part of Satan” and Medicaid being a form of socialism (despite her husband’s acceptance of $137,000 of it!) fame, is ruffling the feathers of yet another musician. This time around, it’s Tom Petty, whose management sent Bachmann’s campaign a cease-and-desist letter to halt their use of his song, “American Girl.”

This is the second time in two weeks that Bachmann’s camp has been asked to not use a song on the campaign trail. The Tea Party wonder entered the conservative RightOnline conference in Minneapolis, Minn., to Katy Perry’s “Firework” on June 18, prompting a big WTF from journos confused why the fervently anti-gay pol settled on one of the most mainstream pro-tolerance anthems in recent memory.

Now she’s harshing Petty’s buzz. The Minnesota rep played “American Girl” in Waterloo, Iowa, on Monday when she officially kicked off her presidential campaign and again following a speech in South Carolina last night. Not cool, Bachmann!

In light of her campaign’s inability to comprehend that almost no one wants to be associated with her politics, we have a few suggestions for Bachmann’s camp to find that perfect anthem. Read More...

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Alicia Keys 'Proud' That New York Passed Same-Sex Marriage Law

Posted 6/28/11 6:00 pm EST by in Gay Rights

Alicia Keys is one very, very proud New Yorker. And this New Yorker couldn't be more stoked that her home state passed the same-sex marriage bill late last week. Keys raved about the law at Madame Tussauds in Times Square, where her statue was being unveiled as a part of the Spirit of New York exhibit at the famed tourist attraction.

"I think that’s amazing," she said. "New York is that type of city … we are a city that needs to be progressive and I'm so proud that we did that. That’s important. I'm a fan of the fact that we passed that."

Keys is hardly the first celebrity, from New York or elsewhere, who has raved about the passing of the legislation, which provides same-sex couples the right to marry. Everyone from Lady Gaga and Katy Perry to Jennifer Aniston have opened up about the historic law. Read More...

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Born This Way: Saluting Lady Gaga On Gay Pride Weekend

Posted 6/24/11 4:05 pm EST by in Gay Rights, Lady Gaga

June is gay pride month and this weekend marks the 42nd anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City. The riots are considered the defining moment that started the gay rights movement in the United States. All these years later, the movement is still fighting hard for equality, with marriage rights, bullying and discrimination still a constant battle for the LGBT community. But as last fall’s courageous It Gets Better anti-bullying campaign sought to point out, things are better now than they have ever been.

And who do we thank for that? Our leaders and allies, of course. So much love to people like Lt. Dan Coi, the late Harvey Milk and Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, President Obama, Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart and Judy Shepard (among many, many others), and groups like PFLAG, HRC and GLAAD. But there is likely no more prominent LGBT ally in the world right now than Lady Gaga. By almost any estimation, with her enormous platform, legion of devoted fans and pro-gay stance, she’s the most vocal LGBT rights advocate on the planet.

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A Brief Recent History Of Celebrities Saying Anti-Gay Things Then Apologizing On Twitter

Posted 6/23/11 4:15 pm EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Twitter

Chris Brown is the latest celebrity to issue a Twitter mea culpa to the LGBT community after using a gay slur. On Tuesday, the singer lashed out at photographers in Los Angeles after getting a ticket for parking illegally, saying, "Y'all n***as is weak. Did you call them to try and film me. Y'all n***as is gay!"

He joins The Voice judges Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton, both of whom have had to do that same thing in the last month or so.

In his apology, Brown said, “I have total respect for gay community and my intention was not to insult anyone in it.” We might even almost believe Brown if we hadn’t been down this road with him before. In late December, Brown attacked former B2K singer Raz-B on Twitter after he made a critical comment, saying, “N***a you want attention! Grow up n***a!!! D**k in da booty ass lil boy.”

He apologized then too, and all was forgiven. Whatever.

Because there’s no more modern way to convey that you didn’t mean to reinforce hate and encourage violence against an entire segment of the population like a 140-character or less explanation of your actions, the Twitter apology is the new thing. Read More...

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Worst People In The World Alert: Publicity-Seeking Cult To Protest Ryan Dunn Funeral

Posted 6/23/11 12:00 pm EST by in deaths, Gay Rights, Horrible

Ryan Dunn

Ugh! We hate even giving them ink because we know that’s exactly what they want, but we think you should be aware that in their ongoing quest for publicity, the horrible people at the Westboro Baptist Church – of “God Hates F**s” fame (ah hate, what a Christian thing to be known for, right?) – plan to picket any memorial or funeral service held for Jackass star Ryan Dunn.

The folks from Westboro, led by disbarred attorney Rev. Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper, are known for these sorts of stunts. They have protested the funerals of soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, gay hate crime victim Matthew Shepherd and Michael Jackson. They even recorded a song called “God Hates The World,” a play on Jackson’s charity single “We Are the World,” which should not be confused with their summer 2010 jam, “God Hates Lady Gaga – No Poker Face.” These people are the worst.

You can check out a clip from the press release this pack of clowns unleashed after the jump (warning: the language is offensive and disgusting). But rather than pay them any more attention, we’re going to point you to one of the awesome things Ryan Dunn was doing just a few days before his passing. On June 6, Dunn appeared on Minute to Win It with Steve-O, where they played for their respective charities, National Down Syndrome Congress and the Teammates for Kids Foundation. Dunn’s obituary asked that all contributions be sent to Teammates for Kids.

Sounds more Christian to us than anything the Westboro Baptist Church has ever done.

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Same-Sex Marriage Approved In Maine: What It Means For One Couple ...

Posted 5/7/09 11:59 am EST by in Gay Rights, Street Team

by Jaime McLeod

With Maine becoming the fifth state in the union to approve same-sex marriage, our former Jaime McLeod, a member of MTV's Street Team '08, wrote a blog for us about what the ruling means to her ...

Five years ago, my partner and I stood up in front of our families, our friends and our God, and pledged to walk together and care for one another, no matter what life brings. Though it wasn't legally binding, we meant it, and we still mean it today.

In 89 days, we will finally be able to make the vows we made to one another official. It won't change the way we see our relationship. It won't change the way those who love us see our relationship. And, for that matter, it won't change the way those who hate us see our relationship. As some of my gay friends keep pointing out, gay marriage won't cure homophobia. It won't cure AIDS. It won't keep queer kids from getting bullied in school. But it's a step. It ensures that the relationship my partner and I have worked so hard on for the last eight years doesn't receive fewer protections under the law than the drunken Vegas wedding of a pop starlet to some guy she hardly knows. It means our friends won't have to go through a ridiculously difficult legal process so that their kids can have two legal parents. And it means that a majority of legislators in my state were willing to stand up and acknowledge that same-sex relationships are just as valid as heterosexual ones.

Thank you, Maine State Legislature, and Gov. Baldacci, for doing the right thing and affirming the rights of all Mainers. You're all invited to my second wedding!

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