Jane Lynch and Jamie Lee Curtis will be joining the cast of the play ’8′ according to The Hollywood Reporter. They’ll be accompanied by Martin Sheen and a who’s-who of Hollywood’s most impressive young actors.

George Clooney is already set to star in the Dustin Lance Black play, which tells the story of the historic court challenge to California’s Proposition 8. The play will be performed for one night only, according to organizers. Tickets, one would imagine, will be like chicken teeth. Also appearing will be George Takei, Matt Bomer, Campbell Brown, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cleve Jones, Christine Lahti, Matthew Morrison, Rory O’Malley and Yeardley Smith.

Proceeds from the play will be going exclusively to the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and AFER board president Chad Griffin had this to say:

“This play will continue to show Americans – one by one – that prejudice and fear cannot stand up to truth and justice. Try as they might, the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 cannot hide their discriminatory arguments from the American people. Until every citizen can equally enjoy the freedom to marry, AFER will continue to fight in the courts of law and the court of public opinion – and we will win.”

Clooney, the main draw of the play after his Golden Globes success, will play plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies, while Sheen will fill the boots of co-counsel and Theodore B. Olson. Lynch will play the villain of the piece, opponent of marriage equality Maggie Gallagher, co-founder and former chairman of the National Organization for Marriage.

The play is scheduled to be performed on March 3 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles – with a capacity for only 1,300 audience members, this is going to be a particularly hot ticket.

Jane Lynch, Jamie Lee Curtis Join George Clooney in the Cast of ’8′ is a post from: The Inquisitr

When you think of cities known for their homosexual culture, you might think of New York, New Orleans, or San Francisco. But according to a new report by Advocate Magazine, the gayest city in America is Salt Lake City.

Yes, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Advocate Magazine didn’t use census data to decide their results. Instead, they came up with a complex and completely scientific algorithm to decide the per capita queerness of various cities in the United States.

Cities earned points for LGBT officials, LGBT bookstores, WNBA teams, Mr. Leather competition finalists, softball teams in the gay softball world series, nude yoga classes, imperial court chapters, anti-discrimination laws, and concerts by the Cliks, Gossip, or the Veronicas.

So maybe the data wasn’t exactly scientific, but if you’re looking for a gay friendly town, apparently you can’t go wrong with Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake only scored 6 points (compared to Seattle which scored 14) but with a population of less than 200,000 people, Salt Lake City has the highest queerness per capita.

The Advocate writes:

“While those unfamiliar with the Beehive State are likely to conjure images of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, far-less-oppressive-than-it-used-to-be Salt Lake City has earned its queer cred.”

Salt Lake City has half dozen hot spots for the LGBT crowd. The Sundance Film Festival also brings an influx of gays and lesbians to the city every year.

Orlando, Cambridge, Fort Lauderdale, and Seattle completed the top five. (You can see the whole list here.)

Are you surprised to see Salt Lake City at the top of the gayest cities in America list?

Salt Lake City is the Gayest City in America is a post from: The Inquisitr

In yet another example where the modern Catholic Church is shown to be out of touch with changing times a Cardinal in Chicago, Illinois this week likened the gay rights movement to the Ku Klux Klan.

According to MyFox Chicago Cardinal Francis George was speaking about a dispute between a local pastor and the timing of a gay rights pride parade when he told the local news station:

“You don’t want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism.”

When asked about his statement for clarification purposes he told his interviewer:

“The rhetoric of the KKK and the rhetoric of some of the gay liberation people—who is the enemy? The Catholic Church.”

While many of the Cardinal’s supporters will likely focus on the type of public rhetoric campaigns being used his choice to specifically compare gay rights to such a hateful group seems ultimately planned.

In response to his hate filled comments an LGBT rights group called his choice in wording “crude” and ”further evidence of just how insensitive and out of touch the hierarchy is.”

In responding to the remarks a diocesan spokesman said:

“Whether it was the best choice of analogy I don’t know. Taken out of context the meaning can be misinterpreted,” while they added, “I would suggest people read the whole interview.”

Even if the ultimate message from Cardinal Francis George was to show the similarities in rhetoric between two groups his crude position against gay rights with a close tie-in to the KKK was a poor choice in analogy.

Do you think the Cardinal could have found a less disrespectful analogy to get his point across?

The last thing the Catholic church needs at this time is more bad publicity which is exactly what they are receiving thanks to this message of misinformed hate.

Chicago Cardinal Says Gay Rights Movement Is Just Like The KKK is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama has issued a presidential order to have foreign aid funds used for the purpose of strengthening gay rights around the world.

In a memorandum on the issue President Obama wrote:

“I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world.”

President Obama then added:

“Central to the United States’ commitment to promoting human rights.”

The Presidential order marks the first time that the US Government has used American funds to promote gay rights abroad.

As the New York Times points out, it’s still unclear if nation’s who deny the gay rights fight are sanctioned by the US government.

The presidents memorandum comes less than a week after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke about LGBT rights during a speech in Geneva. Hillary’s speech came just ahead of International Human Rights Day.

In her speech Clinton says that while gay people are just as likely to commit crimes as straight people “it should never be a crime to be gay.”

Secretary of State Clinton then added:

“No practice or tradition trumps the human rights that belong to all of us, and this holds true for inflicting violence on LGBT people,” she said. “It is a violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave.”

Directing her message squarely at international communities she said:

“Gay people are born into — and belong to — every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths. They are doctors, and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes,” she said. “Being gay is not a Western invention. It is a human reality.”

Under the Presidents directive the State Department and various other agencies have been directed to fight the direct criminalization of LGBT status abroad, protect LGBT regugees who are vulnerable to their countries anti-homosexuality laws and to provide help to asylum seekers.

According to the decree the U.S. is to respond to “serious incidents” that are threatening the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people outside of the Unites States.

Speaking to Voice Of America Darlene Nipper, Deputy Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force said:

 ”I think it is a fantastic culmination of what is clearly a progressive position on the White House’s part to make a clear stance, and to take a leadership role on these issues internationally and worldwide.”

Not everyone agrees with the Presidents decision Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council says the plan:

“Throws the full weight and reputation of the U.S. behind the promotion overseas of the radical ideology of the sexual revolution.”

While the point of the federal spending overseas was launched because of a Uganda band on homosexuality it also didn’t take long for GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry to jump on the order, noting:

“This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop.”

Mr. Perry then added that President Obama has:

“Mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles.”

No response has been issued by the White House in response to Rick Perry’s message.

Further into his memorandum President Obama adds:

“Our deep commitment to advancing the human rights of all people is strengthened when we as the United States bring our tools to bear to vigorously advance this goal.”

The administration has set to the side a $3 million fund which will be used to support  civil society and non-governmental organization activists working on the subject.

Regardless of whether you agree with LGBT rights or not, the issues that homosexual people face on a daily basis both in the United States and abroad are a matter of human rights set forth under article 2 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A declaration that the United States has promised to uphold to the best of its abilities.

I leave you with article 2 from the declaration:

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Do you think funds to protect human rights should have been given to protect LGBT individuals around the world?

[Image via Filip Fuxa / Shutterstock.com]

President Obama Orders Foreign Aid For Gay Rights Support is a post from: The Inquisitr

Today is National Coming Out Day. And although a few people may find the courage to tell the world that they’re gay today, National Coming Out Day is more about celebrating the people who already have. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and transgender people are being celebrated across the country today.

Ke$ha has teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign to help celebrate the LGBT holiday by creating T-shirts that proclaim “We R Who We R.” The shirts are selling for $35 on the HRC website, with all proceeds going to the HRC’s work in the LGBT community.

Celebrities, politicians, and other public figures are also being celebrating during October which is LGBT History month. LGBTHistoryMonth.com is posting a video every day this month to celebrate 31 gay icons throughout history. Neil Patrick Harris, Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, Alan Cumming, and 27 other gay icons will be celebrated through the videos.

Here is one video from LGBTHistoryMonth.com:

The HRC is also organizing a social media campaign to encourage people to come out of the closet and to support those who have. Members, or supporters, of the LGBT community can donate their Facebook status using the HRC’s Coming Out for Equality Facebook App.

The HRC writes:

“Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or a straight ally, be proud of who you are and your support for LGBT equality this Coming Out Day! Use HRC’s Coming Out for Equality Facebook app to show your support and spread a message of equality to your friends and family. It’s the courage to come out as an active voice for LGBT equality that will result in real political and social change.”

Here are a couple of quotes from LGBT celebrities. (You can read more inspiring words at Rador Online.)

Elton John: “I came out in 1973, at the height of my career, and yeah, it hurt me a little bit, but not that much, and it gave me the freedom to be who I was for the rest of my life. I don’t have to hide around corners. The worst thing is to be afraid of who you are — it’s horrible.”

Portia de Rossi: “Hiding your sexuality is the most horrible way to live and it really does a huge disservice to society; Because if everybody who was gay came out in every profession, teachers, doctors, if everybody came out and said, ‘I’m gay. Who cares?’ [then] it would make a big impact to what’s happening with all this teenage suicide.”

What do you think about National Coming Out Day?

LGBT Celebrities Honored on National Coming Out Day is a post from: The Inquisitr

If members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance have their way there will soon be an LGBT floor at the University of Iowa.

The LGBT Allied Union has petitioned the university for the floor and say they need 50 people to apply for the request to become a reality.

The organization had also asked that the ability to request a room in the LGBT friendly dorm be added to the University Housing and Dining request form, however only 10 students took advantage of that option. The group believed they will gain better traction if the LGBT floor becomes “better advertised.”

The University of Iowa currently offers more than a dozen lifestyle floors however until this time they have all been focused on specific areas of learning such as business, engineering, education and others. Should the floor become a reality it will be given the same Living Learning Communities (LLC) classification as educational based floors.

If the new residence floor become a reality the University of Iowa will be the first state university in Iowa to offer an exclusive LGBT living environment.

Some opponents say it will only serve to breed hate and animosity among students living on the floor. Do you believe having an LGBT floor is a good idea?

University of Iowa LGBT Students Want Their Own Lifestyle Floor In The Dorms is a post from: The Inquisitr

Previously, revealing which gender you were attracted to could have earned you a ban from Xbox Live, with many genuinely gay gamers cut off from the service for using the word “gay” in their Xbox Gamertags. Now, the newly progressive overlords of the online gaming service have said a number of new terms are permitted, including Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Straight.

It’s probably worth mentioning that only those five will be allowed; Microsoft worked with GLAAD and “Microsoft’s LGBT community” to settle on the terms. Quite rightly, anyone using such words in an insulting manner will still find Microsoft’s banhammer falling upon them.

I’m personally not fussed about revealing my sexuality on an online gaming service, but I know it probably matters to some people out there; Microsoft should have dropped this draconian, backwards rule from the get-go, so let’s raise a beer to free expression! Extended pinky optional.

[Via Destructoid]

Microsoft allows gamers to reveal sexuality on Xbox Live is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amanda Simpson is now the first presidentially appointed transgender person to occupy a post in the executive branch of any administration.

Simpson, 49,  is a member of the National Center for Transgender Equality board of directors, and is taking over the spot as the Senior Technical Advisor in the Bureau of Industry and Security. On December 31st, Simpson was quoted in a statement hoping that her appointment will open doors for other transgender people:

“I’m truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me,” said Simpson, in a prepared statement released by Transgender Equality on Dec. 31. “And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government,” she said, “I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others.”

Simpson holds degrees in physics, engineering, and business administration with thirty years of experience in the aerospace-defense industry. She is also a certified flight instructor and seasoned test pilot. Simpson was defeated in a 2005 run in Arizona for the House of Representatives, running as a democrat. Her new post begins on January 5th.

Obama appoints first transgender person to executive post is a post from: The Inquisitr

Users who type the word “gay” into Google are being presented with a little extra in their search results: a rainbow flag between the results and ads.

The rainbow flag (also known as a gay pride flag) represents an open statement of support for the LGBT community, and can commonly be seen in businesses or on vehicles of members of the LGBT community or by those who support this community. By display the flag, Google is sending a message that it supports gay rights.

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with Google’s stand, and credit to them for making it, but gay rights and the religious right in America don’t make great bedfellows. Google is making overtly political statements in its key search area, a stand that for Google is actually unprecedented as far as I can recall. When the right wing media and blogosphere find out that Google is making these statements, it’s only a matter of time until someone calls for a boycott.

(via FriendFeed)

The Religious Right Is Going To Boycott Google In 3…2…1… is a post from: The Inquisitr