After years of work, New York's gay hotel/resort/nightclub The Out NYC is almost ready. But before they start letting gay (and, presumably, straight or at least curious) guests grind in their bedrooms, the massive venture is doing something lowkey flamboyant and opening its enormous zombie club, XL. There will be gay. more ›

No doubt about it, the gays just think New York City is fabulous. Lesbians do too, though they're reasons for coming can be a little more staid. Community Marketing has released its 16th annual Gay & Lesbian tourism report [PDF] and when it comes to leisure and business travel, American homosexuals choose New York City hands down. No wonder we're pushing out another gay tourism campaign! more ›

In the wake of same-sex marriage passing in NY, as well as the federal repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, legislators are now turning their attention toward a federal bill to lift the last bans on gay couples and individuals adopting children. "This legislation would open thousands of new foster and adoptive homes to children ensuring they are raised in loving families," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said of her "Every Child Deserves a Family Act." more ›

New York City is really getting gay these days. We've got the gays getting gay married all over the place, a gay "urban resort" in the works and now comes word that we'll soon be home to the nation's first LGBT senior center. Because gay people get old and want to complain about how nobody visits them to their gay friends, too! more ›

Vicki Knox, the Union Township high school teacher who ignited a serious firestorm over the anti-gay messages she allegedly posted all over her school's Facebook, is at the center of an increasingly intense School Board battle over whether or not she should be allowed to keep her job. And while Knox herself has yet to publicly comment on the issue, pretty much everyone else is. more ›

Viki Knox, the Union Township, New Jersey teacher who referred to homosexuality as "a perverted spirit that has existed from the beginning of creation," and a "sin" that "breeds like cancer" on a Facebook thread about her school's LGBT pride month, is at the center of a serious battle over free speech. more ›

This week, a 14-year-old boy who recorded an "It Gets Better" video earlier this year was found dead of an apparent suicide. Jamey Rodemeyer dedicated one of his final messages to his hero, Lady Gaga: "Thank you Lady Gaga. For everything you have done for me. Paws up forever." Gaga has now responded to Jamey's tragic death by vowing to meet with President Obama to discuss bullying laws: "I am meeting with our President. I will not stop fighting. This must end. Our generation has the power to end it. Trend it #MakeALawForJamey." more ›

Yesterday came the disheartening news that a New Jersey school was booting two books, Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood and Nic Sheff's Tweak, off their summer reading list after parents complained about the (limited) gay sex scenes in the books. Today, Wood's publisher, Knopf, sticks up for their author, calling out the district for succumbing to the pressures of a small handful of parents. more ›

A New Jersey school has dropped two popular books with—gasp! Gay sex scenes!—from their required reading lists, and apologized to parents for exposing their children to such a morally reprehensible act. The books? Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood and Nic Sheff's Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines . The meth and mental instability and suicide that make up the other major themes in the books? Those are apparently just fine. more ›

Poor Bert and Ernie. The internet will just not leave the two best friend/ roommates/ ambiguous sleepover pals alone—once again, the duo's sexuality is being questioned, as a new petition circulates calling for the two to tie the knot. Were the Avenue Q puppets not enough? more ›

With so many couples itching to get married on Sunday, the first day that gay marriage will be legal in NY, the state held a lottery to decided which of the 2,500+ applications would be given one of the 764 available marriage slots across the five boroughs. The lottery was closed to new entries as of noon today, and winners will be notified tomorrow—but one couple already knows they'll be walking down the aisle with no strings attached. more ›

There's a reason that God rested on the seventh day—nobody wants to work on Sundays! And judging by this NY Times article today, you know who particularly loathes working on Sundays? Judges. But several dozen judges across the state are voluntarily putting their golf clubs in storage in order to work Sunday July 24, the day that same-sex marriage becomes legal. “I’m a Family Court judge — I’m a judge for families — and I saw this as a way for me to do my job," said Judge Joan S. Kohout. more ›

Last week, we reported that TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie spoke at a California event sponsored by Focus On The Family, a right-wing evangelical Christian group with a strong anti-homosexuality agenda, and we weren't the only ones who noticed. Now, following criticism from multiple parties, Mycoskie responds. more ›

Last week, there was a tad bit of controversy (and a dollop of confusion) over the Harlem Pride event scheduled for the last weekend in June. The weekend-long celebration of gay pride in Harlem left some local pastors frothing at the mouth that "the homosexual agenda will do nothing but harm the community." But not everyone is intimidated by the rainbow: "My church will be there in full force," said openly gay Pastor Joseph Tolton. more ›

Out magazine, "the world’s leading gay fashion and lifestyle brand," has just added pint-sized Cheetoh Snooki to their official Hot List, but before giving her the honor, they grilled her on Pressing Life Issues, most notably, "Which Jersey Shore guy is the gayest?" (All of them?) more ›

While a gay student was voted Prom King in Pennsylvania last weekend, some NYC-area schools are still uncomfortable with allowing same-sex couples to attend prom together. St. Anthony's Catholic High School in Long Island has barred a lesbian student from bringing her ex-girlfriend to prom as her date. "We thought it would send a mixed message to OK her request," Brother Gary Cregan, principal of the school, told MSNBC. more ›

Chief Richard Houlihan, who advised him not to tell anyone, but then blabbed about it to the other firefighters, who did not receive the news in a particularly enlightened manner. Among other things, the lawsuit alleges: more ›

It's the oldest trick in the book for certain guys: a dude pretends to be gay to get close to a girl, or in the sleazier cases, to convince a girl to let him touch her and/or see her naked. There have been whole genres of movies based on this ploy. But one NJ masseur is finding out it doesn't make for comedic gold when it happens in real life, even if you didn't necessarily intend for it to happen. more ›

It's been more than four months since Dan Savage started his "It Gets Better" video project, in response to the bullying and suicide of several gay teens, including Rutgers student Tyler Clementi. And now, Mayor Bloomberg has made his own IGB video (which you can see below). Many have criticized Bloomberg for slashing funds for homeless LGBT youths, but the City Council announced today that they have figured out a way to restore $35 million to the street outreach program. more ›

Back in June, Sesame Street resident Bert Twittered the following: "Ever notice how similar my hair is to Mr. T's The only difference is mine is a little more 'mo,' a little less 'hawk.'" In this case, "mo" was read by some as slang for homosexual, and it seemed as though Bert finally came out; he has, after all, been sleeping next to (and sharing a tub with) Ernie for decades now. more ›

For Carl Paladino, it was bad enough that the media misconstrued his views on homosexuality, but it was entirely intolerable that Andrew Cuomo used it as an opportunity to ascend to the role of gay-marriage messiah. So he's come out with a new, foolproof strategy to attack Cuomo's gay-friendly vibes: attacking Cuomo about his gay stance. Um, maybe this'll go better than last time? more ›

Three teens were arrested today and charged with assault as a hate crime after they beat up another student on a Nassau County school bus, and harassed him with anti-gay taunts. "We felt this was bias-related," said Det. Lt. John MacEwen at a news conference. more ›

Like a real-life Michael Scott, Carl Paladino must be getting used to apologizing for his continual gaffes and goofs: Paladino took the advice of the Mayor of 9/11 Town and formally apologized for the comments on homosexuality he made to orthodox Jewish leaders over the weekend. He wrote, "I sincerely apologize for any comment that may have offended the Gay and Lesbian Community or their family members. Any reference to branding an entire community based on a small representation of them is wrong." more ›