The bill’s purpose is to ban the ‘promotion of homosexuality’, and preserve the “minor’s moral and spiritual development,” which is the biggest bunch of santorum I’ve ever heard. RIA Novosti also tells us the fines have increased by a factor of 10, so now you can be fined up to 500,000 ($16,200) for “public activities promoting homosexuality (sodomy and lesbianism), bisexualism and transgender identity”.

Talk about human rights going right out the window.

Our favorite activist Nikolai Alekseev wrote on Facebook: “St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly just voted in favor of the bill banning propaganda of homosexuality and pedopholia to minors in its second reading. Despite protests and AllOut petition! Third reading will be technical. Now it is clear to law will be passed and implemented!”

Even thought it might be too late now, you can still sign the AllOut petition here.

When asked about the Russian bill, the U.S. State Department responded with:

We are concerned by proposed local legislation in Russia that would severely restrict freedoms of expression and assembly for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and indeed all Russians.  As Secretary Clinton has said, gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights. We have called on Russian officials to safeguard these freedoms, and to foster an environment which promotes respect for the rights of all citizens. We have also consulted with our EU partners on this issue.  They share our concerns and are also engaging Russian officials on this. The United States places great importance on combating discrimination against the LGBT community and all minority groups.

While the sentiment is great, I hope to see some action follow these words and let the Russian Government know that this is not okay, and this will not be tolerated.

I love seeing things like this! One more example for the antigay bigots to use to prove children raised by gay or lesbian parents are damaged and inferior! Clearly, NOT.

This past weekend we went to a housewarming, and we didn’t have to take the initiative to meet new people at all! It was perfect. One by one at least half the guests came by to say hello and ask us questions about our little one.  Easy questions, too! Just basic stuff we didn’t even have to think about to get right. (Not like anyone would know if we got her weight wrong, anyways, but still…)

So, if you’re awful at parties and hate being that shy person in the corner everyone ignores and/or feels sorry for, I highly recommend getting a baby!

Mitt Romney was lucky this time.

The former Massachusetts governor barely avoided being hit by a handful of blue glitter thrown at him by a protester at a Colorado caucuses watch party in Denver Tuesday night, the Denver Post reported.

Gay-rights advocates have been tossing sparkles at GOP nominees with glittering frequency — three times in the last three days — though the practice has been in place for months.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum managed to smile through his latest glitter-bomb Tuesday night in Minnesota, buoyed by an unexpected sweep there and in Colorado and Missouri. Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s turn rained down Monday night at a rally in Minneapolis.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as usual, is old hat at such things. His most spectacular glitter-bomb attack came back in May 2011 at a book-signing event with his wife.

Click to read more here

Ellen DeGeneres responds to all of the hate from One Million Moms in her usual fantastic manner, and also shout outs a ‘thank you’ to JC Penny for standing by their decision to hire her! So without further ado, Ellen!

Currently, New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington DC have marriage equality for same-sex couples. Opponents of marriage equality have already started gathering signatures to put this to a vote in November; however, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling this week on Prop 8 would probably apply to Washington as well. Washington falls under the same appeals court and the circumstances, if this were to go to voters, would be nearly identical.