“It may only be brief but activists are calling the exchange a ”watershed moment” in their campaign for same-sex marriage – both allowing people to understand the debate at a personal level and demonstrating its status as a mainstream political issue.

On Tuesday, Wong’s response trended on Twitter and the clip has had more than 71,000 views on YouTube (up from 53,000 this time yesterday). A company has even started selling “I know what my family is worth” t-shirts and stickers.”

“Over the years, across the world, gay people have been given more and more rights,” shares Sir Richard. “But in the UK, much of the US and many other countries, one key right is denied, the right for every couple in love to marry. Getting married myself and giving my daughter Holly away at her wedding last year, are among the proudest days of my life. Everybody should be able to experience those moments if they wish to do so, regardless of their sexuality.”

Out4Marriage launched the same day President Obama came out for marriage equality. Mike Buonaiuto of the Out4Marriage.org campaign told Pink News “Sir Richard’s contribution to Out4Marriage shows that changing the law not only has a growing levels of support across the political spectrum but also from leading figures in the world of business and popular culture.”

“Out4Marriage as a campaign has been designed to show that while gay people might make up less than ten percent of the population, giving all couples the right to marry benefits 100 percent. Because, just like Sir Richard, everyone has some contact with lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people, from their family members, to their friends, to their work colleagues, to their neighbours or even just their favourite celebrity. It’s in everyone’s interest for every person to be treated the same under the law.” Buonaiuto went on to say.

So just like the “It Gets Better” campaign, we can expect a lot of new videos coming from UK politicians and celebrities. It’s great to watch progress for marriage equality from our friends across the pond.

As you probably already know, today is the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, or IDAHO. With that, the makers of the Austrian short film ‘Homophobia’ released the film online for all to everyone to watch for free. ‘Homophobia’ is a story about a Michael, a soldier in the Austrian Military Forces who struggles to come to terms with his feelings for a comrade, and explores the fear behind homophobia.

“Laws can prevent people from doing crimes, but they don’t change people’s thinking. Art can touch people on an emotional level and therefore really make an impact.” says director Gregor Schmidinger. “People often connect homophobia with hate, but it’s really about fear. It’s the fear of the unknown and sometimes of the unknown within ourselves. With Homophobia I want to portray this conflict and provide people with new perspectives on an empathetic level.”

Today is May 17th, also known as International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia.

This Sunday, the 29th annual AIDS Candlelight Memorial will be lead by the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence in San Francisco’s Castro District. Thousands of people from around the world will come together to promote awareness and remember those we have lost HIV and AIDS.

If you’re not near San Francisco but still want to get involved, click here to see what events are going on in your area.

From their about page:  The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is much more than just a memorial. The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial serves as a community mobilization campaign to raise social consciousness about HIV and AIDS. With 33 million people living with HIV today, the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial serves as an important intervention for global solidarity, breaking down barriers of stigma and discrimination, and giving hope to new generations.

For more information about HIV and AIDS, check out our Poz page.

“Well I do declare, y’all should be treated equal!”

While still mourning the loss of Civil Unions in Colorado and the tragic loss in North Carolina, it’s nice to have something to celebrate. Governor Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island has issued an executive order for all state agencies to recognize all same-sex marriages performed legally in other states. From the Associated Press:

The executive order is expected to have many real-world implications. Same-sex spouses of state employees and anyone covered by an insurance company regulated in Rhode Island will be entitled to health and life insurance benefits, gay rights advocates say.

Both partners in a same-sex couple will be able to list their names as parents on a child’s birth certificate, and same-sex couples will be entitled to sales tax exemptions on the transfer of property including vehicles.

Patricia and Martha Hold Castle, a couple who were married in Massachusetts, told the AP of their disappointment of not being able to list both names on their son’s birth certificate in 2010. “For our next child, we won’t have to go through the same kind of turmoil,” Martha Holt Castle said.

Super fun, cheerful video from the cast and crew of Broadway’s ANYTHING GOES!