NEW YORK May 14, 2012– Today Freedom to Marry released a video starring four-time Tony Award-winning singer and actress Audra McDonald, who recently received her 7th Tony Award nomination for her role in The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, hailing the President’s announcement of support for the freedom to marry.  McDonald explains the power of the President’s embrace of the freedom to marry, and reflects on last week’s passage of an anti-gay constitutional amendment in North Carolina aimed at banning marriage and any other legal respect for same-sex couples and their families.

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Win Dressing Marilyn by Andrew Hansford from Applause Books! Erie Gay News is giving away 1 copy of this fascinating book. To enter the contest, fill out the form here from May 18 through June 8.

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New York, May 13, 2012 – In The Life Media celebrated Mother’s Day with “My Two Moms,” a web short video featuring Zack Wahls, the son of lesbian moms whose passionate speech to the Iowa House of Representatives in support of marriage equality went viral on YouTube, capturing the attention of the country.

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Doug and Derek Perry, better known to dance music lovers everywhere as The Perry Twins, are looking forward to the Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start to the summer season.  “People are ready to shed their problems and shed their outer wear to show off their new bodies for swimsuit season both in and out of the clubs.”  Since headlining last year’s Global Groove Tour sponsored by Centaur Entertainment and GuySpy.com, they have had a busy schedule with dj appearances across the country.

Author: Tye Hogan

Savannah, Georgia is a charming gay oasis frozen in time. America’s first planned city boasts a thriving gay and lesbian scene and is a haven for the artistic and creative. Whether you’re looking to relocate or want a relaxing getaway, this historic city is a dream destination.

Author: Jon Fairbanks

Pittsburgh, PA- May 16, 2012- The City of Pittsburgh's Mayor's LGBT Advisory council will be hosting its first annual diversity job fair on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at PNC Bank's Firstside Center located at 500 First Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.  The job fair is intended to offer potential candidates a forum to meet with representatives from various corporations throughout the city of Pittsburgh to discuss employment opportunities. The participating corporations all share a similar approach to employment hiring practices that offers an open and accepting work environment for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

NEW YORK, NY – May 14, 2012 – Television’s most fabulous makeover show is back…and totally revamped!  The third season of “RuPaul’s Drag U” delivers more diva transformations, more drag queens and more surprises as biological women are treated not only to show-stopping makeovers, but also receive once-in-a-lifetime, real-world hair, makeup and fashion tips from the world’s greatest drag faculty.  This season continues to deliver fan favorite drag queens, more iconic celebrity judges and life-changing stories as eight new, one-hour episodes premiere on Monday, June 18 at 98PM ET/PT on Logo.

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My week was looking like a trailer park after a tornado until the announcement came that the President of the United States supported marriage equality, also known as civil rights for gays. The day before, North Carolina had fallen into the hands of the morality pirates.

Author: Lee Lynch

CLINTON, Md., May 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Rev. Delman Coates, Ph.D., Senior Pastor, Mt. Ennon Baptist Church: As an African-American pastor and clergy leader, I am frequently asked how I have been able to support civil marriage protection for gay and lesbian couples.  After listening to Christians debate their support of or their opposition to homosexuality, I came to the conclusion that one's personal religious beliefs should have no bearing in determining whether other American citizens deserve equal treatment under the law.  For too long the question of equal rights for gays and lesbians has been mired in a theological debate that in my opinion is not suitable in a public policy discussion.  The issue of civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples is an issue of public policy, not theology.  The role of the State in a free democratic society is fundamentally different than the role of the Church, or any religious institution for that matter.  The role of the State in a pluralistic society is to provide for the common good and to protect the civil liberties of all its citizens.  As a Christian in this country, I value my religious freedom, but I also recognize that I cannot impose my religious beliefs on others in matters of public policy. 

WASHINGTON, DC – A North Carolina mom’s breaking petition campaign on Change.org asking the Democratic National Committee to add gay marriage to its party platform has exploded, gaining more than 25,000 supporters since Wednesday.

DJ GRIND (Stephen Massey) is one of the country’s most sought-after up-and-coming DJs. Last year, DJ GRIND burst onto the scene as the winner of the 2011 GayDays National DJ Contest, distinguishing himself from more than 200 of the country’s top DJs competing for this highly-coveted prize. Since that time, he’s booked some of the biggest gigs in the country – including White Party Palm Springs, GayDays, Winter Music Conference, SPLASH (New York), The Paramount (Provincetown), COBALT (Washington DC), Eleven Lounge (West Hollywood), and Ruby Skye (San Francisco), among others. He's also been a featured artist on RSVP Vacations Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises, and he supported Kylie Minogue's 2011 "Aphrodite" World Tour as an opening act.

NEW YORK, NY, May 10, 2012 – Celebrating only the very best in celebrity rants, feuds and sexy scandals, Logo presents “Scandalicious,” a new four-part series uncovering the crème de la crème of headline-grabbing bad behavior and attention-grabbing physiques.  Infused with comedic sass from the likes of Alec Mapa and Debra Wilson, the new series of one-hour specials kicks off with the premiere of “Scandalicious: 20 Shocking Celebrity Rants” on Friday, May 25th at 8PM ET/PT on Logo.

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Win Ruck's Deluxe Album set, which includes two albums on 1 CD, More Famous Than You and  Roof // Top, by Joey Ruckus, brought to you by Erie Gay News! The 5 contest winners will receive a signed copy of the Roop // Top Deluxe album as well as an inclusion in the fan photo montage in Joey Ruckus's upcoming music video. For more information on Joey Ruckus, check out his bio below or visit JoeyRuckus.com. To enter the contest, fill out the form below between May 11 and June 1.

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Los Angeles, CA – Yesterday, North Carolina adopted Amendment One, a state constitutional amendment that prohibits marriage equality and any form of legal relationship recognition for gay and lesbian North Carolinians. 

SAN DIEGO –  Today, the San Diego City Council unanimously voted to give final approval to rename a street after LGBT civil rights hero, Harvey Milk.  San Diego now becomes the first city in the country to have a street named for Harvey Milk.

WASHINGTON—To better protect LGBT victims of domestic violence, Congressman Jared Polis today sought to amend the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to bar discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity to ensure equal access to the services the legislation supports, such as legal representation, housing, and counseling. Studies show that while LGBT Americans experience domestic violence at roughly the same rate as the general population, less than one in five LGBT victims of intimate-partner violence receives help from a service provider. The amendment to the bill, H.R. 4970, failed on a party line vote of 14-18.

RALEIGH – Today anti-gay forces succeeded in adding a discriminatory amendment to the North Carolina constitution barring same-sex couples from marrying, preventing the enactment of civil union or domestic partnership, and precluding other legal recognition for any “domestic union” other than a married heterosexual couple.   Amendment 1 was pushed onto the ballot on a low-turnout primary election day.

Grammy-nominated DJ/producer Morgan Page releases his third solo album, In The Air, which features collaborations with Tegan And Sara, Angela McCluskey, Nadia Ali, Greg Laswell and others.  To celebrate the record release, Erie Gay News is promoting a new contest and giving away the prize pack listed below. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between May 7 and May 28.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today Caroline Kennedy joined Freedom to Marry’s Democrats: Say I Do campaign calling for a freedom to marry plank in this year’s national Democratic Party Platform.