Tagged: gay rights

Gay Pride Week is being observed with a series of events in Springfield Massachusetts.  It started on Thursday when more than 100 people gathered in the sweltering midday sun to observe the raising of the rainbow flag outside city hall.  WAMC’s  Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief  Paul Tuthill spoke with Amaad Rivera, the president and founder of Springfield Pride.

A day after veteran NBA player Jason Collins made national headlines by becoming the first active male athlete in the four major sports to come out as gay, state lawmakers, gay rights advocates and labor and law enforcement officials participated in Empire State Pride Agenda's annual lobby day in Albany.

Although New Yorkers are becoming more accepting following the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2011, activists and advocates want to ensure that gay rights and gay pride stay in the media spotlight.

    In his book, Eminent Outlaws: The Gay Writers Who Changed America, novelist Christopher Bram chronicles the rise of gay consciousness in American writing. Beginning with a first wave of major gay literary figures -Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, Truman Capote, Allen Ginsberg, and James Baldwin - he shows how they set the stage for new generations of gay writers to build on what they had begun.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America's national executive board has delayed a decision on whether to lift its longstanding ban on gay scouts and leaders.

BSA said Wednesday the organization will take action on the resolution at its national meeting in May.

The organization said last week it was considering a shift of its policy, which has led officials to remove gay leaders and scouts. That announcement pushed years of debate over the policy to an even higher level.