Free Republic

Some Republicans are pushing for their party to drop its opposition to same-sex marriage as public opinion on the issue shifts rapidly and the party tries to woo younger voters more supportive of gay unions. […] But social conservatives warn that Republicans could lose loyal voters by softening their stance. A majority of Republicans still oppose gay marriage. …

Despite major changes in public opinion in recent years, Rev. Franklin Graham, son of perhaps the most famous American preacher of all time, Billy Graham, reiterated his strong opposition to gay marriage and gay adoption today on ABC's "This Week." As a part of a special Easter week discussion on religion, Graham told ABC News' Martha Raddatz that gays could go to heaven if they repent.

People from all over Florida are looking forward to the state’s fastest-growing gay pride celebration. Miami Beach Gay Pride, now celebrating its sixth year, will be putting on an elaborate parade.... Hotspots Media Group is a proud sponsor of Miami Beach Gay Pride. Other local sponsors include WTVJ-TV NBC 6 South Florida

UMass guard Derrick Gordon hopes his decision to become the first openly gay player in Division I men’s basketball will inspire others. “There are a lot of kids out there in my situation, probably far worse situations,” he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “Maybe I can give a lot of kids that confidence that they need to get over that hump.”

A judicial official says an Egyptian court has convicted four men of committing homosexual acts and sentenced them to up to eight years in prison. The Nasr City misdemeanor court issued its ruling on Monday. Police arrested the men for holding parties they say involved homosexual acts and where they found women’s clothes and makeup. …

Link only: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/07/supreme-court-gay-lesbian-marriage-photographer/7304157/

A U.S.-funded health project in Uganda has suspended operations after police arrested a staff member on suspicion of promoting homosexuality, highlighting the mounting legal risks confronting the gay community in the east African state. Uganda enacted legislation in February that strengthened punishments for anyone caught having gay sex, imposing jail terms of up to life for "aggravated homosexuality" - including sex with a minor or while HIV-positive. The United States, one of Uganda's major bilateral sources of aid, and other Western donors have halted or re-directed some $118 million in aid since President Yoweri Museveni signed the law, which also...

Elton John, David Furnish Set Wedding Date By Luchina Fisher Mar 31, 2014 Wedding bells will be ringing for Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish. The pair are planning an intimate ceremony in May. They announced their plans to marry last Friday, a day before same-sex marriage became legal in the UK, while celebrating John’s 67th birthday in Las Vegas, where the singer is performing at Caesars Palace. But unlike the $2 million reception they threw to celebrate their civil partnership in 2005, their wedding will be a much smaller affair. “We’ll go to the registry again and...

ttorney General Eric Holder said Friday that the federal government will recognize about 300 same-sex marriages performed in Michigan before a federal appeals court halted them, despite a decision by Michigan's governor not to recognize those unions. The decision means federal benefits will be extended to those couples -- including the ability to file taxes jointly, get Social Security benefits for spouses and request legal immigration status for partners. "These families will be eligible for all relevant federal benefits on the same terms as other same-sex marriages," Holder said in a statement.

Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez will be given the Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards in April. The honour is given to "artists and media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community". One of the reasons Lopez was chosen for the award by the gay rights organisation GLAAD is her role as producer on "The Fosters", a TV series about a lesbian couple raising a family of biological, adopted and foster children.

Johnny Weir and Victor Voronov have decided to call it quits, the figure skating commentator announced on Twitter. "It is with great sadness that I announce that my husband and I are no longer together. My heart hurts, and I wish him well," he wrote yesterday. Even though this relationship didn't work out, Weir, 29, let his fans know he hasn't given up on love. "No matter what, I am a cheerleader of love and partnership and creation. I am sad yet I am thankful that I was loved and that I could love," he added. Voronov added that he...

“Maybe we can reach a point of reconsideration” on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, Kerry said during a forum at the State Department. The Ugandan president committed to meeting with American “experts” on homosexuality to try to change his mind about the Anti-Homosexuality Act signed into law last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday during a forum at the State Department moderated by BuzzFeed. Museveni claimed to have signed the law, which imposes up to a lifetime prison sentence for homosexuality, after being convinced no one is “born gay.” “I talked personally to President Museveni just a few...

The State Duma has passed a motion suggesting that the US and EU extend the freshly introduced sanctions to all Russian MPs rather than a limited group of officials, defying western pressure just hours before Russia and Crimea signed a federation treaty. The motion was supported by a unanimous vote on Tuesday morning. It was prepared the day before by all four parliamentary parties after representatives of the United States and the European Union said they were slapping sanctions, such as visa bans and asset freezes, on a number of Russian officials who are seen as “key ideologists and architects”...

If you’ve never been to the annual New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, better put it on your calendar for next year. That is, if there is a next year. Time could be running out on the world’s biggest celebration of all things Irish. Why? Because the parade’s organizers have for two decades steadfastly refused to allow gay and lesbian organizations to march under banners trumpeting their sexual orientation. The city’s self-appointed guardians of human rights long ago declared this policy exclusionary and intolerant. But, unlike in previous decades, the effort to paint the parade and its organizers...

I am SICK of hearing about sodomites and their allies in the media...so, WHICH of the beer companies are not bending over to the homosexual agenda?

SAGINAW, MI — As a federal judge weighs Michigan's gay marriage ban, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan issued a statement supporting the overturn of the ban. Bishop Todd Ousley on Thursday, March 13, stated that ending the ban, which U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman may do after hearing eight days of testimony during a trial for a Hazel Park couple's case against the state, would extend “justice and equality to all of God's children.” “My own experiences with same-sex couples and the experiences in communities and congregations across our diocese have show that there is holy...

Brooklyn Nets center Jason Collins made his debut in Miami Wednesday since coming out as the NBA's first openly gay player. The Nets took the game against the Heat 96-95. Though Collins did not play, fans in the stands were still dissecting his skills and not his sexuality. "I don't think it's a big deal," said Heat fan Jonathan Pringle. "I think everybody has the freedom to be their sexual preference. So, to me, it's not a big deal."

Really, what more is there to say? Anyone with a brain knew years ago that Timothy Dolan was a craven, politicking imbecile. Presiding at the “gay” Mass at St. Francis Xavier parish in Manhattan and CHEERING the unrepentant sodomite club introduced at said Mass – yeah – that was a SUBTLE CLUE. Inviting antichrist forerunner Obama to the Al Smith dinner and slapping his back while wearing a perpetual ****-eating grin the whole time was another SUBTLE CLUE. But now, ol’ Tracksuit Timmy has officially jumped the shark, and let’s not sugarcoat this, Pope Francis Bergoglio is driving the tow...

As I Have Been Screeching for Years, Timothy Dolan is an Unmitigated Jackass Really, what more is there to say? Anyone with a brain knew years ago that Timothy Dolan was a craven, politicking imbecile. Presiding at the “gay” Mass at St. Francis Xavier parish in Manhattan and CHEERING the unrepentant sodomite club introduced at said Mass – yeah – that was a SUBTLE CLUE. Inviting antichrist forerunner Obama to the Al Smith dinner and slapping his back while wearing a perpetual ****-eating grin the whole time was another SUBTLE CLUE. But now, ol’ Tracksuit Timmy has officially jumped the...

At CPAC this past weekend, Dr. Ben Carson gave a rousing speech to those in attendance in which he defiantly declared his support for marriage despite the "P.C. police" who he says try to silence that point of view. Here's a snippet of what he had to say [emphasis added]: As you know, I am not a fan of political correctness; I hate political correctness. I will continue ... [applause] I will continue to defy the P.C. police [cheers] who have tried in many cases to shut me up. You know, I actually find them pretty amusing. [Laughter] You know?...