Free Republic

Melissa Etheridge announced the death of her son Beckett on Wednesday, sharing that he had passed away after struggling with opioid addiction. Beckett, whom she shared with former partner Julie Cypher, was 21. Cypher gave birth to daughter Bailey in February 1997 and Beckett in November 1998. The children were conceived via artificial insemination and it was later revealed that rock legend David Crosby had been the sperm donor.

LOS ANGELES - Melissa Etheridge will wed girlfriend Tammy Lynn Michaels, the singer told celebrity television show “Extra” ahead of California’s vote next month on whether to strip same-sex couples of the right to marry. “Yes, we have four children and we’re trying to find the right time,” Etheridge said when asked about marriage in an interview set to air on Wednesday night. A spokeswoman for Etheridge was not immediately available. Back in May, the California Supreme Court granted same-sex couples the right to marry, but residents opposing the decision have organized a proposition calling for an amendment to the...

<p>From NBC's Chris Donovan Melissa Etheridge, scheduled to be a panelist at tomorrow's Democratic presidential forum on GLBT issues, is no stranger to the political world.</p>

RUSH: Well, for the first time, ladies and gentlemen, "Leading Democratic presidential candidates will participate in an unprecedented televised debate focusing exclusively on 'gay,' bisexual and transgender issues.... [T]he one-hour Aug. 9 event in Los Angeles scheduled to be broadcast on the homosexual-oriented LOGO network and live streamed at LOGOonline.com." Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and the Breck Girl have confirmed that they will participate. "Several other Democratic candidates also might join the debate. The debate will be conducted with a live audience in Los Angeles. On the panel questioning the Democrats will be Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese and...

This is the demystification of illness, especially cancer. It is being demystified by the number of people who have lately come forward to tell people they were ill and to ask for their help. Tony Snow of Fox is one, Peter Jennings of ABC another. Melissa Etheridge came out at the recent Grammy Awards and rocked the house with her brilliance, energy and bald-from-chemo head. And there is Laura Ingraham. Laura was, as pretty much everyone who reads this column knows, recently diagnosed with breast cancer. At first, like everyone in such circumstances, she was shocked. Then she did an...

Some conservatives are angered by opinionated quotes that Starbucks puts on its cups. more...,/a>

Last year, singer Melissa Etheridge promised to love and protect her new partner, actress Tammy Lynn Michaels, until death do them part, but she may not be able to leave her songs to Michaels. U.S. copyright law discriminates against homosexuals by not allowing songwriters and other artists to determine conclusively who gets the rights to their work at the time of their death. No matter what an artist's intention, spouses, children and grandchildren, in that order, are the first in line to recapture the copyrights, followed by next of kin, executors and administrators. Since most states do not recognize gay...

<p>MELISSA Etheridge definitely wears the pants in her relationship with Tammy Lynn Michaels.</p> <p>When Etheridge, 42, walked down the aisle in Malibu last September and swapped vows with Michaels, 28, the "bride" wore a lacey gown designed by Badgley Mischka.</p>

<p>While we all try and cope with the postponement of Jennifer Lopez's wedding to Ben Affleck, we can report that at least one other celebrity 'marriage' is still on-the union of lesban lovebirds singer Melissa Etheridge and her gal pal of two years actress Tammy Lynn Michaels.</p>