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U.S. adults estimate that nearly one in four Americans (23.6%) are gay or lesbian. Gallup has previously found that Americans have greatly overestimated the U.S. gay population, recording similar average estimates of 24.6% in 2011 and 23.2% in 2015. In each of the three polls in which Gallup has asked this question, a majority of Americans estimated this population to be 20% or greater.

Amazon Studios has confirmed that Heather Schuster, its head of unscripted programming, has exited the company after less than one year in the role. The company has not commented beyond that, but it's believed Schuster's departure comes after an investigation into 'verbally abusive behavior,' according to Variety. It's rumored that Schuster made inappropriate comments during meetings, and allegations were made about possible misuse of power, Deadline reported.

Considering the discrimination trans people face on a daily basis, it comes as no surprise that trans people are overlooked when it comes to dating. Two Canadian researchers recently asked almost 1000 cisgender folks if they would date a trans person in a new study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. This is the first study to ever attempt to quantify the extent of trans discrimination when it comes to romantic and sexual relationships. 958 participants (all but seven cisgender, ranging in age from 18 to 81, with an average age of 26) were asked to indicate...

PHOENIX — An Arizona appeals court on Thursday upheld a Phoenix anti-discrimination law that makes it illegal for businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples because of religion. The ruling comes days after the U.S. Supreme Court sided with a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The high court found Monday that a Colorado civil rights commission showed anti-religious bias when it ruled against Jack Phillips for refusing to make the cake at his Masterpiece Cakeshop. (SNIP) The three-judge panel said a stationery store that includes the customized design of wedding event merchandise...

PASADENA >> In a Tournament of Roses first, two Los Angeles men will celebrate their gay marriage on a Rose Parade float as it goes down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day.

"Yesterday I apologized for offending many people around the world. Today I am repeating that apology," ... "Through my entire life I have always respected every person I've met, including gays and their families, without any distinction. I've never discriminated against anyone." ... "I have heard the countless reactions around the world to my words, which have depressed and saddened me," ... "It is clear that I have a lot to learn about the lively debate concerning the evolution of the family. In the coming weeks, I pledge to meet representatives of the group that best represent the evolution of...

President Obama's support for civil unions but not gay marriage has always been a somewhat odd — and, you get the feeling, perhaps disingenuous — position. For one thing, if he really believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, as he's often said, why doesn't he support laws that ensure marriage will only be between a man and a woman, such as California's Prop 8? And how could someone so progressive on gay issues in general — he's against the Defense of Marriage Act, he's against "don't ask, don't tell," he's already appointed more gays...

THE cluttered closet of the Republican Party is being wrenched open by the sex scandal involving the disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley and his explicit computer messages to teenage male interns on Capitol Hill.Washington’s gay Republicans — the “velvet mafia” — are caught in the crossfire of an election-time battle over who should take the blame for allowing Mr Foley to continue his predatory activities for so long. On one side are radical gay activists seeking to expose the “hypocrites” willing to work for a party that has campaigned so hard against proposals such as same-sex marriage. Since the Foley...

Amid the fallout of the Mark Foley scandal, one consequence appears to be an increasing exposure of the influential role homosexuals have within the Republican party. As the New York Times reported Sunday, homosexuals in the Republican Party -- sometimes known by insider slang terms including the "velvet mafia" or the "pink elephants" -- are a well-established force in the GOP. According to the Times, many of these homosexual Republicans "have held crucial staff positions for decades," and this has been even more the case in recent years. "They have played decisive roles in passing legislation, running campaigns and advancing...

From a List to a GOP Civil War? Copies of The List (see below) have been sent by gay politicos to a variety of social conservative groups that look to the Republican Party to make their religious right dreams come true. The recipients include the Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, the Alliance for Marriage, Concerned Women of America, the Eagle Forum, and the Southern Baptist Convention. Officials at most of these groups have had something to say about homosexuality and gay rights in the wake of the Mark Foley scandal. What's the point? The senders--gay...

NEW YORK (AP) - DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (DWA) on Monday warned of a loss in the second quarter, cut its full-year outlook and said federal regulators are investigating trading of its stock and its first-quarter results, sending shares tumbling more than 13 percent to a new low. Additionally, DreamWorks, the creator of animated hits "Shrek" and "Shark Tale," said its principal shareholders postponed a planned $500 million offering of common stock, but did not indicate when they would reconsider the sale. The company blamed the weakened earnings forecast on waning demand for home videos, citing a review of current...