LGBT, Proud, and American

Marriage & Family
Op-ed: Take Your Mama Out
This is what happens when one guy took his very curious mother to a gay bar for the first time.
By Zackary Ross

Op-ed: Yes, I Am Redefining Marriage
The Advocate's associate editor ponders the implications of marrying her opposite-gender partner before marriage equality is realized nationwide.
By Sunnivie Brydum

Op-ed: How My Grandmother Helped Pass Marriage Equality in Minnesota
A born-and-raised Minnesotan remembers the slight but progressive change that his grandmother embraced to ensure equality for all.
By Ross Murray

Op-ed: Science Is No Substitute for Civil Rights
We don't need a peer-reviewed study to tell us that having a gay dad is just like having a straight dad. But Justice Alito claims he won't believe it otherwise.
By Lucas Grindley

Op-ed: Dad, Welcome as You Are
The world's first openly gay Episcopal dean shares a personal story of father and son's emotional intimacy.
By Robert V. Taylor

Op-ed: Reaching Out to Red State Parents
What parents of LGBT children need to know before they subject their kids to a world of pain.
By Anne Dohrenwend

Op-ed: How My Marriage Went From Skim to Creamy Cake Icing
Marriage activist Robin Tyler on the tireless efforts to make marriage happen, and the continuing road for full equality.
By Robin Tyler

Op-ed: Our Families Are More Than Capable of Making the Grade
Sure, two moms can raise two brilliant young women, but they had no idea their family would become the model for so many LGBT families out there.
By Sharon Czerwinski

Identities
Op-ed: We're Here, We're Republican, Get Used to It
The Log Cabin Republicans' interim leader says his organization is ready to roll up their shirt sleeves and get the job done.
By Gregory T. Angelo

Op-ed: I'm A Gay Man with NFL Season Tickets
One writer explains why a football stadium can feel more welcoming than his neighborhood gay bar.
By Nicolas DiDomizio

Op-ed: 10 Pro-LGBT Religious Women You Should Know
As the new pope is celebrated today, it's worth noting that not everyone who wears the cloth is antigay. This being Women's History Month, here are 10 LGBT and allied women who are looking out for all of us.
By Joseph Ward

Op-ed: Human Sexuality Is More Than Gay And Straight
R.J. Aguiar says labels are for mason jars, not people.
By RJ Aguiar

Op-ed: My Life as a Gay Boy Scout
Gay author Christopher Bram recounts how scouting helped him make it through adolescence and discover his true self.
By Christopher Bram

Day of Decision Op-ed: Going Solo
We asked readers for personal stories about how the U.S. Supreme Court's highly anticipated ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act has consequences for their own lives. Jeffrey plans to stay introspective.
By Jeffrey Hartinger

Op-ed: Intersex, the Final Coming-Out Frontier
Even Plato knew that LGBT was missing the 'I.'
By Hida Viloria

Op-ed: The Transgenderest Lammys Ever
This year's Lambda Literary Awards were the most diverse in the organization's history, and that should only be the tip of the iceberg.
By Jacob Anderson-Minshall

Op-ed: How Animated Shows Like Futurama Can Unite Us All
Top voice actor Billy West on one of the most LGBT-friendly animated series going.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall

Op-ed: How Messy, Sexy Vegas Brings Out the Best in Everyone
A visit to surprisingly liberal Sin City made this writer feel free as a bird; is the tolerance an anomaly of the land of strippers and Celine?
By Neal Broverman

Op-ed: My Farewell to Exodus International
The 'ex-gay' movement reached into the living room of Jaime Bayo as a young gay teen understanding his sexuality. And he's glad to see it go.
By Jaime Bayo

Op-ed: Being Married to a Lesbian Doesn't Make Me Less of a Man
A person's gender may change, but his love can still last.
By Jacob Anderson-Minshall

Op-ed: Wow, I'm a Real Person Now
Writer Eric Poole is trying to figure things out now that the Supreme Court has ruled that he is indeed a full human being.
By Eric Poole

Sports
Op-ed: Brittney Griner Is Revolutionizing Women's Basketball
Will Brittney Griner's coming out break down the "feminine" wall of women's sports?
By Ella Vincent

Op-ed: Jason Collins, The Great Black Hope
The sports world has been waiting for a gay professional athlete to come out publicly. And there was good reason to hope the moment would star an African-American male.
By Reverend Irene Monroe

Op-ed: Why We Need Sports
Participating in a team sport can instill responsibility and confidence in a young person. It can also save that person's life.
By Michelle Garcia

Politics
Editor's Letter: The Emergence of a Fierce Advocate
Editor-in-chief Matthew Breen was on the national mall and shares the illuminating experience of an inauguration speech designed for a global audience -- and for history.
By Matthew Breen

Op-ed: A Chuck Hagel for Our Time
The nation's first openly gay ambassador, James Hormel, explains why he now supports the Senate confirmation of a man who helped block his own confirmation.
By James Hormel

Book Excerpt: They Call Me a Hero
In this excerpt from his new book, the gay intern who worked for Rep. GabBy Giffords recounts the day the congresswoman was shot and how he stepped up to help save her life.
By Daniel Hernandez

Editor's Letter: President's Speech Could Send Congress a Message
When President Obama gives his State of the Union address tonight, he has a chance to reiterate to Congress the list of legislation still needed for LGBT equality.
By Matthew Breen

Op-ed: How Facts and Figures Led to the End of DADT
Scholar Nathaniel Frank explains how cold, hard facts changed hearts and minds about gay rights in the military.
By Nathaniel Frank

Op-ed: How to Get Elected in America
The first LGBT person of color was elected to Congress in the land of Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon.
By Jamie Ruddy and Rupert Russell

Op-ed: What All of Us Should Learn From Rob Portman's Son
When the Republican from Ohio became the first from his party in the U.S. Senate to support marriage equality, he was an example of a constant lesson for LGBT Americans.
By Lucas Grindley

Op-ed: Justice Sotomayor's Quiet Nod to Gay Americans
A brief moment with Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor made one gay politician feel a little safer.
By Jamie McLeod

Op-ed: There's No Excuse for Discrimination at Work
Rep. Jared Polis is taking the helm in a long fight for an overdue law to keep LGBT Americans rightfully employed in every single state.
By Jared Polis

Op-ed: Why Cindy McCain Really Is a 'Hero'
The Trevor Project will honor the famous Republican with its Hero Award tonight because of her advocacy on behalf of LGBT people.
By Lucas Grindley

Activism
Op-ed: Why Alabama Needs to Update Its Sex Education
Alabama's only openly LGBT state legislator explains why she is trying to change the laws to make sex ed in schools less homophobic and more comprehensive.
By Patricia Todd

Op-ed: A Bigger, Better LGBT Community
Thanks to Facebook and the Supreme Court hearings, we're seeing just how big our community is and how varied our allies are.
By Anthony Armstrong

Op-ed: After The Bombing, Questions
Finding allies out of monstrous actions.
By Victoria A. Brownworth

Op-ed: My Friend, Dan Choi
To many people, he's Lt. Dan Choi, gay activist and the face of the movement to end "don't ask, don't tell." To a fellow former solder, he's just Dan.
By Rob Smith

Op-ed: WikiLeaks, the NSA, Ellen Sturtz, and the Case For Dissent
Activist movements weren't built on the shoulders of those who were best known for being polite.
By Victoria A. Brownworth

Op-ed: Dreaming in the White House
How one queer DREAMer went from living on a couch shared with her parents to the White House.
By Carla Lopez

Op-ed: When It's More Than a Flag, It's a Feeling
What happens when you stand on a busy street corner and wave a rainbow flag?
By Lucas Grindley

Op-ed: Why Gavin Newsom Is as Much a Gay Rights Hero as Harvey Milk
If you live in California and plan to marry now, you owe him a heap of thanks for paving the way.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall

Op-ed: Building a World We'd Actually Want to Live In
The Task Force's Rea Carey has a few ideas on how to achieve this.
By Rea Carey

Op-ed: Keep the Momentum Going
The Supreme Court just struck a fatal blow to two virulently anti-LGBT laws. Here's how to get rid of the remaining ones.
By Shannon Price Minter, Esq