american society

The Advocate, SheWired’s sibling publication, has been nominated in the News & Business and Most Controversial categories in the American Society of Magazine Editors 2010 Best Cover Contest. Penelope Cruz, January Jones and Christina Hendricks mag covers are vying for the title of ‘Sexiest’ magazine cover. Penelope’s va-va-voom Vanity Fair Cover, Christina’s corselet-clad Viking queen with her gorgeous rope of ginger hair on New York Mag and January’s all cleave GQ cover are up against Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, Ryan Reynolds in snorkeling gear on Entertainment Weekly and Kate Hudson channeling her mom Goldie Hawn circa her Laugh-In days.

A bunch of grammar nerds say that the gender-neutral "they" is A-OK.

Dubbed the "Iron Lady," because she has made it her goal to abolish corruption in her country, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is the newly elected president of Liberia and the first elected female president of the  African continent.  Johnson-Sirleaf  has held many positions in  finance:  Minister of Finance of the Government of Liberia, Vice- President of the Executive Board of Equator Bank in Washington , D.C., President of Liberian Bank of Development and Investment,  Senior Loan Office of World Band and Vice President of Citibank.

More than 100 newly graduated lawyers walked out of their own graduation at the University of Michigan Law School on Saturday to protest the commencement speech by antigay Ohio Sen. Rob Portman.

Tom Hanks has issued an apology after calling Mormons who voted for Prop. 8 "un-American" at a Big Love premiere party last week.

As is well known by now, a few months ago, six teens, who were repeatedly ridiculed and taunted by their peers for being (or being perceived as) gay, took their lives, all within a six week span. The suicides of Asher Brown, 13; Seth Walsh, 13; Justin Aaberg, 15; Billy Lucas, 15; Tyler Clementi, 18; and Raymond Chase, 19 prompted a national conversation on bullying and galvanized gay celebrities and their straight allies to speak out against gay hate. Dan Savage, the popular sex and relationship columnist, launched It Gets Better, a suicide prevention project for gay teens. Savage’s campaign includes a series of Web videos of queer and straight adults touting the message that life after middle and high school gets, well, better.

The Stratton VA Medical Center's decision to hang a gay pride flag in honor of Pride month and to honor the 40th anniversary of the founding of the region's Gay and Lesbian Community Center has led to complaints.

For years medical professionals have advised women over the age of 40 to get annual breast exams as a way to detect cancerous tumors. However, the new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force, which shun breast self-exams and suggest only women between the ages of 50 and 74 get mammograms every other year, are startling to some, while others welcome the recommendations. However, the new guidelines fail to mention lesbians.

Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak at the Manchester Grand Hyatt this weekend.  The hotel is owned by major contributor to Yes on 8, Doug Manchester. Groups are urging Clinton to change the speaking engagements location and respect the San Diego hotel Boycott.

The out funny lady was awarded the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor during a celebration last night in New York.

Legal marriage for same-sex couples opens the door for marriage to inanimate objects such as the Eiffel Tower, says the Iowa campaign cochair for Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann. Tamara Scott, Iowa director for the conservative group Concerned Women for America, was named to the cochair post last week. In a conversation with Iowa antigay activist Bob Vander Plaats posted on YouTube, she brought up polyamory — people having more than one partner — and “objective sexualism,” people marrying inanimate objects, as logical extensions of marriage equality.

Polyamory, or non-monogamy as lesbian-feminists of yesteryear referred to the practice of having more than one amorous partner, is in vogue. In fact, poly (in modern lingo) relationships have always been an important part of the LGBT community, even while the issue is so very often swept under the carpet.

President Barack Obama executed on Wednesday a presidential memorandum officially extending federal job benefits to same-sex partners of US government employees while speaking out about repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal act that bars gays and lesbians from marrying.

Eva Longoria has a lesbian make-out scene with Kate del Castillo in their upcoming comedy Without Men. Longoria plays the mayor of a village in Latin America that loses all its men when guerilla revolutionaries recruit them against their will. Check out the trailer - lesbian hotness included - here!