Summer is nearly officially over, so why not send it out with one (or more, we won't judge) bangs?

Here are some events that have caught our queer eyes -- and perhaps some we can be caught at, as well:

Saturday, September 4

Get Wet Palm Springs!

Sunday, September 5

Hydrat Pool Party in Vegas!

Sunday, September 5

Freemasons at Arena in L.A.!

In a televised debate Wednesday night, California Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina re-affirmed her opposition to equality, saying she believed marriage rights should be limited to one man and one woman. Her incumbent opponent Barbara Boxer, believes in full marriage equality for all Californians. Fiorina, the former HP CEO, did manage to insert support civil unio for civil unions into the debate, however.

“Actually, the position I've consistently espoused is consistent with that of our president and a vast majority of senators in the U.S. Senate,” Fiorina said.

The republican went on to deem it “inappropriate” for Judge Vaughn Walker to overrule California voters in his Prop 8 decision.

Thankfully, Sen. Barbara Boxer used the opportunity...

California has made it easer for same-sex partners to obtain unemployment benefits, should one person have to relocate to live with another.

Previously, only heterosexual couples who've uprooted their lives – and therefore quit their jobs – to be together were allowed unemployment benefits. But now, as marriage equality continues to be bound by red tape in the state, those registered as domestic partners will have access to the program.

The California Communities United Institute explains:

AB 2055 would provide this unemployment insurance benefit to same sex couples under the following circumstances:

1. They plan to register as domestic partners soon.

2. The partner who quits a job (the claimant) must show that it would be too far...

Miss Universe, Mexico's Jimena Navarette, reminds us that Carrie whatever-her-name-was was a ditzy exception to the universal beauty queen rule of promoting anti-discrimination -- and not pissing off your gays.

Here's what the gorgeous Jimena has to say in an interview regarding GLBT rights:

"Look, I believe that every person in this world has the right to profess the beliefs they have and I am in agreement. We have to respect what each human being decides to do with their lives, no? Clearly, there are limitations, of course, also, as there also are with heterosexual couples, no? Better said, there are limitations for any of the two - if they are heterosexual or homosexual - but I believe we have to learn to be respectful because...

"I think it was terrific. It’s now been unlifited again, but these are those kinds of things that take long, long time to change. Most people that are against the idea of Prop. 8 feel that it is a civil right, and I think eventually it will become an archaic—people will look back at this period of time in history and think of it as an archaic time. It’s a slow-rolling process and it will happen eventually."

—George Clooney, backstage at the Emmys, when asked about his reaction to first hearing Prop. 8 was lifted in California.

You know things are bad when even the American Family Association starts to distance itself from you, but that’s exactly what happened to Glenn Beck, profit Prophet of the Tea Party. In-fighting amongst the certifiably insane is always entertaining.

Things were looking up for Beck, who held a pretty big religious rally that has largely been reported by as “meh” over the weekend (and who managed to call Obama a “racist” while doing so.)

But now his good ol’ redneck, bigoted, homophobicly anti-Christian friends at the AFA want nothing more to do with him after he shrugged off marriage equality (he did so after conservative Judge Vaughn Walker’s overruling of Prop 8.)

Here’s what AFA’s Bryan Fischer had to say about Beck’s...

Florida's Charlie Crist -- who is widely known speculated to be closeted -- made a poor attempt to lock in step with his state's Tea Party by making comments that hint at throwing the GLBT community under the bus on a federal level, should he be elected a senator later this year. Crist later clarified his remarks. 

Talking with CNN's Ed Henry yesterday, Crist said that he feels "marriage is a sacred institution, if you will. But I do believe in tolerance. I'm a live and let live kind of guy, and while I feel that way about marriage, I think if partners want to have the opportunity to live together, I don't have a problem with that."

"And I think that's where most of America is. So I think that you know, you have to speak from the...

A new poll conducted by CBS has found little has changed since spring in the number of Americans who support marriage equality, even after Judge Walker's Prop 8 dismantling, which is unfortunate. In better news, the survey shows that 75% of Americans (and 61% of those who have served in the military) believe gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve.

The New York City Council has passed a Christine Quinn-sponsored bill that requires the city clerk to notify same-sex couples of states that actually consider them equal under the law and the rights and benefits they stand to lose if they still choose to enroll in a domestic partnership in the discriminatory state of New York.

One of our readers sent this video to our attention, and though our hearts are mostly black, after watching and listening to this original piece, they may have melted to a lighter shade of gray.