The White House has just released a video message from Ambassador Susan Rice—U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations—addressing today's International Day Against Homophobia (as they address it, minus transphobia mentions). See the video and read the transcript below.

This morning, marking International Day Against Homphobia and Transphobia, the largest EU survey of hate crime and discrimination targeting members of the LGBT community in the 27-nation bloc and Croatia showed many live in fear and conceal their sexual identity. Details below.

To promote International Day Against Homophobia in the parts of the world that really need to observe it, the United Nations has released a PSA that would make the United Colors of Benetton proud.

Check out the UN's extremely (and appropriately) diverse International Day Against Homophobia promo after the jump!

After Robbie Rogers came out, soccer has trumped hockeystick ball or whatever as our favorite athletic competition show sport thingymajig. So we were very happy to learn that fans of professional soccer who were attending a recent Portland Timbers match were met with an incredible display of LGBT support ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia on Friday. Go local sports team!

Details follow.

It's a historic day in the U.S. today as the House officially passes the first federal non-discrimination provision that includes the LGBT community.

You can't beat up a woman or your same-sex or trans partner without stronger repercussions thanks to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which just cleared the House after passing the Senate. 

The Senate has voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and has extended protections for LGBT victims of domestic violence. This follows the rejection of a non-inclusive, Republican sponsored alternative piece of legislation last week. 

More after the jump.

The Senate has rejected a proposed Republican alternative to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization bill.

The GOP bill, presented by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley would strip LGBT victims of domestic violence of their protections. 

More after the jump.

Despite having a lunch date with the amazing George Takei to discuss marriage equality, Donald Trump revealed to Howard Stern this week that he's still against extending the rights to loving same-sex couples. 

There is a small but YouTube-friendly group of French gay men who are opposed to marriage equality rights in France that have banded together to fight the country's pending legislation. Banding together under the name Homovox, the group has released videos on YouTube detailing their opposition to civil equality—videos which the National Organization for Marriage of course has copy + pasted into their own materials here in the States. 

Screw the sick, the poor and children: Catholic Bishops seem intently focused on fighting civil rights these days. The latest in a long line of bishops in states considering same-sex marriage to announce a war against equal rights is Rhode Island's Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence.

It's not much of a surprise. In fact, it's about the squarest, most down-to-earth revelation we've ever heard out of Ke$ha's mouth. 

What are we talking about?

In her new interview with Seventeen, the great dolla-signed one admits she's bisexual AND goes on to take a stand against bullying. Is Ke$ha growing up from the days of brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack?

Illinois could become the tenth state to provide its same-sex couples equal access to marriage rights as soon as this month. But not if Cardinal Francis George has anything to do with it.