Wedding photographer Anne Almasy purchased a half page ad in Weddings Unveiled magazine, only to have her submission (the photo above of a lesbian couple on their wedding day) rejected by the publication. 

Thankfully, that's not where the story ended. More after the jump.

We’d hoped progress was being made in Anoka, Minnesota, the site of a rash of suicides among gay youth, but a move on the part of the Anoka Halloween Festival Committee definitely isn’t sending  a message of inclusion.

The festival committee has denied a request to allow Justin’s Gift, an anti-bullying youth group formed in memory of Justin Aaberg (a teen who took his own life), to march in the group’s popular parade on Oct. 27. The festival committee has also refused to answer community questions regarding its decision to deny Justin’s Gift members a spot in the parade.

Rebecca Krone, an Anoka mom, is leading a campaign on Change.org to allow Justin’s Gift to participate.

More after the jump.

We don't like to spend our Mondays crying, at least beyond the usual tears that come with the reminder that it's no longer Sunday Funday, but this New York Times piece with Tyler Clementi's parents definitely made us well up. 

Joe and Jane Clementi have had a lot to process in the wake of their son's suicide, and it sounds like Jane Clementi is placing a great deal of the blame on herself and the teachings of the evangelical church. 

Check out an excerpt from the piece after the jump.

YouTuber Robbie Joe Banfitch gives us something better than a pint of Ben & Jerry's to sink into after a bad date with his "Gay Date Rejection Tutorial Video." Grab the Two Buck Chuck and some violins and follow the jump to try to figure out why anyone would reject the hilarious hottie on a night out. 

Despite receiving more $60,000 in taxpayer money this year, Albuquerque's Hope Christian School has used its view of the Bible to discriminate against a 3-year old because his parents are gay. How Christianly!

Paul Katami, one of the heroic Team Instinct members on the road right now with AIDS/LifeCycle 11, certainly got an extra boost today in the form of the Ninth Circuit filing.

Paul, along with his partner and fellow Instinct Leading Man Jeff Zarillo, is one of the plaintiffs represented by AFER in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger Prop 8 case. Earlier today as you surely already know, the Ninth Circuit filed a major decision to once again reject Prop 8 defendants. Instinct's Jeff Katz quickly caught up with Paul somewhere along the California coast on the Ride and got nothing short of a jubilant exclusive statement (and adorable victory picture you see above!). 

So, what does Paul have to say about today's filing? 

In early May we reported that the Methodist Church had disappointingly voted to uphold its view that homosexuality "is incompatible with Christian teaching." A month later, hundreds of ministers and lay persons within the Church have decided to reject last month's vote and sign on to a pro-LGBT statement. Details follow. 

ExxonMobil won't be jumping to the top of the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index (CEI) anytime soon; moments ago, shareholders once again voted against adding LGBT employment protections to the company's nondiscrimination policy. Details follow. 

Screw Romney!

When it comes to competition for President Obama, it's the Sec. of State All Things Including The Internet Hillary Clinton that threatens his place as the coolest member of the Administration. 

Fresh off the success of her highly confidential Internet texting meme campaign, Hillary has finally taken the time to respond to Jason Segel's request that she appear in the Forgetting Sarah Marshall sequel. How did Hillary respond to Jason's invitation? With a cutthroat negotiation, of course!

One of the most noted civil rights speeches ever started with a dream, so it's rather poetic that Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton's hopes of defeating an amendment looking to ban marriage equality in his state followed sleep-inspired suit. 

The Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal stemming from federal court, effectively leaving in place and endorsing a pro-gay ruling against Christian college groups.

Ohio's ardent anti-gay Attorney General has rejected a petition seeking to repeal the state's marriage equality ban. Details follow.