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.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner, one of the primary proponents of the continued defense of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), swore in two openly gay House Reps on Thursday. 

Check out photos of Boehner with the new House Reps and their beautiful families (you know...the ones he's actively trying to designate as second class citizens) after the jump.

Late last week the LGBT community and allies got a holiday gift in the form of another GOP lawmaker signing on to support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. 

Virulently anti-gay Florida House Rep. Allen West has conceded defeat in an extremely close race against 29-year-old Democrat Patrick Murphy.

Over the past two weeks early votes in the contested district have been recounted and West has conceded that he can't surmount Murphy's lead. 

See West's statement after the jump.

The votes were too close to call nearly a week ago on Election Night, but after improving odds, Rep. Krysten Sinema has emerged the winner of an Arizona seat to become the first openly bisexual member of the U.S. Congress!

Australia's House of Representatives, with help from Prime Minister Julia Gillard, voted to uphold the country's ban on marriage equality by a landslide. Details follow. 

We priority mailed a muffin basket (no pun intended) to the incredible Texas State Rep. Mary Gonzalez when she became the state's first openly LGBT representative back in May. Now we're readying another congratulatory basket and adding a "P" to our vibrant acronym as Rep. Gonzalez has ditched the "L" to fully come out as pansexual. 

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has announced support for a marriage equality bill soon to come to the country's House of Representatives. 

Score one for our team—and in Texas no less!

Last night Mary E. Gonzalez won the Democratic primary to represent District 75 in the Texas House of Representatives. She’ll face no Republican opponent during the November election, which means Gonzalez will win the El Paso seat and become the state’s only openly LGBT lawmaker.

More after the jump!

Mississippi state Rep. Andy Gipson has forgotten about a little thing Americans have called "separation of church and state" by basically giving his constituents (a.k.a. his bosses) the middle finger. Instead of caring what his diverse constiuency thinks, Gipson announced via Facebook that the only "opinion" he will obey is God's. (Gipson's interpretation of the Christian God, in case you didn't get where we were going with this.)

It gets way better, errr, worse from there, so follow the jump and catch a ride on today's crazy train!

Republican Colorado Rep. Don Coram cast the deciding vote killing civil unions on Monday in committee, preventing the bill from receiving a full House vote.

It came as quite a shock to us when Coram mentioned that he has a gay son.

His son, Dee Coram, has spoken out regarding his father's vote.

Hear what he has to say after the jump.

The Human Rights Campaign wants members of the House and Senate to go on the record with their support of same-sex marriage.

Details after the jump.