As the only Midwestern city to receive a 100 percent score on the HRC's new Municipal Equality Index, St. Louis has continued to prove its mettle today by passing non-discrimination protections for its LGBT community. 

Corporations aren't the only entities that can expect to receive a grade card from the Human Rights Campaign each and every year; now cities risk getting a ruler to their hands if they fall short on equal civil rights for their LGBT populations. 

With the HRC's first ever Municipal Equality Index making its debut, which American cities have earned a top score on its LGBT-friendlines—and which have a lot of work to do?

With all the Chris Kluwes and Hudson Taylors of the world, it's sometimes easy to forget that homophobia is still the default hallmark of poor sportsmanship in the sports world.

Take Monday night's National League Championship Series ending for instance.The San Francisco Giants took out the Saint Louis Cardinals for the win, an ending that then saw a league of barely literate bigoted Cardinal fans swing their bigot bats at low hanging fruit (no pun intended) with outrageously homophobic swipes at San Francisco, gay men and the HIV positive. 

Updated 12:30 p.m. EST

New Jersey Devil Cam Janssen has apologized for joking about beating up gay hockey players during a recent radio interview. Details follow. 

Another week, another story of a sapphic smooch having a couple kicked out. What's going on?

Last week we had Leisha Hailey's Southwest Airlines debacle; this week it's Teresa Folds and Juleigh Snell, who said they were kicked out of St. Louis's Four Seasons Hotel for kissing on the rooftop. Details follow.

Earlier this week we were totally not surprised to learn that Provincetown had dethroned San Francisco as the gayest place in America, and possibly on the planet. However, now that the full list of the gayest cities in the country has hit our inboxes, we see that in the size category of large (our favorite!), San Francisco manages to hold a No. 1 spot like a fading glamour queen unwilling to give up its glory. Follow the jump for more.

Danny Amendola, wide-receiver for the foot-base-thingamajig team the St. Louis Rams (we love that name!), lost his shirt at a recent cover shoot for the local St. Louis publication Alive. Luckily, video evidence from the shoot wasn't lost. Follow the jump to swoon along with us!

Washington University in St. Louis has reportedly backed out from participating in a Target-sponsored event for students over the company's donation to, and further handling of, a Minnesota PAC that supports an anti-GLBT candidate for governor.

The school's independent school newspaper, Student Life, reports:

"Wash. U. backed out of a partnered event with Target Corp. after the retail powerhouse received heat for a donation it made to an organization backing a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate with a history of staunch opposition to gay rights.

University administrators opted to cancel the Target After Hours Shopping Event—a nationwide program in which Target keeps various stores open after hours and provides transportation for college...

The infamous Westboro Cult "Baptist Church" protested outside of Lady Gaga's St. Louis stop yesterday with signs that read "God hates Lady Gaga." The notorious klan, helmed by patriarch Fred Phelps, has picketed soldier's funerals, Pride celeberations and high school plays basically because they feel America should resemble Iran or North Korea. Their latest target has been widely publicized as Lady Gaga, who last night spoke out against the hate.

"And love outnumbered the hate, in poetic thousands,” she Tweeted to fans after her Monsterball show in St. Louis.

"Tonight love and hate met in St. Louis“Hate left. But love stayed. + Together, we sang," she added.

“Some people in this world are addicted to hate and they preach messages...

LGBT around the world have two new queens to kneel or bow before, with both Miss Gay America and Miss International Queen crowned over the weekend.

First up, Alyssa Edwards from Texas took the title at Miss Gay America, held in Saint Louis on Sunday. No stranger to the crown, Alyssa was also crowned Miss Gay USofA in 2006.

For contestants who are more than just an illusion, Miss International Queen crowned Japan's Haruna Ai over the weekend as well -- despite quite the obvious camel toe...