BANGOR, Maine — Moviegoers from Maine who watch the film "It: Chapter Two" this weekend might recognize a scene that draws on a painful event from the state's history. The scene involves a gay character named Adrian Mellon being attacked by teenagers and his subsequent encounter with Pennywise the Clown....
Modesto City Council Bans Weapons, Masks at Rallies
 Modesto has banned firearms, glass bottles, baseball bats, and other items that can be used as weapons at rallies and protests. The Modesto City Council approved the ordinance Tuesday that also prohibits participants from wearing masks or anything that hides their faces. City spokesman Thomas Reeves says the ordinance initially...
Modesto City Council Bans Weapons, Masks at Rallies
 Modesto has banned firearms, glass bottles, baseball bats, and other items that can be used as weapons at rallies and protests. The Modesto City Council approved the ordinance Tuesday that also prohibits participants from wearing masks or anything that hides their faces. City spokesman Thomas Reeves says the ordinance initially...
Nicki Minaj Pulls out of Saudi Arabia Concert
NEW YORK — Nicki Minaj is pulling out of a concert in Saudi Arabia because she says she wants to show support for women’s rights, gay rights and freedom of expression. “After careful reflection I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest....
Big Business to Supreme Court: Defend LGBTQ From Bias
NEW YORK — More than 200 corporations, including many of America's best-known companies, are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that federal civil rights law bans job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The corporations outlined their stance in a legal brief released Tuesday by...
Learn About Sally Ride. She Made History 36 Years Ago Today.
On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first U.S. woman to blast into space when the space shuttle Challenger launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Only 32 years old, she also was the youngest American astronaut of any gender. And though it wasn't publicly known until after Ride's death...
50 Years After Stonewall, LGBT Rights Are a Work in Progress
NEW YORK — They didn't set out to change history; they weren't the first LGBT Americans to mobilize against bias. Yet the June 1969 uprising by young gays, lesbians and transgender people in New York City, clashing with police near a bar called the Stonewall Inn, was a vital catalyst...
Staff Rebels After LGBT Center Allows Uniformed Police at Pride Event
Organizers of this weekend's Sacramento Pride Festival have decided to allow uniformed police to participate, opening a rift in the organization and calls for its leaders to resign. Sacramento LGBT Community Center announced Thursday it has reversed its stance of banning officers in uniform from the two-day event, which begins...
House Set to Approve Sweeping Bill to Expand Gay Rights
WASHINGTON — Democrats in the House approved sweeping anti-discrimination legislation Friday that would extend civil rights protections to LGBT people by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and other areas. Called the Equality Act, the...
Buttigieg Sells out Fundraiser at Iconic Hollywood Gay Bar
LOS ANGELES — Pete Buttigieg drew a sold-out crowd to a fundraiser at an iconic West Hollywood gay bar, providing an intimate moment with the first Democratic White House contender who is a member of the LGBT community. Attendees at The Abbey each paid about $25 to attend the South...