A party in the northern Mexican city of Torreón that was organized by a gay group on Facebook ended in a bloodbath early Sunday morning when gunmen opened fire, killing 17 men and women and injuring 18 others.

A victory today for gay and lesbian Lutherans!

From HRC (with slight editing):

(Washington) The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, issued the following statement on today’s historic decision by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s (ELCA) to lift its ban on noncelibate lesbian and gay pastors and to allow for those in committed same-sex relationships to serve as ministers

On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington, D.C. from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. This is simply a major national strategy to kick start our national grassroots Equality Across America campaign. We will gather. We will strategize. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation. This is only the beginning.

We hope to see a shift in strategy to one that will secure full equality in all 50 states. We look back to 1963 and 64 when the historic civil rights movement made its transition from fighting local battles to winning national victory with the passage of the civil rights act. It’s time for that passage for LGBT Americans.

On October 10 we will be holding workshops throughout the day to provide organizational tools to help lobby your congressmen at home. On October 11 we will gather at approximately 12:00 noon to officially kick-off our National Equality March. Our march route is currently being negotiated with city officials and a final permit is typically given 30 days before the event. Our rally will begin at 2:00 p.m. on the west lawn of the Capitol building. Details of the rallies schedule are being finalized and will be published when they are completed. Click to go to our FAQ’s section that provides further details about our National Equality March.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, has become the first to challenge the constitutionality of a federal law that defines marriage

SALT LAKE CITY – The Mormon church's vigorous, well-heeled support for Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California last year, has turned the Utah-based faith into a lightning rod for gay rights

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The biggest California gay rights advocacy group on Wednesday said it needed three years to build a coalition to repeal a ban on same-sex marriage in the state, creating a

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Senator Chris Buttars has been removed from his chairmanship of the senate judicial committee for his comments about homosexuals that were first broadcast by ABC4..

(03-10) 06:00 PDT -- Voters in California are sharply divided on same-sex marriage, and an amendment to overturn Prop. 8 would depend largely on campaigning and voter turnout, according to a Field Poll