The U.S. federal government still defines the act of marriage as one taking place between a man and a woman even though a number of states have made gay marriage legal and President Obama made it clear in his Inauguration speech (and other speeches since) that gay marriage is something he firmly believes in. “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law—for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well,” Obama said after being sworn in on Jan. 21 by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Roberts will have a lot to do with possibly making a change to the way the federal government defines marriage when his Court hears two gay-marriage-related cases on March 26 and 27. Nearly 300 companies came out Wednesday to “urge the U.S. Supreme Court … to strike down a federal law that restricts the definition of marriage to heterosexual unions,” Reuters reports.

Considering the size and number of brands taking part, it will be hard for conservatives who have long opposed gay marriage to try and boycott everyone involved.Continue reading...

It’s complicated, the whole issue of personal privacy in an era of social media transparency, and the fact that the first female astronaut, Sally Ride, who this week died at age 61 from pancreatic cancer, came out publically in her obituary, listing her partner of 27 years, Tam O'Shaughnessy first, as a survivor, is stirring the pot of comment and prejudice.

"Could she have helped the cause? Maybe," says Fred Sainz, VP of communications for the Human Rights Campaign. "For her not to have shared an incredibly important aspect of her life — being in a committed long-term relationship with a woman — meant many Americans did not get to see a dimension of her life that would have helped them understand us (gay people) and our contributions to society.

Ride was open in her personal life, "She just didn't want to go public with it during her lifetime. And that's a big difference," said Sainz. "There's no question that Sally Ride could have been fired if she'd come out while she worked for NASA.”Continue reading...

Google’s “Legalise Love” campaign isn’t about gay marriage, as some media outlets have reported. It’s not "just" about supporting Gay Pride events, although it launched on July 7th at World Pride in London. It's really about supporting members of the LGBT community in countries that criminalize homosexuality, and using the brand's clout to lobby for change and open minds on gay rights.

The global initiative launched with Ernst & Young and Citigroup participating on behalf of their LGBT employees. "'Legalize Love' is a campaign to promote safer conditions for gay and lesbian people inside and outside the office in countries with anti-gay laws on the books," said a Google spokesperson in a statement to the Washington Post. The spokesperson elaborated:Continue reading...

Google and its YouTube video portal are among the top five brands ‘best perceived’ by lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender Americans.

Videos like the brand's "It Gets Better" clips below, and the rainbow enhancement to gay-related searches for June's pride month, are only two for the reasons why the search giant has won favor with the gay community, according to new research from YouGov BrandIndex.Continue reading...

As part of June’s “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month,” Gap Inc.’s Old Navy is selling gay pride t-shirts under the banner, "Love Proudly: Pride 2011" — a move that has not only (predictably) irked the anti-gay faction, but also (surprisingly) the gay community.Continue reading...

Last night, the 15th annual Webby Awards were presented in New York, hosted by past winner Lisa Kudrow and once again enforcing the five-word limit on speeches by the winners.

Some of the best (watch below) included Vogue editor Anna Wintour (above), who accepted the People's Choice Award from Daniel Radcliffe with "Sometimes, geeks can be chic."Continue reading...

It's time to play the music, It's time to light the lights, It's time to meet the Muppets, On the Muppet Show tonight! 

Starring (and conceived by) Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and costarring fellow comics Amy Adams and Zach Galifianakis, Disney's upcoming The Muppets Movie is in postproduction but whetting fans' appetites with a mock trailer for Green With Envy, the film's movie-within-a-move, which is trending on YouTube ahead of the real movie's scheduled Thanksgiving (November 23rd) release date. There's even a Facebook page for Green With Envy, while the Muppets' official site offers other goodies such as video shorts and games.

Below, more videos climbing YouTube's most-shared and most-watched charts, including a small camera store promo with Hollywood chutzpah.Continue reading...

Add Vogue editor Anna Wintour to the list of celebrities supporting the Human Rights Campaign's "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality" initiative to allow same-sex marriage in New York state. Others throwing their support (and personal brands) behind the HRC effort include Sean Avery, Barbara Bush, Larry King, Julianne Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, and others you can watch here.

As for the other pro-LGBT "cause celeb," the San Francisco Giants this week, following a fan's lobbying, committed to become the first professional sports team to tape a PSA for the "It Gets Better Campaign" anti-gay bullying campaign.