Gay

It's a historic day for the Boy Scouts of America, which just decided to welcome openly gay boys to its ranks. A group of over 1,400 leaders voted 60 percent to lift the ban, which was rooted in the pledge. It states that scouts must be "physically strong, mentally alert, and morally straight." The new policy, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, does not apply to troop leaders, who are still prohibited from being openly gay. Even so, the move toward inclusivity will be welcomed by the gay community and its allies. But it does not appear the organization was moved by a dedication to gay rights. A statement from the Boy Scouts read, "The Boy Scouts of America will not sacrifice its mission, or the youth served by the movement, by allowing the organization to be consumed by a single, divisive, and unresolved societal issue."

Today, Minnesota became the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage, marking another significant step for gay rights. Following Iowa's 2009 legalization, it's only the second state in the Midwest to approve a gay marriage bill, as most of the states who support gay marriage are on the East Coast. But the love is spreading. Six states have adopted a same-sex marriage law over the past six months, doubling the number of states where gay marriage is legal. That's a lot of change in a fairly short amount of time, so to keep you up to date, we've created a simple timeline of legalization across the US. Keep reading for a look at which states now support gay marriage.

This morning, NBA player Jason Collins came out in a story for Sports Illustrated, making him the first active player in a major American team sport to be openly gay. His announcement comes on the heels of the WNBA's Brittney Griner coming out; she also talked to the publication about her sexuality. Collins had the following to say about his coming out:

"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."

After today's announcement, high-profile members of the NBA community have shown their support, including NBA commissioner David Stern and Kobe Bryant, who tweeted that he's proud of Collins.

Bill Clinton also championed the player, a Stanford classmate and friend of Chelsea Clinton. Since receiving a GLAAD award two weeks ago, the former president has been using his position to call attention to tolerance, including a statement in support of Collins: "Jason's announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community. It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities."

Learn more about Collins's story and the reactions of athletes with the video below.

After Brittney Griner was chosen first in this week's WNBA draft, she sat down with Sports Illustrated to talk openly about sports and sexuality. While pro men's sports are still struggling with acceptance, it seems the women's game has tolerance down. Brittney said it really wasn't difficult to go public as a lesbian, since she's always been open about her sexuality. And she hopes being comfortable with herself will inspire others, explaining: "If I can show that I'm out and I'm fine and everything's OK, then hopefully the younger generation will definitely feel the same way."

When asked why she thinks there's a greater level of acceptance of gay female athletes, Brittney said she really couldn't answer that. But she did provide this advice that everyone can use, regardless of their sexuality:

"Being one that's out, it's just being who you are. Again, like I said, just be who you are. Don't worry about what other people are going to say, because they're always going to say something, but, if you're just true to yourself, let that shine through. Don't hide who you really are."

It's hard to ignore the fact that if the NBA's top pick came out as gay, it likely would be a much bigger story. The New York Times spoke with LGBT advocates in the sports world about why gay female athletes are more accepted. The story uncovered another, perhaps unexpected, difference between men's and women's sports. Patrick Burke, the founder of You Can Play, identified two stereotypes: that there are no gay male athletes and that every female athlete is gay. He said when trying to get athletes to talk about tolerance, "We've had tremendous success in getting straight male players to speak to the issue; we're having a tougher time finding straight female athletes speaking on this issue because they've spent their entire careers fighting the perception that they're a lesbian." Maybe everyone involved could use Brittney's advice to not worry so much about what other people think.

Today, New Zealand became the 13th country to legalize gay marriage with a new law that will take effect in August. This news comes just a week after lawmakers in Uruguay made history by passing a gay-marriage law, making the country the third in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage. The French Senate also voted last week in favor of gay marriage with a bill that should become law this Summer. These LGBT wins come as our own country's government is in the midst of deciding on same-sex marriage laws that could potentially legalize gay marriage across the US.

We're seeing more and more wins for marriage equality around the world, but there's still a long way to go, especially considering that homosexuality is, sadly, punishable by death in some Asian and African countries. So as we hope to see more acceptance of the LGBT community globally, let's cheer on the countries that have paved the way for same-sex marriage by legalizing it nationwide:

• The Netherlands: In 2001, The Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. The country's first marriage was performed in Amsterdam's city hall on April 1, 2001.
• Belgium: The country's gay-marriage law took effect June 1, 2003.
• Spain: Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since July 3, 2005.
• Canada: On July 20, 2005, Canada became the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.
• South Africa: Same-sex marriage became law in South Africa on Nov. 30, 2006, becoming the first and so far only African country to do so.
• Norway: Norway's gay-marriage law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2009.
• Sweden: Same-sex marriage became legal in Sweden on May 1, 2009.
• Portugal: On June 5, 2010, same-sex marriage was legalized in Portugal.
• Iceland: Iceland's same-sex marriage law took effect on June 27, 2010.
• Argentina: Same-sex marriage in Argentina has been legal since July 22, 2010. Argentina was the first country in Latin America to allow same-sex marriage nationwide.
• Denmark: On June 15, 2012, Denmark's gay-marriage law took effect. The country had been the first in the world to legally recognize same-sex couples through registered partnerships in 1989.
• Uruguay: Last week, on April 10, Uruguayan lawmakers voted to legalize gay marriage, becoming the second South American country to do so.
• New Zealand: Today, April 17, lawmakers in New Zealand have passed a new law legalizing same-sex marriage. The bill will take effect in August.

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, YourTango. Not only are these stereotypes unfair — they're untrue!

With same-sex marriage cases Hollingsworth v. Perry (the challenge to California's Proposition 8) and United States v. Windsor (the challenge to the Federal Defense of Marriage Act) in the hands of the Supreme Court, it only seems proper to set aside some stereotypes people have made about gay men and our sexual desires and activities.

For whatever reason, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and other members affiliated with the (LGBTQ) community keep getting this bad rep for being "sexual deviants of society." Yet, if a married heterosexual couple chooses to embark into their own private world of Fifty Shades Of Grey, enjoying a romp into BDSM, they're doing it under the sanctity of marriage! How many straight, married couples have felt the spontaneous desire to pull off to the side of the road for a quick romp? Understand my point yet?

It's a rather a crude joke that every situation described in the aforementioned paragraph are stereotypical definitions of gay men. With all due respect, until you've been a gay man and walked in his shoes, don't assume to know what makes him stand at attention in his Levi's 501's!

1. All gay men have multiple sex partners! Simply not true. Just because you think it's so, doesn't it make it so. Many gay men casually date and never get to the bedroom together until they're in a monogamous relationship or, at least, have made each other work for it! It's more common than you might think, but you never thought to ask . . . did you?

For the rest of the tips, head to YourTango: 5 Myths About Gay Men Debunked.

— Rick Clemons

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