Tonight catch the Doctor Who Christmas special on BBC America!

What to Watch: Tuesday, December 25

9:00pm: Doctor Who, BBC America (1 hr) NEW

The Doctor and his new companion Clara embark on a mission to save Christmas from villain Doctor Simeon and his new army of snowmen. Watch a preview with Madame Vastra and her partner Jenny below.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew (ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and Sonny.

____________________________________________________

About TV Gayed

Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

About GLAAD
GLAAD amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad, www.twitter.com/glaad and www.glaad.tumblr.com. 

As the video game medium continues to mature and diversify, so too has it become an increasingly progressive and LGBT-inclusive one with a growing influence on culture and increasingly mainstream audience.  2012 turned out to be quite an interesting year in regards to LGBT representation and video games, from the communities that exist around them, to the companies that produce them, and into games themselves.

Though things are clearly improving, the industry still has a ways to go.  Heterosexual plotlines and relationships are still far and away the norm, while anti-gay language is still commonly heard on many online gaming channels.  In games that provide players a choice of romantic characters, it’s also not a given that same-sex options will be available, as evidenced by last year’s launch of the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic.  Though the game's developers confirmed they would eventually add same-sex options to the game following massive fan outcry, no official date for them has yet been announced.

There were a several positive developments too, however, and perhaps chief among those came from the same developer that made The Old Republic:

Mass Effect 3 is Released

If there was one game released in 2012 that was a sure sign of progress, it was undoubtedly Mass Effect 3, from Bioware and Electronic Arts.  Several mainstream games have included LGBT characters and/or same-sex romantic options, but Mass Effect 3 included five different characters that could be “courted” by a player controlled character of the same-sex, all of which had their own completely unique storylines.  What’s more, two of those characters were exclusively gay and lesbian, and included the ship’s new (lesbian) Yeoman Samantha Traynor and drop ship pilot Steve Cortez, who begins the storyline still mourning the death of his husband.  These intricate gay and lesbian characters were an important part of the game regardless of how the player chooses to interact with them.  When you take into account they existed in one of the most-hyped and anticipated releases of the year which has so far sold almost 4 ½ million copies worldwide, their significance becomes even more apparent.  When was the last time a major Hollywood summer blockbuster was so inclusive?

Poison Joins Street Fighter X Tekken

Though she came from rather controversial and contested origins in Final Fight, the character of Poison became a fan favorite over the years, and her gender identity the source of much discussion.  Publisher Capcom seems to have put that somewhat to rest when they brought her back for a prominent role in the fighting game Street Fighter X Tekken, and worked closely with GLAAD to ensure that gaming’s most famous transgender character was portrayed with respect.

Gaymercon is Massive Crowd-Funding Success

Gay video game professional Matt Conn and several of his tech industry peers will celebrate the intersection of gay culture and tech culture with a convention in San Francisco next year, at which LGBT video game enthusiasts and self-proclaimed “geeks” will be able to interact with one another in their very own space.  Organizers set an already challenging Kickstarter goal of $25,000 earlier this year to launch the very first Gaymercon, but manged to blow far beyond that to raise over $90k.  Their success garnered them international press attention, and set the stage for what could turn into an annual event.  What’s more, their public success reminds the industry and other players that LGBT people are an active part of the gaming community (and consumer base).

EA, Zinga, and Microsoft Support Legal Challenge to DOMA

Video game companies in the US are generally considered to be  accepting environments for LGBT employees, but a few companies went the extra mile by filing a brief to support a legal challenge to the so-called 'Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)', which prevents legally married same-sex couples from receiving federal recognition.  Electronic Arts, Zinga, and Microsoft are three of the biggest developers of software and hardware, and joined dozens of other major companies, including Starbucks and Google, in stating on the record that being forced to comply with DOMA hurts company morale and they find the law discriminatory.  DOMA is scheduled for review by the US Supreme Court next year.

There have been so many of these lists in the previous weeks. I've read several on this topic alone, and the great thing is that they all agree that 2012 was a truly banner year - to use a sports metaphor - for the elevation of this conversation into the public consciousness. 

Allright, you got me. I only had nine. So I'm going to cheat here, and end with one that was incredibly important to me on a personal level as a sports fan - but this one won't really fit with the others.

Also, you might not want to continue if you're a Rangers or Angels fan.

...

...

(are they gone?)

...

2012 Oakland Athletics win American League West

Ending on a totally personal note - my daughter was born in December, and I spent many a night this Spring, Summer, and early Autumn parked in front of the TV with her, trying to get her to fall asleep. Or more accurately, fall back asleep. So I'd like to personally thank the Oakland A's, whom I've been following since the days of Dave Stewart and Terry Steinbach, for giving me the most fun I've ever had watching a baseball season unfold. 

HEY WAIT. 

The A's also made an It Gets Better video this year.

So there's your connection.

Hope all of you had, and/or are having, the happiest of holiday seasons, and I personally wish each and every one of you a wonderful new year. Even Rangers and Angels fans. :)

Tonight catch all new episodes of Top Chef and Happily Divorced.

What to Watch: Wednesday, December 26

10:00pm: Top Chef, Bravo (1 hr) NEW

In the quickfire challenge the chefs must harvest oysters and prepare and serve them for celebrity chef Emeril Legasse. The elimination challenge then forces contestants to cook for one of the biggest sports teams in Seattle under the pressure of Padma in roller skates and one chef that pushes everyone's patience. Watch a preview below.

10:30pm: Happily Divorced, TV Land (30 mins) NEW

Fran tries to give romance advice to a friend who is also engaged, but her help doesn't go over as well as she had hoped. Guest starring Cyndi Lauper. Check out a sneak peek below.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew (ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and Sonny.

____________________________________________________

About TV Gayed

Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

About GLAAD
GLAAD amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad, www.twitter.com/glaad and www.glaad.tumblr.com.

Tonight catch a showing of GLAAD Media Award recipient film Beginners.

What to Watch: Thursday, December 27

9:00pm: Beginners, HBO Signature (2 hrs) REPEAT

The GLAAD Media Award recipient film costars Ewan McGregor as a man whose father (Christopher Plummer) comes out of the closet following the loss of his wife, and displays a new zest for life even after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Watch the trailer below.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew (ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and Sonny.

____________________________________________________

About TV Gayed

Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

About GLAAD
GLAAD amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad, www.twitter.com/glaad and www.glaad.tumblr.com.

There was a time, not so long ago, when religion was a unified front against LGBT equality. However, over the years, we have seen that paradigm change. 2012 witnessed religious people and organizations at the forefront of LGBT advancement. This past spring, GLAAD released “Missing Voices” which noted that pro-LGBT religious voices were largely missing in the media, despite significantly increased LGBT inclusion in religious communities. We publically challenged the media to include more pro-LGBT voices of faith. By the end of the year, we saw several religious leaders stepping out and speaking up. The support came from some pretty surprising places. Take a look.

State Marriage Equality Victories

Marriage equality won big in Maine, Maryland, and Washington, and an anti-marriage equality constitutional amendment was defeated in Minnesota. One major reason for our wins was the leadership of LGBT faith organizations. Each state campaign included a faith director, and in many instances, national LGBT religious organizations dedicated resources and staff efforts to ensure marriage equality. The playbook for marriage equality has been re-written with religious voices leading the way. Even as we close out the year, over 260 faith leaders in Illinois are making public their support for marriage equality.

Catholics Support LGBT Equality

In so many ways, this item is related to the post above it, but it has its own special twist. The Roman Catholic hierarchy was the staunchest and leading opponent to marriage equality. Catholic Bishops required anti-gay prayers at mass, made outrageous statements, and even persecuted some of their most devout followers. The Roman Catholic hierarchy poured tremendous money and energy into opposing LGBT equality, particularly in Maine, Maryland, Washington and Minnesota. The Knights of Columbus donated $6.5 million to anti-gay causes. However, despite the pressure from Roman Catholic hierarchy, Catholic political leaders passed marriage equality legislation and Catholic people voted overwhelmingly for LGBT equality. Some even suffered backlash from their leadership for being outspoken. However, GLAAD was able to lift up stories and examples of people like Barbara Johnson, Dominic Sheahan Stahl, Lenin Cihak, and the Equally Blessed Coalition of LGBT Catholic organizations.

LGBT Students at Conservative Religious Colleges

Often, conservative religious schools are known for squashing any dissenting voices, particularly involving LGBT concerns. This year, LGBT and allied students and alumni from conservative religious schools are finding each other and making their voices heard. Students at Biola University formed Biola Queer Underground, sparking on-campus and off-campus conversation about how LGBT students are treated at the school. LGBT alumni of Bob Jones University formed BJUnity and marched in the New York City Pride Parade. The blog “Queer at Patrick Henry College” shared the anonymous postings of LGBT students. The president of Patrick Henry College first threatened to sue the blog, but later stated that there could be no LGBT students at Patrick Henry, since every student signs an agreement, promising not to be gay. Orthodox Jewish Yeshiva University in New York City witnessed one of its faculty members transition, allowing Joy Ladin to continue teaching. Students at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, as well as students at Catholic University of America, have been organizing to form LGBT student organizations, and encountering administration roadblocks.

Pro-LGBT Mormons

Mormons are probably still best known as the muscle behind California’s Proposition 8. Since then, many individual Mormons have been doing some soul searching. Former Mormon Bishop Kevin Kloosterman shared why he started supporting LGBT equality, and it was the impact of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” LGBT and allied Mormons marched in Pride parades around the country. These changes are prompting some soul searching within the Mormon hierarchy, who just created a new web site, www.mormonsandgays.org, as an attempt of the Mormon Church to reach out to LGBT Mormons. The web site indicates very little change in policy, but slight shifts in attitude are hinted. It states that the church no longer recommends gay and lesbian people to marry the opposite sex. While the Mormon Church has a long way to go in fully accepting and affirming LGBT people, we will likely see more movement within the Mormon Church over the coming years, as more allied Mormons speak out.

The Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church has been on a decade-long trajectory of LGBT inclusion, since electing its first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson. Bishop Robinson had a very active year, which is more fully documented in our top pro-LGBT faith voices post. The Episcopal Church went even further this year. The conventional wisdom is that advocacy groups can’t advocate for more than one LGBT issue at a time. The Episcopal Church broke that wisdom, successfully passing four resolutions addressing LGBT equality in church and society. They quickly showed support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and anti-bullying initiatives. The church got the most attention for passing a rite of blessing for same-gender couples. However, the most significant advancement that The Episcopal Church accomplished was a non-discrimination policy for transgender people. This policy ensures the inclusion of transgender people in their membership in the church, as well as their leadership, including ordained ministry. The Episcopal Church is the largest denomination to have a specific protection for transgender people, making it easier for other similar denominations to follow suit. Episcopal support for LGBT people has caused some ecumenical friction, as when Bishop Marc Andrus was snubbed at the installation of San Francisco Roman Catholic Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone for his outspoken support of LGBT people.

The progress of 2012 will likely continue in 2013, as more and more people of faith are stepping out to speak to their own discriminatory denominational policies, as well as using their faith to advocate for LGBT equality in society. GLAAD will continue to lift pro-LGBT voices of faith in 2013, within these communities, as well as elsewhere. 

Today is my birthday. Here is my birthday wish:

Will you support GLAAD? Please give at www.glaad.org/wilsongift.

Note: This article is cross-posted on Jeremy Hooper's blog, Good As You. 

Laurie Higgins is an extremely vehement opponent of LGBT rights. Laurie is in the vane of Peter LaBarbera and Linda Harvey, with whom she regularly partners on aggressively anti-LGBT projects.

Laurie's organization, the Illinois Family Institute, is one of the few statewide organizations to make the Southern Poverty Law Center's ignoble hate group list. That's because IFI is not just a run of the mill policy shop. IFI is an organization that proudly embraces its animus in a very real and undeniable way, putting distinction between itself and some of the more pragmatic-minded state orgs.

• Refers to homosexuality as "a disordering of the sexual impulse"
• Equates defeating "evil" LGBT rights movement with defeating slavery and Naziism
• Says people must speak out against "deviant" gays: "volitional homosexual behavior is deviant, immoral behavior regardless of its etiology. That moral claim is not only a legitimate but also a necessary moral claim to make publicly. And we should be making it with at least the same frequency, fervor, clarity, and tenacity with which others are making the claim that volitional homosexual acts are moral and good."
• Writes of the Christian's supposed call: "When I think about the evil done to children by teachers who tell them that homosexuality is deserving of respect and affirmation, I become angry, and I desperately want others to experience the righteous anger that should well up in decent people who see young children taught that evil is good. We do not embody the love of Christ when we remain silent while body and soul-destroying lies are being affirmed to and in children, teens, and adults." … "Our depraved, carrion-devouring culture swoops down and offers them the bleakly deterministic lie that they were born homosexual. They are told that acting on homosexual impulses is a moral good. They are told that refusal to act on such impulses is an act of futility that will result in utterly unfulfilled, lonely lives. And they are told that anyone who dissents from those claims hates them."
• Claims: "Incestuous relations between consenting adults is no more depraved and perverse than sexual relations between two men or two women, which we now celebrate in our streets and our public schools."
• Once compared the silence of church leaders on homosexuality to the silence in the face of Nazism: "What is alarming about the account of the German Evangelical Church's reprehensible failure [in combating Hitler] is its similarity to the ongoing disheartening story of the contemporary American church's failure to respond appropriately to the spread of radical, heretical, destructive views of homosexuality. Don't we today see church leaders self-censoring out of fear of losing their positions or their church members? Don't we see churches criticizing those who boldly confront the efforts of homosexual activists to propagandize children and undermine the church's teaching on homosexuality? Aren't the calls of the capitulating German Christians for "a more reasonable tone" and a commitment to "honor different views" exactly like the calls of today's church to be tolerant and honor "diversity"? Don't pastors justify their silence by claiming they fear losing their tax-exempt status (i.e. government assistance)? Don't they rationalize inaction by claiming that speaking out will prevent them from saving souls? What is even more reprehensible in America, however, is that church leaders don't currently face loss of livelihood, imprisonment, exile, or death, as they did in Germany, and yet they remain silent. The church's failure to respond adequately to the relentless and ubiquitous promulgation of profoundly sinful ideas reveals an unbiblical doubt in the sovereignty of God; an unconscionable refusal to protect children; a willful ignorance of history; and a selfish unwillingness to experience the persecution and hatred that God has promised the followers of Christ that we will experience and that we should consider joy."
• Says of pro-LGBT children's books: "Humans were quite obviously created anatomically and biologically as heterosexual beings. Using any objective criteria, all humans are heterosexual. There exists no argument about the morality of heterosexual acts per se, so the numbers of books in a library that depict heterosexuality positively is irrelevant to any discussion of the appropriateness of including a book that depicts homosexuality positively. Publicly funded schools have no right to make available to young children ideas and images that many believe are profoundly immoral."
• Compares measures designed to prevent LGBT bullying to theoretical proposals that would protect promiscuous girls, incestuous couples, or polyamorists
• Joins with the equally hostile Linda Harvey in annual protests against the pro-equality/anti-bullying Day of Silence

And so on and so forth. As I said, Illinois Family Institute is not your run of the mill opponent of "traditional marriage." The group is hardcore nasty about LGBT people ourselves, and Laurie Higgins is its chief voice.

But how did The New York Times cite the IFI and Laurie in a Christmas weekend article covering the fight for marriage equality in Illinois? See for yourself:

Laurie Higgins, cultural analyst for the Illinois Family Institute, which opposes same-sex marriage, criticized the branding of the issue as a matter of “equality” and “inclusion.”

“All adults, regardless of their sexual proclivities, are entitled to participate in the sexually complementary institution of marriage,” she wrote in an e-mail. “Those who identify as homosexual choose not to participate in it.”

The [pro–marriage equality] letter, Ms. Higgins said, “is signed quite obviously by faith leaders who have adopted radical, ahistorical, heretical theological views.”

“Their views are informed not by careful exegesis, but by personal desire and political convictions,” she said.
...
Ms. Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute, one of at least nine organizations in the Coalition to Protect Children and Marriage, which was formed to oppose the planned same-sex marriage legislation, also emphasized nonreligious arguments. She said the debate should be about how heterosexual marriage benefited society.

If marriage is “a public institution,” she said, “why is the government involved? The government has no interest in whether two people love each other. The government interest is in what best serves the future of any country — and what’s best for the future of the country is what’s best for children, and what best serves children is to be raised by their biological parents.”
FULL PIECE: Illinois Clergy Members Support Same-Sex Marriage in Letter Signed by 260 [NYT]

Basically, Laurie is portrayed as a mere conservative analyst who is part of a mere political coalition. Sure, the Times, quotes her as saying pro-equality faith voices "have adopted radical, ahistorical, heretical theological views,” which gives some insight into her position. However, this insight is only into her personally-held faith view, which Laurie de-emphasizes in the second snip. The reader comes away without any sort of realization of Ms. Higgins' jaw-dropping body of animus against LGBT people ourselves. Unless he or she is a "culture war" watcher like myself, the reader thinks Laurie is just a mere voice fighting for what she sees as conservative principles.

That second part is particularly dishonest, too, considering Laurie just penned, and the IFI website prominently features, a piece called "Marriage is Not A Civil Right," in which Higgins decries both marriage equality and same-sex adoption with fully religious arguments. Here is just one snip:

[FULL PDF]

Laurie's arguments against marriage equality are inextricably faith-based, and her animus is as clear as the clearest of days. This is not someone who bases her opposition in a fair read of the constitution or whose qualms about civil marriage rights for gay couples are rooted in some sort of limited government thinking. This is someone who, by her own admission, believes that gay people are wrong, broken, and in need of "changing." This is someone who—again, by her own admission—believes Christians are called to fight gays the way they once fought Nazis and slavery. LIKE. THEY. ONCE. FOUGHT. NAZIS. AND. SLAVERY!

Don't you think this demonstrated record of undeniable hostility should be at least part of any story that quotes this particular person? I, someone whose marriage to a Jewish man is in fact not like Nazism, certain do believe that a responsible media will step up and tell the public who is really opposing us in the land of Lincoln.

While the "pro-family" crowd likes to pretend that the SPLC is going around placing hate group labels on any and every group, the truth is that SPLC is very selective with the distinction. Many national groups (Focus on the Family, Concerned Women For America, National Organization for Marriage, Liberty Counsel, etc) fail to make the list, and almost no state policy group qualifies. The IFI *does* qualify—and Laurie Higgins' work is a major reason why!

As Illinois heads into its marriage debate, GLAAD's Commentator Accountability Project will be tracking Higgins, David Smith, who is the head of the IFI, and all other voices of animus and working to get the word out to all reporters (including this Times reporter on this Times report). Please use this form to report anything you see or hear.

The Disney Channel’s social outreach campaign “Make Your Mark,” which encourages and inspires kids to make a difference in the world, is currently featuring a 14-year-old named Ben; an aspiring filmmaker who happens to have two moms, AfterElton reports.

The recognition of a same-sex parented family is a big step forward for the network which has never included out gay characters in their series and films. President Gary Marsh said in 2008, “There have been characters on Disney Channel who I think people have thought were gay. That’s for the audience to interpret.”

Ben briefly introduces his family in his featurette - which premiered on Disney Channel in early November and has aired sporadically since - by simply saying, “This is the way I see my world and I wanted to share it with everyone. Let me show you. My house, my moms […]” and the audience see his moms, smiling at the camera with their arms around each other. Ben wrote, directed and edited a short anti-bullying film, Stop, about the experiences he and his friends have had with being bullied at school. Watch Ben’s “Make Your Mark” story below.

On Saturday, same-sex couples in Maine will be able to apply for marriage licenses following the passage of the state's new marriage equality law. In November, residents in Maine joined those in Maryland and Washington state to become the first states where marriage equality was enacted through a ballot vote. Advocates in Maine were particularly pleased with the November victory following the failure of a similar referendum measure for marraige equality in 2009.

Across the state, government officials are preparing for an expected rush as same-sex couples begin applying for marriage licenes. Couples in Maine can be married as soon as their marriage license is issued. The Portland Press Herald reports that some city offices, such as Portland City Hall, will hold special hours to acommodate the number of couples expected. Portland City Hall will open its doors on Friday evening at 10:00pm, and begin serving couples at 12:01am on Saturday. Other cities in Maine will open their offices at 9am or later on December 29.

You can find out more about various city office schedules for Saturday, December 29, in local newspapers such as the Portland Press Herald and the Morning Sentinel. Earlier in December, The Portland Press Herald created a useful Q&A on marriage equality in Maine. Advocacy groups such as Equality Maine and GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) are also working to provide information to same-sex couples. If you are planning to get married when marriage equality begins in Maine, share your plans with GLAAD!

Glee, The New Normal and American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy welcomed a son on Christmas Eve with his photographer husband, David Miller. Logan Phineas Miller Murphy, born December 24 at 9:47am, is the couple’s first child; they shared the news with friends through e-mail and included a picture of baby Logan peeking out from inside a Christmas stocking. Miller and Murphy were married in Provincetown, Mass. this past July. “People always say when you have a child it brings you back to when you were a kid, and I'm excited to do that,” Murphy said earlier this year in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Congratulations to the new parents!

Murphy’s Fox musical comedy Glee has twice received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. “We’d really like to dedicate this award to the teenage gays and lesbians and bisexuals and trans members [...] we have a great responsibility with the show,” he acknowledged as he accepted the award with cast members at the 2010 awards. Watch the acceptance video below and check out Chris Colfer and Mike O’Malley accepting at the 2011 awards here.

Glee this year saw the inclusion of its first transgender character with the addition of Unique who moved to McKinley from rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. Murphy’s newest sitcom The New Normal follows a gay couple as they build a family with the help of a surrogate mother and his FX series American Horror Story, now in its second season, has included LGBT characters in prominent roles each year.

Tonight catch Joan Rivers on the season premiere of Say Yes to the Dress, followed by another new episode. Plus a new Shahs of Sunset sees Reza and MJ working to repair their friendship.

What to Watch: Friday, December 28

9:00pm: Say Yes to the Dress, TLC (30 mins) SEASON PREMIERE

Joan Rivers visits the boutique with a close friend whose daughter is searching for the perfect dress for her beach wedding. The problem is that the entire group seems to disagree on what style of dress is best.

9:30pm: Say Yes to the Dress, TLC (30 mins) NEW

In a special daddy-daughter event, brides shop with their fathers. Two of whom have overcome significant health problems to be able to attend their daughter's fittings and help with the dress selection process.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew (ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and Sonny.

What to Watch: Sunday, December 30

10:00pm: Shahs of Sunset, Bravo (1 hr) NEW

Reza attempts to settle his dispute with MJ at her birthday bash. Meanwhile, GG meets up with Omid and is upset when she learns that the group is not inviting her to every event anymore. Tension rises when MJ feels she has to pick between inviting GG to her party or having everyone else in the group agree to show up. Watch a clip of Reza and MJ below.

____________________________________________________

About TV Gayed

Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

About GLAAD
GLAAD amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad, www.twitter.com/glaad and www.glaad.tumblr.com.

Trans Americans made some significant headway toward fair treatment in 2012. Among many other notable events, Kylar Broadus became the first trans person to testify before the Senate and  The Miss Universe Pageant agreed to revise its policies to include trans women. Yet while these advancements have contributed to the equality treatment of all Americans, the media involving trans Americans wasn't always positive this year. 

Honoring Trans Americans Lost to Anti-Trans Violence

Among the more notable stories of 2012 were the reports of individuals who we lost as a result of anti-trans violence. According to a story by The Advocate, as many as 13 murders were reported this year. This year, GLAAD joined community activists and trans leaders in commemorating the lives of Kyra Cordova, Coko Williams, Tyrell Jackson, Paige Clay, Tiffany Gooden, Deja Jones, Kendall Hampton, Rene Hernandez, Brandy Martell, Lorena Escalera, Crain Conaway, Tracey Johnson, Shelley Hillard,13 individuals who we lost as a result of anti-trans violence.  And those are just the reported incidents. Every year since the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, violence against trans people, particular trans people of color, has steadily risen.  

Back in February, GLAAD along with other advocates in including Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, Jennifer Finny Boylan and Autumn Sandeen, as well as Feministing, all spoke out against the dehumanizing coverage of Lorena Escalera, a trans woman of color who was killed in a building fire at her Brooklyn home.   

Trans activist Janet Mock spoke out about the incident on stage at the GLAAD Awards in San Francisco.

After GLAAD and the community spoke out, we successfully organized members of New York’s trans community to meet with editors and staff members at the Times for a very frank, off-the-record discussion about issues that uniquely affect trans people.

Voting While Trans

In addition to stories about the increased violence against trans individuals, the harmful effects of revised voter id laws on trans Americans was also a priority during the presidential election season.  According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, as many as 25,000 trans Americans were at risk of having their right to vote blocked because of new laws that require some form of government-issued IDs.  

Getting accurate identification has been an old challenge for transgender people. Many states have overcome this problem by modernizing their laws on updating birth certificates and drivers licenses, making voting more accessible to transgender people.

This year to elevate the voices of trans Americans ,GLAAD in partnerships with National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), an advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights and liberties of transgender Americans, released a series of public service announcements at www.votingwhiletrans.org

I AM: Trans People Speak

This year, more than ever trans voices were needed in the media to shed light on who trans Americans are and the challenges they face when trying to participate fully in in their communities. I AM: Trans People Speak campaign, cosponsored by the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), raises awareness about the diversity of transgender communities and lifts the voices of transgender individuals, as well as their families, friends, and allies.

Transgender people have a wide range of interests, experiences and backgrounds that are too often ignored because of their trans identity. 

In 2012 we said a few very happy hellos and more than one sad goodbye. One of the saddest occurred when superstar singer Jenni Rivera, along with several friends and members of her team, died in an airplane accident Dec. 9, leaving a lot of Latinas and LGBT fans and friends heartbroken. 

Rivera was one of a kind. When so many girls of all ethnicities are groomed to think of themselves as future arm candy and competitors to one another, Rivera sent a message that women could do anything professionally. She wasn’t afraid to take a swig of tequila onstage or to stand up for others. Rivera used her tremendous platform to to call attention to domestic violence, bullying of LGBT youth, anti-immigrant legislation, and other issues. She was one of the Latino celebrities who joined GLAAD’s Spirit Day campaign and spoke out against bullying and wore purple at the Billboards onstage. We can only imagine how many more minds she would have opened if she’d had a few more years on earth.

This year, world-renowned Costa Rican-born Mexican singer Chavela Vargas died at 93. She came out as a lesbian at the age of 81. At 14, Vargas left her native Costa Rica and moved to Mexico to pursue musical career opportunities. There she challenged mainstream gender norms and was famous for her public liaisons with women, including a brief affair with painter Frida Kahlo. Notably, she purposely did not change the gender in songs written by Mexico's most famous male songwriters.

We also lost Lupe Ontiveros, the respected actress and advocate for LGBT, HIV/AIDS, labor, women's education and health issues, as well as an outspoken advocate against typecasting in the entertainment industry.

Along with the sad events, we also lived some positive moments, including the coming out of Puerto Rican boxer Orlando Cruz. Cruz took advantage of the media spotlight to speak about his orientation and in a way that was positive and full of pride. His mother also joined him in many interviews, including one on Telemundo newsmagazine Al Rojo Vivo, in which she spoke of his courage in coming out.

This year in Spanish-language media we saw some other welcome firsts, including an openly gay contestant, Samy Suárez, on the popular dance show Mira Quien Baila on Univision. We saw strong Latino celebrity support of Spirit Day, including the cast of El Gordo y la Flaca, led by Rodner Figueroa.

We saw lots of good coverage of LGBT people and issues in television and in Spanish-language newspapers and online, including Huffington Post Voces, which published a number of great stories and columns. On Terra.com, welcomed an openly transgender columnist, Arianna Inurritegui-Lint. And on Telemundo’s news and entertainment website, HolaCiudad.com, openly lesbian Cary Tabares has a regular blog called“Puente de Orgullo”.

So, even as we bid sad goodbye to some, so too do we embrace optimism for a future that includes more acceptance along with great media coverage that makes everyone feel not just included but truly valued.

At midnight last night, Maine became the 8^th state to enact marriage equality. Portland City Hall was open from midnight to 3:00 AM to marry the first couples. Several couples received marriage licenses, and a handful of couples were married on the spot.

Steven Bridges and Michael Snell were the first gay couple married in the state. As reported by the Bangor Daily News, Bridges and Snell were together for nine years before availing themselves of the legal protections of marriage equality.

The digital media team, Knack Factory, created a short documentary of the first night of marriage equality. As you can see in the video, supporters were out to cheer on the first couples to be married.

In just two days, Maryland will join Maine, as well as 7 other states in securing marriage for all couples. GLAAD will continue to tell the stories of couples and families who are protected by marriage equality. For more information, see GLAAD’s marriage page.

Congratulations to all the couples and families in Maine! 

The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that President Barack Obama has released a statement in support of marriage equality in Illinois, his home state.  

"While the president does not weigh in on every measure being considered by state legislatures, he believes in treating everyone fairly and equally, with dignity and respect," White House spokesman Shin Inouye told the Chicago Sun-Times on Saturday.

"As he has said, his personal view is that it's wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships, and want to marry, from doing so. Were the President still in the Illinois State Legislature, he would support this measure that would treat all Illinois couples equally." Inouye said.

Marriage equality advocates in Illinois’ legislature are attempting to pass marriage equality before the current legislative session ends in early January. The law would go beyond the current civil union law Illinois has in place.

The president’s encouragement joins over 260 faith leaders from around the state who signed an open letter supporting marriage equality in the state.

President Obama’s comments also come months after he became the first president to publically come out in support for marriage equality. While many media outlets speculated whether such a statement would harm his chances for reelection, Obama continued to make history by becoming reelected after his endorsement.

"Like a growing number of Americans, President Obama has realized that marriage equality is the right thing for America," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "His support for marriage equality should provide Illinois lawmakers the courage to pass marriage equality for all citizens. Now is the time for him to once again bring that support to the federal level and overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, which continues to harm countless loving families each and every day."

Equality made historic strides in 2012, and GLAAD was there every step of the way to move our culture forward and inspire countless Americans to support LGBT people. From challenging the Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay scouts and scout leaders, to exposing anti-gay activists' vicious smear tactics, to building support for marriage equality through sharing stories in the local and national media, take a look back at just some of GLAAD's work in 2012:

These are just some of the stories that helped move us toward equality in 2012. Help GLAAD share 1,000 more in 2013 by clicking here.

Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.

1) Lady Gaga announced on Twitter this week that fashion photographer Terry Richardson is creating a movie about Gaga’s life, the creation of her upcoming album ARTPOP and her relationship with her Little Monsters. Gaga previously collaborated with Richardson on her 2011 photo book Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson. The ARTPOP album does not yet have a release date, but is expected in early 2013 and Gaga has said the album will come as an interactive app filled with multimedia content for fans.

2) ABC has announced that LGBT-inclusive sitcoms Happy Endings and Don’t Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 will be moving to Sunday nights to replace the cancelled 666 Park Avenue beginning January 6. Happy Endings will air at 10:00pm with Don’t Trust the B following. The move means that both series will air twice a week for a few weeks, in the Sunday night spot as well as their regular Tuesday evening times.

3) Neil Patrick Harris’ CBS ensemble comedy How I Met Your Motherhas been renewed for a ninth season. The series will soon see the return of Rachel Bilson as Cindy, the lesbian roommate of the woman Ted will eventually marry.

4) Out Grammy-nominated musician Frank Ocean this week released a song he wrote for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained that was cut from the film at the last minute. Tarantino said of the decision to axe the song, “There just wasn’t a scene for it… I didn’t want to cheapen his effort.” The track, “Wiseman,” was posted by Ocean on Tumblr this week as an early Christmas gift for fans with the comment, “Django was ill without it.” Listen to "Wiseman" below.

5) The Posterchildren is a new young adult superhero novel series seeking funding help; while they have already passed the funding goal to print an initial run of the first book, the new stretch goals will fund the second novel plus additional content detailing the world and characters. The series follows Malek Underwood, a top-ranking student at Maillardet’s Academy for the Future of Humanity where he is training to control his power of reality manipulation and shape the future. His best friend is a lesbian with super speed named Zipporah Chance. Together the friends learn the real world is far more complex than grades and tests or even “good guys” and “bad guys.” Visit The Posterchildren’sindiegogo page for more information and watch the trailer detailing the series’ universe below.

As 2012 comes to a close, advocates and bloggers have been compiling end-of-year lists looking back at LGBT-related issues that came to wider attention in the last twelve months. There were milestones for equality, important first steps, and things that just needed to be mentioned once again in case they were missed. Several trans people and trans-related stories were included in these LGBT lists, but many more were not. Unfortunately, even more trans-related stories received little to no media attention at all this year, despite efforts to have them covered by bloggers and journalists. Below is a list of trans-related stories that you should have seen and heard more about this year.

CeCe McDonald, a trans woman of color who was arrested after being attacked outside of a bar in Minneapolis, was tried and pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the death of her attacker. While CeCe’s case did not receive nearly enough attention, she gained strong community support, and her story fueled an ongoing national conversation about transgender women of color, anti-transgender violence, and widespread institutional injustice. Discussing CeCe’s prison term, Melissa Harris-Perry noted “Obviously, CeCe’s vulnerability did not begin with her sentencing; her vulnerability began long before that.”

Laura Jane Grace, lead singer of the band AgainstMe!, came out as transgender in Rolling Stone Magazine this May. While Laura Jane is not the first musician to come out as transgender, she is unique for doing so in a high-profile music magazine. Her story continues to recieve postive media attention.
 

In September, the Washington D.C. Office of Human Rights (OHR) launched its groundbreaking campaign promoting respect for the District’s transgender and gender non-conforming residents. The campaign advertisements feature community members along with positive messages conveying that they are a part of D.C.

The repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy had its one-year anniversary in September, but while lesbian, gay and bisexual servicemembers made great strides with the change, transgender people remain unable to serve openly. Organizations like OutServe-SLDN, which recently appointed out trans woman Allyson Robinson as its leader, are continuing to advocate for inclusive open service.

Argentina passed and enacted the only gender identity legislation in the world that allows people to update the gender marker and name on their official identification documents without the approval of a doctor or judge. This change eradicates an enormous barrier for many trans people.

As the International AIDS Conference began this summer, Human Rights Watch released a report documenting an extremely harmful paradox in HIV/AIDS prevention – that government health programs spend millions of dollars on prevention efforts that target transgender and sex worker communities through condom distribution, while simultaneously directing police to use condom possession by these groups as grounds for an arrest. 

The San Francisco Health Commission voted unanimously in favor of implementing a resolution from the city’s Board of Supervisors that would remove transgender-specific exclusions from the Healthy San Francisco (Health SF) health access program. Under the resolution, trans people would no longer be barred from necessary trans-related health care.

GLAAD produced a report on the overwhelmingly negative and defamatory representaiton of trasngender people on television, calling attention to the issues created non only when trans people do not see themselves accurately reflected in society, but how this only exacerbates the limited public awareness of transgender issues. 

The Episcopal Church passed a resolution adding gender identity and expression to its non-discrimination clause. This resolution ensures the inclusion of transgender people in their membership in the church, as well as their leadership, including ordained ministry. The Episcopal Church is the largest denomination to have a specific protection for transgender members. 

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Comission (EEOC) ruled that employees discriminated against because they are transgender are protected under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The ruling followed a claim of discrimination from a trans woman who says she was denied a position at a government agency because of her gender identity.

This year, several organizations, including GLAAD, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and Fenway Health among others, worked to spread the word about the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) and Trans Awareness Week (TAW). Transgender advocates, people of faith, and even the White House observed TDOR, but with some notable exceptions, the media missed the mark. 

The court proceedings that followed accusations from transgender model Claudia Charriez that she was attacked by her ex-boyfriend, firefighter Taylor Murphy, were reported on in a dehumanizing and repugnant manner by several news outlets. Both GLAAD and transgender advocate Laverne Cox called out the media for the blatant disrespect aimed at Claudia's gender identity. 

Gabrielle Ludwig made headlines as an out transgender athlete playing on her college's women's basketball team in California. Unfortunately, Gabrielle's story was targeted with anti-transgender commentary from local Washington D.C. radio hosts, both of whom were supsended following outreach from GLAAD. 

In 2013, GLAAD will continue efforts to ensure that the stories of transgender people and issues are heard. 

There is a double New Year celebration brewing in Maryland, as that state will begin granting marriage licenses to all couples starting on January 1.

GLAAD is lifting up the stories of couples in Maryland. One couple we are highlighting is Boe Ramírez and Germán Roa, of Rockville. Boe and Germán will not be standing in line this New Year's Eve to be one of the first couples married on January 1. They have been open about their wishes to marry one another, but wish to make their wedding a special family affair. Boe shared their thoughts about getting married with GLAAD:

We do have a tale to tell and it goes beyond hospital rights and legal papers. Marriage for us is the celebration of our love with our family. It's saying we want all of you to see who we are and what we mean to each other. Yes, legal rights and hospital rights are important, but celebrating who we are is just as important. Or at least to us it is. Germán planned such a huge proposal for me, and a long engagement with wedding planning yet it seems no one wants to talk about that. I get the people who dropped to their knees as soon as the law passed, but my boyfriend wanted to wait for a dinner, with music and a surprise ring.

Boe and Germán have been twice featured in the Washington Post, once for their work with Latino organizations working to pass Question 6, and once after Question 6 passed, as they look forward to wedding planning.  They want people to understand how important the commitment of marriage is for the two of them.

About eight months ago I was let go from my job for being gay. I was told "Boe, government contracting is a straight, white, male, Republican, conservative, Christian business and if they don't accept you then you have to go". I am working with Freedom to Work and have so much more of a battle to go. This directly impacted my health mentally, physically and emotionally. Most importantly, this is what led Germán to decide to get married. You see, he felt that if we go through these tough times together, we are stronger than ever. He has been my strength in every way through a horrible ordeal. And he ultimately felt the one thing that was missing was a spouse status to show how their actions impacted us as a family, how because he loves me and is committed, that he is part of this fight and for me our happiness is all that matters. I was worried that he would be disappointed in me and he assured me that it was for good times AND bad and until death-do-us-part.

Boe and Germán’s story is more than a romance story. It’s more than a story about hospital visits and living wills. It is a story about sticking together through the celebrations and the difficult times. It is a real story that people need to hear. If you are getting married in one of the newly minted marriage equality states, GLAAD wants to hear from you. Please share your story here. And help GLAAD share 1,000 more in 2013.