Actress Lana Parrilla has joined the NOH8 Campaign. Actress Lana Parrilla, best known for playing The Evil Queen, Regina Mills, on the ABC series Once Upon A Time, has joined the NOH8 Campaign, which raises awareness and funds for gay rights causes, including ending California's 2008 voter-approved gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. The campaign's Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff Parshley photograph celebrities, politicians, professional athletes and everyday folks with their mouths duct taped and the campaign's familiar ?NOH8? slogan often written on one cheek. In her photograph, Parrilla is wearing a white t-shirt while holding an apple. In a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Parrilla, 35, called on celebrities to speak out in favor of gay rights. ?I think right now is the most important time for celebrities and everyone to stand up and not only vote, but use their voice,? she said. ?Our president is the first one who has come forward in history who supports this community.? C

Hollywood moguls David Geffen and Steve Bing are being credited with launching gay marriage Prop 8 case. Hollywood moguls David Geffen and Steve Bing are being credited with launching the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California's gay marriage ban. In an interview with Variety, Chad Griffin, the former president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the group formed specifically to support the case, credited the business leaders with bankrolling the case. ?The leaders of the entertainment industry have been at the forefront of the civil rights movement,? Griffin said. ?They were there through the '50s and '60s, and they have been there throughout the LGBT struggle for rights.? ?Folks in the entertainment industry are really stepping up from a philanthropic perspective [as well].? ?Were it not for David Geffen, we wouldn't have had a Prop 8 case. When we were trying to figure out how to file and fund the case, Rob and Michele Reiner and I met

Frenchie Davis, a contestant on the first season of NBC's talent contest 'The Voice,' has posed for the NOH8 Campaign. Frenchie Davis, a contestant on the first season of NBC's talent contest The Voice, has posed for the NOH8 Campaign, which raises awareness and funds for gay rights causes, including ending California's 2008 voter-approved gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. In a recent interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Davis, 33, discussed for the first time her relationship with another woman. ?I wasn't out before the relationship, but I wasn't in,? she said. ?I dated men and women, though lesbians weren't feeling the bisexual thing. Now I'm in love with a woman I think I can be with forever.? The campaign's Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff Parshley photograph celebrities, politicians, professional athletes and everyday folks with their mouths duct taped and the campaign's familiar ?NOH8? slogan often written on one cheek. In her photograph, Davis is wearing a sleeveless white

David Blankenhorn has recorded a video in opposition to Minnesota's proposed gay marriage ban. David Blankenhorn has recorded a video in opposition to Minnesota's proposed constitutional amendment which would limit marriage to heterosexual couples. In 2010, Blankenhorn, the founder and president of the conservative group Institute for American Values, served as an expert witness in favor of California's gay marriage ban at the trial challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8. And he argued against gay nuptials in his 2007 book The Future of Marriage. But in a New York Times op-ed published in June, Blankenhorn reversed course. In the 2-minute video released Thursday, Blankenhorn says the amendment would harm society. ?I came to a stronger appreciation in my own mind of the importance of accepting gay and lesbian people and couples,? he says. ?There are powerful reasons to believe that we will be a better society if we include gay and lesbian people and their relationships as fu

Gay marriage foe Frank Schubert refuses to believe Americans are increasingly supportive of gay nuptials. Gay marriage foe Frank Schubert refuses to believe Americans are increasingly supportive of gay nuptials. Schubert has devoted much of the last four years running campaigns opposed to extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. He ran California's 2008 Proposition 8 campaign, which overruled a state Supreme Court ruling legalizing marriage for gay men and women. He repeated that success in Maine the following year and North Carolina in May. Schubert is currently the chief strategist of four ballot fights in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington state. In an interview with SiriusXM OutQ host Michelangelo Signorile, Schubert said he did not believe national polls which show a narrow majority of Americans support marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples. ?I am not a big believer in most of the national polling on this issue,? Schubert said. ?And mainly it's because I

Actor-director LeVar Burton's second NOH8 Campaign photo includes a gay rainbow. Actor-director LeVar Burton's second NOH8 Campaign photo includes a gay rainbow. The NOH8 Campaign raises awareness and funds for gay rights causes, including ending California's 2008 voter-approved gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. The campaign's Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff Parshley photograph celebrities, politicians, professional athletes and everyday folks with their mouths duct taped and the campaign's familiar ?NOH8? slogan often written on one cheek. Burton first came to prominence playing Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries Roots. He is best known for his portrayal of Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The campaign earlier this year released a photo of Burton, 55, with his eyes duct taped, a reference to his Star Trek character who is blind and wore a visor to provide him with a sense of sight. In his second go around, Burton holds a rainbow, a symbol of gay rights,

Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has posed for the NOH8 Campaign. Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has posed for the NOH8 Campaign, which raises awareness and funds for gay rights causes, including ending California's 2008 voter-approved gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. Kluwe posed for the campaign during a Minneapolis photo shoot last month which took place a week after he came to the aid of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, whose gay marriage advocacy had come under attack from Maryland Delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. The lawmaker has since reversed course, saying the player has a right to speak his mind. The campaign's Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff Parshley photograph celebrities, politicians, professional athletes and everyday folks with their mouths duct taped and the campaign's familiar ?NOH8? slogan often written on one cheek. In his photo released this week, Kluwe is wearing a white t-shirt, a pair of Viking horns and his mouth is duct taped. Kluwe first p

NOM on Monday released an ad suggesting gay marriage harms society in the same ways incest and pedophilia do. ?The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) on Monday released an ad suggesting that allowing gay couples to marry would harm society in the same way incest and pedophilia do. In the 5-minute video posted on the group's website and YouTube channel, a female narrator says the government has 3 options to influence the behavior of its citizens. In one example, the narrator says the government promotes police work, permits most occupations but prohibits drug dealing. A second example includes the government promoting ?natural marriage,? permitting most relationships, and prohibiting incest and pedophilia. The government prohibits incest and pedophilia because they ?harm our communities, while natural marriage benefits our communities.? ?Natural marriage,? the narrator adds, ?perpetuates and stabilizes society. Everyone benefits from that, even those who don't get married. ? Same-

Twenty-six House representatives have joined the NOH8 Campaign, including Jared Polis and Mike Quigley. ?Twenty-six House representatives and more than 100 congressional staffers have joined the NOH8 Campaign, which raises awareness and funds for gay rights causes, including ending California's 2008 voter-approved gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. Among those participating in the campaign's Hill Photo Session were Democratic Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Sam Farr of California and Mike Quigley of Illinois. Another 11 representatives have previously posed for the campaign, including Democratic Representatives Jared Polis of Colorado and Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. The new photos were released Thursday, National Coming Out Day. ?I've always been a strong supporter of marriage equality for all, so I consider it an honor and a responsibility to draw attention to this cause through unique opportunities like the NOH8 Campaign,? Quigley said in a

Gay marriage foe Frank Schubert believes gay couples can have loving relationships and care for children. ?Gay marriage foe Frank Schubert believes gay couples can have loving relationships and care for children. Schubert has devoted much of the last four years running campaigns opposed to extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. He ran California's 2008 Proposition 8 campaign, which overruled a state Supreme Court ruling legalizing marriage for gay men and women. He repeated that success in Maine the following year and North Carolina in May. Schubert is currently the chief strategist of four ballot fights in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington state. In a profile published Tuesday in The New York Times, Schubert, who has a lesbian sister raising two children with her partner in California, said he's hurt by accusations he dislikes gay people. ?It's hurtful to know that many people think I dislike gays and lesbians and wish them harm,? he told the paper. Schubert add

Pauley Perrette, a co-star of 'NCIS,' and her fiance Thomas Arklie have reiterated their pledge to not marry until gay couples can. ?Pauley Perrette, who plays Abby Sciuto on CBS' NCIS, and her fiance Thomas Arklie on Monday reiterated their pledge to not marry until gay and lesbian couples can. During an appearance on CBS' daytime talk show The Jeff Probst Show, Perrette explained the couple's marriage promise. ?We're not getting married until marriage law is for everybody,? she said. ?Yes,? Arklie agreed, giving a thumbs up. ?So, until gays can marry, it's not happening,? Probst said. ?I love that.? (The video is embedded on this page. Visit our video library for more videos.) Last year, Perrette messaged on Twitter: ?Me & #MyMarine are totally engaged now but will NOT GET MARRIED UNTIL #Pro 8 is OVER.? ?We're NOT getting married because #Prop 8 is unjust. But having blast being engaged. He re-asks me everyday & I say YES :)? she later added. The 43-year-old Perrette has also appeare

Brian Brown, the president of NOM, has said his side is not giving up on its opposition to gay marriage. Brian Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), has said his side is not giving up on its opposition to gay marriage. Brown was quoted in a BloombergBusinessweek story as saying that opponents of gay nuptials would win all four states facing referendums on the issue. In Maine, voters will decide whether to legalize marriage equality three years after a gay marriage law was repealed at the ballot box. If approved, Maine would become the first state to legalize such unions by referendum. Maryland and Washington state voters are being asked to uphold ? or reject ? a marriage law approved by lawmakers. And in Minnesota, lawmakers put on the ballot a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual union for voters to approve. In all four states, polls show opponents of gay nuptials trailing ? as little as 1 percent in Minnesota and as much as 21 p

Justice Antonin Scalia has made it clear that he believes laws which banned gay sex were constitutional. Justice Antonin Scalia has made it clear that he believes laws which banned gay sex were constitutional, which suggests he is not likely to back marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples. Speaking at an appearance at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. to pitch his book, Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts, Scalia told a few hundred people that he applies the words in the U.S. Constitution as they were understood by its authors, the AP reported. Using his ?textualist? method makes ruling on some of today's hot button issues easy, he said. ?The death penalty? Give me a break. It's easy. Abortion? Absolutely easy. Nobody ever thought the Constitution prevented restrictions on abortion. Homosexual sodomy? Come on. For 200 years, it was a crime in every state,? said Scalia, who was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. The Supreme Cour

The US Supreme Court began its new session on Monday by re-examining a lawsuit against Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria alleging that the oil giant was complicit in acts of torture.

The Supreme Court on Monday will release its first set of cases justices have declined to hear, which could end Prop 8. The Supreme Court on Monday will release its first set of cases justices have declined to hear, which could end Proposition 8, California's gay marriage ban. Should the court decline to hear an appeal in the case, the marriages of gay and lesbian couples taking place before the constitutional amendment was narrowly approved by voters in November 2008 could resume within days as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' upholding of a lower court's decision against Prop 8 would be made permanent. However, the case, Perry v. Hollingsworth, could also be added to the court's docket later in the 2012-2013 term. Legal experts believe there is a greater probability that the justices will agree to hear one of the four cases challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law which bars federal agencies from recognizing the legal marriages of gay c

The Supreme Court on Monday took no action in regard to several cases related to gay marriage. ?The Supreme Court on Monday took no action in regard to several cases related to gay marriage. The court released its first set of cases justices have declined to hear, but none of the marriage cases were included. Had the court declined to hear an appeal in Perry v. Hollingsworth, the case challenging California's gay marriage ban, Proposition 8, then a lower court's ruling against the amendment would have been made permanent, and the marriages of gay and lesbian couples taking place before the constitutional amendment was narrowly approved by voters in November 2008 could resume within days. The court has also been asked to review four cases challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law which bans federal agencies from recognizing the legal marriages of gay couples. Legal analysts have suggested that the court might not act on any of the marriage cases until several weeks af

The US Supreme Court is back in session Monday to tackle major social issues such as same-sex marriage and affirmative action, as well as a high-profile international human rights case.

NOM President Brian Brown believes the Supreme Court will hear Proposition 8 case. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), believes the Supreme Court will take a case challenging the constitutionality of California's gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. ?I'm confident, I'm very confident, that they will take the [Prop 8] case,? Brown said on Michelangelo Signorile's OutQ radio show. Brown, whose group's primary purpose is opposing marriage equality, said he was also confident that his side would win. ?I don't think the court is going to find some hidden right to same-sex marriage deeply embedded in our Constitution. So, I think we're going to win,? he said. The high court was asked by Prop 8 supporters to review the case after a federal district court in 2010 found the amendment to be unconstitutional and its ruling was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court's decision to take the case could come as early as Tuesday. If the court passes on t

Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has joined the NOH8 Campaign. Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has joined the NOH8 Campaign, which raises awareness and funds for gay rights causes, including ending California's 2008 voter-approved gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. The campaign tweeted a photo from its Minneapolis photo shoot on Thursday. ?S/O to @ChrisWarcraft from @VikingsFootball for stopping by the #NOH8 photo shoot today!? the campaign messaged to its more than 422,000 followers. The campaign's Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff Parshley photograph celebrities, politicians, professional athletes and everyday folks with their mouths duct taped and the campaign's familiar ?NOH8? slogan often written on one cheek. Kluwe joined the campaign a week after he came to the aid of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, whose gay marriage advocacy had come under attack from Maryland Delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. Burns attempted to silence Ayanbadejo with a letter to Ravens owner

NOM has donated $250,000 to the campaign that opposes Maine's referendum seeking to legalize gay marriage. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has donated $250,000 to the campaign that opposes Maine's referendum seeking to legalize gay marriage. NOM on Thursday transferred the money to the Protect Marriage Maine political action committee, the AP reported. Marriage equality supporters are returning the issue to the ballot box after voters in 2009 narrowly repealed a marriage law approved by lawmakers with a ?people's veto,? known as Question 1. If approved, Maine would become the first state to legalize such unions with a popular vote. Frank Schubert, campaign manager for Protect Marriage, called the upcoming vote ?critical.? ?It is a critical race for the survival of the institution of marriage in this country,? Schubert said. ?It's a race that the entire nation is looking at and will have an impact far beyond the borders of Maine.? Schubert, who led the campaign for passage