Gay Olympians aren’t neccessarily out Olympians; the legacy of astronaut Sally Ride; transgender people protected under Affordable Care Act; antigay Bryan Fischer advocates “underground railroad” to kidnap children of gay parents; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

Olympics

Openly gay athletes still scarce at Olympic Games
London, Yahoo Sports, August 9, 2012

British equestrian Carl Hester won gold in team dressage in London. Midfielder Megan Rapinoe has scored three goals for the U.S. women’s soccer team and several other lesbian players are part of the Dutch field hockey team heading into Friday’s final.

But it’s likely there have been more triumphs by gay and lesbian competitors that the world doesn’t know about.

Out US Women’s Soccer Coach Pia Sundhage One Win Away From Second Gold Medal
SheWired, August 8, 2012

Openly gay US Women’s Soccer coach Pia Sundhage is at the helm of, arguably, the best US squad since the late 90s.

And with all their success on the field, we’re used to hearing names like Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Hope Solo and Alex Morgan. But what about their leader and mentor, the woman who sets the lineup, runs the practice sessions, and draws up the plays?

Sally Ride

Why Canonize Sally Ride as a Gay Hero?
Huffington Post, July 25, 2012

In death Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly into space, came out twice — as a person who had been fighting pancreatic cancer and someone who had been in a long-term relationship with another woman.

Transgender

HHS: Affordable Care Act Will Protect Transgender People
US News & World Report, August 6, 2012

In a major win for the transgender community, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has said that the Affordable Care Act’s ban on sex-based discrimination includes transgender Americans.

Antigay

Antigay Pundit Advocates “Underground Railroad” To Kidnap Children Of Gay Parents
Advocate, August 9, 2012

On Tuesday, conservative pundit Bryan Fischer released an internet firestorm after advocating for an “Underground Railroad to deliver innocent children from same-sex households.” The comment, released on Twitter, links to a Chicago Tribune article about a Mennonite priest charged in aiding in the abduction of the 10-year-old daughter of a same-sex couple.

Marriage equality

Federal Judge Upholds Hawaii Marriage Ban
Hawaii, Advocate, August 9, 2012

A federal judge in Hawaii ruled Wednesday that the state’s ban on same-sex marriages is constitutional, and said that any changes to the law should be made by lawmakers or voters through a constitutional amendment process.

The Pro and Con of Gay Marriage for Your Finances
Advocate, August 9, 2012

I often hear from many gay-married couples that they just assume they now have all the rights and protections that their straight counterparts take for granted. But sadly this isn’t the case. In a purely financial sense, marriage as a gay couple really has a lot more cons than pros.

Research

Eyes may be window to sexual orientation, study suggests
CBS News, August 7, 2012

Researchers at Cornell University used a specialized infrared lens to measure changes in pupil size while subjects watched erotic videos. The results revealed that for the most part, people’s eye changes when seeing an image of a certain gender corresponded with their stated sexual orientation.

Photo credits: (1) London Olympics 2012: Floral display with an Olympic theme beside the bowling green at Guildford Castle. Copyright Colin Smith; used in accordance with Creative Commons license. (2) Sally Ride, Mission Specialist, on Challenger’s middeck, 24 June 1983. Photo by NASA; via Wikimedia Commons.