While some professional and amateur sports have a reputation for being homophobic, every sport has skilled and talented gay athletes. Moreover, many sports welcome and celebrate gay and lesbian team members and individual athletes. Even in a more welcoming environment, it can be difficult to come out to a sports team, and finding opportunities to enjoy your sport that are gay friendly can be a challenge, especially for gay men. Major public sporting events, like the Olympics, do include gay athletes and at least 19 out gay and lesbian athletes have won medals in their sports.

While there are GLBTQ individuals in many mainstream sports, one of the biggest events for a gay athlete is the Gay Games. The Federation of Gay Games runs this event every four years and gay athletes of all ages, skill levels and physical challenges may compete in the Games. Winning is defined as achieving your personal best, regardless of age, health or HIV status. Find more information about the Federation and the Games at gaygames.org. The next event is scheduled to occur in 2010.

You can also find gay sporting leagues in many major cities to ensure that your team is a happy and welcoming environment. You might check local resource centers or a simple search engine search to find a team in your area. You might also check listings and information at gay.com/fitness/sports. If you are looking for a team that is inclusive, but not specifically seeking out homosexual members, it can be more challenging. You might find it helpful to simply call or email and ask the coach or team representative. You are, after all, playing for fun and it will not be fun if your sexual orientation is an issue.

While there are gay professional athletes in every sport, including male dominated team sports, not surprisingly many choose to remain in the closet at least until their careers are over. Unfortunately, the culture of games like basketball, baseball and football remains unfriendly to gay team members. Some activities are an exception to this and are, on the whole, welcoming of GLBTQ individuals. The WNBA, women’s golf and tennis are among these. Some of the best known gay athletes in the world today include skater Rudy Galindo, tennis player Billie Jean King, Olympic diver Greg Louganis, tennis player Martina Navratilova, and NBA player John Amaechi.

Young queer athletes should know that while being active in their sport, depending on the sport, can pose some challenges, the sports world is becoming more accepting. More and more gay and lesbian athletes are choosing to be public about their sexuality, encouraging their teams, sports and the public as a whole to accept that gay and lesbian people can be great athletes and bring a lot to their sports.

Really?  That is the big rumor going around on ridiculious youtube videos and blogs. It really sounds like a rumor that Lady Gaga would come up with herself.  She is one wid Lady.

One blog and Youtube video reported that she has some type of drag suit that fits her body to make her more womanly.  How does this guy know.  He says he is from San Francisco where there are lots of drag queens.  Well he is a pinhead because there are drag queens in every city not just in San Fran.  Just because they have a weekly Tranny Shack is not proof he is some expert on drag.

I am so sick of these experts claiming to know so much especially the gossip reporting on this story.  It is insane that these blogs reporting something that Lady Gaga said could not confirm the quote.

A video has emerged where there may or may not be a bulge in her underwear and this has people talking.  They claim it is male genitalia even though it could just be a wad in her panties.  Are people just that scared she is a man.  She could be a man but we know she is bi so it sounds like she likes it all.  Maybe she wants all the body parts.  She can have what she damn well wants she is Lady Gaga!  I will say I saw her butt in person and it does look like a guys rear or that of a hot lesbians.  Either way we love us some Gaga!

Back in May Lady Gaga told Rolling Stone magazine that she was bi-sexual and that “I think I’m changing what people think is sexy.”  Yes, indeed she is.

Lady Gaga’s manager says the claims are “Ridiculous.”

And what is a hermaphrodite anyway?  It is a person that has both male and female reproductive organs.  Is the pop singer a man or women.  Who cares.  Let’s enjoy the music and her amazing looks.

While we are all hurraying recent improvements in terms of gay marriage and domestic partnerships, for the majority of us, unfortunately, it still takes documentation to legally protect ourselves and our partners and make certain that inheritance, health care and other necessities are handled. What do you need to do to make sure that all of your financial and personal affairs are in order, and that should something happen your partner can act in your best interests?  Fortunately, especially if you do not have children or especially complex financial affairs you can handle the majority of this paperwork at a limited cost.

First, you will need a durable power of attorney. This form allows your significant other to pay bills, deposit checks, conduct banking, pay taxes, sell stocks and handle other financial matters as needed. A durable power of attorney is relevant and legally binding even if you are no longer competent to handle your own affairs. The basic form may be downloaded online and notarized, prepared by an attorney, or found in the forms available in most legal software programs.

Next, you should set up a health care proxy. A health care proxy will allow your partner to make health care decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. Again, this form may be downloaded and notarized, prepared by an attorney or handled via simple easy to use software. You can also include special instructions, such as those that would typically be included in a living will, in the health care proxy form. Ehow offers instructions for drafting a health care proxy. A separate living will may also be a good idea, particularly if you have strong feelings about end of life care.

Finally, you need to be certain that your will is in order to provide your significant other with rights to a shared home, your financial assets and provide for guardianship of children if need be. Avoid leaving these decisions to the courts.

You might also consider a product designed for cohabiting couples, like Nolo’s legal guide to living together.  Rainbowpridelegal.com offers a legal paperwork package specifically designed for LGBTQ couples.

If you are single, you may want to consider who will provide for your affairs if you are unable to and make choices appropriate to your life. A good friend, a parent, or a sibling might all be appropriate in terms of choosing a health care proxy and power of attorney.

When I first read this headline the other night It was on Yahoo News and it said “3 Dead in Tel Aviv Gay Club Attack” it was quite shocking. I clicked on the link and could still not believe that it was such a horrible tragedy that happened. It was a gay youth center not a gay club and there were two dead but when they say injured there is no telling how badly the injury can be.

This is an attack on a gay group in Tel Aviv and it really sets gay rights in Israel back in time as the world is becoming more gay accepting. Tel Aviv is ranked highly on the scale of the gay holiday or vacation destinations and could lose a great deal of tourism from this tragedy.

Offer Nissam, a world-wide known DJ with a huge gay following is based out of Tel Aviv but there is no word on his myspace blog or anywhere about this. Madonna also plans a concert to end her Sticky and Sweet tour in Tel Aviv on September 2nd in Tel Aviv, Israel at the Yehoshua Gardens.

Hundreds of Israelis on Sunday staged a protest at the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association, where on Saturday two people were killed and 11 injured in a shooting described by some officials as a hate crime. “What happened last night takes us back years in the fears of parents and families. But we cannot let anyone or anything take us back into the closet,” said Tel Aviv resident Joseph Berg.