Sally Ride, gay Olympians, Matt Hasselbeck

By Project Q Atlanta | Jul 24, 2012 | 12:45 PM

Late first woman in space was also first gay in space, more out Olympians revealed, NFL star on gay players, Richard Tisei running to be Congress’ first gay Republican, bigots want lesbian judge recused, “True Blood’s” Lilith on being openly gay in Hollywood, and more LGBT headlines.

• The man who would be Congress’ first openly gay Republican. Apparently, they grow a different kind of Republican up north. Richard Tisei (top photo) is a centrist who hopes his pro-gay-marriage, pro-abortion-rights stances can help knock off eight-term incumbent John Tierney (D-Mass.).

• Astronaut Sally Ride leaves behind female partner. Buried in the obituary of the first woman in space (second photo), who died with pancreatic cancer Sunday at the age of 61, was her 27-year relationship with a woman. Since Ride was once married to a man, she’s now also the first openly gay or bisexual woman in space.

• 20 openly gay Olympic athletes. The list grows because inquiring minds want to know. Besides Aussie Matthew Mitcham and American Megan Rapinoe, who else is serving gay Olympic realness? No wonder Grindr crashed in London when they arrived.

• Extremists call for lesbian judge to recuse herself. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Sophia Hall is set to hear arguments over whether the Illinois ban on gay marriage is constitutional. The anti-gays say she can’t be impartial.

• NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck talks gay players with teammates. The Tennessee Titan (third photo) said he is among three of the team’s four quarterbacks who would be fine with a gay teammate, though he also said it would be “brave” in the current NFL environment. No, he didn’t name the Titans QB who wouldn’t be cool about it.

• Gay couple attacked in possible D.C. bias crime. A group of teenagers allegedly pounced on a local yoga teacher and his boyfriend in the nation’s capitol over the weekend, leaving one of the victims hospitalized. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

• “True Blood’s” Lilith? She’s the gay. Get to know Jessica Clark (bottom photo), who’s blood-covered nude debut shook premium cable’s fang-banging guilty pleasure on Sunday. How she transitioned from modeling to the lesbian flick “A Perfect Ending” to “True Blood.”

• U.S. religious right presses anti-gay laws in Africa. A new report from the independent Political Research Associates accuses the likes of Pat Robertson and Rick Warren as well as Catholic and Mormon groups of “fanning the flames of the culture wars over homosexuality and abortion by backing prominent African campaigners and political leaders.”

Tisei photo from The Hill; Ride photo via Daily Beast; Hasselbeck photo by ESPN; Clark photo via Advocate.

Sally Ride, gay Olympians, Matt Hasselbeck

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