EDGE San Francisco

Belgium elected Elio di Rupo as its first openly gay prime minister. A number of other European countries have also elected openly gay politicians in the past decade.

It was announced earlier this week that gay rights supporters in Portland, Ore., would not carry on with an initiative campaign that could make Oregon the first state to vote to legalize gay marriage, according to an article by the Associated Press.

Several states saw victories for the LGBT community during the November 8 elections. Despite the GOP trying to prevent new regulations from passing, voters had the final say.

President Obama has come into criticism from GLBT leaders for what some perceive to be a slow pace in implementing the reforms geared toward greater legal equality for gays that Obama promised as a candidate.

The question of whether New York lawmakers will pass a marriage equality bill may lead to a larger question about how President Obama will play to the GLBT community in 2012.

A judge has ruled against a restaurant in Australia that refused entry to a service dog because the staff thought it was gay.

An openly lesbian candidate has been chosen to head one of the nation’s foremost labor organizations, the 2.2 million-strong Service Employees International Union.