San Francisco

A new study will explore whether gay men respond to the challenge of parenting differently than straight men.

According to San Francisco State University, the National Institutes of Heath has awarded Professor Colleen Hoff [pictured] a $275,000 grant to study how parenting impacts gay men's health. The two-year study will examine changes in gay dads' stress levels, lifestyle and health habits, relationship dynamics, peer networks and exposure to antigay discrimination.

Adrienne [pictured] is a student at The Urban School of San Francisco, and is a reporter for The Urban Legend. In the online PBS NewsHour Extra: Student Voice, Adrienne writes that same-sex couples like her parents should be allowed to get married.

My parents have been married twice and may have to get married a third time. I don't come from a broken family, my parents love each other and always have. The only problem is, they're lesbians.

Earlier this year, the Bay Area Reporter announced an adoption agency's campaign to place gay and lesbian foster youth in permanent homes. An Oakland-based agency called Family Builders by Adoption has been committed to placing kids with families since 1976. It focuses on children who have a tougher time in the foster system, such as LGBT children, those with special needs, and children who have been exposed to drugs or alcohol.

Southwest Airlines is "the airline of gay and lesbian San Francisco," for at least one year. The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau and Southwest want to increase the number of gay and lesbian travelers visiting the city, so the $180,000 tourism campaign will focus on advertising and marketing - including ticket giveaways.

Hillary Clinton visited San Francisco this week to receive the endorsement of it's mayor, Gavin Newson.

Newsom used a separate ocassion - later that day - to discuss his pioneering efforts in the history of gay marriage.

The Mayor was honored by the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association of the American BAR Association.

The San Francisco Sentinel published portions of his speech he gave that evening.

That's the message behind a new Tourism Toronto campaign marketing the city as one of the world's top destinations for gays and lesbians.

As any marketer knows, gays are "high-value" travellers. Worldwide, the gay travel market is a $55-billion industry.

The San Francisco Department of Human Services has started a campaign to recruit more gays and lesbians to adopt foster kids, especially teens, who are among the hardest to place. The agency sees gays and lesbians as an underutilized pool of potential parents.