Mississippi

A Mississippi federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by gay teenager Ceara Sturgis over the Copiah County School Districts refusal to include a picture of her in a tuxedo in the high school yearbook's senior section. The ACLU, which the lawsuit on behalf of Sturgis, claimed the school district discriminated against Sturgis on the basis of sex and gender stereotypes. Her photo and name were kept out of the senior section of the yearbook. However, Sturgis' photo in the tuxedo did appear on a personal page in the yearbook that was purchased by her mother.

A spokeswoman for ABC Family said the network has plans to develop a movie about Constance McMillen, the Mississippi teen whose school prom was canceled after she asked to bring a same-sex date. Diane Morgan, the network's vice president of media relations, said the project is in the early stages of development.

Following the recent 'lesbian prom' incident comes a Mississippi high school student who was completely ignored in her senior yearbook because she chose to wear a tuxedo in the formal photos instead of a dress.

Although the local ACLU wrote a letter requesting usage of the tuxedo photo - Copiah County School District officials refused. The student was not allowed to have her photo appear - and there's no mention of Ceara Rodriguez's name in the publication.

The Fairness Campaign is opposing Kentucky Senate Bill 68 [sponsored by state Sen. Gary Tapp, R-Shelbyville] that would bar gay and lesbian couples from adopting children.

The AP reports that the measure would allow children to be placed only in adoptive or foster homes with people who "are not cohabiting outside of a marriage that is legally valid in Kentucky."

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. was honored by Utah's GLBT community at this year's pride festival.

The Utah Pride Center and other organizations have picked Huntsman for the Pete Suazo Political Action Award.

Huntsman is the first Utah governor to openly support civil unions for same-sex couples.

Earlier this year, he also endorsed the Common Ground Initiative, a campaign for basic legal protections for gay and transgender Utahns that fizzled in the Legislature.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is calling for action against Leslie Southwick, current nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Gays and lesbians are fighting to become parents in many parts of America. More and more of us are working within the framework available to us and getting the job done.

Every family's story is unique.