°µºÚ±¬ÁÏ

The state news agency said Nick Symmonds became the first athlete to criticize Russia's controversial anti-gay law. Symmonds said he believed every human "deserves equality."

When it comes to health insurance, will the Internal Revenue Service look at where a same-sex married couple lives or where they were married? The decision could affect their health insurance costs.

Two men who were holding hands on a bus at the Albuquerque International Sunport have received an apology for the way the driver treated them. "We were just on vacation in New Mexico," Ron McCoy says. "We weren't trying to be Rosa Parks."

The move follows the Supreme Court's decision in June striking down a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

In an unusually candid news conference, the pope said gay people should be integrated into society instead of being ostracized. His view of gays is being seen as diverging from his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. He also divulged what he keeps in his black bag.

Following the Supreme Court decision that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, House Republicans have decided not to be part of a court challenge to a law that bars same-sex couples from getting veterans benefits.

With new momentum for same-sex marriage from the Supreme Court, gays and lesbians are hoping for progress in another sphere — the workplace. In 29 states, it's still legal to fire someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Congress is again considering legislation to ban that.

The Supreme Court's recent decision striking down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act means married same-sex couples are now eligible for the same federal benefits as straight couples. Employers are beginning to think about the changes they will have to make.

More same-sex married couples are likely to avail themselves of federal benefits now that the Supreme Court has struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. But precisely how many may do so is difficult to estimate — because no one knows exactly how many legally married same-sex couples live in the U.S.

Proponents of California's Proposition 8 had asked that marriages be suspended while they decide whether to ask the court to reconsider its ruling about that initiative. Meanwhile, gay pride celebrations were happening in cities across the U.S.