PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — As a first-time father, Wayne Maines held his newborn twin sons and dreamed of their life together — a dream that, at least then, didn’t include taking one of them to a father-daughter dance.

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) - Formal adoption of children by a same-sex couple who challenged Michigan's ban on gay marriage will be held in Oakland County Circuit Court.

Truth is a paradox says Marshall Quinn Blackwell, Jr. as he discusses his novel, “Killing Miss Love.”

In June of 1970, the nation's first gay parade commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots – the nearly week-long uprising between New York City youth and police officers following a raid of Stonewall Inn.

DUBLIN (AP) - Ireland's top drag queen, Miss Panti Bliss, has driven a stiletto heel through this nation's long-running debate on gay rights. Panti has riled up conservative Catholics and won global admirers in a social media tour de force that is dominating Irish water-cooler talk.

A court in Japan upholds the nation's ban on same-sex marriage, Ireland elects its first LGBT woman to the office of the mayor, a man is attacked by a homophobic mob in Senegal, and a mass same-sex wedding takes place in Mexico.

This week read about Ekta Kapoor defending herself against critics for writing same-sex love stories, and teachers in Ireland being scared of losing their jobs if they come out.

This week read about Ireland praising Katie-George Dunlevy after winning a silver medal in the Olympics, and gay teachers in Australia being discriminated against.

This week read about Ireland recognizing a gay couple as co-parents for the first time, and a television channel in Bangladesh hiring their first trans news anchor.

Confirmed by a majority vote, Leo Varadkar, a gay man, has taken office as Taoiseach — the prime minister of Ireland.

DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland celebrated its first gay marriages on Tuesday, six months after voters overwhelmingly chose to legalize the practice in the traditionally conservative Catholic nation.

DUBLIN (AP) — Prime Minister Enda Kenny says Ireland's voters will be asked to legalize gay marriage, a government-backed measure that reflects rapid social change in the predominantly Catholic nation.

(CNN) -- Gay and lesbian couples on Thursday inched one step closer to matrimony in Ireland.

(AP) Ireland's governing Fine Gael party on Friday elected Leo Varadkar, the gay son of an Indian immigrant, as its new leader and the country's likely next prime minister.

(EDGE) A lifetime ban on gay men donating blood that was created in the UK during the '80s AIDS crisis is about to be lifted, reports the BBC.

Irish professional rugby player for Leinster, Nick McCarthy, has come out as gay. 

A reckless driver turned what was intended to be a merry closing party for Pride Fort Lauderdale into a ghost town.

The panel on Marriage Equality in Catholic Ireland was led by Irish LGBT activist Moninne Griffith and took place on Saturday, May 27 at the Wolrd OutGames Human Rights Conference in Miami Beach.

Moninne Griffith is at the forefront of progressive change in Ireland, a country ideologically dominated by the Catholic Church. 

(WB) Swedish immigration officials on Friday detained two activists from Uganda who were en route to a human rights conference.