Quickies: Same-Sex Marriage, Football, Discrimination, and Eurovision

Updated on 5/12/2014 7:12 EDT

On Friday May 9th, a judge in AK AR struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage. In his ruling, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza wrote that, “This is an unconstitutional attempt to narrow the definition of equality. The exclusion of a minority for no rational reason is a dangerous precedent.” The lawyer arguing for the repeal, Cheryl Maples, witnessed the first same sex wedding.

In an interview with ABC News, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says says military’s ban on transgender service members “should be reviewed.”

Ugandan LGBT rights activist John Abdallah Wambere has applied for asylum in the USA. From his interview with NPR: “It reached an extent where you weren’t even guaranteed of your own security, where you wouldn’t even trust the next person, because … people were being compromised by all the anti-gay groups who are trying to spy on you.”

Michael Sam became the first openly gay man drafted into the NFL when the St Louis Rams picked him in the 7th round. How to talk to your kids about Michael Sam.

More importantly, Austrian contestant Conchita Wurst became the first drag queen to win the Eurovision song contest. Check out her winning performance of “Rise Like a Pheonix.”  Also, Slate referred to her and 1998 winner Dana International as “genderqueer,” mis-labeling a cis drag artist and a transgender woman. Slate, we appreciate you using our words, but please try to use them correctly.

Finally, check out this photo book of anonymous min-20th century queers and cross-dressers.