Bigoted Oregon Bakery Closes Shop, Moves 'In-Home': VIDEO

Sweet Cakes, the Oregon bakery which refused to bake a cake after they found out it was for a lesbian's wedding and has been the target of protests and an investigation by the state Bureau of Labor, has closed its doors, KOIN reports:

According to the “Sweet Cakes by Melissa” Facebook page, “This will be our last weekend at the shop; we are moving our business to an in-home bakery…”

On Aug. 14, Oregon’s state Bureau of Labor and Industries reported its investigation to determine if Sweet Cakes’ actions violated the Oregon Equality Act of 2007, which states that people cannot be denied service based on sexual orientation. The law provides an exemption for schools and religious groups, but not for private businesses, according to a BOLI news release.

Watch a news report on the closing, AFTER THE JUMP...

The baker affixed this sign to its door: “This fight is not over. We will continue to stand strong. Your Religious Freedom is becoming not Free anymore. This is ridiculous that we can not practice our faith. The LORD is good and we will continue to serve Him with all our heart. ♥”

Lady Gaga Performs 8 Songs from 'ARTPOP' at iTunes Music Fest: VIDEOS

At last night's iTunes Festival in London, Lady Gaga performed a number of tracks from her upcoming album ARTPOP including "Aura", "Sex Dreams", "Swine", "MANiCURE", "Jewels & Drugs", "I Wanna Be With You", "Applause", and the album's title track.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

In related news, Gaga spoke with the UK tab The Sun about a number of topics, including her thoughts on Russia and gay rights:

“I don’t think we should be going to Russia for the winter Olympics, thats my personal opinion. I care so much about these issues and I don’t think we should be bringing any comerce to a country which enforces such a lack of equality and a lack of human rights. A country where so much abuse of youth is happening, how can we bring so much attention to that part of the world and reward them for that? For me it’s shocking, then again everyone thinks Miley Cyrus is shocking and thats the world we live in…”

"Aura".

"Manicure".

"Jewels & Drugs"

"ARTPOP"

"Swine".

"I Wanna Be With You"

"Sex Dreams".

"Applause".

Australian PM Kevin Rudd Destroys Anti-Gay Pastor on Marriage Equality: VIDEO

Australian PM Kevin Rudd delivered a smackdown to an anti-gay pastor questioning Rudd's position on marriage equality:

When confronted by a question from the Christian man, who quoted the Bible as stating it was clearly wrong in the eyes of God, he said: "People don't choose their sexuality, they are born that way.

"The idea this is somehow an abnormal condition is wrong."

Mr Rudd said homosexuality was not an abnormal condition and the Bible also said "slavery was a natural condition".

"If you accept it to be natural and normal to be gay then it follows it is not right for two folk who love each other to be denied marriage," he said.

He said the Bible was about "universal love, loving your fellow man".

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Tyler Oakley Interviews One Direction: VIDEO

A 'fangirl' has his day, AFTER THE JUMP...

Diana Nyad in Last Stretch of Epic Cuba to Florida Swim

Diana Nyad is nearing Key West, in the last stretch of a record-breaking Havana, Cuba to Florida swim without a shark cage, ABC News reports:

Nyad, 64, is in the midst of her fifth attempt to make the treacherous swim. It's her fourth attempt in the last three years. The Los Angeles native left Marina Hemingway in Cuba on Aug. 31 at 8:59 a.m.

"Diana is on course to swim 112 statute miles. This is 35 more miles than anyone has ever swam," navigator John Bartlett said early this morning on Nyad's website.

Nyad could reach the Florida Keys as early as 4 p.m., her team said.

As of 4 a.m., her team tweeted that she was less than 10 miles away from Florida. It's the closest Nyad has come to Florida in any of her five attempts.

Nyad has been attempting to make the swim for 35 years.

Follow Nyad's position here.

UPDATE: And, she did it.

Niagara Falls Church Pro-Gay Sign Goes Viral

"Jesus had two dads and he turned out just fine!”

This is the message on the marquee for St. John’s Anglican Church in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The photo of the church went viral this week after being posted to Reddit, receiving an almost even split of upvotes and downvotes (16k to 14k, respectively). 

Referring to Jesus' earthly father Joseph and divine father God, the church's rector Lynne Marchant said, 

I don’t find it offensive in any way. We have people in our congregation who are homosexual. We are an all-inclusive church, a family. No one cares what your sexuality is. Come on in, we don’t see any difference.