States with Highest Percentages of Gay Couples Raising Children Have Bans on Same-Sex Marriage: Infographic

Some interesting statistics from The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

The L.A. Times reports on their findings:

But the reality for gay parents can be very different, said Gary J. Gates, the researcher behind the new estimates from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

For instance, "a big chunk of them are people who had children young, with opposite-sex partners, before they came out," Gates said. After coming out, they raised those children with a partner of the same sex, he explained.

That may be one reason that in some more conservative places not known for celebrating gays and lesbians, a striking percentage of same-sex couples are rearing children, Gates said. Among states, Mississippi has the highest percentage of gay or lesbian couples raising children — 26% — his analysis of census data found.

Though Salt Lake City has a high percentage of gay couples raising children, the actual number is still much smaller than in coastal hubs such as New York or Los Angeles, the data show. Besides the Utah capital, other large urban areas where gay couples are more likely to have children include Virginia Beach, Va., Detroit and Memphis, Tenn. — all places where more than a fifth of couples of the same sex are bringing up kids.

Former Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) to Marry Partner in D.C. This Weekend

Former Arizona Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) will marry his partner of eight years, Hector Alfonso, in D.C. on Saturday, the Daily Star reports:

"We're very happy," he said. "We're very committed."

The two have talked about marrying for a long time, Kolbe said. After sorting out Alfonso's immigration status, Kolbe said the two are ready to marry.

They plan a simple ceremony at the Cosmos Club, officiated by a minister, with readings and prayers...

Kolbe said it's "unfortunate" that Arizona doesn't yet recognize same-sex marriage, saying everyone should be able to find the happiness he's found and be able to marry the person of his or her choice.

Kolbe recently urged the Senate Judiciary Comittee to adopt gay-inclusive immigration reform, telling them of his plans to marry this weekend.

Said Kolbe:

We are immensely fortunate that Hector has now secured an investment visa that allows him to remain here with me. Many other couples, however, are not as fortunate. Even if they, like us, have a marriage, civil union or life-long commitment to each other, their ability to secure a permanent solution that would allow them to build a home, family or business together is elusive and difficult to realize. It shouldn’t be that way, and this Committee has an opportunity to fix this problem.

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are Engaged

(instagram)

TV personality and interior designer Nate Berkus and former Rachel Zoe assistant Jeremiah Brent are engaged, Us magazine reports:

The pair, who have been dating for 8 1/2 months, made it official atop Machu Picchu in Peru on Monday, April 8 -- and are excited for the next chapter of their lives together.

TV personality and interior designer Berkus, 41, was the one to pop the question to Brent during their trip to Peru, Berkus' rep confirms to Us. Brent was completely surprised -- the couple was originally traveling as part of a shopping trip with One Kings Lane for a designer sale project Berkus is working on for the site.

Study Finds People Can Identify Who's the Top and Who's the Bottom in Gay Couples

A study published in the April 2013 journal Archives of Sexual Behavior examined the perception of 'to' and 'bottom' roles in gay couples:

In intercourse between men, one of the partners typically assumes the role of an insertive partner (top) while the other assumes a receptive role (bottom). Although some research suggests that the perceptions of potential partners' sexual roles in gay men's relationships can affect whether a man will adopt the role of top or bottom during sexual intercourse, it remains unclear whether sexual roles could be perceived accurately by naïve observers.

In Study 1, we found that naïve observers were able to discern men's sexual roles from photos of their faces with accuracy that was significantly greater than chance guessing.

Moreover, in Study 2, we determined that the relationship between men's perceived and actual sexual roles was mediated by perceived masculinity. Together, these results suggest that people rely on perceptions of characteristics relevant to stereotypical male-female gender roles and heterosexual relationships to accurately infer sexual roles in same-sex relationships. Thus, same-sex relationships and sexual behavior may be perceptually framed, understood, and possibly structured in ways similar to stereotypes about opposite-sex relationships, suggesting that people may rely on these inferences to form accurate perceptions.

Writer Augusten Burroughs Marries

A literary union.

From the NYT:

Christopher Robert Schelling, a literary agent, and the writer Augusten Burroughs, who is also his client, were married Monday at Staten Island Borough Hall. Edison Stewart, the deputy city clerk for Staten Island, officiated. Mr. Schelling (left), 50, is the founder of Selectric Artists, an agency in Manhattan that represents fiction and nonfiction writers, as well as musicians. He graduated from DePauw University in Indiana.

Burroughs is the author of eight books including Running with Scissors, Dry, and Magical Thinking.

Congrats!

Adam Lambert and Boyfriend Sauli Koskinen Split

Adam Lambert has split with his boyfriend Sauli Koskinen, South Florida Gay News reports:

“It’s been kind of on its way out in the last couple of months,” Lambert told SFGN.

Koskinen is a Finnish entertainment reporter, television host and radio personality. He rose to fame after winning his country’s version of Big Brother in 2007.

Lambert emphasized though the two are close and will continue to remain friends.

“Sauli and I remain really good friends, and I know it’s a cliché thing to say. But it’s totally true,” he said. “I just gave him a coffee and bagel earlier today. He’s a great person and we’ve had an amazing couple of years together. Things have just run their course.”

Lambert is headlining this year's Miami Beach Gay Pride on April 14.