Queer Nation Sends Valentine's Day Love Out To The World's LGBT People

Open Thread Thursday

Tell us about your first love.

Mary Cigarettes - Whatever Turns You On

JMG reader Mike tips us to a gorgeously simple new video for the 2009 track by gay Irish pop artist Gregory Gray, who also records as Mary Cigarettes. Gray writes about the new video:

"There's not really a lot I need to say about this...it just speaks for itself. My friend Robert Shaw (or *Renee* as I call him) is close to a very handsome couple who recently fell deeply in love. He managed to catch them on camera in that magical time right at the beginning. This is easily the most wholesome and innocent expression of pure love I have ever seen framing any of my music."

You should check out Gray's original video too.

RELATED: Pop Sublime's Jason Roush has written great biography about Gregory Gray.

Open Thread Thursday

How's your love life? Bitch, boast, or shrug.

An Iowa Grandma For Gay Marriage

You just want to hug her and sit down for warm cookies.

Bob & Henry Get Married

After 64 years! Video by the Washington Blade.

Survey: Young People Hold Traditional Relationship Values (Gays Too!)

A survey conducted by the University of Minnesota reveals that young people continue to hold "traditional" values regarding love, monogamy, and commitment - regardless of their sexual orientation.

"Given increases in cohabitation, divorce and debates about same sex marriage, it is easy to think that traditional relationship values have gone out the window," said Ann Meier, U of M sociology professor and one of the study’s lead investigators. "In fact, young people still place a very high premium on love, faithfulness and commitment." The study found modest but significant differences by gender and sexual orientation in relationship values. Some of the findings included: Straight women valued faithfulness and lifelong commitment more than straight men.

Sexual minorities (gay men, lesbians and bisexuals) valued both slightly less than heterosexual women, but about the same as heterosexual men, and there were no significant differences among the different genders of sexual minorities when it came to faithfulness and lifelong commitment. “The lack of differences in the responses of gays and lesbians may be due to the fact that both groups share the legal obstacle to marriage – marriage tends to reinforce different gender norms, but if marriage is off the table, these gender differences may not exist,” said Meier. When all groups were compared, in most cases sexual minorities shared the same relationship values as straight men. It is straight women who appear to have values somewhat different from all other groups – they are particularly enthusiastic supporters of traditional relationship values.

(Tipped by JMG reader Andrew)

Today's Lesson In Love

If you belong to a skydiver's club, do not ever have an affair with the boyfriend of a fellow skydiver. Just don't.