Something To Celebrate: 21 Of The Best LGBT Moments From November 4 …

With so much hate continually aimed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, we like to take a moment every once in a while to highlight some of the good news we feature.

Our Something To Celebrate feature is a round up of the best LGBT moments from the week before.

It’s a great way to catch up on the stories that you might have missed during the last seven days — not to mention a much needed reminder that though we still face many enemies and we must continue to fight, we are making gains and beautiful things happen in and to the LGBT community every day.

Have a look at 21 of the best LGBT stories from the past week and then let us know what your favorite moment was this week.

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• Illinois To Become 15th State To Legalize Gay Marriage

  SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois General Assembly passed a bill legalizing same sex marriage Tuesday, putting the Land of Lincoln on course to be the 15th state to legalize same sex marriage.

  The House of Representatives narrowly passed the bill 61-54-2 shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday and the state senate concurred a little more than an hour later voting 32-29 in favor of SB10.

  Gov. Pat Quinn has previously said he would sign the bill into law.

• Sia To Donate Proceeds From Eminem Collaboration To Homeless LGBT Youth

  Queer artist Sia came under fire this week for her collaborative track with Eminem, “Beautiful Pain,” which is featured on the controversial rapper’s latest album, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2.”

  In response, the singer-songwriter has announced that she will donate the proceeds she receives from her work on the track to benefit homeless LGBT youth at the Los Angeles Gay Lesbian Center.

  Sia told HuffPost blogger and N.Y. based D.J. Keo Nozari that “she was under the impression that Eminem’s alter-ego Slim Shady was performance art, and a thing of the past, asserting that she does not believe that Eminem is actually homophobic.”

  According to SheWired, the star’s contribution will reportedly help fund “a 50-bed shelter, a transitional living program, medical care, meals, clothing, counseling, GED prep programs, job placement services and more, according to the release from the L.A. Gay Lesbian Center.”

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/sia-eminem-lgbt-youth_n_4227985.html” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• WATCH: Kids Give Awesome Reactions After Witnessing Gay Marriage Proposal

  An incredible new video is making its rounds on the Internet that asks a group of children, ages 5-13, their opinions about same-sex marriage.

  The video starts with the kids watching two different viral videos of gay marriage proposals (which can be viewed here and here) and then a brief QA about their opinions surrounding marriage equality ensues.

• Trans Contestant Belittled By Serbian ‘X Factor’ Judge Offers Amazing Response

  Fifi Janevski is one person who won’t let transphobia bring her down — especially while pursuing her dreams on Serbia’s version of “The X Factor.”

  While auditioning as a performer for the show, Janevski was forced to reveal her transgender identity due to judge Željko Joksimović’s inability to understand why her name was listed as “Filip” on her application.

  According to a translation provided by Buzzfeed, it’s apparent that Joksimović initially questions Janevski’s gender identity and reportedly calls her a “tranny” prior to the performance of her audition song.

  During the judge’s critique, Janevski reportedly states, “I don’t know what to tell you, there is two of you, haha… Filip, Fifi, please, sing me another song. I’m a bit shocked. I’m not too conservative.”

  Janevski’s response? An beautiful rendition of the chorus from Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” that is met with resounding applause from the audience:

  “I am beautiful no matter what they say. Words can’t bring me down. So don’t you bring me down today.”

  Skip to 4:30 in the above video to hear Janevski’s amazing response.

• Senate Makes History, Approves Bill Outlawing LGBT Workplace Discrimination

  WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday to approve the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, landmark civil rights legislation that would make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT individuals in the workplace.

  The final vote was 64-32, with 10 Republicans joining Democrats. The Republican senators backing the legislation were cosponsors Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), along with Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

  ENDA would outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It is already illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, nationality, religion, age or disability. Twenty-nine states currently have no laws protecting LGBT individuals in the workplace.

  It’s the first time in history that the Senate has passed ENDA. The House passed a version of ENDA in 2007, but it did not include protections for transgender individuals.

• Florida National Guard Grants Full Benefits To Same-Sex Married Couples

  There was one step forward for LGBT rights in Florida this week: The state’s National Guard announced that same-sex married partners will be granted full benefits even though the Florida constitution doesn’t recognize gay marriage.

  Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June on the Defense of Marriage Act, the Pentagon updated its benefits policy to include same-sex husbands and wives.

  Yet nine states, including Florida, failed to comply with the new federal policy.

  “Not only does this violate the states’ obligation under federal law,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said, “their actions have created hardship and inequality by forcing couples to travel long distances to federal military bases to obtain the ID cards they’re entitled to.”

  Lt. Col. James K. Evans of the Florida National Guard reasoned that the federal policy was in direct conflict with the state’s constitution which does not recognize gay marriage, according to the Tampa Tribune.

  A compromise was reached, however, as the benefits will be processed at federal buildings as opposed to state facilities.

• Students Wear Skirts To Support Sasha Fleischman, Agender California Teen

  emEDITOR’S NOTE: The subject of this story identifies as agender, so we are following his mother’s lead in using male pronouns./em

  Following a report that a student who identifies as “agender” had his skirt set on fire by another teen while on a bus, his peers and classmates plan to make an incredible statement of solidarity on Friday.

  Sasha Fleischman, an 18-year-old senior at Maybeck High School in Berkeley, Calif., reportedly had his skirt set on fire by 16-year-old Richard Thomas after he fell asleep while riding a bus home. After he woke up, Fleischman was unable to extinguish the blaze independently but did so with the help of the other passengers.

  Now, KTVU is reporting that Fleischman’s peers have decided to wear either a skirt or a kilt to school on Friday in support of the agender teen.

  To read the full story, click here.

• Our Favorite New Flashmob: BEAUTIFUL Gay Marriage Proposal Will Have You In Tears

  Flashmob marriage proposals are certainly all the rage these days, though we haven’t seen one quite like this before.

  Held at the Frying Pan on Manhattan’s West Side, the large-scale flashmob consisted of over ninety dancers from Pace and Marymount colleges. Lance Boyd thought that he and his boyfriend Harry were merely going to a friend’s birthday brunch. Little did he know that Harry had been planning a huge flashmob wedding proposal for months.

  “It was the most amazing thing that anyone has ever done for me. It made me feel like the most loved and adored person in the world,” Boyd told The Huffington Post. “But more than that, in the weeks that followed, what I came to realize was that for the first time in the entirety of our relationship I felt I could finally exhale. I know that sounds cliche, but like so many gay men I have always struggled against the feelings of not being worthy of a loving relationship. With his very public declaration of love Harry changed all that. I finally know what it means to be loved!”

• General Motors To Offer Benefits To All Gay Married Employees — Regardless Of What State They Live In

  General Motors made a groundbreaking policy change this week and announced that the company would extend marriage benefits to the spouses of same-sex employees — even if the pair lives in a state where gay marriage isn’t legal.

  The only catch? The couple must have been legally married in one of the 14 (soon to be 15!) states in which gay marriage is legal.

  “This decision is in line with GM’s efforts to find, keep and grow the world’s best talent and to offer our employees policies and benefits that are competitive with many of the largest and best-managed industrial companies in the U.S.,” said GM’s Chief Diversity Officer Ken Barrett in a statement sent to The Huffington Post.

  The changes will include pension plans, savings plans and health care plans for legally married same-sex couples.

• Matthew Morrison’s Awesome Response To People Questioning His Sexuality

  Matthew Morrison stopped by HuffPost Live today to discuss a number of topics, among them his views on gay marriage and past questions about his sexuality.

  Citing a 2009 ELLE interview, HuffPost Live pinned down the “Glee” star about how it feels to have both fans and the media question his sexuality:

  “I know my own truth, I’m a very happy heterosexual man,” Morrison said. “But like I said in that quote, I have a lot of gay friends and I’m a big supporter of gay rights and gay marriage. This is America, this is the land of freedom and opportunity and I think it’s kind of crazy that a loving or committed gay or lesbian couple can’t marry just because they’re different.”

  He then concluded, “I support my gay friends and they support me.”

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/matthew-morrison-gay_n_4235605.html” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• Irish Prime Minister Supports Equality, Defies Catholic Church

  Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny prepares to lock horns with the Catholic Church on same-sex marriage, an issue he has avoided taking a real stance on until now. He came out strongly in favor of a referendum on gay marriage on Tuesday, announcing that the Cabinet would put the question to the people by mid-2015.

  It’s his first public announcement that Kenny will back the campaign for marriage equality. “In respect of today’s decision I support that very strongly and will campaign for it when it comes,” he said, according to the Irish Times.

  The Church responded quickly, indicating that it would oppose the referendum and commenting that any change to the nature of marriage would undermine a fundamental building block of society, reports the Independent.

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/enda-kenny-gay-marriage_n_4233066.html?ir=Gay+Voices” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• Petition Launched In Hopes Of Making Carmen Carrera First Trans Victoria’s Secret Model

  “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season three favorite Carmen Carrera made history when she publicly transitioned after the show’s conclusion.

  Since her “Drag Race” days, Carrera has been making headlines as a show-stopping part of W Magazine’s “Showgirls” and a voice for transgender women through outlets such as GLAAD.

  Now, following her appearance in the Marco Marco runway show, a new Change.org petition is calling on lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret to reach out to Carrera and invite the trailblazing icon to become the brand’s first transgender model.

  The petition notes:
  “This petition is for Victoria’s Secret to seriously consider taking Carmen Carrera on as an angel. By making Carmen the very first trans supermodel, you will help to end femmephobia within the LGBTIQQA community but also it will show the entire trans community that you embrace them as your patrons.”

  Want to help? a href=”http://www.change.org/petitions/victoriassecret-make-carmen-carrera-the-first-trans-vs-model?share_id=xSbbaUOUtZutm_campaign=autopublishutm_medium=facebookutm_source=share_petition” target=”_blank”Head on over to Change.org/a to add your voice to the conversation.

• Jane Lynch And Kathy Griffin To Receive Big LGBT Honors

  Leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) suicide prevention organization The Trevor Project is slated to honor two major gay favorites next month.

  The Trevor Project announced this week that comedian, ally and activist Kathy Griffin will play host to the TrevorLive event in Los Angeles. Occurring twice a year, TrevorLive is a high-profile evening of music and comedy that brings together both entertainers and corporate leaders to support the goals of the organization.

  “I am so excited to be hosting TrevorLIVE Los Angeles and proud to be a part of this invaluable cause,” said Griffin in a statement sent to The Huffington Post. “The Trevor Project brings hopefulness to those in need and year after year, there are still more lives that need saving. The work that the Trevor Project does for our youth is powerful!”

  Actress and comedian Jane Lynch will receive the Trevor Hero Award, previously presented to the likes of Katy Perry.

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/trevorlive-los-angeles-2013_n_4233752.html” target=”_blank”Head here to read the full story./a

• This Illinois Pol Left Her Dying Son’s Side To Vote For Marriage Equality

  An Illinois state representative made a decision any parent would dread in order to press the “yes” button on legislation she had co-sponsored to legalize same-sex marriage in Illinois.

  She left the bedside of her gravely ill son.

  Tuesday afternoon, state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, a Champaign Democrat, rushed to the state capitol in Springfield to vote on the measure. With her support, the bill was approved with 61 votes in favor — only one more than the minimum it needed in order to pass.

  When Jakobsson returned to the Mattoon, Ill. hospice where her dying son, Garret, was staying after a 90-minute drive, she learned he had died just 10 minutes before her arrival, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/naomi-jakobsson-illinois_n_4235226.html?ir=Gay+Voices” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• WATCH: Partner Of Openly Gay Illinois Rep. Gets HUGE Surprise After House Passes Gay Marriage

  Following the passage of same-sex marriage by the Illinois House and Senate last night, one openly gay politician took the opportunity to celebrate more than just the legislation.

  Standing before his family and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Round Lake Beach) surprised his longtime partner Lowell Jaffe with a ring and a question.

  “I love that you care about other people more than yourself,” Yingling tells Lowell in the above video. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/gay-illinois-rep-proposal_n_4226138.html” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• 2013 Has Been The ‘Gayest Year In Gay History’

  In Maine, a congressman running for governor came out as gay. In Hawaii, lawmakers girded for a vote to legalize same-sex marriage. And in the U.S. Senate, seven Republicans joined the Democrats in a landmark vote to ban workplace discrimination against gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

  From one end of the country to the other, the overlapping developments on a single day underscored what a historic year 2013 has been for the U.S. gay-rights movement — “the gayest year in gay history,” according to Fred Sainz of the Human Rights Campaign, the movement’s largest advocacy group.

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/gay-rights-victories-2013_n_4217854.html?ir=Gay+Voices” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• Laverne Cox, ‘Orange Is The New Black,’ Star Nabs HUGE Honor

  OUT magazine is slowly rolling out their annual list of 100 influential lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) icons, known as the OUT 100 — and already there are a number of familiar faces among this year’s ranks.

  Laverne Cox, one LGBT icon who skyrocketed to fame this year, is slated to receive one of the listing’s biggest honors: the OUT 100 Readers’ Choice Award.

  Cox, an actress and producer who has long been a tireless transgender activist, was especially visible this year thanks to her role on Netflix’s “Orange Is The New Black,” and her outspoken activism surrounding issues of transgender identity.

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/laverne-cox-out-100-2013_n_4219262.html” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• Celebrities Join The Fight Against Anti-Gay Russia

  Actors Jonah Hill, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kristen Bell are among a batch of celebrities donning Russian-language “Love Conquers Hate” T-shirts to show support for gays in Russia alarmed by a new law banning pro-gay “propaganda.”

  It’s part of an initiative launched Monday by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest U.S. gay-rights group.

  Participating celebrities will share photos of themselves wearing the T-shirts on their social media platforms, encouraging followers to do likewise. The HRC says all net proceeds from shirt sales will go to a fund supporting gay-rights efforts in Russia.

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/04/t-shirt-protest-russia-anti-gay_n_4212846.html” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• Mike Michaud, Maine Governor Candidate, Comes Out As Gay

  Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) came out as gay in a column released to three of Maine’s major news outlets on Monday morning.

  Michaud, who officially announced his gubernatorial bid in August, could become the first openly gay governor if successful in 2014.

  “For me, it’s just a part of who I am, as much as being a third-generation mill worker or a lifelong Mainer,” Michaud wrote. “One thing I do know is that it has nothing to do with my ability to lead the state of Maine.”

  The Democratic representative said he became aware of “whisper campaigns, insinuations and push-polls” about his personal life following his campaign announcement, and wanted to address the speculation “with a simple, honest answer.”

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/04/mike-michaud-comes-out-gay_n_4210599.html?ir=Gay+Voices” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a

• Hawaii Gay Marriage Bill Approved By State’s House Of Representatives

  HONOLULU, Nov 8 (Reuters) – Hawaii’s House of Representatives approved a bill on Friday to legalize same-sex marriage in the overwhelmingly Democratic state popular as a wedding and honeymoon destination, paving the way for anticipated final passage in the Senate next week.

  The measure cleared the House in a late-night vote of 30-19, with six of the chamber’s seven Republicans joining 13 Democrats in opposing the legislation. Two Democrats were absent for the vote.

  Governor Neil Abercrombie has indicated he would swiftly sign the measure into law, making Hawaii the 15th or 16th U.S. state to extend marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples, depending on when the governor of Illinois signs that state’s bill.

  As currently drafted, the Hawaii bill would take effect on Dec. 2.

  Read the full story here.

• After Tragedy, Transgender Woman Finds Love

  Nikki Araguz was 18 years old when she began to live her life as a woman, after a lifetime of feeling as if her gender identity did not correspond with her anatomy.

  Following the realization of her gender identity, she married a firefighter named Thomas Araguz III, who she “loved tremendously,” and underwent gender confirmation surgery a year after their wedding.

  But Araguz’s husband was tragically killed while working to diffuse a monstrous factory fire.

  Following her husband’s death, Araguz was forced to fight a drawn-out legal battle with her late husband’s family in an effort to receive his firefighter’s benefits. A Texas judge effectively voided Araguz’s marriage, telling the widow that the marriage was not considered legal since she was born a male. The fact that Araguz had both gone through gender reassignment surgery and had government documents that reflected her new sex as female did not appear to matter.

  Araguz, who also blogs for The Huffington Post Gay Voices, went on to meet and fall in love with a Houston-based artist named William Loyd.

  a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/nikki-araguz-married_n_4232903.html” target=”_blank”Read the full story here./a