The actress and filmmaker quietly tied the knot with her girlfriend Alexandra Hedison over the weekend, a rep for Foster confirmed to CNN. According to E! Online, which first reported the news, Foster and Hedison had been dating for almost a year. The entertainment site took note of the relationship last September after photos surfaced of Foster spending time with Hedison, a photographer/actress and an ex-girlfriend of Ellen DeGeneres. No other details are yet available about Hedison and Foster's nuptials, although we won't hold our breath: Foster is notoriously private about her personal life. At the 2013 Golden Globes, she declined to give a "big coming out speech" as she accepted her Cecil B. DeMille award, saying that she'd already come out to those close to her. "I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago, back in the stone age," Foster said. "If you had been a public figure from the time that you were a toddler, if you had to fight for a

2014 will be the first time any married gay couple has ever filed federal taxes together in the United States. It’s been a decade since Massachusetts became the first state to start granting marriage licenses, and some states have previously accepted joint returns for state taxes. But until the Supreme Court struck down the federal prohibition against gay marriage in The United States v. Windsor last summer, the Internal Revenue Service didn’t recognize joint returns for married same-sex couples. For some, this April’s tax season will be a time to celebrate the progress of the gay-rights movement. But for most couples, it will be also be a huge headache. In gay-marriage recognition states, “thanks to the Windsor decision, doing tax returns for same-sex married couples is much easier now,” said Joan Zawaski, an accountant in California who is also in a same-sex marriage. “Married is married, we just file joint returns just like other folks. But in non-recognition states, it’s back like the battle

Brendan Eich, the newly named CEO of the software firm Mozilla Corporation, resigned from the post after sparking ire among gay rights activists and supportive members of the tech industry for his opposition to same-sex marriage. Since being appointed to run the company most famous for the Firefox browser last week, many, including two former Mozilla developers and the dating site OKCupid have publicly condemned the software development firm for appointing a known supporter of the anti-gay laws to the top spot, urging people online to try a different browser instead. Eich's politics came to light after news re-emerged of a $1,000 donation he made in support of California's Proposition 8 in 2008. After trying to bat away concerns about Eich's ideology without relieving him of his duties, the company explained the decision to remove him in a blog post on Thursday: We didn’t act like you’d expect Mozilla to act. We didn’t move fast enough to engage with people once the controversy started. We’re sorry. We must do better. Brendan Eich has

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court oral arguments in U.S. v. Windsor. Next month, many same-sex married couples will experience the impact of the June 2013 decision and the overturning of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) when they file their taxes as "married" for the first time. Although the reach of this decision extends to all federal recognition of same-sex marriage, Edie Windsor filed her case in New York to contest a $363,000 inheritance tax bill she received following the death of her longtime partner and spouse. Following the Supreme Court' decision in June, the IRS published a revenue ruling providing that all same-sex married couples -- regardless of where they live-- will be considered "married" for federal tax purposes.  This decision will ensure that same-sex surviving spouses, like Edie, will be able to inherit and receive gifts from their spouse free from unfair tax burdens. As a result of this ruling, married couples are required to file

A federal appeals court put weddings on hold while it reviews the state’s request to stop same-sex marriages during its appeal of Friday’s marriage ruling. The move comes after a day in which several counties allowed same-sex couples in Michigan to marry.   (Courtesy of BuzzFeed.com)

The founder of the “God hates fags” church died late Wednesday night. Update: Westboro Baptist Church posted a statement commenting on his death. [caption id="attachment_1670" align="aligncenter" width="625"] AP Photo/Charlie Riedel[/caption] Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., the founder of the vehemently anti-LGBT Westboro Baptist Church, has died. He was 84. Westboro Baptist Church confirmed Phelps’ death in a an online statement titled, “Fred W. Phelps, Sr. Has Gone The Way of All Flesh, And Has Died on March 19, 2014.” “The world-wide media has been has been [sic] in a frenzy during the last few days, gleefully anticipating the death of my grandfather, Fred Waldron Phelps Sr,” said an unidentified member of the church in the statement. “It has been an unprecedented, hypocritical, vitriolic explosion of words. Do they vainly hope for the death of his body? People die — that is the way of all flesh.” The statement did not include his cause of death. Phelps’ daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper, told the Topeka Capital-Journal that Phelps Sr. died late Wednesday night. Over the weekend, Phelps’ estranged

(CNN) -- Texas on Wednesday became the latest state to have a federal judge strike down its same-sex marriage ban, thanks to a sweeping decision holding that its current prohibition has no "legitimate governmental purpose." The ruling, by San Antonio-based Judge Orlando Garcia, will not take effect immediately: Its enforcement has been stayed while the case works its way through the appeal process, meaning same-sex couples in Texas cannot get married for the time being. Still, gay rights supporters and activists believe the judgment -- because of what it says, how it follows similar rulings in other states and where it happened, in one of the most conservative states in the country -- has special significance. Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojosa called Wednesday "a historic day for the LGBT community and the state of Texas," while the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's head predicted the ruling "hastens the day when all loving couples who simply want the ability to share the benefits

Today Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed a recently-passed bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community on the basis of religious freedom.  This morning, HRC delivered 65,000 petition signatures to Gov. Brewer calling on her to veto the bill.  The so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act could have been used to protect businesses that discriminate not only against the LGBT community but also unmarried women or veterans, among other groups. “With today’s veto, Governor Brewer spared her state from institutional discrimination and economic catastrophe. Make no mistake, there is no better way to doom jobs in a state than by signing license-to-discriminate bills,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.  “The bipartisan outpouring of opposition to this bill is all the proof you need that this country isn't turning backwards. Governor Brewer did the right thing in stopping this assault on businesses and the LGBT community and we call on her and the legislature--and

With the passage of SB 1062, the “License to Discriminate” bill in Arizona, opposition to the bill has been growing. Many businesses and organizations in Arizona understand that this bill does more that it says it would. It would allow any individual, corporation, institution, or business organization may be permitted to refuse services to LGBT people on the basis of religious freedom. Businesses across Arizona are contacting Governor Brewer and letting Arizonans know that they are “Open for Business to Everyone!” using signs like this: If you’re a business owner in Arizona and believe that no one should fear being turned away at a government office, a restaurant, or any other business that serves the public just because of who they are, print out this sign and post in your business. SB1062 aims to legally sanction discrimination against the LGBT community, but your voice can make a difference in stopping this license to hate from becoming law. Join HRC and others at a

Ellen Page has come out as a gay woman. The star of the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past made the announcement in a moving and deeply personal speech delivered at Time to THRIVE, a conference to promote the welfare of LGBT youth held at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. STORY: Hollywood Reacts to Ellen Page's Coming Out Speech "I’m here today because I am gay," Page, 26, told the audience  "And because maybe I can make a difference. To help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility." "I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission," Page proudly and defiantly declared. "I suffered for years because I was scared to be out. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered. And I’m standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain." STORY: Ellen Page Making Directorial Debut with 'Miss

A federal judge declared Virginia's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, the state's attorney general announced late Thursday. The decision was immediately stayed, pending an expected appeal. U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen said the marriage ban violated the rights guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, but the stay meant same-sex couples in the commonwealth would not be able to wed. "Gay and lesbian individuals share the same capacity as heterosexual individuals to form, preserve and celebrate loving, intimate and lasting relationships," Wright Allen, a President Obama appointee, said in the ruling. "Such relationships are created through the exercise of sacred, personal choices—choices, like the choices made by every other citizen, that must be free from unwarranted government interference." The decision makes Virginia the first state in the South to have its voter-approved ban overturned and came a day after a judge in Kentucky ruled that the state must recognize out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples. Last month, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring informed

(CNN) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree banning foreign same-sex couples -- as well as singles from countries where same-sex marriages are legal -- from adopting Russian children. Though there was no official ban until now, foreigners' attempts to adopt Russian children before the decree generally would be unsuccessful if a prospective adoptive parent was thought to be gay, international adoption agencies based in Russia have said. Same-sex marriage is illegal in Russia. The decree was signed Monday and published on a government website Thursday. The decree went into effect Wednesday, state-funded television network Russia Today reported, but CNN couldn't immediately confirm that. The portion affecting singles appears to stem from concerns Russian lawmakers have publicly expressed that single prospective adoptive parents could turn out to be gay and enter a same-sex marriage in their home countries. The ban would appear to affect citizens in the more than a dozen countries that allow same-sex marriage. The move comes about a

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, part of an unprecedented barrage of marriage-equality lawsuits in states where voters have overwhelmingly opposed recognition of gay and lesbian couples. U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II struck down part of the gay-marriage ban that Kentuckians had approved in 2004, saying it treated gays and lesbians "in a way that demeans them.""Assigning a religious or traditional rationale for a law does not make it constitutional when that law discriminates against a class of people without other reasons," wrote Heyburn, an appointee of Republican President George H.W. Bush. His decision coincided with legal attacks Wednesday on gay-marriage bans in three other socially conservative states — Texas, Louisiana and Missouri — and was issued just a few weeks after federal judges in Utah and Oklahoma struck down the voter-approved bans in those states. According to the advocacy group Freedom to Marry, there are now 45

In states across the country, same-sex couples are fighting in state and federal courts to bring marriage equality to their homes and, eventually, the entire nation. By challenging state bans on same-sex marriage, these couples are taking a courageous stand to see these discriminatory laws eliminated. The map below illustrates the current marriage litigation landscape. While these marriage cases are in various stages, we want to provide you with a brief update on six marriage cases that have seen some important developments in the past couple of months and also let you know that you can visit hrc.org/marriage for ongoing updates on all of the marriage cases. Virginia Two challenges to Virginia’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples were filed in federal courts earlier this year. The first case – Bostic v. Rainey – the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and the legal team behind the Prop 8, Ted Olson and David Boies, are representing two same-sex couples who are challenging

According to new guidance issued by the Utah State Tax Commission, all same-sex couples living in Utah that are eligible to file a joint federal tax return for the 2013 tax year are also eligible to file a joint state tax return. While supporters of the state’s ban on marriage equality have appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to defend the law, the USTC determined that all Utah same-sex marriages performed in 2013 are recognized for the purposes of state income tax filings. So, if you live in Utah, and got married there in 2013—or, if you got married somewhere else—you may want to speak with a tax professional about your unique needs. You can peruse the state’s guidance here.   (Courtesy of HRC.org)  

Today U.S. District Judge Terence Kern ruled that Oklahoma’s ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional.  His ruling is stayed pending appeal, meaning marriages will not occur immediately in the Sooner State. HRC President Chad Griffin issued the following statement: “Judge Kern has come to the conclusion that so many have before him – that the fundamental equality of lesbian and gay couples is guaranteed by the United States Constitution.  With last year’s historic victories at the Supreme Court guiding the way, it is clear that we are on a path to full and equal citizenship for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.  Equality is not just for the coasts anymore, and today’s news from Oklahoma shows that time has come for fairness and dignity to reach every American in all 50 states.” Two plaintiff couples, Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin and Gay Phillips and Susan Barton, filed their case, Bishop v. Oklahoma, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma in November 2004. 

Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner are married! [caption id="attachment_1502" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lily Tomlin (left), an American actress, writer, comedian and Jane Wagner, American director and writer, pose in their dressing room at the Plymouth Theater, New York, NY, 1986. (Photo by Oliver Morris/Getty Images)[/caption] Chicago Tribune gossip columnist Liz Smith reported news of Tomlin and Wagner's marriage while recapping her New Year's Eve celebrations in a Jan. 3 post. "IT WAS AN EVENTFUL NEW YEAR'S EVE," she wrote. "I WAS Hobnobbing with the attractive Madeleine and her hubby, the gifted Andrew Lloyd Webber, in Barbados in a gorgeous mansion by the sea