VIDEO : Thomas Morton a straight skinny guy teaches us some new slang he picked up while spending time with the gay subculture of bears during their meetup in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Find out about all the fabulous and diverse sub-cultures of the bear community and so so much more... 

Over the past few weeks fear and loathing has reigned in the Safe Schools and same-sex marriage debates. Arguments around sexual diversity dominated the final week of the last parliamentary session before the budget, with bitter divisions over same-sex marriage and the Safe Schools Coalition.

Tony Abbott's public ballot on same-sex marriage, now embraced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, will cause major social harm and cost the economy more than $500 million in direct expenses and lost production.

Last night, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade brought the city to a standstill in a glittering explosion of pride. An estimated 200,000 people looked on as the biggest and longest parade in recent years, made up of 178 floats and 12,500 participants, marched, rolled and danced.

Petition Update : The Australian Greens are delighted to announce the petition calling for support for the Safe Schools Coalition has received more than 38,900 signatures in less than a week and is growing fast!  If you support keeping out LGBTIQ kids safe at school SIGN THE PETITION NOW!

An online petition by Family First calling for the Federal Government to stop a school-based anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia education program is garnering little interest.

Bill Shorten and Cory Bernardi have clashed during a press conference at Parliament House, with the Opposition Leader calling the conservative Liberal senator a "homophobe" in reference to his attack on Safe Schools.

Ideological crusaders are trying to create a culture of fear around the Safe Schools program and so far, it's working. Imagine being 12 years old and seeing your name scrawled across a school toilet door next to the word "faggot." ...

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has requested an investigation into a taxpayer-funded program helping LGBTI school students. The Safe Schools education program is set to be reviewed after criticism from some Coalition backbenchers.

WA's Department of Corrective Services will not confirm whether a trans sex worker accused of knowingly transmitting HIV and who identifies as a woman has been sent to a male or female prison, after her lawyer did not apply for bail.