Illinois based headliners will launch the March on Springfield
It has been announced that well-known performers with roots in Illinois will kick off the March on Springfield with a free one-hour concert called “Rock the March.” The March on Springfield is a march in support of marriage equality that will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 22. At least ten thousand people are expected to attend.

“Rock the March,” will include Youtube sensation Steve Grand, “The Voice” star De’Borah and all-star MVP quarterback Sami Grisafe. The concert will be live near the steps of the Illinois State Capitol. Other performances will include LGBT choral groups such as the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, Windy City Performing Arts and Artemis Singers.

The concert will begin at noon and the marriage equality rally will follow immediately afterwards. For more information, visit marchonspringfield.org.

Gay Federal Appeals Court judge confirmed
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Todd Hughes as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The unanimous Senate vote makes Hughes not only the first openly gay Federal Appeals Court judge, but the nation’s highest-ranking openly gay judge.

The U.S. courts of appeal are the second-highest courts in the nation, with only the Supreme Court ranking above them. Currently, there are only six other openly gay federal district court judges. All have been nominated by President Obama.

According to “The Washington Post,” the Federal Circuit is unique among appeal courts because it specializes in a handful of designated issues including international trade, government contracts, patents, trademarks, veterans’ benefits and public safety officers’ benefits claims.

Hughes received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and his master’s and law degrees from Duke University. He was a deputy director of the commercial litigation branch of the Justice Department’s civil division since 2007 and was previously a trial attorney.

Russian groups want to ban Elton John
Who could possibly dislike legendary singer/songwriter Elton John? Russia does, of course. Earlier this month, John told London newspaper “The Guardian” that he felt he must perform in Russia in order to support LGBT Russian fans.

“I’ve got to go,” he said. “As a gay man, I can’t leave those people on their own without going over there and supporting them. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ve got to go.”

Now, anti-gay Russian organizations are asking for President Vladimir Putin’s help in canceling John’s upcoming performances. In an interview with the “Moscow Times,” Yuri Ageshchev, the coordinator for the Union of Orthodox Brotherhoods said, “The statement by this gay guy – Elton John – about his support for gays and other perverts during the upcoming concert in Moscow is an insult to all Russian citizens. It also makes a mockery of our recently enacted law against the public propaganda of gay ideas.”