Campus Pride executive director Shane Windmeyer revealed on the Huffington Post Monday that he and Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy are now friends. Windmeyer is gay, married, and advocates for LGBT college students, whereas Dan Cathy believes that same-sex marriage is “twisted up kind of stuff” and that those who support it are “inviting God’s judgment on our nation.” Windmeyer claims that according to tax forms he exclusively has seen, Chick-fil-A was no longer funding anti-gay groups like the Family Research Council and ex-gay umbrella group Exodus International as of 2011. Therefore, Windmeyer explains that his organization has suspended its campaign against the anti-gay chicken company — which has franchises on many university campuses — because he believes that Cathy is developing a new understanding through their friendship:

Even as Campus Pride and so many in the community protested Chick-fil-A and its funding of groups like Family Research Council, Eagle Forum and Exodus International, the funding of these groups had already stopped. Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A could have noted this publicly earlier. Instead, they chose to be patient, to engage in private dialogue, to reach understanding, and to share proof with me when it was official. There was no “caving”; there were no “concessions.” There was, in my view, conscience.

This is why, after discussions with Dan and Chick-fil-A, Campus Pride suspended our campaign. Like Dan, we had faith. It took time to be proven publicly.

But Windmeyer fails to actually explain any concrete changes taking place at the company. The company’s donations to FRC and Exodus were piddling — no more than $1,000 in any given year — compared to the millions of dollars it apparently will continue to give to anti-gay organizations like the Marriage & Family Foundation and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Windmeyer’s arbitrary decision that this constitutes an improvement for the company cannot be substantiated until the 990 forms are publicly released. Even still, they represent the company’s giving in 2011 and bear no reflection on the public backlash it received this summer for Cathy’s anti-gay comments.

I joined a conversation with Windmeyer this afternoon on HuffPost Live, along with Jamie McGonnigal from TalkAboutEquality.com. I asked him to explain what had changed besides the end of the small donations, but he could offer no further details. Chick-fil-A is not ending the bulk of its anti-gay giving. Chick-fil-A is not implementing any LGBT-inclusive policies like nondiscrimination protections, of which it has none. And Dan Cathy is not apologizing for his vitriolic comments — in fact, he’s making no public comments of his own whatsoever. In other words, the company is doing nothing to improve its atrocious record on LGBT issues. Cathy’s opening mind for friendships with gay people is commendable, but does not justify Windmeyer’s blessing of Chick-fil-A franchises on college campuses in the face of protests from LGBT student groups.

Watch the conversation:

Anthony Duk is one of the practitioners of “ex-gay therapy” who is challenging California’s new law banning offering the treatment to minors. He spoke with American Medical News about the suit and explained that yes, his patients have been unsuccessful at changing their sexual orientation, but they’re to blame, not the “therapy”:

With this bill, what’s really at stake is the definition of masculinity as well as the entire basis of civilization,” he said. “When men don’t act like men, you have a breakdown of traditional family roles and weakening of the entire human race.”

Dr. Duk said he sees about three patients a year who he said need help fighting same-sex attractions. His treatment of such patients has not resulted in the desired outcomes, he said.

“I was not successful with the ones I had because they did not stay long enough,” he said. “The major factor is whether the patient really wants to heal. The ones who want to get better, those are the ones” able to change.

So according to Duk, even though his patients pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars and dedicate years of their lives to the treatment, they’re just not dedicated enough. Not one study has shown that ex-gay therapy can actually change a person’s sexual orientation, but the shame and stigma can be harmful. Rather than acknowledge that he’s participating in a fraud, however, Duk is choosing to sue California in the hopes of continuing to profit off of that fraud. This is not a doctor with his patients’ best interests in mind. (HT: Box Turtle Bulletin.)

Moments ago, the Wyoming House Corporations Committee rejected HB 169, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, with a close 5-4 vote. Testimony against the bill included threats that gays are pedophiles and that same-sex activity damages colons. Hopes were high that there was bipartisan support for the legislation to pass. Now that the marriage bill has failed, the committee is continuing to consider HB 168, a partner bill that would create domestic partnerships for same-sex couples.

Days after forcing a Cub Scout pack to drop a non-discrimination policy that included sexual orientation — and just six months after a full-throated reaffirmation of the policy — the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) board is apparently considering dropping its nationwide policy of discrimination.

Deron Smith, national spokesman for the BSA told ThinkProgress that the national board will make any decision, “at the appropriate time,” but confirmed that they “anticipate discussion on the matter at the National Executive Board at the next regularly scheduled board meeting the week of Feb. 4.” The board’s meetings are not open to the public or press.

Smith’s initial statement on the potential U-turn, first reported by NBC News, stated:

Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve. Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.

The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.

Eagle Scout Zach Wahls, founder of Scouts for Equality, told ThinkProgress that such a change would be “an incredible step forward in the right direction.”

But it remains to be seen whether consideration will mean action. Last June, the Associated Press reported that the organization had agreed to consider such a change in 2013, but weeks later the BSA announced it had ended its consideration and that a secret committee had unanimously decided to keep the ban in place.

Over the past year, openly lesbian mom Jen Tyrrell was ousted from her position as Cub Scout Den Leader, 17-year-old Eric Jones was fired from his job at a Scout Camp for being gay, and openly gay Scout Ryan Andresen was denied his Eagle Scout award for his “avowed homosexuality.”

In their 2012 presidential campaign, both former BSA national board member Mitt Romney and honorary BSA president Barack Obama agreed that BSA should end its policy of discrimination.

The Catholic Church continues to demonstrate that it will employ any tactic — no matter how deplorable — to oppose same-sex marriage. The Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, has now said that any teachers in Britain’s Catholic Schools who have “a partnership of intimacy with another person, outside a form of marriage approved by the church…can be removed from office.”

PinkNews cited a statement a Church spokesman made to the UK’s Sunday Times:

The expectation is that [school] leaders and those who aspire to leadership positions will make substantive life choices that are in conformity with the gospel and the teaching of the Catholic Church.

However, as PinkNews also reported, the Church tried to fire a primary school headteacher in 2007 for entering into a same-sex civil partnership, but was advised it would be in violation of Britain’s Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations. The religious exceptions in that policy only apply to employees whose purpose is advancing “organized religion,” not any employees who work for a religious organization. Notably, the UK’s Catholic Schools are mostly state-funded.

Earlier this month, Archbishop Nichols admitted that the Church refuses to acknowledge that gay people even exist.

The officers’ spouses club at Ft. Bragg has finally offered a full complete membership to same-sex Ashley Broadway, ending the club’s discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Association of Bragg Officers’ Spouses (ABOS) released this statement explaining the update to its policies:

After further reviewing the (club’s) constitution, by-laws and internal procedures, the ABOS Board felt that in order to immediately support all military Officer spouses who are eligible for ABOS membership a more inclusive definition of spouse was needed. Therefore, any Spouse of an active duty commissioned or warrant Officer with a valid marriage certificate from any state or district in the United States is eligible for ABOS membership,” the club’s board said in a statement.

ABOS does not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, creed, or sexual orientation. ABOS would like to publicly invite Ms. Broadway to apply for full membership to ABOS. It is and always has been our mission to support all military families.

This is quite the turnaround from November, when ABOS arbitrarily required Broadway to present a military ID, which are still not provided to same-sex military spouses. Earlier this month, the group offered her a “guest membership,” which she rejected. Now, she’s “overjoyed” to join as a full member:

BROADWAY: I have further reason to take pride in the Ft. Bragg military community, knowing that we, as military spouses, are able to come together to support each other, our soldiers, and our families.

Though this change ends the controversy for Broadway, it does not end the many questions that remain since Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed in 2011, such as equal access to housing benefits, military ID cards, legal services, and other spousal privileges.. Though the Pentagon has supposedly been “reviewing” how it will handle same-sex couples now that they aren’t hidden from view, no action has been taken in those 16 months. The White House continues to dodge questions, saying no more than, “this issue has the president’s attention.”

Two weekends ago, the National Organization for Marriage boasted about the large protest in Paris against marriage equality, but this weekend saw a counter-response from tens of thousands of supporters. The march on Sunday included messages like “Equality of rights is not a threat” and “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity — No more, no less!”

Though Sunday’s march may not have been quite as large as the anti-gay protest, momentum certainly favors equality in France. A new poll released Saturday shows that 63 percent of French voters favor marriage equality and only 37 percent oppose it. Still, voters are a bit more divided on the question of same-sex adoption, which is one of the primary benefits marriage equality would provide.

A small, Maryland-based chapter of the Boy Scouts of America was forced to take down a statement from their website promising inclusivity and welcoming LGBT scouts and their families after their regional superiors threatened to pull the group’s formal affiliation with the national organization.

Members of Pack 442 voted several months ago to approve a new nondiscrimination clause that included protections for the LGBT community in addition to race, religion, national origin and ability.

The National Capital Area Council, a regional outpost of BSA leadership, spoke with Mother Jones about the pack’s decision:

Les Baron, CEO and Scout Executive of NCAC, confirms to Mother Jones that if the pack doesn’t erase the declaration, “they will not be recognized as an organization, although that’s our last resort.” That means that the troop will lose access to member insurance, rank badges, and scout camps. The only problem with the statement, Baron acknowledges, is the reference to sexual orientation. “That’s a message that’s against our policy, and we don’t want it continue to be out in our community,” Baron says.

In response to the NCAC’s threat, hundreds of supporters signed a petition on Change.org calling on the NCAC to stand up for Pack 442 and reject the national organization’s intolerance. For its part, Pack 442 complied with the NCAC’s demand to remove their policy from the group’s website, and NCAC is not revoking their charter. But the pack’s committee chair Theresa Phillips said they would continue to welcome LGBT scouts and families, saying “I asked for my name to removed from the charter because I feel like if gay/lesbian individuals are not worthy of being registered leaders, then I am not either.”

Over the weekend, Pack 442 posted a statement on their website where their non-discrimination policy was once displayed:

Due to pressure from the National Capital Area Council of BSA, Pack 442 was forced to remove its Non-Discrimination statement in order to keep our Charter (set to expire Jan 31st). This Non-Discrimination statement, previously posted here, welcomed ALL families.

The Boy Scouts of America reaffirmed their longstanding, institutionalized homophobia last summer when they upheld their ban on LGBT scouts and family members. In the months since, several of the organization’s biggest financial backers have ended their relationship with the group, citing their anti-LGBT policy.

This weekend, over 3,000 LGBT activists and allies gathered in Atlanta, Georgia for the 25th Annual National Conference on LGBT Equality, Creating Change. Every year, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force President Rea Carey delivers a “State of the Movement” address to the conference, but before she did on Friday, President Obama offered a special video message:

OBAMA: I’ve always said that the change we need in this country — real change — doesn’t come from Washington, it comes from folks like you. Change has always come from ordinary Americans who sit in or stand up or march to demand it. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has been a partner at the forefront of that movement for 40 years. [...]

Decades ago, in the dark days when most doctors declared being gay a mental disorder, you organized and rallied to change their minds. When thousands suffered in the shadows during the early days of the AIDS epidemic, you cast a bright light on their pain. And today, you’re helping to lead the way to a future where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, no matter who they love or where they come from. [...]

With your help, we will continue the journey to perfect our union. The work will be hard, the road will be long, but I’m more confident than ever that we will reach a better future as long as Americans like you keep reaching for justice — and all of us keep marching together.

Watch it:

In Carey’s address, she highlighted that the LGBT community so often — if not too often — relies on “families of choice,” people selected to be support structures when genetic family does not do the same. Though the past year has included many significant victories, it was only because of the inspiration of those who came before and the alliances we’ve built in their stead:

CAREY: While the LGBT community certainly didn’t invent the idea of chosen family, I believe through necessity, through our struggle to survive and to love, we may have perfected it. [...]

After all, from the very first moments of our modern LGBT movement, we have given shape to the word family not the other way around; and we, out of our own experience, have created beautiful, expansive chosen families. As the saying goes, “An army of lovers…” or, in our movement’s case, an army of ex-lovers — often makes up our families.

Our movement must be one that embraces the many ways we create and choose our family.

We want a family that understands, that has our back, that picks us up when we need it, that pushes us further when we tire, a family that walks in the door when everyone else has walked out.

Watch Friday’s entire plenary session from the conference, including the In Memoriam remembrance of lives lost in the movement over the past year. Carey’s address begins around minute 20: