PinkieB.com | Gay and Lesbian Life

LGBT people in the South continue to face obstacles at higher rates than the rest of the country. Yet LGBT Southerners are resilient and continue to thrive.

Shows like "Transparent," "Doubt" and "Queen Sugar" have helped boost the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters on U.S. television to a record high, a report from the advocacy group GLAAD said on Thursday.

Don Lemon's responsibility as a CNN anchor fell second to his responsibility as an openly gay public figure, even as Hurricane Irma neared the coast of Florida. When it became clear a major and deadly weather event would strike the South on the very weekend he was due to receive an award from GLAAD, the cable news anchor asked his boss what to do. "He said, 'You've got to go,'" Lemon explained, standing on the red carpet of City View atop the Metreon on Saturday night. "So Anderson (Cooper) is doing double duty."  Lemon described awards from GLAAD, a 32-year-old national organization that monitors the media on LGBTQ issues, as "the Oscars of gay awards.

Twitter is marking Spirit Day Thursday (Oct. 20) with a custom purple hashtag-triggered emoji.