The Top 11 Gay Media Stories Of 2011

In 2011 it seemed the stories that captivated the media and the rest of us focused on the power of words -- whether used by sports stars and comedians or Hollywood power brokers and bullies in the school yard. One state even tried to ban the word “gay” in schools.

It was also a year when transgender Americans came more into view, and hopefully the rest of America got a better understanding of the discrimination and violence they face daily. Closet doors burst open in 2011 too, whether public figures came out on their own or were outed in their own sex scandals. And it was a year we’ll never forget when it came to Republican gay-bashing in the presidential election campaign, something we’re likely to see well into the 2012 elections.

Here are 11 of the biggest gay media news stories of the year. Vote for the ones that you thought were the most important and then sound off in the comment section below to let us know what other moments you'd add to the list.

For more on the best of 2011, visit AOL's Best of 2011.

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Comments

[LilacChica]

12:52 AM on 01/07/2012

In response to the video about the shooting of Larry King- clearly the entire situation would have benefited from better supervision of the students. That correspondent- whose name I can't find, sorry- suggested that Larry was likely bullied and harassed for being open about his sexual orientation, which is obviously not okay. However, while I am in no way attempting to excuse the actions of McInerney, I can't help but feel a little sympathy for him. If this case were a bit different, if McInerney were a female student who was being treated in the exact same way by a male student- casting gazes which made McInerney uncomfortable, flaunting his sexuality in a way intended to make others uncomfortable, saying in a crowded room that he loved McInerney and asking McInerney to be his Valentine /all when McInerney was clearly uncomfortable/- if McInernery had been female and King straight, King likely would have been cited for harassment.
Again, I'm not saying that any other this is an excuse for murder, but gay people can bully and sexually harass straight people too, and it seems that there was a certain amount of that in this case.

[Randi Grogan]

07:07 PM on 12/31/2011

The teen suicides are difficult, peer pressure was the same when I grew up in the 70's & 80's. They say Social Media is to blame, in part I disagree. We have the ability to filter. As for Tracy Morgan, he has family and friends who are gay and I take his stand-up for what it was and he apologized and this gay person accepts that. As for sport stars they have a wider audience, National Television that needs to stop, well we can always hope. But bottom line being Gay is a badge I wear proudly, as any other group we will have those opposed and also have our champions. I commend shows like Glee that bring gay to the forefront of our youth and adults. One of the most positive shows I was such a fan of was Queer as Folk on Showtime. For me it made me proud of who I was, I'm not any different than any straight person. We all have role models, for me it was that show which touched on every issue from bullying, to AIDS. We as a community have to bond together, we will see things change but everything takes time.

[Ron in NYC]

09:26 AM on 12/31/2011

If I could make just one wish for 2012 it would be to not read about another gay teen suicide provoked by bullying.

[Ron in NYC]

09:25 AM on 12/31/2011

Eddie Murphy as Oscar host was a bad idea from the get-go. Murphy is a has-been. There's too much fresh talent out there to choose from without going to the attic and digging out people such as Murphy.

[JTyroler]

11:50 AM on 12/28/2011

I didn't realize that Chaz Bono, a man dating a woman was 'gay' news. LGBT news, LGBTQ news, transgender news, yes. Gay, no.

[Frank Mazzaferro]

08:34 PM on 12/27/2011

What about NY legalizing gay marriage????

[Olestra66]

12:31 PM on 12/28/2011

that's not on this list? seriously? huff post is really lame now.

[Nrclptc20]

04:30 AM on 12/28/2011

It seems to me that amidst the ongoing controversy over the word "queer," "gay" is increasingly coming to take on the inclusive meaning that "queer" was supposed to have; that is, it is becoming an umbrella word for all non-heterosexual and non-cisgender people, just as it initially grew to incorporate lesbians. We might deem this an incorrect use of the word, but words evolve whether we like it or not, and there's been a long history of words with initially narrow meanings undergoing a process of generalization. Perhaps we can find ourselves at peace with "gay" being applied to bisexual and transgender people by thinking of being gay as gleefully rejecting the normative categorizations of gender and/or sexuality, not just as having same-sex attractions.

[JTyroler]

11:56 AM on 12/28/2011

Unfortunately, some 'gay' organizations already tend to marginalize bisexuals, transgender, transsexuals, and gender non-conforming people (queer), I have to raise the question whether the use of 'gay' as an umbrella term means that non-gays and lesbians will be treated equally within 'gay' organizations or does it just make it much easier to marginalize those people that are already being marginalized within those organizations.

[dwalt71608]

09:45 AM on 12/28/2011

I am FOR the continuation of using "LGBT". Being Gay myself, I have been - and ALWAYS will be - a VERY Inclusive human Being! Although I have no personal "desires" about Bisexuality or Transgenderism for ME; I can STILL respect those who DO have these feelings. Also, I am curious: Do Gay Women "prefer" to be called "Gay" or "Lebian"? Thank you everyone for your feedback.

[Valerie Keefe]

11:41 AM on 12/28/2011

I'm for the continuation of LGBT as well, being an every so slightly bi-curious trans lesbian who has had anti gay slurs hurled at me, I like the inclusion of the whole acronym...

I'm saying that this article uses the two interchangably, and when all that's mentioned are stories affecting cissexual gay and lesbian people when there was a LOT of trans news, it's somewhat irritating to say the least.

And as to what other women prefer, I don't know, but I prefer lesbian.

[Ed Baker]

01:57 PM on 12/27/2011

Tracy Morgan, do to yourself, what you'd like to do to gay kids. I have no use for you.