Metropolitan Community Church To Open Congregation In Spain, Madrid Pride, Announcing The Wedding Of Mitchell Gold And Tim Scofield, Carrie Prejean Now Opposite Sex Married, Martina Navratilova On Dogs, Cats, And Rafael Nadal’s Ass, Rafael Nadal Wins Wimbledon

There is a report that Spain is to get its first gay Christian church to celebrate same sex marriages, the American-based Metropolitan Community Church to open a congregation in Madrid in October. The church, founded in California in 1968, currently has 300 congregations in 22 countries. According to reports, a lesbian couple, both Spaniards living in Canada, have come to Madrid to register an Metropolitan Community Church with the country’s justice minister. Spain’s current climate of equality and inclusion is in stark contrast to a time only thirty years ago, when under the regime of dictator Francisco Franco, gays were routinely sent to institutions similar to concentration camps. Homosexuality was decriminalized shortly after Franco’s death in 1979, and in 2005 Spain passed legislation allowing same sex marriages, the country being only the third member of the European Union following Belgium and the Netherlands to do so.

Saturday, more than a million individuals filled the streets of Madrid for the annual Gay Pride Parade, the principle theme of this year’s incarnation For Trans Equality, a banner marking the topic held at the beginning of the march by Spain’s minister of equality Bibiana Aido. The parade also commemorated the fifth anniversary of the Spain legalizing gay marriage, featuring a number floats carrying diverse same sex families.

The New York Times on the wedding of Mitchell Gold and Tim Scofield married on June 19th, in Iowa, at the Des Moines Art Center, Iowa one of only five American states that allows same sex marriage. Among the guests was Judge Robert B. Hanson of Iowa’s Fifth Judicial District, whose ruling in 2007 that found the state ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional set the groundwork for the legalization of same sex unions.

Failed beauty pageant Carrie Prejean and one promising professional quarterback Kyle Boller married Friday in San Diego, at the hotel owned by Doug Manchester, Grand Del Mar Hotel, Manchester having made substantial contributions to the Yes On Proposition 8 campaign that passed in November, 2008 and effectively eliminated the right of gay men and women in California to marry.

Martina Navratilova, 53 years old, has won her 21st Wimbledon title, winning the ladies invitation doubles Sunday alongside tennis partner Jana Novotna, the two defeating Tracey Austin and Kathy Rinaldi-Stunkel in two straight sets. Prior to the match, Martina, who finished radiation treatment for breast cancer two weeks ago, gives a great interview to the Guardian, talking about gay rights, cat emergencies, and missing a Lady Gaga concert. She also weighs in on one of my favourite topics – Rafael Nadal’s “great butt.”

Speaking of which, Nadal won his second Wimbledon title Sunday, beating Tomas Berdych in three straight sets, a win that earned the sexy Spaniard his eighth major title, a rare feat and one that Rafael celebrating by doing a somersault at centre court.