GLEH Housing for Gay and Lesbian Seniors

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced a series of steps aimed at ensuring that federal housing programs do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and that the federal government improves its knowledge base about discrimination the community faces.

President Obama signed major civil rights legislation on Wednesday, making it a federal hate crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity. The new measure expands the the scope of a 1968 law that applies to people attacked because of their race, religion or national origin.

Happy Thursday! (Unless you're White House Counsel Gregory Craig?) The gay rights community scored two more small victories on Tuesday, courtesy of the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services.

From the tough-as-nails cop on '80s drama Cagney & Lacey to the proudest PFLAG mom ever on Showtime's groundbreaking Queer as Folk in the '90s, Sharon Gless has had a long, storied career that's resounded strongly with the lesbian audience. Now, the 66-year-old actress is adding another credit to her resume: playing gay. Starring as the title character in Outfest hit Hannah Free, which opens in select theaters Friday, SheWired.com caught up with Gless to talk about how much the lesbian community has supported her through the years, kissing Rosie O'Donnell and how she's always wanted to portray a lesbian on-screen.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced plans to establish the nation’s first national resource center to assist communities across the country in their efforts to provide services and supports for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals.

Six years ago I buried my mother. Last month I buried my father. Two weeks ago I buried my grandmother. Still in my thirties, I am relatively young to be an orphan. As a result, over the past few weeks I have found myself projecting thirty and forty years into the future and asking, "Who is going to take care of me in my old age?" Of course, it is my higher intention to live a fully active and highly functional, joyful life until the day I die. Nonetheless, I am aware of the fear and insecurity I experience in regards to this question.

Thom Bierdz plays Phillip Chancellor III on 'The Young And The Restless.' He is also an accomplished artist (considered the next Andy Warhol by IN magazine) and is the author of 'Forgiving Troy.' TheCelebrityCafe.com's Lawanda Johnson spoke with Thom about his life on and off screen, his art, and coping with the murder of his mother.

Around the world, LGBT people are deprived of the fundamental human right to adequate housing. Discrimination against LGBT people can result in inadequate living conditions and increases their vulnerability to physical and sexual violence, and consequently making them vulnerable to drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and suicide. Without the right to housing, LGBT individuals cannot experience full and meaningful access to their fundamental human rights. Recent examples of these kinds of violations include:

Now 10 years old, the LGBT senior movement is young and vibrant. With years of grassroots and professional experience within its ranks, and some of the nation's largest gay rights organizations backing it up, it is about to burst into full bloom.