A 27-year-old lesbian activist has been denied asylum in the United Kingdom, even though her life would be in jeopardy should she have to return to her native Iran. Christina Aguilera says she’s not just following trends when she sings “I’m kissing all the boys and the girls” on her new single, “Not Myself Tonight.” The singer says she’s into ladies … and her husband knows. The president of Portugal announced Monday that he is ratifying a law allowing same-sex marriage in the predominantly Catholic country.

Health care advocate Kevin Lembo has entered the race for Connecticut comptroller, a post that oversees the state’s financial reporting. Rock icon Patti Smith recalls how late gay photographer Robert Mapplethorpe saved her from a predatory older man by pretending to be her boyfriend. The tawdry timeline of gay video game characters includes horny elves, sexually ambiguous bullies, and drug-addicted club owners.

Initiative 1077 would institute a tax for couples making more than $400,000 per year, or individuals earning $200,000 annually, according to the Associated Press. The initiative was filed with the secretary of state’s office on Friday. The language of the bill was adjusted to accommodate gay and lesbian registered couples. The initial language may not have treated same-sex couples equally, subjecting one partner who earns more than $200,000.

The second attempt to recall Sam Adams, Portland, Ore.’s gay mayor, has come up short — supporters of the recall needed 32,183 signatures but were unable to achieve that number before the deadline. A Texas court has yet to make a decision as to whether a gay couple who married in Massachusetts can get a divorce in Dallas County.

Actor Neil Patrick Harris appeared on The View on Monday and spoke his mind about the coming-out of both Ricky Martin and Rupert Everett. American Idol season 7 star David Archuleta is denying speculation that he is gay after being spotted at a gay nightclub. After a 20-year relationship and setting up legal documentation for him and his partner to care for each other in their final days of life, 88-year-old Clay Greene ended up financially wiped out and in the middle of a legal battle against his California county.

The White House announced the rule changes, which will also make it easier for gay men and lesbians to make medical decisions on behalf of their partners, in a memorandum released Thursday night. In it, the president said the new rules would affect any hospital that participates in Medicare or Medicaid, the government programs to cover the elderly and the poor.