Paloma Faith Helped Gay Fans Get Engaged

Photo by Saul/Redferns via Getty Images

1. A gay man in the U.K. who planned on popping the question to his longterm boyfriend got in touch with hisfavorite musician, the soulful Paloma Faith. Known for her velvety voice and retro-glam aesthetic, Faith sent an unbearably sweet video on Valentine's Day to make a special occasion all the more magical. [TheOutMost]

2. Out former NBA player Jason Collins has been mentoring closeted athletes. The message he has for them: "The world is ready to accept them and support them." [The Independent]

3. In an interview with Oprah, Rob Bell, former megachurch pastor, said that the church is "moments away" from embracing same-sex marraige. Bell, who was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2011, went on to explain his conviction. "I think culture is already there and the church will continue to be even more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2,000 years ago as their best defense, when you have in front of you flesh-and-blood people who are your brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and co-workers and neighbors and they love each other and just want to go through life with someone." [New Civil Rights Movement]

4. A recent poll shows that the majority of Republican voters in key early-primary states like New Hampshire and South Carolina would find a GOP candidate opposed to same-sex marriage "mostly" or "totally" unacceptable. This is quite a dramatic move in the right direction from the last election period, and will hopefully push republican hopefuls to change their backwards stances. [Washington Post]

5. Some sad news as we head toward this Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. Still Alice writer/director Richard Glatzer, who co-wrote and directed the Oscar-nominated film with his husband Wash Westmoreland, was hospitalized due to complications from ALS. [YahooNews]

6. Have you heard Charli XCX & Questlove's cover of Deee-Lite's "Groove Is In The Heart" in this new Target ad?