He made it crystal clear that he is our strongest ally in this fight, that he understands and, in fact, encourages our activism and our voice even when we're impatient with the pace of change. But these remarks weren't just for us, they were directed to all Americans who share his dream and ours of a country where 'no one is denied their basic rights, in which all of us are free to live and love as we see fit.' ... This was a historic night when we felt the full embrace and commitment of the president of the United States. It's simply unprecedented." — Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese on President Obama's Oct. 10 speech to HRC's national dinner in Washington, D.C.

" ( W ) hen they get out there on Sunday, Gay Nation ... needs to do everything in their power to scare the hell out of right-wing homophobes. I want to see you guys rollerblading down the Mall in nothing but a speedo and a nun's habit, holding a sparkler in one hand and a penis popsicle in the other." — HBO's Bill Maher writing at The Huffington Post, Oct. 9.

"I think for me ( the National Equality March ) was a cause that I truly believe in. By and large in this country the issue of gay rights and equality should be past the point of debate. Really, there should be no debate anymore. For me, in my small platform as a professional football player, I understand that my time in the spotlight is probably limited. The more times you have to lend your name to a cause you believe in, you should do that." — New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita to the Huffington Post, Oct. 7.

"People do call it homophobia, and even that term alone is interesting to me. Because I don't even know how they call it homophobia, because that's a fear of the same. It's more heterophobia. It's a fear of something different from yourself. Is there still some of that in the locker room? Absolutely. People tell me, hey, that's pretty courageous. You come out in favor of gay rights. I don't think it's that courageous. I think I have an opinion, that I wish was shared by everybody." — New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita to the Huffington Post, Oct. 7.

"I don't like when people use God or Jesus Christ in this whole ( gay ) debate, if you could even call it a debate. Jesus Christ, to me, is probably the most compassionate and revolutionary thinker of all time. Look at his teachings. Look at what he preached. He would not endorse any type of inequality, this type of inhumanity. He would not be on board with that. So please, spare me that argument and saying that hey, the Bible says that it ain't right, or hey, Jesus Christ wouldn't buy into this kind of thing. Don't give me that. That's not even an argument." — New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita to the Huffington Post, Oct. 7.

"We must remember that we do not have the freedom to marry, to inherit, to adopt, to share our health insurance, to learn about our history in our schools. To learn that our two greatest presidents, Washington and Lincoln, were gay. We do not have the freedom to live as straight people have the freedom to live. We do not have the freedom to have our bars not raided by police and officers beating us up with such fury that we land in hospitals." — Veteran activist Larry Kramer speaking at Dallas gay pride, Sept. 20.

"Some of the next generation of LGBT opinion leaders think more boldly than the preceding generation. We grew up in a different environment than people who grew up in the 1960s or the 1970s. The new generation grew up in a post-AIDS-crisis world. I don't know anybody who died of AIDS, and for a gay man 20 years ago, that would have been a shocking statement. But most of my peers don't either. We're not characterized by being survivors." — Gay U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., to The Washington Post, Oct. 9. He is 34 years old.

"I've always said I can't cook to save my life. Now home sick, learning how literally true that is. Yuck." — MSNBC lesbian host Rachel Maddow in an Oct. 14 tweet.

—Assistance: Bill Kelley