EDGE on the Net

Gay students at America’s military service academies are wrapping up the first year when they no longer had to hide their sexual orientation, benefiting from the end of the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy that used to bar them from serving openly.

Military leaders have concluded that last year’s repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in uniform has not affected morale or readiness so far, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday.

Despite strong indications the electorate doesn’t want to institutionalize anti-gay policy, the GOP, as the presidential contenders showed us, believe an appeal to the party’s base means sometimes appealing to their basest instincts.

A snapshot of a Marine kissing his partner after returning from Afghanistan went viral earlier this week.

Low-ranking, young U.S. Army officer Bradley Manning faces a court martial for the largest leak of classified information in our history . His lawyers argue severe emotional turmoil from hiding his sexuality pre-DADT was a factor.

Some bad, much good: 2011 will be remembered for giant strides all over the map, while contending with some very, very bad situations in Africa, the Middle East and in our own public schools. Here are the Top 10 gay-related stories of 2011.

Conservative presidential candidate, Mitt Romney tells the Des Moines Register that, if elected president, he would not overturn the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Act.

Lawyers for Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army specialist accused of the largest leaking of state secrets in U.S. history are centering their defense on emotional & mental problems caused by the military’s homophobia before Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed.

The Senate OK’s repeal for Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which prohibits military members from engaging in consensual sodomy.

Rea Carey, the energetic head of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, spoke exclusively to EDGE about the hits & misses (less of those) of 2011, marriage national & local, bullying, ENDA, black-gay conflict, immigration, gay politicians & having fun.