It’s very easy to be depressed around this time of year - summer never really happened, we’re still up shit creek with the economy and, well, without getting all Green Day on you, it’s September - a month that screams back-to-school, back-to-work, back-to-being-sensible. Wake me up etc etc etc.

I recently read a rather depressing article on The Guardian the other week about the state of LGBT rights around the world (warning: don’t read this if you’ve  an early case of the winter blues, it’ll push you over the edge). I’m usually all for a moan and a whine, however I’m feeling rather chipper this evening so here’s three things to cheer you up:

1) Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is O.V.E.R

Like wearing track pants on a Monday, kicking someone out the US military based on their sexuality will result in Gretchen Weiner screaming “YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US” in your face. Ok, so the world doesn’t really revolved around the Mean Girls script (how amazing would that be though?), but you’ve got to admit, it’s a pretty LANDMARK (excuse the lazy journalism phrase) event in the ol’ LGBT history. Some gays even got married to celebrate, bless ‘em. When I watched the inauguration of Obama a couple of years ago I remember watching him walk out of the White House, hand in hand with the lovely Michelle. I wondered if we’d ever see the day when we’d see two men, or two women, do the same. Inch by inch, we’re getting there.

2) We might be allowed to MARRY.

“But we already can!” I hear you cry. Well actually, no, we can just get cival partnership-‘d, which, if only for the sake of semantics, is rubbish.  “An official consultation on reforming England and Wales’ marriage laws will begin in March 2012, and could be in place before the next election in 2015”, Lesbilicious tells me. HOW EXCITING. Also works out quite well for me, because if I’m ever going to afford the wedding Simon wants, I’ll need a good decade to save up. To many it won’t mean much, but for me, well, if I’m honest, I’ve been in love with the idea of ‘marriage’ since I was a kid, dreaming of getting hitched to the guy out of Grease 2. ‘Civil Partnership’ (as a phrase, not as the actual thing itself), to me, has always seemed a bit ‘silver ribbon.’

3) Lady Gaga did a duet with Tony Bennett.

It’s the campest duet since that crazy woman from Catatonia (remember THEM!? You give me ruuuyyydd raaaaage!) and Tom Jones. If it doesn’t put a smile on your face, you’re definitely a member of Westboro Baptist Church. Or something.

Chins up kittens, it’s nearly Christmas! *sigh*

"If you can't laugh at the dark, that's when the dark takes over" - Amanda Palmer