This is Sabre Norris, who is about to remind you of the absolute giddy joy of finally accomplishing something you've worked your ass off for.

In a huge turning point in the fight for gay rights, on Wednesday Democrats introduced bills in both houses of Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that bans the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.

The Obama Justice Department has announced it will no longer fight for the Defense of Marriage Act in court. Gay rights advocates had long been infuriated that despite the administration's opposition to it, government lawyers were still defending in court the act that prohibits federal recognition of gay marriage.

The European Court Human Rights has ruled that the Irish abortion ban violates the rights of pregnant women whose lives are at risk, after a petition by a cancer patient who feared her pregnancy would trigger a relapse. What now?

Dilma Rousseff was elected Brazil's first female president yesterday. She said in her victory speech that she wanted "fathers and mothers to look their daughters in the eyes and say, 'Yes, a woman can.'"

Within a few weeks, thanks to their own organizing efforts, domestic workers in New York State will be the first nationally to get basic employment rights such as "overtime pay, paid leave and protection from workplace discrimination." California may follow.

Those activist California judges can't seem to stop calling out discrimination whenever it comes before them. As of late yesterday, add "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to the list, which was ruled unconstitutional by one such judge.

Good news: Dallas Police have come up with a broader way to deal with the 25 percent increase in rapes than telling women to "have your friends watch you" when drinking. All it took was a little outrage!

Judge Vaughn Walker has lifted the stay on his own ruling overturning Proposition 8, meaning gay and lesbian marriages can resume immediately August 18 —pending a decision on the appeal to the Ninth Circuit. Couples are already lined up.

Congrats to 23-year-old Gabi Gregg — proprietress of Young, Fat And Fabulous, fashionista, plus-sized fashion advocate, and all-around badass — for winning a nationwide vote to be MTV's first "TJ." And congrats to MTV for getting it right.

Yesterday's historic decision deeming Proposition 8 unconstitutional and discriminatory was a major victory for equal rights for gays and lesbians. Here's what you need to know about what the decision means, and what's next.

Here's some good news for a change: A California judge has ruled that "Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license." Here's the full decision.

In January, a sixteen-year-old Bangladeshi girl was lashed 101 times for being raped and impregnated. Her rapist was pardoned. But the case helped precipitate the most judgment yet banning extrajudicial punishment against women.

A Massachusetts district court judge sided with Massachusetts' argument that the Defense of Marriage Act requires discrimination against its own citizens. The Justice Department had argued that the federal government "has the right to set eligibility requirements for federal benefits."

The "Punch Rihanna" Cafe Press site we linked to has now been taken down. A few readers sent us the email response they received after bugging the company; we say: Thank you. [Cafe Press]