Our straight allies can be some of the most effective and powerful voices in the LGBT movement. Particularly for those in the public eye, allies can lead by example to help others understand that the LGBT community is just as deserving of equality, fairness, acceptance and mutual respect. And in 2012, quite a few famous faces came out as allies of the LGBT community to tremendous effect. Here are ten of our favorite notable quotes from celebrities and public figures that spoke up for LGBT equality in 2012.

There was a time, not so long ago, when religion was a unified front against LGBT equality. However, over the years, we have seen that paradigm change. 2012 witnessed religious people and organizations at the forefront of LGBT advancement. This past spring, GLAAD released “Missing Voices” which noted that pro-LGBT religious voices were largely missing in the media, despite significantly increased LGBT inclusion in religious communities. We publically challenged the media to include more pro-LGBT voices of faith.

On Sept. 21, the U.S. military marked the first anniversary of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and 2012 saw lesbian, gay and bisexual service members openly participating in proud military traditions, national events and LGBT pride celebrations.

The staff members of Hale Media, Inc. -- San Diego Gay & Lesbian News and SD PIX -- wish you a very Happy New Year!

We will be publishing a limited number of stories Monday and will be offline on New Year’s Day to allow our staff members to spend quality time with their families and loved ones.

Thank you for supporting us and making SDGLN the most-read LGBT news source in San Diego. For the year 2012, we have had 1.2 million unique pageviews and 1.4 million pageviews from readers living in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.