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.

BALTIMORE, Md. — An openly gay East Baltimore resident who was severely beaten Christmas night told police investigators that he believed that he was attacked because he is gay.

PORTLAND, Maine – Michael Snell and Steven Bridges made history at 12:01 am Saturday, Dec. 29, when they became the first same-sex couple to marry in Maine.

The two men stood in front of a county clerk, exchanged rings after saying their “I do” vows, and were declared married. Witnesses and onlookers applauded.

But when the newlyweds walked out of the courthouse, they were greeted by thunderous roars from the crowd that had gathered to witness the historic occasion for Mainers.

SMUG, the LGBTI organization led by Frank Magishu, had its offices in Kampala, Uganda broken into and vandalized with almost all office property stolen during the Christmas holiday.

It is unknown at this time if the motivation behind the attack was homophobic persecution. However given the anti-gay climate in Uganda and the fact that Ugandan House Speaker Rebecca Kadaga failed to deliver her promised “Kill The Gays” bill in time for Christmas, the timing of this attack is quite ominous.