Our Year in Review – April ‘11-‘12

A kiss is still a kiss—but what a kiss it was! When a female naval officer smooched her fiancee during a military homecoming ritual, it indelibly marked the true and final end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The victories of the past year seemed to come fast and furious: New York finally legalizing same-sex marriage along with Maryland and Washington State; Chaz Bono busting a move as Dancing with the Stars’ first transgender contestant; the snowballing Occupy Wall Street movement demanding justice for the hardworking 99 percent. Even great tragedy, and the still-raw memories of America’s worst terrorist attack, failed to slow the rekindling of our optimism. (And if you want more proof, see GO’s landmark Tenth Anniversary issue this September!)

GIRL FRIDAY

The honor of most viewed YouTube video in 2011 went not to adorable kittens, babies making faces or celebrity “It Gets Better” videos—that would be Rebecca Black’s incessantly ear-tickling “Friday” music video. The California teenager’s mom spent $4,000 to have the song and video produced, and the critically-panned result earned more than 167 million views online, launching Black’s career.


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