PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island is poised to join nine other states and the District of Columbia in allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee planned to sign gay marriage legislation into law Thursday evening, immediately following a final procedural vote in the state's General Assembly. The outcome of the vote is not in doubt.

Hundreds are expected to gather at the Statehouse to celebrate the new law, which has already passed the House and Senate once. The first weddings could take place Aug. 1, when the new law would take effect. Read more »

A day after calling NBA player Jason Collins to congratulate him on coming out on the cover of Sports Illustrated, President Barack Obama said he "couldn't be prouder" of Collins at a press briefing Tuesday morning.

As he was leaving the press briefing, a reporter asked him to remark on his conversation with Collins. Read more »

Finance firms can move fast when it benefits the bottom line. That’s why Wall Street, despite its rigid alpha-male reputation, has been remarkably progressive on the issue of gay rights. From the breadth of domestic partner benefits to Goldman Sachs (GS) Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein’s commercials in support of same-sex marriage, banks and brokerages have embraced this area of equality. Maybe that’s because of the industry’s war for talent, the spending power of gay clients, or Blankfein’s thesis that the market only cares about results. Read more »

NBA center Jason Collins has become the first male athlete in a major professional sport to come out as gay.

The 34-year-old, who appeared in 32 games this season for the Celtics before being traded at the deadline along with Leandro Barbosa for guard Jordan Crawford and is now a free agent, tells Sports Illustrated: Read more »