'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Just Revealed How The Seasons Are Connected
Ryan Murphy shocked “American Horror Story” fans in October when he revealed that all the seasons of the anthology series are connected. On Wednesday night, the first links were made onscreen.

We first knew that Season 4 would connect to Season 2’s “Asylum” when it was announced that Lily Rabe’s Sister Mary Eunice would appear on “Freak Show.” Wednesday night’s mid-season finale finally connected the dots between Elsa Mars’ freak show and Briarcliff Manor from “Asylum.” The episode revealed Pepper’s entire origin story, from when she first met Elsa to how she arrived at the asylum. In present day of “Freak Show,” which is set in Jupiter, Florida in 1952, Elsa finds Pepper’s sister and asks her to take Pepper in so she can finally have a real family.

But then “Freak Show” jumped ahead 10 years to 1962 in Massachusetts — let us remind you that Briarcliff was purchased by the Catholic church and converted into a Sanitarium that year, according to “Asylum.” In the scene, Pepper’s sister sat across from Rabe’s Sister Mary Eunice (she’s back!) and told her that Pepper murdered her son. In Season 2 of “AHS,” it was revealed that Pepper had been accused of drowning her sister’s son and cutting his ears off (but it was actually her sister’s husband who committed the murder). The “Freak Show” mid-season finale included this twist: Pepper’s sister and brother-in-law both conspired against her, killing their own son to have her locked away.

The episode ended with Pepper’s arrival at Briarcliff where she meets Sister Mary for the first time and the God-loving nun (remember, this is before her demonic possession) welcomes her with kindness. Pepper looked down at an old Life magazine dated July 6, 1958 to see Elsa Mars on the cover, a now-proclaimed TV star. So now we know that no matter how Season 4 of “American Horror Story” ends, Elsa’s dreams of stardom will eventually come true. The only thing we’re left wondering is how we’re supposed to ignore the fact that Elsa looks exactly like Sister Jude.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” returns on Jan. 7 with a mid-season premiere that will guest star Neil Patrick Harris and feature the return of “AHS” alum Jamie Brewer.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” airs on Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET on FX.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/18/american-horror-story-connections_n_6345408.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Bills Aim To Overturn Anti-Gay Texas Law That Punishes Children For Having Same-Sex Parents

John Wright

www.towleroad.com/2014/12/gay-austin-dads-take-on-texas-law-that-punishes-children-for-having-same-sex-parents.html

Snow gets sexy: 6 gay ski weeks around the world

Planning your winter ski trip? Grab your mates and do it in style

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G2003

www.gaystarnews.com/article/snow-gets-sexy-6-gay-ski-weeks-around-world131214

WATCH: Duggars Claim Petition Against Show Is Gaining Them Fans

The homophobic and prolific couple contend that ‘God is expanding our borders through the national media.’

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Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/politics/media/2014/12/18/watch-duggars-claim-petition-against-show-gaining-them-fans

Church That Fired Gay Music Director Is Closing Its Doors For Good

The First United Methodist Church in Alexandria, IN has fallen on hard times.

Last year, it made headlines for firing its music director, Adam Fraley, after learning he was gay. As a result, members of the congregation left in droves. Now, Pastor David Mantor says the church will be closing its doors for good at the end of the year, but he insists that it has nothing to do with the Fraley firing incident, the Herald Bulletin reports.

“This closure is not due to that situation whatsoever,” he said.

Instead, he claims falling attendance, membership and financing problems are to blame.

“This is a problem that’s going on everywhere,” he said. “And that’s why we’re closing.”

The church has been steadily losing members over the past year. Dr. David Steele, a former member and lay leader for the church, said it lost around 80 percent of the congregation after Fraley was fired for being gay.

“I think this is hurtful for all of us who were involved in that church,” Steele said. “I grew up in that church. We had a very tight-knit congregation.”

According to Mantor, only 20 or 30 of the once 700 parishioners remain. But come December 31, they will need to find a new place to worship.

Related stories:

Indiana Church Divided After New Minister Fires Gay Man, Straight Supporters

Methodist Minister Shares Journey As Transgender Man With Congregation

Pastor Who Was Defrocked For Officiating Gay Son’s Wedding Is Officially “Re-Frocked”

Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Graham Gremore

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Duck Dynasty's Willie Robertson 'trying to figure out' if being gay is a choice

Reality TV star says his family loves gay people

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darrenw

www.gaystarnews.com/article/duck-dynastys-willie-robertson-trying-figure-out-if-being-gay-choice181214

Pat Robertson Says Gays 'Will Die Out'
Televangelist Pat Robertson predicts that gays will die out because they don’t reproduce.

Robertson was responding to a viewer who belongs to a church in which congregants aren’t allowed to date.

“It is treated as a sin to show interest in or have a mutual understanding in church with the opposite sex,” wrote Crystal. “Most of the people in church are frustrated because we’re getting older and no one is getting married.”

In comments made on his show “The 700 Club” on ABC Family that were then posted on YouTube by Right Wing Watch, Robertson replied:

“You know those who are homosexual will die out because they don’t reproduce. You have to have heterosexual sex to reproduce. Same thing with that church. It’s doomed. It’s going to die out, ’cause it’s the most nonsensical thing I have heard in a long time. This is absurd.

God has made us to be in families. God has created a desire of men and women to have attraction to the opposite sex so that they will reproduce and have children.

If I were you, I’d get out of the church as fast as I could, cast the dust of it on your feet, shake off the dust and run.

Of course, gays can become parents in a number of ways, including surrogacy. And as Inquisitr points out, the children of gay parents are no more likely to be gay than other children, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/18/pat-robertson-gays-die-out_n_6345454.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Australian politicians are auctioning off their time for marriage equality

Some of Australia’s leading politicians, including Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s sister Christine Forster, have offered to have lunch with donors to a campaign to raise $50,000 for Australian Marriage Equality

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andrewp

www.gaystarnews.com/article/australian-politicians-are-auctioning-their-time-marriage-equality181214