Despite the fact that on February 29, lawmakers in St. Petersburg Russia voted to ban speech, reading, writing or debate on anything “gay” (still needs the governor’s signature), despite the fact that gay acts are illegal in many countries, there has been progress made on LGBT issues over the past year.

If you haven’t already seen this image, we’re pleased to let you know that this homecoming photo of a U.S. Marine caught in a passionate lip-lock with his boyfriend has gone viral on the internet. It seems to have been originally uploaded to Facebook’s Gay Marines group., and has been met with mostly positive response.

Then this morning came another homecoming kiss photo, this one from Seattle.

Congratulations to all happy lovers out there in the world! May we all learn to respect and include one another, and have the fortitude to continue the journey.

The Cultural Detective LGBT is an incredibly powerful tool for building understanding, respect and inclusion in our communities and our workplaces. Written by an international team of authors, it includes five Values Lenses and 14 critical incidents. Please put it to good use and help us make our world a more equitable and inclusive place!