Egyptian authorities have arrested nine men on charges of inciting debauchery and undermining public morals for appearing in a video purporting to show the country’s first gay marriage, Reunters reports:

The footage, which was posted on YouTube, appears to show a group of men celebrating a gay wedding on a Nile riverboat.

The public prosecutor’s office said in a statement late on Saturday the party took place in April but the footage went viral in August, causing the police to take action to identify the men.

The statement said the images were “humiliating, regrettable and would anger God,” concluding that they constituted a criminal act and would be investigated.

Watch the alleged ‘gay marriage’ video, AFTER THE JUMP…

AFP adds:

Prosecutors have also ordered “medical tests” of the men –  a longstanding practice in Egypt to allegedly identify homosexuals that has been denounced by human rights groups. 

Back in April, we reported on gays in Egypt observing increased rates of arrests by government officials. 

Daniel Pierce, the Georgia teen who recorded disturbing video of his family’s abhorrent and violent reaction to his sexuality during a “pray the gay away” intervention last month, has stopped taking donations to his GoFundMe page and has now asked that supporters instead contribute to Atlanta’s Lost-n-Found Youth, a nonprofit organization that helps transition homeless LGBT young people into a permanent living situation.

Pierce’s update to his GoFundMe page:

I’ve asked my friends to discontinue donations to the GoFundMe page, but if you would still like to give money and help the LGBTQ youth homeless crisis, please visit the Lost-n-Found Youth website at www.Lost-n-Found.org for more information on how you can make a difference for the many other kids in the world like me.

The GoFundMe page was set up to cover Pierce’s living everyday expenses and has raised almost $94,000. Pierce has already donated a good chunk of that money to Lost-n-Found Youth.

Lost-n-Found Youth is currently in the middle of a campaign with a goal of raising $500,000 to support the renovation of a building that would become the groups new home in 2015. The 100-year-old building in Atlanta would provide 18 homelss youth a place to live for up three months.

Watch a CBS46 news report about Pierce and Lost-n-Found Youth’s renovation efforts, AFTER THE JUMP.

Once Pierce’s family learned that he had published the video of their confrontation on YouTube, they left him a voicemail message asking him to remove it from the website. Since the video (also AFTER THE JUMP) was posted less than two weeks ago, it has garnered nearly 6 million views.

CBS46 News

Starkville, Mississippi mayor Parker Wiseman has announced that his city will begin offering domestic partner benefits for its LGBT city employees – a first for the state.

The Clarion-Ledger reports:

The measure was approved by the Starkville Board of Aldermen unanimously.

The benefits include medical, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT advocacy group.

“Loving LGBT couples should have equal access to medical care, and we applaud the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen for their leadership on this critical issue,” said HRC Mississippi Director Rob Hill.

WTVA adds that Wiseman also annoucned plans to appoint two LGBT liaisons to support the needs of the LGBT community. 

Back in January, Starkville became the first city in Mississippi to officially recogize the digningty of its LGBT citizens.