The dating process is always changing – before the Internet, meeting guys outside of the typical singles scene was tough. Now, we’ve moved beyond simple gay dating websites into ‘mobile apps’ for singles in the LGBT community. So, before you go and waste time playing some variation of “angry birds” on your smartphone, check out these gay dating apps available for Android phones (ranked in no particular order):

1. Grindr

Grindr is the leading app in the Android Marketplace for scoping out other gay men and socializing with them. What’s even better is that the app is location-based, meaning you have the option to only browse guys that are literally within minutes of where you’re at. You can go from launching the app straight to uploading a photo and meeting other guys. No account setup is required. There are more than 2 million guys using Grindr right now, so what are you waiting for?

2. Jack’d

While Jack’d is still in its beta, fetal stages, it remains to be one of the most used and dominant gay dating apps for Android out right now. With loads of features including a match finder, filtering of people, favorites lists, messaging, and more, it’s hard not to download this goodie for giving your love life a leg up in this race. The Jack’d interface sports a black, sleek and sexy theme that enhances the entire mood of the app. With an average app rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, it’s a must-download app for GLBT singles.

3. BoyAhoy Gay Chat

Whether you’re looking for a friend, a flirtatious encounter, or full blown love, BoyAhoy can bring all of these things to you within minutes of downloading the app. As soon as you download the app, you can begin messaging other guys, chatting, “checking out” other guys, creating a hotlist, earning points, and more. It’s well-reviewed in Android Market, so if the idea of chatting sounds like fun, this is another must-download app.

4. Scruff

“Scruffing” is the new term in the world of the Scruff app, where you have access to a global community of gay men. The app features all sorts of goodies such as chat, search, checking in, complete profile customization, and so much more. Using Android’s GPS technology, you can instantly get connected to all of the hottest guys in your area without having to ever leave the house. Just think, you can start scruffing and meet somebody on the network in your neighborhood today.

5. Gay Truth or Dare

In this fun twist on the traditional game of “Truth or Dare,” you get a completely revamped version that caters specifically to the LGBT community. If you’re looking for something fun to do with a friend or need a good game to play while drinking, this is the app for you. The app allows you to add in your own dares, take pictures of candid moments during the game and share them on Facebook, and there is even an option in each dare for “making it dirty,” which can make the dare even hotter. This is a great app for parties.

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A quick rundown of the day’s hottest topics in the gay and lesbian community.

After taking a break for the 4th of July to celebrate our country, we are back with more news!

Parole Granted for Killer in Attack on Gay Man – A man serving a 45-year sentence for a murder he committed while on a joy ride to “beat up some queers” will be released on parole after 18 years behind bars, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Jon Buice was part of the infamous Woodlands 10, a group of mostly high school–age boys who tracked Paul Broussard and two friends in the summer of 1991 after they left a gay nightclub called Heaven. The boys unloaded from two cars and began beating Broussard, including with a 2-by-4, and Buice admits stabbing him. The two friends managed to escape.

Although Buice once testified that the group intended to “beat up some queers” and were carrying “queer rocks” for throwing at passersby, he later apologized in an open letter to the gay community, saying “it was never my intention to harm anyone.”

For Gay Couples Eager to Wed at First Possible Moment – Gay couples seeking to marry in New York State at the first possible moment will have at least one option to do so — but, right now at least, it would require a trip to the state’s Southern Tier.

The city of Binghamton is planning to open its municipal offices to accept marriage applications on Sunday, July 24, when the same-sex marriage law takes effect, officials there said on Wednesday.

“It just seemed like, if that’s the first day that this is allowed, then we should allow people to take advantage of that,” said Sean Massey, a Binghamton city councilman.

Mr. Massey said that opening the office would allow city officials to avoid a huge rush of applications the following Monday, when the clerk’s office would normally open for the week. Binghamton is only a few minutes from the Pennsylvania line, so city officials expect to receive marriage applications from a number of out-of-state couples, too.

California Gay Textbooks: Proposal Would Require LGBT Lessons In Schools – California lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that would make the state the first to require public schools to teach lessons on historical and current contributions of gays and lesbians.

The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not indicated whether he will sign the document, the Associated Press Reports. The regulation would also prohibit the use of any materials that reflects negatively on gays.

From the AP: “This bill will require California schools to present a more accurate and nuanced view of American history in our social science curriculum by recognizing the accomplishments of groups that are not often recognized,” said Assembly Speaker John Perez, the first openly gay speaker of the California Assembly.

Gay Marriage Advocates Miss the Boat … Again– I’ve always believed gay marriage advocates, by and large, had an arrogance typified by people who think it’s their way or the highway. You come across these folks everyday while driving, at the grocery store, and I bet some of you even live with men and women who see the world only through their lenses.

Many gay marriage advocates are up in arms over the General Assembly’s passage of a civil union billed signed into law by Governor Chafee this past week.

Many gay marriage supporters criticized civil unions as discriminatory. In particular, MERI opposed language in the new law that allows religious hospitals, cemeteries and schools to refuse to recognize the rights granted through civil unions. Sullivan said his group will urge lawmakers to repeal the religious exemption.

Putting gay black men on safer path is their cause – It’s Saturday night, and the city’s young gay black men have plenty of options.

A sex party is percolating in a private home, the “gyms” that have replaced bath houses are open for business, and an underground voguing competition is under way.

Noel Ramirez and Quincy Greene know where the action is and understand its allure. But they understand the danger, too.

Young gay black men are contracting HIV at twice the rate as their white and Hispanic counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And nearly half of all Americans with HIV are African Americans.

A quick rundown of the day’s hottest topics in the gay and lesbian community.

Church of England to reconsider stance on gay bishops –  The Church of England has said it is reviewing its approach to same-sex relationships and whether gay priests in civil partnerships should become bishops, its most significant work on the subject for years.

According to a statement from the House of Bishops, there is a “theological task to be done to clarify further understanding of the nature and status of these partnerships”.

The bishop of Norwich, Graham James, said the “last substantive engagement” with the issue of homosexuality was in 2005.

Gay marriage now law of state –  After years of wrangling, the same-sex marriage debate ended late in the day of June 24 when the New York state Legislature passed the Marriage Equality Act. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law, which will take effect within 30 days.

Two Hudson Valley lawmakers – state Sens. John Bonacic and William Larkin – voted against the bill. The Senate vote to pass the historic legislation 33-29. The bill sailed through the Assembly 80-63.

N.Y. Town Clerk: I Won’t Sign Gay Wedding License – New York’s gay weddings victory lap has not extended to all parts of the Empire State, with a rural town clerk determined to not sign any same-sex marriage licenses.

Barbara MacEwen, the town clerk in upstate Volney who is responsible for signing marriage licenses in the town, said she’s morally opposed to same-sex weddings and does not intend to affix her signature to any marriage documents for gay or lesbian couples.

Maine seeks to regain marriage equality – For the first time in history, LGBT activists are initiating a ballot measure to win marriage equality.

EqualityMaine and Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) announced Thursday, June 30, that they are taking steps to place a citizen’s initiative on the November 2012 ballot. The measure will ask Maine voters to approve a law giving same-sex couples the right to marry.

The move comes a year and a half after a referendum in November 2009 overturned a law passed by the legislature and signed by Governor John Baldacci (D) in May 2009. Because repeal activists immediately began petitioning for a “People’s Veto” against the law, the law was put on hold and ballot Question 1 asked voters if they would like to repeal that law.

Couple Asks Ninth Circuit to Rule on Gay-Marriage Ban –  Just days after the Justice Department filed an appeal of a ruling declaring the federal ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, lawyers for a same-sex couple at the center of a bankruptcy dispute upped the ante by asking the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to take the case.

The Justice Department appealed the bankruptcy-court ruling Monday that declared the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional. Such appeals of bankruptcy-court decisions would be heard by the U.S. District Court.

But lawyers for the couple involved in the bankruptcy case are seeking to skip that step and go right to appeals court.

Anti-Gay Tweet From Red Bull NASCAR Member Crashes And Burns – If only Red Bull gave you brains, a former tire changer for the energy drink’s NASCAR team would still have his job.

Red Bull recently sacked Jeremy Fuller from their NASCAR team for tweeting a picture of a rainbow sign for SF pride (pictured) and commenting, “This is way (sic) I don’t live here.”

Later, a fan tweeted in response “if we could get rid of them, it’d be a lot better” to which Fuller replied, “lol… don’t we all wish.”

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A quick rundown of the day’s hottest topics in the gay and lesbian community.

Gay Softball World Series Hit By Heterosexual Cheating Controversy – The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) is now facing a lawsuit following a decision from the 2008 Gay Softball World Series to strip the second-place team of their title because the team was apparently composed of not enough homosexual players.

Woman Charged for Preacher Kiss at Gay Pride Event – A Bible-waving preacher protesting at a gay pride event in North Carolina turned the other cheek – and got kissed on it by a 74-year-old female gay rights supporter who is now charged with simple assault.

Obama: New York’s gay marriage vote ‘a good thing’ – While President Obama won’t say either way whether he supports gay marriage, he does think it’s a good thing for the state of New York.

Southwest Pilot James Taylor Apologizes For Anti-Gay Rant – The Southwest Airlines pilot who accidentally broadcast a four-minute anti-gay rant has apologized.

Andrew Cuomo hit by liberal backlash – After hearing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo anoint himself as the torch-carrier of the Empire State’s progressive legacy for ushering through the legalization of gay marriage, progressives are now saying: Not so fast.

Gay marriage drive revived in Maine – Supporters of same-sex marriage officially kicked off their efforts to get the issue on the 2012 ballot Thursday with a morning news conference outside Lewiston City Hall.  Organizers from Equality Maine and the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders spoke, as did Lewiston Mayor Laurent Gilbert Sr. and Pastor Michael Gray of the United Methodist Church in Old Orchard Beach.

Group tries again to shield names in gay rights fight – A conservative group trying to shield the names of more than 100,000 people who signed petitions trying to block a new law expanding gay rights in Washington state is again trying to keep the information from becoming public.  Protect Marriage Washington, which lost year lost its argument on broad First Amendment claims before the United States Supreme Court, on this week asked a federal court to prevent Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed from publishing the names and addresses of the 138,000 people who signed petitions in 2009 to put Referendum 71 on the ballot.

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A quick rundown of the day’s hottest topics in the gay and lesbian community.

New Jersey gay couples sue for the right to marry – Seven Couples in the state of New Jersey are filing suit in the state supreme court for the right to marry.  With the new ruling in New York, expect more couples to go this route.

Senator Chris Coons on “It Gets Better” Message -The Senator from New Jersey discusses the “It Gets Better” message and what people can expect growing up gay and how it improves as you get older.

Cuomo’s win on marriage sparks presidential talk – While Governor Cuomo of New York might hear his name heard a lot in 2011, he could hear it even more for a presidential run in 2016.

Rudy Giuliani Allegedly Breaks Promise To Marry Gay Friends – While former New York mayor underwent a divorce, he stayed at a gay friends pad.  Now after promising to marry these two, Giuliani has declined to go through with marrying them.

Gay Activists Admit to Online Hoax Targeting Southern Baptist Convention – A gay activist group has taken credit for an elaborate online hoax attacking the Southern Baptist Convention for its opposition to gay marriage.

Tracy Morgan Under Fire Again: Mocks Disabled – Weeks after mocking gay people, Tracy Morgan rocks the boat again going after the disabled.

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A quick rundown of the day’s hottest topics in the gay and lesbian community.

Dutch schools are now required to teach gay education – Interesting take on the fact that young students will now be getting more equality on same-sex issues in the classroom.

Australians to put same-sex marriage to a vote … of sorts – A big party broke out in Australia after New York’s historic decision gay marriage.  It has renewed calls for the same benefits in the country.

Nine Teens Arrested in Beating of Gay Man in Massachusetts – Nine teens from the ages of 12-19 have been arrested for the beating and robbery of a gay man this morning.