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Earlier this week I reported that the Archdiocese of Boston had moved to cancel a planned "All Are Welcome" Catholic mass in honor of gay Pride. Yesterday the Boston Globe reported that the local priest behind the idea is standing up to his bosses.

Sunday Mass at St. Cecilia’s Church in the Back Bay brought the first standing ovation any parishioner could remember. During the first Mass since the Archdiocese of Boston canceled one planned for next weekend in support of St. Cecilia’s gay and lesbian churchgoers, the Rev. John J. Unni preached a fiery message of unconditional love and what he called “acceptance of all." “You are welcome here, gay or straight, rich or poor, young or old, black or white,’’ Unni said as he paced up and down the center aisle. “Here, you all can say, ‘I can worship the God who made me as I am.’" Unni finished his homilies at the 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses to thunderous applause.

The "All Are Welcome" special mass remains canceled, but members of the Rainbow Ministry will gather on the sidewalk outside the church next Sunday.

After being criticized that it was "endorsing" Gay Pride Month, the Archdiocese of Boston has forced the cancellation of a planned "All Are Welcome" mass at a local church.

In its most recent bulletin, St. Cecilia Parish said that it had planned a “liturgy to commemorate Boston Pride 2011’’ for later this month. “The Rainbow Ministry of St. Cecilia Parish invites all friends and supporters of the LGBT community to a Mass in celebration of Boston’s Pride Month,’’ the bulletin said. “The theme of the liturgy, ‘All Are Welcome,’ honors Christ’s message of hope and salvation to all people. We will also celebrate the diverse community that finds its home at St. Cecilia.’’ But after protests from conservative church members, the archdiocese intervened. “The wording and placement of a bulletin notice announcing that the St. Cecilia Rainbow Ministry will be joining the parish at a Mass on June 19 may have given the unintended impression that the Mass is in support of Gay Pride Week; it is not,’’ said Terrence C. Donilon, a spokesman for the archdiocese. “The pastor will clarify this issue at the Masses this coming weekend.’’

At the urging of a very young fan, the Boston Red Sox have agreed to become the third major league sports team to record an "It Gets Better" video. The Advocate reports:

Sam Maden, a 12-year-old Sox fan, petitioned the team via Change.org to create a video for the project, founded by Dan Savage and Terry Miller as a way to fight antigay bullying and teen suicide by letting young LGBT people know that life does get better. Maden conceived his petition campaign as a way to honor an uncle who died unexpectedly in January. About 9,000 people, mostly Red Sox fans from New England, signed Maden’s petition, according to a news release from Change.org. Team executives announced over the weekend that the Sox would make a video.

Last week the San Francisco Giants became the first time to release an anti-bullying video. The Chicago Cubs are due up next.