What else has been happening in this country besides killer hurricanes? See if you’re up to speed on current LGBT events with this enlightening news quiz.

1. This big-name athlete and aspiring police officer helped apprehend a suspected gay-basher in the South Beach area.

a. Shaquille O’Neal

b. John Rocker

c. Eddie the Eagle

d. Speed Racer

2. The Starbucks at Baylor University removed coffee cups featuring a quote from novelist Armistead Maupin about growing up:

a. Gay

b. Poor

c. Dyslexic

d. Croatian

3. Which of the following is NOT a reason the Massachusetts Legislature rejected a constitutional amendment to replace gay marriage with civil unions?

a. Each legislator was taken over by an alien.

b. Some legislators are waiting for the next, harsher amendment, which would ban same-sex marriage and not grant civil unions.

c. Former presidential candidate John Kerry no longer has to be protected from the controversial issue of gay marriage.

d. Some legislators realized, after over a year of marriage equality, the sky is still in the same old place.

4. The mayor of this city, in a very conservative state, issued an executive order granting domestic partner benefits to city workers.

a. Salt Lake City

b. Salt Lake City

c. Salt Lake City

d. Salt Lake City

5. Jodie Foster’s new thriller is called:

a. Flightplan

b. The Lady Vanishes

c. Airplane!

d. Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

6. A forthcoming Vatican document will reportedly ban gays from Roman Catholic:

a. Seminaries

b. Services

c. Bingo

d. Heaven

7. Over the past weeks, black gay leaders have held significant meetings with both:

a. Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Centers for Disease Control

b. Bill Cosby and the Daughters of the American Revolution

c. Jenna Bush and the cast of “Days of Our Lives”

d. Colin Powell and U.S.A. Water Polo Team

8. In California, after the Senate and the Assembly passed a historic same-sex marriage bill, Governor Schwarzenegger promised to do what with it when it landed on his desk?

a. veto it

b. file it

c. lose it

d. make girlie men paper dolls out of it

The answer to every question is “a.” I said the quiz was enlightening. I didn’t say it was grueling.