'Living Different,' Four-Part Special Featuring Extraordinary Women, To Premiere On Oxygen

'Living Different,' Four-Part Special Featuring Extraordinary Women, To Premiere On Oxygen
A new series which explores the lives of nine women who live their lives outside the expectations of societal norms is headed your way.

From Oxygen comes a four-part series called “Living Different,” which takes a candid look at a handful of women who live their lives authentically on their own terms. Each of the hour-long episodes follows the diverse narratives of two women on their individual journeys.

The first episode of “Living Different,” which premieres Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9pm ET/PT, is called #LoveWithoutLabels and highlights the complicated story of a girl named Lizz who comes out to her conservative, Mexican Catholic family. This story then offers further complexities due to the fact that Lizz’s long-time girlfriend has revealed that he is coming out as transgender. The episode also follows the story of Rain, an “an androgynous model dating both men and women” who struggles with “a nonexistent bond with her mother and the lack of true acceptance by her father [which] prevents her from fully becoming the person she knows herself to be.”

“‘Living Different’ showcases nine strong and inspiring young women who are out to change the world by simply being themselves,” Rod Aissa, Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Development, Oxygen Media, said in a statement sent to The Huffignton Post. “These women will empower viewers as they live the truth of who and what they are, despite the questioning and obstacles from the world around them.”

Several of the women from “Living Different” answered a couple of questions about appearing in the series. See their responses below and head here to learn more about “Living Different,” which premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 9pm ET/PT.

Rain
The Huffington Post: Why did you want to be on this show?
I wanted to be on is show because the series is a rare case of reality television that is aimed at inspiration and exploring uniqueness without aiming to mock or demonize individuals. As a woman who is a bit of an oddity herself, I saw an opportunity to contribute my own unique story to the world in a way where people can perhaps feel connected and inspired to live their truths.

What do you hope viewers take away from your story?
What I really want viewers to take away is the realization that they are limitless. I want them to know that their gender specifications are purely based on anatomical evaluations and should not restrict what they are capable of achieving, how they are capable of living and who they are capable of loving. The world is not filled with men and women. It is simply filled with people who should only be divided based on their individual actions, not their anatomy.

Perl & Dalia Of Bulletproof Stocking
The Huffington Post: Why did you want to be on this show?
We were interested in appearing on “Living Different” because we realized what a great opportunity it would be to have this platform to share our music and personal journeys with women of varying backgrounds and cultures on such a grand scale. We have both been through a number of challenging experiences in our lives, experiences that, while difficult, helped us grow into the women that we are today and shaped what it is that we do and how we do it. We recognize that while our story may seem foreign to some, plenty of women out there will be able to relate to the challenges we’ve faced, many of whom have been through similar experiences. We’re hoping that seeing two Chasidic women, one a divorcee, the other a widow and mother of 4 children, using their talents to bring light into the world, will inspire other women to channel their own strengths to do what they love.

What do you hope viewers take away from your story?
We’re hoping that viewers get inspired to share their gifts and talents with the world, get a better sense of the beauty of Chasidic life and feel empowered by the liberation that happens when ladies get together in an all-women space.

Kiki
The Huffington Post: Why did you want to be on this show?
I loved the concept of creating a show targeted at empowered young women taking risks every day simply by being authentically themselves and being able to be a part of such a show sharing my story and giving light to my work was a dream come true. There are too many misconceptions and negative connotations that come with the titles “Psychic-Medium” and “Spiritual Healer.” I was given the opportunity to take a stand and show how wonderful, empowering and special the world of the occult can be.

What do you hope viewers take away from your story?
I hope viewers will be reminded what it is like to feel with their hearts even if just for a moment and can begin to recognize the world around them, their environment and become a vestibule for change. I was one of easily thousands of intuitives, mediums, empaths and spiritually hyper-aware people living in doubt of who I was and what I was capable of achieving. I hope my story compels those individuals with similar attributes to stop living in the dark and for those who do not find themselves with their own innate abilities, I hope my story instills you with compassion for others and a will to create something larger than yourself.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/04/living-different-oxygen_n_6263932.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Arrests Follow Homophobic Attack Against Two Men for Singing Songs from the Musical 'Wicked' – VIDEO

Arrests Follow Homophobic Attack Against Two Men for Singing Songs from the Musical 'Wicked' – VIDEO

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A man and a woman have been arrested following the vicious homophobic assault last month on two gay men in Manchester, England, reports the Lancashire Evening Post.

The November 1st attack started because the victims – 25-year-old Jean-Claude “Jo” Manseau and 19-year-old Jake Heaton – were singing songs from the musical Wicked.

During the attack, up to 20 people punched and kicked Manseau unconscious. 6a00d8341c730253ef01bb07a4b8af970d-200wi

Police have confirmed that a 20-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man are in custody and being questioned on suspicion of a homophobically-aggravated assault.

Detective Constable Tim Greenwood said:

“We are still appealing for people to come forward with information and I would urge anyone who witnessed the attack to speak to police.

“The victim was attacked in a busy place and someone may have seen something and have some key information that could help our investigation.”

Manseau has said the attack “destroyed every bit of confidence I have…I don’t know when I’ll feel safe to go into Manchester again. My face is going to be scarred for life. That has upset me.”

A lesbian and gay choir staged a mass singalong on the tram network in Manchester last month to show support for Manseau and his friend Jake Heaton.

Watch a video of the singalong, AFTER THE JUMP


Jim Redmond

www.towleroad.com/2014/12/arrests-follow-vicious-homophobic-assault-in-manchester-england-video.html

Remembering The Unarmed Black Man Killed By A Cop For Being In A Cruising Area

Remembering The Unarmed Black Man Killed By A Cop For Being In A Cruising Area

defarragaymon6436-300x263With two police officers avoiding prosecution for killing unarmed black men (Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, and just yesterday, Eric Garner in New York City), the nation is engaging in a heated debate about how law enforcement treats communities of color. It’s worth remembering that four years ago, a high-profile case in New Jersey already demonstrated the issue. In that instance, a police officer shot and killed an unarmed black man after confronting him in a cruising area.

DeFarra “Dean” Gaymon was a married father of four and the CEO of a successful credit union in Atlanta when he returned to Newark in July 2010 for his 30th high school reunion. While his reunion was taking place, he lay dying in a hospital from What happened the night of July 16th depends solely on the word of a single police officer, who was never prosecuted for the crime. It’s all depressingly familiar.

According to the Officer Edward Esposito, Gaymon was “engaged in a sexual act” (apparently masturbating) when he approached the officer, who was dressed in plain clothes, in a Newark park. The park had been the scene of more than 200 arrests over an 18 month period by officers who apparently made a career out of arresting gay men for lewd behavior because there are so few other crimes to pursue in New Jersey.

Esposito says he was bending over to pick up handcuffs (really) when Gaymon propositioned him without any encouragement. Standing up, Esposito told Gaymon he was under arrest.

What followed was, by all accounts of anyone who knew Gaymon, totally unbelievable. Esposito says Gaymon pushed him away, threatened to kill Esposito, reached into his pocket and lunged at the officer in an attempt to disarm him. Esposito says he fired a shot in self defense.

The Essex County sheriff’s department expressed regret about the episode. They also made a point of portraying Gaymon as a bit of a pervert in search of sex in public by playing up the cruising area setting. A grand jury refused to indict Esposito and the state attorney general refused to investigate the case. Esposito had been involved in three other violent arrests in the park.

Gaymon’s family just settled a lawsuit against Essex County for $1.5 million. Of course, that doesn’t bring Gaymon back.

 

JohnGallagher

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WATCH LIVE: NASA's Orion Test Flight Marks the First Step on the Long Road to Mars

WATCH LIVE: NASA's Orion Test Flight Marks the First Step on the Long Road to Mars

Orion

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is set to have its first test flight this morning from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. If the test flight proves successful, the next-gen space capsule is expected to one day carry astronauts to the moon, asteroids, and Mars. 

NBC News reports:

The planned 4.5-hour mission — known as Exploration Flight Test 1, or EFT-1 — isn’t carrying people. It’s an uncrewed flight, meant to check critical systems that can’t be fully tested on Earth, including the craft’s heat shield and parachutes.

The data gathered from more than 1,200 sensors will be factored into the construction of more flightworthy Orion spaceships, with the aim of flying astronauts for the first time in 2021. If NASA holds to its schedule, the cone-shaped spacecraft would send crews to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025, and to Mars and its moons starting in the 2030s.

“We’re now on the way to Mars, and that’s what’s most important,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told NBC News in advance of liftoff.

The launch was scheduled a little after 7 am (ET) but has been delayed due to high ground winds.

Watch the launch, AFTER THE JUMP

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream


Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2014/12/watch-live-nasas-orion-spacecraft-test-flight-marks-the-first-step-on-the-long-road-to-mars.html

Was This Young Gay Man Murdered By His Closeted Lover? Police Don’t Seem To Care.

Was This Young Gay Man Murdered By His Closeted Lover? Police Don’t Seem To Care.

9c7bca62-e72e-4006-86b4-b36596e2ede7-620x372On the morning of October 31, 22-year-old Dionte Greene (pictured) of Kanas City, Missouri was shot in the face while sitting in the driver seat of his idling car. His suspected killer? An allegedly “straight” man who may have agreed to meet him for sex.

“My son … he was quiet – not a problem child,” Dionte’s mother, Coshelle Greene, told Zach Stafford at The Guardian in an interview late last month. “Being that he wasn’t a street person, and didn’t have enemies, I lean towards it having to be someone who was on the down low or someone so against gay people that they would do this.”

According to sources, the day before he was killed, Greene planned to attend a “turn-about” party where people show up dressed as the opposite gender. Friends say he had been chatting with a man online who claimed to be “on the down low.” The man was reportedly unsure about hooking up with Greene. Ultimately, however, he did agree to meet with him in a quiet residential area near the young man’s home.

Greene was on the phone with a friend when the man approached his car.

“He looks just like his Facebook picture,” he allegedly told the friend.

Then the friend reported hearing yelling before the line went dead.

Greene’s mother told Stafford she now fears that since her son’s body was discovered in a low-income, high-crime area that is predominantly black, police will classify the case as just another “black on black” crime rather than what she believes it really is: a hate crime. She thinks her son was murdered because he was gay, and that his murderer wasn’t sure if he wanted to be.

Kansas City Police Cepartment’s recently appointed LGBT liaison, Rebecca Caster, an out lesbian, said it’s unlikely this will be investigated as a hate crime because Greene’s murderer had been meeting him for sex.

“If someone is actually engaged in ‘the act,’ then these are not hate crimes,” she said. “The thing is, hate crimes need to be, ‘I can’t stand the fact that you are gay so I am going to drag you behind a truck. I don’t know you, I don’t care.’”

But Stafford disagrees, saying that, “homophobia [is] not just something that makes someone drag you behind a truck, but [is] a sickness that can make someone kiss and then kill–simply because someone didn’t want their secret to get out.”

He then notes that Greene’s murder is one of at least seven similar cases involving LGBT people in Kansas City since 2010 that were also not classified as hate crimes.

Jack Levin, a professor of sociology and criminology at Northeastern University, pointed out why making the hate crime distinction is important in a case like this.

“Hate crimes are message crimes, and hate-crime laws send a message back,” he said. “They send a message to the perpetrator that we do not encourage or support him–that we don’t agree with his intolerance.”

Of course, before any charges can be made, a suspect needs to be apprehended. Over more than a month after Greene’s murder, police still have not made any arrests.

“It’s been really tough,” Greene’s friend, Star Palmer, said. “This shouldn’t have happened to him. Not Dionte.”

Related stories:

Gay Man Left Paralyzed After Being Brutally Stabbed In Possible Hate Crime

WATCH: Alleged LGBT Hate Crime Filmed On New York City Subway During Pride

Slain MS Politician Marco McMillian May Have Fallen Victim To Gay-Panic Killer

Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Graham Gremore

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