White House to Release Updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy
The National HIV/AIDS Strategy was initially released in 2010 with the goals of reducing HIV incidence, increasing access to care, optimizing health outcomes and reducing HIV-related health disparities in the United States.
HRC.org
Gay Speed-Skater Blake Skjellerup Marries Boyfriend Saul Carrasco: PHOTOS
Out gay speed-skater Blake Skjellerup wed boyfriend Saul Carrasco earlier this month in Hawaii.
The couple announced their engagement last August on Twitter. They met in the most modern of ways, through Instagram.
Said Blake in the caption to the above photo posted (where else?) Instagram, “Excited to be able to share pictures from our wedding! Married life 3 weeks in is total bliss!”
Check out 4 more pics from Blake and Saul’s nuptials, below.
Congratulations, Blake and Saul!
The post Gay Speed-Skater Blake Skjellerup Marries Boyfriend Saul Carrasco: PHOTOS appeared first on Towleroad.
Sean Mandell
Gay Speed-Skater Blake Skjellerup Marries Boyfriend Saul Carrasco: PHOTOS
So as you all know Im back from a little trip to Holland and, gotta be honest, broker than a broke thing so Im gonna go pro, well at least for a couple of weeks, I am going to take every opportunity to be online, some shows will be for hours some for 20-30 minutes so you may have to be quick to catch me but if Ive been tipped for a goal I wont leave till I get there so there wont be any disappointments, my plan is to try to get that red ink of my bank statement and needless to say your help will be greatly appreciated and I might just be wiling to go a lot further than I normally will, its pretty much no holds barred and you guys get to make the rules so if theres something you just knew I wouldnt do then this is the time to give it a go, as long as it wont leave scars is pretty much the rules but only for two weeks so get your thinking caps on and drag out your deepest fantasies cos for the next 14 days Ill be doing my best to make them all come true, think I wont do it…..try me and get ready to be surprised. First show will be tonight around 5:30 GMT so youve got a couple of hours to get your ideas together then give it a go, cant wait to hear your ideas, see you all later guys and galsall the bestSteve
Liberal Democrat leader supports new campaign to lift gay men blood ban
A UK campaign to allow gay men to donate blood without limitations has received support from the newly-elected Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron.
The campaign ‘Freedom to Donate’ wants to remove limitations on blood donations from gay men who can only donate 12 months after their last sexual contact with a man.
‘Sex’ is described on the NHS’s blood.co.uk website as anything ‘penetrative’ (oral and anal) and explained as relating to higher incidence in HIV infection in men who have sex with men.
This deferral period was called ‘Draconian’ by Freedom to Donate’s founder, Ethan Spibey. He an introduction video to the campaign, he said the restrictions made him feel ‘shame and guilt’ for being gay.
Spibey is an account executive at GK Strategy, a public sector consultancy firm.
In an article for Huffington Post UK, Farron said he is: ‘Thrilled to put my support behind [the campaign].
He describes the deferral period as: ‘Frankly inexcusable’, and ‘patently doesn’t make sense’.
A campaign video said the number of donations have dropped 40% over the last decade, and 6,000 blood transfusions take place everyday.
Farron puts at the end of the article: ‘Perhaps the biggest irony is that we are putting barriers in the way of people doing something unbelievably generous and absolutely vital to help other people.’
He added: ‘[legislation] urgently needs to change.’
The campaign has received further support from Green Party’s former leader Caroline Lucas and Stuart Andrew, the openly gay MP for Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough.
Farron, a Christian, was recently the subject of criticism over a TV interview on Channel 4 in which he refused to say whether he thought gay people were ‘sinful’.
‘Everyone is a sinner, and everyone has the offer of redemption,’ he said.
In a follow-up interview he added: ‘I’m passionate about LGBT-plus rights, for example, and as the leader of a Liberal party, that is something that will be at the top of my agenda throughout the time that I am leader of our party.’
Image: Dave Radcliff | CC 2.0
The post Liberal Democrat leader supports new campaign to lift gay men blood ban appeared first on Gay Star News.
Jack Flanagan
www.gaystarnews.com/article/liberal-democrat-leader-supports-new-campaign-to-lift-gay-men-blood-ban/
Momentum Builds: Corporate Giants Announce Support for Federal LGBT Non-Discrimination Protections
Eight leading American corporations–including major Fortune 500 companies–announce support for comprehensive federal LGBT non-discrimination legislation in days following introduction of Equality Act
HRC.org
Antigay “Religious Freedom” Fighter Bobby Jindal Now Thinks The Religious Westboro Baptist Church Is “Morally Reprehensible”
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, otherwise known as the creepy uncle of the antigay “religious freedom” movement, has a message for members of the Westboro Baptist Church: You cannot use your religion to justify picketing the funerals of the victims from last week’s shooting in Lafayette.
Jindal instructed state police to “take swift and immediate action” to prevent disruptions of the memorial services of 21-year-old Mayci Breaux and 33-year-old Jillian Johnson. The announcement came one day after members of the Westboro Baptist Church said they planned exercise their “religious freedom” by picketing the women’s funerals.
Related: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal Calls Antigay Religious Freedom Laws “Common Sense”
Of course, it’s easy for Jindal to take stand against a hate group like the Westboro Baptist Church, which is loathed by pretty much everyone, even those on the far-right (mostly for making a mockery of antigay views). And we can’t ignore the major inconsistencies in Jindal’s message here. When it comes to “religious freedom,” the governor draws the line at protesting people’s funerals, which, BTW, is totally protected speech, no matter how vile.
Discriminating against LGBT people, however, is totally fine.
Sorry, Bobby, no cigar.
Related: The Best Responses To Gov. Bobby Jindal’s Antigay Executive Order (So Far)
Graham Gremore
Matt Baume Explains Why Gay Adults Aren’t A Threat To Boy Scouts: VIDEO
In a new video posted to his channel today, Matt Baume explains the history of anti-gay animus in the Boy Scouts and the implications of yesterday’s vote to end the ban on gay adult scout leaders.
Though the National Executive Board of The Boy Scouts of America voted to lift its nation-wide ban on gay adult scout leaders, the organization will still allow local chapters to decide whether they will discriminate against gay scout leaders. As Baume notes,
“The Boy Scouts are a private group…and they’re free to decide who can be a member. In fact, individual chapters are still allowed to deny access to LGBt leaders. Non-discrimination laws just don’t apply here, like they do for public facilities and businesses.”
As for why gay adults have been barred from openly serving as leaders in the Scouts, one need look no further than the anti-gay religious right. Over the years, virulently homophobic leaders like Tony Perkins and Bryan Fischer have insisted that homosexuals are pedophiles. Consequently, gay scout leaders could not and should not be trusted around children. Thankfully, such baseless pseudo-science has been disproven and the overwhelming vote in favor of gay scout leaders yesterday proves how weak their arguments are.
A former scout himself, Baume also explains why having openly gay scout leaders will make a difference in the lives of LGBT youth:
“I didn’t know that I was gay when I was a 7 year-old Boy Scout. I just knew that I was different. And nothing would have been more important to me than to know that I wasn’t alone. And when I got a little older to have seen that people like me aren’t a threat and are just as trustworthy, and helpful and loyal as anyone else.”
Watch the video below:
The post Matt Baume Explains Why Gay Adults Aren’t A Threat To Boy Scouts: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
Sean Mandell
Matt Baume Explains Why Gay Adults Aren’t A Threat To Boy Scouts: VIDEO
Conservative Candidate for Missouri Governor Bob Dixon Comes Out As Ex-Gay
Missouri State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Bob Dixon says being abused as a child turned him gay for five years.
Bil Browning
Reno Removes Rainbow Flag From City Hall After Controversy
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Reno’s decision to temporarily replace the Stars and Stripes with a rainbow didn’t fly with some locals.
The American flag was lowered from City Hall in downtown Reno over the weekend, replaced temporarily with the LGBT pride flag following a gay pride celebration.
By Sunday evening, however, the rainbow flag had been removed and replaced by the American flag. The decision to remove the American flag generated controversy among some locals.
Reno, the Biggest Little City in the World, is a proud city. #pride #reno #biggestlittlecity #lgbt #lgbtq #proud #northernnevadapride #nnp #boc
A photo posted by Sean Savoy (@seansavoy) on Jul 26, 2015 at 4:19pm PDT
In a statement, the City of Reno said it wants to apologize to anyone offended by the flag’s brief disappearance. The statement says that the mayor and city council were under the impression that the two flags were flying together.
The city says it immediately returned to the American flag when it realized it wasn’t flying both banners.
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