Greg Louganis Talks Homophobia in Sports and Living with HIV: VIDEO

In a new interview, famed Olympic gold medal-winning diver Greg Louganis talks about homophobia, living with HIV, his new role as a mentor for Olympic hopefuls, and his new documentary, Back on Board: Greg Louganis.

Of his experience being an openly gay athlete, Louganis told GLAAD’s Claire Pires:

“It was challenging because the diving team, it’s a small group, I mean it’s a small team, and so, it was an issue. You know? ‘Who’s going to room with the f-g?’ And so, I wasn’t invited into those meetings but, often times, there was one person on the team that was secure enough in their own sexual identity that they would room with me, and they’d say, ‘Oh please. I’ll room with him.’”

Louganis, who is HIV positive, also talks about how he couldn’t reveal his status when he travelled to the Seoul Olympics, saying,

“I was diagnosed HIV positive in 1988, six months prior to the Olympic games. And, had anybody known my HIV status in 1988, I wouldn’t have been allowed into the country to compete in that Olympic games.”

On living with HIV, Louganis lauded the advancements in HIV treatment he has seen during his lifetime but urges youth not to not become complacent about the disease:

“I never dreamed that I would live this long period, but a cure. That’s the true goal. You know? To find a cure. And the good news is, there’s medications out there, but the bad news is, a lot of young people think that, ‘Oh, it’s a manageable disease ’ Yeah, there’s treatment options and the treatment options are much more palatable than they used to be, but I wouldn’t wish my drug regimen on anyone.”

Watch the full interview below.

Back on Board airs tonight at 10PM Eastern on HBO.

The post Greg Louganis Talks Homophobia in Sports and Living with HIV: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Greg Louganis Talks Homophobia in Sports and Living with HIV: VIDEO

WATCH: Indiana Town Postpones LGBT Rights Vote Over Confusion

‘Confusion’ and ‘misunderstanding’ are causing Goshen city officials to hold off on voting on LGBT protections.

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Raffy Ermac

www.advocate.com/indiana/2015/08/04/watch-indiana-town-postpones-lgbt-rights-vote-over-confusion

Here Are All The Amazing Careers Launched By 'The Daily Show' In One Video

CORRESPONDENTS, ASSEMBLE! 

It’s almost tough to comprehend all the talent that has made its way through the halls of “The Daily Show.” 

Lucky for you, the good folks at Digg have assembled a video of all the now famous personalities to come out of the show, from their first appearances ever to present gigs.

So, you see? It’ll be okay to say goodbye to “Daily Show”-mode Jon Stewart later this week. This isn’t the last we’ll see of him. 

Also on HuffPost:

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Country singer Billy Gilman tells GSN coming out publicly was not about selling records

Country music singer Billy Gilman finally decided last November that it was time for him to come out to the world as a gay man.

Then the day before he was gong to make his big announcement, fellow country music star Ty Herndon beat him to the punch and did his own coming out.

‘It was purely coincidental,’ Gilman tells Gay Star News. ‘Being so young in the country music industry, I’ve known Ty Herndon and (fellow out country singer) Chely Wright since I was 12 years old so I literally grew up with them. Chely and Ty were literally on the phone within an hour when I released that (coming out) video. It’s a good feeling.’

He had been battling over whether to post his coming out video for three weeks and when he finally decided to do so, and his manager said, ‘Ty Herndon just did the same thing an hour ago.’

Gilman, now 27, was just 11 years old when he debuted with the single One Voice in the year 2000. It was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country music charts and he became the youngest singer with a Top 40 hit.

His album of the same name went double platinum the following year and two subsequent releases were certified gold. He sold more than 5 million records and seemed to be settling in for a nice, long run.

But his record sales began to slip and as he approached his 20s, music labels wouldn’t even take meetings with him.

There were whispers about his sexuality and for a time, he faded from public view.

His Second Act

But after coming out last fall, he released a new single called Say You Will (see video below) which can be downloaded via the iTunes store. He’s been doing concerts both LGBTI driven and regular country shows since then as well.

‘The purpose of (coming out) was to explain to my fans who I really am and that I have finally found pure happiness and hopefully you’re along with me for the ride,’ he says.

Gilman says the reaction has been more positive and more accepting than he could have imagined.

‘So far, so good,’ he says. ‘It’s been really amazing the outpouring.’

Touching young lives

What has been the most satisfying and the most important thing has been the way young people have reached out to Gilman to share their own stories.

‘There’s been letters and emails by the droves from the youth in Middle America that don’t have the opportunity to voice their feelings because they have very conservative families or come from a very conservative or Republican town.

‘To hear that I somehow became a voice for them and to let them know that everything will be okay – that was the battle won.

‘It’s not about selling records no matter what people may think. It’s about touching lives. All we can really change is ourselves on the inside to make it a better world.’

For Gilman, the entire experience has been even more meaningful because he has someone to share it with – boyfriend of more than a year Chris Meyer.

‘I feel great,’ he says. ‘It feels great to walk around with my best friend, my boyfriend – I don’t like the word partner – it’s great the love that we get back.’

The post Country singer Billy Gilman tells GSN coming out publicly was not about selling records appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/country-singer-billy-gilman-tells-gsn-coming-out-publicly-was-not-about-selling-records/

Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court Rules Against NOM; Release of Donor List Imminent

Today, Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the fiercely anti-LGBT National Organization for Marriage (NOM) must release a donor list in connection with the state’s marriage referendum campaign in 2009.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/maines-supreme-judicial-court-rules-against-nom-release-of-donor-list-immin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

PHOTO: Lenny Kravitz Rips His Pants, Resulting In Full Frontal Flash On Stage

Everyone’s heard of a nip slip, but a dick slip? That seems to defy physics.

But the “Fly Away” singer likely surprised even himself when he had a little (or not so little) wardrobe malfunction during a show yesterday in Stockholm.

Kravitz was wearing leather trousers with nothing on underneath, which sounds simultaneously badass and swampass. The trousers ripped when he crouched down and bam — there was Lenny’s Kravitz for the diehard fans who’d arrived early enough to pack the front of the stage.

A fan described what happened next to a local paper:

“The producer stepped up and said that they had some problems onstage. A bit later Kravitz came out wearing other trousers. He said ‘sorry, I ripped my trousers’.”

Another fan explained, likely between bouts of laughter:

“It was insane, I killed myself laughing. And then I called my mum who was there at the show as well. Her reaction was the same and she almost killed herself laughing too.”

And for the record, Kravitz has rings that don’t go anywhere near his fingers. Who knew?

See the photo (slightly NSFW) here.

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/mUPeXVRtCMc/photo-lenny-kravitz-rips-his-pants-resulting-in-full-frontal-flash-on-stage-20150804

Echo Kellum Joins ‘Arrow’ as African-American Gay Superhero Mr. Terrific

Superhero show Arrow will feature DC Comics’ first African-American gay superhero, Mr. Terrific, in its 4th season.

Actor Echo Kellum will take on the role of Terrific, aka Curtis Holt.

Variety reports:

Curtis is described as a technological savant and inventor who works at Palmer Technologies under the supervision of Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards). As revealed at Comic-Con, Curtis will also be a friend to Felicity, and the show’s first openly gay character. […]

In the comics, Mr. Terrific is Michael Holt, a self-made billionaire and Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete with genius intellect who becomes a superhero after the death of his wife and unborn child, later going on to lead the Justice Society of America.

The post Echo Kellum Joins ‘Arrow’ as African-American Gay Superhero Mr. Terrific appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Echo Kellum Joins ‘Arrow’ as African-American Gay Superhero Mr. Terrific

WATCH: 'Stonewall' Movie Drops First Trailer

Roland Emmerich’s film about the LGBT riots in New York has debuted its trailer.

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Daniel Reynolds

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/film/2015/08/04/watch-stonewall-movie-drops-first-trailer

Bishop T.D. Jakes On The Black Church's Shifting Stance On Homosexuality

Bishop T.D. Jakes thinks it is “absolutely” possible for the LGBT and black communities to coexist. 

Jakes, who joined HuffPost Live on Monday, opened up to host Marc Lamont-Hill about his thoughts on the relationship between these communities.

“I think that it’s going to diverse from church to church every church has a different opinion on the issue and every gay person is different,” Jakes said. 

While Jakes believes churches are allowed to practice and preach values shared by their respective leaders, he also advocates that LGBT people attend a church that aligns with their own beliefs and values. And although he admits that his individual stance on homosexuality is both “evolved and evolving,” he says all LGBT people should be treated with tolerance and respect.

“LGBT’s of different types and sorts have to find a place of worship that reflects what your views are and what you believe like anyone else,” he said. “And the church should have it’s own convictions and values.”

Jakes also reaffirmed that members of the LGBT community, like all american citizens, deserve equal protection under the law.

“Once you begin to understand that democracy, that a republic actually, is designed to be an overarching system to protect our unique nuances then we no longer look to public policy to reflect biblical ethics,” Jakes said.

 Also on HuffPost:

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