Mormon Church Sticks With The Boy Scouts But Still Will Ban Gay Troop Leaders

SALT LAKE CITY – The Boy Scouts of America isn’t going to lose its largest sponsor after all.

The LDS Church announced Wednesday (Aug. 26),  that the Utah-based faith will stick with the Scouts after threatening last month to bolt from the youth group and form its own international organization for boys.

“At this time, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will go forward as a chartering organization of BSA, and as in the past, will appoint Scout leaders and volunteers who uphold and exemplify church doctrine, values and standards,” the church’s governing First Presidency of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in a news release.

After the Scouts voted to accept openly gay leaders last month, the LDS Church said it “considering creating its own international program for boys, separate from the Boy Scouts of America.”

That could have had dire financial consequences for BSA. The LDS Church is far and away the nation’s largest Scouting sponsor, serving 437,160 boys in 37,933 troops.

In 2013, more than a third (37 percent) of troops were LDS sponsored, accounting for 18 percent of the BSA’s 2.4 million total membership (Mormon troops, while more numerous, tend to be smaller in size).

An LDS Church withdrawal also could have decimated the three Scout councils in Utah, which report between 96 percent and 99 percent of their members are in Mormon units.

Although the LDS Church allows openly gay Mormons to serve in church assignments, including the Boy Scouts, these members are deemed to be living the faith’s standards. This means they are not acting on their same-sex attractions.

The BSA’s new policy, however, makes no such distinction between “openly gay” and “sexually active gay leaders.” So a gay Scout leader could have a partner or a same-sex spouse — and that troubled the Mormon brass.

While the BSA insists that religiously affiliated troops, including those sponsored by the LDS Church, can continue to ban gay leaders, many observers doubt such an exemption can be legally defended.

Even so, Mormon leaders are counting on the exemption.

“In the resolution adopted on July 27, 2015, and in subsequent verbal assurances to us, BSA has reiterated that it expects those who sponsor Scouting units (such as the church) to appoint Scout leaders according to their religious and moral values ‘in word and deed and who will best inculcate the organization’s values through the Scouting program,’ ” said Wednesday’s LDS statement.

Mormon leaders went on to praise the Scouts and their longtime influence in young lives.

The LDS Church “appreciates the positive contributions Scouting has made over the years to thousands of its young men and boys and to thousands of other youth,” the statement said. “As leaders of the church, we want the Boy Scouts of America to succeed in its historic mission to instill leadership skills and high moral standards in youth of all faiths and circumstances, thereby equipping them for greater success in life and valuable service to their country.”

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12 tips for unlocking the Florida Keys

Three words: Key lime pie.

Yes, the Florida Keys are known for many reasons. For the thriving, well-heeled LGBTI community that live here for one. but the Keys’ greatest selling point? Undoubtedly this perfect, perfect dessert.

Sweet, tart and incredibly tangy, the region’s signature dish is like a perfectly balanced cocktail.

An explosion of vibrant lime in an egg yolk, sweetened milk and cream fondant, this incredible dish is served on a buttery, biscuit base.

And the best part: every eatery in the Keys offers a version of this decades-old recipe, all claiming theirs to be the best you’ll ever taste. As such, as you drive down this long, narrow thread of islands – linked by the 130-mile long Overseas Highway – you’re obliged to try them all.

We recently embarked on our own Key lime odyssey, touring the length and (virtually nonexistent) breadth of this idyllic chain, ending with the southernmost Key: the gay wonderland that is Key West.

Here, we count down 15 tips for an unforgettable trip in this Floridian paradise.

1 Get your bearings at Amara Cay Resort

One of the chicest hotels in the gorgeously-named ‘village of islands’ Islamorada, Amara Cay Resort feels super clean and new after a recent refurbishment. My stylish suite, with its serene cream walls and slate tile floor, was the size of a large flat. In fact, it was the biggest room I’ve ever stayed in – and more than big enough for a family of four or five.

During my stay, I was casually awoken by a gorgeous sunrise (most of the rooms have an ocean view), after an excellent night’s sleep in a king size bed. Beats being woken by the sound of traffic and/or rain in depressing London.

Creative seafood dishes are available in the hotel’s exclusive restaurant Oltremare, including some opinion-polarizing conch recipes – this tropical marine mollusc isn’t for the faint of heart!

2 Sample traditional Floridian cuisine at Marker 88

Another of Islamorada’s biggest draws, Marker 88 is known for its colorful, exotic salads, meaty fish and mouth-wateringly tender steaks. Our beachfront meal-turned-live cookery lesson, courtesy of renowned chef and Keys native Bobby Stoky, was so exceptional, we gave the restaurant its own review, which you can read here. For lunch options, try Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen and Bob’s Bunz – both serve Americana-style guilty pleasures in cool, diner-like environments.

3 Sail the African Queen

Film fans take note, for random movie trivia lies herein. In the Key Largo stretch, you’ll find the African Queen, a charming 1912 steamboat available for canal cruises daily; the boat was made famous in the 1951 film of the same name starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Coincidentally, Bogart also starred in the 1948 film noir Key Largo, set in the area – as such, the third Humphrey Bogart Film Festival will be taking place on the island from October 21-25 2015.

4 Educate yourself at the Turtle Hospital

Just over halfway down the Overseas Highway you’ll find the humbling and immensely popular Turtle Hospital. This nonprofit organization rehabilitates injured turtles, while offering visitors laid-back but informative tours of the facility; we got to see a live turtle surgery, which was a surprisingly emotional experience. One of the nicest elements of our visit, meanwhile, was the charming enthusiasm of the staff, whose love and adoration for this fascinating species is plain to see.

5 Bike the Seven Mile Bridge

The bizarre, picturesque geography of the Keys comes to the fore with a bike ride across the impressive Seven Mile Bridge, where an expanse of azure blue seems to swallow you whole. Make a quick pit stop at Seven Mile Bridge Bike Hire to pick up your bikes beforehand.

6 Sink a beer at the No Name Pub

The most authentic-feeling Keys moment of our trip was a lunch of to-die-for coconut shrimp, in the company of gruff, seafaring locals at the dark and dingy No Name Pub. This no-frills tavern is memorable for its ceiling and walls, which are covered in dollar bills donated by punters over the years, all containing handwritten notes.

7 Relax at the Gates Hotel Key West

A fitting introduction to the affluent, stylish crowd who call Key West home, the boutique Gates Hotel Key West is a smart, sleek, medium-sized stopover popular with young professionals. We loved the breezy, nautical themed rooms, all pristine, luxurious white sheets and reclaimed details, and we practically lived in the huge pool, occasionally venturing to the nearby tiki bar for sumptuously fruity rum-based cocktails. .

8 Soak up some culture at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

Key West is a city of great literary heritage; for starters, iconic gay writer Tennessee Williams used to live here; as such there’s a tiny Theater named after him.

Another essential stop off on your trip is the Old Town’s Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, at 907 Whitehead Street. It was here that the iconic novelist wrote some of his most popular works, such as To Have and Have Not, and by simply soaking up the retro surroundings you begin to feel more enlightened and intelligent.

This gorgeous abode, built in 1851, is a noted example of Spanish colonial architecture; furthermore, the Old Town is known for its charming wooden buildings, and their durability and design reflect the American, Bahamian and Cuban influences felt throughout the city (Cuba is just 90 miles away).

9 Go Key Lime crazy at Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe

We reached peak Key Lime Pie obsession at this colorful Key West stalwart, where you can purchase KLP lollies. It’s wonderfully charismatic owner, Kermit is always fabulously dressed in bright green attire and is something of a local celebrity. Meanwhile, a different side of Keys culture is represented by tanned surf fanatic Paul Menta (very easy on the eye) at his popular Rum Distillery.

10 Stop and reflect at Mallory Square’s Sunset Celebration

For such a tiny town, this ocean-side plaza is always abuzz with people when the sun goes down. Clairvoyants compete with break dancers, ice cream sellers and fire breathing unicyclists for your attention – but our gaze was transfixed by the glowing Gulf of Mexico, and a never-ending sea of blazing orange. Follow this with some impossibly fresh fish and dangerously strong, sugary cocktails at the nearby Conch Republic Seafood Company, or spicy Cuban cuisine at El Meson de Pepe. For alfresco dining, try Blue Heaven.

11 Explore Key West’s buzzing LGBTI scene, generally

For an island city of four miles by one, and a population of under 30,000, Key West’s LGBTI scene packs one hell of a punch (perhaps because it has one of the highest proportion of same-sex couple households of any US city).

The Bourbon Street Pub is known for its international roster of flawless go-go boys, The New Orleans Guest House for its clothing-optional poolside parties, and both Aqua and 801 Bourbon Bar for their riotous drag acts. There are also a wide range of gay hotels in the city, including the cavernous and very raunchy Island House [above] in the Old Town, and across the road, the stunning Alexander’s Guesthouse, where sun-kissed guests lounge in casual nudity. Meanwhile, Pearl’s Rainbow used to be a ladies-only guesthouse, but now opens its doors to all.

For more insight into the city’s gay scene, read our interview with Key West expert Stephen Murray-Smith here.

12 Go paddle boarding

From snorkeling to sailing, there are an array of water-based activities to choose from in the Keys, but one of our favorites was stand up paddle boarding. We opted for a two hour session with a guide from Lazy Dog Adventures, and to our complete surprise, discovered this laid-back, relaxing ‘sport’ can be picked up almost immediately. Although we almost fell off when something huge and scary swam beneath us… If you’d rather get up close and personal with marine life in a contained environment, try Coral Reef State Park back in Key Largo.

For more information about Florida Keys, visit www.fla-keys.co.uk.

Virgin Atlantic flies daily from London Heathrow to Miami and is offering return Economy fares from £657 per person. For further information contact www.virginatlantic.com or call 0844 2092 770. This fare is available for selected departures during 2015. Prices given are correct as of today and are subject to change.

Rooms at Amara Cay Resort start at $169 (€151, £108) per room per night.

Room at Gates Hotel Key West start at $249 (€222, £159) per room, per night

The post 12 tips for unlocking the Florida Keys appeared first on Gay Star News.

Jamie Tabberer

www.gaystarnews.com/article/12-tips-for-unlocking-the-florida-keys/

Cute Dudes Pose With Their Pups For National Dog Day

It’s National Dog Day, which is one of our favorite holidays of the year. We don’t know what we’d do without our furry, four-legged companions. To celebrate, here’s a quick roundup of cute guys posing with their pooches on Instagram.

Scroll down to see some of our favs, and don’t forget to show your pup some extra love today.

A photo posted by Hot Men With Dogs (@hotmen_withdogs) on May 25, 2015 at 6:16am PDT

A photo posted by Hot Men With Dogs (@hotmen_withdogs) on Aug 20, 2015 at 7:21pm PDT

A photo posted by Evan Spergel (@evanspergel) on Aug 13, 2015 at 11:00am PDT

A photo posted by Luiz Felipe Nicholas Alison (@luiznicholasalison) on Aug 9, 2015 at 7:59am PDT

A photo posted by BILL TAMLYN (@billtamlyn) on Aug 26, 2015 at 7:04am PDT

A photo posted by jockx.com (@jockxcom) on Aug 19, 2015 at 6:30pm PDT

A photo posted by @jonathanpepin on Jul 25, 2015 at 6:12am PDT

 

A photo posted by Hot Men With Dogs (@hotmen_withdogs) on Aug 22, 2015 at 11:46pm PDT

A photo posted by Bhakti Jaya ? The Frenchie (@bhaktijaya_the_frenchie) on Jun 12, 2015 at 8:40pm PDT

A photo posted by David Radcliffe (@david.radcliffe) on Aug 22, 2015 at 1:09pm PDT

A photo posted by jsp1989 (@jsp1989) on Aug 10, 2015 at 7:12pm PDT

Graham Gremore

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Kentucky County Clerk Casey Davis Says He’ll Die Fighting Against Gay Marriage: LISTEN

Casey Davis, the Casey County, Kentucky clerk who is one of three county clerks in that state defying the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, says he’s willing to die fighting for man-woman marriage, according to an interview on The Tom Roten Morning Show posted by Right Wing Watch.

Said Davis:

“Our law says ‘one man and one woman’ and that is what I held my hand up and took an oath to and that is what I expected. If it takes it, I will go to jail over — if it takes my life, I will die for because I believe I owe that to the people that fought so I can have the freedom that I have, I owe that to them today, and you do, we all do. They fought and died so we could have this freedom and I’m going to fight and die for my kids and your kids can keep it.”

Davis insisted that SCOTUS has no authority:

“There is a travesty taking place with that Supreme Court ruling was completely unconstitutional, completely unconstitutional. They have no right to tell us, the state of Kentucky, that our law that was voted with what was 70 percent of the people that it was wrong, they had no right.”

He went on:

“Where is Adam and Eve’s marriage license recorded at and who did they go get them issued by? I’ll tell you, God issued them. God ordained it. Whether you believe in God or not, the Bible is where marriage came from and it is where it will continue to come from regardless of what man says that it is. It will never be anything but between one man and one woman in the eyes of God, that’s what marriage is and someone else may label it as something else but it can never be anything except between one man and one woman.”

Listen, below:

Two other County Clerks, Kim Davis and Kay Schwartz, joined Davis at a rally at the Kentucky Capitol on Saturday. Thousands reportedly showed up to support the outlaw clerks.

The post Kentucky County Clerk Casey Davis Says He’ll Die Fighting Against Gay Marriage: LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

Kentucky County Clerk Casey Davis Says He’ll Die Fighting Against Gay Marriage: LISTEN

4 'Reverse Racism' Myths That Need To Stop

Reverse racism isn’t real. No, really.

The “reverse racism” card is often pulled by white people when people of color call out racism and discrimination, or create spaces for themselves (think BET) that white people aren’t a part of.  The impulse behind the reverse racism argument seems to be a desire to prove that people of color don’t have it that bad, they’re not the only ones that are put at a disadvantage or targeted because of their race. It’s like the Racism Olympics. And it’s patently untrue. 

It really all comes down to semantics. At some point, the actual meaning of “racism” got mixed up with other aspects of racism — prejudice, bigotry, ignorance, and so on. It’s true: White people can experience prejudice from black people and other non-whites. Black people can have ignorant, backwards ideas about white people, as well as other non-white races. No one is trying to deny that. But racism is far more complex.  

Before you cry outrage and send me a nasty email about how reverse racist this article is, calm down. Listen. 

This scene from 2013’s “Dear White People” breaks down the concept pretty succinctly:

Some people simplify racism as one group not liking another, and think “racist” and “prejudiced” are interchangeable. But racism is a concept that operates on both an individual and institutional level. 

At its core, racism is a system in which a dominant race benefits off the oppression of others — whether they want to or not. We don’t live in a society where every racial group has equal power, status, and opportunity. White people have never been enslaved, colonized, or forced to segregate. They do not face housing or job discrimination, police brutality, poverty, or incarceration at the level that black people do. This is not to say that they do not experience some of these things (like poverty and police brutality) at all. But again, not on the same scale —  not even close. That is the reality of racism. 

What’s astounding about the reverse racism argument is the way in which it reveals some racists’ deep need to deny the idea of having any privilege. Rather than acknowledging the realities of how people of color deal with racism, white racists’ do mental and hypothetical cartwheels in order to justify these injustices. 

There have been so many explainers on why the concept of reverse racism is inherently wrong, so many breakdowns, but perhaps another way to tackle this discussion is to address some of the main topics and issues that get called out as reverse racism. Here are four common arguments that have no merit:

1. Affirmative Action takes jobs and scholarships away from white people.

The affirmative action debate has been raging for decades, with many people arguing that it’s a prime example of reverse racism. They believe deserving white students are discriminated against while academically unqualified students are given highly coveted college or company positions — just because they happen to tick the “ethnic minority” box. This argument ignores the fact that affirmative action did not come out of nowhere — there was a need for a system that would address the decades of underrepresentation of people of color both academically and in the job world.

Affirmative action does not favor people of color over whites, but ensures that they are considered equally. Even now, white college students are 40% more likely to get private scholarships than minorities, and although 62% of college students in America are white, these students receive 69% of all private scholarships. Someone with a “white sounding” name is 50% more likely to get a job call back than a person with an “ethnic” sounding name. Affirmative action doesn’t take anything away from anyone. It levels the playing field. 

 2. White culture can be appropriated, too.

Recently, I wrote an article explaining why it’s problematic for white women to wear black hairstyles. I got hundreds of messages from angry people asking, “Well, what about black women straightening their hair or dyeing their hair blonde?” First of all — there are, gasp, black people in the world with naturally blonde hair and blue eyes. But that’s besides the point. The need to flip the script when it comes to cultural appropriation is wrong because it willfully removes context and history from the equation. Black people conforming to white or Western standards of beauty is the product of a need to survive in a society in which wearing hair in its natural state can cost black men and women their jobs and even their educations. 

“So is it appropriation if black people use math or fly in airplanes?” No. . Aspects of modern civilization are not hallmarks of white culture, and anyone who thinks they are has a skewed vision of the world.

 3. Black-on-white crime is proof that black people just hate all whites! 

When conversations about police brutality or hate crimes come up, there are some racists who are quick to point out the rate of black-on-white crime, and argue that these instances are racially motivated attacks against white people — in other words, hate crimes. It’s simply not true. 

According to the FBI’s most recent 2011 study on homicide, 83 percent of white murder victims were killed by fellow whites, while only 14 percent of white victims were murdered by blacks. But beyond numbers, black-on-white crime is a social problem — it isn’t systemic. More than 1oo unarmed black people were killed by police in 2014. Guilty or not, this number of deaths in comparison to how many white people were killed is staggering. 

4. BET, Black Girls Rock and Black History Month exclude white people. How racist!! 

Things like Black History Month, BET, and Black Girls Rock are not “reverse racist” against white people, they’re not examples of a double standard in which White History Month, The White Entertainment Channel, and White Girls Rock would be considered offensive. “Why isn’t there a White History Month?” you ask? To repeat a very true cliché — all history is white history. Most black children in America will learn they are descended from slaves before they learn they are descended from ancient African civilizations. 

These institutions are created out of necessity, and the argument that they should not exist speaks to the pervasiveness of white privilege. Donald Trump actually took issue with he show “Black-ish,” complaining that the show was racist because, “Can you imagine the furor of a show, “Whiteish”! Racism at highest level?” Yes, Mr. Trump, one of the few black family sitcoms on TV, produced and written by a black person, playfully dismantling racial stereotypes and striving to include everyone in the conversation, is “racism at its highest level.” Or maybe it’s just long overdue?

If you think about it, reverse racism is actually kinda great. Because if it did exist, it would mean we lived in a society in which all racial groups have an equal amount of power. But we don’t. So to those who cry “reverse racism” when a show like “Black-ish” premieres or President Obama uses the N-word — please, just stop.

Also on Huffpost:

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Pride is not welcome in Venice, says mayor

Pride is not welcome in Venice, says the mayor.

‘There will be no gay pride in my Venice,’ Luigi Brugnaro has said, describing the event as ‘farcical’ and ‘kitsch’.

He is still claiming he is not homophobic, saying he has friends who are gay.

Brugnaro was speaking to the newspaper concerning Elton John, who described the mayor as a ‘bigot’, and his decision to remove same-sex couples from a school booklet that described new families.

‘It’s arrogant that for three years he has not set in Venice,’ the mayor said. ‘His family, two men and children, is unnatural’.

When asked about Pride in Venice, he called it a ‘a joke, the ultimate in kitsch’.

‘Let them go at it in Milan or at home,’ he added.

Gay rights activists say they are determined to hold Pride in Venice next year.

Flavio Romani, from Arcigay, said: ‘We will be back next year and we invite the mayor to march at the head of the parade with us…That way he will see what a Gay Pride really is.’

The post Pride is not welcome in Venice, says mayor appeared first on Gay Star News.

Joe Morgan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/pride-is-not-welcome-in-venice-says-mayor/

More Young Adults Are Identifying as Bisexual

Recent studies in the U.S. and the United Kingdom suggest that increasing numbers of young adults are identifying on the spectrum of sexual identity, somewhere between exclusively gay and exclusively straight.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/more-young-adults-are-identifying-as-bisexual?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Dead Bodies Continue Washing Up In Manchester’s Gayborhood. Is A Serial Killer To Blame?

The city of Manchester has been on edge for more than a decade after rumors began swirling that a serial killer was pushing people into the city’s canals. Over 60 drowning deaths have been reported since 2004. Now, Thomas Sheridan, an expert in psychopaths, is weighing on on the matter.

Sheridan recently left his home in Northern Ireland to visit the area and conduct his own independent investigation surrounding the individual residents have nicknamed “The Pusher.”

Related: Is There A Modern Day Jack The Ripper Terrorizing Manchester’s Gay Village?

“Walking along the Rochdale Canal, I was followed by a tall man wearing a hood into a poorly-lit area,” Sheridan tells Metro. “The sense of isolation and vulnerability at the location were quite frankly terrifying.”

The majority of the deaths have occurred in close proximity to the city’s strip of gay bars. Whether or not they are the result of a crazed serial killer or simply intoxicated bar goers falling into the canal remains unclear, but Sheridan says he’s “convinced” that “foul play” accounts for at least some of the bodies.

Related: Some Of Hollywood’s Most Notorious Gay Murders Remain Unsolved

“I concur with the people of Manchester that ‘The Pusher’ is almost certainly the cause of some of these deaths,” he said.

He continued: “I believe the killer is targeting gay men or men the killer is assuming to be gay — following them from a night out or more worryingly, picking them up in bars.”

“We may be dealing with a psychopath or extremely disturbed individual. The police need to take this very seriously.”

Greater Manchester Police beg to differ. While they say they are committed to investigating “each and every unexplained death,” they have always maintained that there is no serial killer on the loose. Instead, they attribute the deaths to suicides and accidents.

Related: Man Runs Naked Through Streets Of Manchester After Having Clothes Nicked During Hookup

Graham Gremore

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Guess Which 4 Republican Presidential Candidates Signed NOM’s Anti-Gay Marriage Pledge?

Despite the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, the National Organization for Marriage has not given up hope that they can push things back in their hateful direction, and this election season they’re again asking Republican presidential candidates to sign a NOM Marriage Pledge.

The pledge contains several elements. Among them:

1. Support a federal constitutional amendment that protects marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
2. Work to overturn the US Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision that illegitimately imposed same-sex ‘marriage’ on every state in the nation, including nominating to the U.S. Supreme Court and federal bench judges who are committed to restraint and applying the original meaning of the Constitution, and appointing an attorney general similarly committed.
3. Conduct a review of actions taken by the Obama Administration that have undermined marriage and work to restore our policies to be consistent with the proper understanding of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Consistent with this, prevent the promotion of a redefined version of marriage in public schools and other government entities.
4. Support the First Amendment Defense Act and other legislation that recognizes the right of organizations and individuals to act in the public square consistent with their belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman without fear of retaliation from the government.
5. Direct the Department of Justice to investigate, document and publicize cases of Americans who have been harassed or threatened for exercising key civil rights to organize, to speak, to donate or to vote for marriage and to propose new protections, if needed.

 

So which candidates are NOM’s hateful ‘marriage champions?’

Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Ben Carson, and Bobby Jindal have all taken the pledge.

How close were you?

Mike Huckabee and Scott Walker, despite opposing same-sex marriage, have not signed the pledge, and NOM’s President Brian Brown is stomping mad that they haven’t given legitimacy to his sad, pathetic cause.

Said Brown: “It’s unfortunate that some candidates have adopted a blanket position against signing pledges because it puts them at a tremendous disadvantage in seeking our support when there are strong candidates who have pledged to us and our supporters to take very specific and important actions as president. We are far past the point where we will simply rely on generalities and broad statements from a candidate; we need to know with specificity what actions they will take as president. As President Reagan once said, we must ‘trust, but verify.’ Accordingly, we urge these candidates to reassess their stance and sign NOM’s pledge.”

The post Guess Which 4 Republican Presidential Candidates Signed NOM’s Anti-Gay Marriage Pledge? appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

Guess Which 4 Republican Presidential Candidates Signed NOM’s Anti-Gay Marriage Pledge?

'Pretty Little Liars' Fans Take A Stand Against Transphobic Tweet

The show “Pretty Little Liars” has dug itself into a hole with a tweet many are calling transphobic.

On August 24, the ABC Family show’s official Twitter account sent out a post to its more than 3 million followers with a wildly problematic caption referring to Charlotte DiLaurentis, a transgender character on the show. “He. She. It. Charlotte. #PrettyLittleLiars,” the caption read.

Though the tweet has since been deleted, Parker Molloy, a writer for Upworthy, took a screenshot before it was taken down and posted it on Twitter.

The character Charlotte DiLaurentis, born Charles DiLaurentis, is a trans woman on “Pretty Little Liars” and was revealed to be the show’s villain known as “A.” Though the original post no longer exists, it continues to receive negative attention and criticisms for the pronouns it used to identify the transgender character. Twitter users quickly reached out to ABC Family (@ABCFamily) and the show’s official account (@ABCFpll) to condemn the language used in the tweet and accompanying graphic.

The account has since reposted the original graphic with tweet text reading, “She came. She saw. She conquered.” The graphic itself, however, still features a quote in which the character is described with “he” pronouns. Twitter users pointed out the repeated misuse of pronouns and implored the account to pay more attention to the way it discusses transgender characters.

After reaching out for comment on the deleted tweet via email, The Huffington Post received this response from ABC Family spokesperson Jori Arancio: 

This tweet was in reference to lines Spencer and Hanna have said in previous episodes venting their frustration about not knowing the identity or gender of their tormentor (“A”).  It was spoken by these characters a season before they found out that “A” was a transgender character.  We updated the reference by including the name Charlotte because it was revealed that Charlotte is “A.”  Once it was tweeted we realized that it could be misinterpreted, and in no way wanted to offend anyone, so we immediately deleted the tweet. 

In light of the tweets, showrunner I. Marlene King shared a post on Instagram. She explained the show’s cast, crew and creators are not involved with the show’s accounts and also shared her support for the LGBT community.

“I encourage all people to be their true selves. And offer my support to the LGBT community,” she wrote in the caption. 

“Pretty Little Liars” received backlash before when the villain known as “A” was revealed to be a trans woman. In a blog for The Huffington Post, Brynn Tannehill, director of advocacy for LGBT military community SPARTA, explained the show reinforced “negative stereotypes” of transgender people.

“They managed to create a character that simultaneously exemplifies all the negative stereotypes that prevent transgender people from getting jobs, receiving health care, finding housing and being accepted as who they are by their families,” she wrote. 

With these recent tweets, it looks like the show has a long way to go when it comes to its representation of transgender people.

H/T Cambio

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