Wells Fargo gives $50,000 to help LGBTI businesses grow and prosper

The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) has awarded 11 grants, totaling $50,000 (€45,350), to some of its affiliate LGBT chambers of commerce.

The grants have been funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation, and – according to a statement – will be spent on programs that ‘foster the development, growth, and sustainability of certified LGBT businesses enterprises.’

NGLCC affiliate chambers applied for grants ranging between $2,500-$10,000 (€2,267- €9,070).

The announcement came at the end of NGLCC’s annual International Business and Leadership Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last week.

‘We are incredibly proud of our long-standing partnership with Wells Fargo. They have been an incredible supporter of our programs and initiatives and I am proud to bring this opportunity to our affiliate chambers,’ said Justin Nelson, NGLCC Co-Founder & President, in a statement.

‘Wells Fargo has been with us from the beginning and their commitment to helping the LGBT business community is underscored by this exciting grant program.’

‘Wells Fargo has a rich history of supporting diverse chambers of commerce, and we share their commitment to helping small business owners succeed financially,’ said Lisa Stevens, Regional Marketing, Small Business and Pacific Midwest Bank Executive.

‘Through our partnership with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), we are proud to provide funding that will support chamber-led entrepreneur training programs and dedicated resources for education, growth and advancement of diverse business owners in communities across America.’

One of the chambers of commerce to benefit from a grant was the Central Pennsylvania Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

‘The CPGLCC Business Development Program has become a vital resource to our LGBTBE members as they advance their businesses and engage in strategic planning,’ said Harry Young, CPGLCC President, accepting the organization’s grant for $2,500 (€2,267).

‘We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from Wells Fargo and NGLCC which will allow us to expand and enrich our program.’

The other chambers of commerce to benefit from the grants are as follows

• Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
• Golden Gate Business Association
• Greater San Diego Business Association
• Greater Seattle Business Association
• Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
• Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce
• North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce
• Quorum
• Rainbow Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley
• Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Last year, Wells Fargo was ranked the eighth biggest company in the world by Forbes. The bank has approximately 265,000 employees in 36 countries, with around $1.7 trillion (€1.5 trillion) in assets.

It is recognized as a long-time supporter of LGBTI diversity and inclusion. It has consistently scored the top ranking of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for the past 12 years, and has a regular presence at Pride events across the US.

Earlier this year, it won plaudits for an advert (below) featuring a same-sex couple that were adopting a child.

The post Wells Fargo gives $50,000 to help LGBTI businesses grow and prosper appeared first on Gay Star News.

David Hudson

www.gaystarnews.com/article/wells-fargo-gives-50000-to-help-lgbti-businesses-grow-and-prosper/

H&M Brand Launches New Inclusive Campaign with Transgender Models and Crew

This week, a major clothing brand is launching a new transgender-inclusive campaign.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hm-brand-launches-new-inclusive-campaign-with-transgender-models-and-crew?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Desperate Man Fears His Attraction To Twinks Is “Disgusting,” But Who Has The Real Problem?

Society doesn’t so much as bat an eye when a man — say in his 30s — shows interest in a woman in her early to mid 20s. It’s almost expected that he’ll find a younger woman sexy.

But is there a double standard in the gay community?

The Right has consistently tried to label gay men as deviants, predators, or even pedophiles. Is it possible that some have become overly sensitive in an effort to dispel those horrible accusations?

We got to thinking about this after we came across a Reddit thread in which a gay man in his 30s confesses to debilitating shame because of where his sexual attractions fall.

In his post titled “Is a (older) bear into twinks ‘disgusting?’”, user brtw82 writes, “I know all the mantras. People have preferences, age is just a number and so on. However, I constantly feel like I’m judged and I’ve started to think they are right. Maybe someone in his 30s with a bear look into young looking guys is really disgusting.”

Related: Photos: Foxy Older Gentlemen Remind Us That Age Is Just A Number

He goes on to fill in some key details — he’s attracted primarily to young men in their early-mid 20s, but has met harsh criticism from both gay and straight friends/family.

“A friend told me clearly that my ‘twink fetish’ is ‘disgusting,’ I should stop ‘raping kids’ and I should see a doctor. One of my closest friends (who has two teenage sons) subtly told me that I was not welcomed anymore at his house. My mom never said anything, but she constantly asks if I have found a nice guy of my age to marry and have kids.”

And when he sought refuge in what he thought were like-minded peers, it was hardly any better.

Related: PHOTOS: Daddies & Twinks Battle For Your Affection In A Game Of “Who Would You Rather?”

“I tried to look for new friends in the gay community and I thought I found some in a gay sport team. They were guys around my age and body type (muscle otter/bear). Nice guys to hang out with, but not attractive for me. Again, the honeymoon ended when they found out about my preferences. Some were not really friends and were just trying to get in my pants, so they kept telling me that I should try a ‘real man’ (i.e. them). Others just ‘bullied’ me and told me I was pathetic, that I wanted a sugar-baby, that I had to compensate for my size and so on.”

Now he’s at his wit’s end, and is considering psychiatric help.

Many have chimed in to offer words of reassurance that there is nothing wrong with being into younger guys, so long as it’s legal and consensual.

“That is just wrong,” said one commenter. “Every time you say something like that, a young looking twink who is into bears cries alone into his pillow.”

Related: Six Pro Tips For Being The Best Daddy For Your Boy

And one young man offered this: “I’m a younger guy (24) and I have a preference for older, more experienced guys. You sound like my type, tbh 🙂 There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” adding, “it may be that the word ‘twink’ is what’s setting people off. There’s nothing wrong with saying you like younger men.”

And he might have a point — while many embrace the word ‘twink,’ it does connote ‘childish’ or ‘naive’ to others.

Either way, there is no reason brtw82 should have to experience degrading shame for being into young men — life is way too short for that.

Here’s some of the best advice he received: “Dude you’re thirty, you’re not old. You’re not doing anything a straight bachelor isn’t doing. My 24 year old sister is dating a 46 year old and no one is judging him. Your ‘friends’ sound like judgmental pricks.”

Related: Don’t Mind The (Age) Gap: Seven High Profile May/December Gay Relationships And How They Worked Out

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/DL7T0sLVSNA/desperate-man-fears-his-attraction-to-twinks-is-disgusting-but-who-has-the-real-problem-20150818

Antigay Discrimination Bill Endorsed by Republican National Committee

The legislation, aimed at countering the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage, is called the First Amendment Defense Act.

read more

Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/marriage-equality/2015/08/18/antigay-discrimination-bill-endorsed-republican-national-committee

Here's How Feminism Could Be Good For Mental Health

Feminism for the win, again. 

In a recent video, YouTube vlogger Ginny McQueen discusses how feminism can have a powerful impact on mental health. “These things seem like they would have nothing to do with each other,” McQueen says, going on to explain how “feminism works towards helping both men and women in the area of mental health.” 

McQueen explains that women are twice as likely than men to be diagnosed with anxiety, depression and PTSD. Men, however, make up 82 percent of suicide deaths.

She says that the patriarchy sets up rigid parameters for “what men and women should be.” Pressure to adhere to strict gender roles can exacerbate emotional and mental health issues for some and discourage others from seeking treatment.  

“Women are being diagnosed for their issues because they seek help for those issues,” McQueen says. While women are often shamed for our emotions (see here and here), traditional gender roles assume women to be emotional, while men are taught to be tough. “Women aren’t told to ‘suck it up’ or ‘be a man,'” she says. 

Many men do suffer from depression and anxiety, but may be less likely to seek out help because traditional gender roles tell them they can’t express their feelings. “Feminism is out there trying to make sure everyone gets treated equally, including in areas of mental health,” McQueen says. 

Feminism fights for people of all genders — women, men and trans* — to be treated equally when it comes to any area of life. If our culture made it more acceptable for a person of any gender to seek help, mental health might just improve. 

H/T WifeyTV 

Also on HuffPost: 

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Rosie O’Donnell’s 17-year-old daughter is reported missing

Rosie O’Donnell is seeking the public’s help in finding her 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea, who was last seen a week ago.

O’Donnell posted a photo of Chelsea on Twitter Tuesday (18 August) along with her brown and black terrier named Bear – a therapy dog – and said the two were last seen in Nyack, New York, and may be in New York City.

‘Chelsea stopped taking her medicine and is in need of medical attention,’ O’Donnell writes in a blog post.

Authorities have been looking for the teenager in the Rockland County area since Sunday (16 August) and she was last seen on 11 August wearing a black sweatshirt hoodie, dark ripped blue jeans, women’s grey converse sneakers and a black backpack.

Chelsea has a large tattoo on her right side of a dream catcher with the word ‘Breathe.’ Anyone with information can contact authorities at 845-358-0206 or 911.

The missing teen is one of O’Donnell’s five children. Her other mother is O’Donnell’s ex Kelli Carpenter.

The post Rosie O’Donnell’s 17-year-old daughter is reported missing appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/rosie-odonnells-17-year-old-daughter-is-reported-missing/

Zachary Quinto Would Never Slut-Shame, Says Zachary Quinto Nine Months After Slut-Shaming

— Zachary Quinto to HuffPost, responding to criticism he received over his comments from November of last year

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/oqpOm6NuLHQ/zachary-quinto-would-never-slut-shame-says-zachary-quinto-nine-months-after-slut-shaming-20150818

Watch This Humanoid Robot Navigate Underbrush And Uneven Terrain With Scary Ease: VIDEO

Boston Dynamics is proving humanity is growing ever closer to a fully functional robot after showing off their humanoid robot navigating underbrush and uneven terrain in a video for DARPA’s Robotics Challenge.

As NBC News reports, a video from Boston Dynamics shows the robot navigating a bed of uneven rocks along with it trekking through a heavily-wooded area and thick underbrush with relative ease. The company’s founder Marc Raibert explained during a robotics panel earlier this month that they’re focused on getting the robot out in the real world to test unpredictable situations the robot will experience, accelerating trial phases and speeding up development.

However, developers at MIT are giving Boston Dynamics a literal run-for-their-money with a quadruped model they call the Cheetah that not only trots but can leap small hurdles without breaking its stride. Watch both the humanoid and quadruped models navigate obstacles with scary ease, below:

The post Watch This Humanoid Robot Navigate Underbrush And Uneven Terrain With Scary Ease: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Anthony Costello

Watch This Humanoid Robot Navigate Underbrush And Uneven Terrain With Scary Ease: VIDEO

EXCLUSIVE: Hi Fashion Celebrates Chosen Families In New Video

The LGBT electro-pop duo premieres ‘Mother Sister Father Brother’ exclusively with The Advocate.

read more

Gina Vivinetto

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/music/2015/08/18/exclusive-hi-fashion-celebrates-chosen-families-new-video