Transparent Makes History at Creative Arts Emmys
The hit Amazon show Transparent made history at the 2015 Creative Arts Emmy Awards over the weekend.
HRC.org
Daily Archives: September 14, 2015
Kim Davis Spends First Day Back Hiding In Guarded Office With Blinds Drawn; Fetal Position Suspected
Kim Davis Spends First Day Back Hiding In Guarded Office With Blinds Drawn; Fetal Position Suspected
Much ado has been made about Kim Davis returning to work this morning, where she is essentially abstaining from performing a portion of her sworn duties.
You can read more about the “seemingly impossible choice” between following her god’s law or the law of we meager humans here (spoiler alert: it is not seemingly impossible in any way).
Related: Kim Davis Returns To Work, Claims “I Am No Hero”
But for any of her coworkers or the general public who needs to reach the county clerk today, access may be a bit tough.
That’s because K.D. has holed herself up in her office and drawn the blinds. Then there’s that armed sheriff’s deputy posted outside.
We have no doubt she’s in there contemplating how she’ll best serve the people of Rowan County, Kentucky.
Or, you know, curled up in a ball hiding from this enormous mess she’s created for absolutely no reason.
This brings new meaning to “lack of transparency”:
Though to be fair, the office has changed a bit since Kim stirred the pot:
“Love has won” chants continue as a same-sex couple receives a marriage license in Rowan County #KimDavis pic.twitter.com/Bs7huoJj7A
— The Trail Blazer (@MSUTrailBlazer) September 14, 2015
Dan Tracer
Anti-gay Hate Group Family Research Council to Honor Kim Davis for Her ‘Courage’
Anti-gay Hate Group Family Research Council to Honor Kim Davis for Her ‘Courage’
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins is wasting no time in his attempt to solidify Kim Davis’s status as an anti-gay “martyr” for Christianity on the right-wing speaking circuit. Oh and maybe she can help him sell some copies of his fear-mongering new book No Fear too.
FRC, a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group, made the announcement today that Davis would be “honored” with the “Cost of Discipleship Award” at the upcoming Values Voter Summit.
Said Perkins:
“We are pleased to announce that Kim Davis will be honored at this year’s Values Voter Summit. After meeting with her last week, I can tell you that Kim Davis wasn’t looking for this fight, but she is not running from it either. What militant secularists are almost certainly afraid of is what is coming to pass: courage is breeding courage. When other people might have cowered in fear, Kim took a stand. And today, millions of Americans stand with her and for the religious freedom upon which our nation was founded.
“Far from the media’s portrayal, Kim isn’t trying to impose her views on anyone, she is simply asking that her orthodox religious views be accommodated.
“The courage of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis isn’t just changing the conversation — it’s changing the political landscape. In places like Missouri, where state officials watched with horror as Davis was hauled off to jail for her Christian beliefs, leaders are moving quickly to protect their people from the same fate. The Supreme Court created this mess — now it’s incumbent on states to protect the victims mired in it.
“While the Court redefined marriage, it did not redefine the First Amendment. Thank goodness for people of courage like Kim Davis, who refuses to let religious liberty be trampled by legal tyranny. We applaud her. In the face of intense pressure, she’s shown more courage than 99 percent of the elected officials in Kentucky,” concluded Perkins.
Right Wing Watch reports fellow anti-gay Kentucky clerk Casey Davis is also scheduled to speak at the summit, alongside a number of GOP presidential candidates.
The Values Voters Summit kicks off September 25 in Washington D.C.
The post Anti-gay Hate Group Family Research Council to Honor Kim Davis for Her ‘Courage’ appeared first on Towleroad.
Kyler Geoffroy
Anti-gay Hate Group Family Research Council to Honor Kim Davis for Her ‘Courage’
If You Are Trans in America Take the U.S. Trans Survey Today
If You Are Trans in America Take the U.S. Trans Survey Today
Eight days remain for transgender, genderqueer, or nonbinary individuals living in the United States, its territories, or military bases abroad to take the landmark 2015 U.S. Trans Survey, the largest and most comprehensive examination of the experiences and identities of American gender-variant people.
Trans Americans need only visit USTransSurvey.org and locate the words “Complete the Survey Now” to participate. The survey’s sponsors hope the information gathered will change policies and perceptions about trans people for decades to come. The survey will close at midnight September 21.
“Trans lives are complex,” Sandy James, project manager for the survey, said in a recent phone interview. “The U.S. Trans Survey will help us to change the policies and perceptions that govern trans lives in the country by documenting how we live our lives on a day-to-day basis.” The survey, he said, promises to provide “more nuanced understandings of trans people so that we can broaden and strengthen the narratives about trans people.”
This year’s survey expands the pioneering work of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, the largest-ever documentation of the bias face by trans Americans. That study was jointly administered by the National LGBTQ Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality in 2008-2009 and led to a groundbreaking, much-cited 2011 report called “Injustice at Every Turn” that revolutionized public perceptions of trans people.
Nearly 6,500 transgender and gender-nonconforming people from all 50 states and several U.S. territories shared their experiences of discrimination and trans identification for discrimination survey, as The Advocate explained. The findings of “Injustice at Every Turn” were stark: Transgender individuals were twice as likely as nontrans people to be unemployed. One-quarter said that they lost their jobs because of discrimination based on their gender identity. Trans individuals struggled with low to no incomes and persistent poverty at nearly four times the national rate. They were four times as likely to be HIV-positive and twice as likely to be homeless, and 41 percent had attempted suicide, more than 26 times the rate (1.6 percent) of the general population.
Moreover, compared to trans women and trans men who identified within the gender binaries, the discrimination study found that those who may appear to be gender-ambiguous, including genderqueer and other nonbinary individuals, were more likely to suffer harassment, physical assaults, and police brutality. Further still, in comparison to transgender individuals who are women and men, nonbinary or gender-ambiguous people were more likely to be young people of color (under the age of 45) by a margin of 89 percent to 68 percent.
The most effective way to combat the persistent challenges of trans people documented in “Injustice at Every Turn,” said James, is to change policy at federal, state, and local levels regarding health care, law enforcement, housing, and employment. James stressed that the new study will provide fresh, unprecedented data “to drive public policy and advocacy for trans people.” James also pointed out that the 2015 survey “is the most dynamic and individualized of its kind. For example, if you report that you didn’t serve in the military, you won’t get questions pertaining to military service.” A culturally diverse advisory committee has assisted the survey team, he noted.
The survey promises to be an essential in improving the lives of trans people, James said. “We acknowledge that trans people have gained visibility of late in the media,” he said. “Yet, that visibility may not capture the intricacies of everyday trans lives, the complexity of the violence that we face, and our experiences with access to housing, employment, and health care. But this survey is not just about the challenges. The survey will show our vibrance, our strength, and our resilience. It will show who we really are as trans people in America, and the documentation of our experiences will help make trans lives better for years and years to come.”
Cleis Abeni
www.advocate.com/transgender/2015/9/14/if-you-are-trans-america-take-us-trans-survey-today
Stuck on Simple: The Challenge of Moving Beyond Diversity to Inclusion
Stuck on Simple: The Challenge of Moving Beyond Diversity to Inclusion
This fall, the United States Supreme Court will, for the second time, hear a challenge to the University of Texas at Austin’s race-conscious admissions program in Fisher v. University of Texas. In the earlier case, the United States Supreme Court ruled that colleges and universities could continue to consider race or ethnicity as one of several factors in an admissions policy that seeks to achieve broad diversity goals. But, advocates for a white woman denied admission to the University of Texas continue to question the value of diversity and the constitutionality of allowing colleges and universities to consider race or ethnicity in creating diverse classrooms and institutions.
When it comes to affirmative action, we remain stuck on simple. This is part of a national trend where we keep debating seemingly straightforward, and long-resolved, questions and therefore are unable to tackle the harder questions that could bring us closer to true equality. We are still discussing whether the confederate flag is a symbol of racism or whether a government official can refuse to recognize a fundamental right because of her personal beliefs. Debates about the confederate flag prevent us from moving on to addressing structural racism and implicit bias. Debates about whether a Kentucky clerk must follow the Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality prevent us from moving on to addressing employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, discrimination which remains legal in much of the country.
Similarly, in the battle over race-conscious admissions programs, the Court and nation continue to debate whether the doors to opportunity should be equally open to all, whether diversity brings value to an institution, and whether race and ethnicity are relevant factors when trying to increase racial and ethnic diversity. The answer to these questions is a clear and resounding yes. Yet, diversity cannot be the goal in and of itself. But, because we are forced to continue to fight for these basic principles, we are stalled in our ability to attain the true goal — genuine inclusion.
With diversity, we are often focused on numbers. With inclusion, we are focused on quality: the quality of interactions between people of different races, ethnicities or gender; the quality of programs designed to ensure that all members of the community are treated equitably; the quality of supports that allow every member of the community to contribute fully; and the quality of programs that harness the transformative power of diverse perspectives. Diversity of people and viewpoints is not the same as engagement among those people and viewpoints. Inclusion is about transforming culture, practices, and relationships.
We understand the many benefits that flow from a truly inclusive environment. In education, the benefits of inclusive institutions and classrooms include the promotion of cross-racial understanding, breaking down racial stereotypes, preparing students to excel in a multi-racial and multi-cultural workforce, opening doors to leadership and cultivating the next generation of leaders. The benefits of race-conscious admissions programs designed to improve diversity are substantial. But, many of us mistakenly believe that the benefits of inclusion automatically flow once you have achieved a diverse student body or work force. They do not. Instead, we have to work to unleash the power and potential of diversity. Yes, diversity can help to alleviate racial isolation. But, a school can be diverse yet plagued by stereotyping, structural inequality, and implicit bias.
It is not a coincidence that the opponents of equity and inclusion are forcing us to keep fighting the same old tired fights. By forcing the proponents of equity to play defense on issue after issue, they prevent us from playing offense in the fight for justice. Students of color, women and low-income students often feel as if they are dropped into seemingly diverse environments in which they are not encouraged or supported, and are instead set up to fail. It takes hard work to transform institutions structured for white men into inclusive communities. When can we finally stop debating the simple questions and move on?
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Rick Santorum: US Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage is not ‘the law of the land’
Rick Santorum: US Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage is not ‘the law of the land’
Rick Santorum wants to be president of the United States but he doesn’t believe the nation’s highest court has final say on what is the law of the land.
The former US senator shared this view on Monday (14 September) as he was speaking out in support of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis who was jailed for several days in Kentucky for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Davis, who objects to same-sex marriage due to religious beliefs, returned to work on Monday. She is still not issuing licenses but is not preventing her deputies from doing so.
‘I would encourage Kim Davis to follow her conscience,’ Santorum said in an interview with CNN.
‘Because the Supreme Court says something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the law of the land,’ said Santorum, a one-time US senator from Pennsylvania. ‘My belief is that when the Supreme Court acts beyond their constitutional authority, that we have every obligation to fight that.’
On 26 June, the high court ruled that same-sex marriage is now legal in all 50 US states. It was shortly after that Davis refused to issue any marriage licenses which led to a federal lawsuit against her.
‘The Supreme Court made a decision about same-sex marriage, again, which I believe was beyond their authority to do so, but it did not provide anything that Kim Davis had to issue a marriage license,’ Santorum said. ‘It said, very clearly, that there had to be accommodations provided for people of faith.’
Santorum, a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage, lags near the bottom of a crowded Republican field of candidates for president. In 2012, he finished second to Mitt Romney for the nomination.
H/T: The New Civil Rights Movement
The post Rick Santorum: US Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage is not ‘the law of the land’ appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
Ensuring Access to Safe and Affirming Mental Healthcare for LGBTQ Youth
Ensuring Access to Safe and Affirming Mental Healthcare for LGBTQ Youth
It’s an unfortunate reality that, due to societal discrimination, school bullying, and family rejection, LGBTQ young people are at increased risk for behavioral health issues.
HRC.org
‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ Closed Last Night. Watch the Emotional Curtain Call
‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ Closed Last Night. Watch the Emotional Curtain Call
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the Tony Award-winning musical about an East German transgender rock star with a botched sex change, closed last night on Broadway.
Director Michael Mayer, producer David Binder, and Stephen Trask who wrote the music and lyrics joined past Hedwigs Neil Patrick Harris, Darren Criss and the latest Hedwig, Taye Diggs on stage for an emotional good-bye.
Said Trask: “Most of all, thank you David Binder, the most exciting producer working on Broadway. And of course, here’s to Neil, and Andrew, and Michael, and Darren, and Taye, and Steven and Lena…As this production goes across the globe, lift up your hands JCM (originator John Cameron Mitchell).”
One of Hedwig’s great achievements — its charitable contributions via ticket sales to LGBT youth and AIDS organizations — was also touted by Binder.
Said Binder: “We thought we were going to do 16 weeks but we did 76 weeks. And we thought we were going to do 112 performances and this is the 529th. We’ve raised over a million dollars for Hetrick Martin and Broadway Cares.
Finally, the cast and the theatre joined together in a final performance of the classic tune “Wig in a Box”.
Watch the moment below:
The post ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ Closed Last Night. Watch the Emotional Curtain Call appeared first on Towleroad.
Andy Towle
‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ Closed Last Night. Watch the Emotional Curtain Call
WATCH: Couple Married Under Kim Davis's Watch Heckled By Bigot
WATCH: Couple Married Under Kim Davis's Watch Heckled By Bigot
Kentucky clerk Kim Davis returned to work on Monday, and things were quite manic at her office in Rowan County.
Two women obtained a license today, the first in Rowan County to do so while Kim Davis isn’t in jail. Shannon and Carmen Wampler-Collins spoke to the press before entering the clerk’s office, saying they wanted to be an example to gay youth in Kentucky, as well as reminding Americans “there are wonderful, progressive people here” in the state.
Unfortunately, the couple didn’t receive hospitable treatment by all when they received their license. Throughout the process, they were heckled by a man shouting antigay rhetoric, according to a video featured on JoeMyGod.
“It’s your sin that brought you here,” the man can be heard shouting. “Your sin is going to be your demise.”
Davis did not intervene to stop the marriage license from being issued, or the heckler from harassing the couple. Jailed for five days for refusing multiple court orders requiring her to provide marriage licenses to all couples, Davis showed up at work today and read a statement to the press. Davis said she would allow the clerks under her to issue licenses but would not personally authorize them. The licenses now read “pursuant to federal court order” and do not contain her name. Davis insinuated she did not know whether the licenses would pass legal muster.
U.S. District Judge David Bunning “indicated last week that he was willing to accept altered marriage license even though he was not certain of their validity,” Davis said. “I, too, have great doubts whether the license issued under these conditions are even valid.”
Watch the couple’s interview with CNN and their experience at the clerk’s office below.
Neal Broverman
The Latest Episode Of Your Favorite Queer Web Series, 'Not Looking,' Is Here
The Latest Episode Of Your Favorite Queer Web Series, 'Not Looking,' Is Here
“Not Looking” is still going — and we only have one more episode before bidding farewell to this season.
This hilarious web series is a parody of the now-cancelled HBO drama “Looking.” Set in Los Angeles, the show follows a group of “twentysomething” gay men who are still stumbling through life looking for the right guy — or are they?
“This is my favorite episode so far,” Co-Creator Jason Looney told The Huffington Post. “It is so gross and weird and the last scene is a train wreck that is so hard to stop watching. From touching those filthy trash cans to the dirty pocket twizzler to the final disgusting makeout sesh that goes on WAY too long, this scene makes me SCREAM. It was completely improvised.”
Check out the fourth episode of the second season above and tune in next week for the season finale. Missed the previous espisodes? Head here.
Also on HuffPost:
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