#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: October 27, 2015

Check out today’s top headlines courtesy of HRC’s A.M. Equality Tip Sheet.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/am-equality-tip-sheet-october-27-2015?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Hot Aussies Pluck Each Other’s Nose Hair and Wax Each Other’s Legs: WATCH

Manscaping can be an arduous and at times painful task, as a handful of guys from down under recently came to learn.

In videos created by BuzzFeed Australia, total strangers were paired together and tasked with plucking each other’s nose hair and waxing each other’s legs with an at-home waxing kit. The guys quickly bond over their mutual pain and even share some bromantic moments. Reactions range from the well-composed to the “Holy sh*t, that really hurt!”

Can you guess which form of manscaping caused the guys to cry more? Watch below and find out:

The post Hot Aussies Pluck Each Other’s Nose Hair and Wax Each Other’s Legs: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Hot Aussies Pluck Each Other’s Nose Hair and Wax Each Other’s Legs: WATCH

STUDY: Intimate Partner Violence Still a 'Critical Issue' for LGBTQ Americans

Cisgender men killed by their male partners continue to represent the most intimate partner homicides in the LGBTQ and HIV-impacted population, while bisexuals, transgender people, and people of color are also disproportionately affected by intimate partner violence, reports the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.

The coalition today released its report Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Intimate Partner Violence in 2014. The report is the most comprehensive of its kind, collecting data from 16 anti-violence programs in 13 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont.

These programs received 2,166 reports of intimate partner violence in 2014, a decrease of nearly 20 percent from 2013, after an increase from 2012 to 2013. However, a decrease in reports does not necessarily indicate a decrease in prevalence, anti-violence activists pointed out, and the total number of reports tends to fluctuate from year to year. “The need to bring visibility and resources to the experiences and needs of LGBTQ survivors of IPV remains a critical issue facing our country,” said Beverly Tillery of the New York Anti-Violence Project, which administers the coalition, in a press release announcing the report.

The NCAVP documented intimate partner homicides in 2014, down from 21 in 2013. For the fourth year in a row, the data showed cisgender (nontrans) men to be disproportionately affected. Of the 15 reported homicides, eight were cis men, seven of whom were killed by current or former male partners. “We know from the National Intimate Partner Violence Survey by the Centers for Disease Control that lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people experience IPV at the same or higher rates as non- LGB people, and actual homicide numbers are likely much higher,” said Vanessa Volz of Sojourner House in Providence, R.I., in the press release “The lack of awareness and visibility in the media — and in society generally — around fatal intimate partner violence as it affects LGBTQ and HIV-affected people needs to change.”

Also for the fourth consecutive year, people of color made up the majority of survivors of intimate partner violence, this year coming in at 51 percent. African-Americans were 1.89 times more likely than all other racial groups to experience such violence, the report notes.

Bisexuals were twice as likely as others to experience intimate partner violence of a sexual nature, according to the report. This was the second year in a row the coalition had found bisexual people to be disproportionately affected in this manner.

Transgender people, meanwhile, were nearly twice as likely as nontrans people to experience intimate partner violence in public, and they were more than three times as likely to experience discrimination, which makes it difficult to access services. Undocumented transgender survivors faced even higher levels of discrimination.

Economics also played a role in intimate partner violence. For the first time, the NCAVP gathered data on survivors who are on public assistance and found that they experienced physical violence and injury at a greater rate than others, while people of color and transgender people were more likely to be receiving public assistance.

“Economic violence is often a central form of abuse within IPV, and survivors who face societal economic vulnerabilities may be more vulnerable to economic abuse and exploitation from their abusive partners, said Chai Jindasurat of the New York City Anti-Violence Project. “Policymakers and funders should fund economic empowerment programs targeted at LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities, particularly LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities of color, transgender communities, immigrant communities, and low-income communities.”

An encouraging development is that more survivors sought orders of protection in 2014 — 24 percent, up from 17 percent in 2013 — and that a much higher percentage of these orders was granted — 85 percent, up from 58 percent in 2013. There were also increases in the percentage of survivors seeking shelter services and reporting their experience to police.

The response of police and social service agencies to LGBTQ and HIV-affected survivors of intimate partner violence has been improving, the report notes, partly due to the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization of 2013, which put in place prohibitions on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. But much remains to be done, the report’s authors say.

Key recommendations from the report, for policymakers, researchers, and funders:

• Ensure that the federal government collects comprehensive and inclusive information on sexual orientation and gender identity whenever demographic data is requested in studies, surveys, and research, including intimate partner violence.

• Ensure that LGBTQ survivors are included in all prevention assessments and that coordinated community responses include specific and targeted programming for LGBTQ survivors.

• Fund specific intimate partner violence prevention initiatives for LGBTQ and HIV-affected people.

• Fund economic empowerment programs targeted at LGBTQ and HIV-affected people, particularly people of color, transgender people, immigrants, and low-income people.

• Enact compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform to reduce barriers for LGBTQ and HIV-affected immigrant survivors of IPV.

You can download the full report here.

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/crime/2015/10/27/study-intimate-partner-violence-still-critical-issue-lgbtq-americans

Intersex Navy Veteran Sues State Department For Denying Passport

DENVER, Oct 26 (Reuters) – A Navy veteran from Colorado who identifies as neither male nor female has sued the U.S. Department of State after being denied a passport for refusing to select a gender on the application, court documents showed on Monday.

Dana Zzyym claimed in a federal discrimination lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Denver that it was a constitutional violation to force an “intersex” person to pick either a male or female when seeking to travel abroad.

“I am not male, I am not female, I am intersex, and I shouldn’t have to choose a gender marker for my official U.S. identity document that isn’t me,” Zzyym said in a statement.

The lawsuit names U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the director of the Colorado passport agency as defendants.

The State Department did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Zzyym was born in 1958 with “ambiguous external sex characteristics,” and the gender box on the birth certificate was initially left blank, the lawsuit said.

Zzyym’s parents and doctor decided “Dana would be raised as a boy” with the name Brian Orin Whitney and “male” was later added to the birth certificate, it said.

“Similar to many other intersex children, by age five, Dana had been subjected to several irreversible, invasive, painful, and medically unnecessary surgeries designed to make Dana’s body conform to binary sex stereotypes,” the complaint said.

Whitney enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1978 and served as a machinist mate during three tours of duty in Beirut and one throughout the Gulf, it said.

Leaving the Navy in 1984, Whitney later realized that the male gender identification was “arbitrary” and explored living as a woman, which did not feel right either, according to the lawsuit.

Whitney ultimately adopted the name Dana Zzyym and was denied a passport last year when attempting to travel to Mexico City for the International Intersex Forum.

Zzyym’s attorney, Paul Castillo of the LGBT-rights group the Lambda Legal Defense Fund, said India, Nepal, Malta, Australia and New Zealand allow a third gender option for passports, and other countries are considering making a similar change.

Zzyym is not seeking a monetary award, Castillo said, but merely to force a change in U.S. policy.

“Dana is being deprived of the right to lawfully exit the United States because of personal characteristics, and that’s discrimination, pure and simple,” Castillo said. (Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Paul Tait)

— 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.

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Chris Lilley Nails Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ as Summer Heights High’s Mr. G – WATCH

Those familiar with the Australian mockumentary TV series Summer Heights High are familiar with thirty-six-year-old drama teacher Mr. G, played by Chris Lilley (one of three characters he plays on the show).

Those unfamiliar with Mr. G are now being introduced to him on Facebook, in a clip that’s quickly going viral in which Lilley, as Mr. G, gives a lesson in dance to a classroom of kids.

Says Mr. G: “An important part of being a performer is begin to to express yourselves through movement. Being able to move your body to convey a message, to get something across.”

And that’s when Mr. G launches into one of the most bizarre takes on Drake’s “Hotline Bling” so far:

DON’T MISS: Sam Smith and Disclosure Brighten Up Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’: WATCH

The post Chris Lilley Nails Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ as Summer Heights High’s Mr. G – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

Chris Lilley Nails Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ as Summer Heights High’s Mr. G – WATCH

This Powerful Photo Campaign Puts A Face To Men's Depression

Depression is often viewed as some sort of flaw or frailty, but a new campaign is working to change that outlook one photograph at a time.

The project, led by the Canadian mental health organization HeadsUpGuys, features visuals submitted by men on how depression feels and what it means to “feel better.” The goal is to help men realize they’re not isolated in their experience, according to the project’s coordinator, Joshua Beharry. 

“The more you talk about depression, the more the stigma surrounding the illness erodes away,” he told The Huffington Post. “Depression needs to be tackled head on … You wouldn’t try to tackle heart disease or diabetes on your own. It shouldn’t be any different for depression.”

The photos not only bring awareness to depression, but are a much-needed representation of a highly stigmatized group of individuals who suffer from the disorder. Research shows that men are less likely than women to seek treatment.

“I think society places an emphasis on the need for men to be considered ‘strong,’ and a person with a mental illness is often considered to be ‘weak,'” said Robby Cavanaugh, who submitted photos. “For this reason, men suffering from mental illness bottle their feelings up, and I believe this is a contributing factor as to why the suicide rate for men is so much higher than it is for women. They need encouragement to feel free to express their emotions and ask for help, without fear of ridicule. “

Approximately 11 percent of Canadian men will experience major depression at some point in their lives, according to Canada’s public health agency. The condition also affects approximately 6 million American men each year. Around the globe, nearly 350 million people suffer from depression. 

Although the condition is fairly common, the conversation is still fairly quiet among men — and that’s exactly why Nathan Milner says he decided to get involved by submitting images. As someone who has experienced mental health issues since he was a teen, he wanted to raise awareness about something that felt incredibly personal to him.

“I want everyone to know that men’s depression is real. It takes lives and we all need to realize this,” he said.

Milner also hopes the campaign encourages others to seek treatment if they feel like they may be battling the same issues.

This post is part of ShameOver: It’s Time To Talk About Men’s Mental Health, a HuffPost Healthy Living editorial initiative that aims reclaim what it means to “be strong” by addressing the stigma men face in disclosing and seeking support for mental health issues. Each week we’ll share features and personal stories about men and their caregivers as it relates to suicide, mental illness and emotional well-being. If you have a story you’d like to share, email us at strongertogether@huffingtonpost.com.

If you — or someone you know — need help, please call  1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you are outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of international resources.

Also on HuffPost:

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DVD: “Pixels,” “Supernatural,” “A Reunion,” “Partners” & More!

From the thoughtful to the mindless, the profound to the offensive, this week’s home entertainment runs quite the gamut.

Hollywood popcorn comes in the form of high-concept effects-filled comedy Pixels, while one of Hollywood’s most odious LGBT entries, 1982’s Partners, makes its Blu-ray debut. Two thoughtful, modern LGBT indies — sci-fi Thai import Supernatural and character-driven American indie A Reunion — round things out.

Scroll down for the trailers and details!

Partners

($29.95 Blu-ray; Olive)

This 1982 entry in the police buddy caper genre is infamous among LGBT film critics and scholars for having one of the cops be a fey stereotype on legs. John Hurt, who has played the late Quentin Crisp twice, was addled with portraying Kerwin, a very queer desk jockey teamed up with an uber-hetero Detective Sargeant Benson (Ryan O’Neal) to go undercover as boyfriends while investigating a string of gay murders. From there it’s pretty much The Odd Couple in a lot of pink and lavender (including a car of said color). See it, just to get a sense of how far we’ve come (and maybe as part of a drinking game?) and Stonewall will suddenly seem like manna from heaven. I would pay for a commentary track from Hurt, but alas, no extras.

Supernatural

($24.99 DVD; TLA)

Thailand is cranking out some pretty strong LGBT titles of late – keep an eye on the festival circuit for Josh Kim’s outstanding How To Win At Checkers (Every Time) – like this cutting-edge and stylish sci-fi indie from director Thunska Pansittivorakul. Set partly in the future, 2060 to be exact, it imagines a Thailand where life is sterile and touch is forbidden. Flashbacks to other eras and more sexual days, of course, balance things out and may well cause a revolt… A striking piece of work with some very beguiling Thai stars to boot.

Pixels

($45.99 3D Blu-ray, $30.99 DVD; Sony)

Oh, Adam Sandler. In the star’s latest high-concept comedy, aliens come to destroy humanity… in the form of retro arcade game characters. Yes, Pac Man and Donkey Kong in 3D causing havoc may cause some serious nerdgasms for gaymers, and the effects are pretty cool, but it does take almost an hour for that to happen. Joshua Gad, Brian Cox, Peter Dinklage and Jane Krakowski also earn a paycheck by acting silly. Extras include featurettes and a music video.

A Reunion

($24.99 DVD; Ariztical)

Compared to Andrew Haigh’s Weekend for its semi-improvised and naturalistic approach and flow, and central relationship between two characters that connect deeply, director Hernando Banseulo’s feature debut follows a pair of college friends as they reunite to road trip from L.A. to Chicago for a 10 year school reunion. Along the way we begin to understand this pair’s complicated past and intimate relationship, as sexual dynamics and deeper issues bubble back up. A promising debut for sure.

ALSO OUT:

Southpaw

The Gift

Max

Lawrence Ferber

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/iyGvEXK8cJM/dvd-pixels-supernatural-a-reunion-partners-more-20151027

New Florida "Religious Freedom" Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Turn Away Gay People
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New Florida “Religious Freedom” Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Turn Away Gay People
byu/queerdeermedia inlgbt

Tuesday Morning News Update: China, Ted Cruz, Apple, David Bowie, Gym Drugs, Cher, More

OPENING TODAY: The World Congress of Families hate conference: The biggest gathering of hateful bigots the U.S. has seen in quite some time, with Mark Regnerus, Jennifer Roback Morris, Brian Brown, Rick Scarborough, Frank Schubert, and other so-called “pro-family” activists (aka right-wing extremists). Also, Governor Herbert is speaking. SHAME.

TV: GLAAD has released its annual Where We Are on TV report: “Of the 881 regular characters expected to appear on broadcast primetime scripted programming in the coming year, 35 (4%) were identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. There were an additional 35 recurring LGB characters. The highest percentage of LGBT characters GLAAD has ever counted on primetime scripted broadcast programming was 4.4% in the 2012-13 season. The number of regular LGBT characters counted on cable increased from 64 to 84, while recurring characters increased from 41 to 58. For the first time, GLAAD counted LGBT characters on original series that premiered on Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. GLAAD found 43 series regulars and 16 recurring LGBT characters across 23 series.”

INTERNATIONAL: A U.S. warship is trolling China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea: “The action taken by the U.S. warship has threatened China’s sovereignty and security interest, and has put the safety of personnel on the reefs in danger.”

POLITICS: Ted Cruz has a plan to pick off the competition: “The most encouraging thing I would say is that I think three of the lanes are collapsing into one, which is the evangelical lane, the conservative tea party lane, and the libertarian lane are all collapsing into the conservative lane and we’re seeing those lanes unify behind our campaign.”

BUSINESS: Apple is set to report earnings today. “Apple is the biggie of the day as the gadget maker has been lagging the performance of other major tech players since the market bottom Aug. 25. Apple is up 11.1% since the August low, but Google parent Alphabet is up 22.5% and online shopping giant Amazon.com is up 30.6%.”

CELEBRITY: Boy George wants to be more like Taylor Swift: “I really do love Taylor, I often think, ‘Not to self, behave more like Taylor Swift!’ It clearly f***ing works! She’s obviously doing something right, what’s she doing lets watch.”

CLIMATE: Persian Gulf to be intolerably hot by end of century: “The dangerously muggy summer conditions predicted for places near the warm waters of the Gulf could overwhelm the ability of the human body to reduce its temperature through sweating and ventilation.”

FITNESS: 1 in 3 gym users take drugs to lose weight: “More than 5% of people who regularly attend gyms have gone further by using the illegal stimulant amphetamine for this purpose, according to researchers from the University of Hertfordshire, who have presented their preliminary findings to MPs.”

HORROR: Woman dies in cryotherapy chamber: “Authorities with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration say they believe Ake was in the chamber for at least 10 hours. A police report says the 24-year old used the machine without any assistance and may have suffocated. Investigators ruled ‘operator error.’”

MUSIC: David Bowie has a new album coming out: “David Bowie has confirmed his new album will be called Blackstar and released on his 69th birthday on 8 January.”

THEATRE: Cher is working on a Broadway musical based on her life: “Yesterday, Cher added to the speculation by sharing that she will be working with JERSEY BOYS scribe Rick Ellice on the project.”

ICYMI: Russian submarines are hovering suspiciously near underwater global internet cables. “While there is no evidence yet of any cable cutting, the concern is part of a growing wariness among senior American and allied military and intelligence officials over the accelerated activity by Russian armed forces around the globe.”

The post Tuesday Morning News Update: China, Ted Cruz, Apple, David Bowie, Gym Drugs, Cher, More appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

Tuesday Morning News Update: China, Ted Cruz, Apple Earnings, David Bowie, Gym Drugs, Cher, More