Here’s The Proper Way To Handle An Obnoxious Gay Trying To Steal Your Spotlight

It pains us to think it’s necessary to go over this simple ground rule for nightlife etiquette, but here we go:

When taking in a drag show, the only appropriate reason to approach the stage is to offer a dead president (the kind that folds) to the queen on stage.

That’s it.

Under no circumstances is it ever cute to rush a stage in the middle of a performance, no matter how many vodka cranberries in your stomach are telling you it’s a good idea.

And if you make the horrifically tacky mistake of trying to get a selfie with a performer in the middle of her set, we hope the queen up there offering you life has even half the proficiency as Vivacious with dealing with your drunk ass.

For the record, this is how it’s done: 

How to read and handle a gay millenial jumping into your show #littleQueenWaitTillTheShowIsOverToTakeYourPicture

A video posted by Vivacious (@vivaciousnyc) on Nov 10, 2015 at 2:41am PST

Sorry you had to deal with that, girl, but nicely played.

“#littleQueenWaitTillTheShowIsOverToTakeYourPicture”

Dan Tracer

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Anti-HERO Spokesman Defends Man Who Photographed Women In Bathroom

Jared Woodfill, the main spokesman for the campaign to defeat Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance, is now defending a man who’s being sued for taking photos of women changing in a bathroom.

Woodfill, an attorney and the former chair of the local Republican Party, represents BJ Farmer, who’s being sued by one of the women who was photographed in the bathroom at a party 10 years ago.

The anti-HERO campaign adopted the slogan “No Men In Women’s Bathrooms,” flooding the airwaves with ads falsely suggesting the ordinance would allow sexual predators to enter women’s restrooms and prey on victims. Largely as a result of the fear-mongering ads, voters repealed HERO by a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent.

The Houston Press, the city’s alternative weekly, reports on the lawsuit against Farmer:

Ten years ago, at a pool party at a private home, seven women went into the master bathroom to change into their bathing suits. Following them were three drunk men, including local tech-company owner BJ Farmer, who sat in the shower, took out their cell phones, and began snapping pictures while the women changed. Earlier this year, one of those women, Andrea Villarreal, sued Farmer after his ex-wife found the pictures on his laptop, shortly before their divorce proceedings, and brought them to Villarreal’s attention.

Villarreal is suing Farmer for invasion of privacy, negligence for having never deleted those photos, and defamation, alleging Farmer made false, misogynistic comments about her with fake user names on a Houston Press article about the case last year (tech experts traced online comments calling her a “gold digger” and a “disgusting worm who flashes her breasts to get attention from every guy” back to Farmer’s computer). Three months later, in February 2015, Farmer admitted in a deposition to taking the photos of Villarreal without her knowledge. He said it was just a “stupid, you know, idea at the time while we were drinking.” In that deposition, Farmer also admitted to doing this on more than one occasion, and to having pictures of himself fondling an unconscious nude woman at another party.

In court filings, Woodfill has slut-shamed Villarreal and called her lawsuit against Farmer “frivolous,” “harassing” and “brought in bad faith,” according to The Houston Press. Woodfill has maintained that Villarreal knew Farmer was taking the photos, even though Farmer has said he doesn’t know whether she knew:

“Surely if it bothered her, she would not have been in front of multiple other people, including men,” Woodfill writes in one filing. “If she was so concerned about her privacy, she would not have been an active participant.”

The post Anti-HERO Spokesman Defends Man Who Photographed Women In Bathroom appeared first on Towleroad.

John Wright

Anti-HERO Spokesman Defends Man Who Photographed Women In Bathroom

Everything You Need To Know About Harvard Sex Week's BDSM Course

Harvard University’s Sex Week is in full swing, and what’s a week of informing students about all things fornication without an instructive BDSM course? In the video above, watch Harvard Sex Week events coordinator Julia Lee discuss why the workshop is so important for students and how learning about it can be empowering.  

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation about Harvard Sex Week here.  

Want more HuffPost Live? Stream us anytime on Go90, Verizon’s mobile social entertainment network, and listen to our best interviews on iTunes.

Also on HuffPost:

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Obama reflects on day US Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states

US President Barack Obama was announced as Ally of the Year by Out Magazine today and opened up about this year’s landmark US Supreme Court gay marriage ruling in an interview.

‘There had been a remarkable attitude shift—in hearts and minds—across America. The ruling reflected that,’ Obama said. ‘It reflected our values as a nation founded on the principle that we are all created equal.’

It was on 26 June that the high court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges and made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

Obama remarked that the historic day came after ‘decades of our brothers and sisters fighting for recognition and equality—and too frequently risking their lives or facing rejection from family, friends, and co-workers—that got us to that moment.

‘So I wasn’t surprised by the Supreme Court’s decision, but, like millions of Americans, I was proud and happy that it came down the way it did—and I was honored to stand in the Rose Garden and reiterate for every American that we are strongest, that we are most free, when all of us are treated equally.

‘I was proud to say that love is love.’

Obama may have taken awhile to ‘evolve’ his stance of same-sex marriage but his administration has focused on LGBT equality from the beginning. Under his presidency, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed, the Defense of Marriage act gutted and signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law.

‘One of the reasons I got involved in politics was to help deliver on our promise that we’re all created equal, and that no one should be excluded from the American dream just because of who they are,’ Obama said. ‘That’s why, in the Senate, I supported repealing DOMA [the Defense of Marriage Act]. It’s why, when I ran for president the first time, I publicly asked for the support of the LGBT community, and promised that we could bring about real change for LGBT Americans.’

Other topics Obama weighed in on:

On the controversy surrounding Kentucky clerk Kim Davis: ‘I am a man of faith and believe deeply in religious freedom, but at the end of the day, nobody is above the rule of law—especially someone who voluntarily takes an oath to uphold that law. That’s something we’ve got to respect.’

On the first influential gay person in his life: ‘I’m not sure who the first openly gay person I met was, but Dr. Lawrence Goldyn, one of my college professors, is a man who stands out to me. I took his class freshman year at Occidental. I was probably 18 years old—Lawrence was one of the younger professors—and we became good friends. He went out of his way to advice lesbian, gay, and transgender students at Occidental, and keep in mind, this was 1978. That took a lot of courage, a lot of confidence in who you are and what you stand for. I got to recognize Lawrence last year at our Pride Month reception at the White House, and thank him for influencing the way I think about so many of these issues.’

On the generational difference in the attitudes towards homosexuality: ‘To Malia and Sasha and their friends, discrimination in any form against anyone doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t dawn on them that friends who are gay or friends’ parents who are same-sex couples should be treated differently than anyone else. That’s powerful.’

The post Obama reflects on day US Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/obama-reflects-day-us-supreme-court-made-same-sex-marriage-legal-in-all-50-states/

White House Announces Support for Equality Act

Today, HRC reacted to news that the Obama Administration has endorsed the Equality Act.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/white-house-announces-support-for-equality-act?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Yusaf Mack, Boxer Who Wasn’t Drugged, Throws Himself West Hollywood Coming Out Party

Freshly out former boxer Yusaf Mack has been on quite the emotional rollercoaster of late, but we’re happy to report he’s managed to turn the whole ordeal into a way to get drunk in West Hollywood. It’s the fairytale ending every little boy dreams of.

If you haven’t been following this story, it’s a real doozy. Here’s a quick rundown:

Mack, 35, former lightweight title contender and father of 10, shoots a gay hardcore threesome video for some extra dough with DawgPoundUSA.com.

Because the internet, the dots eventually connect (they always do). Mack freaks out, comes up with fool-proof plan.

He tells the press he was tricked, drugged, raped on camera and sent off on a train. The world believes it for about absolutely zero seconds, but he sticks with it.

DawgPound (understandably) doesn’t appreciate the accusations, and threatens a lawsuit.

Mack says well OK, maybe I wasn’t drugged. And yeah, I guess I’m actually bi.

A few days later he changes his story again (he loves doing that). Actually, I’m just gay.

So what’s a guy to do now that the cat is finally out of the bag?

Throw yourself a coming out party!

Mack hosted the “Socialite Sundays” hip hop party at Rage in West Hollywood, where he was reportedly in very high spirits — hope he didn’t leave his drink unattended.

TMZ was outside to catch some of the absurdity:

Dan Tracer

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Dory is Back and Still Swimming in First Trailer for ‘Finding Dory’ – WATCH

The first trailer for Finding Dory, the highly anticipated sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo, has finally been released and, as expected, the film centers on your favorite forgetful fish, as voiced by Ellen De Generes.

From the film’s IMDB page: “The friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish reunites with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the true meaning of family along the way.”

Check out what to expect from Dory’s adventure to find her family (which she probably won’t remember) which also sees the return of Nemo and the most sarcastic clownfish there ever was (voiced by Albert Brooks), below:

The post Dory is Back and Still Swimming in First Trailer for ‘Finding Dory’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Dory is Back and Still Swimming in First Trailer for ‘Finding Dory’ – WATCH

This Woman Says She Was Fired for Being Lesbian

A former employee of a feminist publishing company associated with the City University of New York has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging she was fired for being a lesbian, according to the New York Daily News. 

Elizabeth Koke, 30, is suing CUNY, the press and its executive director, Jennifer Baumgardner, for $3.5 million. The suit alleges retaliation, wrongful termination and discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to the paper.

In court documents Koke wrote that she was fired in 2014 along with two other lesbian employees after bisexual author Baumgardner, 45, took the helm of the press in 2013 and decided along with the board of directors that it was “too lesbian,” the Daily News reported.

At the time she was fired, Koke claims she was the last remaining lesbian staffer, according to the paper. 

As part of additional de-lesbianing of the press, a French lesbian love story called “Therese and Isabel” was nixed in favor of more “mainstream” titles, according to the suit. 

Koke worked for Feminist Press begining in 2010 and claims that before she was fired, she was told she was getting a raise, according to the paper.

“During my four years at the Feminist Press, I put my heart into my work and dedicated myself to the organization with respect and care. It’s hurtful that I was not given the same in return,” Koke said in a statement to the Daily News.

“My client’s hope is that as a result of this lawsuit, Feminist Press employees will be treated equally and will not have to tolerate discrimination in the workplace or fear being fired simply because of who they are,” Koke’s lawyer Erica Kagan told The News.

The defendants named in the suit did not provide comments to the paper. 

Elizabeth Daley

www.advocate.com/media/2015/11/10/woman-says-she-was-fired-being-lesbian

I Am an Out-and-Proud Happy Face Carved Into an Open, Pussey Sore
Picture this: A church beautifully festooned for a lovely wedding. White tulle is swathed everywhere, fragrant flowers fill the air, the wedding march plays. It is the wedding of two open sores – oozing, pus-filled, gross, gaping sores. Happy faces have been carved into the sores. Crimson blood and yellowy pus drip and stain the purity of the environment. A pile of cow manure is at the entrance to the church. The father of one of the sores is writhing in the manure, spreading it all over his naked body.

Guests at this wedding include Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, and Ted Cruz.

Well, sort of.

The ‘open sores’ wedding imagery was supplied by pastor Kevin Swanson, the organizer of last week’s National Religious Liberties Conference, which was attended by the three GOP presidential hopefuls.

Swanson made the comments because, he says, “I’m grieving! I’m mourning! I’m pointing out the problem.”

“It’s not a gay time!” he bellows. What time is it, then? Lunatic Christian time? Religious extremist time? Totally unhinged time? I can’t believe this is 2015 time?

What is Swanson’s source? [Lephobicus 20:13] And the Lord sayeth that, if man lies with man, then the manure of cow shall be spread on thy body at the entrance of the place of worship, for it is an abomination.

I believe this follows another prescient verse: [Lephobicus 20:12] Worship thy Lord with appropriately adorned cups at Bucks of Star Coffee during the two months before Jesus’ birth.

Is our country more lunatic all of a sudden? Or is the internet helping to aggrandize and popularize the lunacy that has always been there?

Pastor Swanson, at the same conference, reminds his audience that the Old and New Testaments affirm that the sin of homosexuality should be punishable by death:

This conference, with its multiple calls for the death of homosexuals from Swanson and others, was attended by three GOP presidential candidates. One current senator, one current governor, and one former governor. Our elected officials joined a “Kill the Gays” rally (as Rachel Maddow has coined it.)

Before attending the rally/conference, Senator Cruz was asked about Swanson’s violent views. He chose to avert the question by denying any knowledge of Swanson’s extremism.

At the rally, Cruz declared that “Any president who doesn’t begin every day on his knees isn’t fit to be commander-in-chief of this country.” On his knees? For prayer? For a blow job?

Cruz and Swanson believe that one must believe in, and fear, their version of God in order to be fit for the presidency.

I do not fear God. I do not believe in God.

You know what I do fear? I fear …
… nut jobs like Swanson who host rallies to promote the execution of gays
… the cruel, hysterical, intense hatred that is being promoted and cheered by the audience
… the senator and governors who attend that rally as a way to gain votes
… that death penalty for homosexuals is considered religious liberty [The conference slogan was “Freedom 2015”]

Last week, ISIS executed two Syrian gay men by throwing them off a roof in front of a crowd of onlookers. Is this what the National Religious Liberties Conference attendees have in mind? This is “Christian”?

Mr. Swanson is strikingly creative in his savagery. A smiley face carved into an open, pussey sore? Wow. That takes imagination. He also believes that America must repent for Harry Potter’s homosexual mentor Dumbledore, that Girl Scout cookies are wicked and promote lesbianism, and that a gay kiss led to Colorado wildfires. The man’s originality and inventiveness is impressive, I’ll give him that.

He says that carving happy faces into gross, pussey sores is “not a nice thing to do.” You know what else is not a nice thing to do? Executing people because of twisted interpretations of an ancient book. That’s not nice. Promoting hatred and intolerance to the level of lunacy. That’s not nice either.

I fear you, Kevin Swanson, not God.

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The UK wouldn’t be making poppers illegal if they were used for straight sex

We now know for sure that poppers will likely be illegal in the UK from next year – and gay men’s health will be worse off for it.

The government’s Psychoactive Substances Bill is in its final stages in parliament. It is designed to deal with ‘legal highs’ but the way it does so is by banning any ‘psychoactive substance’ from sale or importation unless it is explicitly exempted from the provisions of the law.

Alcohol for example is exempted. But poppers are not.

Barring something very unexpected, it will be a criminal offence to sell poppers and a criminal offence for us to import them even for our personal use (for example buying them online from overseas) from April next year.

This will have a significant impact on the lives of gay men. Evidence suggests that at any one time about one in three gay men have used poppers in the previous four weeks. Are we all just going to stop? That seems unlikely.

Not only do a lot of men get pleasure from the rush of poppers but many men find them important in enabling them to have comfortable anal sex. Use of poppers is for many gay men linked to the pleasure and intimacy of their sex lives and sexual relationships.

What then will gay and bi men do? Poppers of course will still be available but not from licensed sex shops. Men will approach drug dealers or buy from overseas sources.

Not only will it move gay men towards criminal activity, it will mean gay men access unregulated compounds with little knowledge as to their safety.

Over the years, a couple of the compounds used as poppers (the official name for poppers is ‘alkyl nitrites’) have been banned through regulation because they were found to be particularly harmful for health. The compound currently sold is known as isopropyl nitrite and is much safer. There are still low-level risks but good health promotion advice can make such risks readily avoidable.

But who knows what you are buying once everything is equally unlawful and you access poppers from obscure sources. Prohibition means in National AIDS Trust’s view a risk of increased harm to gay men.

NAT gave evidence on poppers to the Home Affairs Select Committee who held an inquiry into the Psychoactive Substances Bill. We called for poppers to be exempted from prohibition. The Home Affairs Committee agreed with NAT – but the government refuses to budge.

We are supporting Members of Parliament as they question the minister on the issue in the Commons. But it looks like we will have to go through the extended process of persuading the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs to make a recommendation to the Secretary of State to add poppers to the list of exemptions – and that may take some time.

I doubt very much that we would be dealing with this if straight people also took poppers to aid them in their sex lives and at a roughly equivalent scale to alcohol and tobacco.

Instead poppers would have been exempted and any harms addressed through public health measures.

The decision to ban poppers reveals an insensitivity to gay and bi men’s sex lives and culture.

They want us to marry… but sex? Not so much.

Yusef Azad is director of strategy at the UK’s National AIDS Trust (NAT).

The post The UK wouldn’t be making poppers illegal if they were used for straight sex appeared first on Gay Star News.

Yusef Azad

www.gaystarnews.com/article/the-uk-wouldnt-be-making-poppers-illegal-if-they-were-used-for-straight-sex/