National Urban League Supports Equality Act
National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial joined HRC in celebrating the White House’s support for the Equality Act earlier this week.
HRC.org
Daily Archives: November 12, 2015
Straight Guy Handles Being Hit On By A Gay Guy Like A True Gentleman
Straight Guy Handles Being Hit On By A Gay Guy Like A True Gentleman
The whole “I’m cool with gay guys unless they try and hit on me” line has been ugly and tired since, oh, it was first uttered between sips of Coors Light in a dingy sports bar.
And thankfully things are changing, as evidenced by this anecdote shared by a straight guy from a recent wedding he attended.
In short, he was sitting alone at the end of the night when a guy came up to him and said, “I just wanted to let you know that I have noticed you all night. I wanted to leave this with you before I left.” He left his number and walked off.
Here’s the text conversation that took place shortly after:
The image has been viewed on Imgur 350K times, hopefully giving a life lesson to some other guys out there who may find themselves in a similar situation one day.
Here’s the full caption:
I was at my cousins wedding reception and had just sat down from dancing. It was nearing the end of the night at this time so I was pretty secluded from everyone. A man walked up to me who I hadn’t seen before and nervously said “what’s your name?” I replied, “Chad, what’s yours?” He said “Shane, I just wanted to let you know that I have noticed you all night. I wanted to leave this with you before I left.” He handed me a piece of paper and quickly walked out. It was his number. Without knowing if I was straight or not he had built up the guts to put himself out there. I thought it was extremely brave and I know it’s something I wouldn’t be able to do. I’m sharing this to remind everyone to live their lives without regrets. Almost all of my regrets come from the things I didn’t do, not the things I did. I will be living my life more like this man and I suggest you all do as well. Good night.
Dan Tracer
The OXD Mirror: Crookers Give Us ‘Withdrawals’
The OXD Mirror: Crookers Give Us ‘Withdrawals’
By Josh Appelbaum
Although the Crookers name still flies under the radar for most, the duo has quite an impressive discography. Best known for co-production on Kid Cudi‘s debut single, ‘Day N Night,’ they were also commissioned for remixes for Lady Gaga & Beyonce, Green Velvet, Ludacris, Britney Spears, and Tiga, and featured Kelis, Róisín Murphy, and Major Lazer on original tracks. As a duo, Crookers bridged a unique production style that mixed elements of house, electronica, trap, and even hip-hop to create a sound that impacts both the electronic and pop music worlds. In late 2012, Crookers member Bot left fellow member Francesco “Phra” Barbaglia, to pursue his own projects. Phra decided to keep the Crookers name and continue producing as a solo project. The change from duo to solo also signaled a shift in sound, as Phra moves away from the frantic sounds of their earlier productions to a sleeker house music feeling. The shift is apparent in his latest single, ‘Withdrawals,’ which features WILLS‘ smooth R&B vocals along with that heavy signature Crookers bass line.
- Johnnie Walker and Jacqueline Dee‘s 1980 record ‘Farewell to Welfare’ has an inherently humorous title, but stands on its own as a is a solid funk song. Kon (an acronym for King of Nothing) gives the song some added spice (and lasers!) as an update to this little-known classic.
- London-based producer VRRS takes a powerful looped vocal sample and seamlessly threads it into ‘Need Luv,’ a slick, deep house track worthy of repeat listening.
- Jägerverb‘s new EP, Baseliner, mixes ambient and techno styles to create airy, hypnotic tracks that may be considered “dance floor worthy” for some, and “chill out appropriate” for others. The title track in particular is a stand out and does a nice job of taking the listener on an unconventional musical journey.
- George Kelly and the rest of his fellow Chop Shop label mates stay true to the label’s implied mantra by taking classic disco, soul and funk songs and updating them with more modern, danceable productions. ‘Feet Start Moving’ falls right in line, and stays true to its eponymous name.
- ‘Dancing Shoes’ is Benoit & Sergio‘s latest release brings us back into the 80’s with some serious electro and new wave-sounds. Clarian adds a bit of restraint and subtlety to the track while keeping true to the original’s new wave vibes.
- UK Label Aus Music is a personal favorite and can always be counted on for breaking cutting edge new music like Shenoda‘s new EP, Labour, which houses the wonderfully dynamic ‘If I Could.’
OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD) is a gay, New York City-based DJ collective who got their start curating alternative night life and music events for the LGBT community. The OXD Mirror serves to showcase house, disco and techno tunes that are definitely off-the-beaten-path but rightfully deserve the attention of the gay ear.
Check out these tracks and more on our Soundcloud. For more information on OXD, visit our website at www.occupythedisco.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @OccupyTheDisco.
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Occupy the Disco
WATCH: Valerie Jarrett Gives Speech on Why Obama Backs Equality Act
WATCH: Valerie Jarrett Gives Speech on Why Obama Backs Equality Act
President Obama’s closest advisor, Valerie Jarrett, further explained his support for The Equality Act in a speech on Wednesday during the OUT100.
The president had been named “Ally of the Year” on Tuesday and appeared on the magazine’s cover — the first time a president has been photographed for the cover of an LGBT magazine. The OUT100 event in New York City celebrates the honorees.
After taking weeks to review the proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include protection for sexual orientation and gender identity, the White House announced on Tuesday that it will back the bill in Congress called The Equality Act. Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters, “That bill is historic legislation that would advance the cause of equality for millions of Americans.”
Earnest explained that the administration’s review determined the bill maintains a balance between fighting discrimination and “making sure that we can protect religious liberty at the same time.”
In her speech, Jarrett also remembered a conversation she had on the phone with President Obama in June on the day the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the nationwide legality of same-sex marriage, and his reaction to the good news.
“I said it was 5-4, and he said, ‘Who won?'” she recalled. “I said, ‘We won.’ And he knew exactly who I meant by that.”
Watch the video of Jarrett’s speech during the OUT100 below:
Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, Speaks at …
“The day the Supreme Court voted to support marriage equality was one of the best days of my life.” – Valerie Jarrett, The White House #OUT100
Posted by Out Magazine on Thursday, November 12, 2015
Advocate.com Editors
www.advocate.com/politics/2015/11/12/watch-valerie-jarrett-gives-speech-why-obama-backs-equality-act
Cops probe whether basketball player was murdered after arranging Grindr date
Cops probe whether basketball player was murdered after arranging Grindr date
The death of a former New York Knicks draft has now been ruled as homicide. Police are investigating whether the murder could have come about after the victim arranged to meet another man via popular gay men’s dating app, Grindr, reports New York Daily News.
The body of Michael Wright, 35, was found by an NYPD officer in the back seat of his car at 9am on Tuesday. The white SUV was found parked on E. 16th St. in the Midwood district of Brooklyn.
His roommates in Closter, New Jersey, reported him missing on Sunday. Police at first thought he may have committed suicide. However, his body was found beneath garbage bags and he had a serious skull fracture. Investigators now believe he was murdered.
Wright was a basketball star at the University of Arizona when younger, playing for Arizona Wildcats from 1998-2000. He was drafted by the Knicks in 2001 but never made it on to the roster. Instead, he played overseas in countries including France, Poland and Turkey.
His family had said that they are shocked by his death.
‘We are in disbelief,’ said Wright’s cousin Randolph Berry. They’re telling us it’s foul play.’
Berry, who lives in Chicago said he couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt the 6’8” ‘gentle giant.’
He told NY Daily News that he didn’t know if his cousin was gay.
‘We don’t know anything about his personal life. All we know is that he did damage overseas. When he played ball, he destroyed everyone in front of him.’
Wright’s was most recently a member of the Cholet Basket basketball team in France, who he signed with in February but left a month later.
Approached by Gay Star News an NYPD spokesperson would only confirm, ‘There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.’
Grindr have been approached for comment.
Main image: Patryk Chmiel Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons
The post Cops probe whether basketball player was murdered after arranging Grindr date appeared first on Gay Star News.
David Hudson
Thursday Morning News Feed: David Geffen, GOP, Kylie Minogue, Facebook, Leia
Thursday Morning News Feed: David Geffen, GOP, Kylie Minogue, Facebook, Leia
2016 ELECTION: Republican Party now in battle over what it is to be ‘conservative’: ” the Republican Party had finally brought one of its most important internal debates into the open. If a GOP candidate wins the White House next year, there will absolutely be a tension in the next Congress over tax cuts, military spending and the federal debt.” NYT: “Years’ worth of arguments conducted at issues forums and in the pages of policy journals and newspapers are now coming to life. The Republican hopefuls are sparring over such high-fiber fare as tax policy: whether to adhere strictly to the party’s supply-side creed or move at least modestly toward policies aimed at bolstering lesser earners. They are clashing over the role America plays in the world, and whether fiscal conservatism is compatible with a drastically enlarged military.”
TELEVISION: Stephen Colbert wins coveted spot following 2016 Super Bowl. “The network announced on Wednesday that Mr. Colbert’s “The Late Show” would run live with a one hour episode after Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016, and that its other late-night host, James Corden, would broadcast his late night show following the local news. ”
MUSIC: Kylie Minogue and her sister Dannii have a new track coming out, “100 Degrees”, and it sounds like a winner:
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook launches new app to bring news to your phone’s lock screen: “Notify lets you select from over 70 publishers and customize your alerts to only send you news about specific companies, cities, sports teams, music genres and more. Each is sent as a push notification and shown in the Notify app’s feed for 24 hours, and can be clicked through to read an associated link.”
DAVID GEFFEN: Gay mogul gives another $100 million to UCLA towards the completion of a new university-run secondary school, called the Geffen Academy at UCLA: “With this latest gift, Geffen’s total philanthropic support to UCLA exceeds $400 million, making him the largest individual donor to UCLA. In 2012, he established a $100 million scholarship fund for students at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and a decade earlier, he gave the medical school an unrestricted grant of $200 million. ”
SPACE: A new Earth-like world could be the most important planet discovered outside our solar system: “The discovery came as scientists announced they had found the most distant object in the solar system, a frozen body that lies more than 100 times farther from the Sun than Earth does. The object lies beyond the edge of the Kuiper belt, home to the dwarf planet Pluto, and into the realm of space dominated by the so-called Oort cloud, a vast shell of icy objects where comets such as Hale-Bopp are thought to have formed.”
STAR WARS: Leia no longer called princess: “She’s referred to as General,” says director and co-writer J.J. Abrams. “But … there’s a moment in the movie where a character sort of slips and calls her ‘Princess.’”
ADVERTISING: Xbox is making 8 people stand on a billboard for 24 hours while it subjects them to extreme weather: “The eight contestants will have their plight live-streamed on a dedicated website and Twitch from 1pm GMT/8am EST on Thursday. Sadist viewers can vote for the harsh weather conditions inflicted on the competition entrants. The last person standing on the ledge, which is situated on a real billboard in London, will win “a trip inspired by Tomb Raider.”
HEALTH: Death clocks in cells could tell you when you get cancer: “Each tick of these clocks is a DNA mutation, and these build up at a constant rate throughout your life. The discovery will give us a deeper understanding of the causes of cancer, and an insight into healthy ageing. Not only that, but if you could slow the rate at which these clocks tick, it might be possible to alter the rate at which cancer spreads – and even the rate at which we age.”
THURSDAY NAUGHTY THOUGHTS: Manu Gassó.
The post Thursday Morning News Feed: David Geffen, GOP, Kylie Minogue, Facebook, Leia appeared first on Towleroad.
Andy Towle
Thursday Morning News Feed: David Geffen, GOP, Kylie Minogue, Facebook, Leia
Ukraine MPs vote six times in one day before passing LGBTI workers’ rights law
Ukraine MPs vote six times in one day before passing LGBTI workers’ rights law
The Ukrainian Parliament has passed a bill amending a law to grant gay workers workplace protection against discrimination – and bringing Ukraine closer to possibly becoming a member of the European Union.
A day after the new law was rejected for the second time in a week, Parliament voted on the matter again today (12 November), returning a positive verdict.
The amendment to Ukraine’s Labor Code bans employers from discriminating against and directly or indirectly restricting the rights of their employees on the basis of their race, color, political or religious belief as well as their gender identity, sexual orientation and the presence, or the suspicion of the presence of HIV or AIDS.
With the implementation of the new law, Ukrainian people will soon be granted visa-free travel throughout the European Union, making
Yet today wasn’t an easy vote either, with Parliament needing six attempts before reaching a positive decision on the law; 234 MPs voted in favor in the last vote.
Volodymyr Groisman, the parliament’s speaker, had to call for a 15-minute break after the first five unsuccessful attempts and also made it clear that the new bill brings Ukraine legislation in line with EU regulations, but LGBTIs cannot hope for more equality.
‘Ukraine will not have gay marriage’ he said.
‘God forbid this to happen, and we will never support it.’
He also said the government may appoint a Family Commissioner.
The new law brings Ukraine’s legal situation further in line with EU guidelines and was an important part of the groundwork for a possible union membership.
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Stefanie Gerdes
Which Politico Is The Equality Champion Of The Year? You Decide!
Which Politico Is The Equality Champion Of The Year? You Decide!
This is the fourth category in the 2015 Queerties Awards, political champions. Vote for your choice in the poll.
Politics is not beanball, so if you’re going to play in the field, you better be prepared to go all out. Being squishy makes you a politician; being fierce makes you a champion. Fortunately for us, there are no shortage of champions willing to fight for the cause.
In the 2015 Queerties Awards, here are seven who are making a difference.
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski
As this post goes live, the final tally of the Salt Lake City Mayor’s race isn’t yet available–Jackie Biskupski has a small but significant lead. The apparent victory of an openly lesbian mayor anywhere in Utah would have been unthinkable not so long ago. So this week’s achievement can’t be underestimated in a conservative state with a history of hostility toward gays and lesbians. After all, it was just two years ago that a federal judge overturned the state’s same-sex marriage ban. Biskupski was baptized in tough political challenges, so its not surprising she is one of our fiercest champions today. In 1995, a firestorm erupted at East High School, when the Salt Lake City School District and the Utah State Legislature tried to eliminate a gay/straight student alliance. The dust up inspired her to become the state’s first out state representative, where she served for more than a decade, before going to work at the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office, and now, apparently, the liberal bastion’s top office.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia
Garcia made history more than a year ago when he became the first openly gay mayor of Long Beach, a more manageable version of neighboring Los Angeles. (At 36, he was also the youngest.) Since then, Garcia has gotten down to the hard work of managing the city of 500,000 and has been doing a good job of it, promoting clean energy initiatives and working to turn the city into a high-tech hub.
At the same time, Garcia, who was born in Peru, has stayed true to his roots in the LGBT community. He served as a marshall in the city’s gay pride parade and raised a rainbow flag over Civic Plaza to celebrate the legalization of marriage equality. He traveled to Honduras as a special U.S. envoy to promote LGBT rights in that country, where antigay violence is common place. By doing a solid job as a city administrator and promoting the rights of his community at home and abroad, Garcia is practical and principled, a rare combination in politics
Acting Deputy Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning
A decade ago, it would have been impossible to imagine an openly gay man serving as the Army’s top civilian official. Now it’s a reality. Eric Fanning was nominated by President Obama to the position in September, based on Fanning’s impressive credentials as a military expert. Fanning began his career on the House Armed Services Committee and worked at a variety of Pentagon positions, including Acting Secretary of the Air Force. He also served on the board of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, not the likeliest route to a top military job.
Fanning has said that I don’t think there’s anything as important as just living an open life of integrity and productivity.” He’s been doing both, while earning the respect of the military. He hasn’t relied just on his smarts to do so: in August, Fanning jumped from the top of a 34 foot tower at Fort Bragg, providing that he doesn’t just talk the talk. He jumps it.
Senator Tammy Baldwin
The bar for being a class act in the current Congress isn’t very high, but even if it was set much higher, Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin would easily clear it. Baldwin conducts herself with the dignity befitting her office, a concept that seems quaint in era when Republicans are encouraging voters to descend upon D.C. with pitchforks and torches. She’s helped by standing in sharp contrast to the other senator from the state, Ron Johnson, a Tea Partier who holds a perfect voting score from the Human Rights Campaign: zero.
As the junior senator (if senior intellect), Baldwin has been heads-down on the business of governing, eschewing the grandstanding that characterizes many of her colleagues. As she was during her tenure in the House, Baldwin is an outspoken champion of equality. She’s introduced a bill to help LGBT seniors and pushed the FDA to lift its ban on gay blood donors. Her advocacy doesn’t stop with the present. She’s also pushed for the Justice Department to investigate a claim that a Sen. Lester Hunt committed suicide in 1954 after being blackmailed to resign from office when McCarthy supporters discovered his son was gay. For trying to improve the future and right past wrongs, Baldwin deserves to take a bow.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Amanda Simpson
Simpson holds one of those only-in-D.C. titles, but don’t let that throw you. She wields considerable power in the Obama administration. Just as important, she’s a pioneer. Simpson is the first openly transgender official in a White House administration. President Obama appointed her to a civilian Army position in 2010 and then promoted her to her new position in September.
Simpson is a pilot and was a defense contractor before moving over to the Pentagon. She’s been frank about the challenges of growing up trans, including having a stepfather who beat her. But Simpson shows that it does get better and that being transgender should never be a barrier to success.
“I didn’t get here because I’m trans,” Simpson told Refinery29. “I got here because I am an expert in my field. But, I wasn’t prevented from getting here because I’m trans.”
San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener
Wiener represents the Castro, the same district that Harvey Milk once did. Like Milk, Wiener is taking on the hot issues in the community, in particular pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the medication regimen to prevent HIV infection. Wiener was bold enough to make the issue a personal one by announcing that he takes Truvada, the PrEP pill.
“A much larger segment of gay men should be taking a close look at PrEP,” Wiener said. “I hope that my being public about my use of PrEP can help people take a second look at it.” The announcement made Wiener the first elected official in the U.S. to come out of the Truvada closet.
There’s plenty of reason to follow Wiener’s example. Studies have shown that Truvada dramatically cuts the risk of infection from HIV at a time when infection rates among young gay men, particularly men of color, are on the rise. By personalizing the issue, Wiener helped make the case for PrEP much more real, preventing infections in the process.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker
It can’t be easy governing a population fixated on whom they pee with. It’s especially difficult if you’re a lesbian and you are in Texas. Yet Annise Parker has shown the political savvy to weave her way through political landmines while serving as the mayor of the fourth largest city in the nation, winning three consecutive elections. She’s done so while being out-in-front on LGBT issues, much to the consternation of the sizeable religious right population in the city. Parker’s skills will be put the test in the coming months, as her city faces the fallout from the vote against a nondiscrimination measure. “I absolutely fear that there will be a direct economic backlash,” Parker says.
President Barack Obama
Okay, okay, there’s no denying that he was late to the party, particularly with that patently fake “evolution” on gay marriage as a cover. But since then Obama has made up for his heel-dragging with a vengeance. He has aggressively supported marriage equality, ensuring that marriage rights seep into every corner of the federal bureaucracy, from the IRS for immigration. He issued an executive order banning LGBT workplace discrimination by federal contractors. He navigated the rocky waters of the Pentagon to ensure the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and told military leaders who didn’t like it that they could take a hike.
The accomplishments themselves are impressive, but what matters just as much is the expectation that Obama set for his successor. Hillary has been trying to out-gay Obama, featuring a same-sex couple in her campaign announcement video and sending a heartwarming letter of support to couples working with LGBT youth.
When the mud settles on the GOP side, the nominee (or more accurately, survivor) is going to have to answer questions about whether he would repeal the executive order or roll back some of the marriage gains. Any willingness to regress will harm the GOP with younger voters. The political benefits are just a side feature of Obama’s action. He’s has made it clear that on LGBT issues there’s only one direction: forward.
Who is the top queer freedom fighter of 2015?
Photo credits: Simpson via U.S. Army
The 2015 Queerties:
Which YouTuber Do You Love Most?
Which Everyday Hero Made The Biggest Difference Fighting Off Bigots?
JohnGallagher
Rob Lowe is Meeting Men on Grindr: WATCH
Rob Lowe is Meeting Men on Grindr: WATCH
Rob Lowe has discovered the gay hook-up app Grindr and he’s using it to meet men for anonymous activities, although it’s unclear if the men he’s meeting are on the same page.
Watch:
RELATED: Rob Lowe Does Possibly Naked Performance of ‘The Sound of Music’ for Twitter: VIDEO
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Andy Towle
Nice umbrella!
antwerpenR posted a photo:
