Cruz Tells Evangelicals He Can Reverse Marriage Equality

Hoping to drum up support in the early primary state of South Carolina, Ted Cruz told evangelicals there on Saturday he would continue to “fight” same-sex marriage.

The Texas senator spoke at a “rally for religious freedom” at Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian college in Greenville.

“[Marriage equality] is not settled,” an impassioned Cruz said of the Supreme Court’s decision this year to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. “It’s not the law of the land. It’s not the Constitution. It’s not legitimate, and we will stand and fight.”

Without naming names, Cruz took a swipe at other Republican presidential candidates who consider the issue of marriage equality over, calling it “sad” that some have said, “move on.” 

Read more at Greenville Online.

Cruz, now near the top of most polls, is possibly the most conservative of the GOP candidates. Besides proudly racking up endorsements by antigay leaders, Cruz recently appeared at a conference hosted by a pastor who, at the event, advocated the killing of gay people.

Neal Broverman

www.advocate.com/election/2015/11/14/cruz-tells-evangelicals-he-can-reverse-marriage-equality

Scores plan to leave Mormon church over its policy on same-sex couples

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could lose hundreds of its faithful because of a new plan not to baptize the children of same-sex parents. According to CNN, many plan to officially resign from the church tomorrow, 15 November.

‘The fact that it affects children really upset people,’ Utah attorney Mark Naugle said to CNN. ‘Most people are disaffected from the church already and this was the final straw.’

Naugle. who is helping people with the process, says he has 900 resignations that will be delivered to church headquarters, located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Earlier this month church leaders released its book of guidelines, known as Handbook1. Not only are children of LGBTI married couples barred from baptism, Mormons in a gay marriage are listed as apostates – people who has given up their religion – for whom a disciplinary council is mandatory.

The church is opposed to marriage equality.

The children of same-sex couples have an  opportunity to be baptized when they reach the age of 18. However, they must disavow gay marriage and stop living with their parents. They will also require approval of the First Presidency, the church’s top governing body.

According to CNN, the church released a statement yesterday, pointing out the change does not apply to those already baptized by the church.

‘We don’t want to see anyone leave the church,’ the LDS said in a 13 November statement, according to CNN affiliate KUTV. ‘We hope that today’s guidance from church leaders and the additional commentary will help provide understanding and context to some who may be considering resigning their membership.’

Naugle told the station this clarification did not lessen the amount of people coming to him for help to fill out paperwork.

UPDATE: Affirmation, an organization that supports LGBT Mormons, released a statement concerning the Handbook1 changes. The group criticized the church, arguing, in part, that ‘forcing children to disavow the love of their parents as the price for acceptance by the Church runs contrary to everything the Church has taught us about the nature and the purpose of family.’

The post Scores plan to leave Mormon church over its policy on same-sex couples appeared first on Gay Star News.

James Withers

www.gaystarnews.com/article/scores-plan-to-leave-mormon-church-over-its-policy-on-same-sex-couples/

Frank Ocean Blasts Donald Trump For Trying To Turn Paris Tragedy Into Political Gain

— Out entertainer Frank Ocean in a note posted to Tumblr criticizing blowhard GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump for his politically opportunistic comments that yesterday’s tragedy in Paris would have been less deadly if the victims had been armed with guns

Jeremy Kinser

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/26iqMiKKyP8/frank-ocean-blast-donald-trump-for-trying-to-turn-paris-tragedy-into-political-gain-20151114

George Takei's Beautiful Response to the Paris Terror Attacks

Out actor and activist George Takei always knows what to say. In light of Friday’s devastating terror attacks in Paris that killed at least 127, Takei took to Facebook to ask people to not cast guilt upon immigrants and refugees “because they look like those who perpetrated these attacks.” Takei, who spent three years of his childhood in a Japanese-American internment camp in California, used a very personal metaphor in his post:

Of course, there is no shortage of ignorance being perpetrated on social media when it comes to the terrorist attack. Exhibit A: antigay talking head Ann Coulter.

Why does NO ONE say the obvious thing on TV?! It’s insane. Don’t want terrorism in US? Stop importing Muslims!

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 14, 2015

Most rational voices responded to Coulter, including out immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas. 

Because it’s not obvious. Stop spreading hate and ignorance, Ann. Oh never mind–that’s your currency. t.co/KMa4VJnd7o

— Jose Antonio Vargas (@joseiswriting) November 14, 2015

Neal Broverman

www.advocate.com/world/2015/11/14/george-takeis-beautiful-response-paris-terror-attacks

The Truth About Transgender Suicide
For this year’s transgender awareness week I wanted to write about something that the transgender community and its allies are often afraid to discuss. Those who want to drive transgender people into the closet, legislate against us, and stigmatize us, talk about all the time in order further marginalize us. It is literally a matter of life and death.

It is suicide.

People know that transgender people are at a higher risk of suicide, but why this risk is higher is often not understood by the public, or misused by people who wish us further harm. The statistic that 40% of transgender people have attempted suicide is used all the time to justify all sorts of things that have absolutely zero basis in science.

Why transgender people are at risk is something that has actually been studied in great detail by psychologists and sociologists. They have found many of the same factors increase risk across multiple peer reviewed studies.

Rejection by friends and family increases suicide risk

Transgender people who are rejected by their families or lack social support are much more likely to both consider suicide, and to attempt it. Conversely, those with strong support were 82% less likely to attempt suicide than those without support, according to one recent study. Another study showed that transgender youth whose parents reject their gender identity are 13 times more likely to attempt suicide than transgender youth who are supported by their parents.

Discrimination increases suicide risk

Transgender people in states without LGBT legal protections are at higher risk of suicide. Other studies have found that transgender people who have been discriminated against are at a higher risk of suicide. What makes this worse is that discrimination against transgender people in health care, employment, accommodations, and housing is very common. Even in places with legal protections for transgender people, like Washington D.C., cultural bias and discrimination remains.

Physical abuse increases suicide risk

Transgender people who have been physically or sexually abused because they are transgender are at a higher risk of suicide. As the number of abusive incidents increases, the more likely the person is to have attempted suicide. The amount of abuse is also associated with the number of time suicide has been attempted. Again, studies on how often transgender people are assaulted show shockingly high levels of violence.

Being seen as transgender or gender non-conforming increases suicide risk

People who are seen as transgender or gender non-conforming are more likely to have attempted suicide. Also, people who have had access to surgery which allows them to “pass,” such as facial feminization surgery, report qualities of life not significantly different from the general population. This is perhaps the most damning study, since it strongly suggests that when transgender people are treated the same as cisgender (non-transgender) people, the risk of suicide becomes no different than for anyone else.

Internalized transphobia increases suicide risk

Internalized transphobia is when a transgender individual applies negative messages about transgender people in general to themselves. It’s not hard to find such messages in our culture, especially since a multi-million dollar smear campaign in Houston successfully convinced an uninformed populace that transgender people should be treated like rapists and pedophiles. When transgender people start applying such messages to themselves, the suicide attempt rate skyrockets.

Intersecting minority identities increases suicide risk

Multiple studies have found that transgender people of color are at higher risk of suicide than white transgender people. This is a result of the combined effects of racial and gender identity discrimination.

Notice a pattern here? None of these risks for suicide are about being transgender. They’re about what is being done to transgender people. And therein lies the rub.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with being transgender .

There is something horribly, horribly wrong with the way we as a culture treat transgender people.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has addressed the issue of suicide in LGBT populations, and reached the same conclusions on the actual causes of suicide in the transgender community:

“Suicidal behaviors in LGBT populations appear to be related to “minority stress”, which stems from the cultural and social prejudice attached to minority sexual orientation and gender identity. This stress includes individual experiences of prejudice or discrimination, such as family rejection, harassment, bullying, violence, and victimization. Increasingly recognized as an aspect of minority stress is “institutional discrimination” resulting from laws and public policies that create inequities or omit LGBT people from benefits and protections afforded others. Individual and institutional discrimination have been found to be associated with social isolation, low self-esteem, negative sexual/gender identity, and depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. These negative outcomes, rather than minority sexual orientation or gender identity per se, appear to be the key risk factors for LGBT suicidal ideation and behavior.”

This doesn’t change the fact that people who push for discrimination against transgender misuse studies, and use “experts” who are proponents of reparative therapy for all LGBT people, and haven’t seen a transgender patient in 35 years. Their so-called logic is that if people weren’t transgender and didn’t transition, they wouldn’t commit suicide. This is the intellectual equivalent of suggesting we should prevent rape by making women wear burqas, chastity belts, and never letting them leave the house.

In other words, any attempt to suggest that the solution to the problem of suicide in the transgender community is to stop being transgender is nothing more than chaff. These individuals are more interested in enforcing their brand of Biblical morality on society than the actual well-being of transgender people.

They’re hoping that no one will read this article. They’re hoping that no one will think the problem through. What happens when you rape, beat, fire, evict, reject, isolate, demonize, and humiliate a class people on a daily basis? What happens when all of this is done by people in the name of God? Would you expect a group of people experiencing this to thrive?

Or would you expect 40% of them to try to find escape in oblivion?

Leelah was right.

If we want to end the scourge of suicide, it’s time we stop trying to fix transgender people.

It’s time to fix society.

(H/t to Sebastian Barr for his excellent literature review and blog.)

— 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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The Champagne Water Polo League pays tribute to Paris

It was a grey and rainy day in London which seemed to complement the sombre mood across the city.

As they prepared for a business-as-usual training session at the University of London pool in Malet Street, the thoughts of the London Orca water polo squad were clearly with friends in Paris – a city still reeling from the shock and devastation of the attacks of the previous night.

With a state of emergency declared in Paris, there would be no training for the teams of Paris Aquatique and Paris Aquahomo, but there were messages of support flooding in from the members of the Champagne Water Polo League around the world.

As they prepared for training, the London Orca squad reminisced about their visit to Paris earlier in 2015 for the annual tournament – having drinks at Le Carillon on rue Alibert, before choosing between Petit Cambodge and Maria Luisa for dinner (ultimately the decision was for pizza at Maria Luisa where the sexy waiter flirted outrageously with Ginger Luke). On a Friday night that vibrant corner of Paris would have been buzzing with young people excited to be out with their friends.

In London for training it was Ass. Coach Andrea in charge and after a quick warm up it was straight into friendly scrimmage with four even teams battling it out for glory.

The action was fast and furious. Nico Bardot seemed determined to single-handedly mount a French resistance, vigorously disputing the numerous calls that Ass. Coach Andrea made against him. Trigger Morgan took delight in sledging Hackney, who seemed to spend most of his pool-time being dunked by Secretary Ricky. However the highlight of the session was the performance of the women’s team – playing a tight defence and a driving attack that rained goals down on their opponents.

Life goes on in the Champagne Water Polo League.

The 2015 poster of the Champagne Water Polo League is now available.

Read more from Gareth Johnson

Read more gay sports stories

The post The Champagne Water Polo League pays tribute to Paris appeared first on Gay Star News.

Gareth Johnson

www.gaystarnews.com/article/the-champagne-water-polo-league-pays-tribute-to-paris/

LDS Church Clarifies Rules for Kids of Gay Parents After Handbook Sparks Mass Exodus

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints clarified rules in its handbook regarding children of same-sex parents after news of the rules sparked an uproar and caused hundreds if not thousands to leave the Mormon church.

The new rules said that members of the church in same-sex marriages will be considered apostates against whom leaders of the church must enforce discipline.

Additionally, children of members in same-sex marriages will be barred from baptism and church membership until they pass the age of 18 and disavow same-sex cohabitation and marriage. Also, entrance into the church would then have to be approved by church leaders.

On Friday, LDS Church leaders sought to quell the uproar by clarifying the rules, though the clarification is unlikely to satisfy most who are angry about them.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports:

…a clarification released Friday by the faith’s governing First Presidency said that applies only to children whose “primary residence” is with a same-sex couple. If a child spends weekends with a parent in a same-sex relationship, for instance, he or she still can receive a naming blessing, be baptized or go on a proselytizing mission like any other Mormon.

The clarification sent to lay LDS leaders also said that if a child already has been baptized but is now living with a same-sex couple, the new policy does “not require that his or her membership activities or priesthood privileges be curtailed or that further ordinances be withheld.”

“Decisions about any future ordinances for such children,” the First Presidency added, “should be made by local leaders with their prime consideration being the preparation and best interests of the child.”

The Church also put out a memo trying to educate members about its handbook.

Nearly 1,000 people have confirmed that they will partake in a protest today in Salt Lake City where members wishing to resign from the church will publicly turn in their resignations to church officials.

The post LDS Church Clarifies Rules for Kids of Gay Parents After Handbook Sparks Mass Exodus appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

LDS Church Clarifies Rules for Kids of Gay Parents After Handbook Sparks Mass Exodus