How Transphobia Killed Houston’s Shot At LGBT Protections
Fears about who can use which bathroom dominated the conversation over HERO — without much resistance.
The post How Transphobia Killed Houston’s Shot At LGBT Protections appeared first on ThinkProgress.
Zack Ford
thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/11/04/3719079/transphobia-defeats-hero/
Kim Davis Heads Back To Court
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky clerk Kim Davis has asked a federal appeals court to scrap a series of unfavorable rulings issued by the district judge who sent her to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
In a 126-page filing with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Monday, Davis’ attorneys called U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning’s order that Davis license same-sex marriage a “rush to judgment” that trampled the clerk’s religious liberty.
Davis, the clerk of rural Rowan County, spent five nights in jail in September for defying that order, igniting a fierce debate about the collision of religious freedom and public service.
Davis stopped issuing all marriage licenses after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively legalized gay marriage in June. The American Civil Liberties Union sued her on behalf of four couples, and Bunning ordered her to issue the licenses. When she continued to refuse, Bunning held her in contempt and sent her to jail.
Jonathan Christman, Davis’ lawyer with the Liberty Counsel, asked the appeals court to reverse four of the lower court’s rulings, including the order that Davis issue licenses and the decision to hold her in contempt.
“By imprisoning Davis and threatening to hold her hostage indefinitely as a prisoner of her conscience, the district court imposed direct pressure and substantial burden on Davis, forcing her to choose between her religious beliefs and forfeiting her essential personal freedom on one hand, or abandoning those beliefs to keep her freedom on the other hand,” Christman wrote.
By jailing Davis and ordering her deputy clerks to issue the licenses, Christman wrote, the district judge “commandeered” the public office Davis was elected to oversee.
The licenses issued by a deputy clerk were altered to remove Davis’ name, and Bunning released her with orders not to interfere with her deputies issuing the licenses.
When she returned to work, Davis further altered the licenses to read they were issued “pursuant to federal court order.” The validity of those licenses remains under review by the judge.
Davis also filed a counter suit against Gov. Steve Beshear, who sent a letter to all county clerks on the day of the Supreme Court’s ruling that directed them to begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples. He declined to call the legislature for a special session to craft a law to accommodate religious clerks, and told them instead to issue the licenses or resign.
Both Beshear and the ACLU have a month to respond to Davis’ appeal.
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Open Question: Is GOD coming back to judge lgbt & atheists?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsKo45NNgmU&index=2&list=PLjj3Mg8Sy1CzN4x3Yxni1gjmQ5ozcoCBy
This 8-year-old is a superstar in the transgender community
MERLO, Argentina — Luana grabs her sparkly blue dress with one hand and spins, using her other hand as a guide while a strand of tulle floats around her body. The 8-year-old has long brown curls, gold butterfly earrings and an amulet with a princess hanging from her neck. “I love it when my hair…
Associated Press
nypost.com/2015/11/04/this-8-year-old-is-a-superstar-in-the-transgender-community/
One Confirmed Killer And A Visit From Beyond The Grave On ‘Scream Queens’ [RECAP]
Welcome back! Now that the World Super Ball Cup or whatever is over, it’s time to get back to the mystery of who’s killing co-eds on Scream Queens.
Unfortunately, tonight’s returning episode was less than exciting. For starters, there were no appearances from our menacing Red Devils, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any bloodshed. This time, however, we know who the killer is.
Tonight’s episode not only felt a little disconnected from the season’s more pressing mystery, but it also kept most of our central characters isolated or off-screen. Where was Zayday (Keke Palmer)? Where was Denise (Niecy Nash)? We only had some brief time with Chad (Glen Powell), and it’s clear the Chanels are much more fun when they have other folks like the Dean (Jamie Lee Curtis), Grace (Skyler Samuels) or our ragtag group of pledges to play off.
Let’s discuss the latest happenings and theories in our SPOILER-filled recap of last night’s episode “Beware Young Girls,” below.
If I’ve learned anything about sorority life from this show, it’s that it’s just one big slumber party. There’s been Seven Minutes of Heaven and Spin the Bottle in previous episodes, but this time we break out the classic Ouija board. (“Didn’t you see the movie?” “The movie Ouija? No. No one did.”)
After a bitter eulogy for Chanel 2 (Ariana Grande), Chanel Prime (Emma Roberts) and her minions come together to contact their late sister from beyond the grave. In their first session, No. 2 tells them that Chad is cheating.
This predictably sends Chanel No. 1 into a frenzy. She marches right to Chad’s room and finds him in bed with a goat. Yes, a goat. But, you guys, it’s not what you think. He’s merely lovingly caressing the goat to coax some sweet, sweet goat’s milk out because he is lactose intolerant. God, Chanel, you’re so thoughtless!
Back at the board, the Chanels receive another message from No. 2. This time, she first proves she’s the real deal by accurately guessing the number of tampons Chanel No. 6 (Lea Michele) has in her purse. Then, she claims No. 1 is the killer terrorizing campus.
The other Chanels are quick to turn on their leader. Again. (Worst. Minions. Ever.) They realize their best bet is to kill Chanel No. 1 before she gets the chance to kill them. Unfortunately, they’re minions for a reason, and they fail to settle on a way to assassinate the KKT co-pres.
While they’re plotting, Chanel is visited in her sleep by Chanel No. 2. The late sister gives her some pretty great intel on hell (“Zero dinosaurs … As soon as I got there I was like where are the dinosaurs? And they were like, ‘We know, Jesus broke in and stole them’”), but she’s got a reason for appearing to Chanel No. 1 now. She needs to make peace with Chanel No. 1 so she can get out of hell. She apologizes for sleeping with Chad, for lying about him cheating and for lying about her being the killer. To make it up to her, she tells Chanel Prime that the other Chanels are planning to kill her.
With that warning, Chanel No. 1 takes the high road. Instead of killing them first, she confronts her sisters and lets them know she’s hip to their plan. Now she’s got a gift for them. It’s a Nancy Drew-style hat (nice callback to one of Roberts’ earlier roles) and magnifying glasses. They’re going to work together to find the real killer. And they’re starting with Zayday and Grace.
Meanwhile, Gigi (Nasim Pedrad) is busy cooking up some coq au vin when she gets a mysterious phone call. It’s one of the killers. A few clues here: She tells them they were once someone she loved; that they are killers, not kidnappers; again reiterates “he” has to go; and she calls their killings a revenge plot that took years to put together.
Later, she’s getting a contemporary makeover from Grace when she casually lets it drop that maybe she and Pete (Diego Boneta), the Woodward to Grace’s Bernstein, should look into a former student, Feather McCarthy (Tavi Gevinson). They track down the former student and hear her sordid tale.
She was a student in Dean Munsch’s ex-husband’s Beatles class back when the Munsches were still married. They fell in love, leading to Professor Munsch leaving then Associate Dean Munsch. Of course, the Dean did not take this well. She started showing up wherever Feather was, dressed exactly like her. Creepy! She eventually drove Feather out of Kappa House and off campus. So, if Grace and Pete are looking for a suspect in any sort of heinous crime, it’s probably Munsch!
When Feather gets home to Prof. Munsch, she finds bloody arrows and severed body parts leading to decapitated head of her older lover bobbing in a fish (called Wanda) tank.
Detective Chisholm (Jim Klock) and his squad blame Dean Munsch for the murder and haul her off to the asylum. And if she’s capable of this terribly brutal crime, she probably did all the other recent murders, too. All the cases closed!
Obviously, it’s not the simple. Munsch gets Pete and Grace to visit her in the mental hospital in hopes she can convince them Feather was behind the murder. That’s when lunch is served and the Dean freaks out at the attendant that — PAY ATTENTION — she can’t eat bologna, or she’ll go into anaphylactic shock! Anyway, if they help her investigate what “really” happened to her ex-husband, she’ll tell them what happened with that baby 20 years ago. Also, while they’re there, they see a woman painting. Apparently — PAY ATTENTION — she paints all the inmates. She hands them a painting of themselves, which makes her quite the speedy artist, no?
It’s not hard for them to convince the police dum-dums to hand over all the crime scene photos, and soon Grace and Pete spot a BOLOGNA SANDWICH amongst the evidence. But, wait! Dean Munsch can’t have bologna! She’s innocent! To be sure, they break into Prof. Munsch and Feather’s home, snag Feather’s toothbrush, and voila! The DNA on the toothbrush matches the bite taken out of the bologna sandwich.
So, Munsch is let out of the asylum and Feather is brought in. However, over a glass of wine later, Munsch confesses to the audience, that HA HA, she for sure DID kill her ex-husband, which she was now able to conveniently pin on Feather and lump in with the recent string of murders.
What do you think, readers? If Munsch is capable of that sort of sick slaying, could she also be one of our Red Devils? I still think no. If this is a revenge plan, it makes more sense for Gigi to be working against Munsch, not with her. Maybe Munsch is just an opportunist and smart enough to stay one step ahead of her adversaries. (A true Kappa gal if there ever was one.)
Gevinson was an interesting addition to the mix. As the music choice at the end of the show confirmed, her character was a direct reference to Mia Farrow (and not just because of the similar pixie cut). The closing tune shares the same title as this episode, “Beware of Young Girls.” The song was written by Dory Previn from a mental institution after she suffered a breakdown upon learning her husband was leaving her for Farrow.
Sure, that’s a great little Easter Egg, but I’m more interested in one lyric in particular. The clip that we hear says, “Beware of young girls, Who come to the door, Wistful and pale, Of twenty and four, Delivering daisies, With delicate hands.” Now, I’ve said it before, and I’ll reiterate here. Zayday feels like a very specific name, and also sounds A LOT like Daisy. Maybe I’m crazy, but in addition to lyrics from the song that closed the show, what tune was playing when we visited the asylum? “Daisy Bell.” (Oh, and how about this coat Zayday was wearing a few episodes back? Or this floral crop top?) It’s a little too coincidental, don’t you think? There’s a Daisy somewhere in this story, and I bet you she’s connected to our girl Z.
Speaking of the asylum, how about that painter? What do you wager she’s got a portrait of Gigi somewhere? Also, she did paint that picture of Pete and Grace pretty fast, didn’t she? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I feel like there’s a chance that’s not actually supposed to be both of them in that painting, or maybe it’s not the first visit to the asylum for one of them.
Share you wild speculation and theories in the comments.
The post One Confirmed Killer And A Visit From Beyond The Grave On ‘Scream Queens’ [RECAP] appeared first on Towleroad.
Bobby Hankinson
One Confirmed Killer And A Visit From Beyond The Grave On ‘Scream Queens’ [RECAP]
Orson Wang posted a photo:
PHOTOS: One Man’s Pair Of Junks Is Another Man’s Treasure
Junk Underjeans is one of those rare brands that caters to both masculine and flashy sensibilities. Some of their underwear is designed with bright pops of neon, unique prints and even some sexy cut-outs in the front. Others are more discrete with color blocked designs and a true sense of full coverage. And while The Underwear Expert certainly admires those pairs, we still see Junk Underjean’s reserved pairs as more of an asset to our underwear collections simply because there isn’t a day we wouldn’t wear them. That’s why the Smoke Trunk is our Editor’s Pick: Junk Underjeans.
You can see more of this photoshoot on The Underwear Expert.
Photo Credit: Jerrad Matthew Exclusively for The Underwear Expert
Underwear Expert
Utah Gay Marriage Plaintiff Derek Kitchen Wins Salt Lake City Council Seat
Derek Kitchen, who with his husband and two other couples successfully challenged Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage in 2013, has won the council seat in Salt Lake City’s fourth district, KUER reports:
Kitchen says he’s excited about Salt Lake City’s growth and says he wants to make economic development one of his top priorities.
“I’m really interested in exploring how we can create a more affordable and equal city, how we can address the critical issues facing Salt Lake, whether it’s infrastructure, affordable housing or the homeless situation,” he says.
Kitchen says he will offer the fourth district a unique perspective, and something else:
“A voice,” he says. “A voice for everybody. Salt Lake City, like I said, is very diverse. And I have a unique ability to pull all the stakeholders together and represent a very diverse community.
Wrote Kitchen on Facebook:
Thank you! Thank you to my family for standing next to me through this campaign, for my volunteers for putting in countless hours knocking on doors, making calls, and talking to their friends. Thank you to all my supporters, your enthusiasm, donations, and moral cheers really kept me going. This has been such a positive experience for me as a first time candidate for public office. I’m happy to say that we ran a clean campaign focused on the issues and the residents of this great city.
I feel honored that the residents of District 4 have put their faith in me to represent them and make important decisions on their behalf. I’m energized and excited to get to work on the salt lake city council as your next representative!
Salt Lake City also elected its first openly gay mayor, Jackie Biskupski.
The post Utah Gay Marriage Plaintiff Derek Kitchen Wins Salt Lake City Council Seat appeared first on Towleroad.
Andy Towle
Utah Gay Marriage Plaintiff Derek Kitchen Wins Salt Lake City Council Seat
Orson Wang posted a photo:
Get Inspired by This Black Gay Journalist's Triumph
Four years ago Don Lemon, the host of CNN Tonight, came out as one of the few openly black gay men in broadcasting. Two years later, Robin Roberts, an anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America wrote a post on her website thanking her “long time girlfriend” for sticking by her as she battled cancer and a bone marrow transplant. Lemon and Roberts became two of the few out 21st-century black LGBT journalists to ever gain face-time on television or a byline in print.
But, where were the rest of of the black LGBT journalists, especially those of us who came of age at the end of the last century at the height of the AIDS epidemic?
Turns out we were always there working behind the scenes, trying not to be the story while reporting the story.
Older black gay broadcasters like myself who grew up and worked in the Deep South faced a different kind of struggle. The lack of acceptance among some Southern black people of faith rivals that of many of the bishops in the Roman Catholic church.
When I was a young kid growing up in Birmingham, Ala. during the height of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and early ’70s, I’d run home from school, wolf down a sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk, do my homework then go outside to play with the kids on my block. But, regardless of how much fun I was having, I always made sure I was back home sitting in front of the TV at 5:30 to watch Walter Cronkite anchor The CBS Evening News. He was my hero and I wanted to grow up to become the first black man to do exactly what he was doing.
As I entered high school, a guy by the name of Max Robinson was beating me to the punch. In 1978, Robinson was hired to co-anchor ABC’s World News Tonight. A decade later, his career came to an abrupt halt when he was diagnosed with HIV and he ultimately died from complications to AIDS that same year.
To my knowledge, Robinson and I represent a small group of black male journalists who publicly announced that we were infected with HIV. In fact we may be in a league of our own because of the stigmas attached.
While Robinson’s HIV diagnosis ended his life, early detection and new advances in HIV treatment gave me a second chance to pursue my childhood dream. But like Robinson, who was unfairly disparaged by some as an alcoholic perfectionist even while being lauded as a civil rights activist, my rise up the ladder of success also came with a multitude of adversities.
When I was 4-years-old, I survived a deadly house fire. I watched my 2-year-old cousin perish in the flames. Between kindergarten and second grade, I was repeatedly sexually abused by my stepfather and forced to watch my mother being beaten by the same man.
I’d grow up to eventually endure a series of abusive relationships, and receive an HIV diagnosis in 1991. At 30, I found myself taking care of my ailing mother. I loved her dearly but the concerns over her health as well as my own left me in a deep depression. To cope, I turned to crack cocaine, spawning a deep addiction I secretly hoped would kill me.
I found my redemption through study, work, and the faith in God that has always nursed me even as a child.
I stayed in the Southern communities within which I was reared and studied radio and television journalism, and soon, at the age of 40, I graduated from Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham.
Then I became a senior news reporter, producer, and anchor for Mississippi Public Broadcasting, a statewide affiliate of National Public Radio.
“Lawayne, people really need to know your story,” said my college advisor, Dr. Janice Ralya, urging me to enter an essay contest and peel back the layers of my life so the public knows what it is really like to work through struggle. I entered the contest. The essay received overwhelming support on social media.
“How does a troubled black gay youth from the Deep South grow up to become one of the most respected news journalists in the country,” I asked in my essay and I spoke openly about my history of childhood sexual abuse, my crack cocaine addiction, and my HIV diagnosis.
But, then during my college graduation ceremony, one of the presenters read my essay aloud. It was my first time hearing my most private words read aloud to an audience. Anxiety kicked in. I was truly going public and there was no turning back. However, my dread quickly dissipated when I was called to the stage and the audience stood to its feet with thunderous applause.
“Thank you for giving our family hope,” one person told me after the ceremony. “Thank you for telling my son’s story,” someone else told me. And another person thanked me for telling her daughter’s story, and still another thanked me for telling his friend’s story. Then it hit me: in my essay I revealed struggles shared by so many in the black community, struggles with loss, abuse, addiction, and illness that transcend race, gender and sexuality.
That’s how my memoir Peeling Back the Layers began.
I was deeply grateful and moved when my work for MPB earned me more than a dozen Associated Press Broadcasters Awards as well as the Edward R. Murrow Award for Journalistic Excellence, and I was shocked when the accolades didn’t stop there.
In 2014 the Alabama Community College System named me as one of its most outstanding alumni in the institution’s 50-year history and created a $5,000 scholarship in my name that is bestowed on a deserving Alabama high school senior.
In the Deep South, it is a sign of incredible progress for such an honor to be named after an out, black, gay HIV-positive man.
Through the grace of God and enormous perseverance, I have lived to witness acceptance, hope, and love from my own black community.
Childrey currently and works as a national voice over artist, a HIV/AIDS activist, and a motivational speaker. Give Peeling Back the Layers: A Story of Trauma, Grace and Triumph as a gift for the holidays and learn more about Childrey online.
Lawayne Childrey
www.advocate.com/books/2015/11/04/get-inspired-black-gay-journalists-triumph
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