The Ghost Children of Mormon Country

When the repressive, antigay policies of the Mormon church were leaked to the media, rates of LGBT teen homelessness and suicide skyrocketed.

www.advocate.com/current-issue/2016/4/29/ghost-children-mormon-country

Have you ever sent a sexually explicit photo to someone you’ve not met?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

The post Have you ever sent a sexually explicit photo to someone you’ve not met? appeared first on Gay Star News.

www.gaystarnews.com/article/ever-sent-sexually-explicit-photo-someone-youve-not-met/

The internet is not having it with this offensive ‘No Fats No Fems’ tank top

Online brand Marek + Richard has recently launched a new tank top with the words ‘No Fats No Fems’ on it, and people are not happy about it.

On its website, the Dallas brand describes itself as a fashion store offering a wide range of clothing items with designs inspired by street fashion, youth trends and pop-culture.

Well, the question is, where did they get the idea that it’s okay to use ‘No Fats No Fems,’ knowing that it’s a largely offensive and controversial phase in the gay community?

Mic.com which had called the company out slams the shirt for its intention:

‘There is no doubt the shirt is discriminatory — its intention is to separate those you want to sleep with (thin, masculine) with those you don’t (fat, feminine),’ writes Mathew Rodriguez.

Rodriguez adds: ‘It’s not just a simple black tank with a phrase. Clearly, its implications are far-reaching and play into ill-conceived notions about gender, sexuality and race. There are a lot of steps we need to make toward correcting these attitudes, and an easy first move is to reject the message on this shirt.’

The company has since come up with a poor excuse for the offensive design, which the Twitter community is clearly not having it:

Glad to see people talkin bout important issues. We luv to stir the pot and shine light on shit goin down in the community #NoFatsNoFems

— marek+richard (@Marek_Richard) April 28, 2016

@Marek_Richard You love money – fuck you.

— Brendan Maclean (@macleanbrendan) April 28, 2016

. @Marek_Richard what community? You’re separating it. You can join Perez Hilton in the white gay section with your tacky shirts

— ☕️ (@BrianRebellion) April 28, 2016

.@Marek_Richard that’s like NYPD shooting black people and telling angry tweeters “Glad to see people talkin bout important issues”

— Tushar M (@QueeredOut) April 28, 2016

@Marek_Richard please come off the self-righteous wagon. You’re about making a profit. That’s it. That’s all.

— the.eLi (@eli_arias) April 28, 2016

Then, the unrepentant fashion brand posted yet another tweet explaining that the design is actually a satire:

Messages can be sent in variety of ways. Satire is one of our favs. t.co/AByQvVtNpA pic.twitter.com/NW4xE6Grs9

— marek+richard (@Marek_Richard) April 28, 2016

And Twitter got real shady real fast:

.@Marek_Richard pic.twitter.com/yTaurveHqf

— Ξvan Ross Katz (@evanrosskatz) April 28, 2016

.@Marek_Richard pic.twitter.com/rsYKp5Kj8m

— Tri Vo (@tribranchvo) April 28, 2016

.@Marek_Richard pic.twitter.com/lVgYMDHnzT

— Kevin O’Keeffe (@kevinpokeeffe) April 28, 2016

.@Marek_Richard pic.twitter.com/lLqsC2JJcc

— Kyle Turner (@TyleKurner) April 28, 2016

.@Marek_Richard Also, pic.twitter.com/onT7bZJiqR

— Ryan Houlihan (@RyanHoulihan) April 28, 2016

.@Marek_Richard pic.twitter.com/wnqCkGugD2

— Eliel Cruz (@elielcruz) April 28, 2016

@Marek_Richard pic.twitter.com/Z0hClpHs27

— logan (@loganc_wolf) April 28, 2016

Like they say, when nobody is laughing, you know your joke ain’t funny, honey.

In response to the hateful shirt, Rupaul’s Drag Race contestant, Kim Chi, has come up with another shirt to fight prejudice and discrimination:

The shirt is coming out next month, and will help raise money for the Los Angeles LGBT Center; anti-poverty campaign, Proud2Share; and Shape Up America, a healthy weight management organisation.

‘My new shirt is all about loving yourself and those around you,’ Kim Chi says on her Facebook.

‘The labels that some people may use to break you down are what give you character. There’s nothing that would make me happier than an inclusive society without labels, and that’s why a large portion of the proceeds of this t-shirt will benefit three organisations that change lives and fight for inclusivity.’

Who will you support?

The post The internet is not having it with this offensive ‘No Fats No Fems’ tank top appeared first on Gay Star News.

www.gaystarnews.com/article/internet-not-disgusting-no-fats-no-fems-tank-top/

Harry Potter star Josh Herdman is unrecognizable as hunky and tattooed MMA fighter

Remember Gregory Goyle who’s Draco Malfoy’s minion in Harry Potter?

Well, its actor, Josh Herdman, is all grown up now, and has moved on from casting magic to throwing punches as a professional MMA fighter.

The 28-year-old had acted in all eight of the Harry Potter films.

The 1.93m London native made his amateur debut as an MMA fighter last Saturday beating Polish opponent, Janusz Walachowski, at the City Pavillion in Romford, east London, reports Mirror.

Speaking of his fighting experience, Herdman said:

‘I’ve been training traditional Japanese jujitsu for nearly five years and hold a shodan black belt. It’s raw, exciting and unpredictable. I find it more interesting than boxing although I appreciate the beauty and art in boxing.

‘It also made sense to move onto MMA because of my jujitsu training.’

Well, Draco definitely has nothing on him now.

Watch Herdman’s fight here:

The post Harry Potter star Josh Herdman is unrecognizable as hunky and tattooed MMA fighter appeared first on Gay Star News.

www.gaystarnews.com/article/harry-potter-star-josh-herdman-unrecognizable-cage-fighter/

Ted Cruz Responds to John Boehner's Name-Calling (Video)

www.advocate.com/election/2016/4/28/ted-cruz-responds-john-boehners-name-calling-video

WATCH: ‘Holding The Man’ is a romantic drama that will break your heart, opens June 3 in the UK

Holding The Man is a romantic gay drama adapted from the 1995 memoir of Australian writer, Timothy Conigrave.

Directed by award-winning director Neil Armfield, the film stars Australian actors Ryan Corr, 27, and Craig Stott, 26.

The movie tells the story of Timothy’s 15-year-long relationship with his childhood sweetheart, John Caleo. The pair met in an all boys college and quickly fell in love.

On top of their love life, the movie also covers Timothy and John’s growing up together, and the hardships they as gay men faced back in the 80s and early 90s.

Timothy passed away in 1994, before his book was released. However, his story went on to become a great gay classic, and has also won multiple awards as a stage play adapted by Tommy Murphy.

Watch the UK trailer for Holding The Man here:

The post WATCH: ‘Holding The Man’ is a romantic drama that will break your heart, opens June 3 in the UK appeared first on Gay Star News.

www.gaystarnews.com/article/watch-holding-man-romantic-drama-will-break-heart-opens-june-3-uk/

Shonda Rhimes Blasts 'Dumbass' Anti-Trans Bills

The Grey’s Anatomy creator had a message for the “dumbasses” who support “bathroom bills.”

www.advocate.com/media/2016/4/28/shonda-rhimes-blasts-dumbass-anti-trans-bills

Curt Schilling and His Family Promise He's Not Transphobic

Schilling, his wife, and their 16-year-old son all spoke out in defense of the former Red Sox pitcher, after ESPN fired him for posting a transphobic meme.

www.advocate.com/media/2016/4/28/curt-schilling-and-his-family-promise-hes-not-transphobic

New Zealand dad’s response is perfect after son comes out to him via text

Back in 2013, Sean Bailey got some media attention in New Zealand when one of his bosses at McDonalds told him not to act too gay – or there would be consequences.

Although the attention resulted in his coming out to his friends and family – and to the world essentially, Bailey had not gotten around to coming out to his dad.

So he recently sent him a text stating in part: ‘Well, dad … for a very long time my mind has been confused but I knew 2 years ago where I stand. I wanted to say that I love you heaps and that well … I am gay. It’s been really hard to tell you as everyone else in the family knows except you because to me it was going to be the hardest thing of my life was to tell you this sort of news.’

The dad’s return text is the kind every gay kid would hope for.

‘I think you under estimate my intelligence son,’ the dad wrote. ‘I’ve known for ages and it doesn’t worry me. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. I still love you (because) you’re my son … unconditionally and never-ending.’

Bailey tells The Huffington Post: ‘I couldn’t stop crying because of what he had said but it was (happy) tears rolling down my face.’

H/T: Towleroad

The post New Zealand dad’s response is perfect after son comes out to him via text appeared first on Gay Star News.

www.gaystarnews.com/article/new-zealand-dads-response-perfect-son-comes-via-text/