PGA Player Strips Down to His Skivvies To Save a Baby Bird – WATCH

PGA player Greg Owen became something of a viral sensation on Tuesday when video of him stripping down to his underwear to save a drowning baby bird began to circulate online.

The video has been viewed 170,000 times on Facebook as of this posting. In the video, Owen dives into a water feature to save a bird that has fallen out of its mother’s nest.

PGA.com writes:

Owen, one of the all-time “good guys” on Tour, took time away from his Players Championship preparation at TPC Sawgrass on Monday to make a rescue.

Walking off the 16th tee with Brandt Snedeker, Owen noticed a baby blue jay fell out of a tree and into the pond. The bird was struggling to get across the pond. Without hesitation, Owen stripped down to his skivvies and walked into the pond to save the bird.

The video was uploaded by Owen’s instructor, Tony Ziegler of Ziegler Golf School. He wrote on Facebook,

Working with Greg Owen during his practice round at TPC Sawgrass today for the Players Championship. Walking off the 16 th tee with Greg and Brandt Snedeker when a baby blue jay falls out of a tree, tries to fly across a pond only to make it half way across. What does the 6’5 210 lb big man do? Jump in and save the bird of course!!  #bigheart

Watch, below.

The post PGA Player Strips Down to His Skivvies To Save a Baby Bird – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Over 100 United Methodist Clergy Come Out As Gay To Protest Ban On ‘Practicing Homosexual’ Pastors: VIDEO

Dozens of United Methodist clergy members came out as gay or bisexual on Monday in reaction to the church’s ban on “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” serving in ministry.

A letter sent by the LGB clergy was also signed by intersex and transgender pastors, who are not technically excluded from ministry.

In the public letter posted online, 111 pastors, deacons, elders and candidates for ministry said church rules require “that we not bring our full selves to ministry, that we hide from view our sexual orientations and gender identities.” The letter essentially dares their supervisors to discipline them.

111 LGBTQI clergy say, “you cannot legislate God’s call.” #UMCGC #ItsTime #CalledOUT pic.twitter.com/A9c6xAuYjT

— RMNetwork (@rmnetwork) May 9, 2016

According to CNN, the letter also states:

“While some of us have been lucky to serve in places where we could serve honestly and openly, there are others in places far more hostile, who continue to serve faithfully even at tremendous cost to themselves, their families, and yes, even the communities they serve, who do not receive the fullness of their pastor’s gifts because a core part must remain hidden.”

A spokesman for Reconciling Ministries Network (RNN), an LGBT advocacy group that organized the letter, said that around 80% of the 111 signatories are coming out to their supervisors for the first time.

RELATED: Methodist Pastor Who Came Out As Gay in Sermon Faces Possible Discipline – VIDEO

The #CalledOut hashtag caused RMN’s servers to crash yesterday.

The letter was issued just before the United Methodist Church’s quadrennial General Conference, which began in Portland, Oregon yesterday. Conference delegates are expected to debate changes to church policy, including the possibility of lifting bans on LGBT ministers and same-sex marriages.

The RMN website is up and running again! Our server has been upgraded after #CalledOUT 111 broke the internet. 😉 pic.twitter.com/m0hj02t565

— RMNetwork (@rmnetwork) May 11, 2016

Watch a PBS report on homosexuality and the United Methodist Church below.

The post Over 100 United Methodist Clergy Come Out As Gay To Protest Ban On ‘Practicing Homosexual’ Pastors: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

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The Legal War Over North Carolina’s Bathrooms Takes A Bizarre New Twist

Anonymous students and parents with anti-trans beliefs feel like they’ve been given an ultimatum: lose educational funding or get raped.

The post The Legal War Over North Carolina’s Bathrooms Takes A Bizarre New Twist appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/05/11/3777256/adf-suit-north-carolina-hb2/

School Board OKs Policy Allowing Pepper Spray, Suggests Trans Students Could Be On Receiving End

Trans students, or anyone who is guessed to be trans, may end up getting pepper-sprayed thanks to this new policy.

The post School Board OKs Policy Allowing Pepper Spray, Suggests Trans Students Could Be On Receiving End appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/education/2016/05/11/3777192/school-board-oks-pepper-spray/

TurnOUT! North Carolina Holds Weekly Phonebanks to Repeal HB2

Organizers from TurnOUT! North Carolina (NC) are holding weekly phonebanks across the Tar Heel State to recruit volunteers to join the campaign to fully repeal House Bill 2 (HB2). Phonebanks are being held on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Greenville, Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville. These are four key communities where legislators could be pressured to vote the right way and repeal the damaging and harmful HB2.

TurnOUT! NC, a coalition of HRC, Equality North Carolina, the ACLU and the Campaign for Southern Equality, has partnered with Aim Higher Now on identifying pro-equality voters across the state who are willing to contact their elected officials and demand repeal of HB2. A campaign of this size needs hundreds of volunteers who can dedicate a few hours a week to this important issue.

Former HRC Board of Governors Member and Raleigh resident Maddy Goss spent her Tuesday evening making calls. Maddy, who is transgender, a parent and a software engineer in the Research Triangle, bravely testified against HB2 in March. She is continuing her advocacy with TurnOUT! NC, urging legislators to repeal HB2.

Above: Maddy Goss making calls at the TurnOUT! NC phonebank in Raleigh

Above: HRC Triangle steering committee members Will Miles and Anna Lineback volunteering for the TurnOUT! NC phonebank in Raleigh
 

www.hrc.org/blog/turnout-north-carolina-holds-weekly-phonebanks-to-repeal-hb2?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Nashville star Connie Britton to attend GLAAD Media Awards in New York City

www.glaad.org/blog/nashville-star-connie-britton-attend-glaad-media-awards-new-york-city

Equal Ground has 'Nothing But Pride' for Sri Lanka's LGBT community

www.glaad.org/blog/equal-ground-has-nothing-pride-sri-lankas-lgbt-community

EXCLUSIVE: This Gay Stuntman Smashes Hollywood Stereotypes

Shawn Balentine faces challenges as Hollywood’s first out stuntman but is getting support from some well-known actors and industry peers.

www.advocate.com/film/2016/5/11/exclusive-gay-stuntman-smashes-hollywood-stereotypes

N.C. School Board Member Encourages Students to Pepper Spray Trans Classmates

Chuck Hughes remarked that if HB 2 is struck down, pepper spray would be a “pretty valuable tool to have on the female students if they go to the bathroom.”

www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/5/11/nc-school-board-member-encourages-students-pepper-spray-trans-classmates

'The Daily Show' Takes on N.C.'s 'Fear of Transgender Pee Pee'

Trevor Noah is shocked to learn that North Carolina could potentially lose billions of dollars in federal funding over HB 2. 

www.advocate.com/politics/2016/5/11/daily-show-takes-ncs-fear-transgender-pee-pee