Adele Helps Gay Couple Get Engaged

Adele! Is there any problem she can’t solve? Well, global warming, maybe, but aside from that she has a pretty good track record.

There’s a lovely video going around of two gay fans in Denmark getting engaged at her concert. She invited them both up on stage, one of the boys drops to his knee, and everyone freaks out about how lovely the whole thing is.

Adele gives them a little moment to hug, and it’s all very sweet. Afterwards she reportedly offered her services on an ongoing basis: “Should I be your surrogate if you have children? I’d love to have a baby with someone Swedish,” she said.

Related: Rihanna Has Been Moonlighting As A Life Coach For A Closeted Gay Fan

Okay girl. Calm down. It’s a nice gesture but give the boys a little time to work out their plans!

The fans are named Martin and Corey — one from Michigan, the other Swiss — and they can now trace the origins of their legal family to an Adele concert in Denmark like some kind of magical gay United Nations.

Participating in proposals is apparently a “thing” for Adele — she called a couple onstage in March to congratulate them for getting engaged, and encouraged a proposal earlier this year at a concert in heavily Catholic Northern Ireland.

this is cute but Adele’s reaction is even cuter please send helpt.co/xAMFqwK4CL

— ALBA (@AdeleMyOnlyOne) May 4, 2016

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All The Shady Details From The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Finale That Never Aired

While these tidbits won’t be of interest to everyone, diehard fans of RuPaul‘s Drag Race can never hear enough about the show — especially the shady parts that end up on the cutting room floor.

This post is clearly intended for that latter group. If you’ve ended up on this page and don’t care about the show, here’s a great story about the bizarre world of competitive men’s tickling. Enjoy.

Related: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Recap Realness: May The Best Woman Win

We all know reality TV is heavy on the “TV” and light on the “reality,” but one eagle-eyed audience member at the Drag Race finale couldn’t help but spill the tea on all the subtle moments that never made it to broadcast.

Reddit user beckie_bot posted this exhaustive list to the RuPaul’s Drag Race thread:

• After Ru made the bathroom comment, there was some fun bathroom swapping going on in the lobby
• The applause for Derrick wasn’t THAT loud…there was some definite audio enhancement
• While the applause for Bob was loud…for Kim Chi it was much louder
• The show directors made us chant each of the Top 3 girls names, so that’s why you hear the name chanting
• Bob joked that Trixie was part of the people there supporting her when Ru introduced her brother.
• Ru actually was surprised by the purse Bob gave her and walked with the purse off screen
• Kim’s song was really hard to understand during the taping. I could barely tell she was saying fat femme and Asian. The sound quality was choppy
• Everyone really did lose it when Kim started dancing

• People were all anticipating Ru to have Kim’s mom send a message…it was a big topic of discussion
• Kim said that her mom isn’t open to American culture and wouldn’t know what Logo was..and Ru gave a look when Kim said that
• After Jason asked Kim the virginity question ..Kim gave her shady answer but also said she has her eye on one of the Gay for Play dancers (Austin I think his name was)
• There were a lot of people taking pictures and recording that the show director had to voice over the audience and say to stop posting to Instagram….as well as calling out specific people.
• There was also a lot of audience screaming stuff during quieter segments and I’m glad most of them were edited out
• Ru wasnt that shady towards Dax and Laila as other people have tried to say
• Ru did in fact call Laila “lie-lah” and had to re-do the segment after the interview
• After Naysha confirmed her enhancements, she laughed and asked Michelle which side of the bet she was on…however I don’t think there was an answer
• The fans went nuts for Acid during her interview…especially her tribe in the balcony

• Robbie lost it when the dancers came out in kimonos. She has a good two minute long giggle fest
• When Robbie mentioned her bday segment, she had prefaced the answer with saying she had to cancel birthday plans she had prior to being on the show
• The violin segment with Thorgy was a little bit longer than what was shown…and after she was done she kind of gave this look as though she should have kept going
• Ru talked to Derricks husbands and talked about joining their triad…Derrick said how usually they have to ask to bring someone in but for Ru they would make an exception
• There were more crowd questions from Latrice and Manila that weren’t shown (unless I missed it?) and I don’t remember what they asked and to whom unfortunately.
• Chi Chis interview was much longer than shown and she kind of seemed tired or “over it”
• Ru asked about her Mom and they panned to her and the rest of Chi Chis family up in the balcony. I’m thinking they cut it out bc 1) a lot of ppl had left by then so the audience looked empty and 2) everyone else had their friends and family in the VIP area but not Chi Chi’s.
• Cheech also had brought out some turkey neck for Ru to try and Ru seemed a little grossed out and surprised. The rest of the girls were all wanting to see what it looked like off camera
• After MC was announced, Chi Chi walked off the stage kind of disappointed
• Kim Chi couldn’t walk down the aisle with her crowning gown and had to go back stage to get on the main stage. It took a good 5-10 minutes. And Naomi kept tripping while getting to the stage. It was a mess.
• The audience didn’t get to hear the past winner voice overs
• Raja had the best crowd reaction
• Everyone literally lost their shit for Violet and her gown
• Violets answers did seem a little short and forced though

• Ru said that the filming of the crowning would be alphabetical and gave a side eye to the audience as to not look too into it
• The whole “Bob being filmed with the crown” didn’t happen while everyone was there…I think it did actually happen but after most of the audience had left

• Nayasha brought up the infamous Ru phone call and said that she really was at home for only a couple of hours until she got a call asking her to come back.
• A ton of the queens in the audience asked the rest of the girls questions (Milk, Alyssa, Manila, Latrice, and more) but the best one was Trixie asking Acid Betty “Did you not or did you not come for me?!” Acid was being her snarky self and said she’s glad to see she blended her nose better or something along those lines. She didn’t Rupologize. You could tell it was a joke though.

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New ‘Ghostbusters’ Trailer Wants To Ease Your Worries About the Reboot – WATCH

A new trailer has arrived for the upcoming lady-dominated Ghostbusters reboot starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones.

Oh, and Chris Hemsworth is there too.

The first trailer for the movie was largely panned. Earlier this month, Melissa McCarthy revealed that she didn’t like that trailer either.  “I was like, ‘I think that it’s very confusing’, but then everyone said, ‘We don’t care what you think’”, McCarthy said.

What do you think of the new trailer? Should we chock the first one up as a mulligan?

The post New ‘Ghostbusters’ Trailer Wants To Ease Your Worries About the Reboot – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Samantha Bee Explains How the Religious Right Took the GOP Hostage: WATCH

One of the perhaps unexpected aspects of Donald Trump’s rise as the Republican nominee is the support he drew from evangelical voters in a year in which Ted Cruz ran as the human embodiment of an anti-LGBT right-wing wet dream.

To understand why evangelical voters eschewed religious values for a “thrice-married, foul-mouthed tit judge who likes Planned Parenthood and thinks Corinthians is a type of car upholstery,” Bee says you have to go back to the beginning of the religious right’s hostile takeover of the GOP.

While you might be tempted to think that Roe v. Wade was the historical moment that birthed the religious right, you’d be wrong. It was a court case involving the IRS challenging the tax exempt status of religiously affiliated institutions that discriminated on the basis of race. Granted, that was just the starting point. Bee quipped, “Oh dont worry, gays. They’ll get to you. You’re just harder to spot.” Abortion became the national rallying cry for Evangelicals because they needed a better rallying cry than “Black people are icky”, Bee says.

Enter the right’s fight against abortion. The merger of the religious right with the GOP came to a head in 1980, when evangelical leaders urged church-going folk to switch their allegiance from the former pastor Jimmy Carter to the divorced and one-time liberal Hollywood movie star Ronald Reagan. “From 1980 onwards, the [Republican] platform came to read like a Baptist dream journal,” Bee says.

Luckily, however, “the religious right has been losing ground for 15 years. Gay people and can marry and serve in the military. And apart from a handful of bigoted bakers, most people are fine with it. And when North Carolina Republicans tried to get people to the polls with a bathroom culture war, the country held its head in the toilet while the Attorney General gave them a swirly.”

“A black Attorney General standing up for LGBTQ rights. Merry Christmas, religious right! I mean Happy Holidays!” Bee jokes.

Turns out the religious right is losing its hold over the GOP and even evangelical voters. Looks like they didn’t have the power to get Ted Cruz the nomination in the first place.

Watch, below.

The post Samantha Bee Explains How the Religious Right Took the GOP Hostage: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Nick Jonas Is Hot For Shapes – WATCH

Pentagons and octagons really seem to do it for Nick Jonas.

The “Close” singer visited Sesame Street and joined Cookie Monster, Bert, and the Count to sing a rendition of his song “Chains”, adapted as “Check That Shape.” Sesame Street frequently features artists recreating famous songs of theirs to teach an educational lesson (in this case, identifying shapes).

Jonas previously performed a very erotic rendition of “Chains” at G-A-Y nightclub in London–in actual chains.

Watch Jonas check out some sexy shapes, below.

The post Nick Jonas Is Hot For Shapes – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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House Republicans Reject Bipartisan Attempt To Remove Anti-LGBT Amendment From Defense Budget

The defense budget bill now heads to the House floor with the anti-LGBT language attached.

The post House Republicans Reject Bipartisan Attempt To Remove Anti-LGBT Amendment From Defense Budget appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/05/18/3779536/house-defense-lgbt-amendment/

HRC Commends Representatives Joe Kennedy III and Bobby Scott For Introduction of “Do No Harm Act”

Today, HRC applauded Representatives Joe Kennedy III and Bobby Scott for introducing the “Do No Harm Act.” The Act clarifies that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) is intended to protect religious freedom without allowing the infliction of harm on other people.

“Religious freedom is a core American value — and religious freedom claims should never be used as a guise for unfair and unjust treatment that undercut other people’s fundamental rights,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “We commend Representatives Kennedy and Scott for introducing this critically important legislation that will preserve the core protections of the federal RFRA, while ensuring that it cannot be used to violate essential non-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.”

“The right of Americans to freely and fully express our faith is sacred in this country,” said Congressman Joe Kennedy III. “But in order to guarantee that liberty for every citizen, our system must ensure that my religious freedom does not infringe on yours or do you harm. While not its original intent, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has become a vehicle for those seeking to impose their beliefs on others or claim that the tenants of their faith justify discrimination. The Do No Harm Act will restore the balance between our right to religious freedom and our promise of equal protection under law.”

“When Congress passed RFRA in 1993, the goal was to protect religious freedom for minority groups by requiring the government to demonstrate a compelling interest and to use a policy that was the least restrictive means,” said Congressman Bobby Scott.“Since then, the law has been misconstrued as allowing the sincerely-held religious beliefs of one person to trump the civil rights of others. Civil rights are a compelling government interest, and we cannot allow so-called ‘religious freedom,’ ‘religious liberty’ or ‘faith-based initiatives’ to invalidate the very laws designed to correct the generations of injustices inflicted on minorities. The Do No Harm Act restores the original intent of RFRA.

RFRA was never meant to be a tool for discrimination or an insincere justification for powerful groups intent on harming others without consequences. The Do No Harm Act would amend RFRA and restore the original intent of the legislation by specifically exempting areas of law where RFRA has been used as a disingenuous bypass for federal regulation. These include well-settled areas of law designed to protect our most vulnerable populations including child labor and abuse, equal employment and non-discrimination, health care, federal contracts and grants, and government services.

When passed into law over two decades ago, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, was supported by a broad coalition of support including many in the civil rights community. Designed to protect minority religious groups’ Constitutional right to free exercise, RFRA was welcomed as an important shield from the tyranny of majority rule.

Despite this focused, straightforward intent, individuals and even businesses have distorted RFRA’s protections into a blank check to discriminate or to impose their religious beliefs on others.  These claims have not only undermined the original power of RFRA to protect minority groups, but have also threatened the basic underpinnings of religious liberty and America’s commitment to a pluralistic society. The Do No Harm Act will guarantee the intended, sensible balance of religious liberties, government protections, and individual rights.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-commends-representatives-joe-kennedy-iii-and-bobby-scott-for-introducti?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 18, 2016

ERIC FANNING MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST OPENLY GAY SECRETARY OF THE US ARMY: Demonstrating the continued progress toward fairness and equality in our nation’s armed forces, the Senate yesterday confirmed Eric Fanning to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Army. Fanning, who has spent his career tirelessly serving our nation with dedication, skill and ability, is the first openly gay leader of a U.S. military service, and now the highest-ranking, Senate-confirmed openly LGBT appointed official. His nomination in September by President Obama had been blocked by Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) over his unrelated concern about the potential transfer of Guantanamo detainees. Fanning’s confirmation comes just five years after the end of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law that prohibited qualified LGB Americans from serving in the U.S. armed forces. We urge the Pentagon to move quickly to allow qualified transgender people to openly serve. More from HRC.

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S IDAHOT REMARKS REMIND OF EQUALITY WORK AHEAD: President Obama marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT) on Tuesday by celebrating gains the United States has made in recent years, including nationwide marriage equality, and pointing to the hard work left to be done to ensure LGBT rights worldwide. In a statement, the president said that IDAHOT presents an opportunity to reaffirm the “dignity and inherent worth of all people, regardless of who they love, or their gender identity.” Noting that fear of persecution, discrimination and violence permeate the lives of many LGBT people, he said that “all nations and all communities can, and must, do better.”

• #WeAreWithYou: More than two dozen Democratic members of Congress kicked off IDAHOT by releasing a video pledging their support for LGBT people, and vowing to “keep fighting for you until we win.”
• Another reason to LOVE Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: His administration used IDAHOT as an opportunity to introduce federal legislation that would grant full legal and human rights protections to all transgender Canadians. The proposal marks the first time gender identity-based legislation has been introduced by a Canadian sitting government. More from CBC News.

SIR ELTON JOHN BLASTS NC GOV. MCRORY’S “IGNORANCE OF TRANS IDENTITY”: In a powerful op-ed in The Hill, Sir Elton John condemns NC’s discriminatory HB2 and criticizes Gov. Pat McCrory’s ignorance on transgender issues. While Sir Elton John denounced HB2, he saved some of his harshest criticism for the governor, writing: “What’s worse than the discriminatory bill itself, and the millions in taxpayer dollars McCrory is wasting to defend it, is that the governor signed it after admitting he had never met a transgender person…” To remedy issues plaguing the transgender community, he writes, lawmakers must first acknowledge the existence of transgender people. More from HRC.

• Dear NC, see ya – in our rearview mirror: Tourism agencies in NC are being bombarded with emails from out-of-state travelers saying they’ll be taking their vacations elsewhere because of the state’s discriminatory law.
• Bowing out: Grammy award-winning violinist, composer and Presidential Medal of Freedom holder Itzhak Perlman has cancelled his concert with the North Carolina Symphony over HB2, saying he has spent a lifetime fighting discrimination.
• National Council of La Raza moves meeting out of Raleigh: The organization says HB2 is offensive, and that “Hispanics know what it’s like to be singled out and stripped of our humanity because of who we are or what we look like.”
• Late Night Laugh: On last night’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Meyers once again used his platform to speak out for equality and explain the fact that transgender people remain one of our most vulnerable populations. Watch here.

HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE REJECTS VOTE TO SAVE CRUCIAL LGBT PROTECTIONS: Last night, the House Republican Leadership prevented debate and rejected a vote on a bipartisan amendment to roll back an anti-LGBT provision tacked onto the National Defense Authorization Act. Under the guise of religious liberty, the provision would allow taxpayer-funded discrimination in contracts and grants across the federal government and jeopardize President Obama’s executive order prohibiting discrimination in federal contracting based on sexual orientation or gender identity. More from HRC.

SOUTHERN CITIES HARDEST HIT BY HIV EPIDEMIC: Emory University researchers have unveiled a new map that provides harrowing insight into the nation’s ongoing struggle against HIV, and the growing disparity between the epidemic in the South, and the rest of the country. The sobering findings reveal that gay and bisexual men living in southern cities face the greatest risk of HIV transmission, with a staggering 25 percent diagnosed with HIV in Columbia, South Carolina; El Paso, Texas; and Jackson, Mississippi. Learn more about HRC’s fight against HIV here.

CONGRESSMEN SEEK TO FIX THE RFRA: Congressmen Joe Kennedy (D-MA) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) today introduced the Do No Harm Act, new legislation that would restore balance originally sought by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The new bill would amend RFRA by specifically exempting areas of law where RFRA has been used disingenuously to bypass federal regulations. More from HRC.

MEXICO SAYS “SÍ” TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY: Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto has moved forward with proposals to reform the country’s laws to enable same-sex marriages, following the lead of Latin American countries Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. The measures would update Mexico’s constitution to reflect a 2015 ruling by Mexico’s Supreme Court, which found that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, and would require Mexico’s states to update their marriage laws accordingly. Importantly, the proposal would also make it easier for transgender Mexicans to obtain a passport that reflects their gender identity. More from The New York Times.

HUNDREDS OF METHODIST CLERGY STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH CHURCH’S LGBT PASTORS: Last week, more than 100 Methodist ministers made a powerful statement by coming out as LGBT in an open letter in defiance of their church’s ban on ordaining “practicing homosexuals.” In support of those ministers who have put their careers on the line to stand up for their ability to live openly and honestly as LGBTQI people who care deeply about their church, 1,592 Methodist clergy members have signed on to a second letter supporting LGBTQI clergy and refusing to be part of disciplining or replacing clergy who have come out. This support shows that the pastors are willing to take a stand with their LGBTQI brethren, despite the church’s disappointing lack of progress during this week’s United Methodist General Conference, a 10-day meeting of the church’s top policy-making body.

READING RAINBOW

Bustle recalls America’s first same-sex wedding in Massachusetts 12 years ago; The Cut dives into the frightening anti-LGBT bias found around the world; BuzzFeed uncovers the sexist and racist history behind gender-segregated bathrooms; ThinkProgress unpacks Donald Trump’s confusing and contradictory beliefs on transgender policies; J Post details a Tel Aviv birthing class specifically for LGBT parents; The Associated Press gives an overview of the impact of Utah’s new LGBT discrimination law; and Bloomberg News highlights how companies are working to protect LGBT workers abroad.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

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House Rules Committee Rejects Vote on Amendment Safeguarding LGBT Protections in Federal Contracting

Today, HRC blasted the House Republican Leadership for preventing a debate and vote on an amendment to remove an anti-LGBT provision from the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) offered the bipartisan amendment to strike the provision, which would allow, under the guise of religious liberty, taxpayer-funded discrimination in contracts and grants across the federal government.

The provision jeopardizes President Obama’s executive order prohibiting discrimination in federal contracting based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy released the following statement:

“We are extremely disappointed that the House Republican Leadership has refused to allow a debate and vote on a bipartisan amendment to strike a discriminatory, harmful provision that undercuts protections for LGBT employees of federal contractors and grantees. The House is poised to join the ranks of North Carolina, Mississippi, Indiana and other states that are targeting LGBT Americans.”

“We are grateful to Reps. Charlie Dent (R-PA) and Adam Smith (D-WA) for leading the amendment, and to their strong bipartisan cosponsors–Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Richard Hanna (R-NY), Mike Coffman (R-CO), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Scott Peters (D-CA). They understand that this House should be expanding protections for LGBT people rather than catering to the far right wing and taking our country backwards.”

The anti-LGBT provision, which originated as an amendment offered by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK), was approved by a vote of 33-29 last month in the House Armed Services Committee. It would allow sweeping anti-LGBT discrimination in all federal agencies, not just the Department of Defense. The vaguely-written amendment could have far-reaching consequences, potentially even undermining existing federal nondiscrimination provisions protecting workers against discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more.

www.hrc.org/blog/house-rules-committee-rejects-vote-on-amendment-safeguarding-lgbt-protectio?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed