57 Muslim Countries Collude to Ban LGBT Groups From United Nations AIDS Conference

57 Muslim Countries Collude to Ban LGBT Groups From United Nations AIDS Conference

Samantha_Power_UN_Ambassador

More than 50 Muslim countries have come together to ban LGBT groups from attending a United Nations AIDS conference dedicated to ending the global epidemic.

The ban was requested in a letter from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a group of 57 states including Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

According to The Telegraph, African Men for Sexual Health and Rights and Kenya’s Ishtar Men Who Have Sex With Men were among the groups denied access to the meeting.

RELATED: United Nations Human Rights Council Approves LGBT Rights Resolution: READ

Organisation-of-Islamic-CooperationThough no official reason was given for the ban, nearly all of the groups denied access to the event were linked to LGBT rights.

US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power (above) has protested the decision, noting that the disallowed groups “appear to have been chosen for their involvement in LGBTI, transgender or youth advocacy.”

“Given that transgender people are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population, their exclusion from the high-level meeting will only impede global progress in combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” Power added.

EU and Canadian officials have also written to UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft to express their displeasure.

In 75 nations being LGBTI is wrongly criminalized. Video honors champions 4 the truth that LGBTI rgts are human rgts t.co/XmSi06iyJ9

— Samantha Power (@AmbassadorPower) May 17, 2016

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation letter did not give a specific reason for why it did not want the LGBT rights groups to attend the conference.

In 2014, Russia was joined by 43 other countries including Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria in an unsuccessful attempt to block plans to recognize the same-sex marriages of United Nations staff.

(Image via Wikipedia)

The post 57 Muslim Countries Collude to Ban LGBT Groups From United Nations AIDS Conference appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/d1bRGeRiP3I/

‘Do No Harm Act’ Would Protect LGBT People from Discrimination Based on ‘Religious Freedom’

‘Do No Harm Act’ Would Protect LGBT People from Discrimination Based on ‘Religious Freedom’

Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.)

Bobby Scott (D-Va.)With support from the ACLU, two Democratic representatives yesterday introduced the ‘Do No Harm Act’ in Congress to ensure that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) is not used in ways that result in discrimination.

Sponsored by Reps. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) (above) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) (right), Do No Harm would restore the original intent of RFRA by protecting religious exercise and providing a model for states looking to expand religious freedom protections without allowing harm to others. Additionally, it clarifies that RFRA can only be used in suits in which the government is a party and identifies circumstances where RFRA cannot be invoked as a tool for discrimination. These include:

  • Nondiscrimination laws
  • Workplace laws regarding wages and compensation
  • Laws protecting children’s welfare
  • Laws ensuring access to healthcare
  • Provision of goods and services under government grants and contracts
  • Provision of government services

This is HUGE! Fingers crossed! Lambda Legal Applauds Introduction of Federal Do No Harm Act – t.co/xB7xRngBeg #LGBT #NOH8 #HB2

— Eric Rosswood (@LGBT_Activist) May 19, 2016

Louise Melling, deputy legal director of the ACLU, said:

“Religious freedom gives us the right to our beliefs, but not to harm others. The Do No Harm Act would place much needed limitations on RFRA so that it can be used as a shield for religious exercise but not as a sword. With the Do No Harm Act, RFRA could no longer be invoked to justify discrimination, denial of health care, or other harms. We at the ACLU are proud to stand in support of this legislation.”

We are proud to support this #RFRAFix that will protect religious minorities, LGBT people & women against discrimination #DoNoHarm

— ACLU National (@ACLU) May 18, 2016

RELATED: Georgia Senate Passes Anti-Gay ‘Religious Freedom on Steroids’ Bill

In a statement, Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress, said:

“Preventing RFRA from being used to impose beliefs or cause harm reflects progressive values. The Do No Harm Act helps ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people; women; children; and other populations who are especially vulnerable to the abuse of religious liberty claims can live their lives without fear of discrimination, harm, or being forced to follow the religious beliefs of others. Furthermore, this amendment guarantees that RFRA cannot be used to deny goods or services to the beneficiaries that are served by government contracts and grants. I commend the efforts of Rep. Joseph Kennedy and Rep. Bobby Scott to restore an inclusive, balanced interpretation of religious liberty in America.”

However, according to the Boston Herald, the measure looks unlikely to pass as it lacks support from a single Republican in the GOP-controlled Congress.

(Images via Wikipedia: Joe Kennedy/Bobby Scott)

The post ‘Do No Harm Act’ Would Protect LGBT People from Discrimination Based on ‘Religious Freedom’ appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/oONv8NEXqc8/

Alabama Lawmaker Missed An Important Detail In His Plan To Discriminate Against Trans People

Alabama Lawmaker Missed An Important Detail In His Plan To Discriminate Against Trans People

Proposed bathroom restrictions targeting Target might not even discriminate against transgender people.

The post Alabama Lawmaker Missed An Important Detail In His Plan To Discriminate Against Trans People appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/05/19/3779761/alabama-bathroom-restrictions/

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 19, 2016

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 19, 2016

HRC RETAINS THEODORE B. OLSON TO AUTHOR AMICUS BRIEF IN THE FEDERAL CASE AGAINST NC’s HB2: Yesterday, HRC announced that Theodore B. Olson of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP will author an amicus brief on behalf of leading businesses in support of the DOJ’s lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s hateful HB2 law. Olson served as Solicitor General of the United States from 2001 to 2004 and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s premier appellate advocates. Olson was paramount in the overturning of California’s Proposition 8, which had banned same-sex marriages in the state. For his work to advance marriage equality, Time magazine in 2010 named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. More from Bloomberg and TIME.

  • Day of Advocacy in Raleigh: Nearly 100 North Carolinians descended on their state Capitol yesterday, joining Equality NC, HRC and other pro-equality advocates to urge legislators to repeal the discriminatory HB2. More from HRC.
  • Women For The Repeal of #HB2 rallied on the steps of the County Courthouse in Greenville, NC yesterday, stressing the dangers of the state’s discriminatory measure.

HOUSE APPROVES DEFENSE BILL WITH ANTI-LGBT PROVISION: Despite House Democrats’ attempt to reverse the course on the anti-LGBT provision, the House of Representatives approved a new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a discriminatory, anti-LGBT provision intact. Offered as an amendment by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) in the House Armed Services Committee, it would allow, under the guise of religious liberty, sweeping anti-LGBT discrimination in all federal agencies. The provision jeopardizes President Obama’s executive order prohibiting LGBT discrimination in federal contracting, and could have far-reaching consequences, potentially even undermining existing federal nondiscrimination provisions. The White House has already indicated its strong opposition to the Russell Amendment. More from Pink News.

TRUMP AND THE TERRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD SUPREME COURT JUSTICE LIST: Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump keeps finding new ways to make his desired administration more terrifying. Yesterday, he released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees he’d vet to replace the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. The list includes the likes of conservative federal and state judges Diane Sykes, David Stras and William H. Pryor Jr., all of whom have dismal records on LGBT equality. Trump has previously said that it’s up to conservatives to “delay, delay, delay” President Obama’s efforts to appoint a Scalia replacement, and that he would pick a nominee committed to reversing nationwide marriage equality. More from HRC.

  • Meanwhile, Senate Democrats held a mock hearing for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland, touting Garland’s impressive resume and urging GOP senators to #DoYourJob. Republicans have been stonewalling the highly-qualified Garland’s nomination since March. More from The Atlantic.

MISSISSIPPI LAWMAKERS BULLY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: Barely a month after passing a horrific religious refusal law that includes provisions permitting (but not requiring) public schools to discriminate against transgender youth, Mississippi is ramping up its anti-LGBT discrimination. Republican state lawmakers have bullied Superintendent Carey Wright into violating civil rights law by rejecting new federal guidance ensuring that transgender students are treated with dignity and respect, including guaranteeing they have access to restroom facilities consistent with their gender identity. Wright, who initially said the state would comply with the Obama Administration’s directive, reversed course after Republican lawmakers called for her resignation. More from The Clarion Ledger.

TRANSGENDER STUDENTS ARE “OUR” KIDS, NOT “THOSE” KIDS: The president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), in a powerful op-ed featured on FoxNews.com, asserts that transgender students should be seen as “our kids,” not “those” kids. Michael Allison, a Pennsylvania high school principal, says he knows of “not a single instance of harm to a student using a facility with a transgender classmate,” but has seen the damage done to students bullied for who they are. “As a principal,” he says, “my greatest fear is our collective failure to maximize the human potential of the students our policies push to the margins.” Read the NASSP’s statement opposing laws and policies that discriminate against transgender students.

SEYCHELLES DECRIMINALIZES HOMOSEXUALITY: The Seychelles has voted to decriminalize same-sex activity. The breakthrough followed years of debate, and the government’s commitment in 2011 to the United Nations Human Rights Council that it would decriminalize same-sex activity. Prior to this vote, people found guilty under the discriminatory law faced up to 14 years in prison. With this vote, the number of countries that criminalize LGBTQ people drops to 74. More from HRC.

LGBT GROUPS BLOCKED FROM ATTENDING UNITED NATIONS AIDS CONFERENCE: A group of 22 LGBT nonprofit organizations are reportedly being blocked from attending a major United Nations (UN) meeting on AIDS next month. The objection came from Egypt, which is representing the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. The United States, the European Union, and Canada are currently appealing the block to the office of the UN General Assembly. More from Vice.

#MAKEBBCGAY… FINALLY?: The UK’s Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has released his memo on the future of the BBC, and noted that 10 percent of the BBC’s workforce should be LGBT by the year 2020.

READING RAINBOW

The New York Times features high schoolers talking about the U.S. Dept. of Education’s transgender guidance; ThinkProgress highlights a lawsuit in which a trans employee successfully sued her employer by comparing her mistreatment to discrimination against individuals who convert from one religion to another; President Obama’s press secretary makes the case that it’s Republican lawmakers who are obsessed with sex when it comes to the wave of anti-LGBT measures; The Clarion Ledger reports on alarmingly high rates of HIV in gay and bisexual men in Mississippi; and The Huffington Post reports that a Catholic cemetery has rejected the headstone design of two of the plaintiffs in Obergefell v. Hodges.

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!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-may-19-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Man Who Slept With 400 People Refuses To Be Slut Shamed, Says There’s No Such Thing As Too Much Sex

Man Who Slept With 400 People Refuses To Be Slut Shamed, Says There’s No Such Thing As Too Much Sex

Dylan-Jones-slut-shaming

Dylan Jones likes, er, loves sex. He’s had more sexual partners than he can even remember. And no, he’s not apologizing for it.

In a new op-ed titled Calling All Slut-Shamers: There’s No Such Thing As Too Much SexJones explains why he’s so over people criticizing him for his supercharged libido.

Related: What Slut Shaming Really Says About The Gay Community

Jones estimates his number of paramours falls “somewhere around the four hundred mark. An average of two every week for four years. And that’s not even counting weekends.”

I’m not remotely insecure about it,” he writes. “I have absolutely no shame.”

He recalls an incident that happened while he was at a party a few months ago.

“The subject of sexual headcount came up, as it often does,” he says. “I gave my (estimated) figure, and a creature wearing a Topman t-shirt and a judgmental brand of hair gel piped up: ‘Oh so you’re a slut then?’ I didn’t know how to respond.”

This got him thinking: “Like, what’s your definition of ‘slut’? What does the word ‘slut’ even mean? Is there a number on it? Like, if you’ve slept with 29 people you’re not a slut, but if you’ve slept with 30, you are?”

Related: Steve Grand Wants Everyone To Stop Posting His “Half Naked” Pics, Accuses Queerty Of “Slut Shaming”

Slut-shaming, Jones says, is a real problem among gay men. In fact, he gets it more from them than any other group of people.

I’ve only ever been slut-shamed by other gay men,” he says. “Girls are usually fairly indifferent, and straight men are usually envious.”

“It’s quite clear to me that the reason a lot of gay men slut-shame is because of their own insecurities,” he continues. “If they encounter someone who’s unapologetically sexually active, it can be threatening, and perhaps makes a little dose of self-loathing homophobia bubble to the surface.”

Jones calls the whole thing “ridiculous.”

Related: Monica Lewinsky Shares What It Was Like To Be Globally Slut Shamed, Hopes A Cultural Shift Comes Soon

“It’s impossible to have too much sex,” he proclaims. “As long you’re comfortable with what you’re doing and go about it safely, THERE. IS. NO. SUCH. THING. AS. TOO. MUCH. SEX. How can there be?”

“Unless you’re religious,” he continues, “there’s no reason why it should have any moral implications for yourself or anyone else. It’s quite simply putting one part of your body into another part of someone else’s body, or vice versa.”

“If you’re uncomfortable with how much sex I have, you’re entitled to your opinion,” Jones concludes. “Just don’t judge me when you meet me at parties. And use a different brand of hair gel. Who knows, you might even get laid.”

Related: Five Ways To Embrace & Enjoy Your Kinky Fetish

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/q2bacnmMYs4/man-slept-400-people-refuses-slut-shamed-says-theres-no-thing-much-sex-20160519

10 Things This Season Of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Taught Us About Gay Racism

10 Things This Season Of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Taught Us About Gay Racism

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 16: Bob the Drag Queen (C) on stage being crowned winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 by the previous winner Violet Chachki and Shangela Laquifa Wadley during the RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 Finale Party at Stage 48 on May 16, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for RuPaul's Drag Race)

This article is in no way meant to imply RuPaul, the contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or any of the editors, producers, PAs or key grips on the show are racist. That’s something only God and their hairdressers would know for sure. But, given the fact that the gay community is a microcosm of our country, it stands to reason problems like racism and discrimination are raised, dissected, and debated by our fair queendom.

With Drag Race being one of the most popular television shows by and for the LGBTQ community and their allies, there’s a lot we can learn about ourselves if we read between the lines. This season is arguably the best season in Drag Race herstory. It’s also boasts a top 4 who are all people of color. Despite this season’s apparent diversity, it also can show us some of the random bits of racism and bias we sometimes too easily take for granted every day.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is part commentary on reality television, part queer Super Bowl, part drag documentary and all inspiration by our own personal guru RuPaul. Or GuRuPaul, if you’re nasty. As marginalized and bullied people, it’s strange that we marginalize and bully others from time to time. Here’s hoping that by talking about these types of issues we can, “Snap out of it!” Chad Michaels are you there?

Here are 10 things this season revealed about racism within the LGBTQ:

1.) No Fats, No Femmes, No Asians

12508866_932189660150135_4807030561053096007_n

Kim Chi is an accomplished artist, Instagram celebrity, and Drag Innovator. She’s done things with make-up that could flip your lace-front. But as she aptly pointed out in the “Shady Politics” episode, so many guys on Grindr and other hook up apps say things that are not just exclusionary, but pretty racist. Just because this phrase is an attempt at word play doesn’t mean it’s not discrimination. Sure people have their personal preferences but when you commit hand to keyboard it crosses the line from personal aesthetic preferences to a singular racist message. After all, some people have posted “We Don’t Like Gays” signs outside their businesses. Is there a difference?

2.) “You’re Hot for a Black Guy”

13151381_1084634191600947_7295490884994703218_n

It’s sad to think that Naomi Smalls and Bob the Drag Queen are two of the hottest commodities in the gay world, but are considered hot in spite of something. Saying “You’re hot for a black guy” not only implies most black people are not hot it also implies a racial hierarchy. White supremacy exists in our culture but that doesn’t mean it’s right or we should encourage it. Yes there are a ton of white porn stars, underwear models, and celebrities vying for our attention. But many of them are also straight. That doesn’t make them any better than the attractive people of color. We should challenge our white standard of beauty, if only to give Lance Bass a break from all the attention.

3.) Ms. Derrick Barry, Poster Child for White Privilege?

13076693_1071698876185878_803075680820435812_n

Photographer: Magnus Hastings

People at times confuse white privilege for success or inherent advantages. But at its most simple definition, it’s that white people don’t always have to face the same challenges as people of color. Derrick even admitted during “The Grand Finale” he had never been challenged like this before. He’s a good-looking man and woman with not one, but two, attractive partners. He has a successful career that boasts a longtime Vegas run and America’s Got Talent credit. But it also seems like he practically walked into the top 5. Unlike former frontrunners Raja or Bianca Del Rio, it wasn’t necessarily based on an insane amount of talent. It just seems like he wasn’t called out for obvious offenses people of color had been judged for in prior seasons. For a queen in a drag competition to not glue down their brows and sew more than a seam seems insane. He delivered not one but three outfits built around a bathing suit. Former contestants like Joslyn Fox, Alissa Summers, and Venus D-Lite were sent home for outfits that had more work than Derrick’s. This is not an attack on Ms. Barry–who is very talented–but just a bit surprising that she was treated with kid gloves in the gauntlet of drag.

4.) ESL Does Not Mean Stupid

12742725_183072212068358_7384288118061511120_n

Most Americans do not speak more than one language despite our cosmopolitan culture. Hell, some Americans barely speak English. And yet, when people hear an accent they automatically think someone doesn’t get it. The editors sort of relish those moments when an ESL queen makes a funny turn of phrase or mispronounces a word. Throughout the season there have been moments where Cynthia Lee Fontaine or Kim Chi were caught unawares and given a shady edit. No T No Shade to the editors but they simply come from different cultures. Their pop culture references are different and while in the high stakes Hunger Games of drag they may not be thinking in English. As viewers, we must be sure not to underestimate people just because they have an accent.

5.) The Puerto Rican Problem

12742797_1045936118797454_3162365072114154801_n

Most Americans don’t even know Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. They also don’t know the struggles the natives of this popular tourist spot face. There’s the overwhelming debt, poverty, and strange identity as a not-quite-State of the Union. Puerto Rico has helped drive a fair amount of the viewership of Drag Race given it’s large drag community and the fact that American cable channels like Logo are available on the island. And yet, most Puerto Rican queens face the same struggle each season. They often wash out of acting or comedy challenges because of their accents. It’s just disappointing for them to get on the show yet face an inevitable failure. After all, Latrice Royale was never clocked by the judges for not being able to fit into a size 2 later in the season. Why should these queens be critiqued for an accent they had when they were cast?

6.) Cynthia Lee Fontaine is not Cuckoo.

12795551_186865261689053_6665017878807100494_n

It’s disappointing that the Puerto Rican queens are often viewed as zany or over the top. They are trying to be as savvy as American queens by bringing their own tag lines, sound bytes and memorable moments to the show. But they have different cultural touch points. The few gay characters in Spanish-speaking television shows and novellas are often over the top. Some Drag icons to Puerto Rican queens are stars like Charytin, La Lupe, Charo or the metaphysical Liberace himself Walter Mercado. By their standard, Cynthia is an understated wallflower. So her run in the “RuCo’s Empire” challenge was not insane but what the maxi challenge required, over-the-top acting. But over-the-top to Cynthia was obviously more than anyone bargained for. Either way, she and her Cucu have found their way into everyone’s hearts and won Miss Congeniality.

7.) Does Hating Bob Make You Racist? Maybe…

CisbtmaXEAA5B1q.jpg-large

Bob, like Bianca Del Rio and Raja, assassinated every challenge on the show. He was a clear frontrunner based on pure talent. An admitted fan boy, he came to the competition to win. Now there’s nothing wrong with rooting for Naomi Smalls or Kim Chi or any of your favorites. But there’s a difference between voting for someone else vs. against Bob. It’s strange to think the people he’s sought to entertain and whose rights he’s fought for would go that extra step to hate him. It’s okay to dislike someone but many strong African American competitors have been hated, and even attacked on social media with racist comments. Let’s never forget what happened to Jasmine Masters and Kennedy Davenport last season. It’s worth taking the extra step to double check that petty dislike isn’t racism with a beat mug.

8.) ShoCanTell It’s a Bad Idea

12924391_1057486287607137_4076600063053577022_n

Is it offensive to have Derrick Berry impersonate Laura Bell Bundy impersonating a borderline-offensive racial stereotype? Ehhh, kinda. Shots where fired when Sierra Mannie wrote her now infamous open letter to white gay men to stop impersonating black women. Her article, while a little inflammatory, did touch on a major issue. While white gay men may identify with black women but they are privileged by not being black or female. Who doesn’t love to tongue pop and say, “Okurrr?” But we should also be mindful that the struggle is in fact real and we have an opportunity to encourage change. Rather than pretending to be ratchet or use race for play we should venerate our African American idols and avoid stereotypes.

9.) Ratchet vs. Black

12923307_1062068760524157_1956031455302983936_n

There is a huge difference between ratchet and black. In the “RuCo Empire” challenge it would be easy to boil down Empire, one of the most popular all-African American ensemble series, as just a series of mouth pops and ghetto colloquialisms. But it is more than that. RuPaul was just being her media mogul stunt-queen self by referencing what is huge in pop culture. But it was a bit tough to piece together with a cast of so many Non-African American queens. Also, when Michelle Visage reduced Bob’s penchant for dance gear to ratchet drag it didn’t do any one any favors.

10.) Race Blind Cosplay

12321433_10153313971501152_5963931024930967438_n

Here’s something this season that really inspired change. Whether it was Bob the Drag Queen as Carol Channing or Thorgy Thor as Michael Jackson they showed that you can celebrate a star even if they are not your race. And you can do so without changing your color cosmetically. Also, a special shout out to Dax ExclamationPoint who donned Emma Frost and Sailor Mars cosplay at RuPaul’s Drag Con.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is too busy being an amazing television series. It doesn’t need to be more PC or lose any of its irreverence. But as fans and victims of oppression, we need think critically, ask questions, and ensure we aren’t jumping to potentially racist conclusions or missing the bigger picture.

We also need to be sure to check racism whenever and wherever we see it.

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/wleGgnwp7pA/10-things-season-rupauls-drag-race-taught-us-gay-racism-20160519

Tom Goss and Gregory Douglass Team Up to Cover The 1975 ‘UGH!’

Tom Goss and Gregory Douglass Team Up to Cover The 1975 ‘UGH!’

Gregory Douglass Tom Goss 1975 ugh

Singer-songwriters Gregory Douglass and Tom Goss sit down for an acoustic take on The 1975’s addiction anthem “UGH!”.

PREVIOUSLY: Tom Goss Gives Dusty Springfield’s ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ a Gay Teen Twist – WATCH

And click here for more Goss.

Enjoy:

The post Tom Goss and Gregory Douglass Team Up to Cover The 1975 ‘UGH!’ appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/WMtzWWLVf8E/

Gay Dallas Conductor’s Homeless Street Choir Performs Miley Cyrus’ ‘The Climb’

Gay Dallas Conductor’s Homeless Street Choir Performs Miley Cyrus’ ‘The Climb’

DSC

Two years ago, gay conductor Jonathan Palant (right) founded the Dallas Street Choir to provide a musical outlet for those experiencing homelessness and severe disadvantage.

PalantPalant, former artistic director for the Turtle Creek Chorale, the world-renowned gay men’s chorus, now teaches at a local college and serves as music minister at a Methodist church.

Since its founding, more than 800 people have attended one of the Street Choir’s rehearsals, and the group has performed at major local venues alongside opera stars and composers, even once being joined on stage by former first lady Laura Bush.

Now, the Street Choir has its first music video, “Homeless, Not Voiceless,” in which members perform Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.”

From the Street Choir’s website:

The Dallas Street Choir began working on this music video in the fall of 2015. It took three trips to the sound studio, an entire day of filming, and many hours of editing to complete. The goal of this project is to show that while our members suffer from homelessness and severe disadvantage, they still have a voice and something to say. Please do not give up on us, as we have not given up on ourselves. We are homeless, not voiceless.

More on the the Street Choir from The Dallas Morning News:

During a rehearsal this month, Palant spent some time engaging in standard choir instruction: how to breathe, how to hold your mouth for maximum tone and volume, how to find the rhythm. But he also sought out ways to offer special encouragement to people who don’t get a lot of that.

At some point during the hour, he addressed every vocalist by name and with a question.

“Where did you sleep last night?”

“Where are you going for Christmas?”

“What time is bedtime at Union Gospel Mission?”

And he listened to the replies, engaging in short conversations.

At the end of the rehearsal, Palant passed out “earnings.” People who have attended regularly get bus passes, socks, even a blanket.

“Everyone deserves to be loved. Everyone needs to feel important at least once a day,” he said later.

Watch the music video below.

The post Gay Dallas Conductor’s Homeless Street Choir Performs Miley Cyrus’ ‘The Climb’ appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/ddwqUJkVdvw/

LGBT Rights and the ‘Battle of the Bathroom’ hits the Cover of ‘TIME’

LGBT Rights and the ‘Battle of the Bathroom’ hits the Cover of ‘TIME’

TIME magazine bathroom

TIME Magazine’s May 30 issue, which hits newsstands tomorrow, features a cover story by Michael Scherer on “The Battle of the Bathroom”.

Says Scherer:

“In a divided country, the social battle lines have been drawn once again in our most private of public places. State legislatures have been besieged, and school committees have split. Pastors have become politicized in the pulpit, and the gay-rights lobby has abandoned its past hesitancy to embrace the transgender cause. Courtrooms are filling with legal motions that are certain to end up at the Supreme Court. The fight—­political and legal, personal and ­collective—is just getting going….

“Like all great political battles, this one is distinguished by the decision on both sides to commit loudly and completely, to elevate the issue and to force it on the American public…. The 2016 battle over bathrooms is, after all, about far more than public ­facilities—it’s about gender roles, social change, federalism, physical danger, political polarization and, most strikingly, a breakdown in the ability of anyone in this country to speak across our divides, or appeal to common humanity.”

The issue also features interviews with people involved in the bathroom battle, including Judy Chiasson, of the Los Angeles Unified School district, which allowed transgender students to use the bathrooms they identify with since 2005.

Says Chiasson: “I have never had misconduct by a transgender student. A lot of fears people expressed, we have never realized those, we have never seen them. We’ve been doing this for 11 years. It works.”

Also featured are Pastor Irvin “Jack” Cunningham, leader of the 750-active-­member Bible World Church and Russell Moore, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public-policy arm, who, not surprisingly, oppose moves by the Obama administration to allow trans people to use the bathrooms of their choice.

The post LGBT Rights and the ‘Battle of the Bathroom’ hits the Cover of ‘TIME’ appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/9hodh4C7beE/

National Education Association Praises President Obama’s Directive on Transgender Youth

National Education Association Praises President Obama’s Directive on Transgender Youth

Last week, the National Education Association (NEA) applauded the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education issued guidance for school districts to ensure transgender students are treated with dignity in public and federally-funded schools, including having equal access to restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.

HRC is proud to partner with the NEA for Time to THRIVE, HRC Foundation’s annual conference promoting the safety, inclusion and well-being for LGBTQ youth, and Welcoming Schools, the nation’s most comprehensive program dedicated to creating respectful and supportive elementary schools for all students and their families. 

Following the Obama Administration’s guidance, the NEA also issued their own guidance to support transgender students.

“The guidance issued by NEA, coupled with the Obama administration’s, underscores our fundamental belief that a great public school is a right of every student – free from intimidation and harassment, and safe for all students, including those who identify as transgender,” NEA President Lily Eskelsen García said in a statement.

While this guidance is consistent with previous guidelines and enforcement by the Departments, the treatment of transgender students has become national issue following the recent passage of the discriminatory HB2 law in North Carolina. Among its shameful provisions, HB2 prohibits public school students from using restrooms and other school facilities consistent with their gender identity.

For several years, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice have been interpreting and enforcing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sex stereotyping as unlawful sex discrimination. Additionally the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit recently upheld the Department of Education’s assertion that the nation’s civil rights laws protect transgender students from discrimination, including in the provision of bathrooms.

A survey by the HRC Foundation found that three-quarters of transgender students feel unsafe in school settings. A report by the Williams Institute found that half of transgender adults who were bullied in school had attempted suicide. These startling numbers can only be expected to rise if the North Carolina law, and similar bills proposed in other states, continue to target these young people.

HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools program also works extensively with teachers and administrators to support transgender and gender-expansive students, create LGBTQ-inclusive schools, prevent bias-based bullying and gender stereotyping, and embrace family diversity.

In 2015, the HRC Foundation, with the ACLU, Gender Spectrum, NCLR and the NEA, released Schools In Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12, which serves as the premiere best practices guide for schools nationwide.

www.hrc.org/blog/national-education-association-praises-president-obamas-directive-on-transg?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed