Photo_2016_0389_008.jpg
JohnsonAtCornell posted a photo:
The 2016 Johnson (JGSM) Out for Business Sage Social.
Daily Archives: May 25, 2016
Gay Cop Awarded $30,000 Settlement In Discrimination Lawsuit, But Does He Deserve It?
Gay Cop Awarded $30,000 Settlement In Discrimination Lawsuit, But Does He Deserve It?
Photo source: Michael Acosta/Facebook
Officer Michael Acosta of the The West New York Police Department is about to see a nice bump in his bank account. The town’s board of commissioners just awarded him a $30,000 payout after he accused his supervisor, Robert Antolos, of discrimination.
Acosta is openly gay. (He also happens to be the son of the town’s controversial former deputy mayor.) In a lawsuit first filed back in 2014, he alleged Antolos denied him overtime shifts, filed baseless internal affairs complaints against him and made constant threats towards him all because of his sexual orientation. He was demanding back and front pay, compensatory and emotional distress damages and reasonable costs plus attorney’s fees and punitive damages.
Related: Nefarious Cop Busted For Exposing His Penis To Unsuspecting Male Motorists
Rather than battle it out in court, which would have cost the town an estimated $70,000-$80,000, the board of commissioners opted to throw Acosta $30,000 and call it a day.
But this isn’t the first time they’ve had trouble with the officer. It appears he has a reputation for causing trouble within the department dating all the way back to 2010.
In 2012, Acosta received a 30-day suspension without pay after admitting to “conduct unbecoming of a public employee, neglect of duty, misuse of public property, including motor vehicles, and violation of the department’s rules and regulations.”
Basically, between March 2010 and July 2010, he ran a total of 16 unwarranted “full-disclosure” checks on innocent citizens. A “full-disclosure” check gives an officer total access to a person’s private information, including where they live and their date of birth.
Related: Cute Cop Admits To Signing Up Tea Party Leader On Gay Dating and Porn Websites
The investigation found that Acosta didn’t have any legitimate “law enforcement purposes” for running the checks and that he was doing so “for personal reasons.” What those “personal reasons” were was never actually determined, and many felt his 30-day suspension was far too lenient of a punishment for the then-deputy mayor’s adult son.
In 2014, Acosta again ran into trouble when he was accused of sexually harassing another man at work.
Christian Amaro, a former town Office of Emergency Management employee, filed a lawsuit against the department accusing Acosta of sexually harassing him on multiple occasions. The board of commissioners ended up paying Amaro a $97,000 settlement with no admission of wrongdoing.
Neither Acosta nor his attorney have released a statement on the $30,000 settlement.
Related: Christopher Kohrs, AKA The Hot Cop Of Castro, Arrested For Hit-And-Run Over Holiday Weekend
h/t: Hudson County View
Gay Billionaire Peter Thiel And Hulk Hogan Reportedly Tag Teamed Gawker
Gay Billionaire Peter Thiel And Hulk Hogan Reportedly Tag Teamed Gawker
Let’s get ready to rumble! In this corner, weighing in at 11.7 million unique monthly global readers and an annual revenue of roughly $45 million, Nick Denton and Gawker Media. And in this corner, weighing in at 322lbs, the Hulkamaniac himself, Hulk Hogan…and billionaire gay libertarian Peter Thiel!
Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker continues to make headlines, most recently for some of the behind-the-scenes machinations. Forbes magazine recently reported that Paypal cofounder Thiel secretly paid all of Hogan’s legal expenses in the former pro-wrestler’s suit again the online media company.
Hogan was awarded $140 million back in March in his suit against Gawker after the site posted video of him having sex with a friend’s wife. But it seem likely that this case is personal for Thiel as well:
“Money may not have been the main motivation in the first place. Thiel, who is gay, has made no secret of his distaste for Gawker, which attempted to out him in late 2007 before he was open about his sexuality. In 2009, Thiel told PEHub that now-defunct Silicon Valley-focused publication Valleywag, which was owned by Gawker, had the ‘psychology of a terrorist.’
‘Valleywag is the Silicon Valley equivalent of Al Qaeda,’ Thiel said at the time.”
Denton had previously speculated to the New York Times that someone in Silicon Valley was bankrolling Hogan’s suit, and this would seem to confirm his hunch.
Gawker has a history of outing people, not to mention what many would consider invasion of privacy. Last summer, the site was universally criticized by both the gay and mainstream press for a post outing a married Condé Nast exec. Denton eventually removed the post, saying he regretted running it.
Moral of the story: don’t cross a queen with deep pockets!
h/t: New York Times
Texas AG Ken Paxton Will Sue Obama Administration Over Transgender Students
Texas AG Ken Paxton Will Sue Obama Administration Over Transgender Students
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will announce a lawsuit against the federal government on Wednesday over the Obama administration’s guidance on transgender students.
Paxton will make the announcement at a press conference at 2 P.M. local time.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will hold a press conference in Austin Wednesday to discuss what he calls a major lawsuit filed by Texas.
It is believed the state will go to court to challenge the Obama administration over its controversial school bathroom directive. Governor Greg Abbott seemed to confirm that speculation on Twitter.
“Texas will sue to stop Obama’s transgender directive to schools. Thanks @KenPaxtonTX #tcot #txlege #PJNET,” he wrote.
Texas will sue to stop Obama’s transgender directive to schools. Thanks @KenPaxtonTX #tcot #txlege #PJNET t.co/O7GjxvolD2
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 25, 2016
The suit is an attempt to ensure Texas can ignore the federal government’s directive on transgender bathroom policies. The guidance, emailed to schools across the country earlier this month, does not carry the force of law but delivered the message that denying students access to the bathroom that best matches their gender identity could come at the price of losing federal dollars.
The legal challenge follows weeks of consternation in Texas over which bathrooms transgender students and adults should use, including insistence from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick the legislature tackle that issue next legislative session.
North Carolina also announced it would sue the federal government over the administration’s guidance on transgender students, a move which triggered the Department of Justice to countersue the Tar Heel State.
Paxton is currently under indictment on charges of securities fraud.
The post Texas AG Ken Paxton Will Sue Obama Administration Over Transgender Students appeared first on Towleroad.
Anne Hathaway and James Corden Get Shady in Hilarious Rap Battle – WATCH
Anne Hathaway and James Corden Get Shady in Hilarious Rap Battle – WATCH
Anne Hathaway and James Corden faced off for a rap battle on Tuesday night and the tea being served was scalding.
Corden opened with a light offensive: “The only cat woman I acknowledge is Halle Berry.” To which Hathaway retorted, “A ‘cat woman’ diss, gosh, what do I do? I can’t make fun of you, James, ‘cuz no one’s heard of you!” Referencing one of Corden’s late night competitors, Hathaway rapped, “I’m like your wife, I watch Seth Meyers instead.”
Corden came back with a Devil Wears Prada burn: “Call me Meryl Streep, ‘cuz you my assistant. This isn’t just for me it’s for the whole UK, mad at your awful British accent in the movie One Day.”
But Hathaway came through to Hatha-slay: “I was hated and shaded, but now I’ve been liberated. Now you know what it’s like to get Hatha-slayed.”
Watch, below.
The post Anne Hathaway and James Corden Get Shady in Hilarious Rap Battle – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Leading National Groups Call on Legislators to Reject Appalling Attacks on Transgender Children
Leading National Groups Call on Legislators to Reject Appalling Attacks on Transgender Children
As state lawmakers continue to attack transgender children with outrageous and shameful bills, four leading national health, education and child advocacy groups have added their names to HRC’s letter calling on state lawmakers and governors across the nation to reject the discriminatory bills being promoted in state legislatures targeting transgender children and their fundamental rights.
The American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO; the Association of Title IX Administrators; and the National Association of Secondary School Principals have signed the open letter, joining the American Academy of Pediatrics; the American Counseling Association; the American School Counselor Association; the Child Welfare League of America; the National Association of School Psychologists; the National Association of Social Workers; and the National Education Association. The letter expresses grave concerns about and objections to the flurry of bills attacking one of our nation’s most vulnerable youth populations.
“In cities and states across our country, transgender youth are being targeted and attacked by lawmakers who were elected to serve and protect,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Rather than legislating hate and discrimination, elected officials should listen to this broad chorus of nonpartisan experts speaking out against dangerous bills that only exacerbate the violence, bullying and harassment the most vulnerable of our society already experience on a daily basis.”
The 11 groups represent nearly five million members across the country.
Since state legislatures began meeting this year, more than thirty bills have been introduced seeking to deny transgender students access to appropriate restrooms and locker rooms, and preventing them from playing on sports teams that are consistent with their gender identity. This type of needless and mean-spirited legislation would put school districts directly at odds with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice, which have asserted for years that, under Title IX, school districts cannot discriminate against students based on their gender identity, including in access to sex-segregated facilities and activities. That position was confirmed by the guidance released recently from both departments in response to questions from educators seeking more information about best practices from around the country. This type of needless and mean-spirited legislation places school districts at risk of losing federal funding and opens up school districts to lawsuits and other liability for infringing on these students’ federally protected civil rights.
A survey by the HRC Foundation found that three-quarters of transgender students feel unsafe in school settings. This startling number will only rise if discriminatory bills continue to target these young people.
Vermont Joins Growing Number of Jurisdictions Protecting LGBTQ Kids from “Conversion Therapy”
Vermont Joins Growing Number of Jurisdictions Protecting LGBTQ Kids from “Conversion Therapy”
Today, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed Senate Bill 132 into law, making Vermont the eighth jurisdiction—behind California, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Washington D.C., and Cincinnati—to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangers of “conversion therapy.”
Senate Bill 132, which protects LGBTQ youth from mental health providers attempting to change their sexual orientation or gender identity through practices that are linked to substance abuse, extreme depression, and suicide, was approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives in April. The law will go into effect July 1, 2016.
“We are thrilled that Vermont has joined the rapidly growing number of states leading the way to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy,” said the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Youth Policy Counsel Carolyn Reyes. “Vermont families can now have confidence that the mental health professional they turn to in times of uncertainty may not use their state license to profit from their children’s pain. Most importantly, Vermont children can now rest easy in the knowledge that they cannot be forced or coerced to undergo dangerous and discredited treatments to try to change who they are. Today brings us one step closer to the day when all LGBTQ youth know they were born perfect.”
Said HRC President Chad Griffin: “No young person should be subjected to this extremely harmful and discredited practice, which medical professionals agree not only doesn’t work, but can also have life-threatening consequences. It is nothing short of child abuse. We thank Governor Shumlin and the Vermont State Legislature for prioritizing the well-being and safety of our nation’s youth, and remain committed to working with our partners to ensure that this quackery is banned from coast to coast.”
NCLR, HRC, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Pride Center Vermont, and Outright Vermont played a key role in organizing the coalition behind the bill. A broad range of groups supported Senate Bill 132, including national LGBTQ organizations and civil rights organizations.
NCLR and HRC are at the forefront of efforts to protect youth and their families from “conversion therapy,” and work closely with legislators and state leaders across the country to introduce bills protecting youth from these dangerous practices.
In February, NCLR, HRC, and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a historic federal consumer fraud complaint against a major provider of “conversion therapy,” urging the Federal Trade Commission to take enforcement action against the organization and all practitioners engaging in similar fraudulent advertising and business practices.
For more information about the dangers of “conversion therapy” and NCLR’s #BornPerfect campaign visit www.NCLRights.org/BornPerfect or HRC’s resource page
#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 25, 2016
#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 25, 2016
NORTH CAROLINIANS DON’T LIKE HB2 — AND ARE REALLY FED UP WITH THEIR LEGISLATORS: A new survey from North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling found that a majority of likely voters in the state want the discriminatory HB2 repealed, with 56 percent saying the law is hurting the state economically and damaging its national reputation. Oh, and despite false claims by anti-LGBT forces that the bill is all about safety, most women say HB2 hasn’t made the state safer. The state legislature, which passed the discriminatory measure, isn’t faring any better than HB2: only 19 percent of voters surveyed approve of the job their elected leaders in Raleigh are doing. More from The News & Observer.
- Spike in number of people who know a transgender person: A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 39 percent of people surveyed say they personally know or work with a transgender person, up a whopping 10 points from last year and consistent with HRC polling.
- Blame Game continues…. NC House Speaker Tim Moore has announced yet again, that the only way Republican state leadership will consider making changes to HB2, is if Charlotte makes the first move. Moore told reporters yesterday, “Charlotte needs to take a look at what it did and it needs to be the first to make any movement before there’s any conversation.” Time for state lawmakers to face the facts — they are the only ones responsible for this mess, and the only way to fix it is by repealing HB2.
- Charlotte Chamber playing clean-up, claims they’ve supported non-discrimination efforts all along: Following a meeting yesterday with NC Chamber Board Chair Ned Curran, Charlotte Chamber President Bob Morgan and his organization released a letter urging NC House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger to consider the “diverse needs” of NC cities, and urged them to return to the cities the power to pass their own non-discrimination ordinances.
- Maybe NC’s Chambers should give Oklahoma Chambers a call … Yesterday Oklahoma lawmakers (despite saying they wouldn’t bring up the bill) voted 10 – 10, effectively squashing a bill that would have discriminated against transgender students. A force in defeating the bill? The warnings of the Tulsa and Greater Oklahoma City Chambers of Commerce of the economic damage the bill would cause.
TEXAS STATE AG EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE LAWSUIT AS NEARLY 5 MILLION EDUCATORS, PEDIATRICIANS, ETC. SAY STOP IT ALREADY: Based on his relentless attacks on transgender students and school officials doing right by them, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is expected to announce at a 2 p.m. press conference that he’ll be filing a lawsuit against the federal government in response to the guidance issued earlier this month by the Departments of Justice and Education reaffirming their position that transgender students have the right to be free from discrimination in federally-funded education. This comes as HRC today released a letter signed by national organizations representing almost 5 million educators, pediatricians, counselors and other child welfare providers urging lawmakers like Paxton to stop their vile attacks. Organizations include the American Federation of Teachers; the American Academy of Pediatrics; the American Counseling Association; the National Association of School Psychologists and the National Education Association.
- Meanwhile, HRC Welcoming Schools today released a key resource for school officials to effectively and respectfully follow recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on the rights of transgender students. The guide answers questions school officials may be asked by parents, guardians and other community members. “These kinds of policies, already in place at many schools, have helped transgender students enormously, and without any negative effect on their non-transgender schoolmates,” said HRC’s Ellen Kahn.
- Fayette County in Tennessee, on the other hand, worked against the best interest of their schools last night by passing a resolution in a 17 to 0 vote to defy that guidance on transgender students. The Tennessee Equality Project reports the Fayette County Commission did not put the resolution on their agenda, giving the public no time to respond. Now doesn’t that sound familiar?
- And in Mississippi, the State Board of Education has done an about face, officially saying it will follow the “state’s lead,” and ignore the guidance from the Departments of Education and Justice that transgender students be treated with dignity and respect. The State superintendent originally said Mississippi would comply with federal law, but changed her position when Republican state lawmakers called for her resignation.
REPUBLICAN HOUSE LEADERSHIP SEEKS TO BLOCK DEMOCRATS’ AMENDMENTS: After last week’s abuse of House rules to defeat an amendment protecting LGBT workers, Speaker Paul Ryan may try to limit such amendments to save Republican leadership from “surprises.” Ryan may propose a procedural change that would make efforts more difficult, like Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s (D-NY) attempt to protect LGBT workers employed by federal contractors. “This change seems intended to give leadership more time to figure out how to defeat amendments like Rep. Maloney’s preventing LGBT discrimination, which would have passed if not for their strong arm tactics,” said a spokesperson for Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY). So much for the promises of an open and transparent amendment process. More from The Hill.
- Rep. Maloney plans to revive his amendment this week on the House floor. If passed, the amendment would prohibit the government from paying contractors that discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Maloney is hopeful: “There is a majority [in] the House of Representatives right now to oppose discrimination in the workplace. Really, the only way discrimination is going to win is if [House Majority Leader] Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) keeps rigging the votes.” More from The Washington Post.
HELP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH FORCED TO LIVE ON THEIR OWN: LGBTQ youth are much more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to be forced from their homes because of rejection or abuse, and too often lack the skills or resources needed to live safely and begin building a successful life. To help them establish stability and safety, the HRC Foundation, in partnership with Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund and Time Out Youth Center in Charlotte, NC, has released On Our Own: A Survival Guide for Independent LGBTQ Youth, which is geared toward older teens and young adults. It provides practical advice on essential topics ranging from finding housing, going to school and opening a bank account, to getting a job, accessing healthcare and living on a budget. More from the HRC Foundation.
ANTI-TRANS FLYER FROM KKK SURFACES IN ALABAMA TOWN: Fear-mongering by anti-LGBT legislators can have real consequences. Yesterday, disturbing anti-transgender flyers surfaced in the Dothan, Ala., neighborhood. They appear to have been distributed by the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan as a recruiting tool. The Dothan Police Department notified the FBI, as the flyer’s message could promote hate crimes against the transgender community. More AL.com.
TOUCHDOWN FOR EQUALITY: The NFL announced yesterday that it is awarding the 2019 Super Bowl to Atlanta. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed an anti-LGBT religious refusal bill last month, after the measure drew criticism from the NFL and LGBT advocates. The NFL warned Georgia that it stood little chance of hosting a Super Bowl if it did not adhere to the League’s standards of “tolerance and inclusiveness.” More from The New Civil Rights Movement.
YOUNG QUEER LEADERS ARE OUR FUTURE… AND PRESENT! The Advocate profiled seven extraordinary young LGBTQ politicians who are taking the system by storm. The lawmakers are all under 30 and dedicated to bettering their communities and the country at large. More from The Advocate.
READING RAINBOW
Slate points out the flawed logic of those claiming that transgender people using the correct bathroom is somehow a “safety concern”; Newsweek considers the possibility of the 2021 UK Census finally asking vital questions about gender identity and sexuality; Wayne Dhesi writes for Huffington Post about the continued need for LGBT Pride events; The Associated Press calculated that Florida will spend more than $213,000 to compensate the attorneys who sued the state to bring marriage equality to Florida; WMFE reports that the Brevard (Fla.) School Board will continue its fight to expand LGBT protections to students and staff… Gay Times highlights a rejected marriage lawsuit filed in South Korea; and The Des Moines Register looks into whether Rep. David Young (IA – R) was bullied by Republican leadership into switching his vote on a LGBT rights bill.
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-25-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
Two Men Allegedly Used Grindr to Lure Men and Carjack Them
Two Men Allegedly Used Grindr to Lure Men and Carjack Them
Dates didn’t go as planned for men who met carjackers on Grindr.
www.advocate.com/crime/2016/5/25/two-men-allegedly-used-grindr-lure-men-and-carjack-them
6-Year-Old Trans Girl’s Landmark Court Win Subject Of New Documentary
6-Year-Old Trans Girl’s Landmark Court Win Subject Of New Documentary
While the issue of bathroom policing may have found its unfortunate cultural moment as a wedge issue for the right (they’re really running out of ideas at this point), the topic isn’t new.
In fact, the subject made national headlines when 6-year-old transgender child Coy Mathis and her Colorado family brought a civil rights discrimination case against her school district and fought for her rights to use the girl’s bathroom. The district had previously told Coy she had to use the boy’s room.
The case was argued in 2013 and the family won, and it’s considered a landmark case.
Now Coy’s story is the subject of a new documentary called Growing Up Coy.
Director Eric Juhola and producer Jeremy Stulberg show audiences what it was like for Coy to develop her personality and identity against the grain of expectations, and the obstacles and media frenzy her parents faced all in the name of doing right by their child.
Catch the trailer below, and head here for more info:
