Dangerous When Wet: A Gay Man’s Struggle with Booze, Sex, and His Mother

TowleREAD is a regular audio feature in which LGBT authors read from their works. For this week’s TowleREAD audio selection, we return to the memoir, and bring you a special excerpt from Jamie Brickhouse’s critically-acclaimed book Dangerous When Wet: A Memoir of Booze, Sex, and my Mother, which Josh Kilmer-Purcell of The Fabulous Beekman Boys calls “a dark journey studded with gems of hilarity.”

Brickhouse spoke with us about his reading:

Dangerous When Wet is the darkly comic memoir of my long struggle with alcohol, my complicated relationship with my mother, Mama Jean, and my sexuality. From the age of five in small-town, Texas all I wanted was to be at a party with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other and all Mama Jean wanted was to keep me at that age, her Jamie doll forever. A Texan Elizabeth Taylor with the split personality of Auntie Mame and Mama Rose, she was always camera-ready and flamboyantly outspoken. Mama Jean haunted me my whole life, even after I moved to New York City and no matter how deep in booze I swam.

In this excerpt, I reveal the halcyon days of my early childhood in Texas, when I was Mama Jean’s constant companion and she was like a movie star to me. I appreciate her beauty rituals, long afternoons with her at the beauty parlor, and visits with her girlfriends, as only a nascent homosexual son can. The alcoholic fate of one of her girlfriends is an early foreshadowing to the dark days lurking in my future.

Listen:

You can pick up a copy of Dangerous When Wet: A Memoir of Booze, Sex, and my Mother, on Amazon.

You can also buy any of the books we have featured on TowleREAD in our store.

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The post Dangerous When Wet: A Gay Man’s Struggle with Booze, Sex, and His Mother appeared first on Towleroad.

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HRC Praises Bipartisan House Victory for LGBT Workers

In a strongly bipartisan 223-195 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives voted last night to ensure that funds from an appropriations bill cannot be used to discriminate against LGBT workers. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) offered the amendment yesterday to the FY17 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, following an attempt last week where House leadership held the amendment vote open on the floor longer than permitted to flip seven of 36 Republican votes and kill the amendment.

This week, 43 Republicans joined all Democrats in voting favorably.

“Today’s vote is a strong reminder that equality isn’t a partisan issue,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “No American should face discrimination because of who they are or whom they love. While that principle won a victory that was elusive last week, it’s time to advance meaningful legal protections for LGBT people and pass the Equality Act. This vote can be a building block if Congress works together for protections that the overwhelming majority of voters want for LGBT Americans.”

The House also disappointingly passed an amendment offered by Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) that prohibits funds appropriated by the bill from being taken away from any entity in North Carolina for any reason including fraud, failure to carry out the terms of a contract or if used in violation of the law. The broadly-worded amendment was intended to prevent any cessation of funds to the state of North Carolina over its anti-transgender law.. The 227-192 vote included 11 Republicans voting no.

In July 2014, President Obama issued Executive Order 13672, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The Maloney Amendment says that no funds from the bill can be used to contract with companies that aren’t in compliance with this executive order.

A nearly identical amendment passed last year in the House on a bill to fund the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. That amendment, offered by Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) received huge bipartisan support, with 60 Republicans voting yes — including Rep. Paul Ryan (before he was Speaker).

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-applauds-bipartisan-house-victory-for-lgbt-workers?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

HRC Analysis: Lawsuit Attempts to Gut Federal Non-Discrimination Protections for Trans People

Today, HRC released the following statement on the reckless and shameful lawsuit filed today by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and government actors from 10 other states, which aims to block federal nondiscrimination protections for transgender people.

In the suit, Paxton — who has been indicted — has led other states seeking to undo crucial and historic non-discrimination advancements the federal government has implemented for transgender people in recent years. Specifically, the lawsuit attacks guidance from the U.S. Department of Education which explains that schools are obligated under federal law to protect transgender students from discrimination challenges guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with regards to transgender employees, and seeks to undermine the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s determination that transgender employees are covered by federal employment nondiscrimination law.

“The lawsuit filed today is dangerous political grandstanding that has put a target on the backs of transgender Americans in schools and workplaces across the country,” said Sarah Warbelow, Legal Director of the Human Rights Campaign. “The guidance recently issued by the United States Departments of Education and Justice is a clarification of the existing state of the law, and that clarification was requested by educators who were already hard at work ensuring that their students, including transgender students, were able to get an education where they are safe and enabled to learn. This lawsuit not only misrepresents the guidance and misrepresents the law, it does significant harm to transgender people by encouraging discriminatory behavior.  We look forward to seeing this case receive the disposition it deserves.”

Today, HRC released a letter signed by national organizations representing almost five million educators, pediatricians, counselors, and other child welfare providers urging lawmakers and public officials, like Paxton, to stop their political attacks on transgender youth. These 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.

Paxton previously issued an opinion encouraging clerks to refuse to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the Supreme Court’s historic marriage equality ruling in Obergefell v Hodges. Paxton’s opinion is similar to one issued by Alabama Chief Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, who was recently suspended from the bench after directing probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Texas State Bar rules requires all attorneys, including the Attorney General, to take an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution.

Also today, HRC Welcoming Schools 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.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-analysis-lawsuit-attempts-to-gut-federal-non-discrimination-protections?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Democrats Defend Trans Kids During House Hearing

Yesterday, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee Task Force on Executive Overreach came to the defense of transgender students during a Task Force hearing on regulatory overreach.  During his opening remarks, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) described the Department of Educations’ recent Title IX guidance on transgender students as an “egregious example” of regulatory overreach, setting the tone for the hearing.

These comments were later followed by the testimony of Gail Heriot. In her submitted testimony, Heriot stated that “We are teaching young people a terrible lesson. If I believe that I am a Russian princess, that doesn’t make me a Russian princess, even if my friends and acquaintances are willing to indulge my fantasy. Nor am I a Great Horned Owl just because—as I have been told—I happen to share some personality traits with those feathered creatures.” While Republican members of the task force did not challenge Heriot’s ignorant views (and in fact, Representative King quoted her testimony in his opening remarks), Democrats made clear their opposition to Heriot’s testimony.

Both Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) shared expert views that Heriot’s dismissal of transgender student’s identity dangerously ignores the high rates of discrimination and sexual violence transgender students face in schools. During the following exchange with Heriot, Representative Nadler cited the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision which affirmed the Department of Education’s interpretation of Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 as protecting transgender students from discrimination, including allowing them to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity.

Later, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) explained that she found the guidance to be very reasonable. She then stated that she found it “very regrettable” that Heriot’s testimony was put in the record, and during a heated exchange, Representative Lofgren made it clear that she would not let Heriot’s testimony go unchallenged. Representative Lofgren shared that she found Heriot’s testimony to be offensive and that it was clear from her testimony that Heriot did not know anything about transgender people and has probably never met a transgender child who is coming to terms with their gender identity.

Although the hearing was not well-attended, this may have been for the best. Other task force members include Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) who described PayPal’s decision not to invest in North Carolina because of their anti-transgender law “the height of lunacy” and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) who said there is “no need” for the Department of Education’s guidance.  

Although Republicans on the Task Force refused to speak out—and at times encouraged—Heriot’s remarks, it clearly did not have to be this way. The past couple of weeks have highlighted the strong bipartisan support for LGBT equality. Just last week, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) stated that “allowing students to use the bathroom of their authentic selves is a step forward in stopping the stigma around transgender individuals.” Meanwhile, Representatives Charlie Dent (R-PA), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Richard Hanna (R-NY), and Mike Coffman (R-CO), along with Representative Ros-Lehtinen, sponsored a bipartisan amendment to strip anti-LGBT language from the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The day after the amendment was prevented from being debated and voted on, twenty-nine Republicans joined 183 democrats in voting for a LGBT non-discrimination amendment on a different bill in the House.

LGBT rights are clearly a bipartisan issue and it is a shame that no Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee Task Force on Executive Overreach were willing to stand up for trans rights and trans youth at yesterday’s hearing.

www.hrc.org/blog/democrats-defend-trans-kids-during-house-hearing?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Water Polo Player and Rio Olympics Hopeful Victor Gutierrez Comes Out as Gay

Victor Gutierrez, a member of the Spanish national water polo team currently preparing for this summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, has come out as gay in an edition of the magazine Shangay.

Said Gutierrez to the magazine:

” I had been thinking about it for quite some time…I’m out of the closet at home. My family knows I’m gay, my friends too. And I’m living so comfortably with my sexuality that I felt a responsibility to come out and share it.”

“Although I’m coming out, I respect those who choose not to. I have never met anyone who has judged me as an athlete for my sexuality. It has always been based on my performance. As a gay athlete, I feel the responsibility to come out because it is very important. There have been more than 70 homophobic attacks in Madrid so far this year, it is a reality that we live. And there are almost no athletes who say they are gay. But in my experience, people have changed; as an athlete, everything I have experienced is absolutely positive.”

Wrote Gutierrez on Instagram

“This is the result of a bold and informed decision . It took a lot of thought but I am proud to do my part for gay visibility in the sport. Thanks to my family who have always supported me, my stalwart friends who have been by my side , the team at Shangay (magazine), and to all those who in one way or another have made me the person I am . And especially to Javier Caceres Perez for being the brains and give me the strength I needed to take this step forward. This is me. Hugs and kisses for everyone!

And a (Spanish language) interview with Gutierrez here.

Some photos:

The post Water Polo Player and Rio Olympics Hopeful Victor Gutierrez Comes Out as Gay appeared first on Towleroad.

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Measure Banning LGBT Discrimination Clears House But GOP Adds Support for Bigotry

A new amendment from Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) which would that would ban federal contractors who discriminate against LGBT people attached to an energy and water spending bill passed the House late on Wednesday following days of fury from Democrats over a vote last week that killed a similar amendment when several Republican members switched their votes at the last minute.

Politico reports:

The amendment earned Republican support when Maloney allowed Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) to add a line to the end saying, “except as required by the First Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, and Article I of the Constitution.”

The addition would appear to be a way to create an exemption for people citing religious objections to the provisions. Maloney retorted that the House uses “the whole Constitution.”

Equality wins! We have a long way to go, but achieved big victory. Will keep fighting until every #LGBT American is safe, can pursue dreams.

— Sean Patrick Maloney (@RepSeanMaloney) May 26, 2016

However:

Republicans also promptly attached two amendments of their own offering support for a North Carolina law that requires people to use bathrooms according to their gender at birth. The amendment from Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.) would prevent the federal government from withholding funding as a way to punish North Carolina for the law, and another from Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) supports religious exemptions.

Nancy Pelosi blasted the GOP:

“After Republicans worked so hard to defeat Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney’s anti-discrimination amendment last week, we are happy to see his amendment succeed in the Energy & Water bill.  However, the success of the Maloney Amendment does not hide the reality that House Republicans have chosen to make enabling discrimination against LGBT Americans a top legislative priority.

“House Republicans have chosen to engage in a systematic campaign of discrimination against LGBT Americans.  With the Pittenger Amendment and the Byrne Amendment, Republicans overwhelmingly voted to support HB 2, the hateful and discriminatory state law in North Carolina, and to enable anti-LGBT bigotry across our country.

“House Republicans should be ashamed of themselves.  History will not look kindly on the votes Republicans proudly took to target Americans because of whom they are or whom they love.  House Republicans’ vile crusade against LGBT Americans is a complete disgrace.”

The post Measure Banning LGBT Discrimination Clears House But GOP Adds Support for Bigotry appeared first on Towleroad.

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A Brief History of Homophobia in Oklahoma, a.k.a. Oklahomophobia

www.advocate.com/politics/2016/5/26/brief-history-homophobia-oklahoma-aka-oklahomophobia

36 Images of Gay Communist Propaganda

www.advocate.com/art/2016/5/26/36-images-gay-communist-propaganda