Beyoncé Puts Anti-LGBT N.C. on Blast: Y'All Means All
The Lemonade singer is encouraging fans to join a local LGBT organization’s effort to repeal HB 2.
www.advocate.com/music/2016/5/04/beyonce-puts-anti-lgbt-nc-blast-yall-means-all
Monthly Archives: May 2016
Happy 58th Birthday, Keith Haring
Happy 58th Birthday, Keith Haring
You surely know Keith Haring’s work from his effervescent stickish figures decorating everything from floor-to-ceiling walls to T-shirts to coffee mugs to earrings. If you liked bright colors in the 1980s and early ’90s, not a day went by that you didn’t see some yellow men holding a baby aloft, or a red dog with bark lines emanating from his mouth, or just a whole bunch of squiggles that may or may not have contained a penis.
Keith wasn’t just a once-in-forever artist, he also worked the system like a mastermind: he licensed and sold his work to fund democratic artwork that could be accessible to everyone, not just wealthy collectors. He sold his work affordably at the Pop Shop, and also reveled in the creation of subversive illegal murals. Of his public art, which occasionally got him arrested, he said:
“I kept seeing more and more of these black spaces, and I drew on them whenever I saw one. Because they were so fragile, people left them alone and respected them; they didn’t rub them out or try to mess them up. It gave them this other power. It was this chalk-white fragile thing in the middle of all this power and tension and violence that the subway was. People were completely enthralled.”
Here’s a clip of Keith getting led off in handcuffs:
Just look at this guy. How can you not fall in love? Thanks for everything, Keith. Miss you.
feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/m7QDu4_Xjfc/happy-58th-birthday-keith-haring-20160504
Bizarre Leaked Documents Detail US Military’s Plan To Turn Enemies Into Gay Sluts
Bizarre Leaked Documents Detail US Military’s Plan To Turn Enemies Into Gay Sluts
It’s no secret — well, no longer a secret — that a United States Air Force research laboratory once proposed developing a chemical “weapon” that when dropped on enemy camps, would act as a potent aphrodisiac and turn everyone gay.
Funny, we always just assumed that’s what they put in the fog machines at circuit parties.
But for readers who aren’t familiar with the government’s so-called “gay bomb,” it might surprise you to learn that what sounds like a diabolical 1950s plan ripped from the cutting room floor of Dr. Stragelove, was actually conceived of in 1994.
The same year Ace Of Base saw “The Sign” and the Cranberries asked if we had to let it “Linger,” some government-paid shill sat in a basement in Ohio trying to actualize a gay bomb. 1994 is also the year the Clinton administration enacted Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
And even if you do remember the story, which broke in 2007 through a Freedom of Information Request by the Sunshine Project, and went on to earn the lab the Ig Nobel Prize (the Razzie awards of the scientific community) the same year, chances are you haven’t actually seen the documents in question.
The entire thing reads like a high school science fair project gone very wrong, starting with the title — “Harassing, Annoying, and ‘Bad Guy’ Identifying Chemicals”:
It goes on to suggest such brilliant ideas as dropping chemicals that would attract aggressive rodents to enemy camps, and chemicals that would give enemies an “annoying” smell.
And then at the top of page two — “Category #3: Chemicals that effect [sic] human behavior so that discipline and morale in enemy units is adversely effected [sic]. One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behavior. Another example would be a chemical that made personnel very sensitive to sunlight.”
You can find the full three-page document here, which goes on to request such technological gems as a chemical that would “attract bees and cause them to sting.”
It concludes that “Some chemicals should only be used on enemy forces, while others could be used on mixtures of enemy personnel and civilians.” How very comforting.
The whole thing would be a lot funnier if it wasn’t so real, though that didn’t stop Tina Fey from taking up the subject in an episode of 30 Rock about a year later:
Caitlyn Jenner Will Appear Naked on the Cover of ‘Sports Illustrated’
Caitlyn Jenner Will Appear Naked on the Cover of ‘Sports Illustrated’
Caitlyn Jenner will pose naked for the cover of an upcoming issue of the magazine Sports Illustrated.
Jenner will reportedly appear with nothing more than an American flag and her Olympic gold medal.
Caitlyn Jenner will appear on a summer cover of Sports Illustrated wearing “nothing but an American flag and her Olympic medal,” a source reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly.
The 66-year-old I Am Cait star (formerly known as Bruce) set a world decathlon record at the 1976 Montreal Summer Games. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of her win, she’ll pose with her gold medal for the first time post-transition, adds the source: “She’s excited about that.” (Her ex-wife Kris appeared topless with a medal during a 2007 photo shoot on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.)
The post Caitlyn Jenner Will Appear Naked on the Cover of ‘Sports Illustrated’ appeared first on Towleroad.
Beyoncé Comes Out Against North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT ‘Bathroom Bill’
Beyoncé Comes Out Against North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT ‘Bathroom Bill’
Beyoncé is speaking out against North Carolina’s newly passed anti-LGBT bill, HB 2.
Unlike other performers including Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato, Beyoncé did not cancel her North Carolina shows. However, the singer has released a statement on her website urging people to get involved with Equality NC, an LGBT rights organization that has been vehemently opposed to HB 2 and working to repeal it.
“As The Formation World Tour makes its stop in the Tar Heel state in the midst of such a controversial time, we think it is important for us to bring attention to those who are committed to being good and carrying on the message of equality in this core of controversy. Among the many organizations doing the good work to get this bill overturned, there is Equality NC, a local organization dedicated to securing equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) North Carolinians.
To accomplish these goals, Equality NC tirelessly lobbies the North Carolina General Assembly, executive branch, and local governments, broadcast LGBT news, stories and content, and mobilize our communities on issues that matter, including marriage equality, parental rights, inclusive anti-bullying policies, employment discrimination, hate violence, privacy rights, sexuality education, adoption, domestic partnerships, and HIV/AIDS.
Learn more about how you can support Equality NC by donating, volunteering, becoming an ambassador, attending an event, or simply spreading the word!
Beyoncé has also reportedly worn one of Equality NC’s “Y’all Means All” tee shirts.
Yup that is @Beyonce wearing an @equalitync “Y’all means all” shirt. Life complete #beygood pic.twitter.com/vKVpQdJ8JT
— Ben Graumann (@BenGraumann) May 4, 2016
The post Beyoncé Comes Out Against North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT ‘Bathroom Bill’ appeared first on Towleroad.
#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 4, 2016
#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 4, 2016
TRUMP, PRESUMPTIVE GOP NOMINEE, IS A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING: As all eyes turn toward Donald Trump’s run up to November, it’s important for pro-equality voters to have the facts. Despite his malleable rhetoric — which shifts depending on who he is standing in front of at any given moment — he has made clear that he will be no friend to the LGBT community in the White House. Donald Trump is nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing when it comes to LGBT equality. Check out four ways Donald Trump has already pledged to roll back LGBT equality if he succeeds in his quest to become president on HRC’s blog post.
IN CRUZ DEFEAT, A WITHERING REBUKE OF ANTI-TRANS EXTREMISM: We hope NC Governor Pat McCrory, Senate President Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore were watching. While Ted Cruz’s campaign has been riddled with anti-LGBT rhetoric, his closing message was to demonize transgender people. And it backfired. Stories in The Washington Post, Huffington Post, TIME and Politico make one message clear to candidates: attacking transgender people isn’t a winning campaign strategy. HRC Communications Director Jay Brown on what it means: “Ted Cruz has waged an ugly, bigoted campaign against LGBT equality for months. Cruz will be remembered for spending the last days of his presidential campaign shamefully trying to stoke a dangerous brand of hate against transgender people like me to score political points. Ted Cruz’s false attack ads and repeated smears against us in the closing days of his campaign were clearly rejected by voters. There’s a lesson here — Americans of all parties believe LGBT people should be protected from discrimination and politicians who don’t take note risk being rejected at the ballot box.” More here.
NEWS & OBSERVER EDITORIAL BLASTS MCCRORY FOR FIDDLING WHILE ROME BURNS: Don’t miss the News & Observer’s takedown of Gov. McCrory’s bizarre local radio interview spent “yukking up” the disaster he caused in passing HB2 … “Between laughs, McCrory continued to misrepresent the bill as simple protection of privacy rather than what it is: a green light to discriminate against gay and transgender people. After weeks of damaging national publicity and setbacks for the state’s economy, most governors would be hard at work figuring out a way to fix the HB2 mess.” On the Charlotte-based “The Big Show with John Boy and Billy” radio program, McCrory even suggested that Bruce Springsteen had canceled his show because of poor ticket sales, and made jokes about bathrooms while on air. No one else is laughing. More from The News & Observer.
MEANWHILE, MCCRORY’S REELECTION EFFORT CONTINUES TO CRATER: A new poll from “North Carolina’s Conservative Voice” shows that a majority of North Carolinians would vote against GOP Gov. Pat McCrory. According to a poll released by Civitas Institute, 46 percent of likely voters in the Tar Heel State would mark their ballot for Attorney General Roy Cooper, the Democratic candidate for governor, while just 36 percent say they’d vote for McCrory, who, with his GOP cronies, Senate President Phil Berger, and House Speaker Tim Moore, is responsible for HB2 and the hammering the state’s economy and reputation has taken since it was passed. The new polling comes on the heels of Hoosiers rebuking Ted Cruz in Indiana last night over his anti-trans rhetoric, and adds proof that voters just aren’t buying McCrory’s repeated, increasingly desperate attempts to defend the indefensible. More from Vox.
OXFORD, ALA., MAY BACKTRACK ON APPALLING ANTI-TRANS LAW: Looks like the Oxford, Ala., City Council is having buyer’s remorse over its recent decision to pass an outrageous and unprecedented anti-transgender ordinance. The council is set to gather at 2:30 p.m. CT today for a “special meeting” where members are expected to discuss recalling the law. Following its passage, ACLU Alabama is talking about a lawsuit, HRC Alabama and others are organizing a Saturday rally and a major softball tournament is being moved until the law is repealed. More from AL.com.
OBAMA TO DESIGNATE STONEWALL INN A NATIONAL MONUMENT IN RECOGNITION OF SEMINAL EVENT IN FIGHT FOR LGBT EQUALITY: The Obama Administration is poised to declare the area surrounding the historic Stonewall Inn a national monument — making it the first to formally recognize the struggle for LGBT equality. Federal officials are holding a session on May 9 to receive feedback on the proposal. The proposal has the support of New York officials including U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Gov. Cuomo has already signed legislation transferring ownership of the city-owned property to the federal government so it can be designated as a federal monument. More from The Washington Post.
GLOUCESTER COUNTY DOUBLES DOWN AGAINST TRANS TEEN: The Gloucester County School Board in Virginia has officially filed a motion to appeal a ruling by a panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of the U.S. Department of Education’s interpretation of Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 as protecting transgender students like Virginia’s Gavin Grimm from discrimination, including allowing them to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity. Grimm sued the district over a discriminatory policy that barred him from using the boys’ restroom, alleging that the district violated Title IX of the Education Act of 1972. The School Board is now appealing the panel’s ruling, asking that entire 15-judge court of appeals reconsider last month’s historic 2-1 decision. More from The Associated Press.
GIVE ELSA A GIRLFRIEND! DISNEY FANS RALLY FOR AN LGBT PRINCESS: We don’t want to let it go! Over the past few days, the twitterverse has been lighting up with the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend, urging Disney to give Elsa, the protagonist of the hit film Frozen, a girlfriend in the movie’s sequel. Here’s to hoping Elsa finds her Princess Charming. More from HRC’s blog.
STATE SNAPSHOT
THE WINDY CITY EMBRACES EQUALITY FOR TRANS STUDENTS: Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have stepped up for their transgender students in a big way. On Tuesday, CPS’ chief education officer Janice Jackson announced new policies guaranteeing all students access to facilities that most align with their gender identity, including provisions for accommodating students who are questioning their gender, or who identify as a nonbinary gender. The same rules will apply to adult employees of the school district. It is a big, supportive statement from the largest school district in the state. More from Chicago Sun Times.
MORE THAN 700 FLORIDIANS URGE STATE TO KEEP RULES PROTECTING LGBT YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE: The possibility that Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) could capitulate to pressure from two religious groups and backtrack on new rules banning discrimination and so-called “conversion therapy” for LGBT foster children in group homes is prompting vigorous opposition in the Sunshine State. More than 50 people appeared at a public hearing to protest changes being contemplated by the DCF, and 700-plus people submitted written comments to the agency opposing any rollback to protections, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Guess how many have spoken in support of discrimination? (We’ll spoil it for you… only one). The final decision remains in the hands of officials at the state’s DCF. More from The Tampa Bay Times.
WE’RE AMPED ABOUT THIS FIRST: LGBT BIZ OWNERS WIN NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD: For the first time, LGBT business owners have captured the national Small Business Person of the Year Award – or, in this case, business persons of the year: Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell, who have brewed up a fabulously successful coffee operation (cafes, roasting and bean growing) in California. Equator Coffees and Teas began in a garage, and is projecting revenues this year of $15 million. We’ll raise a cup to that! More from Mercury News.
AROUND THE WORLD
CONGRATULAZIONI!: An Italian court has granted a lesbian couple the right to adopt each other’s children. While the country still does not have same-sex civil unions or marriage, this is a huge first step in recognizing the rights of same-sex couples. More from Pink News.
READING RAINBOW
The Arizona Republic points to North Carolina and Mississippi as prime examples of what Arizona shouldn’t do… The Guardian profiles a family doctor in the small town of Oneonta, New York, who has been tailoring her practice around the needs of transgender people for years… The Associated Press reports how the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is the latest to take a stand against NC’s HB2… and The New York Times highlights the recent marriage of a gay U.S. diplomat in China.
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-4-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
Indonesia LGBT organizations hold their ground amid rising anti-LGBT sentiment
Indonesia LGBT organizations hold their ground amid rising anti-LGBT sentiment
CONQ
In recent months, a wave of anti-LGBT voices have been dominating Indonesian news and media. Although LGBT visibility and rights have been taboo in Indonesia for some time, the intensity in anti-LGBT rhetoric picked up siognificantly over the last several months. In January, Muhammad Nasir, Technology, Research and Higher Education Minister, said that LGBT people should be barred from university campuses. Since then, LGBT Indonesians have been targeted and attacked for their sexual orientation. GLAAD has been in communication with several LGBT advocates and organizations on the ground to support LGBT Indonesians in this difficult time.
LGBT people and relationships are not illegal in Indonesia at large, except for the province of Aceh, where Sharia law is in effect. In Aceh, same-sex relationships are punished with 100 lashes. However, according to a 2013 study, 93% of Indonesians believe that LGBT people should not be accepted in society. After a poster for an LGBT student support group on the University of Indonesia campus gained news coverate this January, religious leaders started backing Muhammad Nasir’s statement that LGBT people should be banned from university campuses. They have called being LGBT indecent behavior and a mental illness.
In fact, Indonesian government leaders have been trying to clear all LGBT representation from the media. In a statement that gained a lot of attention, information ministry spokesman Ismail Cawidu instructed Facebook and WhatsApp to get rid of LGBT-related emojis. Even men who do not conform with expectations of masculinity are no longer allowed to appear on television. A 2008 Pornography Law has also been used to remove content about same-sex relationships from online blogs. In a legislative effort that resembles Russia’s LGBT propaganda law, the Indonesian Government is doing its best to suprress LGBT representation and acceptance, calling homosexuality a matter of “national security.” Mahfuz Siddiq, the chair of the House of Representatives Commission in Indonesia, has stated that homosexuality could damage “identity, culture and the faith of Indonesians.”
One program that has been affected by this emerging law because of their “threat” to national security is CONQ, a web series about gay men produced by three individuals in Indonesia. The series had a large following that extended beyond the LGBT community, and was the first platform of its kind in Indonesia. In 2015 they decided to stop video production and lay low because they were being threatened for spreading LGBT propaganda.
GLAAD is also reaching out to Teguh Iman, the founder of Suara Kita, an organization that focuses on journalism and media, creating campaings for sexual equality and justice. Iman has collaborated with universities to organize public lectures with LGBT speakers and to oppose vilence against LGBT people. Suara Kita is also working on building allies across the country, especially minority religions and ethnic groups, who are also facing opposition.
Melela is another organization that has been working to gain popular support for LGBT rights. Melela is a platform for LGBT people and allies to tell coming out stories as well as stories about what it’s like having an LGBT family member or friend in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s LGBT community is at a crossroads, facing mounting pressure and opposition. The work of these organizations, and more, will be vital to ensure that the LGBT community remains safe, and builds accpeptance. We’ll keep you updated on our ongoing work in Indonesia.
GLAAD extends its thanks to Google and The Louis L. Borick Foundation for generously underwriting the Global Voices initiative.
May 4, 2016
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www.glaad.org/blog/indonesia-lgbt-organizations-hold-their-ground-amid-rising-anti-lgbt-sentiment
GLAAD President and CEO to address first annual Italian Diversity Media Awards
GLAAD President and CEO to address first annual Italian Diversity Media Awards
Diversity
On May 23, GLAAD will be in Milan, Italy, at the first annual Italian Diversity Media Awards. GLAAD’s President at CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, will be addressing the audience and will highlight GLAAD’s global work, including the export of homophobia and transphobia from the American film industry, as recently highlighted in GLAAD’s Studio Responsibility Index.
Modeled after the GLAAD Media Awards, the Diversity Media Awards will recognize fair, accurate, and diverse representations of LGBT people in both Italian and international media outlets including TV, radio, and cinema. GLAAD consulted with the organizers, providing best practices and expertise gained from the GLAAD Media Awards, now in its twenty-seventh year.
“It is an honor to represent GLAAD’s 30 years of media advocacy at Italy’s inaugural Diversity Media Awards,” said GLAAD’s President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis. “Our hope is for the Diversity Media Awards to take our best practices and apply them to the Italian culture, using the media as a tool to accelerate acceptance for LGBT people across the country.”
Ellis will also address GLAAD’s recent work to move the Catholic Church toward a place of acceptance, as well as the need for full marriage rights for same-sex couples in Italy.
This is the second time this year that GLAAD is traveling abroad to support partners seeking to replicate the success of the GLAAD Media Awards. In January, GLAAD was in Beijing for the Chinese Rainbow Media Awards. Held since 2011, the China Rainbow Media Awards seek to direct media in a way that is diverse and positively representational of LGBT issues, aiming to create a more accepting social environment in China. They are also modeled off of the GLAAD Media Awards.
Among the categories considered for the Diversity Media Awards are Cinema – Outstanding Italian Film, TV – Outstanding Program, and People – Person of the Year. They have also nominated several foreign series including The Bold and the Beautiful, (which is simply called Beautiful in Italian), Grey’s Anatomy and Faking It, all of which have also been nominated for GLAAD Media Awards.
The Diversity Media Awards aspires to meet the standards of respect set by the GLAAD Media Awards. Nominees are selected based on an annual report that features both quantitative research that surveys Italian media (conducted by the Pavia Media Watch), and qualitative interdisciplinary research done by 42 scholars across 11 Italian universities. Diversity’s group of scholars analyze and evaluate the media content based on principles that reflect the GLAAD Media Awards criteria for evaluation, including the degree to which the nominee is respectful of and fair to LGBT people, and its effectiveness and impact on audiences.
Voting for DMA nominees opened to the public on April 1, 2016.
The Italian Diversity Media Awards director, Francesca Vecchioni, will be attending the GLAAD Media Awards in New York on May 14.
GLAAD is also partnering with Diversity and other global LGBT organizations to lead a day-long conference following the awards that will examine legal rights and media representation for LGBT people in Italy and around the world.
GLAAD’s Global Voices initiative aims to build LGBT acceptance across the globe by sharing stories of LGBT people and their families around the world and helping LGBT advocates build capacity for change in their own cities and countries. The initiative always engages in support of strong, organized, local LGBT organizations that have identified clear objectives and believe GLAAD can be helpful in achieving those objectives.
Check out the DMA 2016 trailer below and be sure to follow GLAAD on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and this blog to get real-time photos and news from the event on May 23.
GLAAD extends its thanks to Google and The Louis L. Borick Foundation for generously underwriting the Global Voices initiative.
May 4, 2016
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www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-president-and-ceo-address-first-annual-italian-diversity-media-awards
ESPN Hires Abby Wambach (Video)
ESPN Hires Abby Wambach (Video)
www.advocate.com/media/2016/5/04/espn-hires-abby-wambach-video
