Kathryn Hahn Receives the Ally For Equality Award
Monthly Archives: May 2016
Gay Man Attacked While Walking Dog
Gay Man Attacked While Walking Dog
Another gay man has been attacked in Dallas’s heavily gay Oak Lawn area, which has seen about a dozen such crimes since last fall.
www.advocate.com/crime/2016/5/02/gay-man-attacked-while-walking-dog
Trans Target Employee Speaks Out About Workplace Transphobia
Trans Target Employee Speaks Out About Workplace Transphobia
Although Target is trying to be a safe space for its transgender customers, their trans employees may have it a bit rougher.
Transgender Target employee Maxwell Jamison works in Phoenix, and he’s written a now-viral Facebook post about transphobic behavior he’s observed in the wake of Target’s public pro-trans stance:
Over the past week since Target announced their inclusive restroom policy following the North Carolina bathroom bill, I’ve had to endure multiple conversations regarding what rights trans people deserve. These comments coming from the guests at my store, my fellow coworkers, and even a few of my supervisors.
I have been told that trans people ought to use “the bathroom that matches their junk,” that a “man in a dress” is going to sexually assault everyone’s daughters, our store has been threatened and cursed out by guests, and the amount of rampant transphobia that’s taken place in store and online this past week has been nauseating.
So, here I am, in the men’s restroom at Target, a trans man, standing up for my trans siblings out there who’ve had to listen and read the same bullshit I’ve been experiencing. Know that for every negative thought some bigot has had about us, there are other gender-dismantling folks out there standing up for our right to use whatever restroom we please, in Target, in restaurants, in shopping malls, wherever.
There’s more where that came from, though Max says he’s received an overwhelming amount of support for speaking out about the issue.
Transphobic and insensitive language from customers is one thing, but if he’s hearing it from coworkers and supervisors, he may want to take it up with management…or an attorney.
ACLU Demands Calif. High School Allow Lesbian Couple to Run for Prom King, Queen
ACLU Demands Calif. High School Allow Lesbian Couple to Run for Prom King, Queen
Last week, we told you how a high school in Redding, California, was refusing to allow a lesbian couple to be nominated as prom king and queen.
Jim Bartow (right), the principal of Foothill High School, stated that allowing two girls to serve as prom king and queen would amount to gender discrimination in violation of federal law.
But Haley Lack (above) and her girlfriend fought back, and now they’re getting some help from the ACLU of Northern California, which is demanding that the school change its policy.
In a letter to Bartow dated Monday, ACLU senior staff attorney Elizabeth Gill wrote:
Students have a recognized free expression right to bring same-sex dates to the prom, and that right extends to running for prom king and queen. As a federal court in Mississippi found more than five year ago, “this expression and communication of her viewpoint [bringing a same- sex date to prom] is the type of speech that falls squarely within the purview of the First Amendment.”1 The expression courts have found inherent in bringing a same-sex date to the prom—the expression of a sexual orientation, the statement of equality for same-sex couples, and the challenge to traditional gender roles—is no less true of a student and her female prom date seeking the titles of prom king and queen. If anything, it would only amplify all these messages for the same-sex couple to seek and potentially win prom king and queen.
It is also plainly illegal under applicable law—the U.S. Constitution, the California Constitution, and the California Education Code—to discriminate against students based on sexual orientation.2 The nomination form for prom king and queen allows students to nominate couples, and it is our understanding that different-sex couples are often nominated for and elected prom king and queen. To prohibit same-sex couples from engaging in an activity regularly allowed different-sex couples is discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The prom, where students will vote on king and queen, is set for Saturday, and Gill is demanding a response from Bartow by Tuesday.
Stay tuned.
The post ACLU Demands Calif. High School Allow Lesbian Couple to Run for Prom King, Queen appeared first on Towleroad.
Congressional Republicans Attach North Carolina-Style Discrimination To Defense Budget
Congressional Republicans Attach North Carolina-Style Discrimination To Defense Budget
Once again, the defense bill is being used to restrict LGBT rights.
The post Congressional Republicans Attach North Carolina-Style Discrimination To Defense Budget appeared first on ThinkProgress.
thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/05/02/3774488/defense-bill-anti-lgbt-amendment/
Voices of North Carolina: Tina White
Voices of North Carolina: Tina White
The first night after North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed H.B. 2 into law, Tina White had a nightmare – a nightmare so vivid that she awoke, shaking with terror. White, a transgender woman, immediately began to wonder about her recent move to the Tar Heel State.
“I had a nightmare that I was shot and killed in a bathroom,” White said in an exclusive interview with HRC. “It took me back to a world I thought I’d left behind.”
The legislation, which North Carolina lawmakers passed in a hurried, single-day session that cost taxpayers more than $40,000, and which Governor McCrory signed into law in the dead of night, is a dangerous and harmful law that targets the LGBTQ community.
White spent the first 50 years of her life navigating the world as a male – her assigned sex birth.
“It was a lifelong struggle. I felt utterly alone and unloved,” she said. “People loved the man they saw, but not the real me. I had walled my soul off from humanity.”
White’s feelings of loneliness were eventually joined by thoughts of self-destruction. That is when she finally decided that she had to transition. Her first duty to her family, she explained, was to survive. Since her transition in 2013, White considers herself lucky – she has enjoyed the unwavering support of her wife, family, friends and colleagues.
“I had been living a lifetime in solitary confinement,” she explained. “That will destroy anyone. Today, I am happy – for the first time in my life. I now know what it feels like when I am loved. I now have a self that I can give to the rest of the world.”
And she is now giving all she can. White has since stepped away from work to engage in social activism. As she explained it, she wants to pay it forward to the LGBTQ community that so welcomed her and her family. She feels that it is her calling to live openly and to speak up about transgender rights.
Initially excited about the move down south, White felt open and free to be herself. She noted that everyone she has met so far has been loving and accepting.
“Most people express shame over our state’s discriminatory legislation. The few who support it, misunderstand the bill and misunderstand our community,” White said. “We need to reach out to them. Bills like this bring down the moral climate in the state. They send the message that people like me are a threat to family values – that we should live outside the system and in fear. In fact, we are part of the American family. My wife, five children and five grandchildren are the cornerstone of my life. I would never support a bill that puts them in harm’s way.”
White does believe that something positive and empowering has emerged from this situation. She highlighted the unprecedented number of corporations, individuals, and universities that have spoken out and urged the governor to repeal the radical provisions to the law.
“There is something wonderful that has come out of this bill. It has taught me the power of the people,” she said. “I’ve learned that we have to keep the pressure on to make sure that this bill is sent where it belongs. It doesn’t belong in a country as great as America.”
HRC reported this year that more than one-third of Americans now say they personally know or work with someone who is transgender and that this historic level of visibility is accompanied by increasing acceptance of transgender people.
H.B. 2 has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future. The legislation also forces transgender students in public schools to use restrooms and other facilities inconsistent with their gender identity, potentially putting 4.5 billion dollars in federal funding under Title IX at risk. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in government buildings, including in public universities.
www.hrc.org/blog/voices-of-north-carolina-tina-white?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
New ad with North Carolinians calls for repeal of HB 2
New ad with North Carolinians calls for repeal of HB 2
GLAAD
In a joint effort, Freedom for All Americans, American Unity Fund, and Equality North Carolina released a new ad that calls for the repeal of anti-LGBT North Carolina law, HB 2. Adding to the countless voices that have denounced the law since its introduction as a bill, this video highlights the absurd consequences and real harms of HB 2. The ad features transgender man Zeke Christopoulos and two of his colleagues, who express their concern about this discriminatory law.
As many others have before, Zeke and his colleagues point to the damage the state and its economy will face the longer HB 2 remains a law. Conventions and concerts have already been cancelled, and many people have expressed their concern that companies will no doubt take their business elsewhere if North Carolina continues to accept this discrimnatory law. The power of this ad, however, is not simply in its forecasting of economic damage, but also in its honesty about Zeke and his colleagues’ stories.
In the ad, Zeke’s colleague, Patricia Hickling Beckman admits, “I remember when I learned that Zeke was transgender and had transitioned from female to male, and I was a little uncomfortable at first.” However, she continues, “when you stop and think about it, everyone needs to use the bathroom just to get through the day. And a law that forces Zeke to use the women’s restroom is totally inappropriate. And that’s exactly what HB 2 does.” Patricia was not alone in her discomfort with transgender people, especially in southern states. However, this discomfort stems from lack of awareness and exposure to transgender people, who are just like everyone else and have the right to use facilities that correspond to their gender identities.
Matt McTighe, executive director of Freedom for All Americans, stated in a press release:
Many Americans don’t know a transgender person, and they don’t understand the harmful consequences of laws like HB 2…But these laws do have real impacts that go far beyond lost jobs and declining investments – they impact people like Zeke, every single day…If lawmakers took the time to talk with more transgender people and their loved ones, it would be crystal clear to them why HB 2 is so unnecessary and so devastating. We hope Zeke’s story will help lawmakers understand the urgency behind repealing this terrible law.
“HB 2 goes so far that when I use the men’s room, I could be thrown in jail,” states Zeke in the ad. This is followed by a chilling reminder from Zeke’s other colleague, Chester A. Spier, who calls the law “unnecessary” and dicriminatory.” He remarks, “It [HB 2] took away local protections for gay and transgender people and even protections based on race and gender.”
This new ad, made to highlight the urgency in repealing HB 2, is a reminder that not only is HB 2 harmful for LGBT North Carolinians who deserve better from their government, but to many others who are vulnerable to discrimination because of this law. HB 2 is an unnecessary law that normalizes discrimination, and it needs to be repealed immediately. Visit TransEquality to see what you can do to help.
May 2, 2016
Issues:
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www.glaad.org/blog/new-ad-north-carolinians-calls-repeal-hb-2
Jane Fonda to LGBT Youth: 'You Are Not Alone'
Jane Fonda to LGBT Youth: 'You Are Not Alone'
The Grace and Frankie star sent love to LGBT young people who are trying to come out to their families.
www.advocate.com/television/2016/5/02/jane-fonda-lgbt-youth-you-are-not-alone
James Corden Channels His Inner Beyonce In Hysterical Lemonade Parody
James Corden Channels His Inner Beyonce In Hysterical Lemonade Parody
James Corden wants to give you his own taste of Lemonade, and this one goes for humor over heart. While Beyonce’s Lemonade is a stunning piece of visual art, etc. etc. it is also ripe for parody, which is where funnyman Corden comes in.
In Lemonjames: A Visual Monologue, he recreates most of the now-iconic looks from the visual (our favorite is the cornrow/oversized fur coat combo) and breaks them up with spoken word interludes that are slightly more ridiculous than the ones in the real thing.
Apparently great comedians say there’s no vanity in comedy, and there’s certainly none to be found here.
We assure you that Lemonjames is funnier for it. Watch below, and hope to God the beyhive can take a joke.
Here Are The Racy Pics Of A&F Model Alex Libby You Always Wished You Could See
Here Are The Racy Pics Of A&F Model Alex Libby You Always Wished You Could See
![BruceWeber4AFQ2010.2_thumb[3]](https://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/content/docs//2016/05/BruceWeber4AFQ2010.2_thumb3.jpg)
Arguably the only enduring thing to come out of Abercrombie & Fitch’s bizarre cultural moment is the company’s quarterly catalogue, because it certainly isn’t the clothes.
And that’s what made them so great — there was hardly any clothing in sight. Instead, youthful beauties in various states of undress gave bedroom eyes in scenic rural surrounds, and it was just gay enough, and just suggestive enough, to be the perfect tease.
Perhaps you remember golden-haired Alex Libby (above) seductively furrowing his brow, telling the viewer either “damn, you look good,” or “man I hope there’s a bathroom nearby.”
Well some much more revealing shots of Libby have been making the rounds, and while they lack the nostalgic, form-worship of the quarterly spreads (actually, they kind of look like a school portrait session gone very, very wrong), they do let you glimpse at what A&F was always coyly keeping out of the frame.
Head here for the NSFW photos.
