‘Pulse’ Owner Says Club Will Reopen to ‘Keep Our Hearts Beating and our Spirit Alive’ – VIDEO

‘Pulse’ Owner Says Club Will Reopen to ‘Keep Our Hearts Beating and our Spirit Alive’ – VIDEO

barbara poma

In her first interview after Sunday’s shooting in Orlando, the owner of the Pulse Barbara Poma, opened up to Matt Lauer on the Today show. She described the club to him as a “safe and fun place to come be who you are. Simple as that.”

She told him how all of that changed in an instant, after she received the “most surreal phone call” from her manager to tell her they were dealing with an active shooter on the place they all considered home.”It was overwhelming.”

Poma opened Pulse 13 years ago to celebrate the life of her late brother John, who had died from HIV/AIDS complications. She chose the name “Pulse” because she wanted to “keep the heartbeat alive.”

brotherJohn was gay and introduced her to a world she came to adore. She was 14 when she started going out to gay bars and clubs, and he would always do her hair and makeup for her. When he passed away, she wanted to open a place to honor him and “reach out to our gay community in Orlando.”

When Lauer asked how her mission would change, from honoring one person to now honoring 49, she said she would always have a mission. “We just welcome those families into our families, and we just have to move forward and find a way to keep our hearts beating and keep our spirit alive; and we’re not going to let somebody take this away from us.”

Poma focused on the 49 lives that were lost, but she wouldn’t talk about the shooter: “It’s important to never let hate win,” she said.

Watch the full interview below:

The post ‘Pulse’ Owner Says Club Will Reopen to ‘Keep Our Hearts Beating and our Spirit Alive’ – VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.



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Anti-Transgender Campaign Urges Male Petitioners To Chase Women Into Their Bathrooms

Anti-Transgender Campaign Urges Male Petitioners To Chase Women Into Their Bathrooms

Joseph Backholm’s strategy to oppose trans protections is to do the very illegal thing he thinks they allow for.

The post Anti-Transgender Campaign Urges Male Petitioners To Chase Women Into Their Bathrooms appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/06/16/3789346/washington-transgender-petition-bathroom-strategy/

#WeAreOrlando: Twitter users share their #QueerSelfLove

#WeAreOrlando: Twitter users share their #QueerSelfLove

Photo Credit: Pulse

During this Pride Month, and following the tragic shooting in Orlando, it’s important to take time for some self-love. The #QueerSelfLove hashtag on Twitter allows LGBTQ people to share just what they love about their identity. Dylan Marron started the #QueerSelfLove hashtag and encouraged users to join in on the self-love. In an email to GLAAD, Marron stated, “In the wake of Orlando and in the context of a world that has taught us to hate our queerness, I wanted to create a little corner of the internet where people could scroll through queer folks loving themselves out loud, fully and unapologetically.”

I am a soft-spoken brown queer man who wears his mother’s pearl earrings. And I love my queerness. Let’s start a #queerselflove hashtag

— Dylan Marron (@dylanmarron) June 15, 2016

As the hashtag started spreading, Twitter users self-identified their #QueerSelfLove in response to Marron’s tweet.

I’m a transmasculine, pansexual, polyamerous queer man. And I love my queerness #queerselflove t.co/mFBCc15JJA

— Loki Leigh (@Mx_Loki) June 15, 2016

I’m queer black and agender. I like horror movies and musicals. I love very hard. I sing songs to myself. I dream in b&w. #queerselflove

— T’challa @ ur gurl (@Kamthekiller) June 15, 2016

Accepting my gender identity and my transness has helped me on the road to loving myself. I have #queerselflove

— BURFDAY BEAN (@transmurdock) June 15, 2016

Soon, #QueerSelfLove was full of self-loving, queer people sharing and loving their selfies.

#queerselflove hunny pic.twitter.com/ts12TQyrVI

— Matthew Williams (@highpriestmatt) June 15, 2016

#queerselflove gotta love myself cos im the only one I’ve got pic.twitter.com/Chqatc9iMa

— elizabeth blewitt (@shedoesntblowit) June 15, 2016

#queerselflove I’m a nonbinary trans woman with a rainbow that follows me wherever I go pic.twitter.com/fKyIQPYm9Z

— Gabriel Squailia (@gabrielsquailia) June 15, 2016

I’m a Korean-American (KAD), queer trans woman who loves Star Wars, comics, and weightlifting. #queerselflove pic.twitter.com/imS7JTCrNL

— Allie (@tinyasterisms) June 15, 2016

If you question any dimension of my identity, you question my very existence. I am unapologetic.#queerselflove pic.twitter.com/UeWRlv2lYW

— aiight (@punchbuggiez) June 15, 2016

Thanks for being you, Twitter, and sharing your #QueerSelfLove.

The #queerselflove hashtag makes me so so happy. Keep being amazing. pic.twitter.com/evJ24YzmZo

— Harry Cook (@HarryCook) June 15, 2016

June 16, 2016

www.glaad.org/blog/weareorlando-twitter-users-share-their-queerselflove

Again, Trump Insists He’s Better For ‘The Gays’ Than Hillary. This Time, ‘The Gays’ Strike Back.

Again, Trump Insists He’s Better For ‘The Gays’ Than Hillary. This Time, ‘The Gays’ Strike Back.

how-much-donald-trump-makes-in-speaking-fees-compared-to-everyone-else

A meme is born. In the wake of the Orlando massacre, Donald Trump has been working overtime throughout week, mawkishly yammering and hammering the world with ludicrous proclamations that he’s the best candidate for the LGBTQ community; far better than Hillary.

Related: Donald Trump, Who Turns 70 Today, Just Said He Cares More About Gays Than Hillary

Blaring on at a rally on Wednesday, Trump made the grandiose assertion again. Discussing what it’s like for “gays” in Saundi Arabia, he crowed, “Ask the gays what they think and what they do, in, not only Saudi Arabia, but many of these countries, and then you tell me – who’s your friend Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton?”

 

Judging by tens of thousands of subsequent Tweets, “the gays” don’t appear to be having it.

 

Donald trump: Ask the gays!
The gays: pic.twitter.com/iF80y7Z8ii

— Alysa Auriemma (@allyauriemma) June 16, 2016

Trump: go ask the gays

The gays: pic.twitter.com/z1W6OQcR6X

— Granny Alex (@Alexxcopeman) June 16, 2016

TRUMP: “Ask the gays!”
THE GAYS: pic.twitter.com/jleufbVDor

— Adam Jay (@itsAdam) June 16, 2016

Trump: Ask the gays!
Gays: pic.twitter.com/Q8IqMVn4n9

— Nicole Redifer (@nicoleredifer) June 16, 2016

TRUMP: “Ask the gays!”
GAYS: pic.twitter.com/dzoYId6JBe

— love is love is love (@oskrNYC) June 15, 2016

TRUMP: Ask the Gays!

The Gays: pic.twitter.com/A9nAvHoznq

— Capt. Spike #Litten (@spikepoint) June 15, 2016

TRUMP: ASK THE GAYS! THE GAYS: pic.twitter.com/jz8B5ORRkX

— Tom Eaton (@DorkyUdon) June 15, 2016

Trump says Ask The Gays

Reaction of The Gays: pic.twitter.com/Pi2HeLeXOW

— Just Maybe (@ShomahKhoobi) June 15, 2016

Trump: “ASK THE GAYS”

The Gays: pic.twitter.com/oirfqzDQnI

— Ethan (@ethanharv) June 15, 2016

TRUMP: “Ask the gays!”

THE GAYS: pic.twitter.com/PB55FrLZuI

— Slade Sohmer (@Slade) June 15, 2016

TRUMP: “Ask the gays!”

THE GAYS: pic.twitter.com/OZWoNIS8Gg

— Ryan McPhee (@rdmcphee) June 15, 2016

Trump: Ask the Gays.
The Gays: pic.twitter.com/R7rmS9u7TZ

— Julian Aldana (@cowboytuxedo) June 16, 2016

Trump: “Ask the gays.”
Me: pic.twitter.com/Loy3hGqYoC

— Tyler Cox (@tyler_j_cox) June 16, 2016

TRUMP: “Ask the gays!”

THE GAYS: pic.twitter.com/vbs10KqevW

— Mëdiöcrë Pässës (@VikingsHalfie) June 16, 2016

Trump: “Ask the Gays!”
The Gays: pic.twitter.com/EM4cmhRnq1

— Bram Flannerian (@VictorianDewott) June 16, 2016

Trump: “ask the gays! Who’s your friend, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton?

Me: pic.twitter.com/F2vm8Swiue

— Alex (@alexmalloyy) June 16, 2016

TRUMP: “Ask the gays!”

THE GAYS: pic.twitter.com/2RC8GaJBxs

— Rami Malla (@ramiiii) June 16, 2016

– Trump: ask the gays. – Gays: pic.twitter.com/YabqecZiuv

— chucho? (@Soy_Chucho19) June 16, 2016

Trump: “Ask the gays!”

“The gays”: t.co/Y6EeAvjAKV

— Jeremy?Reichenberger (@jroakwood) June 16, 2016

#askthegays

Trump: Ask the gays.
Me: pic.twitter.com/e29MZF1GyF

— ry (@likebyee) June 16, 2016

Trump: Ask the gays
Gays: pic.twitter.com/zuvwELzQG9

— Homo Alone (@LakesideHomo) June 16, 2016

Trump: go ask the gays

The gays: pic.twitter.com/KfbwhIXZ1Q

— Granny Alex (@Alexxcopeman) June 16, 2016

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After Orlando, This Random Act Of Kindness Towards A Gay Couple Will Help Restore Your Faith In Humanity

After Orlando, This Random Act Of Kindness Towards A Gay Couple Will Help Restore Your Faith In Humanity

nice-note-from-stranger-1After what has a been a heartbreaking and difficult week, we have some honest, genuine feelgood news.

Alexander Peña and his partner, Jeff, were finishing up a nice dinner at the Monte Alban Mexican Grill in Irondequoit, NY on Sunday when the waitress approached. But instead of the check, she handed them a handwritten note:

“Have a great night!” the note read. “Humanity showed its worst this weekend so it just felt right to do something nice today.”

Related: The 13 Most Heartbreaking, Romantic Gay Movie Kisses Ever

The waitress then informed them that a woman with a young child had paid for their dinner just before leaving the restaurant.

“I was puzzled and confused, mostly because I’m not usually the type that even gets a drink bought for them,” Peña writes on Facebook, “but then I read the note and paused–Jeff and I are clearly a couple, we are affectionate toward each other, and even admired the young kid together in the booth across from us. ”

He continues: “I can’t stop thinking, or better yet ‘feeling’, about how genuinely sweet this woman’s gesture was to me, my boyfriend, and our family together. How fortunate that child is to have such a tolerant and kind caretaker… We need more people who teach love over hate.”

“You never know what anybody’s going through,” server Aileen Centeno tells Time Warner Cable News. “Even if they didn’t lose a child that day, somebody did. That doesn’t mean we can’t all hurt for them.”

I’m so thankful for this woman’s reminder to be kind and loving to everyone, including strangers, without a reason… Just because,” Peña adds.

Related: Guy Realizes His Roommate Is Actually His Boyfriend In Most Adorable Way Possible

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Jo Cox, Chicago, Bill O’Reilly, Chris Christie, Jack’d, Liam Hemsworth, Nick Jonas: NEWS

Jo Cox, Chicago, Bill O’Reilly, Chris Christie, Jack’d, Liam Hemsworth, Nick Jonas: NEWS

pulseTODAY. Obama and Biden fly to Orlando to meet with victims’ families: “President Barack Obama will head to Orlando, Florida, on Thursday to meet with victims’ families and first responders in the deadly nightclub shooting the president has decried as ‘an act of terror and an act of hate.’ Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, will “stand in solidarity with the Orlando community,” the White House said of the afternoon visit, which is expected to private.”

DENVER. Gun sales surge among gays and lesbians following Orlando shooting: “George Horne, the owner of The Gun Room, Denver’s oldest firearms dealer, said Tuesday business is booming at his store. ‘For this time of year I’d say its three to four times what we normally have,’ he said. Background checks that once took minutes can now take hours. It’s a sales surge similar to what happened after Sandy Hook and the Aurora theater shootings. ‘We’re not surprised by it,’ Horne said. However, what’s different this time around is the clientele. Mike Smith, a firearms instructor in Colorado Springs, is one of many closely tracking the sudden surge in gays and lesbians buying weapons.”

CONNECTICUT. Home Depot customer calls cashier anti-gay slur, references Orlando: “The suspect began a harassing conversation about the cashier’s sexuality after asking the employee why he was wearing gloves while working the register, West Hartford Police said.  The cashier told police the suspect called him a slur and referenced the deadly Orlando incident where a gunman opened fire at an LGBT nightclub on Sunday, according to police.”

Jo CoxJO COX. British MP and LGBT ally shot and stabbed: “An eyewitness said the 41-year-old mum-of-two was attacked near Birstall’s library, where she holds advice surgeries. The Batley and Spen MP was left lying bleeding on the pavement after the incident, an eyewitness said. The MP was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary after the attack in a critical condition, according to reports. A 52-year-old man has been arrested.”

NYT. The barely remembered anti-gay massacre at NYC’s Ramrod: “As bullets sprayed the front window of the bar, panic swept the crowd inside. Customers dropped to the floor. Several crawled to a stairway at the back of the building in a desperate attempt to survive.”

jackdJACK’D. Mainstream media tries to understand gay dating apps. “”Like Grindr or Tinder, Jack’d is a location-based dating app, meaning users can scroll through about 300 thumbnail images of other men on the app who are nearby (see the image above). Clicking on one allows you to open the full profile. Users can browse by location or click check (yes) or minus (no) underneath a guy’s profile, similar to swiping on Tinder.”

kimmel_trumpTRUMP TV. Donald Trump considering TV network: “Trump is indeed considering creating his own media business, built on the audience that has supported him thus far in his bid to become the next president of the United States. According to several people briefed on the discussions, the presumptive Republican nominee is examining the opportunity presented by the ‘audience’ currently supporting him. He has also discussed the possibility of launching a ‘mini-media conglomerate’ outside of his existing TV-production business, Trump Productions LLC.

Donald Trump Chris Christie2016 ELECTION. Chris Christie spokesman denies he is Trump’s “manservant”: “Governor Chris Christie, of New Jersey, another of Trump’s opponents early in the campaign, has transformed himself into a sort of manservant, who is constantly with Trump at events. (One Republican told me that a friend of his on the Trump campaign used Snapchat to send him a video of Christie fetching Trump’s McDonald’s order.)”

HRC Mark Kirk endorsementCHICAGO. Senator Mark Kirk asks FBI to devote security resources to upcoming Pride parade: “The safety and security of the people of Northern Illinois is our top priority and we work hand-in-hand with our Federal, State and Local law enforcement partners to gather, share and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention,” the office of the Chicago FBI said in a statement. “In that light, we urge the public to report any and all suspicious activity to the FBI or any of our partners.”

SYDNEY. Save the gay bars: “Today, the heart of our community, Oxford Street, beats irregularly and the inner west is besieged by violent thugs fleeing the confines of the CBD lockout. We carry on though, seeking out new spaces as the old ones become gentrified, and the leaders of our own community embrace respectability politics and parrot conservative models of heterosexual life in their attempt to grab at equality.”

View post on imgur.com

MOHAMMED RADY. Arab humanist shocked at social media reactions to Orlando attacks: “I considered collecting screenshots of these comments to raise awareness about the amount of hatred towards the gay community in the Middle East, but it soon dawned on me that such a task would be impossible. There were simply too many hateful comments, with thousands celebrating the attack, from Tunisia to Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It was only through deep digging that a single person who expressed so much as a shred of sympathy to the victims and their families, or even condemned the blatant massacre that took place could be found.”

8thaIN THE 212. New arrivals on Chelsea’s 8th Avenue.

BILL O’REILLY. We need tougher gun laws. “There is too much gun crime in the USA, and high-powered weaponry is too easy to get. That’s the fact. So let’s deal with it. We all have the right to bear arms, but we don’t have the right to buy and maintain mortars. Even if you feel threatened by gangsters or a New World Order. No bazookas, no Sherman tanks, no hand grenades.”

SHATTER TEST. Reporter invited to take sledgehammer to China’s longest glass bridge:

INVENTIONS. Heading to Shark Tank soon.

LIAM HEMSWORTH. Introducing the Liam Hemsworth blow-up doll.

NICK JONAS. What are his fetishes?

The post Jo Cox, Chicago, Bill O’Reilly, Chris Christie, Jack’d, Liam Hemsworth, Nick Jonas: NEWS appeared first on Towleroad.



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Adam4Adam Seeks Info From Members Who Had Contact with the Orlando Shooter

Adam4Adam Seeks Info From Members Who Had Contact with the Orlando Shooter

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Gay dating site Adam4Adam is seeking information from members who may have had contact with the Orlando shooter.

In the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting, multiple individuals came forward to say they had seen or interacted with the shooter on gay dating apps and sites including Adam4Adam, Jack’d and Grindr.

Adam4Adam’s call for information came on the same day the FBI announced they were seeking information from anyone who had contact with the shooter.

Wrote Adam4Adam on their Facebook page, 

Any of our members who think have been in contact with Omar Mateen on Adam4Adam, please get in touch with us. Rumours are that he had an account on many gay apps including Adam4Adam and we would like to find that information to be able to give it to the Police. We are looking for any piece of information as we speak,

The Orlando Sentinel reports: 

David Lesage, spokesman for Adam4Adam, said in a text message that the company was “looking at all users’ profiles in Florida especially where he lived and Orlando as well.”

Lesage said it’s possible the accounts didn’t have photos, although most people who claimed they saw him on the apps said Matteen did have photos.

Lesage says he doesn’t have high hopes that they will be able to turn up anything on the Orlando shooter. “Because we don’t have any username, IP address or anything, it’s like searching a needle in 10M users data base,” he texted the Sentinel.

Lesage added that two individuals came forward with email addresses the shooter may have used to create his profile. However, after following those tips, Lesage says “nothing came up.”

Lesage wrote, “We hope to find something, but I doubt we will, unless Police has information to share with us.”

Meanwhile, another app that the Orlando shooter reportedly used, Jack’d, tweeted on Wednesday that they are cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation into the shooting.

pic.twitter.com/droJsr34g7

— jackd (@jackd) June 15, 2016

The post Adam4Adam Seeks Info From Members Who Had Contact with the Orlando Shooter appeared first on Towleroad.



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