It Matters What LGBTs Are Hearing in Times of Trouble

A series of interviews from It Got Better suggest we overcome, even when others say we can’t.

www.advocate.com/people/2016/6/21/it-matters-what-lgbts-are-hearing-times-trouble

Vigil Reminds Us the Victims Were Latino

www.advocate.com/pride/2016/6/21/vigil-reminds-us-victims-were-latino

PHOTOS: It’s Not TV, It’s Broadway Bares

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/6/21/photos-its-not-tv-its-broadway-bares

Brandonna Summer Is Here To Whip Your Life Into Shape. Let’s Face It, You Need It.

Brandonna Summer means well.

She knows a thing or two about success and glamour and pancakes, and wants nothing more than to spread her womanly wisdom to all the children. But as any great teacher knows, the key to inspiring others is praising yourself. You’ve got to really lay it on thick, too, or else how will anyone know what a good job you’re doing?

There’s a TED talk in there just dying to escape.

In the first episode of Brandonna Summer Says, you’ll get tips on everything form servicing the community (heh), living with balance and a tranquility spa in the south of France that you won’t be able to afford.

If you’re charmed by this voluptuous vixen and want to make your drink a double, check out her Indiegogo campaign for, that’s right — Brandonna Summer Lives, Live!, a new musical extravaganza written by Brandon Alter, who also just so happens to be Brandonna Summer without as much hair and makeup. She’s working hard for the money to make it to the New York Fringe Festival, and we want to see her get there!

Watch episode one, directed by Lauren Lillie and edited by Phillip J. Bartell below:

Brandonna Summer Says, Ep 101– BEING OF SERVICE from Brandon Alter on Vimeo.

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/xceCGjgQ-58/brandonna-summer-whip-life-shape-lets-face-need-20160621

Anti-Gay Klan Fliers Delivered Under Cloak of Darkness Threaten Mississippi Residents

Residents of Ocean Springs, Mississippi received anti-gay fliers from a Ku Klux Klan chapter encouraging them to stand up against homosexuality.

The flier urged “all Mississippians to expose the corrupt nature of Homosexual deviants,” and that “until the day that God sends the glorious Phinas [sic] Priests to strike down those who bow to Satan, the Mississippi Ku Klux Klan will leave the light on for you!”

Resident Douglas Myatt explained to local TV station WXXV25: “I went out this morning to the front yard, just to look around and there was a plastic bag in the driveway with a piece of paper in it and it had a rock in it to keep it from blowing away.” He said that he felt “really threatened.”

He added that he’s lived in the neighborhood with his boyfriend for years, but the couple has never experienced anything like that. “Multiple people on neighboring streets and on the same street received the same note in a plastic bag with a rock as well,” he told News 25. And what’s most terrifying, Myatt says, is that such “mentality continues to exist in the 21st century in Mississippi.”

In May, residents of Jackson, Mississippi 170 miles north of Ocean Springs received fliers from another KKK chapter, the “Loyal White Knights” who claimed to be part of a “neighborhood watch.” The fliers read “Law abiding citizens in your community can sleep in peace knowing the klan is awake.” The same group also distributed anti-transgender material in Dothan, Alabama calling them “freaks” who are “jeopardizing the safety of bathrooms all across the nation.”

Watch Myatt’s interview with WXXV25’s News 25 below:

The post Anti-Gay Klan Fliers Delivered Under Cloak of Darkness Threaten Mississippi Residents appeared first on Towleroad.

feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/plzd1go2Qbw/

HRC Joins Muslim-LGBTQ Unity Statement Following Orlando Shooting

Following the tragic shooting in Orlando, HRC joined over 60 organizations in a Muslim-LGBTQ Unity Statement.

“In this moment of immense sadness and outrage, we stand together united against fear, hate and violence. We will not lose hope in the people and communities around us because we know we are stronger together,” the statement reads. “In standing together, hand in hand, across every faith, we send a powerful message to those who seek to divide us using hatred and violence: love is stronger than hate and hope will defeat fear.”

Since the tragedy, over 200 Muslim leaders, clerics and scholars have extended their love and support.

“Now is the time for people of all faiths, sexual orientations, gender identities, and backgrounds, to come together and refuse to allow this tragic act of violence and hate to divide us,” the statement continues. “We are stronger together, and together, we will move forward with love and acceptance for all.”

In addition to standing with these Muslim and LGBTQ groups, HRC joined over 50 LGBTQ groups from across the country last week in a call for unity during this difficult time.

By standing together, hand in hand, across every faith, we send a powerful message to those who seek to divide us: Love is stronger than hate and hope will defeat fear. HRC is proud to stand with these organizations in the fight against bigotry and hate.

To learn more, please visit www.hrc.org/muslim.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-joins-muslim-lgbtq-unity-statement-following-orlando-shooting?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Join HRC in Raleigh for a “Rally Against Hate”

Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 22, LGBTQ advocates will hold a “Rally Against Hate” in Raleigh, demanding lawmakers repeal HB2, North Carolina’s outrageous and unprecedented anti-LGBTQ law.

With less than two weeks until the North Carolina legislature adjourns, we must be louder than ever. Leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly have stated that they plan to end this year’s Short Session around June 30, leaving them less than 2 weeks to repeal HB2. Now is our moment to stand united as a community against hate in the Tar Heel State.

Following the horrific massacre of 49 LGBTQ and allied people in Orlando, we are determined now more than ever to come together to defeat the hate and bigotry that motivated the attack, and others like it.  Every time we see legislation that puts a target on the back of LGBTQ people — legislation like HB2 — it sends a signal that LGBTQ people should be treated differently – and worse. If lawmakers adjourn the legislative session without undoing the incredibly dangerous and hateful environment they have created in the state, they will remain complicit in any threats or violence targeting LGBTQ people in North Carolina made in the wake of HB2’s passage.

HB2 has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future. In addition, the legislation prevents transgender students in public schools from using restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in publicly-owned buildings, including in public universities, major airports, and convention centers. Further, HB2 revokes the ability to sue under state employment non-discrimination law on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, religion, national origin, and sex.

As we honor the lives of those we tragically lost, let us fight back against hate and discrimination. Join HRC, EqualityNC and TurnOUT! North Carolinatomorrow and RSVP today so we know you will stand with us.

TurnOUT! NC, a coalition of HRC, EqualiyNC, the ACLU and the Campaign for Southern Equality, is working to mobilize thousands of North Carolinians for the full repeal of HB2. TurnOUT! NC has field organizers based in Asheville, Charlotte and the Triangle area. Additionally, HRC staff are on the ground working with coalition partners across the Tar Heel State. There are daily opportunities to volunteer with weekly phone banks and weekend door-to-door opportunities.

If you live in North Carolina and want to join the efforts to repeal HB2, RSVP for upcoming phonebanks and volunteer opportunities. For more information about our work in North Carolina, contact HRC Associate Regional Field Director Ryan Rowe at [email protected]

www.hrc.org/blog/join-hrc-in-raleigh-for-a-rally-against-hate?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Senators Introduce Amendment to Increase Funding to Prevent and Respond to Hate Crimes

In the wake of the senseless violence that occurred last week in Orlando, several Senators are working to ensure that the federal government has the funding it needs to respond to and—when possible—prevent hate crimes. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Mazie Hirono (HI-D) have introduced an amendment to the FY17 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to increase funds for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Community Relations Service (CRS).

Earlier today, HRC, along with 35 other civil rights, religious, education and professional organizations, sent a letter to the Senate urging them to vote yes on the amendment.

The Civil Rights Division works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans and enforces our nation’s civil rights laws. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the first major piece of civil rights legislation protecting LGBTQ individuals, expanded the federal hate crime statute to include bias-motivated crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as disability and gender. After passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the division was able, for the first time, to investigate and prosecute hate crimes against the LGBTQ community. The Baldwin, Mikulski, Hirono amendment would increase funding to this division by an additional $30 million, bringing total funding to $175 million for FY17.

CRS is the peacemaker of the Department of Justice and was originally created under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prevent and respond to conflicts resulting from discriminatory practices based on race, color, or national origin. Like Civil Rights Division’s mandate, CRS’s mandate was expanded by the Hate Crimes Prevention Act to include discriminatory practices based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as disability and gender. Among its many efforts to prevent and respond to hate crimes against the LGBTQ community, CRS has created a cultural competency training for law enforcement about transgender and gender non-conforming communities.  The Baldwin, Mikulski, Hirono amendment would increase funding to CRS by an additional $11 million, bringing total funding for this division to $25 million. 

As we continue to mourn the killing of 49 LGBTQ and allied people in Orlando, HRC is committed to combatting the hatred that fueled this horrific hate crime. As part of this effort, HRC will be working closely with our allies on Capitol Hill to pass the Baldwin, Mikulski, Hirono amendment in order to ensure the federal government has the necessary funding to respond to and—when possible—prevent hate crimes against the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups.

www.hrc.org/blog/senators-introduce-amendment-to-increase-funding-to-prevent-and-respond-to?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#PridePortraits: Show us your pride on Instagram!

www.glaad.org/blog/prideportraits-show-us-your-pride-instagram