South Carolina Police Chief Who Was Fired for Being Gay Plans to Run for Sheriff

Crystal Moore, the police chief in Latta, South Carolina, who was fired for being gay in 2014, then reinstated by a vote of the town’s residents, now plans to run for sheriff.

Moore is gathering signatures on a petition to appear on the ballot as a candidate for Dillon County sheriff in November. Moore needs to collect 980 signatures by July 15 to take on incumbent Douglas Purnell, who’s in his sixth term.

“I’m excited,” Moore told The Florence Morning News. “It’s just time for a change.”

Moore was fired in 2014 after Mayor Earl Bullard gave her seven reprimands in one day, the first in her 20-plus year career. But Bullard denied he fired her for being gay, even though Councilman Jared Taylor provided a recording to a TV station in which Bullard said he’d rather have an alcoholic take care of his kids than a gay person with a “questionable” lifestyle.

The town’s residents and council members rallied to Moore’s defense, with voters quickly approving a measure weakening the mayor’s powers. When Bulllard tried to hire someone to replace Moore, the council blocked him and rehired her instead.

In November 2014, in response to the controversy involving Moore, the City Council adopted LGBT nondiscrimination protections.

Support Moore’s campaign by following her on Facebook.

Watch a report on Moore’s firing below.

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President Obama Designates First-Ever LGBTQ National Monument At Stonewall

Today, HRC praised the announcement from the White House that President Barack Obama has designated the park at Stonewall as the first-ever national LGBTQ monument.

“The Stonewall National Monument will pay tribute to the brave individuals who stood up to oppression and helped ignite a fire in a movement to end unfair and unjust discrimination against LGBTQ people,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The announcement is especially significant following the horrific massacre in Orlando, a heartbreaking reminder of the hate and violence we continue to face as a community. In the early days of our movement, the brave individuals who fought back at Stonewall and at other historic moments, helped inspire countless others. It is our hope that by honoring these pioneers, this new national monument will be a source of inspiration to a new generation of Americans across the country standing up for equality and uniting to show the world that love conquers hate. We are incredibly grateful for President Obama’s leadership in recognizing the LGBTQ community’s contributions to our nation’s march towards liberty and justice for all.”

Throughout the course of American history, there have been a number of events that have shaped the United States as we know it today, and the riots at Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park are a pivotal part of that history. Prior to 1969, there were no LGBTQ pride parades, and few well-known examples of people living open, authentic lives. The riots at Stonewall — one of several acts of resistance by early LGBTQ advocates — helped spark a revolution in the LGBTQ equality movement, bringing us together collectively as a community and as Americans.

The park will now be the first national monument in the U.S. National Park System solely dedicated to telling the story of the LGBTQ American experience, which is often overlooked on the national level.

The White House released this video about the announcement: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywtvJyXDWkk

HRC was proud to partner with the National Park Conservation Association to help lead the effort in urging the administration to establish a national monument to commemorate the events at Stonewall.

www.hrc.org/blog/president-obama-designates-first-ever-lgbtq-national-monument-at-stonewall?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#NoBillNoBreak: Here’s Why the LGBTQ and Allied Community Should Care About the Democratic Sit-In

In the wake of the Orlando tragedy — the nation’s deadliest mass shooting — more than 80 House and Senate Democrats joined Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), Katherine Clark (D-MA) and David Cicilline (D-RI) to stage a sit-in on the House floor to try to force a vote on common-sense gun violence prevention policies.

“What is the tipping point? Are we blind? Can we see? How many more mothers, how many more fathers need to shed tears of grief before we do something?” Lewis said. “We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, when you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more.”

The sit-in evolved throughout the day and overnight, bringing together dozens of Representatives and many members of the U.S. Senate, becoming a historic moment for our country for gun violence prevention.

Common-sense gun violence prevention policies may have kept the LGBTQ community safe in Orlando. It may have saved precious lives in Newtown, San Bernardino, Aurora and Fort Hood.

What makes these mass shootings so deadly is the combination of a truly troubled individual taught to hate, and the easy access to guns to commit these heinous acts.

Last week, HRC endorsed common-sense gun violence prevention measures, including limiting access to assault-style rifles, expanding background checks, and limiting the ability for suspected terrorists, and those with a history of domestic abuse, to access guns.

“Forty-nine members of our community were murdered on Sunday morning because of a toxic combination of two things: a deranged, unstable individual who had been conditioned to hate LGBTQ people, and easy access to military-style guns,” HRC President Chad Griffin explained. “The safety of the LGBTQ community depends on our ability to end both the hatred toward our community and the epidemic of gun violence that has spiraled out of control.”

The sit-in comes on the heels of last week’s 15-hour filibuster by Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) to force a Senate vote on these measures. Senate Democrats pushed two bills to vote — one to strengthen background checks and another to prevent suspected terrorists from obtaining weapons. HRC supported both bills, which were voted down.

While HRC remains focused on achieving full federal equality, ending anti-LGBTQ hate, and ensuring the safety, health, well-being and legal protections of LGBTQ people, we urge the LGBTQ and allied community to join us as advocates for common-sense gun laws. Together we must work with gun safety advocates and other allies, including those on Capitol Hill, to stop the gun violence epidemic.

Now is the time to take action: Call your representative and demand they vote on common sense gun laws to protect all Americans (202) 224-3121

www.hrc.org/blog/nobillnobreak-heres-why-the-lgbtq-and-allied-community-should-care-about-th?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

PHOTOS: Brazilian Model Americo Neto Is As Fuzzy As He Is Gorgeous

In today’s adventure in body hair, we bring you Americo Neto. Even if you don’t typically go for hairy guys, we have a feeling Americo is the exception to show you the light. Or maybe not — your loss.

The Brazilian model is often found in very little clothing, which we encourage wholeheartedly.

Scroll down for more:

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Jun 21, 2016 at 7:45am PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Jun 8, 2016 at 9:57pm PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Jun 18, 2016 at 8:27am PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on May 23, 2016 at 6:58pm PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Apr 28, 2016 at 8:52am PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Apr 15, 2016 at 7:46pm PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Apr 13, 2016 at 8:43am PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Apr 9, 2016 at 2:52pm PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Apr 5, 2016 at 7:40am PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Mar 28, 2016 at 6:14am PDT

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Mar 10, 2016 at 8:08pm PST

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Jan 21, 2016 at 5:00pm PST

A photo posted by ?? A M É R I C O ? N E T O ?? (@americo.neto) on Jan 7, 2016 at 6:34pm PST

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The Glaring Omission On Billboard’s “Top 50 Gay Anthems Of All Time” Playlist

Ke$ha. Pet Shop Boys. The Village People. ABBA.

Perhaps Billboard editors didn’t go reaching too deep into the music vaults and milk crates to scrounge up the choices for their list “50 Top Gay Anthems To Celebrate LGBT Pride Month,” compiled just in time for Pride. We get Bronski Beat (“Smalltown Boy”); Cheryl Lynn (“Got To Be Real”); Erasure (“A Little Respect”); George Michael (“Freedom! ’90”); and Gloria Gaynor (“I Will Survive”.) There’s even some Madonna song called “Vogue.”

Related: Ten Great Gay Love Songs To Crack The Toughest Cynic

Unfortunately, the list only scratches the surface and doesn’t reveal too many songs you wouldn’t already hear picking up witch hazel at CVS. One glaring omission: Rod Stewart’s “The Killing of George (Part I and II)”, a surprise hit (now rather forgotten) that tells the story of a gay man who moves to New York, becomes “the toast of The Great White Way,” and then is murdered one night on 5th Avenue by Jersey street thugs. Discussing the song with Mojo in 1995, Stewart says, “That was a true story about a gay friend of the Faces. He was especially close to me and Mac.”

Listening to the lyrics, it’s hard to believe this was ever played on mainstream radio, let alone in 1976:

Are there any anthemic songs you think should have been included on the list? Leave your suggestions in the comments below. 

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Calvin Harris and Friends ‘Hype’ the Internet with Stripped Down Speedo Photo

Producer-DJ and Armani underwear model Calvin Harris pinches his nipples and poses with three friends in a photo posted to Instagram by Emil Nava, the director behind Harris’s videos “This Is What You Came For” and others.

The photo is captioned “We said YES”.

Harris also released a preview clip of a new track out today with Dizzee Rascal called “Hype”.

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Jack Evans, 86, Part of 1st Gay Couple to Marry in Dallas, Dies Days Before Anniversary

Jack Evans (above right), 86, a pioneering gay Dallas activist who married his partner of more than half a century on June 26, 2015, has died just days before their first wedding anniversary.

Evans and George Harris — who met in 1961 — were featured in national media outlets after they became the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Dallas County.

The couple, who worked together in real estate, founded what is now the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce. They’ve also been involved with numerous other LGBT groups, including most recently The Dallas Way: The Dallas GLBT History Project.

D Magazine reported in 2014:

Evans was fired from Neiman Marcus in Houston for being gay, and Harris was thrown out of the CIA in Northern Virginia. “I came to Dallas in ’56,” Harris says, “and it was locked down tight. There wasn’t any gay movement that I knew about.”  …

Over five decades, Evans and Harris, who are both in their 80s, have seen marked changes in Dallas’ gay community. They saw people get arrested in the ’60s at house parties. They saw people circle the block in the ’70s before entering Metropolitan Community Church for fear of getting arrested. They saw more than 100 friends die of complications from AIDS in the ’80s. …

“Our real focus has been our legacy for the community, that our whole lives have been trying to improve, to encourage the young people to make a difference,” Harris says. “They think they can walk down Cedar Springs holding hands, and it’s just automatically come to that, but there was a lot of struggle to get there.”

The Rev. Eric Folkerth, pastor of Northaven United Methodist Church, where Evans and Harris were members, wrote Friday morning:

I’m sorry to inform you that Jack Evans died last night, at Baylor Hospital. As many of you know, Jack had been fighting lung issues for some weeks, and was never able to overcome them.

George and I prayed with Jack before his death, and he was definitely at peace at the end.

Watch video of Evans’ and Harris’ wedding ceremony below.

The post Jack Evans, 86, Part of 1st Gay Couple to Marry in Dallas, Dies Days Before Anniversary appeared first on Towleroad.

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Bernie Sanders Says ‘Yes’, I’m Voting for Hillary Clinton in November: WATCH

Bernie Sanders says “Yes”, he’ll vote for Hillary Clinton in November. Sanders made the comments during an interview on MSNBC this morning.

Watch:

Sanders also spoke about what he’ll be doing between now and November: working on the Democratic platform.

He echoed the sentiments in a speech on Thursday night in New York, Politico reports:

When it came time to specifically discuss the topics that he wants to see on the official Democratic platform, Sanders sounded a slightly conciliatory note, only listing issues that have been far from flashpoints in his year-long contest against Clinton: killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, banning the sale of assault weapons, ending the gun show loophole, and expanding instant background checks.

That non-confrontational approach followed a Washington Post op-ed Sanders published in the morning which heartened Clinton-allied Democrats because it omitted a number of issues where he and Clinton have bitterly clashed — from a $15 federal minimum wage, to a ban on fracking, to single-payer healthcare, to tuition-free college, to a carbon tax.

The conflicts over those issues, however, haven’t gone away. His speech was peppered with references to those policy points.

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33 Ways Pride Showed Love for Orlando

www.advocate.com/pride/2016/6/24/33-ways-pride-showed-love-orlando

25 Gay Anthems We Need More Than Ever

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/6/24/25-gay-anthems-we-need-more-ever