AT&T launches fourth annual Live Proud campaign

AT&T launches fourth annual Live Proud campaign

To continue their ongoing dedication to LGBT advocacy, AT&T launched their fourth annual Live Proud campaign. From now until August 14, members and allies of the LGBT community are invited to participate in the Live Proud campaign in celebration of awareness, empowerment and pride for the LGBT community.

As a part of the campaign, participants can enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win a trip to Palm Springs, CA. The randomly selected winner will be able to bring a guest of their choice on a 3-day vacation to Palm Springs during Palm Springs Pride Week from November 4 to 7.

To enter, visit att.com/liveproud and take a quiz to discover what color best represents you this pride season. After you find out your unique pride color, you can upload a picture that will be added to a mosaic of participants, showing the power of pride.

In addition, members and allies of the LGBT community can get involved by posting or sharing their photo on social media using #ATTLiveProud. AT&T will also be setting up activation tents at Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Petersburg and San Francisco Pride festivals where attendees can take the personality quiz on site. 

June 29, 2016

www.glaad.org/blog/att-launches-fourth-annual-live-proud-campaign

Calum McSwiggan’s Friends: “Don’t Form Opinions” About Alleged Attack Just Yet

Calum McSwiggan’s Friends: “Don’t Form Opinions” About Alleged Attack Just Yet

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On Tuesday, we reported the alleged hate crime assault on Calum McSwiggan, the gay YouTube star.

Over the weekend, the British personality took to Facebook to share a photo of himself in the hospital, describing the event as “the worst night of my life.”

Related: Popular Gay YouTuber Calum McSwiggan Brutally Beaten Outside The Abbey In West Hollywood

Authorities disputed McSwiggan’s story in a statement:

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has an affirmative duty to fully investigate all assaults and reports of violence in our community.  Deputies from West Hollywood Station responded to and investigated the report by Calum McSwiggan that he was assaulted by three males after leaving a local nightclub early Monday morning.  Responding deputies were unable to substantiate the assault.  Mr. McSwiggan, who had no visible injuries, was subsequently arrested after deputies observed him vandalizing a car in the 8900 block of Santa Monica Boulevard.  After being booked and photographed, Mr. McSwiggan was placed into a cell by himself at West Hollywood Station.  Mr. McSwiggan was then observed injuring himself with the handle and receiver to a payphone inside the cell.  Medical personnel were summoned and Mr. McSwiggan was transported to a local hospital for treatment.  Mr. McSwiggan’s booking photo was taken prior to deputies seeing Mr. McSwiggan injuring himself.  That booking photo is attached [above].

Here’s McSwiggan’s original Facebook post:

With three broken teeth and six stitches in my forehead, I’ve never felt so terrified to be a gay man in the public eye. All I can do is thank my wonderful friends @riyadhk, @melaniiemurphyand @douga_ for being with me the whole way. I’d be lost without them. Right now I don’t feel that I’m in the right place to talk about this but I will be addressing this fully in the future.

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Related: Sources Are Seriously Questioning Whether Gay YouTube Star Was Actually Beaten In WeHo

Here’s what he’s written on Twitter following the police’s official statement:

I’ve been told to say nothing before court tomorrow but staying silent here is killing us. If you’re a friend just DM me for the truth.

— Calum McSwiggan (@CalumMcSwiggan) June 29, 2016

For now, his friends are sticking up for McSwiggan’s claims:

I’m not commenting until tomorrow when we know more and can legally speak. I saw Cal screaming crying after the attack. He didn’t fake it

— Riyadh Khalaf (@RiyadhK) June 29, 2016

None of us have spoken fully yet about yesterday’s events/@CalumMcSwiggan‘s attack & the aftermath, so please don’t form opinions til then x

— Melanie Murphy (@melaniietweets) June 29, 2016

Meanwhile, plenty of other people have taken to Twitter to share their own opinions on the matter:

I can’t find a violin to play that’s tiny enough for the chance that McSwiggan may be misrepresented

— Andreas (@AndreasLeKirk) June 29, 2016

I think I’m just mad that Callum McSwiggan’s mugshot is A+ and I would look like a hungover rat.

— Jack (@jckbkrrr) June 29, 2016

Whatever the spin, Calum McSwiggan was fine in his booking photo, and then he was show with injuries. The story doesn’t add up.

— Christopher D. Clegg (@chrisdclegg) June 29, 2016

it pisses me off how the LGBT community are all for supporting mental health issues but when Calum McSwiggan shows signs, we humiliate him

— danjoerous woman (@jBarge_) June 29, 2016

Even if Calum McSwiggan isn’t lying about the hate crime, the fact people think he is lying says a lot about how he handles himself

— ????? (@lxthrdg) June 29, 2016

McSwiggan’s is scheduled to appear in court today. We’ll keep you posted as the story develops.

 

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Wife Finds Gay Videos On Husband’s Phone, Suspects He’s Sleeping With His Best Friend… Now What?!

Wife Finds Gay Videos On Husband’s Phone, Suspects He’s Sleeping With His Best Friend… Now What?!

Cheating-Spouse-Wife-with-Cell

A woman has been thrown into complete turmoil after finding pages and pages of gay porn on her husband’s phone. So she’s seeking words of  help from veteran advice columnist Colleen Nolan.

“I’m a 32-year-old woman,” the woman’s letter begins. “I’ve been with my partner for 10 years (married for four) and we have a child together who is nearly seven.”

Related: Woman Suffers Breakdown After Discovering Gay Searches On Her Fiance’s Phone, Seeks Professional Help

She continues: “I have never been paranoid before about what my husband gets up to and have always trusted him. That was until I used his phone to search for something online and found a tab open for a gay porn site. I looked at his history and found lots more gay porn.”

Hmmm. As we’ve reported in the past, sometimes straight guys watch gay porn. So this alone shouldn’t be cause for concern. But, of course, there’s another layer to story…

“Now I’m very suspicious about him and his friendship with his best mate,” the woman continues, “as they are always together to the point where he barely spends any time with me. They even go for meals and to the cinema together.”

She says she’s never thought much of their friendship, “but now all the pieces add up and point to the fact that they’re more than friends.”

“Should I confront him?” she wonders.

Related: Straight Guys Reflect On Those Times They Had Gay Sex

Colleen wastes no time answering the question.

“Yes, absolutely,” she advises. “You can’t un-see this stuff.”

As for his best mate, she says, it’s most likely that the two are just friends.

“But because of what you’ve found you’re naturally suspicious and you’ve immediately latched on
to the idea they’re sleeping together,” she says. “You need to know one way or the other, so sit down with him, explain what you’ve seen and find out what’s going on.”

But, she cautions, “be prepared that he might turn round and admit that he’s gay or bisexual.”

“It might be one of those situations where he’s been in denial for many years or perhaps he knew his family wouldn’t accept his sexuality and he’s hoped that somehow marriage would change things,” she says.

“The bottom line is you can’t just go back to how things were before you found this material and pretend you haven’t seen it,” she concludes.

Related: Does This Man’s Wife Deserve To Know His Kinky Gay Adult Film Past?

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Gay Men in Ivory Coast Forced to Flee Homes After Signing Condolence Book for Orlando Victims

Gay Men in Ivory Coast Forced to Flee Homes After Signing Condolence Book for Orlando Victims

Ivory Coast

A group of gay men in Ivory Coast, Africa have been forced to flee their homes in fear for their safety after the U.S. Embassy published a photo of them signing a condolence book for victims of the June 12 massacre at the Orlando LGBT Pulse nightclub.

The AP reports:

The photo, published on the embassy’s website, shows the faces of six men with the caption “LGBTI community signing the condolence book.” It was taken at the embassy on June 16, the same day Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan and other officials signed the book in honor of the 49 people killed in the Orlando attack.

The photo, which is published above with the identities of the men redacted, is still available on the U.S. Embassy website because “the embassy had received no requests to take it down,” according to the AP.

The men, who were not told the photo would be published, report being assaulted and 4 of 6 pictured in the photo have fled their homes “under pressure from family and friends who had been unaware of their sexual orientation.”

The post Gay Men in Ivory Coast Forced to Flee Homes After Signing Condolence Book for Orlando Victims appeared first on Towleroad.



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Mat Staver: Orlando Vigils Have Become ‘Homosexual Love Fests’ – LISTEN

Mat Staver: Orlando Vigils Have Become ‘Homosexual Love Fests’ – LISTEN

Mat Staver Liberty Counsel

Mat Staver, friend of Kim Davis, head honcho at anti-gay litigation group Liberty Counsel, Christmas shopping guru and protector of children from evil queers, just had to have his say on the Orlando massacre.

Displaying the usual Christian right lack of empathy and Christianity, Staver has said that memorial gatherings following Orlando have turned into a “homosexual love fest.”

RELATED: Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver and Matt Barber Are Convinced ‘Satanic’ Gay Marriage Will Literally Bring About God’s Wrath: AUDIO

Speaking on radio show “Faith and Freedom” about how churches should pass resolutions defending “traditional marriage,” Staver blathered:

“I encourage other denominations and churches to pass resolutions and we’re certainly willing and able to draft them…

“I encourage your people in your churches to step on the right side of history and step on the side of marriage and the natural created order of man and woman.

“Even in the situation following what happened in Orlando, churches got involved and they led in some cases and in other cases they followed and they ultimately allowed that situation, instead of an opportunity to pray, some of them allowed it to be a homosexual love fest. That’s not something that we need to celebrate, this is a tragedy that is against all Americans.”

Co-host Matt Barber added that LGBT-friendly Christians are “disobeying Christ, are actually running afoul of God and Jesus in the context of the marriage debate and are siding with the Prince of the World who is trying to redefine marriage.”

“Believe me,” added Barber, “this idea of gay marriage didn’t come from God, it didn’t come from Christ, so who did it come from?”

Satan himself, Matt. It was Satan.

When contacted, neither Barber or Staver could confirm they were not wearing clothes of mixed cloths. We can however confirm that both are in escrow selling their daughters into slavery.

In related news, its believed that up to 47 people turned up on Monday to Brian Brown’s “March For Marriage.”

2016 March for Marriage Was Great Success! t.co/HWPenrV5I3 #tcot #no4m #Marriage pic.twitter.com/2NsRVIW5cc

— Brian S. Brown (@briansbrown) June 28, 2016

Listen to Staver and Barber via Right Wing Watch below.

The post Mat Staver: Orlando Vigils Have Become ‘Homosexual Love Fests’ – LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.



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Istanbul, Kanye West, Gay Sauna, Hillary Clinton, Nate Silver, Mac ‘N Cheetos: NEWS

Istanbul, Kanye West, Gay Sauna, Hillary Clinton, Nate Silver, Mac ‘N Cheetos: NEWS

CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS. Here’s why you don’t want Donald Trump controlling America’s nuclear arsenal.

CLEVELAND. Anxiety mounts over security for GOP convention.

PREDICTIONS. Nate Silver gives Hillary Clinton 79 percent chance of winning. “We’re at halftime of the election right now,” Silver said. “She’s taking a seven-point, maybe a ten-point lead into half time. There’s a lot of football left to be played. She’s ahead in almost every poll, every swing state, every national poll.”

DEM CONVENTION. Lady Gaga to perform.

Lady Gaga is set to perform for Hillary Clinton and DNC attendees in Philadelphia on July 28. pic.twitter.com/UQnVNqwiML

— Lady Gaga Now (@LadyGagaNowNet) June 29, 2016

MILLENNIALS. Clinton holds Town Hall with digital stars, asked about cyberbullying, revenge porn. “Some of you have kept people alive, because you have been able to communicate with a person who was bullied,” Clinton said. “Or a young person who was struggling with their sexuality and feeling all alone. Andyou were able to give that person a sense of survival. And a feeling they weren’t by themselves.”

turkeyISTANBUL. Death toll climbs to 41 in Ataturk Airport terrorist attack: “Istanbul’s governor said Wednesday that the death toll had climbed to 41 — including at least 10 foreigners and 3 dual nationals. More than 230 were injured though 109 have already been released from hospitals, the governor added in a statement…There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which plunged Turkey into a state of national mourning. The country is grappling with a number of enemies domestically and abroad — but Yildirim said it appeared ISIS was to blame.”

OUSTED. Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski loses $1.2 million book deal: “Corey Lewandowski had a $1.2-million offer from HarperCollins to write a book chronicling his time running Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, but the publishing giant backed away from the deal amid concerns about Lewandowski’s nondisclosure agreement, according to two sources familiar with the talks.”

MANCHESTER, UK. Man found dead in gay sauna had multiple identities.

MichiganMICHIGAN. Portage approves LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance: “By a 6-1 vote, the council passed the ordinance just before 11 p.m. Tuesday night. Dozens showed up at Portage City Hall to speak up during the public hearing. A mix of supporters and opponents voiced their opinions in what has turned out to be a passionate hearing. The ordinance was proposed by the Human Services Board, and geared to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination in housing, employment and public services–something supporters say was long overdue.”

Texarkana ordinanceARKANSAS. Texarkana votes to repeal LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance: ” 3,409 votes were cast to repeal … 881 for it to remain.”  HRC: “The ordinance, which had passed the Texarkana Board of Directors by a unanimous vote early this year with broad-based support from citizens and the business community, was targeted by an onslaught of negative, deceptive rhetoric from extremists with no ties to Texarkana, and who have targeted similar protections across the state.”

LONDON. Man accused of murdering gay policeman and chopping up body appears in court. “Social worker Stefano Brizzi, 50, is charged with the the murder of 59-year-old PC Gordon Semple after he disappeared while on duty.”

IrelandNORTHERN IRELAND. Survey shows 70 percent support same-sex marriage: “It is clear that the people of Northern Ireland agree with us that marriage equality is one of the defining civil rights issues of our time and that it should immediately be made law. Those who continue to prevent marriage equality in Northern Ireland are not going to succeed. All they are doing before its inevitable introduction are merely enacting an injustice against their own citizens and worsening Northern Ireland’s already abysmal reputation regarding LGBT rights.”

CANADA. Ontario expands HPV vaccine to gay and bisexual men.

PAKISTAN. Transgender community accepts marriage fatwa. “It said that according to Islam transgender people with “visible signs” of being male or female may marry someone of the opposite sex. But those with “visible signs of both genders” may not marry, it said. The 50 clerics, part of the little-known Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat body based in Lahore, also said any act intended to “humiliate, insult or tease” transgender individuals should be considered a crime under Islam.”

SNEAKERS. Adidas and Kanye West announce deal. “The line will use Kanye’s pioneering creativity to launch a new range of YEEZY branded footwear, apparel and accessories for all genders. The expansion will look beyond its current lifestyle focus to introduce performance-specific designs, offering up options that are suitable for both sport and street. adidas say it will redefine its future, uniting adidas’ technical, innovative expertise and capabilities with the visionary imagination of West.”

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EAT IT. James St. James and World of Wonder folks eat Mac ‘N Cheetos.

HUMP DAY HOTTIE. Matt Cook Jr.

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The post Istanbul, Kanye West, Gay Sauna, Hillary Clinton, Nate Silver, Mac ‘N Cheetos: NEWS appeared first on Towleroad.



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Texas Attorney General Wants Schools To Out Transgender Students To Their Parents

Texas Attorney General Wants Schools To Out Transgender Students To Their Parents

Ken Paxton (R) argues that trans students who feel safe being open at school shouldn’t expect their identities to be kept private from their families.

The post Texas Attorney General Wants Schools To Out Transgender Students To Their Parents appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/06/29/3794051/texas-transgender-policy-paxton/

Methodists Aren’t Allowed To Have Gay Bishops. They’re Nominating These Three LGBT People Anyway.

Methodists Aren’t Allowed To Have Gay Bishops. They’re Nominating These Three LGBT People Anyway.

“I expect to see a gay bishop or two installed in the United Methodist Church.”

The post Methodists Aren’t Allowed To Have Gay Bishops. They’re Nominating These Three LGBT People Anyway. appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/06/29/3794223/umc-gay-bishops/