Christoph Waltz Kissed Alexander Skarsgard in ‘Tarzan’, But Filmmakers Cut It

The Legend of Tarzan featured a kiss between Alexander Skarsgard and Chrisoph Waltz, but the filmmakers cut it, The Australian reports:

David Yates, the director, has acknowledged that in his film the relationship between Tarzan and Captain Rom, played by Christoph Waltz, has homoerotic undertones and told The Times: “We pared it back because it was almost too much. It was this really odd, odd moment when Christoph kisses him.

“We loved it at the time. But early test audiences were perplexed by it and in the end it just felt too clever and overworked.”

The scene saw Captain Rom, sent by King Leopold of Belgium to take control of the region, kiss Tarzan while he was unconscious. Even so, the film keeps the line in which the captain tells Jane: “Your husband’s wildness disturbs me more than I can even express.”

Read our review of The Legend of Tarzan HERE.

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Simon Pegg: I ‘Respectfully Disagree’ with George Takei About Gay Sulu

Simon Pegg, who stars as Scotty in the Star Trek reboot and wrote the latest film, Star Trek Beyond, in which the character of Mr. Sulu as played by John Cho, is revealed to be gay.

After news emerged yesterday of the character’s development in that direction, George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in the original series, called it a “really unfortunate” turn of events.

Takei told the Hollywood Reporter that he had tried to convince Pegg and director Justin Lin that it was a bad idea.

“I told him, ‘Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted,” said Takei.

Pegg says he “respectfully disagrees” with Takei, the Guardian reports:

Pegg expressed sympathy with Takei’s sentiment that mainstream gay heroes were belatedly coming to the big screen, but rejected the idea that this meant a new character needed creating.

“He’s right, it is unfortunate, it’s unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science fiction hasn’t featured an LGBT character until now. We could have introduced a new gay character, but he or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the ‘gay character’, rather than simply for who they are, and isn’t that tokenism?”

Pegg continued: “Justin Lin, Doug Jung and I loved the idea of it being someone we already knew because the audience have a pre-existing opinion of that character as a human being, unaffected by any prejudice. Their sexual orientation is just one of many personal aspects, not the defining characteristic. Also, the audience would infer that there has been an LGBT presence in the Trek Universe from the beginning (at least in the Kelvin timeline), that a gay hero isn’t something new or strange. It’s also important to note that at no point do we suggest that our Sulu was ever closeted, why would he need to be? It’s just hasn’t come up before.”

Added Pegg: “The viewing audience weren’t open minded enough at the time and it must have forced Roddenberry to modulate his innovation. His mantra was always ‘infinite diversity in infinite combinations’. If he could have explored Sulu’s sexuality with George, he no doubt would have. Roddenberry was a visionary and a pioneer but we choose our battles carefully.”

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Washington Conservatives Fail To Advance Anti-Transgender Ballot Initiative

An attempt to replicate North Carolina’s HB2 in Washington fell far short.

The post Washington Conservatives Fail To Advance Anti-Transgender Ballot Initiative appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/07/08/3796621/washington-transgender-campaign-fails/

HRC Statement on Attack on Law Enforcement in Dallas

Today, HRC released the following statement from President Chad Griffin:

“We are shocked and sickened by the calculated attack on law enforcement in Dallas last night that has left five officers dead and at least nine other officers and civilians wounded. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who were senselessly murdered protecting a peaceful protest, and to the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Department, and the broader community they nobly served. There is no justification for this cold-blooded assault on law enforcement officers who go to work each day to protect the public. In the aftermath of Orlando, the LGBTQ community saw police officers across the nation work even harder to protect our safe spaces, and we know how dangerous their jobs can be.

“Yesterday, in speaking out against the tragic police-involved murders of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and so many other men of color, we noted that the LGBTQ community reflects people of all races, backgrounds, and faiths. There are also thousands of LGBTQ law enforcement officers bravely serving our communities in every state from coast to coast.

“In the coming days, we hope we can all come together in a meaningful search for solutions to break the cycle of violence, hate and discrimination that has plagued our country for too long. The innocent people who have lost their lives to senseless shootings, and all those left behind to mourn them, deserve no less.”

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-issues-statement-on-attack-on-law-enforcement-in-dallas?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

In Advance of Hearing, HRC Releases Recommendations for Welcoming LGBTQ Refugees

Today, HRC released guidance on assisting LGBTQ refugees ahead of a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing next week on global human rights, the first ever to include a witness focused exclusively on the human rights of LGBTQ people.

While LGBTQ people around the world have long faced persecution and discrimination, the rise of ISIL (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) in recent years has resulted in horrifying acts of violence targeting this community. HRC’s new document provides background on the situation, particularly for those fleeing ISIL in Iraq and Syria, and offers much-needed guidance to both governments and advocacy groups on helping LGBTQ people seeking refuge in more welcoming countries, including the United States. The July 12th Congressional hearing, entitled “Human Rights Under Siege Worldwide” will include a particular focus on LGBTQ people and  provide lawmakers with an opportunity to learn more about the challenges they face and the ways the United States can help them.

“With LGBTQ people facing persecution and danger every day because of ISIL and other extremists, we need a more comprehensive, cohesive strategy to get these refugees out of harm’s way,” said HRC Global Director Ty Cobb. “The U.S. and the international community must stand up for and support LGBTQ individuals worldwide, not only because it’s the right thing to do but because it makes our world more peaceful, safe, and stable for everyone. ”

The guidance was developed in part during an HRC-sponsored summit last month convening representatives from top LGBTQ and refugee organizations to discuss the plight of LGBTQ people fleeing violence from ISIL and others in the Middle East, and hear from LGBTQ refugees about how non-governmental organizations and advocates can remove roadblocks on refugees’ paths to safety. The document is an important step toward creating a cohesive strategy to get LGBTQ refugees out of harm’s way, with recommendations for the U.S. Government, the United Nations’ Refugee Agency and non-government organizations (NGOs). While some of the recommendations are particular to the areas in and around ISIL’s control, many are applicable to all LGBTQ people seeking refuge:

• Allowing LGBTQ Iraqis to claim refugee status while still in their own country, reducing their processing time and allowing them to reach safety more quickly;
• Authorizing additional qualified NGOs to refer individuals directly to the United States Refugee Admissions Program for resettlement in the United States;
• Assisting organizations that provide critical services and support to LGBTQ refugees;
• Providing additional training for staff at organizations that serve LGBTQ refugee populations to ensure that LGBTQ cases are handled properly, and to create safer, more welcoming environments for refugees disclosing their LGBTQ status;
• Allowing lawyers to accompany LGBTQ refugees to protection and resettlement interviews;
• Making the LGBTQ status of refugees available to U.S. refugee resettlement agencies during the refugee allocations process, provided this information is voluntarily given by the refugee, is transmitted securely and does not risk retribution;
• And conducting more systematic data collection and analysis of the number and condition of LGBTQ individuals seeking asylum or refuge, in order to better identify needs and gaps in services.

This document follows on HRC’s previous work highlighting ways to address the needs of LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers. In October 2015, HRC partnered with the LGBT Freedom and Asylum Network (LGBT-FAN) and The National LGBTQ Task Force to release a guide for direct service providers on supporting LGBTQ asylum seekers in the U.S.. HRC will continue to work on behalf of LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers from Iraq, Syria, the broader Middle East and from around the world.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-releases-recommendations-for-welcoming-lgbtq-refugees?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: July 7, 2016

HRC PRESIDENT CHAD GRIFFIN ON SHOOTINGS OF ALTON STERLING AND PHILANDO CASTILE: “We are horrified and profoundly saddened by the recent murders of two Black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, at the hands of police in Baton Rouge and near Minneapolis. In less than 48 hours, these two men became the latest victims of an epidemic of brutality that continues to plague our nation, joining a tragic list of 123 Black men fatally shot by police officers in 2016 alone. These men leave behind families, children and friends who struggle to find justice and healing, but are too often met with indifference and inaction by those responsible for protecting them. On a Sunday morning less than a month ago, the nation awoke to news of a tragic mass shooting that stole the lives of 49 LGBTQ people and our allies — almost all of them Latinx. That same afternoon, the NAACP stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to speak out against the hate violence that has targeted our inextricably-woven communities. The LGBTQ community is as diverse as the fabric of our nation. We are African Americans, Latinx, women, Christians, Jews and Muslims — and so many more identities — and we must stand together against violence that targets any portion of our community. Today, as we grieve and mourn, we are also united in demanding solutions to stop the tragic epidemic of police-involved deaths.”

HOUSE TO HEAR ANTI-LGBTQ LEGISLATION ON ONE-MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF ORLANDO: Next Tuesday, on the one-month anniversary of the horrific attack at an Orlando nightclub where 49 LGBTQ people and allies were murdered and 53 others wounded, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is set to hold a hearing on the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) — radical legislation that would sanction unprecedented taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBTQ people. On its face, this legislation purports to prohibit discrimination by the federal government based on individual beliefs about marriage between loving, same-sex couples. In reality, this bill would allow individuals, many businesses, and nonprofit organizations — even those contracting with the federal government — to circumvent critical federal protections designed to protect LGBTQ families from harmful discrimination. More from HRC.

HRC SLAMS TX AG KEN PAXTON FOR REPREHENSIBLE ATTACK ON TRANS YOUTH: HRC denounced Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for filing a motion in federal court yesterday on behalf of 13 states seeking an injunction blocking President Barack Obama’s historic guidance to ensure the equal treatment of transgender students in public and federally-funded schools. “Ken Paxton and his gang of bullies aren’t simply stoking anti-transgender rhetoric, they are hurting children,” said Jay Brown, HRC Communications Director. “They should be ensuring our children’s dignity and ability to learn in a safe environment, not going to court to target transgender students for discrimination and bullying by blocking guidance educators across the country had been asking for.” Paxton’s latest discriminatory attack comes just weeks after he filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Texas and 10 other states challenging the Obama Administration’s guidance on transgender students’ rights.

• TX Gov. Greg Abbott is also shamefully stoking anti-LGBTQ flames, using Twitter to mock New York’s admirable pro-LGBTQ “Open Doors” campaign, and making the ludicrous claim that his state’s discrimination against LGBTQ people is somehow justified because of… low taxes? Disgusting. More from The New Civil Rights Movement.

MUST SEE: Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, who died Saturday at age 87, delivers a powerful speech at an HRC Dinner in 1989. Watch here.

BEST INVITE EVER: Get your party on to protest the hate embedded in North Carolina’s HB2… in the house of NC Gov. Pat McCrory, the guy who signed the discriminatory measure into law. Progress NC, in a brilliant move, is exercising its right as a non-profit to rent space in the Governor’s Mansion for a “Garden Party Against Hate.” That’s right — a night in McCrory’s crib protesting HB2. INDY Week plans to release a special issue about the disastrous law and a performance by the playful Air Horn Orchestra will be featured. Let’s have us some fun – don’t forget to RSVP! More from INDY Week.

BIG NATIONAL EDUCATION ORGS MAKE HISTORY, ESTABLISH LGBTQ-INCLUSION POLICIES: Two of the nation’s largest and most influential education organizations took bold steps to support LGBTQ students this weekend. Both the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) and the National Education Association (NEA), together representing more than five million members and constituents, established formal policies of LGBTQ-inclusion, and committed to redoubling their advocacy at the federal, state and local levels to ensure that LGBTQ students are treated with dignity and can learn in environments that are safe and free from discrimination. More from HRC.

KIM DAVIS IN TROUBLE, AGAIN: In an opinion released yesterday, Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear asserts that Kim Davis, infamous for breaking the law by denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples, also violated the state’s Open Records Act when she and her legal team withheld documents requested by his office. More from Roll Call.

TRANSGENDER RIGHTS BILL EXPECTED TO LAND ON MASS. GOV’S DESK TODAY: Massachusetts lawmakers today are expected to pass a bill expanding state anti-discrimination protections to transgender people – including allowing them access to restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity. If approved, Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to sign the compromise bill into law. More from The Associated Press.

LGBTQ ATHLETES IN ESPN’S BODY ISSUE: This week, two openly LGBTQ athletes are gracing the pages of ESPN The Magazine’s 2016 Body Issue — duathlete Chris Mosier and retired Olympic diving superstar Greg Louganis, who has been living with HIV for nearly three decades. Mosier is making history not only as the first known out transgender athlete to appear in the annual Body Issue, but also the first trans athlete to qualify for a U.S. national team, earning a spot on the Team USA sprint duathlon men’s squad for the 2016 World Championships. More from HRC.

MORMON “MAMA DRAGONS” ADVOCATE FOR THEIR LGBTQ CHILDREN: Morning listen alert! Check out this piece by NPR on Mormon “Mama Dragons,” who are protecting their LGBTQ children in face of the church’s anti-LGBTQ stances. More from NPR.

AS WE ALWAYS SAY, EQUALITY IS NOT ONLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO, IT’S SMART BUSINESS, TOO: A new report from the Williams Institute found that companies that don’t discriminate against LGBTQ employees when hiring are “far more” successful than those who do. More from The Street.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: During the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia later this month, Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff will moderate a panel on the future of the LGBTQ movement. The July 28 discussion will feature HRC President Chad Griffin, former MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, Kevin Jennings of the Arcus Foundation and Evan Wolfson, formerly of Freedom to Marry. More from Washington Blade.

DRAFT D.C. CONSTITUTION BANS ANTI-LGBTQ BALLOT MEASURES: Lawyers are preparing a draft D.C. statehood Constitution that includes language prohibiting the use of voter referendums to repeal protections embedded in the DC Human Rights Act, which explicitly bans discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. More from Washington Blade.

CLOSING THE LOOPHOLE: A British lawmaker has introduced a measure that would repeal anti-LGBTQ provisions in an antiquated law that could be read as allowing ship owners to fire sailors who engage in “gay sex” while on board.  Although Britain’s 2010 Equality Act prohibits this discrimination, lawmakers are working to remove this language from the statute in a symbolic gesture. More from Lloyd’s List.

READING RAINBOW

The Advocate highlights the world of anti-LGBTQ extremists in a series called “Blame It on the Queers”; Radio Times introduces us to the transgender actors behind Britain’s groundbreaking TV show “Boy Meets Girl”; NJ.com explores what it means to be non-binary; Fusion looks at a new crowdfunding site that will help LGBTQ and immigration activists facing criminal charges; Vox meets the federal agency working to stop anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace; Hip-Hop Wired teases Calvin Klein’s fall campaign with a clip of hip-hop artist Young Thug saying, “there’s no such thing as gender”; The Colorado Springs Independent dissects nine LGBTQ microaggressions and how to respond when you hear one; Gay Star News reveals the cheeky HIV awareness campaign from France, which features risqé (and NSFW) photographs of models in full body paint; and Mashable profiles a series on Kickstarter that highlights trans activists of color.

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-july-7-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

20 LGBT People Who Changed the World

www.advocate.com/world/2016/7/08/20-lgbt-people-who-changed-world

What It's Like to Emcee Mississippi Pride

Actor and activist Kit Williamson is a Magnolia State boy who will forever love his first home.

www.advocate.com/commentary/2016/7/08/what-its-emcee-mississippi-pride