Cleveland Mayor Signs Non-Discrimination Ordinance with Protections for Transgender People

Last Friday, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson signed an amendment to the city’s non-discrimination ordinance into law. This vital piece of legislation protects the right of transgender people to use restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity. While city law prohibited anti-transgender discrimination in employment and public accommodations, due to exemptions in the 2009 legislation, transgender people have continued to face legal discrimination in access to single-sex facilities such as locker rooms and restrooms. The Cleveland City Council voted unanimously in favor of the bill 16-0 earlier this month.

The nearly three-year campaign to pass the ordinance ended successfully after a Herculean effort by Cleveland is Ready, a powerful coalition of diverse partners. HRC was an active member of the coalition for the past year, with HRC Regional Field Organizer Lindsey Clark serving as field director for the effort. HRC also contributed $25,000 to the coalition’s work.

Two individuals were singled out during the hearing and approval process for their extraordinary contributions to assuring passage of the ordinance: Alana Jochum, Executive Director of Equality Ohio and an HRC alum, and Sherry Bowman, community engagement co-chair for HRC Cleveland’s steering committee community. Sherry and Alana gave their all to this effort and we’re so proud to have them in our HRC family.

HRC extends a profound thank you to the lead sponsors of the legislation, Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland and former Councilman Joe Cimperman, as well as Mayor Frank Jackson and the Cleveland City Council for standing on the right side of history. We also thank our many coalition partners including Equality Ohio and Movement in Black, whose members worked tirelessly to ensure that this important measure passed. We’re honored to be a part of making history in Cleveland alongside such strong, incredible partners.

www.hrc.org/blog/cleveland-mayor-signs-non-discrimination-ordinance-with-protections-for-tra?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Lesbian TV Psychic Miss Cleo Dead at 53

A fixture of late night infomercials in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Miss Cleo succumbed to cancer a decade after coming out.

www.advocate.com/women/2016/7/26/lesbian-tv-psychic-miss-cleo-dead-53

When The Advocate Invented Bears

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/7/26/when-advocate-invented-bears

Samantha Bee Celebrates the Downfall of Roger Ailes – WATCH

Samantha Bee celebrated the downfall of FOX News chief Roger Ailes, who was forced out of the organization he helped found after being accused of sexual harassment by former anchor Gretchen Carlson and current primetime star Megyn Kelly.

Said Bee, “Congratulations, Roger. You’ve finally achieved your fantasy: being f*cked by two gorgeous employees at the same time.”

Bee excoriated Ailes for the brand of “news” he created at FOX which relies on fear-mongering and leggy models perched in front of translucent news desks. Bee quipped that Ailes realized that what viewers really wanted was “to be furiously angry while also having a boner.”

She added, “FOX News was [Ailes’] masterpiece, a right-wing nightmare factory powered by white resentment and relentless misinformation, churning out propaganda 24/7 and making family Thanksgivings unbearable for 20 years.”

Watch Bee say buh-bye to Ailes, below.

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Bernie Sanders Rebukes Angry California Delegates: ‘It Is Easy To Boo’ – WATCH

Bernie Sanders on Tuesday made a surprise appearance at the DNC’s California delegation and scolded supporters who booed his call to unite behind Hillary Clinton.

It was the California delegation who was responsible for much of the booing and raucous behavior in the Wells Fargo Arena Monday night.

Sanders CA delegation making noise again. Rest of the arena is listening respectfully.

— Zach Wahls (@ZachWahls) July 26, 2016

Sanders himself was booed during his primetime speech and also during an appearance he made before supporters earlier in the day on Monday.

PREVIOUSLY: Bernie Booed at DNC After Calling on Supporters to Elect Clinton, Kaine – WATCH

Attempting to rally his supporters behind Clinton, Sanders told the California delegation that they must elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States. When he was again booed, Sanders responded, “It is easy to boo, but it’s harder to look your kids in the face who would be living under a Donald Trump presidency.” He added,

“Donald Trump is the worst candidate for president in the modern history of this country. This a man not only whose policies are bad, we are used to Republicans having bad policies—nothing new there. Nothing new that he thinks that climate change is a hoax. Nothing new that he doesn’t want to raise the minimum wage. That’s nothing new. What is new is that this man is a demagogue who does not believe in the constitution of the United States. That is dangerous stuff.”

Part of the reason why so many Sanders delegates have been so unruly at the DNC thus far may have to do with who those delegates are. According to Heat Street, “no sane Democrats” wanted to be delegates for Sanders for fear of ending up on the Clintons’ so-called ‘revenge list.’

No sane Democrats wanted to be Sanders delegates b/c they were terrified of ending up on Hillary’s revenge list pic.twitter.com/OPbAebtH9l

— Andrew Stiles (@AndrewStilesUSA) July 26, 2016

That meant that the delegates who were chosen were not those inclined to toe the party line but rather those ready and willing to disrupt and fight to the bitter end for Sanders.

The post Bernie Sanders Rebukes Angry California Delegates: ‘It Is Easy To Boo’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Prince Harry, DNC, Harrison Ford, Justin Timberlake, Sweden, Wild Boar, Susan Sarandon: NEWS

HIV. Prince Harry’s public HIV test led to a spike in orders of at-home HIV test kits. “Orders for the kits came in from across the UK, including Guernsey,  Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, with the average age of those ordering coming in at 31-years-old.” Watch it HERE.

DNC. Record number of LGBT delegates: “LGBT delegates make up 11.5 percent of all delegates at the DNC this year, and this record number is not a coincidence – it’s by design. In order to increase the number of delegates from underrepresented communities, veteran LGBT delegates established an advisory board to recruit new and qualified LGBT delegates from across the U.S. The newly appointed delegates span the LGBT spectrum and bring a variety of experience and fresh perspectives to the delegation.”

SUSAN SARANDON. On the DNC email leak. “The critical question is: Does it matter? Nixon resigned when they broke into the headquarters and now you find out all this tampering went on … and I think we really have to ask what’s happened to us in terms of what we’re willing to sacrifice to get our person in. What does it really say about us if this goes by unattended?”

Susan Sarandon is having literally the worst time at the #DemConvention pic.twitter.com/Ola9Hi3y5o

— Ian McKenna (@Ian_McK_) July 26, 2016

DNC. Meet Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person to address a party convention: “People forget our humanity,” McBride told TIME from her hotel room on the first day of the 2016 Democratic National Convention. “Behind the dialogues and debates are real people that hurt when they are made fun of, that hurt when they are targeted for discrimination and that have the same dreams and aspirations as everyone else.”

My wife’s former student, Sarah McBride, will speak at the DNC. First transgender person to address major convention pic.twitter.com/caxzA1As0l

— Henry Voigt (@HenryBVoigt) July 25, 2016

SWEDEN. Gay Pride flags cut down in city of Sodertalje: “City officials said the flags were hoisted Monday but were gone Tuesday morning and the flagpole ropes had been cut.”

Nu är prideflaggorna utanför Stadshuset i Södertälje hissade igen! pic.twitter.com/D7prqUPZx6

— Södertälje kommun (@Sodertalje) July 26, 2016

CAN’T STOP THE FEELING. Man arrested after slapping Justin Timberlake in face at golf tournament in Nevada: “Law enforcement sources tell us he claimed he just wanted to “touch” Justin and got overzealous — but refused to leave the premises. We’re told he appeared intoxicated and became belligerent. Cops arrested him for disorderly conduct.”

HARRISON FORD. Actor could have died on Star Wars set, court hears: “A film production company has admitted health and safety breaches after an incident in which Hollywood star Harrison Ford was crushed by a hydraulic door on the set of the Millennium Falcon spaceship while filming the latest Star Wars movie. Ford, who was knocked to the ground and pinned down by the heavy door, could have been killed in the incident as he rehearsed during shooting for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire on 12 June 2014, a court heard.”

WEATHER PHOTO OF THE DAY. Lightning strikes the Empire State Building.

Incredible photo shows lightning striking the @EmpireStateBldg in NYC 📷: @moltke pic.twitter.com/awWfjaAMXs

— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 26, 2016

POLAND. Wild boar terrorizes sunbathers.

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Bright Light, Bright Light feat. Elton John, “Symmetry of Two Hearts”. “The song was written during the polar vortex in New York. It was so cold in my apartment. I wanted to feel warm and summery again. So, I tried to write the most summer-sounding song I could. I rewatched some of my favorite movies and dance sequences for inspiration, and this track is inspired by Kim Cattrall’s dance sequence in Mannequin, which I think is one of the most joyful four or so minutes in 80s cinema.”

TOO HOT FOR TUESDAY. Harry Lawesdy.

The post Prince Harry, DNC, Harrison Ford, Justin Timberlake, Sweden, Wild Boar, Susan Sarandon: NEWS appeared first on Towleroad.

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#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: July 26, 2016

DNC CONVENTION KICKS OFF WITH HISTORIC NUMBER OF OPENLY-LGBTQ DELEGATES: A host of pro-equality speakers kicked off the first night of the DNC convention Monday, including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley, Cory Booker, and First Lady Michelle Obama. Surrogates for both Senator Sanders and Hillary Clinton stressed the need to pass the federal Equality Act so that LGBTQ people across the nation can finally live free from fear of discrimination. One reason for the strong pro-equality message? The convention hosts a record number of LGBTQ delegates. NBC Out reports, “LGBT delegates make up 11.5 percent of all delegates at the DNC this year, and this record number is not a coincidence – it’s by design.” More here.

• Opening night featured speakers with powerful pro-LGBTQ equality messages, from former NBA star Jason Collins, who talked about coming out to the Clintons before he came out on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and Senator Elizabeth Warren who rejected the Trump-Pence  vision for America that pits “whites against blacks and Latinos. Christians against Muslims and Jews. Straight against gay.” Openly-LGBTQ Nevada Senator Pat Spearman called on voters to shut down the anti-LGBTQ Trump/Pence ticket, as did CT Gov. Dan Malloy.
• On today’s schedule, watch for pro-equality speakers including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards and President Bill Clinton.
• Test your knowledge of the major party positions on LGBTQ issues by checking out these 10 quotes from the Republican and Democratic platforms. Read more about the Democratic Party’s historically inclusive platform here.
• The Advocate endorses Hillary Clinton; read more here.
• Wall of Love: Check out how equality advocates responded to anti-LGBTQ protests at the DNC.
• Trans advocate Marisa Richmond of Nashville makes history as the official podium timekeeper at the DNC. More from The Associated Press.

HRC’S SARAH MCBRIDE MAKES HISTORY: When she takes the stage this Thursday, HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride will be making history as the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party’s convention. Leading up to her historic speech, Sarah is sharing her story. The Washington Post has named her a break out political star at this year’s convention — and check out these profiles in TIME and The Delaware News Journal. HRC President Chad Griffin, who was named a vice-chair of this year’s convention, will also be addressing the DNC on Thursday.

DESPICABLE: AT TRUMP RALLY, NC GOV. MCCRORY MOCKS TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: At a rally last night for Donald Trump, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory continued his disgraceful assault on the transgender community, making a “joke” about using bathrooms. McCrory this year signed North Carolina’s horrific HB2 law, which bars transgender people from using restrooms and other facilities in government owned buildings consistent with their gender identity. More here. HRC President Chad Griffin called out the shameful comments on Twitter.

• The DNC has embraced equal access to restrooms and ensured on-site all gender facilities at their convention. More from Politico.
• The legal challenge to HB2 officially heads to court on November 14 when arguments begin on the motion to stop the state from enforcing the provision barring transgender people’s access to bathrooms consistent with their gender identity. More from The Courier Tribune.

TRUE LIFE: WE ARE ORLANDO: MTV’s groundbreaking docu-series “True Life” has announced that its August 15 episode will focus on the road to recovery for survivors of the Orlando shooting at Pulse nightclub last month. The special will feature the experiences of Tony Marrero, Joshua McGill, Patience Carter and Tiara Parker. More from Entertainment Weekly.

ADVOCATES MOURN THE LOSS OF DEE WHIGHAM: Dee Whigham, a 25-year-old transgender woman of color, was killed on July 23 in St. Martin, Mississippi. Dee was a registered nurse at a hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and was visiting St. Martin to attend the Gulf Coast Black Rodeo with friends and co-workers, according to the Sun Herald. Police are seeking a person of interest and are not ruling out designating her murder a hate crime. Across the U.S., at least 14 transgender people have been murdered since the beginning of 2016. More from HRC.

GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCES MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER: Findings from a Vanderbilt University study show that students who attend schools with gay-straight alliances (GSAs) are less likely to be the victim of bullying or harassment. The presence of a GSA decreases bullying across the board, regardless of whether the students are LGBTQ or not, the study found. More from Vanderbilt University.

AMERICAN PASTOR KICKED OUT OF RUSSIA: Earlier this month, American pastor Jim Mulcahy was arrested and expelled from Russia following speculation that he planned to perform a same-sex wedding. Now living in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Mulcahy shared his story with The Associated Press.

READING RAINBOW

NBC Out interviews three gender-nonconforming people about their gender expression in the workplace; Independent.ie profiles the Dublin filmmaker behind the child-friendly LGBTQ film Little Doll; LGBTQ Nation highlights a children’s clothing company that is breaking gender stereotypes; The Guardian outlines how anti-LGBTQ activists realize their rhetoric isn’t winning; and Slate outlines the path to 2016’s incredibly LGBTQ-friendly democratic platform.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-july-26-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

The Dirty Dishes of Pansy Ass Ceramics

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/7/26/dirty-dishes-pansy-ass-ceramics

PHOTOS: Over 100 Bears in Singlets

www.advocate.com/photography/2016/7/26/photos-over-100-bears-singlets