U.S. Navy to Name Ship After Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk

U.S. Navy to Name Ship After Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk

harvey milk

The U.S. Navy will name a ship after gay civil rights icon Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to political office in California.

Milk served in the Navy during the Korean war and came from a family that had a history of serving in the Navy.

USNI News reports: 

The July 14, 2016 notification, signed by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, indicated he intended to name a planned Military Sealift Command fleet oiler USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206). The ship would be the second of the John Lewis-class oilers being built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, Calif. […]

Mabus has said the John Lewis-class – named after civil rights activist and congressman Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) – would be named after civil rights leaders.

RELATED: Salt Lake City Votes Unanimously to Rename Street for Harvey Milk

More on Milk’s service in the Navy:

Milk came from a Navy family and commissioned in the service in 1951. He served as a diving officer in San Diego during the Korean War on the submarine rescue ship Kittiwake until 1955. Milk was honorably discharged from the service as a lieutenant junior grade.

The Washington Examiner reports that Secretary Mabus has come under fire for his naming of ships:

In 2011, he named a dry cargo ship after labor organizer Cesar Chavez, which raised the ire of Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. Similary in April, Hunter objected to Mabus naming a destroyer after former Sen. Carl Levin. Ships are traditionally named after someone after that person has died, although there have been exceptions.

[Top photo via Wikimedia Commons]

The post U.S. Navy to Name Ship After Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk appeared first on Towleroad.



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HRC President Chad Griffin Speaks at the Democratic National Convention

HRC President Chad Griffin Speaks at the Democratic National Convention

Today, HRC President Chad Griffin spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Below are his remarks:

Last month, our nation was rocked to its core by a senseless and hateful attack that claimed the lives of 49 LGBTQ people and allies at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. They were brothers and sisters, they were sons and daughters. Above all, they were human beings.

Yet while the nation mourned, Donald Trump strutted before the cameras, and exploited our national tragedy. He had the audacity to tell the American public that he was the true champion for LGBTQ people in this race, and that our community would be better off with him in the White House. He even challenged his skeptics to, and I quote – “ask the gays.”

Well, since he asked…Here goes:

While Donald Trump has threatened to strip away our rights, the Hillary Clinton I first got to know as a closeted kid growing up in Arkansas has always been willing to stand up for the voiceless, and she’s made fighting for equality a cornerstone of her campaign.

While Donald Trump has promised to legalize Kim Davis-style discrimination in all 50 states… Hillary Clinton has promised to sign the Equality Act into law.

While Donald Trump chose as his running mate a governor who tried to divert HIV funding in order to finance the abusive practice of so-called “conversion therapy”… Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is committed to stopping the spread of HIV, banning conversion therapy for minors, and ending the hate and violence our community still faces.

And long before Donald Trump struggled to read “LGBTQ” off a teleprompter last week, Hillary Clinton stood before the United Nations and boldly declared that gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights.

I want to remind Donald Trump of one more thing. The LGBTQ community is as diverse as the fabric of our nation. We are Muslim. We are Jewish. We are women. We are black, white and Latino. We are immigrants and we are people with disabilities. And when you attack one of us, you are attacking all of us.

And that, my friends, is why together we are all with her.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-president-chad-griffin-speaks-at-the-democratic-national-convention?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride Speaks at the Democratic National Convention

HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride Speaks at the Democratic National Convention

Today, HRC’s National Press Secretary Sarah McBride spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Below are her remarks: 

My name is Sarah McBride, and I am a proud transgender American. Four years ago, I came out as transgender while serving as student body president in college. At the time, I was scared. I worried that my dreams and my identity were mutually exclusive.

Since then though, I have seen that change is possible. I witnessed history interning in the White House and helping my home state of Delaware pass protections for transgender people. Today, I see this change in the work of the LGBT Caucus and in my own job at the Human Rights Campaign.

But despite our progress, so much work remains. Will we be a nation where there’s only one way to love, only one way to look and only one way to live? Or will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally? A nation that’s stronger together? That is the question in this election.

For me, this struggle for equality became all the more urgent when I learned that my future husband, Andrew, was battling cancer. I met Andy, who was a transgender man, fighting for equality and we fell in love. And yet even in the face of his terminal illness … this 28 year old … he never wavered in his commitment to our cause and his belief that this country can change. Andy and I married in 2014 and just four days after our wedding, he passed away.

Knowing Andy left me profoundly changed, but more than anything, his passing taught me that every day matters when it comes to building a world where every person can live their life to the fullest.

Hillary Clinton understands the urgency of our fight. She’ll work with us to pass the Equality Act, to combat violence against transgender women of color, and to end the HIV and AIDS epidemic once and for all.

Today in America, LGBTQ people are still targeted by hate that lives in both laws and in hearts. Many still struggle just to get by. But I believe that tomorrow can be different. Tomorrow, we can be respected and protected. Especially if Hillary Clinton is our president. And that’s why I’m proud to stand here and say that I’m with her.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-national-press-secretary-sarah-mcbride-speaks-at-the-democratic-nationa?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Final Night at DNC: Hillary & Chelsea Clinton, HRC’s Sarah McBride & Chad Griffin & More

Final Night at DNC: Hillary & Chelsea Clinton, HRC’s Sarah McBride & Chad Griffin & More

History will be made tonight at the Democratic National Convention as equality champion Hillary Clinton takes the stage becoming the first woman to accept the presidential nomination of a major party. It will also be a historic night for LGBTQ progress, as HRC’s Sarah McBride becomes the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention. HRC President Chad Griffin, a vice chair of the convention, will also speak tonight, as will Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania.

Griffin is expected to speak around 4:55 Eastern. McBride is expected to speak at about 5:50 PM Eastern. Follow along as @HRC livetweets their remarks tonight.

Chelsea Clinton, who during a luncheon for LGBTQ delegates yesterday hosted by HRC and Victory Institute lambasted the Republican Party for its support of dangerous so-called “conversion therapy, will introduce her mother. The Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP and a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights, will also address the convention.

McBride will be introduced by openly-gay Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus. A number of pro-LGBTQ lawmakers will take the stage tonight, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

The convention this year includes a record number of LGBTQ delegates — including a historic high of 27 transgender delegates. Transgender rights advocate Marisa Richmond is serving as official timekeeper; and Mara Keisling, a veteran trans advocate, is serving on the platform committee. Watch here as McBride talks about the Democratic Party’s most pro-LGBTQ platform in history.

Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton

Secretary Clinton has a formidable record as a champion for LGBTQ rights in the U.S. and around the world. As a U.S. Senator from New York, she helped lead on measures protecting LGBTQ workers from employment discrimination and established a strong record on key votes and legislation important to LGBTQ Americans. She was the first Secretary of State to robustly advocate for LGBTQ equality throughout the world, declaring that “gay rights are human rights” in a historic and forceful 2011 speech to the United Nations. View more on her record and agenda here.

Governor Andrew Cuomo

Last fall Governor Cuomo took the historic step of extending vital non-discrimination protections to transgender New Yorkers and visitors in employment, housing and public accommodations. Building upon state and federal case law, Cuomo’s administration issued regulations clarifying that gender identity is included in the definition of sex, and protected under state non-discrimination laws.

During his tenure, Cuomo has made LGBTQ equality a core part of his agenda. Cuomo was honored by HRC earlier this year for efforts towards marriage equality, combating HIV/AIDS and conversion therapy and improving opportunities for transgender citizens.

Reverend William Barber

Reverend William Barber, the dynamic and widely-respected head of the North Carolina NAACP is a forceful advocate for LGBTQ rights. Barber has consistently decried North Carolina’s HB2 law as discriminatory, and joined 16 religious leaders in a statement calling for an end to “religious refusal” bills that allow discrimination against LGBTQ people. He also led a mass sit-in at the state legislature demanding immediate repeal of HB2.

Senator Brown and Senator Mikulski

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Senator Barb Mikulski (D-MD) are both original cosponsors of the Equality Act, and have been consistently strong allies to the LGBTQ community throughout their tenures. In addition, they are cosponsors of the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA), which would prohibit discrimination against students on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. They are also cosponsors of the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA), which would require schools to adopt codes of conduct against bullying and harassment.

Governor Tom Wolf

Governor Wolf immediately established himself as a leader for LGBTQ policy when he took office in 2015. Earlier this year, he signed two executive orders prohibiting state contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Last week, Wolf designated businesses owned by LGBTQ people as state “Small Diverse Businesses,” a designation providing small businesses better access to government contracts. Along with 78 percent of Pennsylvania residents, Wolf supports updating the state’s current non-discrimination laws, and is also pushing for passage of the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, a comprehensive non-discrimination measure that would extend protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

The combination of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine make for the most pro-equality ticket in history. Hillary Clinton has made LGBTQ equality a pillar of her campaign, including calling it her “highest priority” to pass and sign into law the Equality Act. In addition, she supports the military’s decision ending the ban on open transgender military service, is fighting to outlaw dangerous and debunked “conversion therapy” for minors and is calling for an end to the epidemic of transgender violence. Read more on Clinton’s strong LGBTQ platform and record here.

Running mate Tim Kaine also has a strong LGBTQ record. In addition to supporting marriage equality, Kaine is an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act. One of Kaine’s first actions as Virginia Governor in 2006 was to sign an executive order adding sexual orientation protections to the non-discrimination policy for state workers. Kaine also recently signed onto an amicus brief in the 2nd Circuit case, Christiansen v Omnicom Group Inc., arguing that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are prohibited under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He has voted in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA).

Clinton-Kaine stand in stark contrast with the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and Mike Pence. Among his anti-equality positions, Trump has vowed to rescind marriage equality and pledged to appoint U.S. Supreme Court justices who would overturn last year’s historic Obergefell marriage equality ruling. He has pledged to sign the so-called First Amendment Defense Act, which could allow individuals, many businesses, and nonprofit organizations to circumvent critical federal protections and blatantly discriminate against LGBTQ families.

Pence, in a now notorious interview with ABC last year, refused to answer eight separate times when asked whether businesses should be able to discriminate against LGBTQ people. Pence became a national disgrace in 2015 for his “license to discriminate” bill — which threatened to allow businesses to deny service to LGBTQ people — and for subsequently defending the bill after an outcry from the business community and a majority of Hoosier voters.

Read more on how Trump and Pence would put LGBTQ equality at risk on HRC’s new “Dump Trump” site.

www.hrc.org/blog/final-night-at-dnc-hillary-chelsea-clinton-hrcs-sarah-mcbride-chad-griffin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

It Is Humbling: Tim Hiddleston Wins ‘Rear Of The Year’ Award

It Is Humbling: Tim Hiddleston Wins ‘Rear Of The Year’ Award

tom-hiddleston-rear-of-the-year

Sure, it’s been a week of celebrity peen leaks, but now other parts of the male anatomy are ready for their closeup.

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, British thespian Tom Hiddleston, has just been hit with the cheeky 2016 “Rear of the Year” Award; an honor that’s apparently prestigious enough for Time to spread the good word.

Related: Tom Hiddleston Proudly Shows His Butt In New Film To “Redress The Balance” Of Hollywood Nudity

Annoyingly, the scene that put Hiddleston’s butt on the map was excised from the American version of the hit espionage series, but the scene in which he bears his buttocks was epochal enough to earn its own hashtag, #Hiddlesbum.

Related: WATCH: Tom Hiddleston Rates The Best Buns In The Avengers Movie

Discussing all the hubbub, Hiddleston quipped, “I’m here to tell you that my butt is not dangerous.”

Was Hiddleston the most deserving candidate for the award? Who do you think was robbed? How much do we actually care about this? Weigh in in the comments below!

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Twitter Reacts To President Obama’s Powerful 2016 DNC Speech

Twitter Reacts To President Obama’s Powerful 2016 DNC Speech

Obama Clinton 2016 DNC

President Obama and Hillary Clinton at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

President Barack Obama took the stage Wednesday night, the third night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention and delivered a speech that had everyone talking and tweeting up a storm.

Related: Highlights From Night Two Of The 2016 DNC

We have collected some of the best reactions on Twitter to Obama’s speech, but first, let’s see what everyone was reacting to, in case you missed it. You can read the full transcript of the speech here.

Hillary Clinton joined Obama on stage at the end of his speech, where they pointed to one another and stood with hands clasped together.

Hillary Clinton joins President Obama onstage at the #DemConvention. t.co/QR3pdmq9Lm #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/dOtdCJo0Fq

— CNN (@CNN) July 28, 2016

We love you back, @POTUS. pic.twitter.com/S3dEsjwXCo

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 28, 2016

“Hope in the face of difficulty; hope in the face of uncertainty; the audacity of hope!” -Pres. Obama #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/HKqn2bxZyC

— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) July 28, 2016

Stronger Together. #POTUS #HillaryClinton pic.twitter.com/Fh4YWfHDvJ

— Uzo Aduba (@UzoAduba) July 28, 2016

This is the kind of love and support that I need in my life. #ImWithHer pic.twitter.com/8Lufhs3rt6

— Spenser Clark (@spenser_clark) July 28, 2016

Obama is like the high school teacher who changed your life and then shows up to your college graduation to say he always believed in you.

— Anne T. Donahue (@annetdonahue) July 28, 2016

#POTUS got me like … pic.twitter.com/KCiraBPgtc

— Clay (@claycane) July 28, 2016

Obama: “God bless you and God bless the United States of America.”

Me: pic.twitter.com/gIT0K1PA7N

— Stephen (@StephenOssola) July 28, 2016

“The American Dream is something no wall will ever contain.” – Obama #POTUS pic.twitter.com/LhirvEEiSA

— they gon’ think (@Aubrey_Forbes) July 28, 2016

The President of the United States is literally making the case for democracy over authoritarianism. In 2016.

— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) July 28, 2016

. @BarackObama THANK YOU for being my FAVORITE #POTUS Thank you for your grace, class and changing and saving #LGBT lives Miss you already

— Pauley Perrette (@PauleyP) July 28, 2016

Related: Twitter Reacts To Donald Trump Claiming He Will Protect The LGBTQ Community

Republicans React

Some Republicans were even surprised, and a bit disappointed, to find that they loved Obama’s speech.

Will a Trump apologist explain to me why an 18 yo watching the conventions would want to be a Republican? We’re giving away a generation

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) July 28, 2016

Text just now from a senior House Republican who gave me permission to tweet this: “We were supposed to make that sort of speech.”

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 28, 2016

I disagree with the President on so much policy and his agenda, but appreciate the hope and optimism in this speech.

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 28, 2016

I started the evening saying for the first time I thought Trump could win. Then Obama spoke. I’m so angry at my own party right now.

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 28, 2016

The big risk for HRC is that Michelle, Bill and Barack set the rhetorical bar waaaay up. Her speech will be good…delivery? We’ll see.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) July 28, 2016

Great speech. And we made it easy for him.

— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) July 28, 2016

American exceptionalism and greatness, shining city on hill, founding documents, etc–they’re trying to take all our stuff

— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) July 28, 2016

Still stunned. Feel like I’m in the twilight zone. Obama just defended America & conservative values from attacks by the Republican nominee.

— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) July 28, 2016

According to Ezra Klein, we should get used to this change in tone, now that Obama’s presidency is winding down.

The bipartisan plaudits for Obama’s speech are a preview of the way Republicans will warm to Obama after his presidency

— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) July 28, 2016

What did you think of the President’s speech? Let us know in the comments below.

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‘Gays for Trump’ Homocon Milo Yiannopoulos Proves He’s Just a Loud-Mouthed Fame Whore – VIDEOS

‘Gays for Trump’ Homocon Milo Yiannopoulos Proves He’s Just a Loud-Mouthed Fame Whore – VIDEOS

Milo Yiannopoulos

In a series of new interviews, Milo Yiannopoulos, the infamous homocon who was banned from Twitter and hosted the ‘Gays for Trump’ party at the 2016 Republican National Convention, made it clear that he’s nothing more than a delusional fame whore. And while he has ushered forth a new barrage of hateful, misguided remarks, he does’t deserve my outrage.

Here’s why.

Let’s start with an interview he did recently with CNN. In it, Yiannopoulos twisted himself into a linguistic pretzel trying to defend his history of making disgusting remarks on Twitter. He called his attacks on Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones a mere ‘exchange of words’, adding that all he did was crack a few jokes at her expense. “I was mean and b*tchy, like I always am,” he said with a wry smile. Never-mind that he incited a racist onslaught against Jones.

Laying bare the absurd extent to which he has deluded himself, Yiannopoulos said that a tweet he sent calling the female stars of the Ghostbuster reboot “Fat and ugly, ugly, ugly, fat” was motivated by a concern for young girls. He explained,

“We’ve started to marginalize traditional beauty standards. Now what we’re expected to do is to celebrate body positivity. That it’s ok to abuse their bodies. To run the risk of horrible diseases and awful chronic conditions and to die sooner. That’s horrible. What I’m trying to do is to draw attention to a critique of what’s happening in mainstream beauty culture. And that comes from compassion about the messages we’re sending to young girls…The piece comes from compassion. I mean, this is just a little b*tchy tweet, who cares?”

Unsurprisingly, Yiannopoulos defended internet trolls, saying, “The trolls often aren’t the bad guys. Often the trolls are the only ones telling the truth.”

He also said that he plays a vital role in our culture: “My purpose is to be a fire-starter. In an outrage culture, I think the appropriate response is to be outrageous. I don’t want everyone to be like me, but I think it’s important there are some people like me.”

And he wants to offend you:

“[If] I offended you that’s me performing my function and you should grow a thicker skin and grow up. So long as there are people who think that offense taking and having grievances is equivalent to some genuine kind of injury, I’m still necessary.”

He added, “So long as there is a politics in this country, as there is, where people can turn victimhood and grievance into currency, I will continue to be as offensive as possible.”

In another interview with CNBC, Yiannopoulos said his banning from Twitter was proof that CEO Jack Dorsey is using Twitter as his own “private political fiefdom.”

He proudly compares himself to Azealia Banks and calls Donald Trump a “madman”–which in his mind is a compliment.

He also derided Twitter for trying to regulate a civil discourse, saying Twitter has no right to regulate what that even means.

PREVIOUSLY: There Was a ‘Gays for Trump’ Party at the RNC and It Was Absolutely Insane – VIDEOS, PHOTOS

Then in another interview from his stint at the RNC last week, Yiannopoulos said that Twitter has declared war on free speech, conservatives and libertarians by banning him. In his mind, “There’s no such thing as hate speech” and companies like Twitter shouldn’t ban people because “The companies that start censoring their users lose all of the most fun people.”

But towards the end of this video, Yiannopoulos gets to the real heart of what he’s after: fame.

He says,

“What [being banned from Twitter] might enable me to do is focus on things that matter, like my tour, getting books out, and doing big commercial projects that spread my message to as many people as possible. The ban’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Every time they come for me, I get more famous, more people listen to me, more people want to hear what I have to say. It was the best thing they could have ever done for me so thank you, Twitter.”

It all boils down to fame, doesn’t it, Milo?

Many readers may at this point may be wondering why I am reporting on this man when doing so only adds fuel to his fire.

Is writing about Yiannopoulos giving him what he wants? Yes.

But when a figure as caustic, hateful and in-denial as Yiannopoulos comes along, he warrants being exposed as what he truly is—not some defender of free speech, not a warrior against political correctness run amok, but a narcissistic fame whore, tantamount to a toddler having a tantrum, doing whatever he can to grab the spotlight. Come to think of it, no wonder he loves Trump so much.

While this is not the place to dissect our culture’s noxious obsession with fame, it is worth noting that Yiannopoulos’ brand of fame-seeking is the most cynical and destructive of all. It is the kind that justifies saying or doing anything in the name of attention.

There are fame whores among us. I write about some of them here on this site. And despite whatever you may think of those who seek fame, of me for writing about them and of yourself for being interested in them, there are those who seek the limelight without propagating a hateful, racist, and xenophobic agenda. In fact, many people who seek out attention turn their need for acclaim into an ability to do some modicum of good in this world. That doesn’t mean they aren’t thirsty for fame, it just means that maybe they realized there was a way to satisfy that thirst without making the human race even more disgusting than it already is.

So I refuse to be outraged by Milo whatever the f*ck his name is I can never remember how to spell it I copy and paste it every time because I refuse to learn the spelling. You have done me no injury, and despite what you may think, Milo, I’m not using outrage as currency. Because I’m not outraged. I’m disappointed that a person who clearly has your level of mental acuity has decided to put all his energy into such a negative and destructive way of living, and has deluded himself into thinking he’s actually benefitting the world in some way. Sweetie, you’re not.

The post ‘Gays for Trump’ Homocon Milo Yiannopoulos Proves He’s Just a Loud-Mouthed Fame Whore – VIDEOS appeared first on Towleroad.



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