NBA Pulls 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte Over North-Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Bathroom Bill

NBA Pulls 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte Over North-Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Bathroom Bill

NBA all star game

The NBA will pull its 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte North Carolina as a result of the state’s anti-LGBT bathroom bill, HB 2.

The NBA was reportedly not satisfied with hollow changes made to the bill earlier this week by Governor Pat McCrory.

New Orleans is reportedly the front-runner to take over hosting duties for the game.

Yahoo reports: 

The NBA is focused on the New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center as the host for All-Star Weekend and the All-Star Game on Feb. 19, league sources told The Vertical.

For now, there are still other cities trying to lure the All-Star Game, sources said.

A formal announcement on the NBA’s withdrawal out of Charlotte is expected as soon as this week, league sources said Thursday.

Developing…

The post NBA Pulls 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte Over North-Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Bathroom Bill appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/1p6Zz5pShjs/

Reince Priebus Doesn’t Think the GOP’s Platform Is Anti-LGBT – WATCH 

Reince Priebus Doesn’t Think the GOP’s Platform Is Anti-LGBT – WATCH 

reince priebus

Reince Priebus, the RNC chair, doesn’t think the GOP platform endorses ex-gay conversion therapy or demeans the children of same-sex couples, despite incontrovertible evidence that the platform does exactly that.

In an interview with Chuck Todd on Sunday before the RNC mess convention kicked off this week, Priebus bristled when Todd asked if he was comfortable with the fact that the party platform endorses conversion therapy.

“No, it doesn’t,” Priebus insisted. “That’s out – There’s an amendment on that issue. It has been taken out. It’s not in the final platform.”

WATCH: RNC Chair @Reince Priebus denies anti-LGBTQ extent of party’s platform #RNCinCLE t.co/8fykXoBLbH pic.twitter.com/sAUDEdu0Hz

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) July 20, 2016

But that’s not exactly true.

While the platform doesn’t mention conversion therapy by name, it reads,

“America’s healthcare professionals should not be forced to choose between following their faith and practicing their profession…We support the right of parents to determine the proper medical treatment and therapy for their minor children.”

While not the full-throated endorsement of conversion therapy that hate group leader Tony Perkins may have wanted, that language does mean that the GOP believes parents should have the right to subject their children to conversion therapy (aka torture).

PREVIOUSLY: 2016 GOP Platform Lays It Bare: Today’s Republican Party is an Anti-LGBT Hate Group

Though the original amendment proposed by Perkins mentioned explicit support for “conversion therapy”, the platform’s new language (which was passed on Monday) is nothing more than misdirection. As HRC notes, “The fact that Tony Perkins and his allies didn’t raise a ruckus when the language was tweaked tells you all you need to know.”

Todd also asked Priebus about language in the platform that suggests children of same-sex couples are more likely to be drug addicts and criminals than children of heterosexual couples.

RELATED: MUST WATCH – Republican Delegate Blasts Party for Homophobic Platform: ‘Stop Repelling Gays’

Priebus again attempted to deny the anti-LGBT nature of the platform, saying, “It doesn’t mean that.”

Here’s what the platform actually says:

“Children raised in a two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier, more likely to do well in school, less likely to use drugs and alcohol, engage in crime or become pregnant outside of marriage.”

“The data and the facts lead to an inescapable conclusion: Every child deserves a married mom and dad.”

It’s hard not to read that language and come away with a sense that the RNC chose to explicitly denigrate the children of same-sex parents as well as same-sex parents themselves as somehow being dangerous to their own children.

Priebus says the point of the language is only to stress the RNC’s support for “traditional values” and what the “best” type of an American family is.

You be the judge.

Watch, below.

 

The post Reince Priebus Doesn’t Think the GOP’s Platform Is Anti-LGBT – WATCH  appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/xgQswoF2Qms/

Ted Cruz — and Honey Badger — Don’t Care: GOP Convention Recap, Day 3

Ted Cruz — and Honey Badger — Don’t Care: GOP Convention Recap, Day 3

Donald Night 3 convention recapConvention Recap, Day 3

There’s nothing like Loser Night.

Ted Cruz, channeling that crazy nastyass Honey Badger, ripped Trump a “constitutional conscience” right up his diaper-soft Pence-poof posterior.

Teddy Cruz don’t care. He’ll take Donald the King’s Cobra poisonous stings, retreat for a snooze— then come right back and EAT DONALD ALIVE like it was nothing.

You go ahead and watch that great gay animal video again— I promise, you’re watching the film of the future.

This was supposed to be Happy Loser Night. Newt Gingrich wanted to sign you up for one of his Great Mansplaining Courses. Scott Walker shouted at the wind. Marco phoned in his “Hey Girl!” via video. Why wasn’t Rubio there in person? “Something came up!” There’s a Marcia Brady in every GOP presidential race, and Marco has her nailed.

Aside from Cruz, all the action was in the Royal Box last night, where the Trump Dynasty is seated on velvet cushions in order of favor.

gop convention recap

The expressions on their faces throughout the evening more riveting than anything on stage. Watch Donnie Jr. scowl and pout through his little brother Eric’s “Ode To Daddy.” No one’s going to accuse Baby E of plagiarism, because his entire homage consisted of, “I love you, I love you, so, so, so, so much!”

Tiffany squirmed like a gassy kitten, her face a putty of teenage alienation. She sat next to implacable Ivanka who spoke volumes to her half-sister with one cold shoulder: “If you pick your nose in front of the cameras I will kill you where you lie.”

Ivanka had a cell phone she used with diamond precision. When Cruz made it clear he wasn’t going to kiss the ring, she made one call— and the mini-riot on the convention floor was the next thing we viewed on-camera.

The Donald charged into the fray, urging on the maddened crowd, giving both thumbs up, the louder the Coliseum roared  for Ted’s head. All that was missing was gladiator sandals— Charlton Heston’s disappeared in Pam Bondi’s gift bag.

Viewers at home didn’t even see the end of Cruz’s speech because the wrestling arena turned all cameras to Donald the Hulk. His Stepford receiving line rose to greet him again. Trump WILL dominate you! He has blonde dragons!

Trump was supposedly on hand Night 3 to introduce his vice-presidential running mate… What’s his name again? Gov. Mike Pence, how could we forget!

Back when Mike Pence was trying to take AIDS funds and allocate them to gay conversion therapy, he WAS somebody. Back when Pence told Indiana women they’d never escape forced birth as long as he was around to inspect their sinful vaginas, Pence actually made the news. He had dreams, he had delusions of God’s Chosen People— his wife and family.

Well, that is OVER.

There’s no one like Trump to perform Il bacio della morte, reducing his victims to a state of panic while they do anything to save their lives. God will have little to do with it.

Donald interrupted Pence last night to put his hands on the grey man’s shoulders, tower over him in height, and give him the biggest Roman Air Kiss of the Damned that we’ve seen since I, Claudius. “See what I did to Ted Cruz tonight? I could do that to you in my sleep.”

But Honey Badger don’t give a shit. It won’t be the last we see of Mr. Cruz.

 

Susie Bright will be tweeting for Towleroad @TLRD tonight in prime time during the GOP Convention.

Illustration by Jon Bailiff

The post Ted Cruz — and Honey Badger — Don’t Care: GOP Convention Recap, Day 3 appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/y2GcTZzJAKg/

Lance Bass talks Finding Prince Charming, Pride, expressions of love and more

Lance Bass talks Finding Prince Charming, Pride, expressions of love and more

Photo Credit: American Express

Lance Bass is staying busy – Logo just announced he’ll be hosting their upcoming dating show, Finding Prince Charming! On top of that, Lance is partaking in American Express’s #ExpressLove campaign to encourage LGBTQ people to express their love in big ways and small.

GLAAD’s Matt Gehring spoke with Lance this week about Finding Prince Charming, #ExpressLove and how he’s living out and proud after Orlando. This interview has been edited and condesed. 

Matt Gehring, GLAAD: What would you say it means to be out and gay in 2016 in the U.S.? How is it different today from when you came out?

Lance Bass: Oh my God – the temperature is so much better these days. I feel like just 10 years ago, it was so hard to be able to say who you are because the majority of the world was so against you, and there was so much hatred. But now, I feel that when people come out, it’s just so much more accepted and it’s a way more positive experience.

MG: In a GLAAD video last year with Michael, you talked about acceptance and said that your wedding special on E! could possibly help with visibility. Did you see any first-hand changes in people regarding their acceptance following Lance Loves Michael?

LB: Oh yeah, bigtime. Every day I get someone tweeting at me, or commenting on my Instagram about how that special helped them discover who they really were and let them know that they can love whoever they want to love. And that’s exactly what I wanted to achieve. I wanted people to watch that special and be able to relate to someone, and just like me – if there’s a gay kid from Mississippi thinking he’s the only gay in the village, I really wanted that to be on television so small-town gay kids get to see something that they can look up to and that they can relate to. And I hope that it helps them just like I wish it could have helped me when I was a little kid.

MG: Now you’re working with American Express on their #ExpressLove campaign, which is really about the little things that people within the LGBTQ community do every day to show their love. So I want to ask you, what’s one your favorite little things you like to do to express your love?

LB: One thing I do for my husband where I really express my love is I cook for him. One of my favorite things to do is make him a meal and he loves to eat, so it’s kind of our little bonding thing. We’ll get in the kitchen and as I cook, he’s my sous chef and we’ll pretend we’re on Hell’s Kitchen and that’s kind of our bonding, fun experience.

MG: How important do you think it is for out LGBTQ people to be open about expressing their love?

LB: It’s so important – you still hear stories of people getting beat up because they were holding their husband and boyfriend’s hand. The more visibility we have with people expressing their love in public only helps us progress that much quicker and that much further. You have to get over that stigma that people have of the gay community. It’s out of the norm for so many people and until they are aware of someone or get to know someone, they really can’t change their mind about someone. The more that we’re just being ourselves and showing people who we love and not being afraid of it, the better and quicker we’re going to advance our community.

MG: In other terms of expressing love, Logo announced their show Finding Prince Charming which you’ll be the host of! Why do you think the world could use a show like this?

LB: Well, it’s one of those things where I can’t believe this hasn’t happened on television yet. It’s all about that visibility thing – you know, even with my wedding special, that being the first wedding special on television for the gay community, that even surprised me. I was like, really? No one has had a wedding special before in the LGBT community? It just shows us as equal. Even with reality shows and dating, we’ve never had anything like that before. This just shows that people want to see a show like this and it’s just a great way to show the world what it’s like to date in this community and to show the gay community what it’s like to date.

Like I said before, being a small-town gay kid, you might not even know another gay person so you’ve definitely never been in the dating scene. To see guys go through this situation where they’re trying to find love and they’re going to see these guys dating, that’s just going to encourage them to be more themselves and maybe relate to a lot of these guys who are going to be in the house.

MG: As host, how involved are you going to be with the guys as they try to find love?

LB: Very involved! The great thing about it is, our prince charming and I spend every day together. I’m supposed to be his wing-man through this whole process. A lot of the time, he doesn’t really get to talk to anyone except me, and half the time he doesn’t even know what’s happening in the house because he’s not in there, and me and the producers don’t let him know what’s going on until the guys tell him, because we want it to be very authentic. I love being his wing-man. I’m there for him for whatever he needs.

It’s been a really fun experience, an emotional rollercoaster for sure on this show. I didn’t really expect that. I’m a huge reality television fan, I love it. I watch shows like Tila Tequila, The Bachelor, you name it, I’ve watched it. Big Brother is my favorite show in the whole world! So to be able to experience this, especially with a gay show like this, I’m so proud to be a part of this history and it’s definitely been rewarding. With everything coming out with this show, it’s so much different than I thought it would be. 

MG: We just recently wrapped up Pride month in the U.S. and I know you attended many events following the shooting in Orlando. How was Pride different for you this year?

LB: Pride was very different for me this year. Every year, I’ve gone to Pride here and there. I feel like I’m always out of town when LA Pride is happening. But this year, I really made an effort to show up and show face. Our community was really scared after Orlando and there were a lot of threats on our community. Even the day of the LA parade, you had someone get caught with a bunch of guns and ammunition in their car heading to the parade. That just really scared everyone and a lot of people didn’t want to come out of their houses. I just wanted to show people that we shouldn’t be afraid at all; we have to be ourselves and I wanted to be visible at as many as I could. I’ll be in Orlando this weekend and I’ll be going to Austin Pride coming up.

It continues and it’s really great to see people celebrating our community and not being scared, and really celebrating how far we’ve come. I know it sounds like the world is ending if you listen to certain politicians out there, but really, it has gotten so much better. Just in the last couple years, we can all get married, we can all adopt children now. Things have progressed so far and we should be happy about that and proud of that and celebrate it, and not look at all the negative that’s going on in the world right now.

MG: In your opinion, what’s next for the LGBT community?

LB: Still, there are several states that have passed some anti-gay laws. Those are things that we’re still going to fight against and make sure that those don’t get implemented. Because of same-sex marriage, people really have dug their heels in and are trying to bring us back to the fifties again. We have to make sure that these laws don’t secretly get placed into law. You know, I’m from Mississippi, so that HB1523 law was really snuck in overnight and no one really paid attention to it until it was too late. Those things can’t happen anymore and we have to continuously fight all these sneaky politicians that are doing things for their own agenda. Most of these politicians don’t even care about same-sex marriage and all that, they just want to be re-elected again. They’re pandering to some very ignorant and uneducated people.

MG: Now that we’re more than a month following the shooting in Orlando, what do you think is next in the healing process for LGBT people across the country and across the world?

LB: The healing has begun and it continues. We’ll never forget what all of our brothers and sisters have gone through in the last hundreds of years. This isn’t the first tragedy the LGBT community has had – there have been several. You can’t forget it, because history repeats itself. There’s always going to be awful things like this happening. You can’t stop it; as long as there are ignorant people, these things are going to happen. You just have to live your life and can’t be scared. 

MG: What else can we look forward to seeing from you, LGBTQ-related and beyond?

LB: Well, my favorite thing of course is Finding Prince Charming, which I’m so excited I finally get to talk about it! We’ve been shooting it for so long and I’ve not been able to tell anyone about it except my husband, and that’s coming out very, very soon. I’ll just be hot and heavy promoting that in the next couple of months. And then, who knows after that? I kind of go from one project to the next. After that, I have a FOX show, a cooking show that comes out in January so I’ll be really focusing on that after this Logo show.

July 21, 2016

www.glaad.org/blog/lance-bass-talks-finding-prince-charming-pride-expressions-love-and-more

Florida Principal Calls for Death to Gays After Seeing Outsports’ Cyd Zeigler Kissing Husband

Florida Principal Calls for Death to Gays After Seeing Outsports’ Cyd Zeigler Kissing Husband

13445756_10154094331670168_866518452712519601_n

A principal at a Florida school responded to a picture of OutSports editor Cyd Zeigler kissing his husband by calling for gay people to “be put to death”, just hours after the massacre at the Orlando gay nightclub Pulse.

Zeigler shared the photo of him and husband Dan Pinar kissing on Facebook “in the hope of reminding my personal network of the love in the world.”

Shortly thereafter, Steve Kenney, a principal at Center Academy in Pinellas Park, Florida, posted a comment on the photo saying, “sick.”

principal_comment2_noname.0

He then went on to post a passage from Leviticus calling for gays to be put to death.

principal_comment_bible_noname.0

As the above screenshot indicates, this post came just one day after the murder of 49 people at Pulse.

It was after receiving this threatening comment that Zeigler cliked onto Kenney’s page and realized he was a principal, a fact that stunned him:

I wondered how an educator of young minds — a school principal — could not only think such terrible things about gay people, but go a step further and post them on a stranger’s loving photo only hours after the massacre.

I am a frequent and outspoken advocate for disenfranchised young people — someone who cares deeply about making sure that every kid feels included regardless of sexual orientation (or anything else that makes them different from the mainstream). As such, the insensitivity of this school principal was beyond my ability to grasp.

To make matters worse, Kenney’s school, a non-religious institution, caters to special-needs students, who Zeigler writes, “aren’t just impressionable, they are some of the most vulnerable in our society.”

Zeigler reached out to Center Academy CEO Andrew Hicks to inform him of Kenney’s posts. Though Kenney deleted his posts and promised not to make any such anti-gay comments online in the future, the school repeatedly ignored Zeigler’s follow-ups asking to open a dialogue at the school to discuss anti-LGBT hate. That led Zeigler to call Kenney and Hicks out.

Says Zeigler,

What bothers me most is my concern that, without education about inclusion and a community of watchdog administrators and parents encouraging tolerance, Kenney’s expressed bigotry could seep into choices he is making for his school. […]

I want the parents and administration to be very aware of this issue. I want them to be the eyes and ears on the ground watching Kenney’s decisions. I want them to make sure that every LGBT student in that school feels included, and that programs are set up in Center Academy to ensure that Kenney’s statements about gay people being “sick” don’t dictate school policy or programs.

I want Kenney to introduce an LGBT speaker at a school assembly. I want Kenney to shake the hand of a gay athlete sharing her story with the athletic department.

[Top photo via Facebook]

The post Florida Principal Calls for Death to Gays After Seeing Outsports’ Cyd Zeigler Kissing Husband appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/D-ZGs_ezk3s/

Mister Wallace Shows the World How an ‘It Girl’ Moves: WATCH

Mister Wallace Shows the World How an ‘It Girl’ Moves: WATCH

wallace

Mister Wallace, a Brooklyn-based queer rapper with a new EP called “Faggot”, is not here for your limitations.

He whickers musically through his upbeat new video “It Girl” in a rapid-fire sequence of gender-fluid looks ranging from salvage yard hustler to Empire State siren — a naughty tease with moves that seduce.

Said Mister Wallace to The Fader:

“It became clear to me that before I could realize any dream of being a successful artist, I was more likely to become world famous for being gunned down by a racist cop under the protection of the law. I started to imagine how my image would be used by the media to perpetuate this horrific narrative to younger people and it sent me over the edge. ‘It Girl’ became my anthem and it kept me alive at a time when lovers and employers felt my blackness and my queerness had gone too far from what’s acceptable to mainstream society. My hope is that this song, my truth, gives you LIFE and inspires you to appreciate the lives of those who look and feel like me.”

The clip was directed by Ahmed Ibrahim and shot in 10 hours with a budget of $400.

2_wallace

Of his inspirations, Mister Wallace told Towleroad: “I’m really inspired by the model Shaun D Ross. His use of his body in fashion modeling and runway modeling shows true perseverance in the face of unrealistic beauty expectations. He also vogues down!”

Added Ibrahim to Fader: “We made this video for those who still find glamor and dignity even in their worst conditions.”

Enjoy:

Listen to his full EP below:

The post Mister Wallace Shows the World How an ‘It Girl’ Moves: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/c2kfTdHa8Ls/

Milo Yiannopoulos in Talks for Reality TV Show, Movie Following Twitter Ban – WATCH

Milo Yiannopoulos in Talks for Reality TV Show, Movie Following Twitter Ban – WATCH

milo2

Homocon Milo Yiannopoulos says he is in talks to have his own reality TV show and movie after being banned from Twitter earlier this week.

Twitter made the decision to ban Yiannopoulos after he harassed Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones with racist Tweets.

Via The Hollywood Reporter

“I have a couple of deals on the table I’m thinking about,” Yiannopoulos said. “We are currently considering a reality show, we are currently considering a feature-length movie.”

The right-wing firebrand wouldn’t reveal details of either project, but said that there will be video cameras aboard his bus during his “Dangerous Faggot” tour, where he preaches conservatism on college campuses. His next tour kicks off in September and will take him to 26 campuses.

PREVIOUSLY: ‘Gays for Trump’ Homocon Milo Yiannopoulos Banned Permanently from Twitter for Racist Tweets at Leslie Jones

Yiannopoulos, who also writes for right-wing site Breitbart, said that Twitter’s decision to ban him was politically motivated and hinted that Jones was playing the victim:

“We all get this stuff, but only some people play it for currency, use it as a weapon,” he said. “I want to crack jokes about people. That is my right.”

If Twitter changed course and decided to allow Yiannopoulos to re-join, Yiannopoulos said, “I may deign to return.”

Yiannopoulos has been garnering attention at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland after he hosted a “Gays for Trump” party that was a startling celebration of anti-Islamist bigotry.

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

 

Yiannopoulos was also in the news on Wednesday after a confrontation took place between producers of The Daily Show and an attendee of his “Gays for Trump” party. The Daily Show was interviewing one such gay for Trump and a fellow Republican decided to record the recording of the interview, believing The Daily Show would “slice and dice” the young man’s words into something embarrassing. More via THR:

“The Daily Show likes to slice and dice,” Yiannopoulos said, adding that he presumed their agenda was to suggest that “gay conservatives are broken, self-loathing weirdos.”

“What we did was turn the camera on them,” he said. “All’s we wanted to do was look at what The Daily Show ends up broadcasting and look at what actually happened and let people judge for themselves.”

Watch Yiannopoulos’ Facebook Live interview with THR, below.

The post Milo Yiannopoulos in Talks for Reality TV Show, Movie Following Twitter Ban – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/p4TEG2vpNlE/