Notorious Homophobe and Ousted Fox News Chief Roger Ailes Advising Trump

Roger Ailes is reportedly advising Donald Trump ahead of the presidential debates between Trump and Hillary Clinton. The disgraced former head of FOX News was ousted from his post earlier this year after reports emerged suggesting he repeatedly sexually harassed women under his employ. Ailes also has a record of being a vehement and vocal opponent of gay rights.

The New York Times reports on Ailes’ new gig: 

Mr. Ailes is aiding Mr. Trump’s team as it turns its attention to the first debate with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, on Sept. 26 at Hofstra University on Long Island, according to four people briefed on the move, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Two of them said that Mr. Ailes’s role could extend beyond the debates, which Mr. Trump’s advisers see as crucial to vaulting him back into strong contention for the presidency after a series of self-inflicted wounds that have eroded his standing in public opinion polls.

The Trump campaign denies that Ailes is serving as an adviser.

PREVIOUSLY: Samantha Bee Celebrates the Downfall of Roger Ailes – WATCH

The NYT also reports that Ailes was once “a sought-after debate coach, working with Ronald Reagan in 1984 and readying Vice President George Bush for debates with the Democratic candidate, Gov. Michael Dukakis, in 1988.”

Ailes has a history of homophobia that includes a penchant for using the word “faggot”, and the time he ejected a gay rights protestor by the throat from a 1989 rally for then mayoral candidate Rudy Giuliani. Ailes reportedly has lived in fear of “Those gays” ever since, insisting that his corner office on the second floor of Fox’s NYC HQ be reinforced with “bombproof glass”, fearing gay rights activists were eager to retaliate against him.

Watch a report on Ailes’ ouster from FOX, below.

The post Notorious Homophobe and Ousted Fox News Chief Roger Ailes Advising Trump appeared first on Towleroad.

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NEW MUSIC: Mark Kozelek, No Joy, The Scientists

This week in New Music: Mark Kozelek‘s renditions of classics including “Moon River,” No Joy embrace indie girl fuzz pop and a 4-CD collection of live and studio recordings by Australian swamp rock legends is one for super fans only.

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Mark Kozelek – Mark Kozelek Sings Favorites

We last met Red House Painters former frontman Mark Kozelek back in March on his collaboration as Sun Kil Moon with Jesu, otherwise known as Justin Broderick and best known as a member of Napalm Death. That collaboration, Jesu/Sun Kil Moon was probably what you might expect – a dark concept album that is up there with the best of this year’s releases.

Kozelek was back in June with Mark Kozelek Sings Favorites, which is not so much a change in direction as a 360 about turn. That’s what’s most wonderful about Kozelek – he is a rock poet who can turn his hand to almost anything and make it into a beautiful thing.

Sings Favorites… is just that – a collection of piano-based covers of classics including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Something Stupid.” Probably the best efforts here are a simply gorgeous rendition of “Moon River” and a startling take on Modest Mouse’s “Float On.”

Piano-based/acoustic covers are nothing new and often utterly pointless, sometimes unnecessarily tacky. However, this is Mark Kozelek so …Sings Favorites is up there with the likes of Tori Amos doing “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” While his weary voice could make these classic mind numbing, it actually adds a level of gravitas to songs you’d forgotten how much you loved.

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No Joy – “Drool Sucker”

Did you know that EMO is in it’s 4th phase? No, me neither. A much maligned genre that has been the butt of jokes over the last 20 years, there has been a huge number of EMO-revival efforts in recent years. Many of them have been outstanding (see Nothing’s Tired of Tomorrow), some have been same old same old but remarkably pleasant (stand up The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die).

Then we have “Drool Sucker” by No Joy, apparently the first in a series of EPs/singles each of which aims to showcase a specific genre in order to avoid genre pigeon-holing or something.

At three tracks, No Joy are being eminently sensible in eschewing the album format, a trick that many, many acts might consider nowadays. We’ll call “Drool Sucker” the band’s indie pop rock album and it’s a perfect example of the genre. For fans of The Breeders, Pixies, The Cranberries, Speedy Ortiz et al, there’s nothing new but it’s ten minutes of girl fuzz joy.

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The Scientists – A Place Called Bad

Fact – Australian late-70s/80s punk/garage/swamp rock act The Scientists (above) recorded seven actual albums and are now seeing the release of their ninth compilation. Much like The Velvet Underground they are probably more revered than listened to, catapulting as they did swamp rock into being and providing the seeds for the grunge explosion in the early 90s.

A Place Called Bad is a four-CD collection that includes all of the band’s studio recordings and a ton of live recordings.

Really one for completists, A Place Called Bad is probably not the best intro to the band. For anyone new to the band, start off with 1981 debut “The Scientists,” also known as “The Pink Album.”

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‘American Idol’ Alum David Hernandez Embraces Being Gay with ‘Beautiful’ Music Video – WATCH

American Idol alumnus David Hernandez is setting the record straight, so to speak, and opening up about his sexuality with the release of his new music video, “Beautiful.”

You may recall Hernandez was the subject of fervid speculation when he was eliminated from Idol back in 2008 after making the top 12. Reports began to surface at that time that Hernandez had worked as a male stripper who catered to mostly male clientele prior to joining Idol.

In a new interview with OUT, Hernandez says Idol producers were aware he had worked as a stripper when he joined the show. He also says that seeing negative comments online and on TV about his disrobing days was hard. “My dad still knew nothing about my sexuality or my profession. So when it’s plastered all over CNN that’s not how somebody really wants to go down,” he explains.

In 2008, Hernandez suggested to Michael Musto that the reason he was eliminated by Idol voters was not his stripper past but rather audience members’ disquiet with ‘the gay thing’, implying that perhaps if he had been a male stripper for female audiences he would have received less notoriety and remained on the show longer. At the time, Hernandez also implied that he knew fellow Idol contestant Adam Lambert from ‘the scene’ prior to going on the show. Lambert was not publicly out at the time.

With the release of his new music video “Beautiful”, Hernandez is embracing his sexuality and offering words of support to anyone who may feel put down by society.

Via OUT: 

Hernandez wants to use the song to reach out to people of all groups and remind them they’re beautiful just the way that they are and that there’s no reason to feel ashamed.

“If you’re missing a leg, you’re still beautiful. If you’re overweight, you’re still beautiful. If you are 75 years old, you’re still beautiful,” Hernandez says. “That’s why I wanted to share my own story as a gay man.”

For years, Hernandez has been forced to portray an image of himself that wasn’t real—and he’s over it. Now he wants his art to reveal who he really is: an out and proud man with a strong, honest voice.

“That’s why this song resonates with me. The lyrics are just so powerful. This is who I am, take it or leave it.”

Watch the music video, below.

The post ‘American Idol’ Alum David Hernandez Embraces Being Gay with ‘Beautiful’ Music Video – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Rio 2016, Day 10 Report: Track Dive, High-Speed Crash, Wedding Bells, and Thiago Braz da Silva

The early hours of Day 10 of Rio 2016 brought redemption to long jumper Darya Klishina of Russia. The only Russian track and field athlete allowed to compete this year, Klishina had her eligibility revoked on Friday by the IAFF, which stated it had new, but undisclosed information. She vehemently denied the accusations and said she’d appeal.

“I will take every possible effort to protect my clean image,” she wrote on her Facebook page. She appealed the decision to the  Court of Arbitration for Sport (Ad Hoc division in Rio) and won. Yesterday a relieved Klishina, 10th in the 2015 World Championships, wrote: “with the appeal now behind me, I can thankfully focus my time and attention on competing tomorrow night and enjoying my Olympic experience.”

♦

The weather did not cooperate with Rio 2016 yesterday. Unpredictable wind (not enough, and then too much of it) forced organizers to postpone sailing events, and pouring rain had the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAFF) ask athletes who hadn’t qualified for the 110m hurdle’s semifinals to “race again due to the adverse weather conditions.”

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The pole vault event was also delayed because of the heavy rain. But the downpour brought luck to Brazilian Thiago Braz da Silva, who won the nation’s first medal in the event ever — and Brazil’s second gold this year. The 22-year-old, who was not considered the favorite to win, also broke the Olympic record, beating reigning champion Renaud Lavillenie.

You can imagine the reaction of the crowd.

If you were worried about the spread of Zika Rio, you were worried about the wrong thing. Marriage, it seems, is the epidemic that has taken over the Rio Olympics.

It started when Rio 2016 volunteer Marjorie Enya proposed to Brazilian rugby player Isadora Cerullo. Then diver Qin Kai asked girlfriend and fellow diver He Zi to marry him, right after she won a silver medal on the 3m springboard. Yesterday, race walker Tom Bosworth of Great Britain got down on one knee in Copacabana and  proposed to his boyfriend Harry Dineley; and while Charlotte Dujardin, also from Britain, defended her Olympic individual dressage title, her fiancé wore a shirt that read: “Can we get married now?”

But the love fever didn’t stop there. It’s spread even amongst us, common people.

Last night BBC posted a hilarious video of reporter Dan Walker who was unexpectedly joined by Maria de Cezar and her wild bachelorette party while presenting live on BBC Four from Copacabana beach. Walker was even invited to the wedding.

The video quickly went viral and has been making its rounds on social media. “I can’t stop watching it!” journalist Barbara Marcolini wrote on Facebook. We can’t either.

 ♦

Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas won the gold medal in the women’s 400-meter final, after she dove across the finish line and beat world champion Allyson Felix of Team USA by .07 seconds. The controversial dive was defended by Olympic Track and Field legend Michael Johnson, who praised her for her efforts.

Shaunae Miller unbelievable effort diving for the finish line to take the 400,one of the best moments of the Games so far! Amazing race!

— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) August 16, 2016

The moment Shaunae Miller dove for gold to edge out Allyson Felix t.co/y8PcuemkgF pic.twitter.com/S9hNPlOWcP

— Mashable (@mashable) August 16, 2016

Did @Hey_ItsShaunae dive or stumble? Former Olympian @DonnaLegz is on @BBCWorld @11BST t.co/RIkFHWBfLO pic.twitter.com/Go61tDGs5q

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 16, 2016

Olympic Updates: Shaunae Miller Dives Across Finish Line To Win 400m Race t.co/7uAxicWCyk pic.twitter.com/uJo9R1Z2eQ

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) August 16, 2016

And, of course, she gets the inevitable meme:

Shaunae Miller winning gold medals like pic.twitter.com/UDMDGtSI5v

— Ira Madison III (@ira) August 16, 2016

♦

Cyclist Mark Cavendish of Great Britain caused a high speed crash during the final event of the men’s omnium that knocked three riders off their bikes. One of them, Sanghoon Park of South Korea had to be taken away on a stretcher.

“It was my fault, I should have been looking more,” Cavendish told reporters after the race. “I hope he’s all right. I apologized to Elia after he went down.”

Leader Italian Elia Viviani also went down with the crash, but he managed to get back on his bike and won the gold medal.

Check out the video below:

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Islam El Shehaby, the sore loser judoka who couldn’t separate Middle Eastern politics from sports and refused to shake Israeli opponent Or Sassom after losing to him in the first round of the over-100 kg competition, was reprimanded and sent home by the International Olympic Committee.

BREAKING: Olympic officials say Egyptian judo athlete reprimanded, sent home after refusing to shake Israeli opponent’s hand.

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) August 15, 2016

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Two matches you should absolutely not miss today: beach volleyball, one of the most popular team events in beach-loving Rio, moves on to the semifinals phase in world famous Copacabana Beach.

Openly lesbian Larissa França and her partner Talita Antunes of Brazil, play against German duo Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, No. 1 in the Olympic rankings, at 4pm (local time).

At 11:59pm, Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross of the United States (ranked No. 3) play against Brazilian duo Ágatha Bednarczuk and Bárbara Seixas. Walsh-Jennings is a five-time Olympian and three-time gold medalist, who has never lost an Olympic beach volleyball match. If she wins a medal, she will become the most decorated beach volleyball athlete ever.

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In the Men’s side, American duo Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena (No. 2 in the Olympic rankings) and heavy favorites to win the gold medal in this year’s Olympics lost to Bruno Oscar Schmidt and Alison Cerutti of Brazil 2-1 and were sent home.

Photo Credit: Muri Assunção/Towleroad

The post Rio 2016, Day 10 Report: Track Dive, High-Speed Crash, Wedding Bells, and Thiago Braz da Silva appeared first on Towleroad.

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Back To School: Four Ways Educators Can Support LGBTQ Youth

Post submitted by HRC Welcoming Schools Project Coordinator Charles Girard

As educators across the country prepare for the upcoming school year, some students, especially LGBTQ students and students with LGBTQ families, wonder if they will be safe, seen, heard and represented at school this year. How can teachers and school staff ensure that their LGBTQ students and their families feel welcome?

1. Integrate LGBTQ Topics into the Classroom.

Including LGBTQ people and topics in the classroom teaches children that being LGBTQ is “normal” and  another form of diversity. LGBTQ topics can be integrated into everyday lessons in the following ways:

• Creating word problems? Rather than asking students to calculate the speed of a car carrying “Gabby and her mom and dad,” ask them to calculate the speed of a car carrying “Gabby and her two moms.”  
• Assigning students to write reports on historical figures? Make sure that you suggest some LGBTQ people that your class can study such as Harvey Milk or Alan Turing.

2. Allow All Students to be Themselves

As with all students in your classroom, everyone has their own set of unique interests and personality traits. Sometimes it can be easy to make assumptions or to believe stereotypes about LGBTQ students.  All students–LGBTQ students in particular–may feel uncomfortable following their interests if they do not match culturally prescribed gender roles within the gender binary.  

For example, a gay student who is bullied for acting “too feminine” may want to join the cheerleading squad but may be too nervous about his safety. Let all of your students know that they can follow their interests, and make this especially clear when your students are picking between activities that are often gendered. This can be simple:

• “If you’re interested in joining the cheerleading squad, let me know by Friday. This goes for boys, too; not only girls can join cheerleading! Good cheerleading squads have a mix of genders on the team, so I’d encourage every single student in this class to think about it if they are interested.”
• “During recess today you have a choice between learning a dance or playing soccer. Remember that girls can play soccer and boys can dance, so do whichever you’d like to do more.”

3. Develop Classroom Values that are LGBTQ Inclusive

Be specific and inclusive of LGBTQ students when developing a respectful classroom culture this year!  Consider what values would help LGBTQ students feel welcome. Should your class agree to check-in on each other’s pronouns twice a year? Do you think your class can agree to never use anti-LGBTQ slurs like “that’s so gay”? Should your students agree together that students of all genders can follow their interests?

Work with your students to create a list that you can post in the classroom. Posting the list will increase accountability among students and you can always add more values as the school year progresses.

4. Take Anti-LGTBQ Bullying Seriously:

Oftentimes, educators avoid addressing anti-LGBTQ language and comments because they do not know how to respond or worry about backlash from parents or administrators if they do respond. It is the right of all students—including LGBTQ students— to feel safe at school.  As you begin your school year, check-in with your principal to be sure that they know that you will be actively be supporting LGBTQ students and that you are grateful for the administration’s support of you if there is any resistance. More resources on anti-LGBTQ bullying can be found here.

Looking for more ways to create LGBTQ-inclusive classrooms? Head over to welcomingschools.org for plenty of resources to start off the school year. For the beginning of school, check out our page on challenging questions. What do you do when a student says that girls can’t play basketball? Or when a student asks you what “gay” means? You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers.

HRC Welcoming Schools is a comprehensive approach to creating respectful and supportive elementary schools with resources and professional development to embrace family diversity, create LGBTQ-inclusive schools, prevent bias-based bullying and gender stereotyping, and support transgender and gender-expansive students.

www.hrc.org/blog/back-to-school-four-ways-educators-can-support-lgbtq-youth?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: August 16, 2016

TRUMP HYPOCRISY ON DISPLAY DAYS AFTER CAMPAIGNING WITH ANTI-LGBTQ ACTIVISTS: Just five days after campaigning with Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver and other enemies of global anti-LGBTQ equality, Donald Trump delivered a “foreign policy” speech (again) fabricating a supposed commitment to LGBTQ equality. HRC President Chad Griffin blasted Trump for courting support from LGBTQ activists, threatening to roll back LGBTQ equality and doubling down on his hateful agenda by adding Mike Pence — one of the most prominent faces of discrimination in America today — to the ticket. Hillary Clinton’s record as Secretary of State stands in stark contrast: she went before the international community to declare that “gay rights are human rights,” launched the Global Equality Fund, and pioneered the first-ever UN resolution protecting LGBTQ people. More from HRC.

• Meanwhile, Pence will spend some anti-equality time campaigning with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in coming weeks, bringing together two politicians whose careers have been marked by anti-LGBTQ efforts. Despite Rubio’s long record opposing LGBTQ equality and commonsense gun safety legislation, he despicably continues to cite the tragedy at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub as his reason for running for re-election. More from The Associated Press.

TODAY: NAVAL SHIP TO BE NAMED AFTER LGBTQ RIGHTS PIONEER HARVEY MILK: At a ceremony today in San Francisco, the U.S. Navy will make history by naming a new Military Sealift Command ship after Harvey Milk, the former Navy diver and pioneer in the LGBTQ civil rights movement who was assassinated in 1978.

FOR OUR STATE, FOR OUR FUTURE, REPEAL HB2: Jonah Perrin, a rising junior at Carrboro High School in Carrboro, NC, shared a powerful message about HB2: “What teacher would want to come to North Carolina, given that transgender students will experience institutional discrimination?” As the new school year ramps up in the Tar Heel State, students and teachers are concerned about the rights of trans students; as the election season ramps up, voters should be concerned about officials campaigning on this hateful law. Read Jonah’s full op-ed at The News & Observer.

• The Charlotte Observer questions taxpayer-funded scholarships going to faith-based NC schools that bar LGBTQ students: The Observer’s editorial board writes that the three-year-old discriminatory program, supported by GOP lawmakers, will result in state legislators “wrestling with yet another costly legal quagmire of their own making.”
• Meanwhile, Gov. McCrory is (again) defending (another) discriminatory law despite courts having already ruled that provisions of North Carolina’s voter restriction law “target African Americans with almost surgical precision”. Given the hole he’s already dug on HB2 and the money he’s had to divert from emergency funds to pay for HB2’s defense, one wonders when he’ll ever decide enough is enough…

NEW RULE ENSURES TRANS PEOPLE EQUAL RESTROOM ACCESS IN GOV’T BUILDINGS: This week, a new regulation is being submitted to the Federal Register ensuring that transgender people can access restrooms consistent with their gender identity in thousands of federal offices, buildings and facilities under the jurisdiction of the U.S. General Services Administration. “Every person should be able to access government programs, facilities, and services without fear of discrimination,” said HRC Communications Director Jay Brown, who is openly transgender. “This regulation builds off of years of precedent and provides a vital layer of protection for transgender people seeking to fully and equally participate in public life.” More from BuzzFeed and HRC.

• Millennials overwhelmingly support trans equality: A USA Today and Rock the Vote survey shows that by a 2-1 margin millennials believe transgender people should be allowed to use public restroom facilities that correspond to their gender identity. The results echo those of a recent GenForward survey that found young people overwhelmingly support LGBTQ rights. More from USA Today.

ANTI-LGBTQ PASTORS SUE ILL. WITH HELP FROM KNOWN ANTI-EQUALITY LAWYERS: A group of anti-LGBTQ Illinois pastors are suing the state, arguing that clergy should be exempt from a law banning the debunked and dangerous practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” The pastors are represented by the law firm Mauck & Baker, which has a history of working with anti-LGBTQ hate groups including Alliance Defending Freedom. More from The Washington Post.

• Also in Illinois: Anti-LGBTQ students and teachers at a suburban Chicago high school are challenging the school district’s 2015 settlement with the U.S. Department of Education allowing a transgender girl access to the correct locker room at school. More from Reuters.

IOC TAKES GRADUAL STEPS TO SUPPORT LGBTQ EQUALITY: After harsh criticism for choosing Russia as a host country for the 2014 Olympics despite its draconian and discriminatory anti-LGBTQ laws, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) adopted policy changes to protect the LGBTQ community in future games. The IOC changed its charter to include sexual orientation in its non-discrimination clause, but the policy falls short: it does not include gender identity, leaving transgender athletes without protections. More from HRC.

• While Brazil may have LGBTQ-inclusive laws, backlash towards the community has escalated in recent years. Advocates are hoping that the celebration of openly-LGBTQ athletes during the Olympics can help reduce anti-LGBTQ animus in Brazil and around the world. More from The Chicago Tribune.
• He said ‘yes!’ Olympian Tom Bosworth proposed to Harry Dineley in Rio yesterday. Bosworth is competing as a race walker for Great Britain. Congrats to the happy couple!

MUST WATCH: Comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen are featured in a new Bud Light ad, “Labels,” that includes a pointed nod to gender identity as a spectrum. Watch the ad here.

READING RAINBOW

The Globe and Mail looks at Canada’s international LGBTQ equality efforts; The Advocate explains how Trump threatens national LGBTQ health; Vice News profiles César L. Baquerizo, an Ecuadorian author fighting dangerous “conversion therapy”; Times Live checks out South Africa’s first LGBTQ video streaming service; Yahoo Sports talks to WNBA stars about when the “stigma” faced by openly gay NBA players will end; and ThinkProgress breaks down what Marco Rubio’s speech to anti-LGBTQ activists was really about.

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-august-16-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Roy Cohn and Donald Trump: Mentor and Protégé

Trump learned much from the closeted gay communist-hunter and counsel to the rich and infamous.

www.advocate.com/election/2016/8/16/roy-cohn-and-donald-trump-mentor-and-protege

The Agony and the Ecstasy of Men's Competitive Pole Dancing (Photos)

www.advocate.com/sports/2016/8/16/agony-and-ecstasy-mens-competitive-pole-dancing-photos

Apple CEO Tim Cook Says Anderson Cooper Helped Him Come Out

The openly gay exec reportedly had “multiple meetings” with the CNN anchor.

www.advocate.com/technology/2016/8/16/apple-ceo-tim-cook-says-anderson-cooper-helped-him-come-out