In Montreal, Pride is Fierté (Photos)
www.advocate.com/pride/2016/8/17/montreal-pride-fierte-photos
Daily Archives: August 17, 2016
Friends
Greg Louganis in Rio: On His Favorite Olympics and Mentoring Divers (Video)
Greg Louganis in Rio: On His Favorite Olympics and Mentoring Divers (Video)
www.advocate.com/sports/2016/8/17/greg-louganis-rio-his-favorite-olympics-and-mentoring-divers-video
Pride Face
Pride Face
Mister Oy posted a photo:
Our Wigan Town Centre sculpture got a temporary makeover for our first PRIDE event at the weekend.
Chris Evans, Scott Eastwood, Other Slabs Of Men Take 22 Push-Up Challenge
Chris Evans, Scott Eastwood, Other Slabs Of Men Take 22 Push-Up Challenge
Remember 2014’s inescapable Ice Bucket Challenge for ASL research? Now, celebrities are clamoring to participate in yet another viral campaign for an equally good cause.
Related: The Hottest Guys To Steam Up The “Ice Bucket Challenge”
Launched by #22Kill, The 22 Push-Up Challenge hopes to raise awareness about the myriad mental health issues that trouble America’s soldiers. As People reports, participants are asked to perform 22 pushups to emphasize the number of veterans who commit suicide each day.
Related: Steve Grand Promised Video Of His Naked Ice Bucket Challenge So Here It Is
Here are some highlights from the campaign so far:
Chris Pratt and wife Anna Faris dropped and performed 22 pushups allegedly. The film cuts off after 5. Shady, but let’s take their word for it.
A video posted by chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) on
It didn’t feel right for Scott Eastwood to perform his 22 pushups in a clingy tank-top, so he brashly hurdled it into the cosmos before getting down to business. How irretrievably badass of him.
Thanks @prattprattpratt and @therock for calling people out this morning. the #22pushupchallenge is to raise awareness for our veterans that are suffering out there. We must never forget about those who fight and die for this country. If you are suffering call 1-800-273-8255 @ludacris know your hungover but I’m challenging you!!!
A video posted by Scott Eastwood (@scotteastwood) on
Related: Pray That James Franco’s Pantless Ice Bucket Challenge Starts A New Trend
John Kraskinki performs his dutiful 22 pushups alongside an alarmingly adorable dog Finn, who looks alternately mournful, confused, jubilant, bored shitless, jubilant again, inquisitive, irritated, over it, inexplicably pissed.
#22pushupchallenge Raising awareness for our brave men and women suffering with PTSD and specifically the 22 veterans that commit suicide every day. #veterans #NeverStopSayingThankYou @chrisevans @rise_movement @miles_teller @prattprattpratt
A video posted by John Krasinski (@johnkrasinski) on
Then Chris Evans performs the task — “I’m just gonna bang these out real quick” — with his own dog doing everything in his power to sabotage his master. Heartless creature.
Thank you to all the men and women who serve this country #22PushupChallenge @Renner4Real @AnthonyMackie pic.twitter.com/BbA5j67uaM
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) August 15, 2016
Then The Rock performs his 22, but is similarly interrupted by his dog, who is inexplicably wandering around the gym and licks his face the whole time. Three makes a trend, so dogs are officially a thing now.
A video posted by therock (@therock) on
At The Rock’s behest, Justin James follows suit, performing all 22 pushups, none of which are interrupted by enterprising canines. Dogs are over.
Here you go @therock. Your turn @simonebiles @therealjimparsons @schwarzenegger @justintimberlake Raising awareness for those who fight for our freedom and the aftermath of that fight. They shouldn’t have to face it alone. #22pushupchallenge #PushUpsArePartOfMyRehab #DoctorApproved
A video posted by JJ Watt (@justinjames99) on
Then it’s Kevin Hart’s turn, offering us hints about what’s trending in 2016. Dogs are over; grey sweatpants and underwear with silver waistband are white-hot and very, very in.
Not to be outdone, Ludacris interrupts his own concert to perform 22 pushups to the screechy delight of his minions.
A video posted by @ludacris on
No word yet on whether Anna Wintour will be participating. So, in the meantime, let’s just watch this again:
Gay Footballer Seized At Pride, Will Be Deported From Sweden To Antigay Liberia
Gay Footballer Seized At Pride, Will Be Deported From Sweden To Antigay Liberia
Andrew Nagbe, via libfootball.com
Sweden is set to deport a gay footballer back to his antigay home country of Liberia for not providing enough “evidence” of his orientation.
22-year-old Andrew Nagbe was seized by Swedish authorities at the Stockholm Pride festival. He was there with his boyfriend.
Related: Trans Model Stands Tall In Dress Made From Flags Of Countries Where Being LGBTQ Is Illegal
Nagbe originally traveled to Sweden on trial with Swedish third-tier team Umeå FC before plying his trade at a string of lower league teams, The Scotsman reports. When he was arrested he was playing for Södertälje FK in the fourth tier, a town to the south of Stockholm.
He said he wants to remain in Sweden and live as an openly gay man, which is illegal in Liberia. Sweden has progressive LGBTQ rights laws.
“In prison I’ll be beaten and raped every day until I am released and leave the country again. Everyone I know in Liberia knows I am gay now, so they won’t hold back,” Nagbe said from detention.
Related: No Fly Zone: These Ten Countries Can Kill You For Being Gay
Officials have said that only by presenting new evidence that he is both gay and that returning to his home country would put him in danger will Nagbe be able to stop his deportation back to Liberia, set for Aug. 23.
Paul Iacono, Kathy Najimy to Star in Gay Indie ‘Dating My Mother’
Paul Iacono, Kathy Najimy to Star in Gay Indie ‘Dating My Mother’
Out gay actor Paul Iacono will star alongside Kathy Najimy in the upcoming gay indie film Dating My Mother, about a mother and her gay son each struggling to find suitable men to date.
Iacono is perhaps best known for his break-out role on the MTV series The Hard Times of RJ Berger. He came out as gay in 2012.
Dating My Mother will also star Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), James Le Gros, and newcomer Patrick Reilly.
Written and directed by Mike Roma, the film explores the intimate and sometimes tumultuous relationship between a single mother (Erbe) and her gay son (Reilly). Together they navigate the world of online dating as they search for their versions of “Mr. Right”. Le Gros co-stars as Erbe’s love interest, Najimy as her neighbor, and Iacono plays Reilly’s potential boyfriend.
Dating My Mother is Roma’s first feature. He previously created the successful web series Danny the Manny.
[Photo of Najimy via IMDB; photo of Iacono via Twitter]
The post Paul Iacono, Kathy Najimy to Star in Gay Indie ‘Dating My Mother’ appeared first on Towleroad.
Simone Biles Met Zac Efron at the Rio Olympics and Lost Her Ability to Even – PHOTOS, VIDEO
Simone Biles Met Zac Efron at the Rio Olympics and Lost Her Ability to Even – PHOTOS, VIDEO
Simon Biles is a Zac Efron super fan. A big one. So when NBC flew Zac down to Rio to congratulate the gold medal-winning gymnast, she just about freaked out, as any Zefron fangirl or boy would.
The moment when @ZacEfron made @Simone_Biles‘ life! #RioTODAY pic.twitter.com/cQNZvXpjyE
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 17, 2016
Oh, and Efron even planted a kiss on Biles’ cheek. And Biles’s reaction–plus that of her teammates which can be heard in the background–is everything.
proof : had to do a retake bc I thought we were taking a picture then he kissed me instead ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rld33V14qe
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 16, 2016
😘🌹 just call me mrs.efron already @ZacEfron pic.twitter.com/FF4NTgj4MP
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 16, 2016
Sharing both photos and video of the kiss, Biles tweeted, “just call me Mrs. Efron already.”
Biles may have been a bit overwhelmed afterwards, as evidenced by a Snapchat taken by teammate Laurie Hernandez.
i would’ve fainted too pic.twitter.com/sLByf7pZCq
— Tweet Like A Girl (@TweetLikeAGirI) August 17, 2016
Biles also got the chance to give Efron a smooch.
on cloud 9 💙☁️ @ZacEfron pic.twitter.com/3lFpi1tuwF
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 16, 2016
And Efron, putting his Baywatch body to good use, picked Biles up and flexed for the cameras. Sadly, his clothes remained on the entire time.
😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/L9Zmjij1Dl
— Jamie (@jordynsleftbrow) August 16, 2016
Efron later tweeted, “My Olympic dream came true.”
My Olympic dream came true 🙏😜 #Rio2016 #FinalFive pic.twitter.com/zcpPispCUS
— Zac Efron (@ZacEfron) August 17, 2016
Watch more video of Biles and Efron meeting, below.
[Top photo via Twitter]
The post Simone Biles Met Zac Efron at the Rio Olympics and Lost Her Ability to Even – PHOTOS, VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
New Donald Trump Leadership Team Already Well-Versed in Anti-LGBTQ Hate
New Donald Trump Leadership Team Already Well-Versed in Anti-LGBTQ Hate
Today HRC issued the following statement after the Trump campaign announced its new leadership team will include Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway, two political operatives with histories of anti-LGBTQ activism.
Bannon, who was named CEO of the Trump campaign today, launched a vile smear against transgender people during a May interview with the American Family Association while he was at the helm of Breitbart News. Bannon attacked non-discrimination protections that ensure transgender people are able to use facilities that match their gender identity, repeating the debunked claim that such protections force children to “go into a bathroom with a guy with a beard in a dress.” Meanwhile, Kellyanne Conway is a former pollster for the anti-LGBTQ National Organization for Marriage and has railed against the inclusion of open LGBTQ figures in pop culture and entertainment.
“Donald Trump’s staff shakeup is a disturbing preview of what a Trump-Pence administration would look like,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Trump has stocked his inner circle with anti-equality activists who share his commitment to rolling back the rights and protections of LGBTQ Americans. His hiring decisions, including the selection of Mike Pence as his running mate, have left no doubt that Trump is the biggest threat the LGBTQ community has ever faced in a presidential election.”
In addition to slurring transgender people himself in an article, Bannon managed a news site that regularly attacks LGBTQ people. His site features Austin Ruse as a contributor. Ruse has published shameful conspiracy theories alleging Matthew Shepard’s murder was not a hate crime. Bannon also directed a movie starring Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson, who promoted warnings against “poll-driven morality” (as a reference to growing acceptance of LGBTQ people).
Besides her work with the National Organization for Marriage, Conway has objected to the inclusion of openly LGBTQ people in the media, saying of one television show that featured a lesbian couple that people, “…don’t want their kids looking at a cartoon with a bunch of lesbian mothers.”
The new hires come days after Trump courted anti-LGBTQ activists just 10 miles from the site of the Pulse tragedy in Orlando that took the lives of 49 LGBTQ people and allies. Among the organizations attending was Liberty Counsel, which supports and defends archaic laws criminalizing LGBTQ people with harsh punishments around the world, and has condemned President Obama and the U.S. government for speaking out against such laws, saying, “America should not be trying to make that country act in an immoral way.”
Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, became a national disgrace in 2015, for his “license to discriminate” bill that could have allowed 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. In a now notorious interview with ABC last year, Pence refused to answer eight separate times when asked whether businesses should be able to discriminate against LGBTQ people.
In recent weeks, Trump has also campaigned alongside Tony Perkins — leader of the Family Research Council, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Paid for by Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: August 17, 2016
#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: August 17, 2016
TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN SHAKEUP ELEVATES STAFFERS WITH ANTI-EQUALITY RECORDS: Overnight, Donald Trump promoted two operatives who have a history of anti-equality activism. Steve Bannon, promoted to CEO of the Trump campaign, launched a vile smear against transgender people during a May interview with the American Family Association while he worked for Breitbart news. Bannon was attacking non-discrimination protections that ensure transgender people are able to use facilities that match their gender identity. Meanwhile, Kellyanne Conway, promoted to campaign manager, is a longtime pollster for the anti-LGBTQ National Organization for Marriage. Reminder: these positions are aligned with Trump, who has supported North Carolina’s HB2 and has committed to rolling back nationwide marriage equality. More here.
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Read about Trump’s fraudulent promises to advance equality for women, LGBTQ people, and minorities here. And watch a new briefing video from the Clinton/Kaine campaign.
THANKS, OBAMA: Check out this terrific piece in The Washington Post chronicling President Obama’s historic legacy of advancing LGBTQ rights — progress that would be put at risk under a Trump administration. It includes a video of the President dialing up marriage equality plaintiff Jim Obergefell from the Oval Office to congratulate him moments after the Supreme Court ruled that marriage is a fundamental right for all. HRC President Chad Griffin was with Jim on the other end of the call — check out this snapshot (h/t @NRMorrow)! Read the inspiring story and watch the video here.
NAVAL SHIP NAMED AFTER LGBTQ RIGHTS PIONEER HARVEY MILK: At a ceremony yesterday in San Francisco, the U.S. Navy made 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. In another historic first, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus selected transgender Navy veteran Paula Neira as a sponsor of the ship, along with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). “Harvey Milk was a pioneer in the fight for LGBTQ equality, and his legacy lives on through LGBTQ advocates around the word,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. More from HRC.
FREE SPEECH VICTORY FOR TENN. STUDENT IN PRO-LGBTQ T-SHIRT CASE: The Tennessean reports that the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) has successfully settled a free speech lawsuit with Giles County school officials who had prohibited a student from wearing a T-shirt that read, “Some People Are Gay, Get Over It.” Said Thomas H. Castelli, ACLU-TN legal director: “This is a victory not just for one student’s right to free speech, but for all students in the Giles County school system.” The new school dress code no longer singles out one type of speech for censorship, according to the ACLU-TN. Read more about the case here.
SPEAKING OF T-SHIRTS: OLYMPIAN ROCKS HRC’S “MAKE AMERICA GAY AGAIN” TANK: U.S. Olympic gymnast Danell Leyva, who is taking home two silver medals from Rio, continues to show support for the LGBTQ community in a big way. Following the attack at Pulse Nightclub, Leyva recorded an instagram video calling out bigotry and sharing his support for the victims and survivors, all while rocking an HRC “Make America Gay Again” shirt. Watch here.
SNL NAMES FIRST OPENLY GAY LEAD WRITER: Chris Kelly will become Saturday Night Live’s first openly gay lead writer, the NBC show has announced. He’ll join Sarah Schneider, who will become SNL’s first female lead writer since 2008. Read more here.
FOUR WAYS EDUCATORS CAN SUPPORT LGBTQ YOUTH: As educators across the country prepare for the new school year, many LGBTQ students and those with LGBTQ families are wondering if they will be safe, seen, heard and represented at school this term. HRC’s Welcoming Schools program provides timely advice on how teachers and school staff can help ease these worries.
NEW STUDY REVEALS GAPS IN LGBTQ PEOPLE’S ACCESS TO FERTILITY SERVICES: A new study out of Boston University School of Medicine has found huge gaps in the accessibility of fertility services to LGBTQ people. More here.
LIGHTING THE WAY: A vacant store near the North Carolina’s State Capitol in Raleigh is making (light) waves in support of LGBTQ equality with a motion-sensitive LED display that lights up in rainbow colors when people walk by. Read more about the installation and its creator, and see video of the display here.
UKRAINIAN CITY HOSTS FIRST PRIDE MARCH: The city of Odessa in Ukraine held its first LGBTQ pride parade over the weekend, after organizers persuaded the police to sanction the march. The 50 participants encountered protesters, but police offered protection. More from Towleroad.
READING RAINBOW
Congrats to all the winners of this year’s Association of LGBTQ Journalists’ 2016 Excellence in Journalism Awards!… Vice interviews Chris Mosier, the first trans athlete on Team USA… BuzzFeed reports on the politicians working to make it easier for trans teens to transition… The Guardian highlights the mass resignations from the Mormon Church over its anti-LGBTQ positions… OutSports highlights a new NBC video featuring Brazilian beach volleyball player Larissa Franca and her wife, Liliane Maestrini.
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!
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