John Oliver Tackles the ‘Almost Criminal’ World of Car Loans: WATCH

John Oliver Tackles the ‘Almost Criminal’ World of Car Loans: WATCH

john oliver auto lending

John Oliver took on the predatory world of car loans on Last Week Tonight on Sunday, pointing out how the number of sub-prime auto loans is peaking.

Oliver also pointed out how used car loans that promise to approve anyone (seriously, anyone) ensnare people in a mountain of debt that, as Oliver puts it, “will affect every financial decision you make for the best part of the next decade.”

Explaining the extent of the problem, Oliver said,

“Nearly a quarter of all car loans are of the high-risk subprime variety. In fact, so many are being issued, they recently reached a 10-year high. And if the phrase ‘A boom in subprime loans’ is making your eye twitch with flashbacks to the mortgage crisis, just wait — we will get there.”

Mediaite adds, 

Even if you’ve suffered from bankruptcy, car repossession, or foreclosure, it is still incredibly easy to find yourself a victim of more offers for subprime loans. Oliver called the process a “feeding frenzy”. The staff even sent an undercover camera to a debt-buyers conference in Las Vegas, revealing the language of Ken Shilson from the National Alliance of Buy Here Pay Here Dealers, who said, “These people have negative equity all the way through and they’re not going to be able to hold their life together for seven years… You know the customer. You know how to collect. You’ve got the legal expertise. What’s holding you back?”

Oliver also enlisted the help of Keegan-Michael Key and Bob Balaban to comedically underscore everything that’s wrong with the predatory world of auto lending.

Watch below.

The post John Oliver Tackles the ‘Almost Criminal’ World of Car Loans: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.



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

Paul Manafort, Nico Hines, Justin Trudeau, R2-D2, Frank Ocean, Shakur Stevenson: HOT LINKS

Paul Manafort, Nico Hines, Justin Trudeau, R2-D2, Frank Ocean, Shakur Stevenson: HOT LINKS

2016 ELECTION. Hacker publishes list of phone numbers, private emails of House Democrats.

PREPARING TO LOSE. Trump says the only way he can lose Pennsylvania is if Hillary Clinton ‘cheats’: “We’re gonna watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people don’t come in and vote five times. The only way we can lose, in my opinion – and I really mean this, Pennsylvania – is if cheating goes on. I really believe it.”

PAul MAnafortUKRAINE. Ledgers show cash for Trump’s campaign chief: “Handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych’s pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012, according to Ukraine’s newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials.”

JUSTIN TRUDEAU. Canadian PM marches in Montreal Pride parade.

Jim GrayBLUEGRASS. Nobody seems to care that Kentucky has a gay Senate candidate: “What went unnoticed this recent Saturday afternoon was that Gray was probably first openly gay person to speak at Fancy Farm. Records aren’t easy to come by for something that began in 1880, but veterans of the event say they can’t recall an openly gay speaker. This is how Gray’s campaign has gone: He’s making history, and nobody seems to notice. Or, for that matter, care.”

grindr olympicsSIGNORILE. Why The Daily Beast thought its article endangering gay Olympians was perfectly acceptable: “A hook-up app is a 2016 version of a gay bar, a gay bath or even a 1950s’ public restroom (the only place some gay men could meet for sex in many places in this country during that era), depending on how and why individuals are using the particular app. What Hines did is equivalent to going undercover into a public restroom or a gay bar or sex club and luring people into revealing information about their sexual lives — people who may be deeply closeted because they could be fired, ostracized or arrested — basically entrapping them, and then making the details public. It serves no purpose journalistically, however interesting it might be to some people, as there’s no reason we need to know the information — surely not if it means someone’s life might be terribly affected. That’s far different from a politician or another public figure with enormous power who is closeted and is doing something harmful to queer people.”

CHICAGO. Man attacked in Logan Square in alleged anti-gay attack.”Levi Frerichs said he was walking in Logan Square last week in the 2700-block of North Spaulding when three boys and two girls came up from behind and started punching him.”

R2D2DEATHS. R2-D2 actor Kenny Baker has died: “The British actor who played R2-D2 in the Star Wars films has died at the age of 81 after a long illness. Kenny Baker, who was 3ft 8in tall, shot to fame in 1977 when he first played the robot character….His niece, Abigail Shield, paid tribute to her uncle. She told the Guardian: ‘It was expected, but it’s sad nonetheless. He had a very long and fulfilled life. He brought lots of happiness to people and we’ll be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world. We’re all very proud of what he achieved in his lifetime.’”

Instagram Photo

 

WINNIPEG. Canadian volleyball coach loses job because he’s gay: “My agent told me the team said they didn’t want to take you because they were nervous about other teams’ fans being hostile toward you because of being gay. I was just, ‘Oh.’”

AUSTRALIA. Sydney woman raising her kids to be gender-neutral: “Gender stereotypes are so forcefully pushed on kids in so many different ways — in the use of gender specific language and stereotyping in schools, in the media and in marketing … and I think it’s really important parents consider the detrimental impacts of that.”

Frank Ocean

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT. A new app sends an alert when Frank Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry album finally drops: “The R&B singer’s sophomore album “Boys Don’t Cry” was supposedly set to release in July, then Aug. 5 and now fans are frantically speculating Nov. 13, thanks to a cryptic library due date card featured on Ocean’s website.”

ISN’T IT OBVIOUS? Why do gay men love the Olympics?

LEVI KREIS. Those of you who are in Provincetown for Carnival week can see Levi Kreis make his Ptown debut in concert on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Crown & Anchor as part of its big Broadway series. Highly recommended!

 

SOUTH AFRICA. The nation just got its first LGBT video-on-demand streaming channel: “Traditional TV channels have historically offered only small smatterings of one-dimensional LGBT content that ironically reinforces stereotypes instead of shattering them. PrideTV reverses the trend to restrict access to LGBT themes by South African and African broadcasters.”

HEDWIG. The hit musical about the trans East German rock star is headed out on a national tour and just posted this new spot featuring Darren Criss and Lena Hall.

 

TEGAN AND SARA. “Hang on to the Night”.

 

MONDAY MUSCLE. US Olympic boxer Shakur Stevenson.

Instagram Photo

 

Instagram Photo

 

Instagram Photo

The post Paul Manafort, Nico Hines, Justin Trudeau, R2-D2, Frank Ocean, Shakur Stevenson: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/vbZLs0_Boek/

Malcolm Gladwell Profiles Pastor Defrocked For Officiating Gay Son’s Wedding

Malcolm Gladwell Profiles Pastor Defrocked For Officiating Gay Son’s Wedding

chester wenger

Chester Wenger (seated, right) and Sara Jane Wenger (seated, left) at the wedding of their son, Phil Wenger, (standing at right), and Steve Dinnocenti. AP Photo.

When retired Mennonite pastor Chester Wenger defied his church to officiate his son’s same-sex wedding, he knew it would likely lead to reprisal from the church.

In fact, he reported himself. They responded by revoking his ministerial credentials, which he had since 1948.

Related: Mennonite Church Casts Out Gay-Inclusive Flock

Writer and commentator Malcolm Gladwell featured Wenger on the most recent episode of his podcast Revisionist History, in which he says Wenger is an exemplar of “generous orthodoxy,” the theme and title of the episode. He was willing to suffer a loss in order to do what was right, while showing “respect for the body he is trying to heal.”

Wenger, 98, said that at first he thought his son Phil might just be going through a phase when he came to him and said he was gay. When Phil told him a year later that it was not just a phase, and that he would begin identifying as gay and his father would just have to learn to live with it, Wenger came to terms with it.

Phil was expelled from the Mennonite Church by a clergy member, without speaking to either Phil or Phil’s parents.

He stressed to his son that all he cared about was that he not lose his faith. So he was pleased when his son joined an Episcopal Church, a denomination known to be more accepting of LGBTQ people. So pleased he was “weeping with joy,” according to Phil.

Related: Adele Helps Gay Couple Get Engaged

When same-sex marriage became legal in Pennsylvania, where they all live, Phil and his partner Steve was married in a ceremony officiated by the rector of his church. Wenger gave a blessing at the end, but later admitted that he had wished his son had asked him to officiate his wedding, so they had another ceremony with Wegner officiating, leading to the action against him.

Wenger wrote an open letter to the Mennonite Church titled “An open letter to my beloved church,” calling for more acceptance of LGBTQ individuals. It went viral.

Gladwell highlights the following passage as his favorite:

When my wife and I read the Bible with today’s fractured, anxious church in mind, we ask, what is Jesus calling us to do with those sons and daughters who are among the most despised people in the world — in all races and communities? What would Jesus do with our sons and daughters who are bullied, homeless, sexually abused, and driven to suicide at far higher rates than our heterosexual children?

He concludes that while Wenger’s viewpoint may not be winning out just yet, it undoubtedly will. Maybe not soon, but on a long enough time line it is inevitable.

Related: LGBTQ Rights Groups Ask Big 12 Not To Allow BYU To Join Due To Discriminatory Policies

The United Methodist Church is going through a similar struggle, with the Reconciling Ministries Network working from within for LGBTQ equality since the early 1980s. A Methodist minster looked to be facing trial after officiating at the same-sex wedding of his son, before the church decided against that action.

The episode also explores student led efforts to have the name of Woodrow Wilson, former university president and U.S. president, removed from the university’s graduate school due to his racist views. You can listen to it here.

h/t The Advocate

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/y2qB90W6IJY/malcolm-gladwell-profiles-pastor-defrocked-officiating-gay-sons-wedding-20160815

‘Saturday Night Live’ Just Got Two New Head Writers, a Woman and a Gay Man

‘Saturday Night Live’ Just Got Two New Head Writers, a Woman and a Gay Man

Sarah Schneider Chris Kelly snl head writers

Saturday Night Live just announced some big changes to its writing team, promoting Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider to co-lead writers. They’re replacing Colin Jost’s former partners Rob Klein and Bryan Tucker.

Kelly is gay and Schneider is the show’s first female lead writer since 2008.

Splitsider reports:

This promotion is a super smart move for SNL considering Schneider and Kelly are responsible for some of the show’s most beloved sketches since they joined the show in 2011 like “The Beygency,” “Back Home Ballers,” the Emmy-nominated“(Do It On My) Twin Bed,” “Bern Your Enthusiasm,” and “Bar Talk” with Hillary Clinton, and Kelly’s critically acclaimed directorial debut Other People (starringSNL alum Molly Shannon) is set to debut in theaters next month. Judging by their consistent string of hit sketches over the years, it’s safe to say we can count on Schneider and Kelly to do a fantastic job guiding the show’s writers in the coming months.

Vanity Fair celebrated the promotion, calling it a sign that SNL is getting away from “toxic bro humor.”

While it may be a coincidence that Rudnitsky and Killam were both shown the door this year, there seems little danger of gay caricatures continuing during the Kelly/Schneider era. Kelly, an out gay man, gave a recent interview to The Gay Times about the well-rounded gay characters in his Sundance film Other People:

I never set out to be like, “I’m going to write a real, three dimensional gay character!,” I just AM gay, so it’s what I write and what feels real to me. Also, I think there’s no mystery to writing gay characters. You can just write them! Anyone can! You don’t have to be like, “Well wait, if I make him gay, then that sets off a whole series of changes. Now he has to work in fashion and be really sarcastic.” No. Just write a gay character. There’s all sorts of them! And they eat food and hang out with friends and their mothers die just like all the best straight characters. And yes, I would 100% like to see more gay characters in movies and on TV shows.

S.N.L. doesn’t exactly provide the same platform as a Sundance film to present nuanced gay characters, but it seems unlikely, based on this interview, that Kelly would approve any sketch with a flagrant gay stereotype.

The post ‘Saturday Night Live’ Just Got Two New Head Writers, a Woman and a Gay Man appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/1XcgAj_BC-E/

‘Daily Beast’ Writer Nico Hines Recalled from Rio, Says IOC

‘Daily Beast’ Writer Nico Hines Recalled from Rio, Says IOC

nico hines daily beast

The International Olympic Committee says that Daily Beast writer Nico Hines is no longer in Rio and deemed his article on Grindr sex “unacceptable”. Last week Hines used the Grindr app to write a piece on gay hook-up sex among Olympians and outed the athletes he chatted with by providing details that could identify them. Some of those athletes were from countries that are notoriously anti-gay, and could have been put in danger by the article.

threedates

ICYMI: Straight Journalist Cruises Grindr at the Olympics, Outs Athletes From Anti-Gay Countries

Outsports reports that the IOC told them Hines had been recalled:

“We understand the organization concerned recalled the journalist after complaints and withdrew the story,” an IOC spokesperson told Outsports today in an email statement. “This kind of reporting is simply unacceptable.” It’s the IOC’s first response since the controversy broke on Thursday.

It could not be immediately confirmed if Hines is still in Rio. However, his last story on the Daily Beast’s website was Aug. 9, two days before his story about Olympics sex was posted. He also has not tweeted since Aug. 10, a day before the story appeared. An email to the Daily Beast concerning Hines’ status has not been answered as of now.

Last week a petition circulated asking the IOC to revoke the credentials of both Hines and The Daily Beast. That petition has nearly 9,233 signatures as of this posting.

The post ‘Daily Beast’ Writer Nico Hines Recalled from Rio, Says IOC appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/40hcFHbZZV8/

Love Wins at UK Supermarket as Hundreds Turn Out for Mass Kiss-In: WATCH

Love Wins at UK Supermarket as Hundreds Turn Out for Mass Kiss-In: WATCH

sainsburys mass kiss-in

A mass kiss-in took place on Saturday at the London supermarket Sainsburys in reaction to the store’s security guard, who last week told a gay man that holding hands with his partner in the store was “inappropriate.”

To the bigot who complained about my bf & I holdin hands & the security guard at @sainsburys who felt the need to ‘talk’ to us outside🖕🏻

— Thomas Rees (@_thomasrees) August 8, 2016

As we reported:

32-year-old Thomas Rees (above left) was shopping in Sainsbury’s in Hackney on Monday when he and his boyfriend Josh Bradwell were “beckoned over” by the security guard. In 2014, a Sainsbury’s in Brighton, England apologized after a security guard asked a lesbian couple to leave the store following complaints from other customers

Approximately 200 people showed up for the kiss-in in Hackney, east London, danced to Diana Ross and Donna Summer music, waved rainbow flags, and hugged and kissed after hearing from Rees and Bradwell.

The Guardian reports:

“The number that turned out was absolutely insane, we were not expecting this at all,” Bradwell said.

“We were right to be holding hands because when someone questions your behaviour in such a direct manner you can’t help but analyse how you are perceived by society,” said Rees.

“When your community come behind and say ‘you were right and you are right’, all that does is amplify your feelings. We were right to complain and do what we’ve done and fight those people who said we were wrong.”

At least one member of the public shouted at the group to “get off my street”, but the protesters were undeterred.

Check out the scene in a few videos:

The post Love Wins at UK Supermarket as Hundreds Turn Out for Mass Kiss-In: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/QXa2kxhGmRI/

GLAAD wraps up Texas #SouthernStories tour with Aquí Estamos mini-documentary sneak peek

GLAAD wraps up Texas #SouthernStories tour with Aquí Estamos mini-documentary sneak peek

GLAAD

GLAAD wrapped up the Southern Stories Summer Tour of Texas with a sneak peek clip of GLAAD’s upcoming mini-documentary “GLAAD Presents: State of Change – Texas” at the Aquí Estamos Conference in McAllen, Texas.

In 2015, GLAAD filmed a series of interviews with LGBT advocates, allies and leaders in Texas, including at the 2015 Aquí Estamos Conference, which aims to promote conversations about diversity and the issues facing LGBT people of color. GLAAD has been compiling these interviews into a short documentary as a part of the Southern Stories initiative to amplify the voices of LGBT people in the U.S. South.

Following the screening, GLAAD’s Senior Strategist – Spanish Language and Latino Media, Janet Quezada moderated a panel discussion with some people featured in the documentary. Anel Flores is an artist, activist and author of Empanada: A Lesbiana Story en Probaditas. Sissy Yado is a native of the Rio Grande Valley currently doing nondiscrimination work in Arizona. Cindy Candia is the founder and leader of PFLAG in McAllen. She continues to work with other parents to accept their LGBT children.

Viewers were touched by the short six-minute clip that focused on family acceptance and faith resilience, sharing an eagerness to see the final product. Panelists spoke about how media in the Rio Grande Valley has represented LGBT people when news has broken. They said they would continue to work with GLAAD to help local news outlets improve their coverage, as well as use social media and video to tell their own stories. Quezada also shared GLAAD resources, including the newly released Southern Stories media resource guide, “Southern Stories: A Guide for Reporting on LGBT people in Texas.”

This event is a part of GLAAD’s ground work in Texas this week where staff members will be meeting with community members to discuss ways to accelerate acceptance and amplify the voices of LGBT people in the Lone Star state.

“GLAAD Presents: State of Change – Texas” will be the latest in a series of mini-documentaries about LGBT people living in Southern states. Previously released mini-documentaries have focused on South Carolina and Georgia. To learn more about GLAAD’s Southern Stories initiative, visit the Southern Stories page in GLAAD’s website.

August 15, 2016

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wraps-texas-southernstories-tour-aqu%C3%AD-estamos-mini-documentary-sneak-peek