"Hymnus"
Geirix posted a photo:
Eva Jóhannsdóttir one of the heads of Reykjavik Pride parade & Vilhjálmur Ingi Vilhjálmsson member of the Reykjavik Pride board sing along “I am what I am”- the Reykjavik Pride anthem…a kodak moment for sure if there ever was one at Reykjavik Pride.
(The song: goo.gl/OxQZ95 )
–
2016©Photographer.is/Geirix
All rights reserved – No use without written permission from the author
Virginia Mayor Resigns Following Meth-For-Sex Bust, Turns To God
As we reported last week, Fairfax City Mayor Richard “Scott” Silverthorne was recently arrested for offering meth to cops in exchange for sexual favors. In an emotional tailspin ever since getting a cancer diagnosis last year, Silverstone filed for bankruptcy after losing his recruiting job for the National Association of Manufacturers.
Related: What’s Behind The Enduring Allure Of Crystal Meth For Gay Men?
Following the arrest, he was also let go from his job as a substitute teacher.
According to a statement, Silverthorne has now resigned as mayor. His resignation will take effect Thursday.
Related: Five Ways To Reclaim Your Sex Life After Booze, Meth And Other Substances
As NBC News reports, the 50-year-old was arrested and charged for felony distribution of meth, as well as misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia following a sting operation that had been in the works since July of this year.
Related: Meth Use Is Rising Among NYC Gays…Again
According to a statement from the Fairfax City Police Department, detectives first approached Silverthorne through a website, and during their exchanges, the mayor promised “a group sexual encounter” with the men in exchange for his drugs.
On Monday, Silverthorne told NBC, “My faith in God and myself will get me through the biggest challenge of my life. I ask that people keep me in their prayers.”
Larry Kramer Busts Billionaire Buddy For Joining Trump’s Economic Brain Trust
This past Friday, in his much-hyped economic policy speech, Donald Trump named real-estate mogul Steven Roth as one of the many old white dudes who would make up his economic policy team. And that had Larry Kramer seeing red. Today, the playwright and gay rights activist posted a blistering open letter on his Facebook page, taking Roth to task for his involvement in the Trump regime.
“I don’t know why but I was incredibly shocked and disappointed when it was announced that you had become one of Donald Trump’s billionaire brain trust,” writes Kramer. “I could not believe that you could support a candidate, a vice-president, and a party that threatens many of the things that you hold most dear.”
For those of you unfamiliar with Roth and what he may or may not hold dear, Kramer sets up the billionaire and their personal relationship thus: the two became friendly back in 2010 when Roth’s wife, Daryl (of New York’s Daryl Roth Theater, home of Fuerzabruta) produced the Broadway revival of The Normal Heart. Roth’s gay son, Jordan, owns Broadway’s Jujamcyn Theaters — a gift from dear old daddy, according to Kramer — making him “one of the most important persons in the theater.” Kramer writes about attending Jordan’s wedding to Nurse Jackie executive producer Richie Jackson in 2012 — Donald Trump was there too — and mention’s the couple’s newborn sons.
All of which is meant to remind Roth of the threat the Republican nominee poses to those Roth cares about: “The platform of the Republican Party is the most homophobic one in recent memory. Its candidates spout nothing but hate for your extended family.”
Kramer goes on to recite the litany of Trump’s “ignoble acts”:
“He has refused to meet with anyone gay or any of our organizations that attempt to protect us and fight for our country’s health. He has not said a single intelligent word about gay marriage, gay adoption, AIDS, the gross ineptitude of the National Institutes of Health, the unconscionable greed of the pharmaceutical companies that are prepared to only save people when they are rich. He also has racial issues (one of your own grandsons is of mixed heritage), issues with women that certainly must offend your wife, and a growing list of off-the-wall remarks that only engender hate.”
Possibly most damning is Kramer’s indictment of Roth for his seeming motivation for aligning himself with Trump: greed. “You are one of the richest men in the world… I ask you fervently: don’t you have enough? How much more does one need to acquire before you and your fellow billionaires are willing to share and help and fight with us and not against us?”
Finally, Kramer attempts to appeal to Roth’s intelligence in challenging him to dump Trump, before deploying one of the most scathing and…accurate descriptions of the Republican candidate I’ve read thus far: “I cannot accept that such an intelligent and gifted man as I know you to be can believe that Donald Trump is anything but strange and scary, an indigestible cauldron of rotten and poisoned ingredients.”
Read Kramer’s full post here.
h/t: Vulture
News Anchor Goes On Epic Rant About NBC’s Olympic Coverage – WATCH
In a hilarious and brilliant take-down, a Chicago-area sportscaster railed against the strict rules NBC enforces on other news organizations that want to report on the Olympics games.
WGN Chicago’s Pat Tomasulo managed to skewer not only NBC but also the International Olympic Committee (IOC)–all with the help of R. Kelly and video footage from his days as a singlet-wearing high school wrestler.
“It’s not the actual sports of the Olympics I don’t like,” Tomasulo said Tueday on a live segment. “It’s NBC’s restrictions on the TV rights and anything Olympic-related.”
Tomasulo lamented the lack of WGN Chicago’s Olympics coverage, which, per NBC’s rules, can include only two minutes of video and must contain a three-hour gap between programs. And those minuscule video rights are just the beginning.
“We’re not even allowed to use the Olympic theme song this year,” Tomasulo said. “Did you know that? And we can’t even incorporate the Olympic rings in any of our unique graphics. We have to show the whole thing or not at all.”
So Tomasulo decided to talk about another international sporting event currently going on that totally, 100% has nothing to do with the Olympics. You’ve probably heard of it: the “International Athletic Competition Run By One of the Most Corrupt Organizations in the World.”
These games have a completely different logo than the Olympics–multi-colored intersecting triangles– to make sure the two events aren’t equated
And this competition’s theme song? R. Kelly’s “Bump ‘n Grind”–which Tomasulo did a flawless lip-sync of.
To wrap up his argument about NBC’s draconian rules on use of Olympics footage, Tomasulo said, “And now, just to cover ourselves legally, I’m going to give the report over my high school wrestling highlights because I have no video left.”
Which he did while giving highlights of athletes whose names might sound familiar. Like Mickey Phelps.
Watch Tomasulo, below.
The post News Anchor Goes On Epic Rant About NBC’s Olympic Coverage – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Tonga Flag Bearer Pita Taufatofua Shows You How to Oil Up Like an Olympian – WATCH
Pita Taufatofua, the Tongan flag bearer who broke the internet during the Olympic opening ceremonies on Friday when he entered the arena shirtless and greased up, is showing you how to get oiled up like an Olympian.
Taufatofua showed the Today show’s Alex Ficquette, known as ‘Alex on the Plaza’, how to apply coconut oil to show off your hard body.
It’s a nice turn of events for Taufatofua, who recently found himself speechless when Today show hosts Jenna Bush (yes, that Jenna Bush), Natalie Morales, and Hoda Kotb rubbed oil all over him.
According to Taufatofua, coconut oil is “magical” and makes “muscles grow 100% better.”
Ficquette for his part asked Taufatofua about Tongan culture. For instance he wondered, “If I’m in Tonga, does [coconut oil] always get put on by someone like you?”
Watch, below.
The post Tonga Flag Bearer Pita Taufatofua Shows You How to Oil Up Like an Olympian – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
DOJ Releases Report Detailing Unlawful Conduct of Baltimore City Police Department
Today, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, released a report on its investigation of the Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) that concludes there is “reasonable cause to believe that BPD engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Constitution or federal law.” The report details the BPD’s pattern of unconstitutional stops, searches and arrests disproportionately targeting African Americans, its use of excessive force and its retaliation against people engaging in constitutionally-protected expression.
The report also expresses concern that officers are displaying unlawful gender bias in their interactions with female victims of sexual violence and transgender people. It cites several examples, including BPD officers making disparaging and inappropriate comments to transgender individuals, and refusing to acknowledge transgender people’s gender identity. In addition, DOJ investigators heard from several sources that the BPD lacks guidance on the appropriate process for searching transgender people.
These injustices are compounded by the many others faced by Black people of all gender identities and sexual orientations at the hands of BPD. The effect of this unlawful behavior is significant. “Systemic deficiencies in BPD’s practices contribute to constitutional violations, erode community trust, and inhibit effective policing,” the report states.
Data show that LGBTQ people are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system. The 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey found disproportionately high rates of arrest and incarceration among Black transgender people when compared to all other racial and ethnic groups, and the Center for American Progress (CAP) and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released a report earlier this year on “how the broken criminal justice system fails LGBT people.” Today’s report from the DOJ provides examples of how these injustices manifest on the local level.
This DOJ report confirms the lived experience of many Black people, especially Black transgender people, in Baltimore. HRC is heartened to hear that the City of Baltimore recognizes the issues DOJ has identified and is committed to reform. As DOJ and Baltimore work together to improve the state of policing in Baltimore, HRC will continue to work with Congress and the Administration to push for criminal justice reform on the federal level.
Approximately 2.2 Million LGBTQ Adults Struggle with Food Insecurity in the US
A new study by The Williams Institute found that one in four LGBTQ adults, approximately 2.2 million LGBTQ people, struggled to feed themselves or their families in the past year, compared to one in six non-LGBTQ adults.
SNAP, which stands for the federal “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” commonly known as food stamps, has become a vital program for LGBTQ adults. “More than 1 in 4 LGB adults aged 18-44 (27 percent) participated in SNAP, compared to 17 percent of non-LGB adults in the same age range,” The Williams Institute reported. “Food insecurity is not distributed evenly in the LGBT community. Certain racial and ethnic minorities (42 percent among African-Americans, 33 percent among Hispanics, and 32 percent among American Indians and Alaskan Natives), women (31 percent), unmarried individuals (30 percent), and those raising children (33 percent) are particularly likely to report not having enough money for the food that they or their families needed at some point in the last year.”
While the data did not include a breakdown of food insecurity among the transgender community, the transgender community faces disproportionately high rates of poverty, homelessness, and unemployment when compared to cisgender people, all factors that increase the risk of food insecurity.
HRC’s Health and Aging Program works to ensure the health and safety of LGBTQ people. The program’s Healthcare Equality Index helps healthcare facilities implement policies and staff training that lead to LGBTQ-inclusive care.
To learn more about HRC’s Health and Aging program, visit www.hrc.org/explore/topic/health-and-aging.
Majority of D-1 NCAA Basketball Coaches Denounce North Carolina’s Discriminatory HB2
In a questionnaire for CBS Sports, a majority of D-1 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) coaches who responded agreed that the NCAA should ban future tournaments in North Carolina until HB2 is repealed.
CBS Sports reporters Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander asked 110 D-1 coaches across the country: “Should the NCAA refuse to host any more NCAA tournament games in North Carolina until the HB2 law is amended or eradicated?” Fifty-six percent of respondents answered, “yes.”
“Norlander added that ‘a number of North Carolina-based head coaches told me they believe the NCAAT should leave NC until HB2 is changed,’” the Charlotte Observer reported.
The NCAA is not the only sports organization to speak out against the vile law. In July, the NBA stood up to North Carolina lawmakers who refused to repeal HB2 by pulling its 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte. Despite the NBA’s repeated warnings that it would have to consider moving the high-profile game out of the state if the anti-LGBTQ law was not repealed, the state’s General Assembly shamefully adjourned after 100 days of inaction earlier this month.
A day after the NBA pulled the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte, the NCAA also took a decisive step. It announced that all cities bidding to host championship games must submit a survey detailing their non-discrimination laws and policies.
The state’s General Assembly adjourned its short session last month after refusing to fully repeal the discriminatory law, and it is not scheduled to reconvene until January — leaving tens of thousands of people at risk in the interim.
According to a Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll released today, 58 percent of North Carolinians believe HB2 is hurting the state’s economy.
“When we last polled that (economy) question in June only 49 percent thought it was hurting the state’s economy so the high profile cancellation of the NBA All Star game may be helping to fuel those numbers,” PPP reported.
Despite widespread opposition to the law, the General Assembly has been unwilling to even consider repealing the anti-LGBTQ components of the law, including its ban on transgender people accessing restrooms consistent with their gender identity in government offices and schools, and removal of municipalities’ ability to pass LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination laws.
Amber Rose: A Wig Won't Make My Son Gay
The model blasted antigay commenters who objected to her son wearing a wig on Instagram.
www.advocate.com/people/2016/8/10/amber-rose-wig-wont-make-my-son-gay
Trump Using Omar Mateen's Father Against Hillary
The Clinton campaign is forced to disavow the support of Seddique Mateen, who appeared at a rally of hers this week.
www.advocate.com/election/2016/8/10/trump-using-omar-mateens-father-against-hillary
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