GOP Candidate for Utah Senate Trolls Woman Mourning Gay Teen Who Committed Suicide 

A Republican candidate for the Utah state Senate went viral on Reddit after trolling a woman on Facebook who was mourning the death of a gay teenager who committed suicide.

Braxton Taylor tragically took his own life at the young age of nineteen. And as NNN reports, “People close to the case…have called Taylor’s death an ‘LGBT suicide’ on various ‘ex mormon’ websites.”

The story of Taylor’s death got an ugly postscript after a woman who lived near Taylor shared the boy’s obituary on Facebook. As Raw Story notes, the woman wrote, “This beautiful boy lived in Kaysville and shared the same zip code as I do. He attended the same jr. high school as my children, and was just nineteen years old.”

Utah Senate hopeful Jason Christensen (R) then commented on that post, writing that he hopes God forgives Taylor for the sins of “homosexuality” and “murder.”

Wrote Christensen, “Yes this is sad, and hopefully God will have mercy on both sins that this boy committed. The sins of homosexuality and the sins of murder.”

When challenged by a commenter on calling Taylor a murderer, Christensen responded, “When you take a life what you call it? It’s still murder.”

The woman who shared the obituary fired back at Christensen, saying, “Jason Christensen get off my thread now. Not able to block you now but will asap. How dare you! Get the hell off!”

But Christensen didn’t leave it there. He added, “Read the scriptures, stop denying the scriptures,” he replied. “I do feel bad for him and his sins. But one must recognize what’s sins and what is not sin. One must live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not the Gospel of the Devil.”

After making his Twitter private, Christensen later posted on Facebook, “Don’t you love how intolerant the left actually is?”

You can read Taylor’s obituary here.

[h/t NNN]

The post GOP Candidate for Utah Senate Trolls Woman Mourning Gay Teen Who Committed Suicide  appeared first on Towleroad.

Candidate for Utah Senate Trolls Woman Mourning Gay Teen Who Committed Suicide 

New Report Finds Voter ID Laws Disenfranchise Transgender Community

A new report from the Williams Institute found that voter ID laws disproportionately impact and disenfranchise the transgender community.

The report released this month found that more than 34,000 transgender Americans across eight states could be prevented from voting due to restrictive voter ID laws.

In Shelby County v. Holder in June 2013, the Supreme Court invalidated a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, a law that is designed to ensure minority voters across the country are able to participate equally in the electoral process by prohibiting discriminatory voting practices and removing barriers to voting.  Since the Supreme Court’s decision, states and localities have brazenly pushed forward potentially discriminatory changes to voting practices, such as changing district boundaries to disadvantage select voters, instituting unnecessary voter identification laws, and changing polling locations with little notice.

Transgender people are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and disenfranchisement when voting due primarily to challenges around valid identification documents. Many transgender people do not have forms of ID that reflect their gender, either because they are in the process of changing their documents or face financial or legal barriers to doing so. In addition, many LGBTQ people face compounded discrimination based on other characteristics, including race, age, and economic status.  These vulnerabilities weaken our entire community’s voting power.

Roughly 6 million LGB voters cast a ballot in 2012 — an election President Obama won by just under 5 million votes. Historically, turnout among LGBTQ voters is significantly higher than the general voting population. And there’s this: in key swing states like North Carolina, Florida, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia, the number of LGBTQ adults is greater than the margin of victory in 2012.

This November, there are approximately 9.4 million LGBTQ people of voting age in the U.S. This year, more than any election before, we know that every vote counts. That’s why HRC is on the ground, working to mobilize and #turnOUT LGBTQ and pro-equality voters in battleground states across the country. Learn more at hrc.org/VoteEquality and register to vote today at hrc.org/vote.

www.hrc.org/blog/new-report-finds-voter-id-laws-disenfranchise-transgender-community?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Lil Wayne Officiated A Same-Sex Wedding In Prison

Lil Wayne didn’t say if the couple exchanged rings, but they did celebrate with cookies and Gatorade. 

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/9/29/rev-wayne-rappers-memoir-reveals-he-officiated-same-sex-wedding-prison

California Eliminates Rape Statute of Limitations After Cosby Case

In many states, once a certain amount of time has passed, rape cannot be prosecuted. 

www.advocate.com/crime/2016/9/29/california-eliminates-rape-statute-limitations-after-cosby-case

After AfterEllen, Trish Bendix to Edit GO Magazine

The job hunt didn’t take long for the former AfterEllen editor.

www.advocate.com/media/2016/9/29/after-afterellen-trish-bendix-edit-go-magazine

Justin Theroux Reflects On Those Infamous ‘Leftovers’ Sweatpants Photos

It was August 2014. The Leftovers was wrapping up its first season on HBO and the entire Internet was in a tizzy over Justin Theroux’s sweatpants. More specifically, what was flopping around underneath the sweatpants he was wearing in the opening scene of an episode.

In case you need a refresher, here you go:

After making national headlines, Theroux laid low for a while, speaking as little as possible about the incident whenever asked.

Related: Justin Theroux’s Bulge May Be The Best Reason To Keep Watching The Leftovers

When confronted about it by Conan O’Brien in September 2014, he said he “didn’t know how” to answer the question. Then in 2015, he told E! News that he was never wearing sweatpants on the show ever again.

“We’re done with that,” he said. “Throw the sweatpants out!”

Now, in a new interview with Elle, he’s finally opening up at length about the incident that helped transform him into more than just Mr. Jennifer Aniston.

“It’s like having someone yank your shorts down in public,” he says. “It doesn’t feel great. Anyone who has an unflattering picture taken of them would probably say, ‘Join the club’.”

Even though most people spoke positively about Theroux’s package, he says he still cringed.

“It has the appearance of a compliment,” he says, “but it’s more mortifying than anything else.”

The 44-year-old appears in the upcoming thriller Girl on the Train, which opens in theaters on October 7.

Related: Justin Theroux Explains His Flopping Package On “The Leftovers”

www.queerty.com/justin-theroux-reflects-infamous-leftovers-sweatpants-photos-20160929?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

PHOTOS: Model/Mathematician Pietro Boselli Finally Reveals Finest Assets

There are still a few things in the world that we aren’t angry at, and a naked Pietro Boselli is at the very top of the list.

The model/mathematician/engineer/anomaly is prominently featured in a new photoshoot (wordily titled Pietro Boselli & Ymre Stiekema by Philippe Vogelenzang – Ladies & Gents N°57) that showcases some of the best and most revealing photos of the man yet.

Related: A Day In The Life Of Pietro Boselli Is As Charmed (And Hot) As You’d Imagine

Let’s now drop absolutely everything in order to have a look at him. 

Head here to see even more revealing pics of Boselli’s shoot.

www.queerty.com/photos-modelmathematician-pietro-boselli-finally-reveals-finest-assets-20160929?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

CA Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bill Mandating PrEP Education for HIV-Negative Test Recipients

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill into law that will require that HIV-negative people who are tested for the virus to receive information from their medical care provider or the person administering the test about the availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), information they were not heretofore required to receive.

This is the first legislation of its kind to be passed in any state. Advocates hope the new information will massively reduce the number of new HIV cases.

Writes the Los Angeles LGBT Center in a press release:

PrEP has been shown to be up to 99% effective at preventing HIV transmission. PEP involves taking anti-HIV medications as soon as possible after a potential exposure to reduce the risk of becoming HIV-positive. According to a 2015 survey of gay and bisexual men by the California HIV/AIDS Research Program, only 1 in 10 respondents had ever used PrEP and nearly 85% had never talked to their doctor about PrEP.

The bill was co-sponsored by the Los Angeles LGBT Center and APLA Health and introduced by Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson).

Said Thompson: “We are extremely pleased that Governor Brown has signed this bill into law. This is one of several proposals the governor has supported to increase information about and the availability of PrEP and PEP, and we thank him for his continued leadership on this issue. AB 2640 is a crucial step toward raising awareness about effective HIV prevention tools, reducing new infections, and ending the epidemic in California.”

Said Los Angeles LGBT Center Medical Director Dr. Robert Bolan of the new law:

“With the stroke of his pen, Governor Brown has played a significant and groundbreaking role in helping to fight HIV in the state that ranks second in the nation in cumulative AIDS cases. Those most at risk of HIV infection deserve to know about all the options to stay negative, including PrEP and PEP. By signing AB 2640, Governor Brown is helping to promote options that have the potential to change the course of the epidemic in California and significantly reduce the HIV infection rate here.”

Added Gipson:

“It is estimated that 1 in 2 Black gay men and 1 in 4 Latino gay men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime if infection rates continue to rise. This is unconscionable. Women of color and transgender individuals are also among the groups at greatest risk for HIV. We now have effective tools like PrEP and PEP that can help end the HIV epidemic, but that won’t happen unless people know about them. With the signing of AB 2640, we are now doing more to make sure that people know about the tools available to protect themselves.”

The post CA Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bill Mandating PrEP Education for HIV-Negative Test Recipients appeared first on Towleroad.

CA Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bill Mandating PrEP Education for HIV-Negative Test Recipients

Haiti Cancels First LGBT Film Festival Following Death Threats and Police Pressure: VIDEO

Haiti’s first LGBT film festival has been cancelled following threats of death and arson.

Members of Kouraj, Haiti’s leading LGBT group, said death and arson threats were made by phone and on social media. Jean Danton Leger, commissioner of Port-au-Prince, said the Massimadi festival was blocked to protect public morals.

RELATED: Haitian Anti-Gay Marriage Protesters Kill Two Men, Threaten To Burn Down Parliament: VIDEO

Adding to the pressure on organizers, Senator Jean Renel Senatus (right) wrote on Facebook that the Massimadi festival “aims to promote homosexuality in our country” and poses “great danger” to Haitian families. Senatus also congratulated one of the hosts of the festival for pulling out, adding that the money saved should be spent on education.

Haiti – Politic : «Zokiki» declares war against homosexuality:
Monday, Senator Jean Renel Sénatus, aia…… t.co/Fz5eIXsZxl

— HAY ONLINE, INC (@HAYONLINEINC) July 13, 2016

According to Reuters, the president of Kouraj, Charlot Jeudy, said organizers are “worried about the security of the members of the [LGBT] community who live in this country.” Jeudy added that the festival was banned “precisely because there has been a verbal ban by the government commissioner of Port au Prince, Jean Danton Leger.”

Haïti: le premier festival de films LGBTI reporté à cause de menaces #Massimadi @KOURAJayiti t.co/DdQukfCsqo

— Festival Massimadi (@massimadi) September 28, 2016

In July, Senatus launched a war against television shows “advocating homosexuality.” Targeting Glee specifically, he said:

“I want to send a signal to the Haitian families that are in danger today. Fathers and mothers should observe an outstanding vigilance during the holidays. We want to draw their attention to these serials that promote bad manners, to the contrary of morality.”

The Massimad festival, which has also been held in Brussels and Montreal, aims to raise awareness of homophobia in African and Caribbean communities.

Watch a report on the 2014 Montreal Massimadi festival below.

(Senatus image via Facebook. Massimadi image via Twitter).

The post Haiti Cancels First LGBT Film Festival Following Death Threats and Police Pressure: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Haiti Cancels First LGBT Film Festival Following Death Threats and Police Pressure: VIDEO