Europa, Bernie Sanders, Tom Brady Nude Sunbathing, Jose Fernandez, Andre Gray, Meatball Sub: HOT LINKS

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. If you missed it, here’s our wrap-up.

BERNIE SANDERS. Vigorous schedule planned to campaign for Clinton: “We’re working on a schedule right now, which is going to be a very, very vigorous schedule,” Sanders said. “We’re going to go all over this country. We’re going to go wherever Secretary Clinton’s people think that I am needed, and I am going to work as hard as I can to make sure that Donald Trump does not become the next president.”

PETER SHEIL. Australian cold case to reopen?  “Peter Sheil was found dead at the bottom of a Sydney cliff – below a well known gay beat – with his fly undone. Police dismissed the incident as ‘misadventure’, but now his siblings want the case reopened, believing it may have been part of a more insidious spate of crimes sweeping the city at the time.”

EUROPA. NASA says Jupiter’s moon could support life after spotting what they believe are water plumes on it. “If plumes exist, this is an exciting find,” lead researcher William Sparks said. “It means we may be able to explore that ocean, that ocean of Europa, and for organic chemicals,” he added. “It would allow us to search for signs of life without having to drill through miles of ice.”

EUROPE. 6 sites recognized for significance to gay history: “The former homes of the writer Oscar Wilde and the composer Benjamin Britten are among six sites that were recognized on Friday by an arm of the British government for their significance in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. Historic England, a body that designates places worthy of legal protection,announced the decision, the latest in an effort to showcase “queer history.” Last September, Historic England gave the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a well-known gay pub, a Grade II listing, meaning that it cannot be demolished, extended or altered without special permission.”

BISHOP CHALLONER. British state-funded Catholic school says it cannot approve of ‘homosexual genital acts’.

GERMANY. Retrograde record on gay rights: “Part of the reason is personal: Ms. Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, grew up in the former East Germany, where Communism and traditional social mores reinforced the power of the state, and she admits to being extremely conservative on this issue. She has budged on gay rights issues only when forced to do so by the Constitutional Court.”

TOM BRADY. The Patriot goes nude sunbathing.

TRIBUTE. Florida Marlins pay respect to lost teammate Jose Fernandez

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ANDRE GRAY. British footballer gets four-match ban for homophobic tweets: “Burnley forward Andre Gray has been suspended for four matches commencing with immediate effect for misconduct in respect of social media comments. It was alleged that six postings on his Twitter account were abusive and/or insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute contrary to Rule E3(1). It was further alleged that these breaches of Rule E3(1) included a reference to sexual orientation and/or gender and/or colour and/or race contrary to Rule E3(2). The player admitted to three of the breaches, and denied the remaining three were in breach of FA Rules. Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing yesterday, the remaining three breaches were found proven. The player was also fined £25,000, warned as to his future conduct and ordered to attend an FA education course.”

RUPAUL. Sissy That Vote.

MEATBALL SUB. Worst customer of the day.

TOO HOT FOR TUESDAY. Laeon Gordon.

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Europa, Bernie Sanders, Tom Brady Nude Sunbathing, Jose Fernandez, Andre Gray, Meatball Sub: HOT LINKS

Gay Men Reportedly Pepper-Sprayed in ‘Unprovoked’ SF Attack: ‘You Fags are Destroying Family Values’

Neil Frias and Jeff White, two New Yorkers who were visiting San Francisco over the weekend for the annual Folsom Street Fair, say they were attacked with pepper spray at the intersection of Golden Gate and Fillmore Streets in the city’s Western Addition neighborhood.

Frias and White told the SF Chronicle that they did nothing to provoke the alleged attack:

Frias and White said they were attacked at about 9 p.m. outside a McDonald’s at Golden Gate Avenue and Fillmore Street in the city’s Western Addition. As Frias left the fast-food restaurant, he said five men pulled up in a blue minivan. “They were saying, ‘You fags are destroying family values,’” Frias said. “I said I didn’t want any trouble, and one of them got out of the van. I thought he was going to take a swing at me, but he sprayed me across the face.”

Frias said he was hit with the unmistakable “searing sting” from the pepper spray as a second man came at him with another can of the aerosolized weapon. A third assailant, he said, attacked White, who crawled into a ball to protect his face from the painful blast.

“I was completely vulnerable,” he said. “I thought they were going to start beating me.”

A nearby woman shouted that she was calling the police, prompting the mob to jump back into the minivan and speed away. Police and paramedics responded to the attack, and the two victims returned to their Union Square hotel.

“The thing that was the most remarkable about the situation is how unprovoked it was,” White said, still reeling from the encounter Sunday morning. “I was literally tying my shoe when they came at me. It’s mind-boggling.”

The L.A. Times reports that “SFPD’s Special Investigations Division, which handles hate crime investigations, will be leading the search for the attackers.”

The post Gay Men Reportedly Pepper-Sprayed in ‘Unprovoked’ SF Attack: ‘You Fags are Destroying Family Values’ appeared first on Towleroad.

Gay Men Reportedly Pepper-Sprayed in ‘Unprovoked’ SF Attack: ‘You Fags are Destroying Family Values’

Investors Representing $2.1 Trillion Call on Pat McCrory to Repeal North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law

Sixty investors representing $2.1 trillion in managed assets have called on North Carolina to repeal HB2, the controversial law limiting protections for LGBT people.

Earlier this month it was estimated that HB2 has so far cost North Carolina in the region of $395 million from sporting organizations, the entertainment industry and business interests. In March, more than 80 CEOs and businesses – including Apple’s Tim Cook and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg – signed a letter urging Governor Pat McCrory to overturn HB2.

RELATED: Panicked Over Diving Poll Numbers, NC GOP Lawmaker Who Voted for HB2 is First to Call for its Repeal: WATCH

Speaking at a press conference on Monday alongside some of the investors who have signed the statement calling for repeal, Matt Patsky, chief executive officer of Trillium Asset Management, said North Carolina “appears to be headed for what I would call a state-government-inflicted recession.” According to Associated Press, Trillium – one of the organizers of the statement along with environmental research group Croatan Institute and the New York City comptroller, Scott Stringer – has more than $2 billion in assets under management. Stringer was unable to attend the press conference because of a New York ban on travel to North Carolina.

“Notth Caroljna is headed for a state government imposed recession.” -Matt Patsky, CEO Trillium Asset Management when discussing HB2

— Walter Hart (@DrWalterHart) September 26, 2016

In a separate statement, Stringer said:

“As long-term investors, we can’t sit idly by as HB2 undermines fundamental human rights at our expense. For the last 25 years, New York City’s pension funds have pushed more than 100 companies to enact non-discrimination policies that protect LGBTQ individuals and ensure they attract, retain, and promote the best and the brightest. These policies are essential if we want companies – and our economy – to succeed, and we can’t let a hate-filled law get in the way.”

Bonny Moellenbrock, executive director of North Carolina-based Investors Circle, added:

“This fallout is real. It has had a devastating impact on our reputation and that has a direct impact on entrepreneurs’ ability to grow their business here.”

McCrory replied in a statement:

“This latest attack on North Carolina values is being coordinated by the same people who manage the New York City pension fund that is on the verge of an ‘operational failure,’ according to a recent report. For New York hedge fund billionaires to lecture North Carolina about how to conduct its affairs is the height of hypocrisy.”

Earlier this month, McCrory offered to consider rescinding HB2, but only if the Democrats who pushed for a pro-LGBT ordinance in Charlotte would admit they were wrong. Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts has refused to apologize or make any changes to the city ordinance.

The post Investors Representing $2.1 Trillion Call on Pat McCrory to Repeal North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law appeared first on Towleroad.

Investors Representing $2.1 Trillion Call on Pat McCrory to Repeal North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law

Indian Activists Visit HRC, Share Challenges Facing Indian Transgender Community

Last week, HRC hosted eight advocates working on transgender issues in India at our office in Washington, D.C. The activists were visiting the U.S. as part of a State Department cultural exchange program with the aim of “understanding transgender issues in the U.S.” The activists hailed from a variety of states around India and their work spanned HIV prevention and care, mental health counseling, transgender rights, filmmaking and the arts. They came to HRC to learn about the state of the transgender movement in the United States and to share perspectives about the transgender movement in India.

Jay Brown, an openly transgender leader at HRC, and Sarah McBride, who was the first openly transgender person to speak at a major U.S. party convention and a member of HRC’s staff, talked about key developments in the transgender movement and notable victories in the U.S. Brown and McBride touched on the unprecedented visibility recently enjoyed by transgender Americans and how it has unfortunately been accompanied by a backlash in states such as North Carolina.

Sadhana Kinner, an activist from the eastern state of Odisha, praised the Indian Supreme Court verdict in April 2014. The decision granted transgender people legal status but Kinner criticized the slow implementation of the verdict. She noted that transgender people, some of whom identify as third gender or hijra, have always been more visible in Indian society compared to LGB people but they struggle to find jobs and are often confined to sex work, begging and the entertainment industry. Jaya Annamalai, an activist from Tamil Nadu, also said transgender Indians living with HIV face intense stigma.

HRC’s work to improve the lives of transgender people was detailed by Gabe Murchison and Tari Hanneman. Hanneman explained how HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index has worked with health systems to adopt transgender-inclusive policies and train their staff to work effectively with transgender patients. Murchison highlighted HRC’s work to prevent violence against transgender people and explained how HRC gives youth-serving professionals, including educators and child welfare workers, information and resources that help them support young transgender people.

Earlier this year, HRC joined Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, who was a member of the visiting group, at a workplace inclusion summit in Hyderabad to discuss the need for transgender-inclusive policies for workers in U.S. multinationals in foreign countries. To learn more about HRC’s work around the world, click here. 

www.hrc.org/blog/indian-activists-visit-hrc?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: September 27, 2016

LAST NIGHT — TWO CANDIDATES, ONE PRESIDENT: Last night, Hillary Clinton swept the floor with Donald Trump, calling out his endless stream of lies and remaining unflappable and presidential in the face of this constant interruptions and unprofessional behavior. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine joined HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) and Florida supporters for HRC’s debate watch party in Orlando. After paying tribute at Pulse nightclub, Kaine and Griffin — joined by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly (@ShuttleCDRKelly) — spoke to hundreds of pro-equality voters at HRC’s watch party. Through our #TurnOUT 2016 campaign, HRC is working to mobilize and turn out LGBTQ and pro-equality voters in Florida and other battleground states across the country. In Florida, the LGBTQ vote could impact the outcome of races up and down the ballot. There are approximately 560,000 LGBTQ adults living in Florida — a substantial population given President Obama only won the state by a little over 70,000 votes in 2012. More from HRC and WMFE.

• Before the debate, Tim Kaine was joined by HRC’s Griffin, Giffords, Kelly, Senator Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) and Orlando Police Chief John Mina (@ChiefJohnMina) for a powerful visit to the Pulse Nightclub. There, they paid tribute to the 49 lives lost. Kaine remarked, “…I always hoped that the Virginia Tech one would be the worst one ever…as bad as that was, I hoped that nothing would ever eclipse it but, such as life we got work to do…” More from ABC and NBC.

TODAY: HRC JOINS AMERICANS FOR RESPONSIBLE SOLUTIONS IN ORLANDO: HRC President Chad Griffin will join Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, for a rally and round table discussion to urge the majority of Americans who support common sense gun violence prevention laws to vote in November. The events mark the kick-off of a 14-state Vocal Majority Tour by Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC — which Giffords and Kelly co-founded. Four days after the devastating attack on Pulse, the HRC’s board of directors passed a resolution endorsing common-sense gun violence prevention policy measures.

HRC ENDORSES FLORIDA’S PATRICK MURPHY FOR US SENATE: HRC has endorsed Congressman Patrick Murphy (@PatrickMurphyFL) for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida currently held by Marco Rubio. “The choice for LGBTQ Floridians could not be more clear in November. Patrick Murphy has a record of leadership on equality while Marco Rubio has dedicated his career to opposing LGBTQ equality,” said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). Last week, at Murphy’s urging, the IRS determined that OneOrlando Fund payouts to survivors of the Pulse shooting would be treated as gifts and therefore be exempt from federal income tax. In stark contrast, Rubio spent the two-month anniversary of the Pulse tragedy courting the support of anti-LGBTQ activists just miles from the site of the tragedy in Orlando. More from The Miami Herald.

Join us at 10:30 a.m. ET for today’s #HRCTwitterTakeover with Pulse survivor, @BrandonJWolf ahead of the @resp_solutions Bus Tour Kickoff! pic.twitter.com/5yQp8vrqBN

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) September 27, 2016

ROY MOORE — “NOTHING BUT TROUBLE FOR ALABAMA”: Tomorrow, notoriously anti-LGBTQ Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore will face a hearing to determine whether he should be removed from the bench for his more than decade-long record of unethical, extralegal actions — from his Ten Commandments crusade in 2001 to his present-day obstructionist tactics aimed at preventing marriage equality in Alabama. “It marks a fork in the road for our state,” said HRC Alabama State Manager Eva Kendrick in an op-ed for AL.com. “He’s blatantly pushed a personal agenda and ignored the rule of law and the code of ethics that guides the work of an Alabama Supreme Court justice.” Read the powerful piece at AL.com.

• #NoMoore: Check out HRC’s newest video highlighting Roy Moore’s unethical behavior and HRC’s efforts to fight back against it here.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE, GOV. MCCRORY? INVESTMENT MANAGERS REPRESENTING $2.1 TRILLION URGE FULL HB2 REPEAL:  More than 50 investment managers with accounts totalling more than $2.1 trillion are calling for the full and immediate repeal of North Carolina’s discriminatory HB2 law before damage to the state becomes irreversible. The signatories — organized by the Durham, N.C.-based Croatan Institute; Trillium Asset Management, which has offices in Durham; and the New York City Comptroller — assert that non-discrimination policies protecting LGBTQ individuals ensure that businesses “attract, retain and promote the best and the brightest,” and that such policies “are essential if we want companies — and our economy — to succeed.” More from The Charlotte Observer.

ICYMI: Check out HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride’s (@SarahEMcBride) Twitter storm highlighting the ways Donald Trump would set back LGBTQ equality. Find her tweets here.

(1) First debate is tonight and regardless of whether #LGBTQ issues come up, let’s compare the two candidates on equality, shall we?

— Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) September 26, 2016

HRC & ROCK THE VOTE JOIN FORCES TO REGISTER PRO-EQUALITY VOTERS: To mark National Voter Registration Day and ensure that the voices of pro-equality voters are heard in November, HRC and Rock the Vote are offering simple, online assistance here to help those seeking to register to vote in their state.

STAND UP, SPEAK OUT DURING LGBTQ ALLY WEEK: Schools across America this week will be marking Ally Week, a time for allies of LGBTQ students to stand up, speak out and discuss what it means to be an ally to the LGBTQ community. Learn more from GLSEN.

WILL & GRACE CAST REUNITES TO (HILARIOUSLY) GET OUT THE PRO-EQUALITY VOTE: The cast of the groundbreaking TV show Will & Grace — Debra Messing (@DebraMessing), Eric McCormack (@EricMcCormack), Sean Hayes (@SeanHayes) and Megan Mullally (@MeganOMullally) — made a welcome comeback online last night urging viewers to vote, and taking well-aimed shots at Donald Trump. The show was a pioneer for LGBTQ representation in television, and many of  its stars are vocal supporters of LGBTQ rights. The video, which can be found here, already has nearly 950,000 views.

LONDON TO EXPAND GENDER OPTIONS ON CITY FORMS: London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that the city plans on expanding gender options on city forms, recognizing intersex and non-binary identities. More from Pink News. 

READING RAINBOW
The Huffington Post shares an open letter providing resources to parents of transgender children… Mic takes a look at Pope Francis’ stances on LGBTQ equality… NewNowNext reports that Modern Family has cast the first openly transgender child actor…

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-september-27-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Oscar Wilde’s House, Five Other Sites Recognized For Significance To Gay History

Oscar Wilde photo by Napoleon Sarony. Wilde’s house photo via Historic England.

The former home of writer Oscar Wilde is one of six sites recognized by Historic England, an arm of the British government, for having significance to LGBTQ history.

Duncan Wilson, the chief executive of Historic England, said in a telephone interview with The New York Times that the decision was “part of a deliberate policy of looking at what we protect and commemorate by a listing, to see that it is more representative of society as a whole.”

Related: Explore Dublin, London And Paris With The Spirit Of Oscar Wilde

Wilde lived in the house, at 34 Tite Street, with his wife, Constance Lloyd, and their two children from 1884 until his trial for “gross indecency” in 1895.

The listing on Historic England’s website reads:

It was the family home of Oscar Wilde and his wife Constance Lloyd from their marriage in 1884, and that of their children, Cyril, born in 1885, and Vyvyan, 1886. The family lived there until Wilde’s trial for ‘gross indecency’ in 1895, when he was sentenced to two years with hard labour after being found guilty of engaging in sexual acts with other men. Following his conviction, Constance took the surname ‘Holland’ in a bid to disassociate herself from the scandal, and moved her sons to schools in Europe. The house has a London County Council (LCC) plaque on it, recording the association with Wilde. Brick-built with two-storeyed bay window. Three storeys, basement and attic. E W Godwin decorated the interior for Wilde in 1884.

Oscar Wilde’s former home in London until 1985. Photo via Historic England.

Another site designated significant to LGBTQ history in England is the Red House, in Aldeburgh, where composer Benjamin Britten and his partner, singer Peter Pears, lived together from 1957 until Britten’s death in 1976. It is run by the Britten-Pears Foundation and is open to the public, unlike the Wilde house which is still a private residence.

Red House, in Aldeburgh, England, where Benjamin Britten and his partner lived. Photo by Philip Vile, Historic England.

Two other homes made the cut as well.

Shibden Hall, in Halifax in West Yorkshire, was the home of Anne Lister, which she shared for several years with her partner, Ann Walker. Lister kept diaries, partly in code, about her relationships with women.

St. Ann’s Court, in Chertsey, a suburb in Surrey, was home to two men, Gerald Schlesinger and Christopher Tunnard, who designed it in response to laws that made homosexual sex a crime, even in one’s own home. The master bedroom was able to be separated into two, so as to give the illusion that they slept apart.

Related: It’s Official: Stonewall Inn Is A National Monument

The Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial at St. Pancras Gardens in London was also selected. It honors, among others, Chevalier d’Eon, a French spy and diplomat, who fought in the Seven Years’ War and presented both as male and female at various points throughout life.

The Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial. Photo by Loz Pycock on Flickr, CC 2.0.

The grave of Amelia Edwards, a writer, musician and founder of Egyptology, rounds out the sites considered an important part of “queer history.”

It is located in St. Mary’s Churchyard, Hendon. She and her partner, Ellen Braysher, lived in the nearby town of Weston-super-Mare.

www.queerty.com/oscar-wildes-house-five-sites-recognized-significance-gay-history-20160927?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

PHOTO: Hunky Men Stroke Each Other’s Alter Egos In Budapest

www.gaycities.com/photos/325-alterego/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Rosie O’Donnell Responds to Donald Trump Debate Jab: An ‘Orange Anus’ Who Will ‘Never Be President’

At the end of last night’s debate with Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump decided he’d bring up his decade-long feud with Rosie O’Donnell, seemingly spurred on by accusations from Clinton about his derogatory remarks toward women.

WATCH: “Rosie O’donnell, I said very tough things to her, and I think everybody would agree she deserves it.” – Trump #debates pic.twitter.com/cDfBr2lpZ4

— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 27, 2016

Rosie O’Donnell responded on Twitter: “HE WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT.”

HE WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT … @WeinerAnne

— Rosie (@Rosie) September 27, 2016

Rosie also tweeted the video she says inspired Trump’s anger toward her, saying, “the 5 mins orange anus can’t seem to get over — tell the truth – shame the Donald #ImWithHer”

t.co/EvxYa7A4bL — the 5 mins orange anus can’t seem to get over — tell the truth – shame the donald #ImWithHer

— Rosie (@Rosie) September 27, 2016

The post Rosie O’Donnell Responds to Donald Trump Debate Jab: An ‘Orange Anus’ Who Will ‘Never Be President’ appeared first on Towleroad.

Rosie O’Donnell Responds to Donald Trump Debate Jab: An ‘Orange Anus’ Who Will ‘Never Be President’