31 Must-See Fall TV Shows for LGBT Viewers

There’s a lot of TV. Here’s the programs The Advocate‘s editors are most looking forward to.

www.advocate.com/television/2016/9/14/31-must-see-fall-tv-shows-lgbt-viewers

Trump Supporter Wanted by Police for Punching 69-Year Old Woman (Video)

www.advocate.com/election/2016/9/14/trump-supporter-wanted-police-punching-69-year-old-woman-video

Witty, Sexy, Red-Blooded American Men (Photos)

www.advocate.com/photography/2016/9/14/witty-sexy-red-blooded-american-men-photos

Twitter Reacts To NC GOP’s Insane Response To NCAA Pulling Championship Games

In case you missed it, the North Carolina Republicans doubled down on their long-term stay in crazy town with a statement about the NCAA moving championship games out of the state due to HB2 that should both get spokesperson Kami Mueller fired, and go down in the history books as a perfect example of how to dig a hole even deeper.

Mueller, taking the initiative to speak in the first person, says she looks forward to the NCAA merging men’s and women’s teams together.

Related: LGBTQ Rights Groups Ask Big 12 Not To Include BYU Over Discriminatory Policies

It only gets nuttier from there, asking how you can have men’s and women’s teams if you don’t have men’s and women’s locker rooms, despite the fact that no one is arguing for doing away with gendered bathrooms.

She also conveniently ignores the fact that the NCAA has progressive policies for transgender athletes in place, allowing trans men to participate in men’s sports and allowing trans women to participate in women’s provided they have been undergoing hormone replacement therapy for at least one year.

They do not require athletes to change the gender on their birth certificates in order to be considered legitimate, unlike in North Carolina as it relates to trans people using the bathrooms and locker rooms in government owned buildings.

Mueller then attempts to paint the NCAA as not concerned about the Baylor rape scandal, even though independent investigators placed the blame solely on the Christian university.

The statement has been given a thorough line by line analysis by Slate, as well as Charlotte Magazine. Both are well worth reading.

Related: NCAA College Star Derrick Gordon Says NBA Didn’t Give Him A Shot Because He’s Gay

Slate calls it “deranged,” and Charlotte Magazine says it is a “statement for the ages,” but not in a good way.

Twitter has chimed in as well, and they are giving the NCGOP and Mueller, who just so happens to have a history of making jokes comparing trans people to animals, an earful.

Here are some of the best Tweets on the topic:

If the @NCGOP is so concerned about campus sexual assault, why did they kill my bill (HB815) on the issue last year? t.co/CH7woRXksl

— Rep. Graig Meyer (@GraigMeyer) September 13, 2016

bye-bye NCCA tourney hoops games, and bye-bye NBA All-Star game. GOP is doing wonders for NC t.co/kbGQwH3mQz

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) September 13, 2016

.@NCGOP has declared war on @NCAA basketball… Seems like a winning NC political strategy. #hb2 #ncpol

— Chris Sgro (@cristoferosgro) September 13, 2016

Reading @kamimueller‘s #HB2 statement like pic.twitter.com/em5TQlYRtL

— Clay Pittman (@claypittman) September 13, 2016

I’m going to go out on a limb here & say that @kamimueller doesn’t seem to understand North Carolina’s bathroom law. t.co/qoiE8SnwlT

— Ben Spielberg (@BenSpielberg) September 13, 2016

GOP: How dare you call us deplorable!?

WORLD: Ok, maybe that was a bit hars—

NCGOP: [vomits transphobia, misogyny, awfulness in statement]

— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) September 13, 2016

Love me some #deplorables! @MicheleNixNCGOP @BillPeriman @TeamTrumpNC @blove65 @mitchellvii @JoeDanMedia @NCGOP pic.twitter.com/jhwIg5OH2U

— Deplorable Diana (@fancygap1) September 13, 2016

The last month for the @ncgop:
1. Surgical precision discrimination
2. Instruct local BOEs to suppress voting
3. HB2/Baylor rape comparison

— Doc Kennedy (@DocHeelfire) September 13, 2016

and apparently for writing incredibly sexist, offensive @NCGOP releases, too, @kamimueller t.co/9l4JYINlFD pic.twitter.com/y2enJEPjQs

— Laura Keeley (@laurakeeley) September 13, 2016

.@kamimueller Making North Carolina look drunk with every flick of the pen. #HB2 Seriously, go read her NCAA press statement– @TheOnion

— Nick Bankhead (@Nick314) September 14, 2016

Newly minted @NCGOP spox @kamimueller (used to b spox 4 various hate groups) has had way too much wine. #Hb2 #NCpol pic.twitter.com/9bl1Y7mLJi

— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) September 13, 2016

While Drafting @ncgop response to the @PatMcCroryNC statement on the #ncaa, @kamimueller searches for inspiration pic.twitter.com/ry0tLcdN5H

— Michelle Ferlauto (@MsFerlauto) September 14, 2016

Worst part is @kamimueller & @NCGOP think this way even when sober. They live in a very bizarre world. #ncpol #HB2 pic.twitter.com/sLTrIvBSuT

— #ReadyForRoy (@ReadyForRoy) September 13, 2016

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Antigay Lawmaker Commits Suicide Ahead Of Fraud Trial, Still Wins Election

Antigay Republican lawmaker Bill Nojay, who was mired in legal troubles, died by suicide Friday morning, yet still won a primary race in in Western New York‘s  133rd Assembly district against challenger Rick Milne.

Nojay shot himself near his family plot in Rochester’s Riverside Cemetery.

Related: Antigay Politician Confronted By Gay Brother On Live TV (Video)

He was facing charges of fraud in Cambodia related to a $1 million investment in a proposed rice exporting operation gone bust and had been scheduled to appear in federal court Friday on fraud charges related to a $1.8 million trust fund he managed for a longtime client and friend, according to sources familiar with the case, the Democrat & Chronicle reports.

The Republican Party now has ten days to find a replacement candidate to run against Democratic challenger Barbara Baer. The Conservative, Independence and Reform parties all face the same situation, since they also nominated Nojay. Milne, who stopped campaigning when he learned of Nojay’s death, has informed Republican Party chairmen that he wishes to be the nominee.

Nojay was an early supporter of Donald Trump, encouraging him to run for governor of New York in 2013. He served as the co-chairman of Trump’s New York campaign committee.

He was a conservative, representing a conservative district, and had an antigay voting record, twice voting in favor of conversion therapy.

Related: Colin Powell In Hacked Emails: Trump ‘A Racist,’ ‘National Disgrace’

Milne had pitched himself as a less conservative alternative, saying he was in favor of gay marriage while appearing on a local radio show.

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Pulse Survivor Dies Mysteriously at House Party Just 3 Months After Orlando Massacre – VIDEO

A young man who survived the Pulse massacre in Orlando on June 12 has died of unknown causes while attending a party in Tampa.

Chris Brodman was only 34 when he passed away unexpectedly while visiting friends.

The Orlando Sentinel reports:

Paramedics found him in the backyard and unsuccessfully attempted lifesaving measures. He died at the home.

Detectives didn’t find any evidence of trauma or violence, officials said. An autopsy was completed, but the cause of death won’t be determined until the results of toxicology tests are available.

Brodman had posted on social media and talked with local news outlets about how he survived the June 12 shooting in Orlando that left 49 people dead and more than 50 others injured.

More from Tampa Bay Times:

“I’ll never, ever understand this,” said his friend Ramses Tinoco, who was with Brodman the night of the Pulse shooting. “He was so young and he could have achieved his dreams and taken the second opportunity God had given us of living to another level. He had so much potential.”

Friends say Brodman, an outgoing redhead from Orlando, was at a party at the $1.2 million home at 12224 Garden Lake Circle in the Keystone area of Hillsborough County when he passed away. Investigators have not determined what caused his death.

Brodman had become one of the public faces of the Pulse massacre after he spoke with local news reporters about the harrowing night and his decision to get a tattoo to honor the victims who didn’t make it out of Pulse alive.

On the night of the shooting, he posted on Facebook that he had gone to Pulse to celebrate his birthday.

In the wake of the massacre, he would later write, “I look back and what stands out the most for me is how much support and love has been shown both here in Orlando and around the world.”

Brodman’s boyfriend has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for Broadman’s funeral. He writes, 

My name is Cord Cedeno and Chris Brodman was the love of my life. We went to a birthday party out of town and he was killed and the circumstances of how he died is still unknown and being investigated. The funds raised will be used to cover funeral costs including services at the funeral home, burial, and installation of a headstone. No one deserved to die like he did and making sure his memory lives on is my main goal I won’t let whoever did this take away what an amazing person he was and the memories we made together. He deserves justice. Our families are working together to make sure he is laid to rest in peace and remembered for the kind and good man he was.  WE LOVE YOU CHRIS

[Top photo via Facebook; h/t Instinct]

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Miley Cyrus Stars in New Woody Allen TV Series ‘Crisis in Six Scenes’ – WATCH

Miley Cyrus returns to acting in Woody’s Allen’s first TV series, Crisis in Six Scenes.

The series is a one-off Allen created for Amazon that takes place in the 1960s. Allen plays a zany suburbanite whose family is thrown into turbulence when an unexpected visitor (Cyrus) comes to stay. The Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam are among the 60s cultural touchstones that are the backdrop for what appears to be a rather intimate comedy.

Allen wrote and directed all six episodes of the series which is available for you to binge on Amazon starting September 30.

Watch the trailer, below.

The post Miley Cyrus Stars in New Woody Allen TV Series ‘Crisis in Six Scenes’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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ACC Follows NCAA’s Lead and Pulls Championship Games from North Carolina – VIDEO

The ACC, the Atlantic Coast Conference, has announced it will pull its 2016 and 2017 championship games from North Carolina as a result of the state’s anti-LGBT ‘bathroom bill’, HB 2.

The move is significant as North Carolina is the ACC’s home state.

The announcement from the ACC comes just days after the NCAA announced it would pull all 2016 and 2017 championship events from the Tar Heel State because of the discriminatory law.

RELATED – Hillary Clinton: ‘The NCAA is Right to Pull Games from North Carolina’ Over Anti-LGBT HB2

Earlier this year, the NBA announced it would relocate the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte because North Carolina lawmakers did not significantly overhaul HB 2 as they had hoped.

CBS Sports reports: 

For now, the decision only applies to the 2016-17 academic year but does include the relocation of the 2016 ACC Football Championship Game, scheduled to be held in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium.

From the ACC Council of Presidents: “As members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC Council of Presidents reaffirmed our collective commitment to uphold the values of equality, diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination. Every one of our 15 universities is strongly committed to these values and therefore, we will continue to host ACC Championships at campus sites. We believe North Carolina House Bill 2 is inconsistent with these values, and as a result, we will relocate all neutral site championships for the 2016-17 academic year. All locations will be announced in the future from the conference office.”

From commissioner John Swofford: “The ACC Council of Presidents made it clear that the core values of this league are of the utmost importance, and the opposition to any form of discrimination is paramount. Today’s decision is one of principle, and while this decision is the right one, we recognize there will be individuals and communities that are supportive of our values as well as our championship sites that will be negatively affected. Hopefully, there will be opportunities beyond 2016-17 for North Carolina neutral sites to be awarded championships.”

NPR adds: 

The decision covers eight championships, from women’s soccer to swimming and diving, and from football to golf and baseball. It does not affect sports whose conference titles are decided on home turf. […]

New locations for the championships will be announced later, the conference says.

Watch a news report from USA Today, below.

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HRC’s New Back-to-School Guide Helps Parents,Teachers & Allies of Trans Kids Build Inclusive Schools

Today, HRC Foundation released a new back-to-school guide to equip parents, teachers, and allies of transgender students with information and resources to ensure that their schools are welcoming and safe for LGBTQ youth and the children of LGBTQ parents. The resource, which includes information on HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools professional development training modules and checklists for inclusive classroom practices and parent actions, comes during a period of increased attention to LGBTQ-inclusion in schools and harmful political attacks on transgender young people.

To delve deeper into the topics addressed in the guide and examine the legal landscape for LGBTQ students, HRC will be hosting experts in education equality during a live panel discussion on the HRC Facebook page at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 15.  Guests include HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow, Director of HRC’s Welcoming Schools Johanna Eager, parent advocate J.R. Ford, who is the father of a transgender child, HRC Foundation HBCU Project Manager Leslie Hall, and will be moderated by HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention.

“Every student should feel safe and supported when they walk into school in the morning,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, the HRC Foundation’s Senior Vice President for Programs, Research, and Trainings. “Recent data on the experience of lesbian, gay, and bisexual students from the CDC underscored just how much work remains before every student is treated with dignity and fairness.  Our new guide provides the nation’s educators and parents with the tools they need to make the promise of equality for all students a reality in the classroom every day.”

In addition to information on HRC trainings and checklists, the guide also includes recommendations of LGBTQ-inclusive books and ways for teachers to combat anti-LGBTQ comments or bullying.

HRC’s Welcoming Schools program works to make America’s elementary schools more inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ students and the children of LGBTQ parents with trainings for schools and resources for parents, teachers, and administrators.  The program grants the Welcoming Schools Seal of Excellence to schools that meet benchmarks on LGBTQ equality, including inclusive policies, staff development, and lesson plans that feature LGBTQ identities.  Earlier this year, Welcoming Schools organized readings across the country of the book “I Am Jazz,” about transgender activist Jazz Jennings, following the cancellation of a reading of the book in Wisconsin due to complaints from anti-LGBTQ activists at the Liberty Counsel.

To read more about HRC’s Welcoming Schools program, visit www.welcomingschools.org/

www.hrc.org/blog/hrcs-new-back-to-school-guide-helps-parentsteachers-allies-of-trans-kids-bu?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Bi+ media representation panelists announced for GLAAD's #BiWeek event

www.glaad.org/blog/bi-media-representation-panelists-announced-glaads-biweek-event