Does something seem off about this picture of Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry?

The summer of 2016 was a conveyor belt of skin. It was hot out — remember warmth? Also the election was starting to drive people to actual madness, so can you really blame folks for ripping off their clothes and running into the light? We know we sure can’t

But there were two moments that will go down as the apex of seasonal male celebrity disrobement: the Biebs getting down in Hawaii, and Orlando Bloom with Katy Perry paddle boarding into glory.

Related: Andy Cohen on all those nude pics he has floating around plus sleeping with Justin Bieber

Let’s take a moment to relive that second moment, for a moment:

OK, either Katy Perry is hotter than we remember, or something weird is going on here.

Enter cheeky British comedians Alan Carr and David Williams, paddling in from stage right.

Related: This ‘Hunger Games’ actor is the latest to let it all hang out

The pair recreated the iconic shot in all its glory (you can see the full version here), and it’s giving us major ‘summer of skin’ nostalgia. If we close our eyes really tight, we can almost imagine the heat coming off the radiator is the sun shining down. Almost.

Now we’ll just get back to piling all the wool we can find on our heads and call it a day.

www.queerty.com/something-seem-off-picture-orlando-bloom-katy-perry-20161214?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

San Diego Jury Says Police Didn’t Discriminate in Arresting Scantily Clad Pride Attendee

A San Diego jury says police did not discriminate against a gay man who was arrested for wearing a revealing gladiator costume at the city’s gay pride parade.

Will Walters was arrested in 2011 for violating a public nudity ordinance which police say they fairly enforce at other local events such as Comic-Con. Walters, however, insists he was singled out and that his black Calvin Klein thong and custom-made leather kilt covered up enough of his body to be within the city’s laws.

Walters and his lawyer also argued that women’s thong bathing suits commonly seen at San Diego’s beaches display more human anatomy than Walters’s costume did.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports: 

“The jury confirmed what we’ve always known, which is that San Diego does not discriminate in its enforcement of nudity laws,” City Attorney’s Office spokesman Gerry Braun said in a statement. “Our office would not tolerate discrimination against the LGBT community or any other group.” […]

The five-day trial in downtown San Diego included some PG-13 moments. Jurors were repeatedly shown photos of women in thong bikinis, and police officers on the witness stand were asked to determine if the women would be considered in violation of the public nudity law. There was a pair of black Calvin Klein thong underwear held up to jurors, depicting what Walters wore underneath his costume. And there were multiple discussions about the definition of “buttocks.”

The ordinance requires an opaque covering over certain body parts, including the buttocks. […]

PREVIOUSLY – San Diego Pride Attendee Arrested for ‘Lewd’ Gladiator Kilt Speaks Out About Lawsuit: VIDEO

According to city records, “Of the 104 public nudity citations issued by the city from 2007 to 2012, none except for Walters’ was for someone in a thong.”

You can view Walters’ apparently illegal outfit that he wore to Pride, here and here.

The post San Diego Jury Says Police Didn’t Discriminate in Arresting Scantily Clad Pride Attendee appeared first on Towleroad.

San Diego Jury Says Police Didn’t Discriminate in Arresting Scantily Clad Pride Attendee

HRC Slams Disgraced Roy Moore’s Desperate Attempt to Undo His Suspension from Alabama Supreme Court

HRC today slammed suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore for his last-ditch appeal to the Alabama Court of the Judiciary to restore his salary and ability to participate in legal decisions.

“This is the desperate final act of Roy Moore’s failed campaign to restore his position on the Alabama Supreme Court after flagrantly and willfully attempting to block marriage equality at every turn,” said Eva Kendrick, state manager for the Human Rights Campaign, Alabama. “Roy Moore is wasting the court’s time and Alabama taxpayer money, and we urge members of the Court of the Judiciary to stand by their decision.”

In September, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore from the bench for the remainder of his term, due to his unethical and extralegal actions surrounding marriage equality. The decision allowed Moore to remain on the bench, but stripped him of his salary and ability to participate in the court’s legal decisions. Moore’s term is up in 2018, and he will be unable to run for the office of Supreme Court justice again in Alabama as he will be past the office’s age restriction. The nine-member Court of the Judiciary found Moore unanimously guilty of all six charges brought against him.

Earlier this year, HRC Alabama initiated the #NoMoore campaign to remove Moore from the Alabama Supreme Court for his blatant legal and ethical failings. HRC Alabama called out Moore’s discriminatory behavior with a billboard in downtown Montgomery, and held rallies and press conferences outside each of Moore’s ethics hearings. This marks the second time Moore has faced negative consequences for pushing his personal agenda from the state’s highest court.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-slams-disgraced-roy-moores-desperate-attempt-to-undo-his-suspension-fro?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

HIV 101: Will Being HIV-Positive Affect My Ability to Have Surgery?

Everyone has questions when they find out they are positive. In this series of posts, here are several of the most common, plus straightforward answers to help you navigate this new life of yours.

www.advocate.com/together-we-know/2016/12/14/hiv-101-will-being-hiv-positive-affect-my-ability-have-surgery

In Louisiana, LGBTQ protections were just declared illegal… Wait, what?!

Ugh. 2016 just got a little worse.

A bitter legal battle between Louisiana’s pro-gay, Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards and the state’s anti-gay, Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry has been festering for months. Now, thanks to one conservative judge in Baton Rouge, it’s over. And it doesn’t bode well for LGBTQ people.

Related: Louisiana’s Incoming Democratic Governor Is Already Proving To Be An LGBTQ Ally

To make a long and complicated story short: At the start of his term earlier this year, Gov. Edwards issued an executive order protecting LGBTQ people working in state government from being discriminated against because of their sexual orientations and/or gender identities.

Landry, who just so happens to have a gay brother, didn’t like that very much. He said the governor had overstepped his bounds by imposing the LGBTQ workplace protections when state lawmakers had already voted against a similar law several times in the past.

A months-long legal battle ensured. Finally this morning, Judge Todd Hernandez ruled in favor of Landry, saying Gov. Edwards had exceeded his constitutional authority.

“The effect of [the executive order’s] adoption and implementation, creates new and/or expands upon existing Louisiana law as opposed to directing the faithful execution of the existing law of this state,” Judge Todd Hernandez wrote in his ruling, before throwing out the case.

Related: Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Implies Gay Parents Are Pedophiles

During his final argument, Landry said he didn’t mind offering protections to gay, lesbian, and bisexual government employees. It was transgender ones he felt uneasy about, once again bringing up the tired, old public bathroom debate–Which bathrooms would they use in government buildings? And how would bathroom use be enforced?!

After the ruling, Gov. Edwards issued a statement saying he was discouraged but still committed to fighting for the rights of LGBTQ Louisianians and visitors.

“We are disappointed in the court’s ruling today,” he said. “However, we fully intend to appeal this issue, which is how the parties knew that this matter would ultimately be resolved.”

He added: “With great respect for the role of the Louisiana legislature, we continue to believe that discrimination is not a Louisiana value and that we are best served as a state when employment decisions are based solely on an individual’s qualifications and job performance.”

Related: This Super Antigay Politician Doesn’t Want Anyone To Know He Has A Liberal Gay Brother

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Judge Strikes Down Louisiana Governor’s Executive Order Protecting LGBT State Workers

A judge has thrown out an executive order issued by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards that protected LGBT government employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Judge Todd Hernandez deemed the action “an unlawful usurp of the constitutional authority vested only in the legislative branch of government.”

Edwards issued the order, which provided exemptions for religiously affiliated organizations, in April.

The AP reports: 

State District Judge Todd Hernandez ruled that Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ anti-discrimination order is unconstitutional because it seeks to create or expand state law. The order prohibited discrimination in government and state contracts based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The decision delivered a significant victory to Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, who filed the lawsuit challenging the LGBT-rights order. Landry praised the ruling and said his challenge was aimed at “upholding the checks and balances on executive authority as established in our state constitution.”

The post Judge Strikes Down Louisiana Governor’s Executive Order Protecting LGBT State Workers appeared first on Towleroad.

Judge Strikes Down Louisiana Governor’s Executive Order Protecting LGBT State Workers

Alexandra Billings Sings 'Creep' for Trans Youth Lost and Living (Video)

The Transparent star gave a powerful new meaning to a Radiohead song after telling a heartwarming tale of how her students responded to a hate crime with love.

www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/12/14/alexandra-billings-sings-creep-trans-youth-lost-and-living-video

Is he lying when he says he doesn’t have any STIs? This new survey has the answer.

Nearly 20 million people are diagnosed with an STI every year in the U.S. alone. Now, a new survey, sponsored by Superdrug Online Doctor, has asked 2,000 people from the U.S. and the U.K. about their attitudes towards venereal diseases like herpes, chlamydia, and syphilis, and how they influence their opinions and behaviors.

Related: Overzealous Shaving Could Raise Risk Of STIs By 440%, Study Says

The good news: People are pretty honest when it comes to disclosing their STI history. Only 1% of gay people said they’ve lied to a partner about having an STI, as compared to 2% of straight people, and 3% of bisexuals.

Now, the bad news: One in two sexually active Americans will contract an STI by the time they’re 25, but fewer than one-third said they get routinely tested, which totally explains the uptick in chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and herpes in recent years. Even more concerning, 42% of U.S. respondents and 62% of U.K. respondents said they don’t even ask new partners if they’ve ever tested positive for an STI.

Other less encouraging news: STI stigma appears to be alive and well. Only 27% of straight people said they’d consider dating someone with an STI, as compared to 42% of gay people and 47% of bisexuals. In the U.S., respondents said they considered syphilis to be the “most severe” STI. While in the U.K., people said chlamydia was the worst of the offenders. FYI: Both of those STIs are totally curable and treatable.

Related: Guess How Many People Still Think You Can Catch HIV From A Toothbrush

Lastly, researchers looked at condom use.

It turns out both gay and straight people use condoms at about the rate. 50% of gays and 51% of straights said they use protection more often than not. Meanwhile, 60% of bisexuals said they use condoms regularly.

So what’s the takeaway from all this? According to researchers, “Understanding your partner’s sexual health – as well as your own – is an important part of promoting healthy sexual habits. Don’t let fear or embarrassment get in the way of having an open conversation about your sexual health and any sexual conditions you may be experiencing.”

So how do these results match up with your perceptions and behaviors? Sound off in the comments section below.

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