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Monthly Archives: January 2017
The top 50 successful transgender Americans you should know
The top 50 successful transgender Americans you should know
Despite personal hardship, many transgender people have done great things with their professional careers. Here are the ones you need to know about.
CIA Director Nominee Mike Pompeo Vows to Treat LGBT Equally Despite Anti-Gay Votes and Views: WATCH
CIA Director Nominee Mike Pompeo Vows to Treat LGBT Equally Despite Anti-Gay Votes and Views: WATCH
At a confirmation hearing today, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) asked Trump’s CIA Director nominee Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) to commit to treating LGBT people equally within the CIA despite his public record of opposing gay rights.
Pompeo told Harris that “every employee will be treated in a way that is appropriate and equal.”
Our transcript:
HARRIS: Your voting record and stated position on gay marriage and the importance of having a ‘traditional family structure’ for raising children is pretty clear. I disagree with your position, but, of course, you are entitled to your opinion. I don’t want to that, however, to impact your opinion on that matter—the recruitment or retention of patriotic LGBT women and men in the CIA, some of whom, of course, have taken great risks to their lives for our country. Can you commit to me that your personal views on this issue will remain your personal views and will not impact internal policies that you put in place at the CIA?
POMPEO: Senator Harris, you have my full commitment to that. I would only add that in my life as a private businessman, this same set of issues was out there. I had my views at that time as well, and I treated each and every member of the workforce that I was responsible for at those times with the dignity and respect and demanded of them the same things I demanded of every other person that was working as part of my team.
HARRIS: And do I have your assurance that this equal treatment will include policies related to child care services, family benefits, and accompanied post for dependents?
POMPEO: Uh, without knowing the full set of policies and benefits at the Central Intelligence Agency, I haven’t had a chance to find that out just yet, you have my assurance that every employee will be treated in a way that is appropriate and equal.
HARRIS: And that you will not put in place any policies that would discriminate against any members because of their sexual orientation?
POMPEO: Ma’am, I can’t imagine putting in place any policy that was discriminatory with respect to any employee.
HARRIS: Thank you.
Watch:
The post CIA Director Nominee Mike Pompeo Vows to Treat LGBT Equally Despite Anti-Gay Votes and Views: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
CIA Director Nominee Mike Pompeo Vows to Treat LGBT Equally Despite Anti-Gay Votes and Views: WATCH
HRC’s MacArthur Flournoy to Address ‘We Shall Not Be Moved March’
HRC’s MacArthur Flournoy to Address ‘We Shall Not Be Moved March’
HRC is proud to join the National Action Network’s “We Shall Not Be Moved March” on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, and encourage you to do the same. Our own Rev. MacArthur Flournoy, Director of Faith Partnerships and Mobilization, will be representing us on stage and we wanted to share his poignant thoughts with you in advance of the march.
The 9 a.m. march along Independence Avenue will culminate in a noon rally at West Potomac Park across from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Learn more about the march and how you can participate.
Full text of MacArthur Flournoy’s speech:
Good afternoon, my name is Rev. MacArthur Flournoy and I am the Director of Faith Partnerships and Mobilization for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of nation’s largest LGBTQ equal rights organization.
It is my privilege to stand before you in this sacred assembly, in our nation’s capital. We gather as a pluralistic nation, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and non-Abrahamic faith traditions, immigrants, African Americans, Latinx, Native American, White, Asian and Multiracial people, Millennial and Baby-boomers, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities, people of various gender expressions.
We have come in our diversity to declare with you “We Shall Not Be Moved.”
In the wise words of First Lady, Michelle Obama we also declare that “Our glorious diversity – our diversity of the faiths, and colors and creeds – that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are…”
Representing the Human Rights Campaign, we stand with you determined, to advocate for justice for all. Elected officials may come and go.
However there is a constant that must remain ever before us; whoever you are, whichever community you belong to, there is an unequivocal moral mandate before us this hour, friends, and it is this:
Now, with fierce urgency and courageous solidarity we must forge new partnerships and coalitions to protect civil freedoms and equal protection under the law for everyone – particularly, for those whose voices are seldom heard in the halls of power.
We must all rise to protect voting rights.
We know all too well that what happens at the ballot can have devastating consequences, but our resolve is not based on one election.
Still, we cannot stop at voting rights. We must also call for criminal justice reform where all people are treated equally under the law.
This nation deserves an attorney general who supports the rights of all of our people, regardless of one’s national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability or any of the defining characteristic.
Equally important to us, is the provision of affordable access to healthcare for every American. This is as much a moral issue as it is a justice issue.
We cannot go backwards. So, we stand with you calling to protect the Affordable Care Act from those determined to dismantle it.
Finally, we know that there are those legislators and elected officials who are determined to turn back the clock on many of the gains we have made in recent years on LGBTQ equality.
They want to continue discriminating against LGBTQ people, turning us away from employment, housing, healthcare, schools and business establishments. In too many corners of our country this discrimination remains rampant, and legal. We need to protect our gains and ultimately ensure equal protection is guaranteed under federal law.
They’re going to use the strategy that they have used in the past and it is simply this: divide and conquer.
The intention is to pit members of the LGBTQ community against other communities.
There are those that are depending on us concentrating on our difference rather that what we hold in common. We cannot afford this distraction. We all stand to lose too much if we fall prey to division. We understand that unity does not mean uniformity. It has been said that we all don’t have to have the same mind to mind the same things. So we, as the Human Rights Campaign, stand united with all of you in a quest for freedom and justice.
We shall not be moved.
African American and Latinx – we shall not be moved.
LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ– we shall not be moved.
Christian and Muslim – We shall not be moved.
In the days that lie ahead, we, the Human Rights Campaign, stand firm in our resolve, to work on the critical issues just outlined.
We look forward to standing with you in our diversity, and in the sacred nature of our commonality, working for the collective good of all people.
Country VJ Cody Alan Comes Out in Heartfelt Letter
Country VJ Cody Alan Comes Out in Heartfelt Letter
“Being gay is like your eye color — it’s just there.”
www.advocate.com/coming-out/2017/1/12/country-vj-cody-alan-comes-out-heartfelt-letter
Paul-John
WATCH: Samantha Bee delightfully ruthless on #Pissgate
WATCH: Samantha Bee delightfully ruthless on #Pissgate
No one skewers politicians quite like Samantha Bee and after this week’s news dump of documents claiming Donald Trump paid hookers for a watersports party in a Russian hotel room, you knew she wouldn’t be able to resist.
Since these were unconfirmed reports being widely denounced as shoddy journalism, Bee was careful to say “There’s a high probability this story is bullshit. But the fact that it’s plausible bullshit is a terrifying statement about what our nation has come to.”
In a Trump-like twist to her commentary, she told viewers that she wasn’t saying Donald Trump liked pee play, other people were saying it so she was just telling viewers what they were saying.
The most unbelievable part of the report according to Bee?
“Oh bulls**t, like we’re supposed to believe that Trump has started paying people who work for him?”
Watch below:
Sec’y of Defense Nominee James Mattis Grilled on Gays, Women in the Military: WATCH
Sec’y of Defense Nominee James Mattis Grilled on Gays, Women in the Military: WATCH
At a Senate confirmation hearing today, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand questioned Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee General James Mattis about his past statements that women should not be in combat positions and that there should be concern about gays serving openly in the military.
Our transcript:
MATTIS: “Senator, I was not in a position to go back into government when I made those statements (about women). There are many policies that have been enacted, over many years, including the years I’ve been on active duty. I’m coming in with the understanding that I lead the Department of Defense, and if someone brings me a problem, then I’ll look at it, but I’m not coming in looking for problems. I’m looking for ways to get the department so that it’s at its most lethal, uh, stance….I have no plan to oppose women in any aspect of our military.”
GILLIBRAND: “In your book, Warriors and Citizens and the interviews you did afterwards…you said in recent policy debates such as those about allowing homosexuals to serve openly…you believe that ‘the American public is not nearly as concerned as it should be that the changes to military policies are accruing risk to our forces. We fear that an uninformed public is permitting political leaders to impose an accretion of social conventions that are diminishing the combat power of our military disregarding our war-fighting practitioners advice.’ Do you believe that openly serving homosexuals along with women in combat units is undermining our force?”
MATTIS: “Senator, my belief is that we have to stay focused on a military that is so lethal that on the battlefield it will be the enemy’s longest day and their worst day when they run into that force. I believe that military service is a touchstone for patriots of whatever stripe. That’s simply the way they demonstrate their commitment and I believe right now the policies that are in effect unless a service chief brings something to me where there has been a problem that has been proven then I’m not going in with the idea that I’m going to review these and right away start rolling something back.”
GILLIBRAND: “Do you believe that allowing LGBT Americans to serve in the military or allowing women in combat is undermining our lethality?”
MATTIS: “Frankly, senator, I’ve never cared about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with.”
GILLIBRAND: “So the answer is no?”
MATTIS: “Senator, my concern is on the readiness of the force to fight and to make certain that it is at the top of its game so that we go up against an enemy the criteria for everything we do in the military up until that point when we put our young men and women across the line of departure is they will be at their most lethal stance. That’s my obligation as I move into this job.”
Watch:
The post Sec’y of Defense Nominee James Mattis Grilled on Gays, Women in the Military: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Sec’y of Defense Nominee James Mattis Grilled on Gays, Women in the Military: WATCH
Marcel Rohrlack: Lasst euch nicht täuschen – Deutschland ist an einem kritischen Punkt
Marcel Rohrlack: Lasst euch nicht täuschen – Deutschland ist an einem kritischen Punkt
83 Prozent der Deutschen wollen laut einer aktuellen Studie die Ehe für alle. Ist also alles gut? Nein. Wir sollten uns von der Zahl nicht täuschen lassen. Denn in der Umfrage sagen auch 18 Prozent, dass Homosexualität „unnatürlich” sei – also immerhin fast jeder Fünfte.
Weiterlesen: Blogs, Schwul, Gay, Lgbt, Lgbtiq, Politik, Homophobie, Afd, Ehe Für Alle, Homoehe, Huffpost-Voices, Germany News
www.huffingtonpost.de/marcel-rohrlack/ehe-fuer-alle-homophobie-afd_b_14136544.html
CMT star Cody Alan comes out as gay
CMT star Cody Alan comes out as gay
CMT and iHeartRadio host Cody Alan has come out as gay, via an Instagram post on Thursday.
In an open and heartfelt message, Alan wrote, “there is something I want to share with you. You see, I’m gay. This is not a choice I made, but something I’ve known about myself my whole life.”
Alan spoke with People Magazine about his struggle to finally come out publicly, doing so at the age of 44.
“Though my TV or my radio persona was always that of a happy guy, there was this underlying ache inside of me for years, so I decided either I was gonna do something about it, or I was gonna live with this layer of misery underneath that happy face on the TV,” he said.
Related: A pro-gay, sex positive anthem won country music’s “Song of the Year”
“Once I realized it was okay to accept the truth, that it wasn’t my choice, it was a lot easier to start figuring out where to go with my life next,” he continued. “I’ve wanted to share this part of my life, but I now have gotten to the point where it just feels right, and I’m at peace with where I am enough to be able to express it.”
“I struggled with my sexuality starting at a very young age,” he said. “I remember having distinct feelings early in my life. I knew this about myself, and I had a really hard time dealing with it. I was so ashamed of who I was.”
Alan got married at the age of 24 and started a family. He has two children, now 18 and 14, with his ex-wife.
“I felt like getting married was what I was supposed to do. It’s what everyone wanted me to do, and I felt, somehow, like maybe that’s what would make me straight — and obviously that’s not how it works! But I dreamed of that family, which I now have.”
He expressed what he was feeling and going through to his wife ten years ago, and they decided that they couldn’t allow the marriage to continue.
“Everyone needs to give 100 percent of their heart for a true, committed relationship,” Alan said. “But ultimately, my ex and I knew there was no way that could ever happen.”
Related: Marie Osmond volunteers to sing at Trump’s inauguration despite nobody asking her to
He began coming out to his close friends and family, and was met with support.
“You realize very quickly that people are very loving and accepting and supportive. And you feel like it’s good for you to share that most sincere truth about you.”
Alan is now in a relationship with an occupational therapist, named Michael Smith.
cheers to an amazing 2016 and an even better 2017 ? #happynewyear
A photo posted by Michael Trea Smith (@treasmith) on
“He’s an amazing person — incredibly strong and confident and loving — and he’s really helped me face these battles,” Alan said. “He’s already battled so much of what I’ve been or am going through, so his strength has boosted my own confidence.”
As for why he felt it important to come out to the fans, the South Carolina native said he wants to be a change maker.
“I would like to be a voice that can speak to people who are facing challenges that we all face, for struggles that we all come across, because we’re all going through something. To be able to say: There is life, and you can find it, and take steps to improve yourself based on what you know,” he said. “If I could be someone who’s vocal about facing struggles and overcoming them, I’d like to be.”
Related: Former pro soccer player (and current model) comes out as gay
“Even if it’s just one person that hears it and says, ‘I like country music and maybe I’m not so different after all.’ There’s some person out there who’s loving country music and thinks they don’t fit in, and that’s not true: You do fit in here, and there’s a place for people who are different.
“That diversity is what we should celebrate.”
