The Far Right Is Quivering With Excitement Over Neil Gorsuch

Both social and economic conservatives are overjoyed with Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.

www.advocate.com/politics/2017/2/01/far-right-quivering-over-neil-gorsuch

Tom Daley on why you shouldn’t compare his physique to your own

www.queerty.com/tom-daley-shouldnt-compare-physique-20170201?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Small Town Texas Mayor Comes Out as Transgender in Letter to Citizens

Jess Herbst, the mayor of New Hope, Texas, came out as transgender in advance of a public town meeting on Tuesday night.

Herbst was appointed mayor of the town last year after serving as alderman, road commissioner, and mayor pro-tem, after New Hope’s mayor suffered a heart attack days before the election.

The NYT reports:

Ms. Herbst suggested on the city’s website that the culture was changing in the United States and directed constituents to her personal website, where she has kept a diary over the years. It included photos of her sitting in restaurants in Europe and of her “embracing leggings” in the gallery of images titled, “Who I am now,” juxtaposed with a section called, “Who I used to be,” with images of her life as Jeff…

…Ms. Herbst also said that she had the support of her family. Her wife grew up in New Hope, and the couple have lived in the town with their two daughters since 1999.

The paper notes that Herbst has received support for her courage in a state where it is legal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity.

Herbst’s letter in full:

As the new mayor of New Hope, I would like to tell you all what a privilege it is to serve you. Since 2003 I have had the privilege of being an alderman, road commissioner and mayor pro-them. In May of 2016, I became your mayor.

My wife has lived in New Hope since she was 2 years old. Along with our 2 daughters, we have lived here since 1999, on the same farm my wife was raised. I was born and raised in Greenville, Texas.

As your Mayor I must tell you about something that has been with me since my earliest memories. I am Transgender. Twoyears ago, with the support of my wife, daughters and son-in-law,  I began Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). At the time, I did not imagine I would hold the Mayors position, but here I am.

I know that transgender people are just coming to light in our society, and we have made great strides in the last few years. Celebrities like olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox from the show ‘Orange is the new Black’ and popular shows like ‘Transparent’ , society finally has a chance to see and learn about who we are. It is gender identity not sexual preference that applies to me. I love my wife, and she loves me, we have no intention of change. My daughters have been adamant supporters of me and are proud to tell people their father is transgender.

I am self employed and all of my customers have been understanding and supportive.

I live my life as a female now, and I will be performing my duties to the town as such. I have written a blog documenting my decision process and experiences as transgender and I think you would find it contains much insight. The site is JessHerbst.Com

I’m not especially sensitive to the pronoun I’m called, and I expect people to take time to make the change. I use the name Jess, a simple change from Jeff.

I will continue as Mayor and hope to do the very best for the town. Please feel free to email me questions or comments, my email is [email protected]. The Monthly Town Council meetings are on the last Tuesday of every month, at Town hall on Rockcrest. The meeting begins at 7:30pm. There is a spot for public comment at the beginning of each meeting if you wish to address me, or the council about this or any other town matter. I encourage you to do so, it really is the best way for the council to know what issues need addressing.

Thank you for your attention.

Photo: Jess Herbst.

The post Small Town Texas Mayor Comes Out as Transgender in Letter to Citizens appeared first on Towleroad.

Small Town Texas Mayor Comes Out as Transgender in Letter to Citizens

Republicans Continue to Rush Trump’s Anti-LGBTQ Nominees’ Confirmations Through the Senate

Today, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) took the unprecedented step to suspend the rules of the Senate Finance Committee by unanimous consent with no Democrats present. They then voted, again with no Democrats present, to advance the nomination of Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services, as well as the nomination of Steve Mnuchin to serve as Treasury Secretary.

Democrats had boycotted the Senate Finance Committee markup of the nominees yesterday, preventing the committee from reaching a quorum to vote on the nominees. In a letter to Senator Hatch, Democrats explained that both nominees have yet to answer all of their questions and, gave inaccurate and misleading testimony and responses to questions. In addition, Mnuchin failed to respond to questions for data regarding the foreclosure practices of OneWest. There are also serious ethics concerns around Rep. Price’s nomination. 

By boycotting the meeting, Democrats hoped Republicans would wait to markup the nominees until these issues were addressed. Instead, Sen. Hatch’s unprecedented move to advance the nominees without Democrats in the room took the country one step closer to having one of the most anti-LGBTQ Secretaries of Health and Human Services in modern history. You can read more about Rep. Price’s record in HRC’s report, Tom Price: A History of Anti-LGBTQ Actions.

Also today, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to be attorney general on an 11-9 party line vote. Democrats successfully delayed his vote yesterday by invoking the two-hour rule, which states that committees may only meet for two hours after the Senate convenes, and making speeches of opposition until the two-hour mark was hit. 

Senator Sessions has spent a lifetime in public service devoted to proudly denying equality and justice for LGBTQ people. As Attorney General of Alabama and as a U.S. Senator, Jeff Sessions has not only ignored every opportunity to protect the LGBTQ community from violence, discrimination, and marginalization, but he has actively used his positions to stand against equality for LGBTQ Americans in nearly every form. His vote on the full senate is expected on Monday. You can read more about Sessions’ record in HRC’s report Jeff Sessions: A History of Anti-LGBTQ Actions.

Senator Sessions and Rep. Price’s nominations weren’t the only anti-LGBTQ nominations that moved forward this week, however. In a meeting of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Betsy DeVos’ nomination to be Secretary of Education was advanced on a party line vote of 12-11. However, although Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) voted DeVos out of committee, they raised serious concerns during the hearing and both announced today that they would be opposing her nomination on the Senate floor.

DeVos’ record raises serious concerns about whether she will be committed to protecting the diverse populations served by the Department of Education and if she can serve every student equally.  DeVos has a lengthy record of supporting anti-LGBTQ groups and causes, including organizations that have been designated as anti-LGBTQ hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. You can read more about DeVos’ failure to commit to supporting and protecting LGBTQ students in HRC’s letter of opposition to her confirmation.

www.hrc.org/blog/republicans-continue-to-rush-trumps-anti-lgbtq-nominees-confirmations-throu?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Advocate Writer Stuart Timmons Left Lasting Legacy

Journalist Stuart Timmons, who passed away last week, meticulously chronicled 20th-century queer life.

www.advocate.com/hiv-aids/2017/2/01/advocate-writer-stuart-timmons-left-lasting-legacy

Vote now: The 2017 Queerties are here!

www.queerty.com/vote-now-2017-queerties-20170201?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Gay Ohio Couple Allegedly Assaulted By Up To 10 Men In Savage Weekend Attack: VIDEO

Two gay men in Columbus, Ohio were the alleged victims of a vicious hate crime last weekend.

Bryson Beier and Mantej Sandhu (above), who had just moved to Columbus from California, say they were attacked by up to ten men early on Saturday morning in the Short North neighborhood.

RELATED: NYPD Officers Ignored Anti-Gay Hate Crime, Says Alleged Victim

Speaking with 10TV, Sandhu said:

“I thought I was going to die. I thought for sure this was the end…they just started saying like ‘f****’ to us and stuff like that, and we were like what? And just kept walking. And they were like, ‘God hates f***.

“Then all of the sudden a bottle gets thrown at us. And they were saying, ‘You’re going to hell,’ and all that stuff. We at that point stopped, turned around, we took a photo of the license plate.”

According to the couple, at this point a second car pulled up. Four or five men got out of the vehicle and joined in the assault.

Short North Beating: Gay couple believe they were attacked for who they are: t.co/JyJlIpLoqg #10TV pic.twitter.com/yzCZxhT8x6

— Glenn McEntyre (@Glenn10TV) February 1, 2017

“They were like, ‘You trying to mess with my boy?’ And then all of the sudden they start, they punch me in the face, throw me on the ground. and next to me he was going through the same thing with the other five black guys,” said Sandhu. “Each took a turn- punch, kick. Punch, kick. They were like, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ Punch, kick. ‘You like that?’”

Beier added:

“I don’t know if it was like my own personal self-protection or what, but my vision went black and my brain just kind of shut down and I almost stopped feeling for a minute.

“I was crying and begging them to stop, and I just know that whatever they were looking for, they did not find.”

Police are currently investigating and will consider whether to classify the attack as a hate crime.

Watch a report from 10TV:

The post Gay Ohio Couple Allegedly Assaulted By Up To 10 Men In Savage Weekend Attack: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Gay Ohio Couple Allegedly Assaulted By Up To 10 Men In Savage Weekend Attack: VIDEO

ALERT: Anti-Transgender Legislation Returns in South Dakota

Post submitted by HRC Regional Field Organizer Christopher Cooke

The 2017 legislative session is underway in South Dakota, and LGBTQ students are under attack. SB 115, which was filed on January 25, is a shameful bill targeting transgender students by prohibiting them from using school facilities consistent with the gender they live every day.

Does this sound familiar? That’s because it is. Last year, South Dakota lawmakers pushed nearly identical legislation. HB 1008 would have prevented transgender students in public schools from using restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity.

HRC joined with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and ACLU of South Dakota, Believe Out Loud and Reconciling Ministries, Freedom for All Americans, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and the Transgender Law Center to deliver over 80,000 petition signatures to Republican South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard urging him to veto HB 1008. One week later, Daugaard stood on the right side of history and vetoed the bill.

HRC will continue working with our coalition partners to ensure that discrimination does not become the new norm for South Dakota.

www.hrc.org/blog/alert-anti-transgender-legislation-returns-in-south-dakota?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Peter Thiel Offered 'Time and Resources' for New Zealand Citizenship

A newly released application reveals why Donald Trump’s gay tech adviser got to skip the residency requirements of the island nation, which he called “the future.”

www.advocate.com/people/2017/2/01/peter-thiel-offered-time-and-resources-new-zealand-citizenship