Trump’s Muslim Ban Could Be a Death Sentence for Many LGBTs
This revised travel ban remains completely unacceptable, writes Jessica Stern of OutRight International.
www.advocate.com/commentary/2017/3/13/trumps-muslim-ban-could-be-death-sentence-many-lgbts
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Eric.Parker posted a photo:
Dyke March. Toronto, July 2, 2016.
Only the street shots – thestreetzine.blogspot.com/
Is this an innocent prank or wildly homophobic?
How To Get Your Ass Kicked, Chapter One: During a bus ride, gingerly lay your hand on a stranger’s knee and film his befuddled response. Repeat as necessary.
That’s the overall gist of a new Internet prank by young scallywag Jamie Zhu, who took it upon himself to film several such interactions in a video that’s quickly gone viral.
Related: Straight YouTuber Pranks “Gay Friend” And It’s Awful. He’s Awful. Everything Is Awful.
Past pranks include “I’m Gay, Can I Touch Your Boobs?” and “My Family Thinks I’m Gay, Can You Help Me Prove Her Wrong.”
We’re eagerly awaiting other entries in the series, like “I’m Gay And This Gun Is Fully Loaded, So Put The Money In The Bag Or You’ll Get What’s Coming.”
Watch below, and decide just how problematic this really is:
Sean Spicer: You Can Trust Donald Trump ‘If He’s Not Joking!’ – WATCH
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was grilled at today’s press briefing about statements Trump still hasn’t provided any evidence for, specifically claims that he was “wiretapped” by President Obama.
Asked Alexander: “Can you say affirmatively, whenever the president says something, we can trust it to be real?”
Replied Spicer: “If he’s not joking, of course!”
Watch the whole exchange:
The post Sean Spicer: You Can Trust Donald Trump ‘If He’s Not Joking!’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Sean Spicer: You Can Trust Donald Trump ‘If He’s Not Joking!’ – WATCH
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Family Equality posted a photo:
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 11: Television personality Kim Kardashin speaks onstage at the Family Equality Council’s Impact Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on March 11, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Family Equality Council )
6 Reasons why we love ‘Beauty and the Beast’
Walt Disney Pictures continues the live-action adaptations of its animated library with Beauty and the Beast, opening in the US March 17. The beloved fairy tale has long captured the imagination of the LGBTQ community, which identifies with the fable’s underlying themes of alienation, prejudice and following one’s heart at any cost. The latest version, which stars Emma Watson, under the direction of Bill Condon, has more than one passing connection to gay culture.
Here’s a look at some of the reasons, big and small, we love Beauty and the Beast.
1. It’s a musical
To begin with the obvious, part of the reason Beauty and the Beast captured a gay audience on both stage and screen has to do with its music. As penned by the duo of Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman, the songs from Beauty and the Beast have since become standards, not just at Disney theme parks, but all over the world. The lyrics scribed by Ashman have a certain honesty to them. Not only do they record the feelings of unexpected love in a song like “Something There,” but they capture the horror of persecution in “Kill the Beast.” That the new film comes from openly-gay director Bill Condon, the Oscar-winning creative force behind Gods and Monsters and musicals Chicago and Dreamgirls should add to audience anticipation.
2. It’s about an outsider
Even though he lives in a palace, the Beast has a rough life. Not only does he have to deal with the curse of an enchantress and trying to find true love, he has to deal with hairballs. Seriously though, a queer audience can understand the isolation and loneliness the Beast suffers. Many of us grew up fearing we’d never be loved for who we really are. Moreover, our transgendered siblings can especially identify with the Beast, and the feeling that the body doesn’t match the soul within. Likewise, Belle grows up as an outsider—an intelligent, educated woman who wants to do more with her life than spend it aging in her village. Which brings us to…
3. It’s a proto feminist story
Belle holds a special place in the Disney Animation canon, in part because she’s not a princess by birth and in part because she’s feminist hero. Belle assumes the role of a leader, and subdues her fear with raw courage. She does not hold selfish motives in going to the Beast’s castle; rather, she sacrifices herself to save her father. Her love of books also deserves mention here. As an educated woman in the 19th century, Belle gets shunned by her villager neighbors. The sick thing—women still suffer for expressing thought and opinion today. Belle provides women (and men) everywhere with a positive example: she never backs down from doing the right thing, or from speaking her mind.
4. It’s about forbidden love
Modern analysts, especially in the wake of the Disney incarnation of Beauty and the Beast, tend to overlook some of the stories veiled elements such as Belle and the Beast falling in a forbidden love—something we know all too well. The attraction that exists between the two characters goes far beyond the physical. Their love grows from an emotional connection, despite their physical forms. Gay people can identify—our identity isn’t just about physical attraction, it’s about falling in love.
5. We all know a Gaston
And now a moment of truth: we all know a Gaston. We see him at the gym, at the club, or jogging down the street—the man who spends all his time absorbed by his own looks, or the woman obsessed with perfecting her body and showing off to passers-by, all without giving a thought to, well, anything. Gaston’s vanity provides a powerful counterpoint to the Beast’s plight, but it also reminds viewers of the dangers of focusing too much on the physical. To land the perfect mate, queer and straight folk alike must focus on bettering their souls rather than their bodies. Belle falls in love with the Beast’s gentle spirit, his thoughts and his character. Gaston, meanwhile, while inflaming the lusts of the women (and frankly, men too), does nothing to actually connect with anyone, other than his own reflection. The Gastons of the world provide a kind of eye candy that rots the heart and mind. Though fun in small doses, as Beauty and the Beast points out, Gaston’s presence ultimately destroys more than it nurtures.
6. It’s fabulous to look at
Gay folk tend to have an eye for the opulent, and Beauty and the Beast, especially in a live-action incarnation, has no shortage of pretty or fabulous eye candy. From the period costumes to the gilded walls of the Beast’s palace, the story offers production designers a chance to run wild with imagination. The music helps augment the opportunity for crazy visuals, courtesy of some wild production numbers like “Be Our Guest” which afford an even greater chance to include outrageous design. Of course, the visuals would have no impact without a great story.
How wonderful then that the film has a moving plot to go with its majestic imagery.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is in theatres March 17 in 3D. Get tickets now!
Joni Sledge, American Bandstand, Spencer Ludwig, Ed Sheeran, L.A. Pride, Carnival Cruise: HOT LINKS
RIP. Joni Sledge.
REALITY-BASED GOVERNING. Trump is trying to do away with it: “We’re seeing a broad White House effort to corrode the very ideal of reality-based governing, something that includes not just a discrediting of institutions such as the CBO but also the weakening of the influence of science and data over agency decision-making and the deliberate misuse of our democracy’s institutional processes to prop up Trump’s lies about his popular support and political opponents.”
MIKE MORELL. Former CIA Deputy Director says the Wikileaks dump of CIA documents “has to be an inside job.”
“This data is not shared outside CIA… this has to be an inside job.” — Former CIA Deputy Director, Michael Morell on leaks pic.twitter.com/GzUKzsxOjK
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 11, 2017
CLOSE CALL. Carnival Cruise ship narrowly misses jet skiers who crashed.
PAUL BURRELL. Diana butler describes telling wife he is gay and getting married: “Myself and Maria have been to hell and back. Our marriage lasted 32 years, and I still want to be there for her. We cried, when I told Maria I was marrying Graham.”
AMERICAN BANDSTAND. Producers kept secret that teen stars were gay.
LOS ANGELES. Pride march to become protest march: “Similar to the giant Women’s March that took place in dozens of cities across America on Jan. 21, the Resist March in Los Angeles will step off from Hollywood and Highland, since there is a subway station there allowing participants to arrive by mass transit. The march will follow a 3.1 mile path down La Brea Avenue, turning onto Santa Monica Boulevard and ending at San Vicente Boulevard, the entrance to the Pride festival.”
SHIRTLESS WORKOUT OF THE DAY. Chris Hemsworth.
DONALD TRUMP JR. I have had “zero contact” with my father since the election.
TAIWAN. Same-sex marriage case to go before high court on March 24: “The grand justices are to convene a hearing on March 24 to hear arguments in a suit brought by gay rights advocate Chi Chia-wei (祁家威), who argues that the prohibition against same-sex marriage violates the rights guaranteed in the Constitution by Article 7, which declares that all citizens, irrespective of sex, religion, ethnic origin, class or party affiliation, to be equal before the law, and Article 22, which states that all other freedoms and rights of the public that are not detrimental to social order or public welfare are guaranteed under the Constitution.”
CRISTIANO RONALDO. Footballer is expecting twins through American surrogate: “He likes to keep a tight lid on his private life but has told loved ones and close friends the baby boys are due to arrive very soon.”
SEX DIARIES. The counselor who’s always been single.
MADONNA. Her latest look.
GAME OF THRONES. Ed Sheeran to make cameo in Season 7. “Past Game of Thrones musical cameos have included members of Coldplay, Mastodon, Of Monsters and Men, and Sigur Rós. There’s no confirmation if Sheeran will be singing or performing (like Sigur Rós and Of Monsters and Men did)—nor even if he’ll be recognizably himself when he appears on-screen. (Members of Mastadon played unrecognizably zombified Wildlings.)”
MALE MODEL MONDAY. Meet Kevin Baker. More here.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Spencer Ludwig – “Diggy”.
MONDAY MUSCLE. Jeremiah.
The post Joni Sledge, American Bandstand, Spencer Ludwig, Ed Sheeran, L.A. Pride, Carnival Cruise: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
Joni Sledge, American Bandstand, Spencer Ludwig, Ed Sheeran, L.A. Pride, Carnival Cruise: HOT LINKS
Kellyanne Conway says Obama may have spied on Trump through his microwave at Trump Tower
Add this one to Kellyanne Conway’s greatest hits, right between the #alternativefacts and “Buy Ivanka’s stuff!”
While speaking to reporter Mike Kelly during an interview at her home in Alpine, Conway was asked about those bogus claims Trump made last week on Twitter when he accused President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during last year’s presidential election:
Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my “wires tapped” in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
When asked yesterday by Kelly about Trump’s insane allegations, Conway responded by saying something equally, if not more, insane: “What I can say is there are many ways to surveil each other. You can surveil someone through their phones, certainly through their television sets — any number of ways.”
Then she added, “Microwaves that turn into cameras. We know this is a fact of modern life.”
Microwaves that turn into cameras? What?
Earlier this morning, Conway was asked about those bizarre microwave claims by Chris Cuomo on New Day. Things got rather heated rather quickly.
“Chris, I’m not Inspector Gadget,” Conway quipped. “I don’t believe people are using their microwave to spy on the Trump campaign. However, I’m not in the job of having evidence. That’s what investigations are for.”
At least this much is true. Her job isn’t the share evidence. It’s to spew #alternativefacts to distract everyone’s attention from the truth.
Moving on.
A short while later, Conway graced the set of Good Morning America, where she told George Stephanopoulos, “The answer is I don’t have any evidence [about Trump’s wiretapping claims] and I’m very happy that the House intelligence committee are investigating.”
So, just so everyone’s on the same page, Obama may have put a camera in Trump’s microwave, though Kellyanne personally doesn’t believe he did, but she’s still glad the government is now spending countless taxpayer dollars to look into it.
Cue a new batch of memes.
Related: Hilarious Kellyanne Conway “buy Ivanka’s stuff” memes are blowing up the Internet
Here’s Why New EPA Chief Pruitt is ‘Absolutely Wrong’ About CO2 and Climate Change
Not long ago, this would’ve been a remarkable statement from the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency:
“There’s tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact [of carbon dioxide], so I would not agree that it’s a primary contributor to … global warming.”
But those were indeed the words of new EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, speaking Thursday on the CNBC show Squawk Box.
Pruitt’s statement is roughly the scientific equivalent of saying he doesn’t believe that gravity is a primary contributor to making things fall. Although by itself, it was no big surprise — his record of denying the reality and significance of human-induced climate change has been well known since his days battling federal environmental regulations as Oklahoma’s attorney general. His boss, President Donald Trump, too has often dismissed climate change as a hoax.
But Pruitt’s statement this past week matters hugely, because he and Trump are now positioned to reverse the US government’s efforts to combat the global climate crisis, with the first specific plans expected in an executive order from the president in the coming week.
In other words, Pruitt’s comments are not exactly news, but they are important to report, as well as to put in context — to remind ourselves what we know about CO2 and the Earth’s climate, and how we know it.
For that we got in touch with Barry Bickmore, a professor of geosciences at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and, it’s worth noting, a Republican.
“The first thing we know,” Bickmore says, “is that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which slows down the rate heat can escape from the Earth to space.
“So the fact is — and this is just basic physics — if you put more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it will warm things up. [And] we know that burning fossil fuels puts more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”
We can also measure how much the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased, Bickmore says, and correlate that with changes in the global temperature.
Doing that shows that the two are closely linked — as CO2 levels have gone up, temperatures have gone up. Basic physics predict this would happen; careful and widespread real-world data confirms that it has.
That’s not to say the progression has been in lockstep. CO2 is only one of many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and nature also plays a role in changing the levels of those gases along with human activity.
“It’s a complicated system,” Bickmore says, “so pinning things like that exactly [is] not going to be possible all the time.”
Pruitt and others who reject the well-established science of the climate system point to this complexity and uncertainty to suggest that we can’t draw any conclusions about the role of increased CO2 levels in altering the Earth’s climate.
Bickmore says such claims are “disingenuous.”
We can establish a range of probable impacts, he says, “and the probability that humans are contributing less than half to the recent climate change is probably less than 1 percent.”
In other words, there’s a more than 99 percent likelihood that the CO2 humans have put into the atmosphere is responsible for at least half of the planet’s recent warming.
This basic understanding of the link between CO2 and climate change is almost universally accepted by scientists in the field.
So, Bickmore says, Pruitt’s assertions that there is “tremendous disagreement” about the impact of CO2, and that it’s not a primary contributor to global warming, are “absolutely wrong.”
This, in a nutshell, is what we know about CO2 and climate.
As for how we know it — which is important to establish at a time when basic scientific knowledge is being challenged from all sides — the conclusions are supported by what scientists call “multiple lines of evidence.”
Among these, Bickmore says, are thermometers in place around the world — in some cases establishing a surface temperature record going back more than 150 years; buoys that measure ocean temperatures; and satellites that estimate changes in atmospheric temperatures.
“We can also go and look at past changes in the climate,” Bickmore says, through things like ocean and lakebed sediments and glacial ice, which can contain traces of atmospheric gases and other clues to ancient climates going back millennia.
Scientists have even been able to learn how much solar radiation — heat — the sun was producing in past epochs, and account for how that would’ve affected the global climate.
“So we can pin down the major players way back into the past, too,” Bickmore says. “And it’s really clear that carbon dioxide isn’t the only player in the game, but it’s always been one of the big ones.”
Bickmore himself didn’t always accept all this evidence. Although he’s a geoscientist, climate systems aren’t his primary field of study. And he says he brought an inherent skepticism to the field.
“I’m a lifelong Republican, and conservatives generally — our knee-jerk reaction to a thing like this is, ‘oh, they’re probably overblowing this,’” he says.
“But once I started looking into it, what I found out was, there was a lot of evidence piled up on one side, and basically a lot of hot air on the other — some really, really bad arguments,” Bickmore says.
“Whenever I checked, I found out that the critics of the mainstream science were almost always being really disingenuous. That’s probably the most polite way to say it.”
So Bickmore’s personal beliefs and values colored his initial engagement with the topic of climate change, but not his ultimate conclusions. The science spoke for itself.
Which sets him apart from Scott Pruitt and most of his fellow conservatives in a time when acceptance of the reality of climate change and the role of humans in causing it skews sharply along ideological and party lines.
Bickmore says he’s seen this trend developing since at least the 1980s, when the Republican Party began allying itself more with conservative Christians who reject much of our modern scientific understanding of the world. He says it also stems from the same philosophical position that prompted his initial skepticism of the dangers of the human impact on the climate system.
“The knee-jerk reaction of a conservative will always be to downplay problems like this,” Bickmore says,” because if your ideology is that you should try a more hands-off approach to governing, then a problem like this, that requires a lot of cooperation to address, is going to be really inconvenient for that ideology.
“But it’s gotten to the point where people, just out of hand, instead of saying, ‘we don’t need to do as much as these other people are saying to solve the problem,’ they’re saying ‘there is no problem.’”
But, he says, fellow conservatives like Pruitt and Trump “are taking a terrible, terrible risk by just pretending there is no problem” with climate change.
Watch Prof. Barry Bickmore trace his journey from climate change “skeptic” to outspoken advocate of mainstream climate science.
This article first appeared on PRI The World.
The post Here’s Why New EPA Chief Pruitt is ‘Absolutely Wrong’ About CO2 and Climate Change appeared first on Towleroad.
Here’s Why New EPA Chief Pruitt is ‘Absolutely Wrong’ About CO2 and Climate Change
A Congressional Plea to Sessions: Do Something About Trans Killings
In an exclusive open letter, six members of Congress ask Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate the homicides of seven transgender women of color, all murdered this year.
www.advocate.com/transgender/2017/3/13/congressional-plea-sessions-do-something-about-trans-killings
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