Putin Flack Denies Torture, Murder of Gay Men in Chechnya
The Kremlin says there’s nothing to see in Chechyna, but journalists in the region disagree.
www.advocate.com/politics/2017/4/14/putins-spokesperson-denies-chechnyan-atrocities
Monthly Archives: April 2017
Tinder for Celebrities: Things You Didn't Know
Tinder for Celebrities: Things You Didn't Know
rollstroll posted a photo:
rollstroll.com/2017/04/14/tinder-for-celebrities-things-y… – #Celebrities, #Dating, #Gay, #LGBT, #Love, #Sex, #Tinder
Ellen trolls handsome English teacher who trolled his class (in the gayest possible way)
Ellen trolls handsome English teacher who trolled his class (in the gayest possible way)
Everyone’s trolling everyone. Let’s all troll together.
Anthony Kennedy, Mar-a-Lago, Ellen DeGeneres, Rex Tillerson, Detox, Tom Daley, Carter Page: HOT LINKS
Anthony Kennedy, Mar-a-Lago, Ellen DeGeneres, Rex Tillerson, Detox, Tom Daley, Carter Page: HOT LINKS
CARTER PAGE: “I’m very encouraged that all of the lies that have been a drag on this administration are finally coming out into the open.”
KATY PERRY. Not staying silent anymore: “I don’t think you have to shout it from the rooftops. But I think you have to stand for something, and if you’re not standing for anything,” she adds pointedly, perhaps aiming at some of her deliberately apolitical confreres, “you’re really just serving yourself, period, end of story. California Gurls and fluffy stuff would be completely inauthentic to who I am now and what I’ve learned. I do believe we need a little escapism, but I think that it can’t all be that. If you have a voice you have a responsibility to use it now, more than ever.”
FILTHY. Health inspectors ding Mar-a-Lago kitchen: “Inspectors found 13 violations at the fancy club’s kitchen, according to recently published reports — a record for an institution that charges $200,000 in initiation fees.
WEEKEND RECIPE. Homemade marshmallow peeps.
SCOTUS. Whispers of Anthony Kennedy retirement: “Kennedy has given no public indication of his plans, but he has drawn attention with a handful of semiprivate scheduling decisions. Perhaps most significantly, his next law clerk reunion will take place during the last weekend of June, offering the possibility that he will spring a piece of news on the gathering.”
HAIR DON’T. Joaquin Phoenix is a ginger now.
NORTH CAROLINA. Federal government withdraws lawsuit against NC over HB2: “Under the Obama administration, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division alleged that the state had violated a 1964 civil rights law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex. The Obama administration has argued that the law covered transgender discrimination as well.”
20 YEARS AGO. TIME reprints Ellen’s “Yep I’m Gay” cover story: “What was shocking, then, was that DeGeneres (and her show’s overlords at ABC) was willing to risk the public’s reaction. She would be playing the first gay lead character on American network television. Some sponsors announced they would pull ads from the show — including J.C. Penney, ironically, as that company would later hire DeGeneres for an ad campaign that would in turn draw its own controversy — and the nation debated whether the show would “legitimize” a facet of life that was still marginalized, or if it merely proved that homosexuality was already accepted by enough of the population that such a plot twist was possible.”
MOTHER OF ALL BOMBS. 36 ISIS militants killed, says Afghan ministry: “Dawlat Waziri, an Afghan ministry spokesman said of Thursday’s strike: ‘No civilian has been hurt and only the base, which Daesh used to launch attacks in other parts of the province, was destroyed.’”
STEVE BANNON. From shadow president to Trump’s marked man.
BIG BUCKS. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made $27.4 million at Exxon last year: “He and other senior executives got raises even though Exxon’s net income fell more than 50 percent in 2016 as the company, like many of its peers, tried to cut costs and weather a period of low oil prices.”
CANADA. Justin Trudeau introduces legislation to legalize marijuana nationwide. “Many nations have either decriminalized marijuana, allowed it to be prescribed medically or effectively stopped enforcing laws against it. But when Mr. Trudeau’s bill passes as expected, Canada will become only the second nation, after Uruguay, to completely legalize marijuana as a consumer product.”
LAWSUITS. RuPaul’s Drag Race finalist Detox sues managers for unpaid royalties, fraud: “Season five finalist Detox Icunt aka Matthew Sanderson – who finished 4th in his first season – filed suit against Producer Entertainment Group and Six Degrees Worldwide Entertainment. The reality star is accusing his ex-managers of breach of contract, fraud and intentional interference with prospective business advantage. Sanderson explains he signed on to work with the managers back in 2012.”
EASTER CANDY. Dustin Lance Black and Tom Daley make some poopy bird nests.
FRIDAY FLASH. Yuri Rangel.
The post Anthony Kennedy, Mar-a-Lago, Ellen DeGeneres, Rex Tillerson, Detox, Tom Daley, Carter Page: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
Here’s Why Mark Green’s Anti-LGBTQ Attacks Makes Him Wholly Unfit to Lead the U.S. Army
Here’s Why Mark Green’s Anti-LGBTQ Attacks Makes Him Wholly Unfit to Lead the U.S. Army
Last week, President Donald Trump quietly nominated anti-LGBTQ extremist Tennessee State Senator Mark Green as Secretary of the Army. If confirmed, he would succeed Eric Fanning, who made history as the first openly gay person to lead a branch of the U.S. military. Green’s nomination and possible confirmation to the post has alarmed LGBTQ organizations across the country.
1st openly gay Army Sec. shouldn’t be followed by an anti-LGBTQ leader. Army deserves better.
— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) April 7, 2017
“Mark Green’s radical and extreme views about LGBTQ people, including those in uniform, are outrageous, and confirming him as Secretary of the Army would send an incredibly dangerous message down the chain of command,” said Stephen Peters, Human Rights Campaign spokesman and a former Marine discharged under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
Putting Mark Green in charge of the U.S. Army would send an incredibly dangerous message down the chain of command. We must #StopMarkGreen.
— Stephen Peters II (@stephenpeters2) April 12, 2017
In his first public statement since being picked by Trump as his nominee for Secretary of the Army, Green attempted to deflect concerns regarding his blatantly offensive record on LGBTQ rights.
“I was nominated by President Trump to do one job: serve as his secretary of the Army,” Green said in a statement to the Army Times on Tuesday. “If confirmed, I will solely focus on making recommendations to him on how to keep our country safe and secure. Politics will have nothing to do with it.”
Here’s a sampling of the vicious and dangerous “politics” Green has been advancing:
His Offensive Attacks on Transgender People
Green has described former President Obama’s guidance protecting transgender students as an example of “tyrannical government” and said that being transgender is a “disease.”
Against Marriage Equality
Encouraged the state of Tennessee to defy the Supreme Court of the United State’s marriage equality Obergefell v. Hodges decision by denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Supports Allowing Businesses to Discriminate
As a State Senator, Green supports legislation giving businesses a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people. He sponsored an anti-transgender bill, and opposed state nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
From the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” to allowing transgender service members to serve openly, the U.S. military made historic strides for LGBTQ equality during the Obama Administration. Mark Green’s radical views are dangerous, and his blatant disregard for the law following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold marriage equality should disqualify him from such a crucial position. More importantly, his extreme views pose a great harm to the thousands of LGBTQ service members who risk their lives everyday to keep our country safe.
Vision Community Black Tie Gala
Donald and Melania fly in separate “his and hers” taxpayer-funded planes
Donald and Melania fly in separate “his and hers” taxpayer-funded planes
They live in separate homes. They sleep in separate beds. They keep separate bathrooms. So why shouldn’t they fly in separate planes?
Ellen Surprises Adorable Teacher Who Used ‘Drag Race’ Clue in Viral Prank Spelling Quiz: WATCH
Ellen Surprises Adorable Teacher Who Used ‘Drag Race’ Clue in Viral Prank Spelling Quiz: WATCH
Fourth grade teacher Joe Dombrowski played an April Fools prank on his classroom, giving them a spelling list of made-up words, one of which was a play on two RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants.
Dombrowski explained the word “Ro-laska-tox” to his students thusly: “Ro-laska-tox was surprised when Jinkx took the crown…If you didn’t get the hyphens, I’m sorry you got that word wrong.”
Ellen, like the other 20 million people who watched Dombrowski’s video, was completely charmed, so she welcomed him to her show and had a surprise ready: a spelling bee for him!
And of course she had some more surprises for him as well.
Watch:
The post Ellen Surprises Adorable Teacher Who Used ‘Drag Race’ Clue in Viral Prank Spelling Quiz: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Ellen Surprises Adorable Teacher Who Used ‘Drag Race’ Clue in Viral Prank Spelling Quiz: WATCH
Four Vital Elements Needed to Create a Welcoming School
Four Vital Elements Needed to Create a Welcoming School
Post submitted by Kimmie Fink, Welcoming Schools Consultant
Creating a school environment that is welcoming and inclusive for all students requires a “whole school” approach. It requires structural, relational and instructional changes, and proactive buy-in from all staff. Fortunately, Welcoming Schools has created this handy checklist to guide elementary schools in improving school climate to ensure that all students and families feel welcome.
The first key component is inclusive language. Official school forms and online communications honor all family structures and are accessible to families who speak a language other than English. In the classroom, teachers use the words like “caring adult(s) at home” instead of “your mom and dad” and address students as “learners” or “third graders” instead of “boys and girls.”
Diverse books and images are also vital to an inclusive school environment. Posters and bulletin board displays showcase diversity and promote respect for all people. Students have access to books that provide both mirrors (reflecting their own experiences and identities) and windows (fostering appreciation of differences). Not sure if your books fit the bill? Check out the Welcoming Schools list of recommended books here.
In a welcoming school, all school staff step up to stop mean words and actions. Teachers and support staff always interrupt hurtful name-calling and use such incidents as teachable moments. They participate in professional development that specifically trains them in how to address bias-based bullying.
The final element in creating a welcoming school is setting a positive, inclusive tone for all. There are clear, school-wide rules establishing respect for all students and families. Bullying and harassment policies specifically enumerate marginalized groups. School staff foster active relationships with families.
Whether you’re verifying that your school is on the right track or beginning the process to make your school a welcoming place for all, the checklist is a great place to start. Welcoming Schools has numerous resources like it at your disposal, and we’re here to support you in this essential undertaking.
HRC’s Welcoming Schools is the nation’s premier program dedicated to creating respectful and supportive elementary schools in embracing family diversity, creating LGBTQ-inclusive schools, preventing bias-based bullying, creating gender-expansive schools, and supporting transgender and non-binary students.
Chechen Gay Men Tell of Horrific Abuse in Detention Centers
Chechen Gay Men Tell of Horrific Abuse in Detention Centers
Those who have escaped Chechnya are coming forward with stories of beatings, electric shocks, and more.
www.advocate.com/world/2017/4/14/chechen-gay-men-tell-horrific-abuse-detention-centers
