Melania Trump’s official White House glamour shot, er, portrait gets memed, hard
The White House unveiled Melania Trump’s official portrait his week and memers have taken note.
Monthly Archives: April 2017
AfD-Kandidat über Homo-Rechte: “Lesbenpornos schaue ich schon ganz gerne an”
AfD-Kandidat über Homo-Rechte: “Lesbenpornos schaue ich schon ganz gerne an”
Im schleswig-holsteinischen Maldorf fand eine Schulveranstaltung für junge Erstwähler statt. Die Schüler hatten acht Landtagskandidaten zu einer Po…
Weiterlesen: Politik, Afd, Homosexualität, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany News
www.huffingtonpost.de/2017/04/04/afd-rotsolk-schule-homoehe_n_15804530.html
Oregon Pushes Forward in the Fight for LGBTQ Equality
Oregon Pushes Forward in the Fight for LGBTQ Equality
Post submitted by Christopher Cooke, HRC Regional Field Organizer
HRC members, supporters and volunteers joined Basic Rights Oregon for LGBTQ Lobby Day at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. HRC Regional Field Organizer Christopher Cooke was on hand as members of both groups attended a lobby day training hosted by Basic Rights Oregon. After empowering citizen lobbyist with new skills, members and supporters lobbied their lawmakers in Support of HB 3060 and HB 2673, two bills that would improve the lives of LGBTQ Oregonians statewide.
HB 3060 requires all businesses that enter into state contracts that exceed $150,000 to have LGBTQ-inclusive workplace nondiscrimination and sexual harassment prevention policies, sending a clear message that Oregon stands for equality and fair treatment.
HB 2673 would update existing Oregon law to ensure that transgender Oregonians have access to a safer, more affordable and streamlined process for obtaining corrected birth certificates that reflect their gender identity. Transgender people who are unable to obtain identity documents that accurately reflect their gender identity face increased risks of discrimination and violence. Passage of HB 2673 is crucial to making Oregon a more inviting and inclusive place to call home.
Special thanks to the HRC Portland Steering Committee for making LGBTQ Lobby Day a success and for advocating for an Oregon that everybody can be proud of and call home.
Charles Barkley Was One of the First to Congratulate Don Lemon on Coming Out
Charles Barkley Was One of the First to Congratulate Don Lemon on Coming Out
When the CNN anchor came out, he received an outpouring of love from everywhere — including the NBA.
www.advocate.com/media/2017/4/04/charles-barkley-was-one-first-congratulate-don-lemon-coming-out
College athlete recounts traumatic experience of undergoing gay exorcism
College athlete recounts traumatic experience of undergoing gay exorcism
It included praying in tongues, magic oil, deep breathing exercises, and holy water.
Ivanka’s Neighbor, John McCain, Subway Hero, Bill O’Reilly, Grizzly Bear, Erik Prince, Bette Midler: HOT LINKS
Ivanka’s Neighbor, John McCain, Subway Hero, Bill O’Reilly, Grizzly Bear, Erik Prince, Bette Midler: HOT LINKS
NUCLEAR OPTION. John McCain calls out the GOP for plan to use nuclear option in Gorsuch nomination, but says he’ll go along with them. “I think it’s a dark day in the history of the United States Senate.”
35 PERCENT. Trump approval rating hits new low.
ST PETERSBURG. Trump offers Putin “full support” of the U.S. in investigating terror attack.
BACK CHANNEL DEALING. UAE arranged secret meeting between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian close to Putin to establish communication channel between Trump and Putin: “The meeting took place around Jan. 11 — nine days before Trump’s inauguration — in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean, officials said. Though the full agenda remains unclear, the UAE agreed to broker the meeting in part to explore whether Russia could be persuaded to curtail its relationship with Iran, including in Syria, a Trump administration objective that would be likely to require major concessions to Moscow on U.S. sanctions.”
THE PRESIDENT SHOW. Donald Trump impersonator is getting his own Comedy Central show.
INTERNET PRIVACY. Trump takes away internet privacy by signing repeal bill: “The FCC regulations would have required broadband companies to get permission from their customers in order to use their “sensitive” data — including browsing history, geolocation and financial and medical information — to create targeted advertisements.”
BILL O’REILLY. Top advertisers flee FOX News host in wake of new sexual harassment allegations: “Seven more advertisers pulled out of Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News show Tuesday — meaning nine altogether have left the program after a report of his sexual harassment history. BMW and Allstate were among the biggest names to flee from “The O’Reilly Factor” in light of the allegations.”
PHOENIX. Pride parade marchers confront immigration activists in ugly display of intolerance. “It looked like something from a Trump rally — except that this time, the angry white men were wearing rainbow beads, and were at an event that’s supposedly about tolerance and equality.”
NYC. Subway hero. “Brave Con Edison supervisor Jonathan Kulig, jumped into the Union Square subway tracks at the Third Avenue L train station, to rescue an unconscious man who fell in New York City.”
H2O. New graphene based sieve turns ocean water into drinking water: “The sought-after development could aid the millions of people without ready access to clean drinking water. The promising graphene oxide sieve could be highly efficient at filtering salts, and will now be tested against existing desalination membranes.”
SPACE. Boeing unveils concept designs for Mars Transporter and Deep Space Habitat: “The first base – known as the Deep Space Gateway – will orbit between Earth and the moon and is expected to launch as early as 2020. The habitat will support critical research and open up opportunities for future exploration of deep space, as well as a return to the moon and missions to Mars.”
HELLO DOLLY. Bette Midler greets fans outside the Broadway show.
GLEEFUL. Ivanka Trump’s neighbor watched the Queer Dance Party protest with a glass of wine.
mood: the neighbor gleefully watching protestors outside of Ivanka Trump’s house pic.twitter.com/6UjZbSqcdg
— Mack Wilds. (@etherealcabello) April 3, 2017
THE NETHERLANDS. Dutch authorities trying to dismantle gay cruising spots: “At least 10 municipalities across the Netherlands are trying to get rid of gay cruising spots in an effort to reduce intimacies in public parks, the Volkskrant reports. The municipalities are doing so by placing fences,cutting down bushes and fining public nudity, according to the newspaper.”
PREVIEW OF THE DAY. Grizzly Bear is about to birth new music, the first since 2012.
FIONA. This is a baby hippo having a dream.
TOO HOT TUESDAY. St. Jon.
The post Ivanka’s Neighbor, John McCain, Subway Hero, Bill O’Reilly, Grizzly Bear, Erik Prince, Bette Midler: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
Global Summit Kicks Off with World Bank Visit and Roundtable with Members of Congress
Global Summit Kicks Off with World Bank Visit and Roundtable with Members of Congress
Thirty remarkable LGBTQ advocates from five continents gathered at HRC’s office in Washington, D.C. this week for the second annual Global Innovative Advocacy Summit.
Hailing from 28 countries, the global innovators represent tremendous diversity in age, gender, sexual and gender identity status, ability and activism. Yet despite their differences and varied experiences, they all have a burning passion to change LGBTQ lives in their home countries – and the world – for the better.
HRC’s annual Global Summit provides a forum to exchange ideas for advancing LGBTQ equality and network with key policymakers and non-profit leaders. Over the next three days, the global innovators will showcase projects and approaches that have advanced equality, particularly around storytelling, innovating and advocating.
On their first day, the global innovators attended a welcome lunch at HRC’s headquarters and then visited the World Bank. At the Bank, they met with Social Development Director Maninder Gill and the recently appointed World Bank Global Adviser on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Clif Cortez and discussed how the Bank can strengthen its work with LGBTQ communities.
Cortez emphasized the importance of more research, noting that “data is critical to obtain evidence that advance policies that benefit LGBTQ populations.” He called on the LGBTQ advocates to continue lobbying their governments to make advances on LGBTQ rights as the World Bank only takes on government-specific projects.
Global innovators pushed Gill and Cortez to take additional measures to advance LGBTQ equality through the Bank’s massive lending on education, public health and infrastructure in developing countries.
Global innovators also participated in a roundtable discussion with U.S. Representatives Joe Kennedy (D-MA) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA). Rep. Kennedy mentioned his leadership of Congress’s Transgender Equality Task Force, which seeks to protect transgender people in the U.S. and around the globe. Congressman Lowenthal noted his efforts in advancing global equality, including helping to establish and support the State Department’s first Special Envoy for the Rights of LGBTI Persons, Randy Berry.
As the Trump Administration has not committed to keeping this special envoy position, Lowenthal promised to fight to preserve Berry’s position and State Department funding in the face of impending budget cuts.
In the evening, HRC and the Norwegian Ambassador to the U.S. Kare R. Aas formally welcomed the global innovators to Washington with a reception of friends, funders and partners in global equality work. Amb. Aas expressed pride at seeing the diverse collection of advocates working on LGBTQ equality, which he described as a fundamental value for Norway.
Mary Beth Maxwell, HRC Senior Vice President for Programs Research and Training, thanked the Norwegian Embassy for their exceptional generosity in hosting the reception and also welcomed the global innovators and HRC’s D.C.-based partners to the reception.
The Global Summit will continue throughout the week with various panels, meetings and presentations. Read our daily blogs here or follow conversations online at #HRCGlobalSummit.
Ian McKellen explains why he decided not to play Dumbledore
Ian McKellen explains why he decided not to play Dumbledore
“I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I’d known didn’t approve of me.”
Max Emerson and Andres Camilo’s Gay Army Prom Photos are Uniformly Romantic
Max Emerson and Andres Camilo’s Gay Army Prom Photos are Uniformly Romantic
Vlogger Max Emerson and his boyfriend Andres Camilo were a dapper-looking couple at the gay army prom at West Point this year. The couple shared a series of photos to their Instagram accounts.
And well, here’s one of Camilo out of uniform for good measure.
Camilo is in the National Guard and works as a consultant in New York City. Emerson is a popular actor/vlogger who introduced Camilo as his boyfriend last June.
The post Max Emerson and Andres Camilo’s Gay Army Prom Photos are Uniformly Romantic appeared first on Towleroad.
Max Emerson and Andres Camilo’s Gay Army Prom Photos are Uniformly Romantic
Gorsuch Proves Why He is Wrong for the Supreme Court of the United States
Gorsuch Proves Why He is Wrong for the Supreme Court of the United States
This week, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch proved – yet again – why he is unfit to serve on the nation’s highest court.
In his seventy-six page Questions for the Record (QFR) Responses to Congress, Gorsuch provided troubling answers that eerily predict how he would treat crucial civil rights litigation if confirmed. When asked about his views on civil rights and, specifically, the LGBTQ community, Gorsuch offer no comments that reflect an ability to render compassionate, impartial, and inclusionary decisions when interpreting the Constitution. His brief, dismissive answers in response to some of the most pressing civil rights questions facing jurists today are a stark departure from the full and complete responses historically provided by nominees to the Supreme Court.
Senator Christopher A. Coons (D-DE) specifically asked Gorsuch if he felt “the Fourteenth Amendment require[s] that states treat gay and lesbian couples equally to heterosexual couples?” Gorsuch declined to offer his own thoughts, instead stating only that the Supreme Court has previously held “gay and lesbian couples have a constitutionally protected right to engage in consensual relations and to marry.” When directly asked whether the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, Gorsuch cited three Supreme Court cases that led to the development of “intermediate scrutiny” for gender discrimination claims, yet – in the same answer – refused to address the Constitutional rights of LGBTQ people, merely stating the Supreme Court has invalidated state laws implicating sexual orientation.
While he did refer to rights previously affirmed by the Supreme Court, these are the very rights the Court – including Gorsuch – could potentially take away in future decisions. This is a real fear, especially given then-candidate Trump’s early campaign promises to appoint a justice in the mold of the late Antonin Scalia, who was dedicated to overturning important decisions like Roe v. Wade.
Gorsuch’s responses also reflected the Judge’s long history of prioritizing businesses and individual beliefs over basic civil rights. When asked about the “problem of complicity” he wrote about in the Hobby Lobby case and the right of adoption agencies and restaurant owners to “refuse to serve same-sex couples because a belief that homosexuality is sinful,” Gorsuch refused to answer whether this blatant discrimination was permissible, stating only that ethical obligations prevented him from commenting on issues live with dispute that could come before the Court.
Equally troubling was Gorsuch’s refusal, on five separate occasions, to answer whether transgender individuals are afforded equal protection under the Constitution and whether Title IX protects transgender students from discrimination on the basis of sex in public schools. In each instance, Gorsuch evaded the question with the same language on judicial ethics, stating that he was prevented from commenting on issues that would likely come before the Supreme Court.
These non-answers fail to address whether Gorsuch believes that LGBTQ individuals are entitled to the full breadth of rights guaranteed under the Equal Protection Clause. They also leave open the possibility for continued discrimination in areas like housing, employment, and public accommodations. Even more troubling is the Judge’s failure to deviate from his earlier decisions that expressly denied rights and protections to members of the LGBTQ community. Gorsuch affirmed in these answers that his nomination serves only as a rubber stamp for the Trump administration as it continues to strip away anti-discrimination protections in favor of exclusionary and unconstitutional policies.
HRC continues to strongly oppose the nomination of Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, taking the unprecedented act of calling for a no-vote and filibuster against Gorsuch’s nomination, and sending our Legal Director, Sarah Warbelow, to testify against Gorsuch’s confirmation based on his deplorable record in denying the LGBTQ community basic rights.
We have no reason to believe that Gorsuch will be a fair advocate for LGBTQ Americans and we urge senators to vote “no.”
The full copy of the Judge Gorsuch’s QFR Responses is available here.
