Sasha Velour: Drag Superstar Today, POTUS Tomorrow?
The winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race discusses the “renaissance” of drag activism, the new racially inclusive Pride flag, and a possible future in politics.
www.advocate.com/television/2017/6/26/sasha-velour-drag-superstar-today-potus-tomorrow
AirAsia, Alien Life, Sesame Street, Pitch Perfect 3, Nick and Joe Jonas, Bernie Sanders: HOT LINKS
WITCH HUNT. Pro-Trump group launches ad attacking investigation. “The ad is yet another example of a growing trend amongst pro-Trump advocates attempting to undermine the special investigation into Trump’s campaign as biased and agenda-driven.”
I ADORE MY LESBIAN DAUGHTERS. Mom carries same sign at NYC Pride for 45+ years.
62 PERCENT. U.S. support for marriage equality hits highest level ever.
PUTIN MEETING. Trump planning ‘full diplomatic bells and whistles’ in meeting with Russian president: “Many administration officials believe the U.S. needs to maintain its distance from Russia at such a sensitive time — and interact only with great caution. But Trump and some others within his administration have been pressing for a full bilateral meeting.”
BANK FRAUD. Bernie and Jane Sanders under investigation.
BUFF BOYS. Nick and Joe Jonas flaunt their beach bods in Saint-Tropez.
HISTORY. The rise and fall of Playgirl.
CLIMATE. Seas rising faster than expected: “What was a 2.2 millimeter per year rise in 1993 was a 3.3 millimeter rise in 2014, based on estimates of the mass changes of a number of key components of sea level rise, such as the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, the study in Nature Climate Change found. That’s the difference between 0.86 and 1.29 inches per decade — and the researchers suggest further sea level acceleration could be in store.”
MASHA GESSEN. The gay men who fled Chechnya’s purge.
PRIDE MESSAGE OF THE DAY. Sesame Street.
Sesame Street is proud to support families of all shapes, sizes, and colors. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/H3uzD5XwUu
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) June 23, 2017
MALE MODEL MONDAY. Bobby Penney. More here.
ANONYMOUS. Hacker group makes claim that NASA has evidence of alien life.
SCARY AIRLINE FLIGHT OF THE DAY. AirAsia plane forced to land after it started shaking like a washing machine. “Faced with such a dilemma, the pilot, normally a calm, collected voice over a loudspeaker, asked everyone to pray instead. Twice.”
TEASER TRAILER OF THE DAY. Pitch Perfect 3.
MONDAY MUSCLE. Trevor Bell.
The post AirAsia, Alien Life, Sesame Street, Pitch Perfect 3, Nick and Joe Jonas, Bernie Sanders: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
AirAsia, Alien Life, Sesame Street, Pitch Perfect 3, Nick and Joe Jonas, Bernie Sanders: HOT LINKS
Four Cases That Paved The Way for Marriage Equality and a Reminder of the Work Ahead
Today marks the two-year anniversary of the historic Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality the law of the land and changed the lives of millions of people who can now marry the person they love. As people across the U.S. celebrate this momentous day, today also serves as an important reminder of the work that still lies ahead in achieving full federal protections for the LGBTQ community.
Just today, the Supreme Court ruled that Arkansas officials must list the names of both married same-sex parents on their child’s birth certificate. The nation’s highest court also agreed to hear a case involving a Colorado baker who refused to provide services for a same-sex couple planning their marriage ceremony. Elected leaders across the country are seeking to ensure that LGBTQ people are not discriminated against in housing,employment, public accommodations and education, while federal courts are determining how sexual orientation and gender identity are covered by our nation’s federal civil rights laws.
Over the past few decades, brave LGBTQ plaintiffs from around the nation have stood up for their rights by asking the Supreme Court affirm their fundamental liberties. June 26 is a day that will remain in the history books as four pivotal cases were decided on this date, spanning over 13 years.
HRC takes a look back at these instrumental cases to recognize and honor the hard work of the couples, advocates, organizations and supporters who helped change history.
Lawrence v. Texas (2003)
In 2013, the Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas struck down Texas’ sodomy law – and in turn invalidated sodomy laws in 13 other states – making private, consensual, adult sexual activity between same-sex couples legal across the U.S.
This case laid the groundwork for much of the tremendous progress we’ve seen over the last several years by ensuring that LGBTQ people could not be criminalized for their loving relationships, and serves as a reminder of how much has been accomplished within the LGBTQ community. By ridding our country of this extreme persecution of LGBTQ people under the law, the narrative around equality was forever changed.
United States v. Windsor (2013)
After more than 40 years together, Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer were legally married in Toronto, Canada in 2007. Their marriage was officially recognized in New York in 2008 when their home state ordered state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. When Thea died in 2009, she left her entire estate to Edie. However, Edie was barred from claiming the federal estate tax exemptions for surviving spouses under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a law that prohibited the federal government from recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples, and as a result was faced with a $363,000 estate tax bill.
Windsor, represented by Robbie Kaplan, took her case to the Supreme Court, challenging the government’s ban on recognizing legally married same-sex couples for federal purposes including social security, immigration, and family and medical leave. Same-sex couples across the nation came away victorious as section 3 of DOMA was overturned.
On that same day…
Hollingsworth v. Perry (2013)
In 2009, two same-sex couples, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, filed suit against the state of California in federal court, arguing that California’s Proposition 8 violated the U.S. Constitution by denying them a fundamental right and depriving them of equal protection under the law. Prop 8, a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, had passed at the ballot the previous November, stripping same-sex couples of the right to marry in California.
Attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies represented the couples, and marriage equality was returned to the Golden State.
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Dozens of courageous couples took their fight for marriage equality to court, including Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the 2015 Supreme Court case that brought nationwide marriage equality.
In January 2015, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear Obergefell v. Hodges, a consolidation of Jim’s case with the cases of other plaintiffs from Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee. David Michener & William Herbert Ives, Robert Grunn, Nicole Yorksmith & Pamela Yorksmith, Joseph J. Vitale & Robert Talmas, Brittani Henry & Brittni Rogers, Kelly Noe & Kelly McCraken, Gregory Bourke & Michael DeLeon, Randell Johnson & Paul Campion, Jimmy Meade & Luther Barlowe, Kimberly Franklin & Tamera Boyd, Maurice Blanchard & Dominique James, Timothy Love & Lawrence Ysunza, Joy “Johno” Espejo & Matthew Mansell, Kellie Miller & Vanessa DeVillez, Sergeant Ijpe DeKoe & Thomas Kostura, Valeria Tanco & Sophia Jesty and April DeBoer & Jayne Rowse, were just some of the brave individuals and couples — along with the ACLU, Lambda Legal, GLADD, NCLR, which provided co-counsel on this case.
Two years ago, in a historic sweeping ruling, the Supreme Court sided with loving, committed same-sex couples and found all bans on marriage equality to be unconstitutional – and that the fundamental right to marriage is a fundamental right for all. However, we are still far from full LGBTQ equality in the U.S. — 50 percent of same-sex couples across the country are still at risk of being fired from their jobs by noon and evicted from their home by 2 p.m., simply for posting their wedding photos on Facebook.
In many states, LGBTQ people are at risk of being fired, denied housing, or refused service because of who they are. There is no federal law explicitly protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, education, public accommodations, and other important areas, and 31 states still lack fully-inclusive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people.
Discrimination is a real and persistent problem for far too many LGBTQ Americans, which is why the need for the Equality Act has never been more clear.
HRC urges Congress to pass the Equality Act, which was re-introduced in May with bipartisan support and unprecedented number of businesses to guarantee explicit, permanent protections for all Americans.
For 9 Years, ShanghaiPRIDE Persists
www.advocate.com/pride/2017/6/26/9-years-shanghaipride-persists
Yaaas Queens: The best Pride photos from last weekend’s parades and marches
Last weekend was the grand finale of Pride month.
London Bus Applauds After Gay Man Confronts Hostile Homophobe, Has Him Ejected: WATCH
Londoner Daniel Simmonds was riding the bus home on Friday when he was confronted with a man threatening passengers with a knife and spewing a venomous diatribe about race and gay people.
Said the man:
“It’s not alright to be gay…Even when I’m talking now the white man get offended….You say anything, I’ll murder you, I’ll stab you up in your face…I’ve got a new knife. I wanna…I might do that now but there’s cameras.”
The man added: “Every day I read the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran. It says when you tell the truth, the pagans don’t like that. They like lies. That’s why they go home to watch batty man programs. EastEnders, Coronation Street – all them queers in it. That’s what they teach the kids….The white people are deluded. They think they’re God. Even when I’m talking now, it’s burning them.”
Simmonds finally spoke up and confronted the man.
“Excuse me. Excuse me. I’m gay and I’m white, and I don’t think I’m God. Are you threatening to stab me?”
The man grew angry at being confronted, snapping: “Do you know me? Don’t talk to me! Leave me alone, because I can see what you’re up to…you’re gay and you’re clever. Leave me alone. You heard that, gay clever man. Don’t talk to me.”
Simmonds boldness appeared to inspire other passengers to begin speaking up until demands to throw the man off the bus were met.
Simmonds posted the video to Facebook, writing: “Hatred has many faces, whatever your colour, creed, sexuality or anything else. This was my bus home tonight…Thanks to the amazing TFL driver – you didn’t mess around!”
Watch:
The post London Bus Applauds After Gay Man Confronts Hostile Homophobe, Has Him Ejected: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
London Bus Applauds After Gay Man Confronts Hostile Homophobe, Has Him Ejected: WATCH
U.S. Supreme Court to address so-called “religious exemptions” debate
NEW YORK – Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD – the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, released the following statement after the United States Supreme Court today announced that it will take up the case that addresses whether an American can use so-called “religious exemptions” as an excuse to discriminate against other Americans, including the LGBTQ community. This is an appeal to the Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case where a bakery shop refused to make a cake for a gay couple’s wedding. The couple sued and won prior to this appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
“The weight of this case is about more than a wedding cake – this decision could have devastating long-term ramifications on the rights of LGBTQ Americans around employment, housing, and public accommodations in their communities and across the entire nation,” said Sarah Kate Ellis. “Using religion as a weapon to harm others flies in the face of American values and is just an excuse to discriminate against LGBTQ people because of who they are. At a time when a majority of Americans do not support such harmful laws, LGBTQ and fair-minded Americans must make their voices heard as this case moves to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Just last week, a study conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that over a majority of Americans oppose anti-LGBTQ discriminatory laws. Close to sixty-one percent of Americans oppose allowing small business owners to refuse to provide products or services to LGBTQ people on religious grounds with only 50% of evangelical Protestants, 42% of Hispanic Protestants, and 25% of Black Protestants voicing support of these anti-LGBTQ measures.
Since marriage equality was made law nationwide by the United States Supreme Court two years ago, anti-LGBTQ activists have been using religion as a weapon to harm LGBTQ Americans across the nation. Vice President Mike Pence enacted the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” during his tenure as Governor of Indiana and gave businesses the right to deny LGBTQ Hoosiers housing, employment, and public accommodations. One week later, he was forced to revise the law after an outcry from businesses leaders, people of faith, and Hoosiers. These ‘religious exemptions’ continue to be written into law across the nation. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed an anti-LGBTQ adoption law which allows adoption agencies to deny LGBTQ families the right to adopt a child. Further, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week ended an injunction on Mississippi’s HB 1523, prompting the state to allow discrimination against LGBTQ people in employment, housing, and public accommodations across the state.
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www.glaad.org/blog/us-supreme-court-address-so-called-religious-exemptions-debate
111 Photos of New York City’s Pride and Resistance
www.advocate.com/pride/2017/6/26/111-photos-new-york-citys-pride-and-resistance
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