Fire Island Pines Manager Sued by Former Employees Over ‘Dark Series of Harassments and Assaults’

Joe Rapuano-Novella, a former employee, and another plaintiff, Dylan Pace, are suing the umbrella company Outpost Pines which owns several entertainment and food venues at the gay resort of Fire Island Pines. Rapuano-Novella and Pace are suing their former manager Mario Priola and owner PJ McAteer for sexual harassment and assault.

Fire Island Pines is the resort featured on the Logo reality show.

The NY Post reports:

He and Pace interviewed in March 2016 for jobs at “The Pines,” an enclave of bars and restaurants which cater primarily to the LGBTQ community, according to their Brooklyn federal court filing.

Rapuano-Novella was “hired on the spot” via Skype during a bizarre interview in which Priola asked him to take off his shirt, the suit says. Pace, a Long Island resident, was asked to report to Priola’s hot tub on the island, the suit alleges.

Before Rapuano-Novella even got to Fire Island, Priola, who was twice his age, allegedly sent him “inappropriate texts,” noting in one that “you’re perfect” and asking for explicit photos, the suit says.

Rapuano-Novella charges in the suit that Priola repeatedly asked him to sleep over and “groped his penis.”

Wrote Rapuano-Novella on Facebook:

I haven’t yet come forward with my #metoo story because I was waiting for the right moment. A lot of people know I worked on Fire Island last year. My time on the island was abruptly cut short when a series of dark harassments and assaults at the hands of my boss drove me from the place. I’m so proud of everyone who is able to come forward and discuss tales of their harassment experience. Sexual harassments and assaults are rife in the gay community and it’s time that people start really talking about their experience. I have been harassed, attacked, groped, embarrassed, and manipulated by forces in power who tried to use me- and I am not alone in my experience.

The day I reported the harassment to HR and the owner of the business, they told me there was “nothing they could do,” despite showing them proof of disgusting text messages, money that had been siphoned into my account with the suggestion of “sexual payment,” and evidence of voice recordings that I had been assaulted. As I sailed away from the island, I knew I could either live with this experience, or fight like hell on behalf of our community to make sure it stops. I’m using my voice.

The trauma of these experiences is that they are relived every day. By people across the country who have been hurt and abused and taken advantage of by men. This isn’t easy, and won’t be moving forward. This ball has been rolling since the day I was forced to leave my job and it won’t stop until the issue is made clear- you are not alone with your abuse: outside of gender, community, and orientation. If it has happened to you, you have the power to affect change.

The post Fire Island Pines Manager Sued by Former Employees Over ‘Dark Series of Harassments and Assaults’ appeared first on Towleroad.

Fire Island Pines Manager Sued by Former Employees Over ‘Dark Series of Harassments and Assaults’

Why The Government Can Afford To Scrap The NHS Pay Cap, And Why They Can’t Afford Not To
In the last few days of the General Election campaign earlier this year, Theresa May was confronted by a nurse at a Question Time debate, who asked if it was fair that her pay had barely increased since 2009. The Prime Minister responded by saying that while she recognises the work that she does, hard choices have to be made and that ‘there isn’t a magic money tree that we can shake which suddenly provides for everything that we want’.

NHS workers, as with workers across the public sector, have faced seven-year long pay squeeze. George Osborne introduced a two year pay freeze across the public sector from 2011/12, arguing that while public servants “did not cause this recession – but they must share the burden as we pay to clean it up.” The pay freeze was followed by five years of pay being effectively capped at 1%.

The long pay squeeze has had a significant impact on NHS workers. A band five nurse is now paid £3,200 less in real terms today than in 2010/11. Had the pay cap continued as planned for a further two years, the gap would have been over £4,000 by 2019/20. While the Chancellor reportedly described public sector workers as ‘overpaid’, the Treasury’s own analysis – which was only released after an FOI request by the GMB – shows that public sector workers are now paid less than private sector workers in comparable roles.

Beyond the direct impact on NHS workers, the long pay squeeze has had a growing impact on the NHS itself, contributing to a growing workforce crisis. The NHS Five Year Forward View set out in 2014 that “as the economy returns to growth, NHS pay will need to stay broadly in line with private sector wages in order to recruit and retain frontline staff”. Yet since then, pay has lagged behind the private sector, and we are seeing the consequences. Satisfaction with pay has fallen by 10% since 2010, and the NHS is facing a growing challenge in recruiting and retaining the workers it needs. The number of nurses is falling for the first time in three years, and the number of vacancies has doubled in the last three years. In the face of growing challenges with recruitment and retention, NHS trusts have increasingly had to rely on agencies to fill staff shortages. The agency staffing bill reached £3.6billion in 2015/16, double the level of four years before.

The public sector pay cap seems to have had a significant impact on the fortunes of the Conservative Party too. The Conservatives went into this year’s general election promising a continuation of the pay cap for a further two years up to and including 2019/20, which would have represented an unprecedented nine year pay squeeze. Conservative MPs and candidates reported the public sector pay cap being raised regularly on the doorstep by an electorate who are increasingly weary of austerity. There appears to be strong, cross-party support for lifting the public sector pay cap, particularly in the NHS. A recent poll by Lord Ashcroft found that 86% of people – and 79% of Conservative voters – think nurses should get a pay rise above the 1% cap.

So the NHS pay cap has contributed to a growing workforce crisis, and it has contributed to the Conservatives failing to get the majority they had taken for granted earlier this year. It has become increasingly clear that the Government can no longer afford to keep the NHS pay cap in place.

New IPPR research has shown that the Government can afford to lift the NHS pay cap. The headline cost of lifting the cap is significant. If pay in the NHS increased in line with CPI inflation over the next two years, it would cost £1.8billion extra by 2019/20 compared with keeping the pay cap in place. However, almost half of the cost is returned almost immediately to the Treasury, as lifting the pay cap would lead to higher tax revenues and lower welfare spending. Lifting the cap would also deliver a £250m boost to the economy, with a further £100million of this returned to the Treasury. Taking the fiscal and economic impact of lifting the NHS pay cap into account, the cost of increasing pay in line with inflation for the next two years would be just £950million a year by 2019/20.

The Secretary of State recently announced the NHS pay cap had been scrapped. While this is welcome news, three key questions remain. First, will NHS workers get a real terms pay rise, or will they see yet another year of pay falling behind both inflation and private sector earnings? The signs here are not good; the Government has lifted the cap for police officers and prison officers, yet both will get increases (2% and 1.7%) which remain below inflation. Second, will the Government fund the increase? Again, the signs are not good. In the case of the police and prison service, the additional cost will have to come from existing budgets. Surely this is not sustainable, particularly in the NHS where demand is rising rapidly and NHS Trusts went into this year with a multi-billion-pound underlying deficit. Third, does the Government plan to reverse the real terms cuts to public sector pay over time, or do they see lower pay as a new normal?

The Chancellor must use his Autumn Budget to answer these questions. He must ensure that NHS workers get the real terms pay rise that they deserve, and he must identify additional funding to pay for it. The Government can afford to scrap the public sector pay cap, and – given the growing workforce crisis in the NHS and their perilous political position – they can’t afford not to.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/joe-dromey/public-sector-pay-cap_b_18543518.html

1,400+ Parents of Trans Young People Sign Declaration of Rights In Response to Attacks on Equality

In response to significant attacks on the rights of LGBTQ people, an unprecedented number of parents of transgender young people have come together to sign a declaration of rights seeking protections for their children and all transgender people from discrimination, violence and harassment. The declaration, signed by 1,400-plus parents and organized by HRC Foundation, comes as the nation marks Transgender Awareness Week, and one year after HRC launched its groundbreaking national Parents for Transgender Equality Council in the wake of Donald Trump’s election.

“What started as a council of 25 parents of transgender youth one year ago has grown into a movement of more than 1,400 parents demanding dignity and fairness for their children,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “These courageous parents represent tens of thousands more across the nation and the challenges facing their families must be addressed by our policymakers and public officials. From building welcoming schools to ending violence against transgender women of color, our work will not be complete until every child in America and around the globe is afforded the opportunity, safety and respect that everyone deserves.”

The 1,400 signatories represent all fifty states and Washington, DC, demonstrating the breadth and diversity of the community of parents of transgender young people. Among the goals articulated by the brave and dedicated parents are the need for nationwide, comprehensive protections from discrimination, inclusive school policies, criminal justice reforms, and access to affirming health care.

The declaration reads, in part: “Despite our progress, we see our children growing up in a world where equality for all is not yet guaranteed. We seek universal respect, dignity, and the promise of safety for our children, and for all transgender people.”

“Our children are not political pawns,” said Peter Tchoryk, parent of a transgender youth and a member of HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council. “They are young people simply hoping to learn and live productive lives. But because politicians like Donald Trump and Mike Pence have chosen to target them for discrimination, our families have been called to defend ourselves from their vicious attacks. Our country has been here before. This declaration demonstrates that our families exist in communities across the country and that we won’t relent until our children are safe from discrimination, harassment and violence.”

HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality was launched in November of 2016 to amplify the voices of parents of transgender youth. Increasingly, the political attacks facing transgender people target the youngest in the community. Earlier this year, when the Trump-Pence Administration rescinded lifesaving guidance promoting the protection of transgender students, HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality council sent a letter to the administration from more than a thousand parents demanding that the Obama-era guidance be preserved.

Throughout Transgender Awareness Week, HRC will discuss many of the urgent and important issues facing the transgender community — including support for youth and families, workplace equality, military service, and combatting violence against members of the transgender community. The week concludes on Monday, November 20, with Transgender Day of Remembrance, a time when the community comes together at vigils across the country to honor those lost in the past year.

Click here to read the declaration. To learn more about HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council, visit www.hrc.org/resources/parents-for-transgender-equality-national-council.

www.hrc.org/blog/1400-parents-of-trans-young-people-sign-declaration-of-rights-in-response-t?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Aaron Carter can’t wait to show you his “amazing” physical transformation
He wants the universe to know he’s gone from 115 pounds to 160 pounds in two months.

www.queerty.com/aaron-carter-cant-wait-show-amazing-physical-transformation-20171113?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Supermarket Chain Tesco Under Fire For Including Gay Couple, Muslim Family in Christmas Ad

British supermarket chain Tesco has refused to apologize following complaints for featuring a Muslim family and a gay couple in a Christmas ad.

As part of its #EveryonesWelcome campaign, the one-minute “Turkey, Every Which Way” spot  shows a variety of families preparing Christmas dinner, including two men with a baby.

Tesco features a Sikh, two gay dads, and even a group of Muslim hijabis in its Christmas ad. Not a dog collar or a Nativity scene in sight. t.co/LClm1ltaL3

— Jack Montgomery ن (@JackBMontgomery) November 7, 2017

Also @Tesco you’ve singlehandedly stopped a large proportion of bigots using your store this Christmas! As all my Muslim friends celebrate Christmas and I shop there … thanks from us! ❤️ #everyoneswelcome

— Emma-Louise Ellis (@leftover_emr) November 9, 2017

Tesco #EveryonesWelcome Christmas ad welcomes everyone to get involved except Christians who are not reflected. What a new way of showing diversity?

— Ollie (@alwyn90lewis) November 12, 2017

RELATED: UK’s Largest Supermarket Chain Faces Boycott Over Executive’s Condemnation of Anti-Gay ‘Evil Christians’

Said Tesco in response to the backlash:

“Everyone is welcome at Tesco this Christmas and we’re proud to celebrate the many ways our customers come together over the festive season. [The campaign] will celebrate the many ways we come together at Christmas, and how food sits at the heart of it all.”

Watch:

The post Supermarket Chain Tesco Under Fire For Including Gay Couple, Muslim Family in Christmas Ad appeared first on Towleroad.

Supermarket Chain Tesco Under Fire For Including Gay Couple, Muslim Family in Christmas Ad

Acid Attack Murder Victim ‘Complained To New Woman His Girlfriend Was Controlling’
A man allegedly murdered in an acid attack by his ex-girlfriend, had planned to move out of her flat just two weeks before, a court heard on Monday.

Mark van Dongen, 29, told another woman he had started seeing that Berlinah Wallace, 48, had hacked into his emails and he was moving into a hotel.

Wallace is accused of throwing sulfuric acid in van Dongen’s face causing such serious injuries he opted to die in a euthanasia clinic 15 months later.

South African-born Wallace denies charges of murder and throwing a corrosive fluid with the intention to burn, maim, disfigure, disable or commit GBH.

Prosecutors claim Wallace carried out the attack out of jealousy after her ex-lover began seeing another woman, Violet Farquharson.

Farquharson told Bristol Crown Court she “wasn’t best pleased” when she found out he was already in a relationship when they met.

She said she met van Dongen on a dating website around the end of July 2015 – less than two months before the attack.

Farquharson said that she and van Dongen exchanged messages on the dating site and later swapped numbers and texted each other.

But during that time he never mentioned his relationship, she told the court.

It was not until the pair met up for coffee in August 2015 that van Dongen came clean about his relationship – complaining Wallace was “controlling”, it was said.

Giving evidence from behind a curtain Farquharson said: “I wasn’t best pleased to find out he was in a relationship.

“We had spoken about the importance of integrity as a human being. I made it very clear I wasn’t prepared to have a relationship with him if he was still with his girlfriend.”

She added: “He said that he would like to have some hobbies, but that she was very controlling over him. He mentioned some work colleagues, but none that he would see outside of work.”

She said at their first face-to-face meeting for coffee the pair seemed to have a few things in common and he suggested going to the cinema later in the week.

But in text messages exchanged between the pair later that week, van Dongen appeared to change his mind after having an argument with Wallace.

On August 15 he had texted Farquharson saying Wallace had moved out of their shared home to stay in a hotel, and that he had a week to find a new flat.

But the following day he said that Wallace has returned home and they had “talked all night” – and he seemed to call things off with Farquharson.

He wrote: “Hi Vi, I’m really sorry. I think you’re an amazing person, you’ve really opened my eyes.

“She came back last night and we talked all night. I’m not a person who cheats or has affairs. I’m really sorry for dragging you into my problems. You don’t deserve that.”

He added that Farquharson would always have “a special place in my heart”.

But later that same day, he texted her again saying he “couldn’t stop thinking about her” – and telling her that he was HIV positive.

He wrote: “I didn’t know how to tell you, so I took the easy way out. I’m too weak and afraid to be alone.”

Four days later, on August 20, he warned her that Wallace had allegedly hacked into his email, and not to send any messages to that address anymore.

He wrote: “She hacked my email last night. Please don’t send anything to that email anymore. Going to stay in a hotel from now on.”

Van Dongen was attacked weeks later on 3 September, 2015.

The case continues.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/acid-attack-murder-victim-complained-to-new-woman-his-girlfriend-was-controlling_uk_5a09c464e4b0b17ffcdf19a2

103 Photos of Nude Male Italians in a Somber Mood

www.advocate.com/photography/2017/11/13/103-photos-nude-male-italians-somber-mood

Hepatitis A Cases Surge Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Los Angeles

New cases of Hepatitis A, the highly contagious liver disease, are surging among gay and bisexual men in Los Angeles County, according to health officials.

NBC San Diego reports:

The surge is happening during the battle against the state’s massive outbreak, which has claimed 20 lives and has sickened more than 600 people, mostly in the homeless community. The outbreak started in San Diego and was reported in September.

Los Angeles County has seen 15 reported cases among those who are homeless or use recreational drugs since the outbreak began, the Los Angeles Times reported. But officials say an unrelated hepatitis A outbreak affecting the LGBT community has sickened 14 gay or bisexual men this year, compared with nine last year and one the year before.

The Los Angeles County Health Alert Network has advised medical providers to offer Hepatitis A vaccinations to men who have sex with men, as it is the best method for preventing the infection. Providers also have been advised to offer the vaccine to homeless people.

Hep A is primarily spread through food or water that has been contaminated with feces, or through sexual contact.

Vaccines against Hepatitis A are available.

The post Hepatitis A Cases Surge Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Los Angeles appeared first on Towleroad.

Hepatitis A Cases Surge Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Los Angeles

Arthur Collins, Ex-Boyfriend Of Ferne McCann, Found Guilty Of Acid Attack
Arthur Collins, the ex-boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann, has been found guilty at Wood Green Crown Court of an acid attack in a London nightclub.

Collins, 25, faced five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, and nine counts of actual bodily harm against 14 people.

Earlier today, Andre Phoenix was cleared of all charged against him after being accused of helping Collins carry out the attack.

Phoenix, of Clyde Road, Tottenham, north London, was caught on CCTV apparently holding Collins’ arms as he sprayed the liquid at revellers on April 17.

In his evidence, he told the jury that he had only stepped in to separate Collins and another male when they started squaring up to one another.

Phoenix said he would just “knock them out” if someone angered him, adding: “I don’t roll with acid.”

He was also burned by the substance and was captured on CCTV asking Collins to examine his face and washing himself with a bottle of water.

Phoenix attended the Whittington Hospital in Archway, north London, the following day for treatment.

Phoenix wept in the dock as the jury’s verdict was read out and turned to look at his mother, who was present throughout the trial.

More to follow.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/arthur-collins-ferne-mccann-acid-attack_uk_5a09ad4fe4b01d21c8401fac

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 13, 2017

AMERICA’S TOP LEADERS HAVE REMAINED SHAMEFULLY SILENT ON GLOBAL LGBTQ PERSECUTION: In a piece in Metro Weekly, HRC Global Director Ty Cobb (@TyWesleyCobb) raises the alarm about the increasing attacks against the LGBTQ community around the world. Cobb calls on Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to speak out against the anti-LGBTQ human rights abuses occurring in Egypt, Chechnya, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Georgia, Tanzania, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan. Writes Cobb, “For the past several years, the United States and its leadership would stand strong against such persecution, but Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Rex Tillerson have failed to address these horrific abuses. With each passing day they remain silent, the United States is failing in its leadership responsibility to defend human rights around the globe. Now more than ever, we desperately need that leadership.” More from Metro Weekly.

• In Egypt, seven were arrested for waving a rainbow flag at a Mashrou’ Leila concert in Cairo in September. The New York Times’ Michael Schulman (@MJSchulman) sat down with the band’s openly gay lead singer, Hamed Sinno, to discuss these human rights abuses. More from The New York Times.
• “I felt like I had two options: I‘m going to live as I am, or I‘m going to die,” says Justin Romanov, a gay man from Russia who fled persecution to Canada. More from Reuters.

MUST WATCH MONDAY — LGBTQ MILITARY AND VETERANS JOIN HRC AND OTHER ADVOCATES CALLING ON TRUMP TO HONOR ALL TROOPS: HRC and Lambda Legal joined former Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning (@ericfanning) and LGBTQ service members and veterans to call on Trump to honor and support all who serve and have served. The advocates, in Dallas to mark Veterans Day, also provided an update on Karnoski v. Trump, a lawsuit challenging Trump’s transgender military ban. Karnoski v. Trump is brought by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN on behalf of several plaintiffs including transgender individuals, HRC, Gender Justice League, and the American Military Partner Association.

• Sterling Crutcher’s dreams of following in his grandfather’s footsteps as an airman are “under review” because of Trump’s ban on transgender troops. More from ABC.
• NewNowNext shared the stories of transgender service members and veterans in honor of Veterans Day. More here.
• NBC profiles 11 influential out LGBTQ veterans, including HRC National Press Secretary Stephen Peters (@StephenPeters2). Read the full piece here.
• Morning Must Read: “As Trump attempts a transgender military ban, Germany celebrates its first trans commander,” in The Washington Post.

ELLEN PAGE BRAVELY SPEAKS OUT ABOUT EXPERIENCING SEXUAL HARASSMENT & HOMOPHOBIA: In a Facebook post, Page recounts being sexual harrassed by director Brett Ratner on a movie set — where he targeted Page with sexual comments, outing her as a lesbian before she was ready. “I was a young adult who had not yet come out to myself. I knew I was gay, but did not know, so to speak. I felt violated when this happened,” Page writes. “He ‘outed’ me with no regard for my well-being, an act we all recognize as homophobic.” Read her full post on Facebook.

JAZZ JENNINGS RESPONDS WITH GRACE TO DESPICABLE ATTACK BY DUGGAR SON-IN-LAW: After Derick Dillard, husband of Counting On’s Jill Duggar, attacked transgender teen and HRC Youth Ambassador Jazz Jennings (@JazzJennings__), she sent out a message of love saying “In the face of constant ignorance and hatred I prefer to disregard negative opinions and continue moving forward with love.” TLC also issued a statement that Dillard has not been associated with the network for some time, and that they are proud to share Jennings’ story. More from Us Magazine.

In the face of constant ignorance and hatred I prefer to disregard negative opinions and continue moving forward with love��

— Jazz Jennings (@JazzJennings__) November 11, 2017

THESE BUSINESSES ARE STANDING UP FOR THEIR LGBTQ EMPLOYEES: Top-rated businesses on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index are taking to social media to share their commitment to LGBTQ equality in the workplace. More from HRC.

JOHN PAUL DE CECCO, SCHOLAR OF SEXUALITY STUDIES, PASSES: De Cecco, 92, was a professor emeritus at San Francisco State University and had a 50-year career pioneering sexuality studies. More from Windy City Times.

FOR YOUR RADAR — RESULTS OF AUSTRALIAN MARRIAGE EQUALITY POSTAL SURVEY EXPECTED TOMORROW: Watch out tomorrow night (in the U.S.) for the official results. More from HuffPost.

DUTCH AUTHORITIES REPORTEDLY REJECTING LGBTQ ASYLUM SEEKERS NOT ABLE TO “PROVE” THEY ARE LGBTQ: More from PRI.

SCOTLAND’S FIRST MINISTER INTRODUCES PROPOSAL TO RECOGNIZE NON-BINARY GENDER: More from The Guardian.

READING RAINBOW  

Refinery29 interviews transgender pop singer Kim Petras (@kimpetras); Pink News shares photos from Delhi Pride

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-november-13-2017?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed