55 Photos of Gay Porn Star Foreplay for the Grabby Awards

www.advocate.com/photography/2018/4/13/55-photos-gay-porn-star-foreplay-grabby-awards

Maryland Elementary School to Be Named for Gay Civil Rights Icon Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin Elementary will be the name of Montgomery County, Maryland’s first school named for an openly gay individual after the Board of Education voted 6-2 to name the school after the civil rights icon who advised Martin Luther King Jr. and was a lead organizer of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.

The school board voted against the recommendations of a naming committee which had recommended the school be named for Lillian Brown, a local educator, Bethesda Magazine reports.

Testimonies from LGBT students, like Jamie Griffith, a senior from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, were among the things that swayed the board’s decision.

Said Griffith: As a queer student, even in a progressive area, I was raised in a society that still attaches shame to my identity. So a Bayard Rustin Elementary School is not only a well-deserved homage to a civil rights leader and hero, but a way to break stigma and give hope to future students who no longer have to feel trapped in the closet.”

Bethesday Magazine reported that Griffith and others pushed back against complaints from parents that having a school named for an openly gay person would generate conversations inappropriate for young children.

Adds Bethesda Mag:

The recognition of LGBTQ identities is gaining additional significance in the current political climate, testified Gabriel Acevero, a Montgomery Village resident who is running for state delegate.

“We have a hostile administration that is intent on erasing LGBTQ folks, recently taking us off the Census and banning transgender Americans from serving their country,” Acevero said. “Now more than ever we need to affirm LGBTQ youth, and that’s why Bayard Rustin is such a powerful name for this school.”

The post Maryland Elementary School to Be Named for Gay Civil Rights Icon Bayard Rustin appeared first on Towleroad.

Maryland Elementary School to Be Named for Gay Civil Rights Icon Bayard Rustin

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: April 13, 2018

MATTIS ASKED ABOUT TRANS TROOPS, DECLINES TO PRAISE THEIR BRAVE SERVICE: During a Capitol Hill hearing yesterday on the Pentagon’s budget, Defense Secretary James Mattis refused to praise the service of Logan Ireland, an exemplary transgender Air Force staff sergeant bravely serving his country. After Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA) held up a photograph of Ireland and asked, “Do you believe that currently serving transgender troops like Staff Sgt. Ireland are a burden to our military?” Mattis refused to directly answer, saying only that the matter is in the courts. Rep. Speier’s pointed response: “Well, Mr. Secretary, you rolled out this new policy and now you are saying you are not prepared to defend it.” More from Federal News Radio and The Hill.

Today, Secretary Mattis refused to praise the service of Logan Ireland, an exemplary transgender Air Force staff sergeant bravely serving his country. #ProtectTransTroops pic.twitter.com/EbB6NwqIUj

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 12, 2018

• Meanwhile, during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) confirmed with the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of Army that the military has heard of  “zero” issues with unit cohesion or readiness since the ban on trans people was lifted.

ICYMI: Secretary of Army and Army Chief of Staff have seen “precisely zero” issues with unit cohesion since transgender troops have been able to serve openly. #ProtectTransTroops pic.twitter.com/1clvw2wBE0

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 13, 2018

HUH? TRUMP SEC OF STATE NOMINEE MIKE POMPEO CLAIMS HE’LL TREAT PEOPLE WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT — HIS RECORD SAYS SOMETHING FAR DIFFERENT: During a Senate confirmation hearing yesterday, Pompeo reiterated his opposition to marriage equality, and under intense questioning from Senator Cory Booker and others, refused to denounce his deplorable anti-LGBTQ record — including his past assertion that being LGBTQ is a “perversion.” Pompeo co-sponsored legislation to allow states to not recognize same-sex marriage and to allow businesses and organizations using taxpayer dollars a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people. Pompeo’s political career has been funded by anti-LGBTQ hate groups, including the Family Research Council. HRC urges Senators to reject his nomination. Eugene Scott (@Eugene_Scott) reports on Booker’s grilling of Pompeo at  The Washington Post, and more from Gay Today and Washington Blade

• Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) and nearly 50 House colleagues signed a letter to Senators opposing Pompeo because of his long-standing opposition to LGBTQ equality. Read the letter here.

When asked about his anti-LGBTQ positions by @SenatorShaheen, Mike Pompeo says “look at my record.” We have, and it’s isn’t good. ����

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 12, 2018

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY — MOMENTUM! SENATOR DOUG JONES (D-AL) CO-SPONSORS THE EQUALITY ACT: “With his support for this crucial legislation, Senator Jones adds to the tremendous momentum for the Equality Act, and brings the number of sponsors to 245 — the most ever for any LGBTQ civil rights bill,” said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). “HRC was proud to mobilize our more than 18,000 members and supporters and the nearly 200,000 Equality Voters across Alabama to support Doug Jones in the U.S. Senate race last year. Today, we are even prouder to see him using his office to push for the rights of LGBTQ people, both in his home state and across the country.” The announcement was first reported by Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82). More from HRC.

MAINE HOUSE PASSES LEGISLATION TO PROTECT LGBTQ YOUTH FROM CONVERSION THERAPY: “No child should be subjected to this dangerous practice with life-threatening consequences for countless LGBTQ youth,” said HRC Legislative Counsel Xavier Persad. “For the sake of LGBTQ youth across the state, it’s essential that fair-minded voices speak out now and call on their state senators to pass this crucially important legislation.” More from HRC.

ILLINOIS BILL CREATING LGBTQ-INCLUSIVE SCHOOL CURRICULUM PASSES STATE SENATE: More from The Hill.

ANTI-LGBTQ FRESNO UNIFIED TRUSTEE BROOKE ASHJIAN WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION: Last year, HRC President Chad Griffin called on Ashjian to step down in the wake of his anti-LGBTQ remarks regarding California’s LGBTQ-inclusive sex education laws. More from Aleksandra Appleton (@aleksappleton) in The Fresno Bee.

NEW SEC GUIDELINES LIMIT SHAREHOLDERS’ ABILITY TO PRESS MANAGEMENT ON LGBTQ EQUALITY: Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruled that fashion retailer Cato could shut down a shareholder proposal that would explicitly add sexual orientation and gender identity to company non-discrimination policies. More from NewNowNext.

ALARMING — DALLAS HIV & AIDS PATIENTS MAY HAVE SUFFERED UNNECESSARY TREATMENT DELAYS: Naomi Martin (@NaomiMartin) reports that access to health care is key to ending the HIV epidemic once and for all. More from Dallas Morning News.

• In Florida, high housing costs and an epidemic of HIV are disproportionately affecting transgender people.  Read this comprehensive piece by Noreen Marcus for U.S. News and World Report.
• HRC has released a guide to HIV prevention, treatment and care on college campuses. More from Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

GAY AND LESBIAN YOUTH IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS EXPERIENCE LESS MENTAL DISTRESS: The study from the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found the correlation did not hold for bisexual subjects. More from The Washington Post.

THIS WEEKEND — PRIDE IN PENCE’S HOMETOWN: HRC will be on-the-ground in Columbus, Indiana, for its first-ever LGBTQ Pride festival. More from IndyStar.

TEXAS PASTOR SAYS IT’S TIME TO LOVE AND ACCEPT LGBTQ PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH: “[W]e’ve got thousands, if not millions, of young LGBT people in America today, many of them Christians, followers of Christ, who have left the Church because they feel rejected. I think it’s a great tragedy,” Pastor Andy McQuitty of the Irving Bible Church told The Christian Post.

• And in England, a senior Church of England bishop called on the church to “do better” in supporting the LGBTQ community. More from The Guardian.

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

HIGH COURT OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO RULES CODE CRIMINALIZING SAME-SEX ACTIVITY IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL: In a landmark judgement, the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago ruled that outdated sections of the country’s penal code that criminalize consensual adult same-sex activity are unconstitutional. More from HRC and Guardian.

POLLING IN BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE SPELLS UNCERTAINTY FOR LGBTQ COMMUNITY: Primary polls are favoring Congressman Jair Bolsonaro, who is known for anti-LGBTQ and anti-woman stances. More from Washington Blade.

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

Outsports reports the NCAA annual Inclusion Forum will feature two LGBTQ- themed events; Metro shares a tribute to the LGBTQ community from Harry Styles (@Harry_Styles); Face 2 Face reviews a Malian shortfilm with LGBTQ themes; Advocate checks out the anti-LGBTQ potentials to replace Paul Ryan as leader of Republican House members; and…

It’s official! A Maryland elementary school has been named to honor African American #LGBTQ leader and civil rights icon Bayard Rustin. ✊����️‍������t.co/ZZdukg9H7U

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 12, 2018

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-april-13-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Will LGBT Youth Be Erased From Crime Victims’ Survey?

The Justice Department wants to cease asking some teens about sexual orientation and gender identity in a major survey of crime victims.

www.advocate.com/crime/2018/4/12/will-lgbt-youth-be-erased-crime-victims-survey

Time’s Up? Not So Fast: ‘Carousel’ Is Back on Broadway: REVIEW

The key to enjoying a carnival is knowing when to call it quits. For Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved tale about a ne’er-do-well carney who hits his wife out of love (!), that day may have finally come. Rather than reckon with why even a canonical favorite might feel so uncomfortable right now, a new production of Carousel seems to simply hope we haven’t yet realized that the stories we choose to tell actually matter.

The latest revival, which opens tonight at the Imperial Theatre (the musical’s fifth in New York since 1945), is very handsomely staged by director Jack O’Brien and exquisitely sung by its stars Joshua Henry, Jessie Mueller, and opera diva Renée Fleming. But the feeling it inspires can perhaps best be expressed by the grit-teeth emoji.

First comes the wide smile, for Santo Loquasto’s Hopper-inspired vision of coastal Maine, and Ann Roth’s chic turn-of-the-century finery. For a knockout Lindsay Mendez, whose name isn’t above the title this time but will be the next. For Justin Peck’s rigorous, balletic choreography. For songs many fans will know and love, including “If I Loved You,” “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

That second act ballad draws Fleming’s most resounding ovation as Nettie Fowler, comforting her younger cousin Julie Jordan (played by Mueller). Julie’s just lamented over her husband Billy’s deathbed, “I know why you hit me. You were quick-tempered and unhappy.”

Before we grimace too hard, let’s back up.

Julie meets Billy Bigelow (played by Henry), a barker at the town carousel, during the overture when he puts his arm around her on the ride. In the next scene later that night, she’s demure and he’s gruff. She winds up missing curfew and getting fired from the mill where she works. He’s likewise canned for consorting with a patron, and his boss Mrs. Mullin (a droll Margaret Colin) derides him as an “upstart” (to be fair, she also calls Julie’s sunny friend Carrie, played by Mendez, a “hussy,” which she certainly is not).

Language like that carries a different cadence directed at a Black man like Henry’s Bigelow, as do Mrs. Mullin’s insinuations of his sexual prowess.

At least for the first act, it seems O’Brien intends for audiences see a layer of racial politics overtop the musical’s existing class divisions, particularly as the story is set just a few decades after emancipation. Billy’s struggle to provide for Julie, and his reputation as a brute, seem colored here by cultural conceptions of Black masculinity. His friend Jigger (Amar Ramasar, a principal dancer with New York City Ballet) is likewise a person of color; when the two hatch a plan to rob Julie’s former boss, their shared difference from the community is difficult to overlook.  

But O’Brien’s untimely revival ultimately lacks the conviction to follow through with what at first seems like a bold, even insightful, interpretation of a problematic fave. When Billy looks in on his family from the afterlife (he kills himself when the robbery goes wrong), his now-teenage daughter is white. Brittany Pollack, a virtuosic soloist also with New York City Ballet, brings a lithe, expressive innocence to the role. But Louise’s ostracization from the town because of her late father’s reputation doesn’t track as it would were she played by a mixed-race actress.

In hedging back on colorblindness, the production drops what might have been its most compelling artistic choice, just as it cuts a line here or there to make Carousel’s gender politics less cringe-worthy to modern ears. (Julie no longer confirms to Louise, “It’s possible, dear — fer someone to hit you — hit hard — and not hurt at all,” when Louise’s father whacks his daughter from beyond the grave. Thank producers for small blessings?)

O’Brien’s romantic visual staging delights in the elements — water splashing when sailors jump in the harbor, blossoms dancing down from treetops, salt-of-the-earth characters striving to live well. But this Carousel doesn’t share the same air that we do — the only way to enjoy the ride may be to hold your breath.

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Get in, Losers: The ‘Mean Girls’ Musical Is Fun as Hell: REVIEW
In ‘Three Tall Women’ and ‘Yerma,’ Stunning Portraits of Women on the Verge: REVIEW
Chris Evans and Michael Cera Are Men in Uniform in Kenneth Lonergan’s Superb ‘Lobby Hero’: REVIEW
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A Slushy ‘Frozen’ Opens on Broadway: REVIEW
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How to Save Civilization from Certain Disaster? Take a Cue from ‘SpongeBob’ on Broadway (Yes, Seriously): REVIEW

Follow Naveen Kumar on Twitter: @Mr_NaveenKumar
(photos: julieta cervantes)

The post Time’s Up? Not So Fast: ‘Carousel’ Is Back on Broadway: REVIEW appeared first on Towleroad.

Time’s Up? Not So Fast: ‘Carousel’ Is Back on Broadway: REVIEW

In Hearing, Mike Pompeo Won’t Back Off Anti-LGBT Views

Sen. Cory Booker presses the secretary of State nominee on his statements about “perversion” and opposition to marriage equality.

www.advocate.com/politicians/2018/4/12/hearing-mike-pompeo-wont-back-anti-lgbt-views