Five Ways HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council Shows Up for LGBTQ Youth

Five Ways HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council Shows Up for LGBTQ Youth

This Parents’ Day, we celebrate our Parents for Transgender Equality Council and the diverse ways that they consistently support and protect LGBTQ young people.

This coalition of inspiring parents of transgender youth from across the country is working for equality and fairness for transgender people, with the intention of connecting, mobilizing and amplifying many of the most powerful voices of love, inclusion and support for transgender equality.

Here are five of our favorite ways that these parents have led the way in fighting for the rights of LGBTQ young people:

1. Giving Us All the Feels with Viral Videos         

In 2016, HRC produced a video series featuring Moms and Dads for Transgender Equality. The videos put a face and name to the issues facing transgender children, creating a dialogue around how to better support and advocate for transgender youth and their families. The Moms for Transgender Equality series won a Shorty Social Good Award. Months after they were posted, the videos continue to receive comments, views, shares and likes.

2. Lobbying for Equality on Capitol Hill

 HRC’s Parents for Trans Equality have been on the front lines of the resistance, from the council’s first meeting in November 2016 and participation in HRC lobby days, to Sarah Watson’s impassioned speech at the rally to stop the nomination of anti-equality Jeff Mateer.

3. Sharing Stories with HRC Members and Supporters Across the Country

Members of the council have lent their voices to support the launch of groundbreaking HRC publications, including the 2018 Healthcare Equality Index and the 2018 Youth LGBTQ Report, by sharing their own powerful experiences.

Today, @HRC Foundation released the findings from our new national 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report at our D.C. headquarters. We partnered with @UConn to measure the health and well-being of more than 12,000 LGBTQ teens across the country. #LGBTQYouthReport t.co/6KAekNEDDm pic.twitter.com/N2E89OV8Gz

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 15, 2018

Amazing to spend the day with with young #LGBTQ Arizonans at @1n10 today. Together, we talked about @HRC’s Arizona Youth Survey and the challenges that LGBTQ youth face. Hearing their stories gives me hope. Our policymakers must turn that hope into action. pic.twitter.com/Ma3IZvRzC9

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) June 14, 2018

4. Drafting a Declaration of Transgender Rights

In response to the Trump-Pence administration’s continuous attacks on LGBTQ people, in November 2017 HRC’s Parents for Trans Equality Council drafted and collected signatures for a declaration of rights seeking protections for their children and all transgender people from discrimination, violence and harassment. More than 1,400 parents of trans and gender-expansive children from all 50 states and the District of Columbia signed the declaration — an unprecedented show of support for transgender and gender expansive youth.

Parents of transgender children sign declaration of rights in response to politi… t.co/pT4dHLvTt4 | �� by t.co/XW1NKmHUNz pic.twitter.com/PINRMHQpXy

— Metro Weekly (@metroweekly) November 14, 2017

5. Delivering a Letter to Betsy DeVos urging the Department of Education to #ProtectTransKids

Members of the council drafted and collected more than 700 signatures from parents of trans and gender-expansive children on a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos condemning her failure to protect transgender students. Families of trans kids traveled to the U.S. Department of Education to deliver the message and urge DeVos to recognize the “basic human and civil rights of transgender students.”

WATCH: Families of transgender kids traveled to the US Dept. of Education (@usedgov) to deliver a message to @BetsyDeVos. The letter, signed by more than 700 parents of trans youth, urges Sec. DeVos to recognize the “basic human and civil rights of transgender students.” pic.twitter.com/IowHTMJWez

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) February 8, 2018 

www.hrc.org/blog/five-ways-hrcs-parents-for-transgender-equality-council-shows-up-for-lgbtq?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

The GLAAD Wrap: ‘Boy Erased’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ trailers, new Batwoman series in the works, and more!

The GLAAD Wrap: ‘Boy Erased’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ trailers, new Batwoman series in the works, and more!

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

1) Premiering today in LA and New York theaters is McQueen, the documentary following the life of the influential out designer, Alexander McQueen. With archival footage, interviews with McQueen’s family, and other materials, the biopic highlights the designer’s highs, as well as lows in his personal and professional life. Each chapter of the film explores one of his many breathtaking and oftentimes controversial fashion shows. Click here for tickets and more information about the documentary. 

2) Also coming to theaters today is Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, the long-awaited ABBA-filled sequel for the 2008 hit film based on the Broadway musical about the mother-daughter duo Donna (Meryl Streep) and Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). The sequel will mainly focus on Donna’s past and will feature the potential fathers, including Harry Bright (Colin Firth) who is came out as gay towards the end of the first film. Click here for tickets.

3) A second trailer has been released for Bohemian Rhapsody, the biographical film about the legendary queer singer Freddie Mercury of Queen. Coming to theaters November 2, the film will highlight Mercury’s musical career, his relationships with men and woman, and his AIDS diagnosis. Watch the trailer below.

4) The upcoming film Boy Erased has also released a new trailer. Hitting the big screen on November 2, the film tells the story of a gay teenage boy named Jared who is sent to conversion therapy by his religious parents. Throughout the film, Jared struggles with the societal pressures of fitting into the straight norm while striving to stay true to his identity. The film also features out actress Cherry Jones and out singer Troye Sivan will make an appearance. Watch the trailer below.

5) A new trailer has been released for the upcoming film, Assassination Nation, featuring trans actress Hari Nef playing  transgender character, Bex. Following a group of high school girls, the action-packed film displays the aftermath of a town after a hacker obtains and reveals its online secrets. Watch the trailer below and be sure to catch the film in theaters starting September 21. In more film news, trans actress known from Amazon’s Trasnparent, Trace Lysette, is producing and staring in a new film, Colors of Ava. The cast will consist of 10 transgender characters played by trans actors including trans actress, Rain Valdez, who also can be seen in Transparent. Universal has just picked up the film Queen and Silm with a script by out writer, producer, and actress Lena Waithe. The film, starring Daniel Kaluuya and directed by Melina Matsoukas, is a “Bonnie & Clyde story” of a black couple on the run after they kill a police officer in self-defense. 

6) Teaming up with The CW, out producers Caroline Dries and Greg Berlanti are currently in the works to create a live-action series about Batwoman, the first-ever lesbian title superhero in the DC universe. The creators are also looking to cast a lesbian for the role of the queer Jewish superhero who will become a part of the Arrowverse in a crossover with Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow. Batwoman will be joining other Arrowverse LGBTQ characters including Curt Holt (Arrow), Alex Danvers (Supergirl), and Sara Lance (Legends).

7) After receieving four Emmy nominations, hit reality Queer Eye has been renewed for a third season, only this time the Fab Five will be heading to Kansas City, Missouri to change more lives. In more TV news,A new trailer has come out for a new eight-episode digital series titled, Bonding, which will premiere later this year. In the series two high school friends, grad student Tiff and recently out Pete, have an uncommon reunion. Tiff is secretly a top dominatrix in New York and pulls Pete into the world of BDSM as her assistant. Additionally, new promos for the second season of Fox’s drama, 9-1-1, have come out before the season premiere on September 23. From paramedics to firefighters, the show displays the lives of several first responders in LA and features out characters Michael Grant and Henrietta “Hen” Wilson.

8) Hulu’s Casual released a new trailer for the comedy’s fourth and final season which airs on July 31. The story revolving around a single mother living with her brother and raising her bisexual daughter, Laura, will kick off with a time jump several years into the future in which Laura returns from her adventures abroad with a new job and a serious girlfriend. Watch the trailer below. In other news, out actor Jeffery Campbell Bowyer has been set to guest star on the eighth season of American Horror Story which will air on September 12. Bowyer’s role has not yet been disclosed, though season eight has been confirmed as a Murder House (season one) and Coven (season three) mashup taking place in the near future.

9) The Internet, featuring out singer Syd, have released their new album Hive Mind, which includes their single “Come Over”. Click here to listen to the album and here for The Internet tour tickets. Out singer and recipent of GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award, Troye Sivan released a new music video on Thursday for his single “Dance to This,” which features Ariana Grande. His new album Bloom is set to be released on August 31. Watch the video below.  

10) In more music news, trans rapper Uncle Megg stars in Gabrielle Sternbenz’s video for her song “The Laundress”. The video features Megg’s transition with his fiancé Clara by his side, adding to much needed trans representation in media. Watch the video below. Additionally, Hercules & Love Affair with out singer Andy Buttler have come out with a new video for their song “Are You Still Certain” off the album Omnion. The song and video is commentary on the current Islamophobia that exists in America and other parts of the world and can be viewed here. Blood Orange, lead by queer singer Devonté Hynes, has just announced their new album set to be released on August 24. Hynes said of the album will be “an exploration into my own and many types of black depression, an honest look at the corners of black existence, and the ongoing anxieties of queer/people of color.”

11) Nominations for the MTV Music Video Awards have been announced featuring several queer artists including pansexual singer Janelle Monáe, who has three nominations for Best Art Direction, Video With a Message, and Best Editing. Out artist Haley Kiyoko has two nominations for Best New Artist and Push Artist of the Year while Panic! At the Disco headed by lead pansexual singer Brendon Urie is nominated in the Best Rock category. Singers Demi Lovato and Sia both have nominations as well. Lovato is nominated for Best Pop and Best Latin, while Sia is up for Best Dance. Check out the full list of nominations here.

12) Upcoming web series Love Your Life is currently seeking support. Based on the producer and star Steve O’Brien’s coming out story, the series follows a 29-year-old-man who comes out of the closet and explores his newfound sexual freedom, but loses sight of his loved ones in the process. Watch O’Brien explaining the series below and click here to support the project.

 

July 20, 2018

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-boy-erased-and-bohemian-rhapsody-trailers-new-batwoman-series-works-and-more

Michael Cohen Secretly Recorded Trump Discussing Stormy Daniels Hush Payoff

Michael Cohen Secretly Recorded Trump Discussing Stormy Daniels Hush Payoff
Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen secretly recorded at least one conversation with Donald Trump two months before the election in which he discussed payoffs to Stormy Daniels with the then candidate. The recording was swept up as part of the FBI raid on Cohen’s office.

The NYT reports: “Prosecutors want to know whether that violated federal campaign finance laws, and any conversation with Mr. Trump about those payments would be of keen interest to them. The recording’s existence further draws Mr. Trump into questions about tactics he and his associates used to keep aspects of his personal and business life a secret. And it highlights the potential legal and political danger that Mr. Cohen represents to Mr. Trump. Once the keeper of many of Mr. Trump’s secrets, Mr. Cohen is now seen as increasingly willing to consider cooperating with prosecutors.” More here.

The post Michael Cohen Secretly Recorded Trump Discussing Stormy Daniels Hush Payoff appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Michael Cohen Secretly Recorded Trump Discussing Payoff to Playboy Model

HRC Endorses Betsy Rader for U.S. House

HRC Endorses Betsy Rader for U.S. House

HRC announced its endorsement of Betsy Rader for U.S. House to represent Ohio’s 14th Congressional District.

“Betsy Rader has dedicated her life to fighting for equality, fairness and justice and will stand up for Ohio’s working families in Congress,” said HRC Ohio State Director Shawn Copeland. “The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse her candidacy to represent the people of Ohio’s 14th Congressional District, and we look forward to working with her in the fight for full federal equality.”

“It’s a true honor to have the support of the Human Rights Campaign. One of the reasons I got into this race is because the Trump Administration announced that it would argue in court against the rights of LGBTQ Americans and, as the proud mother of two gay sons, I will fight with everything I’ve got to stop such discrimination,” said Betsy Rader. “And this is personal; Congressman David Joyce has repeatedly voted to permit discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. We’ve seen over the last two years that we can’t take the progress that we’ve made for granted and so, when I get to Congress, I’m committed to working tirelessly for human rights and equality for all people.”

A lifelong Ohioan, Rader currently works as a civil rights lawyer fighting for workers who have been discriminated against in the workplace. She previously served as Senior Counsel at the Cleveland Clinic and worked at Medicare and Medicaid helping to implement the Affordable Care Act — she will use that experience to fight for expanding access and lowering the cost of quality health care and prescription drugs in Congress. Rader is a strong advocate for LGBTQ equality who supports marriage equality and the Equality Act, crucial federal legislation that would finally guarantee comprehensive protections for LGBTQ people under our nation’s civil rights laws.

In November, Rader will face incumbent Congressman David Joyce. Joyce received a 16 out of 100 on HRC’s most recent Congressional Scorecard, which measures members’ of Congress support for LGBTQ equality and policies. He has consistently worked to undermine equality, co-sponsoring the so-called First Amendment Defense Act and opposing an amendment supporting a ban on employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by federal contractors. Just last week, Joyce voted for a discriminatory amendment that would grant a license to discriminate in provision of child welfare services.

In Ohio, HRC has identified more than 1.8 million “Equality Voters” — voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Ohio in the 2018 cycle, and has already put staff and resources on the ground in the state. Last year, HRC announced a coast-to-coast campaign called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.

Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC (www.hrc.org) and authorized by Betsy Rader for Congress  

 

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-endorsed-betsy-rader-for-us-house?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Jeanine Pirro Wails to Hannity About Whoopi Goldberg Tirade: ‘I Felt Like I Was Less Than Dirt’

Jeanine Pirro Wails to Hannity About Whoopi Goldberg Tirade: ‘I Felt Like I Was Less Than Dirt’
jeanine pirro dirt

Jeanine Pirro went running to Sean Hannity on Thursday after Whoopi Goldberg, having had enough of her defense of Trump’s hateful and abusive policies and behavior, unloaded on the FOX News host.

“I just felt that today was a microcosm of what is happening in America as the left suffers from this Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Pirro to Hannity.

Added Pirro of the Whoopi encounter: She said ‘F you. F you.’ And I said, did you just say, ‘F you?’ Then she said, ‘get the F out of this building.’ And I felt like I was less than dirt. I couldn’t believe that I went there to have a conversation. I got thrown off the set, thrown out of the building, and as I walked away, she is yelling at me, ‘get the F out of this building!’ Sean, It’s sad.”

The post Jeanine Pirro Wails to Hannity About Whoopi Goldberg Tirade: ‘I Felt Like I Was Less Than Dirt’ appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.



www.towleroad.com/2018/07/jeanine-pirro-dirt/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Gay+News+%29