10 unexpectedly queer-friendly cities in America to visit soon
Even as Congress and White House are dominated by anti-gay white male conservatives, the equality movement has made major inroads not just in the major metro areas but smaller cities and towns as well. Check out the list of places to visit.

www.queerty.com/10-unexpectedly-queer-friendly-cities-america-visit-soon-20181012?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

As Latinx Heritage Month Ends, Transform Celebrations into Action This November

Throughout Latinx Heritage Month, HRC celebrated the histories, cultures and contributions of some of the countless Latinx LGBTQ people and allies fighting for change across our communities.

As we look toward November and our celebrations draw to a close, it’s urgent that we remain firmly with those in the Latinx community who are under attack — including immigrant families ripped apart by the Trump-Pence administration’s unconscionable policies and young people affected by the administration’s cruel decision to end DACA.

“About 12 percent of all eligible voters this year are Latinx, which means that we can make such an impact,” said HRC Nevada State Director Briana Escamilla. “Here in Nevada, our vote is crucial and the races are so close. We have the chance to elect Nelson Araujo who would be the first openly LGBTQ person to hold statewide office — and he’d be one of the first Latinx LGBTQ people elected to statewide office in the country. And we can do it!”

Check out reflections from Escamilla and other Latinx staff at HRC about why it’s vital to support our Latinx LGBTQ siblings and #TurnOUT on Election Day:

“My President led our country to believe that my father is to be seen as a rapist, that my mother has to prove she a good person. Yet, you know what? Her vote still counts. And when she votes, that will be heard louder than the President’s dehumanizing rants. ¡Ya basta con él!”
—Alejandro Avilés, Pronouns: He/Him/Él

“The power of the vote should be evident to anyone who has the privilege to use it. As a descendant of the proud people of Puerto Rico whose compatriots cannot vote for full representation — and a proud lesbian who sees her rights stripped away too often under this administration — I will make sure my vote counts. My vote will count not just on November 6 but with every opportunity I have to exercise that privilege.”
—Lisbeth Meléndez Rivera, Pronouns: She/Her/Ella

“First, they took our lands and called us illegal. Then, they threw us in prison and called us felons. It is our responsibility to all the Latinx people in this country who can’t vote to go out on Election Day and use our vote to make our voices heard.”
—Ana Flores, Pronouns: They/Them/She/Her

“Ten years ago I was asked to leave a store just because I was holding my partner’s hand. It was one of the worst, most hurtful indignities in my life. I’ve since dug my boots in, and I’m not going back. If you’re not voting, you are letting people get away with this kind of discrimination. And if you’re LGBTQ in Texas, you simply can’t afford to sit this election out. We need everyone to help. Join us this weekend for the National Day of Action. We’re not going back.”
—Sissi Yado, Pronouns: Any

“It is critical that Latinx people vote in this election, because of the countless sacrifices of those before us. We must not only honor their work, but also act as advocates for those who cannot vote, and those who do not have a voice.”
—Nathan Barrera-Bunch, Pronouns: He/Him/His

Supporters in any state can text “VOTER” to 30644 to verify their voter registration, find their polling place, and receive election reminders. For more information on how to get involved, sign up to volunteer or join an advocacy training, visit HRC’s Equality Voter Action Center.

For more information about HRC’s work with Latinx communities and to access HRC’s Spanish-language resources, click here.

www.hrc.org/blog/as-latinx-heritage-month-ends-transform-celebrations-into-action-this-novem?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Kanye West, ‘Vogue’ Vote, Sia, Lambda Legal, Adam Rippon, Jwan Yosef, Richard Branson, Charli XCX: HOT LINKS

VOTE! A special message from Sing Out, Louise featuring Cherie Acierno, Christina Alfonso, Jonathan Arnold, Chris Chapman, Jennifer Fisher, John Grauwiler, Ken Kidd, Mark Leydorf, Betsy Malcolm, Cathy Marino-Thomas, Brigid McGinn, Sonni Mun, Maryellen Novak, Patricia Okoumou, Heather Quick, Kim Russell, Jen Shoemaker, Sean Stefanic, Elissa Stein, Sam Street, Jay W. Walker, and Antonius Wiriadjaja.

KANYE WEST. After his headline-making visit to the Oval Office, Kanye went to the Georgetown Apple Store, stood on a table, and preached.

LAMBDA LEGAL. In crisis: ‘The 45-year-old organization has lost about half its staff since 2016, when a new CEO, Rachel Tiven, initiated an acrimonious shakeup, deep cuts to employee benefits and a messy fight over Lambda’s tactics, priorities and limitations. The group’s caseload was roughly 150 lawsuits in mid-2016; today, it’s about half that. Lambda enlisted a law firm known for its work on “union avoidance” to negotiate with a newly formed employee union. It has not resolved long-standing issues of racial equity, and its health insurance plan does not adequately cover transition-related health care — a potential violation of the law over which Lambda frequently sues other companies.

CALIFORNIA. Conservative parents freak out over LGBTQ rights lessons in school textbooks:

ONGOING ATROCITY. Trump and immigrant children. “People wonder how it is that average German people could possibly claim they didn’t know what was happening in the death camps in their country. Well, surely some of them were liars. And the rest simply weren’t paying attention, because they didn’t have to.”

FILLING THEM OUT. Trump lawyers preparing answers to Robert Mueller’s questions: “The move represents a major development after months of negotiations and signals that the Mueller investigation could be entering a final phase with regard to the President. The questions are focused on matters related to the investigation of possible collusion between Trump associates and Russians seeking to meddle in the 2016 election, the sources said. Trump’s lawyers are preparing written responses, in part relying on documents previously provided to the special counsel, the sources said.”

ATTITUDE. Adam Rippon and boyfriend Jussi, and Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef.

JAMAL KHASHOGGI. Richard Branson suspends $1 billion space ventures investment talks with Saudi Arabia over disappearance of Washington Post columnist: “What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly change the ability of any of us in the West to do business with the Saudi government.”

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Charli XCX and Troye Sivan “1999”.

NEW TUNE OF THE DAY. Sia “I’m Still Here”.

FRIDAY FLASH. Anyelino.

The post Kanye West, ‘Vogue’ Vote, Sia, Lambda Legal, Adam Rippon, Jwan Yosef, Richard Branson, Charli XCX: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Kanye West, ‘Vogue’ Vote, Sia, Lambda Legal, Adam Rippon, Jwan Yosef, Richard Branson, Charli XCX: HOT LINKS

Senate Confirms Trump-Pence Opponents of Equality to Key Positions

Yesterday, the Senate confirmed anti-equality Mark Norris to be the U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee and Eric Dreiband to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. HRC opposed both of these nominees.

Norris, now confirmed to a lifelong judicial appointment, has a long, demonstrated record opposing LGBTQ legal rights. Throughout his career as a Tennessee state senator, Norris displayed hostility towards LGBTQ Americans. For example, in 2004, Norris supported a resolution to amend the state constitution to define marriage between a man and a woman.

Once marriage equality became law of the land, Norris endorsed legislation in Tennessee that sought to exclude same-sex couples from the benefits and rights of marriage. In addition, Norris supported a bill prohibiting teachers in public schools from incorporating LGBTQ issues into human sexuality classes. Norris is also a vocal critic of transgender-inclusive non-discrimination protections.

Meanwhile Dreiband, was confirmed to a position where he will now be responsible for enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws at the Department of Justice. Dreiband’s predecessors used this role to enforce civil rights protections for LGBTQ people; former Acting Assistant General for the Civil Rights Division under President Obama, Vanita Gupta, for example, released joint guidance with the Department of Education on the rights of transgender students under Title IX. However, Dreiband’s record indicates he is likely to break from his predecessors and use this role to undermine the rights of LGBTQ people and other minorities.

Dreiband defended North Carolina House Bill 2, an egregiously discriminatory law designed specifically to target transgender North Carolinians for discrimination. In a different case, he argued that Abercrombie and Fitch did not discriminate against a female Muslim applicant despite the company’s choice not to hire her because her headscarf violated the company’s “look” policy.

Dreiband has also testified several times as a private citizen before Congress in opposition of the enactment of critical civil rights protections, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Protecting Older Workers from Discrimination Act. He held leadership roles with organizations such as the Federalist Society, which advocate for a narrow interpretation of constitutional and statutory law — to the detriment of LGBTQ people.

During their hearings both Norris and Dreiband failed to show a commitment to pursuing justice for all Americans. Their nominations are part of a larger pattern of the Trump-Pence administration appointing virulently anti-LGBTQ individuals to lifetime appointments on the nation’s courts and to senior leadership positions in the administration.

In addition to pushing through the confirmations of these two nominees, Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley continued to show a disregard for the blue slip process this past week. Last night, McConnell held a vote to confirm David Porter of Pennsylvania to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, despite Sen. Casey, D-Pa., not returning his blue slip. In addition, Grassley held a Judiciary Committee hearing this week on the nominations of Chad Readler and Eric Murphy to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit despite Sen. Brown, D-Ohio, not returning his blue slips. These acts follow Sens. Grassley and McConnell disregarding more than a hundred years of Senate tradition to confirm Michael Brennan to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, despite Sen. Baldwin not returning her blue slip.

HRC will continue to fight to oppose anti-LGBTQ executive nominees and judges who fail to demonstrate that they will fairly interpret our nation’s civil rights laws. These and other nominees who lack the judicial temperament critical to reach impartial judgments and to fairly assess policies based on fact rather than ideology do not belong in positions of power. HRC will also continue to call out and oppose Senate Republicans’ willingness to ignore long-standing Senate norms to advance President Trump’s lifetime appointments of nominees with extreme ideological judicial philosophies.

With the Trump-Pence administration’s onslaught of attacks on LGBTQ equality, it’s as important as ever to ensure that our voices are heard at the polls this November. Check out HRC.org/Vote to check your voter registration status and to find out how to get involved.

www.hrc.org/blog/senate-confirms-trump-pence-opponents-of-equality-to-key-positions?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

People are so over Chelsea Handler’s gay jokes about Lindsey Graham
Turns out people don’t find gay jokes as funny as they did back in 2007 when Handler was, ya know, relevant. 

www.queerty.com/people-chelsea-handlers-gay-jokes-lindsey-graham-20181012?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Lindsey Graham: ‘To the Extent That It Matters, I’m Not Gay’ — WATCH



TMZ confronted Senator Lindsey Graham )R-SC) at Reagan National Airport on Friday, asking him about a tweet from comic Chelsea Handler suggesting that he’s gay.

Tweeted Handler on Thursday: “If you’re wondering why Republicans took a sick day today, it’s probably because it’s #NationalComingOutDay. Looking at you @LindseyGrahamSC”

If you’re wondering why Republicans took a sick day today, it’s probably because it’s #NationalComingOutDay. Looking at you @LindseyGrahamSC

— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) October 11, 2018

Graham responded: “It’s a free country, you can say what you want to say, I don’t care. I don’t think much about what she says at all. If she wants to live her life that way. It’s up to her. To the extent that it matters, I’m not gay….Belittling people is not as funny as it used to be, and that’s a good thing.”

RELATED: Watch: GOP Senator Lindsey Graham Asked About Gay Rumors

The post Lindsey Graham: ‘To the Extent That It Matters, I’m Not Gay’ — WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Lindsey Graham: ‘To the Extent That It Matters, I’m Not Gay’ — WATCH