Lakewood Passes Measure to Protect LGBTQ Youth from Dangerous Practice of “Conversion Therapy”

HRC praised the Lakewood City Council for passing a measure protecting LGBTQ youth in the city from the dangerous, abusive and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” Lakewood is the sixth city in Ohio to pass such a measure following Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Dayton and Athens.

“No child should be subjected to unconscionable abuse that is so-called “conversion therapy,” said HRC Ohio State Director Shawn Copeland. “That’s why this debunked and discredited practice has been condemned by every major medical and mental health organization, and why 15 states and Washington, D.C. have taken action to protect minors from conversion therapy. We thank Councilman Dan O’Malley and the entire the Lakewood City Council for their leadership on this issue, and hope it can help fuel the momentum we are seeing nationwide as lawmakers work to pass legislation protecting LGBTQ youth.”

There is no credible evidence that conversion therapy can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. To the contrary, research has clearly shown that these practices pose devastating health risks for LGBTQ young people such as depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicidal behavior. The harmful practice is condemned by every major medical and mental health organization, including the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, and American Medical Association.

In addition to cities in Ohio, a growing number of municipalities across the country, including cities and counties in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida, New York and Arizona, have enacted similar crucial protections. Connecticut, California, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, Maryland, Hawaii and  New Hampshire all have laws or regulations protecting youth from this abusive practice.

According to a recent report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, an estimated 20,000 LGBTQ minors in states without protections will be subjected to conversion therapy by a licensed healthcare professional if state and local officials fail to act.

HRC has partnered with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and state equality groups across the nation to pass state legislation ending conversion therapy. More information on the lies and dangers of efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity can be found here.

www.hrc.org/blog/lakewood-passes-measure-to-protect-lgbtq-youth-from-dangerous-practice-of-c?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

William Coors, Gay Mormon, Sears, David Perdue, Flat Earth, Jamal Khashoggi, Rufus Wainwright: HOT LINKS

‘ROGUE KILLERS’. Trump comments on the possible murder of WaPo journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabia. “I just spoke with the king of Saudi Arabia, who denies any knowledge of what took place, with regard to, as he said, his Saudi Arabian citizen…I don’t want to get into [the king’s] mind, but it sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?”

ALSO: Aaron Hernandez’ Gay Lover Speaks Out: ‘We Didn’t Want People to Know’

OMAROSA. Trump and Ivanka’s relationship is creepier than we thought.

WITHDRAWN. Hillary Clinton has security clearance withdrawn at her request: ‘The State Department—in a letter dated Sept. 21 but publicly released Friday— told Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, that the security clearance was revoked on August 30 after Clinton requested that it be withdrawn…The State Department added in the letter to Grassley that five of Clinton’s aides had also had their security clearance revoked. Four of the names are redacted but one aide listed in the email is Cheryl Mills, who worked as Clinton’s chief of staff.’

DONALD DATERS. New dating app for Trump supporters.

BANKRUPT. Sears files for Chapter 11. “Sears, once the largest retailer in the U.S., has now filed for bankruptcy protection and said Monday morning it plans to close 142 more stores this year — adding to the stores the retailer already shuttered in 2018.”

WILLIAM COORS. Ultraconservative brewery owner who sparked boycott is dead at 102: ‘Coors brewery workers struck in 1977 over many issues, including the use of lie-detector tests to ferret out employees who were gay or whose politics were considered radical. Workers who crossed picket lines voted the union out. The A.F.L.-C.I.O. declared war, calling for a boycott that lasted 10 years and caused Coors sales and market shares to fall sharply. At labor’s behest, many black, Hispanic, gay and feminist groups joined the boycott as time went on, adding to its power.’

DAVID PERDUE. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) rips phone from student trying to ask him about voter suppression. ‘In the video, posted to the Young Democratic Socialists of America’s Twitter feed, Perdue is asked by a student at Georgia Tech about an Associated Press report which said that over 53,000 voter applications were on hold in Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s office. An analysis conducted by the Associated Press found that a majority of those applications in limbo were African American.

Today @sendavidperdue visited Tech to campaign for Kemp. A student tried asking a simple question about @BrianKempGA ‘s racist scheme to threaten voter registrations from black people, but before he could even finish the question, Perdue stole his phone. pic.twitter.com/K0iffU57Di

— YDSA Georgia Tech (@YDSAGT) October 13, 2018

GOOD STANDING. New play chronicles life of a gay Mormon: ‘The play follows a man named Curtis as he is called before a “court of love” with local church leaders, where he faces excommunication for the sin of marrying the man he loves.’

G-A-Y. Charli XCX performs in London.

HADRIAN. New Rufus Wainwright opera contains nudity and gay sex scenes: ‘”I’m a gay man, and gay men have been fans of opera for hundreds of years, but sadly there’s not been any big characters who are gay on the stage,” said Wainwright, during a break at the opera’s dress rehearsal earlier this week. Hadrian has its world premiere at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday.’

TRANSPARENT. Amazon series will conclude with two-hour musical: ‘In a New York Times profile, series creator Jill Soloway and their sister, Faith, are said to be working on music with transgender performer Shakina Nayfack. The musical would reportedly stream on Amazon in fall 2019. “It will hopefully feel like Jesus Christ Superstar mixed with La La Land mixed with Flight of the Conchords with something more Jewish thrown in,” Soloway said. “A little Yentl.” (Fans of Transparent will recall that the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack featured heavily into Season 4.)’

NIA NAL. Natalie Maines on being Supergirl’s transgender superhero: ‘So far it’s been so positive and it’s just been this complete outpouring of love and support for me as an actor, for me as a trans woman and for this character. I think so many people are relieved and happy and excited to see someone like them on television. And to see someone like them on television as a superhero! Seeing yourself as a superhero is kind of the most validating thing.

FLAT EARTHERS OF THE DAY: CBS Sunday Morning visits followers of the Flat Earth movement. “The perimeter of Flat Earth is a wall of ice…That’s what’s containing everything.”

BREAKOUT POP STAR OF THE DAY. Dua Lipa, on Nightline.

TRAILER OF THE DAY. A Head Full of Dreams.

THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC OF THE DAY. Revisiting ABBA.

MONDAY MUSCLE. Wilson Cruz.

The post William Coors, Gay Mormon, Sears, David Perdue, Flat Earth, Jamal Khashoggi, Rufus Wainwright: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

William Coors, Gay Mormon, Sears, David Perdue, Flat Earth, Jamal Khashoggi, Rufus Wainwright: HOT LINKS

Musician Michael Blume Joins HRC’s Equality Rocks Campaign

Singer, songwriter, rapper, activist and artist Michael Blume is among the most recent celebrities to join HRC’s Equality Rocks campaign.

In an exclusive HRC video, Blume talked about why supporting LGBTQ equality matters.

“Ultimately I believe in the opportunity and the right for every single human on earth of all colors, all background, all identities, all places to write their own story, to be exactly who they want to be,” Blume said. “The fact that each one of us is so unique is the reason I make art, the reason I believe in humanity, and it’s the reason I believe in love, and I believe that music and art can come together and help everyone realize just how important and different each of us are… The work HRC is doing is literally life-saving.”

Blume, who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community, continues to use his music to address timely social justice issues.

HRC’s Equality Rocks campaign is sparking a conversation about love, fairness and equality around the globe. To join, visit www.hrc.org/EqualityRocks. 

www.hrc.org/blog/musician-michael-blume-joins-hrcs-equality-rocks-campaign?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

HRC Endorses George Scott for United States Congress (PA-10)

Today HRC announced its endorsement of George Scott for U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. In November, Scott will face Rep. Scott Perry, who has a long record of undermining progress for the LGBTQ community. 

“Retired Army officer George Scott has spent his career in service to our country and to his faith. He will be a devoted champion to the Keystone State’s working class families and a staunch advocate in the fight to achieve full federal equality for all Pennsylvanians,” said HRC Campaign Director Geoff Wetrosky. “HRC is proud to endorse his bid to represent the people of Pennsylvania’s 10th district and we look forward to turning out pro-equality voters on November 6th.”  

“Receiving the endorsement of the Humans Rights Campaign marks a proud day in my campaign’s effort to stand up for equality and justice,” said Scott. “As a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, I stood against discrimination directed at LGBT recruits, service members, and veterans. As a Congressman, I would continue to fight to enact laws that eliminate discrimination entirely.”

A former Army officer and Lutheran Minister, George Scott believes in treating everyone with respect and dignity. He supports marriage equality and the Equality Act, important federal legislation that would finally guarantee explicit, comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people under our nation’s civil rights laws. Scott’s opponent Rep. Scott Perry is no friend to the LGBTQ community. Perry is a cosponsor of the First Amendment Defense Act –proposed federal legislation that would legalize state-sanctioned discrimination. He has also received consecutive zeros on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard, which measures members of Congress support for LGBTQ equality.

In Pennsylvania, HRC has identified more than 2.3 million voters as likely “Equality Voters,” meaning they are strong supporters of progressive LGBTQ policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Pennsylvania in the 2018 cycle, and has staff and resources on the ground in the state as part of the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-endorses-george-scott-for-united-states-congress?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Bryan Singer: Esquire Magazine is Going to Try and Destroy My Career with ‘Fictional’ Hit Piece

Director Bryan Singer posted a pre-emptive statement on Instagram defending himself against an upcoming article in Esquire magazine.

Singer said the upcoming Esquire article “will rehash false accusations and baseless lawsuits” and claim to have “intimate” knowledge of his personal life and called it “fictional and irresponsible.”

The Wrap reports: ‘A person close to Singer told TheWrap that while they have not seen the Esquire article, the magazine did reach out for comment. They declined. The person told us they were not given quotes from the piece, though the questions were “clear enough” to see where the article “was going.” This person told us they believe Max Potter is the reporter writing the piece, which Singer’s camp expects will be in the November issue of Esquire magazine, which should hit newsstands this week.’

In his Instagram post, Singer pointed to one example of a “bogus” lawsuit. In that suit, he was accused of the alleged rape of a 17-year-old boy at a party on a yacht in Seattle owned by tech investor Lester Waters. The alleged incident, which Singer denies, took place in 2003.

Singer was accused of sexual assault with other high-profile Hollywood figures by another man, Michael Egan, in 2014, who accused him of being part of a “Hollywood sex ring” targeting underage boys.

Egan, who was indicted in December 2014 on investment fraud charges, accused Singer, former NBC Entertainment president Garth Ancier, and three others of drugging and raping him.

Egan later dropped all four lawsuits and Egan’s attorneys Jeff Herman and Mark Gallagher dropped him.

Singer was fired in December as director on the Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody after complaint about his erratic behavior and unreliability on set.

Singer denied those claims, saying he was suffering health issues related to the stress of caring for an ill parent.

The post Bryan Singer: Esquire Magazine is Going to Try and Destroy My Career with ‘Fictional’ Hit Piece appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Bryan Singer: Esquire Magazine is Going to Try and Destroy My Career with ‘Fictional’ Hit Piece

HRC Honors National Latinx HIV & AIDS Awareness Day 2018

On National Latinx HIV & AIDS Awareness Day, HRC recognizes the urgent need to address HIV in Latinx communities through access to culturally competent health care. According to alarming data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Latinx people accounted for 25 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in 2015, its most recent data. The CDC also noted a troubling trend — that HIV “diagnoses increased among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men from 2010 to 2014.”

The theme of this year’s Latinx HIV & AIDS Awareness Day is “Ending HIV is Everyone’s Job,” shining a light on the intersectional nature of the work it will take to end the epidemic across all our communities.

“We all have a role to play to end HIV in our communities,” said Luis Mares, Community Mobilization Director at the Latino Commission on AIDS, in a statement. “We seek to bring awareness around taking the HIV test, seeking PrEP, connecting ourselves to care, reaching HIV viral suppression and becoming undetectable.”

While research consistently shows that pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a critically important tool to ending the HIV & AIDS epidemic in the U.S., current studies indicate that Latinx people make up just three percent of those receiving the once-daily pill.

These sobering statistics highlight the need for more client-centered HIV programs and services that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for the Latinx community. Francisco Cortes, interim executive director of Galaei and an HRC HIV 360° Fellow alumnus, helped to pilot Project YEAH — a cohort-based initiative that uses interactive, educational workshops to combat growing HIV rates among LGBTQ youth of color in Philadelphia and provide young people with resources to make decisions about their sexual health. It also uses art to help youth combat some of the cultural factors that contribute to HIV stigma, including homophobia, transphobia and racism.

“Increasing our presence at weekend outreach efforts as well as expanding our office hours are making services more accessible to the surrounding community,” said Cortes. “Because of competent information and our partnerships with accessible PrEP providers, Galaei is also providing the most PrEP referrals in our designated network in the city.”

Check out HRC Foundation and Whitman Walker’s “Safer Sex Guide” and Greater than AIDS’ newest video series “Let’s Talk About PrEP!,” two important educational resources (available in both English and Spanish) about what you can do to be in the know and work to end the epidemic.

For more information on HRC Foundation’s work to end HIV and HIV-related stigma, click here.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-honors-national-latinx-hiv-aids-awareness-day-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed