Republicans refuse to repeal unconstitutional sodomy law because they think gay sex is icky
Texas continues to uphold a law that lists gay sex as a Class C misdemeanor punishable with a $500 fine.
Daily Archives: December 18, 2018
NASA Engineer Thwarts Holiday Package Porch Thieves with Fart-Scented Glitter Bomb: WATCH
NASA Engineer Thwarts Holiday Package Porch Thieves with Fart-Scented Glitter Bomb: WATCH
This year has seen an epidemic of people stealing Amazon and other packages stolen from people’s porches and doorways so much so that some local businesses are offering storage units or places where deliveries can be signed for and safely picked up.
But a NASA scientist has come up with a more fun form of deterrence for determined thieves.
That someone according to Boing Boing is former NASA-JPL engineer/current science YouTube star Mark Rober and “he ain’t playing nice. He’s spent six months crafting a beautifully over-engineered revenge package that looks like an Apple product. After the thief nabs it, it first gloriously sprays a pound of glitter when opened and then follows up by spurting out fart spray every 30 seconds. Oh yeah, it also has several phone cameras inside recording it, so we get to watch it all go down. He says it might be his “Magnum Opus” and I may have to agree. It’s pretty crazy.”
Watch the hilarity below:
The post NASA Engineer Thwarts Holiday Package Porch Thieves with Fart-Scented Glitter Bomb: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
NASA Engineer Thwarts Holiday Package Porch Thieves with Fart-Scented Glitter Bomb: WATCH
HRC se asocia con Presente para promover la inclusión en centros laborales
HRC se asocia con Presente para promover la inclusión en centros laborales
Hoy, la Fundación Human Rights Campaign (HRC, por sus siglas en inglés), el brazo educativo de la organización de derechos civiles de personas lesbianas, gais, bisexuales, transgénero y queer (LGBTQ) más grande de Estados Unidos, anunció su asociación con Presente, el grupo de defensa de derechos LGBT más grande de Perú, para promover la inclusión LGBT en los centros de trabajo peruanos. Por primera vez en Lima y junto a socios corporativos, HRC acompañó a Presente para honrar a American Airlines, Atento, Scotiabank, WeWork y Techo Perú, por su creciente compromiso con una mayor inclusión e igualdad LGBT para trabajadores de todo el país.
Durante el evento, Presente publicó los hallazgos del Diagnóstico de Diversidad y Equidad, una reciente encuesta que evalúa la inclusión LGBT en más de 50 empresas y multinacionales, utilizando el manual de negocios en español de HRC para examinar políticas y prácticas inclusivas. Las cinco compañías galardonadas obtuvieron las mejores calificaciones en el informe inaugural y recibieron el sello de reconocimiento de Presente por su liderazgo en prácticas de inclusión LGBT y continuos esfuerzos por fomentar ambientes de trabajo acogedores para todos los trabajadores.
“Uno de nuestros principios básicos en American es proporcionar un entorno de trabajo seguro e inclusivo a todos nuestros colegas, abrazando el talento único que cada uno de nosotros brinda a la empresa para que podamos desempeñar nuestras funciones al más alto nivel”, dijo Mylene Flecha, Base Manager de American Airlines-Lima. “Perú está en la ruta de un mayor progreso social en cuanto a la igualdad LGBT. Estamos orgullosos de ser parte de este cambio que se traduce en mejores lugares de trabajo, más oportunidades de negocios y condiciones óptimas en las que nuestros colaboradores pueden alcanzar su máximo potencial”.
Deena Fidas, directora del Programa de Equidad Laboral de la Fundación HRC y coautora del Índice de Igualdad Corporativa (CEI, por sus siglas en inglés) de HRC, la principal herramienta de evaluación comparativa de políticas de inclusión LGBTQ a nivel corporativo en los EE. UU., pronunció un discurso de apertura durante el encuentro. Fidas señaló el éxito de los programas internacionales de HRC que están impulsando un cambio positivo en México y Chile, trabajando de manera conjunta con las principales empresas para promover prácticas de inclusión LGBT en los lugares de trabajo en toda la región.
“A medida que HRC expande su participación en las Américas, nos complace asociarnos con Presente para aumentar la inclusión LGBT en los centros de trabajo del Perú y desarrollar pasos viables para crear ambientes laborales acogedores en todo el país”, dijo Fidas, quien dirige también los programas HRC Equidad MX y HRC Equidad CL. “Mientras la región latinoamericana continúa presenciando un progreso significativo en cuanto la igualdad e inclusión LGBT, nos enorgullece confirmar que un número cada vez mayor de compañías y multinacionales reconocen los beneficios económicos y las oportunidades de negocios generadas por valores corporativos inclusivos”.
“Trabajar para lograr la inclusión LGBT en los espacios laborales es una parte fundamental de nuestra lucha integral por la igualdad LGBT en el Perú”, dijo Gabriel de la Cruz Soler, presidente ejecutivo de Presente. “Nos enorgullece asociarnos con la Campaña de Derechos Humanos para expandir nuestra misión y promover prácticas de inclusión LGBT en los centros de trabajo peruanos. El liderazgo de HRC en temas LGBT nos ayudará a desarrollar mejores herramientas para construir una economía más sólida y fomentar nuevos métodos para promover y retener el talento diverso en las empresas peruanas”.
Como uno de los innovadores globales más destacados de 2017, de la Cruz Soler se dio cita junto a 30 líderes y activistas LGBT de 28 países y expertos de HRC Global en Washington, D.C., para aprender nuevos métodos de activismo y técnicas para promover la igualdad LGBT a nivel internacional durante la Cumbre Global de Apoyo Innovador de HRC. Desde entonces, de la Cruz Soler ha ayudado a impulsar un diálogo nacional sobre la igualdad e inclusión LGBT en centros laborales de Perú y ha establecido Presente como la principal organización LGBT trabajando con asociaciones culturales y empresas que buscan promover la inclusión LGBT en el país.
Como parte de la visita, HRC Global convocará a un grupo internacional de activistas LGBT para participar del “Taller Regional de América Latina y el Caribe de HRC”, un evento de dos días que se centrará en las oportunidades y los desafíos de avanzar en la inclusión LGBT en la región. El encuentro reunirá a defensores LGBT de Argentina, Belice, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica y Perú para explorar el nuevo recurso de HRC, Engaging Employers in Advancing Equality, y compartir métodos estratégicos para involucrar a empresas y aliados en el movimiento de igualdad global.
A través de sus programas globales de equidad laboral HRC Equidad MX y HRC Equidad CL, la Fundación HRC está liderando los esfuerzos por una mayor inclusión LGBT en centros laborales de EE. UU., México y Chile, impactando positivamente a más de 14,5 millones de empleados en todo el mundo. HRC se enorgullece de asociarse con Presente y continuar su trabajo por la diversidad e inclusión de personas LGBT en todos los centros laborales de América Latina.
Para obtener más información sobre los programas globales de HRC, visite hrc.im/GlobalWorkplacePrograms y hrc.org/global.
Hunky TV doctor Ranj Singh talks about that time he hooked up with Thom Evans… on the dance floor
Hunky TV doctor Ranj Singh talks about that time he hooked up with Thom Evans… on the dance floor
We first learned about Dr. Ranj Singh earlier this year when he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing.
Miley Cyrus Performs a Live Cover of Ariana Grande’s ‘No Tears Left To Cry’ — WATCH
Miley Cyrus Performs a Live Cover of Ariana Grande’s ‘No Tears Left To Cry’ — WATCH
Miley Cyrus visit BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge and delivered a gorgeous rendition of Ariana Grande’s pop hit “No Tears Left To Cry”.
Cyrus recently told Howard Stern that Grande is one of her favorite artists: “[Ariana is] one of my favorite artists right now because the thing I really like about her…anything I’ve ever asked her to be involved in, whether it’s Happy Hippie, or working with young homeless kids she’s always there. So I can never say a bad thing about her because she’s always great.”
Cyrus said she reached out to Ariana after her break-up with Pete Davidson and sent her a “pussy heart” emoji (cat with heart eyes).
Said Cyrus: “I thought it was slightly even making her feel good, like maybe I was hitting on her a little bit.” Cyrus said Grande responded with a cloud emoji: “I have no idea…I think she was saying like, ‘I’m okay and I’m here…thank you for thinking of me.’”
RELATED: Miley Cyrus Has Cops in Hot Pursuit in ‘Nothing Breaks Like a Heart’ – WATCH
In addition to “No Tears Left To Cry”, Cyrus and Mark Ronson also performed “Nothing Breaks Like A Heart”. Cyrus released the video for “Nothing Breaks” earlier this month. In the clip Miley outruns police on an L.A. freeway (the video was actually shot in Kiev, Ukraine) amid chaotic scenes dripping in symbolism – football players taking a knee, children at a shooting range, lesbians in a jacuzzi – until the car chase comes to a chaotic end.
The post Miley Cyrus Performs a Live Cover of Ariana Grande’s ‘No Tears Left To Cry’ — WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Miley Cyrus Performs a Live Cover of Ariana Grande’s ‘No Tears Left To Cry’ — WATCH
HRC Responds to Appointment of Anti-LGBTQ Martha McSally to the U.S. Senate
HRC Responds to Appointment of Anti-LGBTQ Martha McSally to the U.S. Senate
Today, HRC responded to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s decision to appoint Martha McSally to the U.S. Senate.
“In the 2018 midterm election, Arizonans rejected Martha McSally’s toxic agenda and elected pro-equality champion Kyrsten Sinema to represent our state in the U.S. Senate,” said HRC Arizona State Director Justin Unga. “From her votes to gut critical health care protections, to kowtowing to Trump’s shameful ban on transgender service members — McSally has proven that she is more interested in political pandering than working to address the issues that matter to all Arizonans. We’re disappointed with this appointment.”
Rep. McSally has long opposed marriage equality and supported discriminatory, anti-LGBTQ policies and proposals while in Congress, including an amendment that would allow discrimination against LGBTQ people by taxpayer-funded organizations. She has refused to speak out against the Trump-Pence administration’s efforts to ban qualified transgender service members from the military and voted for an amendment to ban transition-related health care for service members and their families. She has also voted to raise healthcare premiums and roll back protections for 2.8 million Arizonans with pre-existing conditions, including many LGBTQ people.
111 Muscle, Otter, Bear, and Daddy Pics for the Holidays
111 Muscle, Otter, Bear, and Daddy Pics for the Holidays
www.advocate.com/slideshow/2018/12/18/111-muscle-otter-bear-and-daddy-pics-holidays
This informal study of men who masturbate together reached some stimulating conclusions
This informal study of men who masturbate together reached some stimulating conclusions
He asked ‘straight’ members of Bateworld.com, “Which of the following actions make a person gay?”
Do You Know the LGBTQ 1990s? Test Your Grasp of its Pop Icons, Influencers, and Political Heroes
Do You Know the LGBTQ 1990s? Test Your Grasp of its Pop Icons, Influencers, and Political Heroes
PRESENTED by WorldPride 2019 | Stonewall 50
Next summer, WorldPride comes to the United States for the first time to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. The sixth edition of the culturally-diverse WorldPride will attract millions of LGBTQI+ revelers for the largest celebration of Pride in history. In honor of this incredible event Towleroad is celebrating 50 years of LGBTQI+ history with a series examining queer life from the 1960s through today.
HIV and AIDS continued to ravage the gay community as the 1980s became the 1990s. President George H. W. Bush, who had previously served as Vice President under Reagan, similarly failed to act with urgency to slow the spread of HIV and AIDS.
By the end of the year 2000, more than 747,000 people were reported with AIDS in the United States and more than 448,000 died, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. Reported new cases peaked in the early ‘90s, due in part to increase surveillance and a better understanding of the disease.
While ACT UP held politicians accountable for their inaction by dumping the ashes of loved ones lost to AIDS on the White House lawn, queer artists brought their stories to the forefront of the cultural consciousness. Throughout the ‘90s, in addition to continued tireless work of organizations like ACT UP, the arts began to demystify and humanize the LGBTQ population living with HIV and AIDS. Films like And the Band Played On and Philadelphia as well as theatre like Angels In America and RENT provided nuanced portrayals of what Pres. Bush cruelly dismissed as a disease that could be easily prevented by changing “behavior.”
On television, Pedro Zamora enlightened a generation of MTV viewers on the realities of HIV/AIDS when the HIV-positive educator and activist joined the cast of The Real World. It was an incredible opportunity to educate the entire country about how HIV and AIDS works, the very real risk it poses to all people — gay and straight — and dispel myths.
Zamora died hours after the final episode of The Real World: San Francisco aired. MTV would later broadcast A Tribute to Pedro Zamora that honored his legacy as a pioneering HIV/AIDS activist and beacon of positive representation of queer people of color. (Pedro was also part of the first ever televised same-sex commitment ceremony.) Even President Clinton recognized his impact with a phone call before his death.
By the end of the ‘90s, awareness, education and advancements in medication finally began slowing the rate of new infections and deaths. High-profile heterosexual cases like Ryan White, Arthur Ashe and Magic Johnson certainly helped, but make no mistake: We would not have seen this progress without the incredible work of brave queer people willing to fight for it.
The ‘90s also marked a turning point in recognizing LGBTQ people as a community, rather than deviants. Groups like Queer Nation utilized direct action tactics similar to ACT UP to fight homophobia. Demonstrations, banners and protests championed LGBTQ visibility and gave rise to the well-known chant, “We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it!”
On April 25, 1993, the massive March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation made history as one of the largest political demonstrations in history. Police in D.C. estimated the crowd size to be between 800,000 and more than 1 million participants. Speakers and performers included Judith Light, RuPaul, Madonna, Eartha Kitt and Lani Ka’ahumanu.
Both the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association no longer classified homosexuality as a disease in 1990 and 1994, respectively. Corporations like AT&T and Xerox began creating policies and networking for gay and lesbian employees. A 1991 New York Times business column with the headline “Gay Rights, Issue of the 90’s” shared a quote from a gay activist and manager at Xerox:
“How productive are employees who worry about using the wrong pronouns to describe the people they love, who can’t take their partners of 12 years to a company function, who fear that their boss hates gays?”
(That kind of thinking was as shocking in 1991 as it is to think that today, in 2018, it’s still legal in 28 states to be fired due to your sexual orientation.)
President Bill Clinton realized the power of the LGBTQ vote. When running for the highest office in the land, he became the first candidate to openly court the gay vote. Once in office, his record was mixed, at best. On the one hand, he ran an inclusive administration, appointing more than 150 openly gay and lesbian appointees. He also appointed the first-ever openly gay United States ambassador, James Hormel. Conservatives attempted to thwart the nomination, despite his clear qualifications for the job, due to his sexual orientation. Additionally, Clinton was the first president to issue a Gay and Lesbian Pride Month proclamation.
Of course, no conversation about President Clinton’s relationship with the LGBTQ community would be complete without discussing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act. The former was a deeply flawed compromise that failed to satisfy either side. It ended the ban on gays in the military on the surface, but they would be forced to keep their sexuality secret while they served.
The providence of the Defense of Marriage of Act is bit more hazy. The Clintons themselves have recast it in recent years as a necessary evil to head off a constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage and made the progress we would see throughout the 21st century even more challenging. (There is a suspicious lack of evidence to support this claim.)
What’s more likely is the law, which basically said states that didn’t legalize same-sex marriage would not have to recognize same-sex marriages from states that did, was the product of the sort of political triangulation and compromise that defined the contentious Clinton years.
Central to Clinton’s relationship with the LGBTQ community was activist David Mixner. A powerful fundraiser, Mixner became the first openly-gay public face of a presidential campaign under the conditions Clinton increased funding for AIDS and overturned the military’s ban on homosexuality. When instead Clinton crafted Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Mixner reacted to this betrayal by speaking out against the policy publicly and organizing a march with the Campaign for Military Service. Mixner made headlines when he was arrested during the march outside the White House.
These political maneuvers were playing out against a backdrop of increased LGBTQ visibility. Jenny Livingston’s documentary Paris Is Burning shared the rich ballroom culture of New York City to a much broader audience. The downtown Club Kids sashayed onto the talk show circuit with RuPaul transcending the trends and becoming a bonafide celebrity with his own talk show and hit single.
Out singers like k.d. lang and Melissa Etheridge dominated the charts and eschewed the sort of hyper-feminine sexuality expected from pop stars. Judas Priest’s frontman, Rob Halford, bucked heavy metal’s machismo when he came out as gay. Wilson Cruz made history as the first openly-gay actor to play an openly-gay leading role on television with his portrayal of Rickie Vasquez on the cult classic My So-Called Life. Shows like Roseanne, Ally McBeal, Party of Five, Xena and Friends featured LGBTQ characters, moments of affection and issues.
No other show, however, had as big of an impact as Ellen. In April 1997, comedian Ellen DeGeneres memorably came out in TIME magazine, stating simply “Yep, I’m Gay.” She’d make history as the first leading character to come out on a network primetime TV series when her character, Ellen, came out to Laura Dern on her eponymous sitcom. This iconic moment would blaze the trail for Will & Grace’s premiere in 1998.
All this increased visibility would be a massive contributing factor the increased acceptance of LGBTQ people. At the same time, it also inspired violent backlash. The 1993 rape and murder of Brandon Teena would inspire the Academy Award-winning film Boys Don’t Cry. Along with the gruesome murder of Matthew Shepard, these horrific attacks highlighted the need for hate crime protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In Allston, Massachusetts, the 1998 murder of trans woman Rita Hester inspired the founding of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Backlash to LGBTQ advancement — both the sort of headline-grabbing violence that claimed Teena, Shepard and Hester, as well as the insidious sort of straight-washing done by folks like Rudy Giuliani under the guise of morality — would set the stage for the conservative, post-9/11 world of the early aughts.
This is just a taste of the rich queer history of the 1990s. What were some key moments and important memories we missed? Leave your impressions of the LGBTQ ’90s in the comments below…
Get all the info on WorldPride at the official website, or by following @NYCPride on Twitter and Instagram.
The post Do You Know the LGBTQ 1990s? Test Your Grasp of its Pop Icons, Influencers, and Political Heroes appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Do You Know the LGBTQ 1990s? Test Your Grasp of its Pop Icons, Influencers, and Political Heroes
DeVos Commission Recommends to Rescind Nondiscriminatory School Discipline Guidance
DeVos Commission Recommends to Rescind Nondiscriminatory School Discipline Guidance
Today, HRC responded to the Trump-Pence administration’s Federal Commission on School Safety’s recommendation to rescind vital nondiscriminatory school discipline guidance protecting students of color. The commission is chaired by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
“From day one of her tenure, Betsy DeVos has sought to undermine the safety, dignity and civil rights of students of color, LGBTQ students, students with disabilities and survivors of sexual assault,” said David Stacy, HRC’s Director of Government Affairs. “While the revocation of this guidance would not change federal civil rights laws, this dangerous action would embolden discriminatory practices that push students of color, including LGBTQ students of color, out of the classroom. It is particularly outrageous to utilize a commission tasked with addressing gun violence in schools as a tool to undermine protections for students of color — and HRC will continue to fight alongside civil rights and education advocates to stop this administration’s harmful agenda and protect the civil rights of all students.”
Schools are prohibited from discriminating against students based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion or disability. Despite these laws, discrimination is rampant in the administration of school discipline. Data collected by the Department of Education clearly shows that black students are suspended and expelled three times more often than white students, and students with disabilities are twice as likely to be suspended or expelled as students without disabilities.
In 2014, the Obama Administration’s Department of Education issued guidance reminding schools that they must administer discipline policies in a non-discriminatory manner, and it provided resources to help schools ensure they are providing an equal opportunity for all students.
In March, HRC, along with other leading national LGBTQ organizations, sent a letter to DeVos urging her to keep the 2014 guidance in place.
LGBTQ students also face disproportionate levels of unfairly harsh school discipline practices. According to a study from GLSEN, two thirds of LGBTQ students have experienced some form of discipline, compared to less than half of non-LGBTQ students. Students with multiple marginalized identities, including LGBTQ students of color and LGBTQ students with disabilities, are particularly at risk for being subject to exclusionary school discipline. An HRC survey of more than 12,000 LGBTQ youth found that Black and African American, Native American and Alaska Native, and multiracial respondents reported being expelled from school at more than twice the rate of white respondents. Black and African American respondents also reported receiving out-of-school suspensions at three times the rate of white respondents.
Although the guidance rescinded today does not explicitly talk about LGBTQ students, they are disproportionately impacted by these policies. The consequences of exclusionary school discipline can be devastating to young people, especially those who may already face marginalization in school, their communities and even at home. Students experiencing exclusionary school discipline lose critical instruction time and are often pushed out of school, which can lead to involvement with the juvenile justice system or homelessness.
