Straight Men Infected the Gay Community With Toxic Masculinity
We can’t be caught up in outdated ideas of what men are — including when we’re cruising for guys on Grindr.
www.advocate.com/commentary/2019/6/03/straight-men-infected-gay-community-toxic-masculinity
Lady Gaga opened the Haus of Gaga in Las Vegas and it looks spectacular
Haus of Gaga is technically a store selling merchandise like T-shirts and concert-themed collectibles, but the real attraction here is the display of her iconic memorabilia, including various on-stage costumes, red carpet looks, props from A Star Is Born, and those sunglasses with all the cigarettes from the “Telephone” video.
What Fuels Our Movement: People. Power. Pride.
In the earliest hours of June 28, 1969, a group of LGBTQ people reached their tipping point. They were peacefully enjoying the evening at the Stonewall Inn in New York City when police raided the bar and started hauling out the patrons. No longer willing to take the harassment and discrimination, the LGBTQ individuals at the bar fought back. Their protest lasted six days and sparked a movement that is still building today.
It was a critical moment in the equality movement, but it certainly wasn’t the only one. Even before the riots at Stonewall, we had the Compton Cafeteria riot in San Francisco and the police raids and subsequent protests at the Black Cat Tavern. Together, these three events mobilized the LGBTQ community to action. Many of the fiercest fighters were transgender women and queer people of color who fought against this injustice.
Fifty years later, remarkable progress has been made in our fight for equality, thanks to the fearless determination of the LGBTQ community and the allies we’ve gained along the way. But the three pillars that support our movement are the same as they were back in 1969:
People. Since its very beginnings, the fight for equality has belonged to brave marginalized people whose fierce commitment compels them to protest, march, volunteer, vote and donate. These people — LGBTQ-identified and allies — are what keeps our movement growing stronger and gaining new ground every year.
Power. Our voices give us power, and when you speak up about LGBTQ equality, you use your privilege to help advocate and create change. Using your voice proves especially important for the power of our voting block. Together, pro-equality voters are changing the makeup of Congress, and with that will come policies that support equality for all.
Pride. Every time someone takes to the streets in protest, goes to the halls of Congress to fight for equality or marches in a Pride parade, it shows that you are out and proud or you are a friend and supporter of the LGBTQ community. This visibility is incredibly meaningful to LGBTQ people — knowing that they are accepted and championed by so many!
This June, as LGBTQ individuals and allies of the movement join together for Pride month, please take a moment to think of the brave individuals who started the fight for equality — and know how grateful we are to you for carrying it forward!
www.hrc.org/blog/what-fuels-our-movement-people-power-pride?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
Taylor Swift Honors Pride Month By Donating to GLAAD and Urging the Senate to Support the Equality Act
In honor of Pride Month, Taylor Swift made a very generous donation to GLAAD on June 1st. Swift’s donation will be used for GLAAD’s ongoing work to amplify stories, as well as create campaigns that fight back against the current rise of hate and discrimination and also accelerate acceptance of LGBTQ people.
Swift also wrote an eloquent letter to Senator Lamar Alexander, a U.S. Senator from Tennessee, asking him to support the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination in employment, housing, and other public accommodations. In her caption for the letter, she wished everyone a Happy Pride Month and encouraged others to write their Senators.
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!! While we have so much to celebrate, we also have a great distance to go before everyone in this country is truly treated equally. In excellent recent news, the House has passed the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate. I’ve decided to kick off Pride Month by writing a letter to one of my senators to explain how strongly I feel that the Equality Act should be passed. I urge you to write to your senators too. I’ll be looking for your letters by searching the hashtag #lettertomysenator. While there’s no information yet as to when the Equality Act will go before the Senate for a vote, we do know this: Politicians need votes to stay in office. Votes come from the people. Pressure from massive amounts of people is a major way to push politicians towards positive change. That’s why I’ve created a petition at change.org to urge the Senate to support the Equality Act. Our country’s lack of protection for its own citizens ensures that LGBTQ people must live in fear that their lives could be turned upside down by an employer or landlord who is homophobic or transphobic. The fact that, legally, some people are completely at the mercy of the hatred and bigotry of others is disgusting and unacceptable. Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally. Click the link in my bio to sign the petition for Senate support of the Equality Act.
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on
The Equality Act passed the House of Representatives earlier this month, but has yet to be voted on by the Senate. Currently, LGBTQ Americans receive zero non-discrimination protections in 26 states. GLAAD thanked Taylor Swift for her support on Instagram and Twitter.
Thank you @taylorswift13 for kicking off #PrideMonth by making a generous donation to support our work to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people. We <3 you. Follow Taylor’s lead: t.co/pEW5ZcHMxp pic.twitter.com/9N39wQ2BPz
— GLAAD (@glaad) June 1, 2019
“Taylor Swift continues to use her platform to speak out against discrimination and create a world where everyone can live the life they love,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “GLAAD is so thankful for her donation to support our advocacy efforts and for her ongoing work to speak out for what is fair, just, and LGBTQ inclusive. In today’s divisive political and cultural climate, we need more allies like Taylor, who send positive and uplifting messages to LGBTQ people everywhere.”
Swift’s current single “ME!” features Panic! At The Disco front-man Brendan Urie, who came out as pansexual in 2018.
During her set at the Wango Tango Festival in California this past Saturday, Swift honored Pride Month by talking about the importance of love and encouraging her fans to sign a petition she created that urges the Senate to support the Equality Act. In just 2 days, the petition has already been signed over 100,000 times. Check out the petition here.
Earlier this year, Swift made a financial donation to the Tennessee Equality Project, a Nashville-based group working to defeat six anti-LGBTQ bills, nicknamed the ‘Slate of Hate,’ that were being considered by the state Legislature. As part of its work, TEP convened more than 100 religious leaders to denounce the bills. Swift wrote a note to the organization which read: “I’m writing you to say that I’m so inspired by the work you do, specifically in organizing the recent petition of Tennessee faith leaders standing up against the ‘Slate of Hate’ in our state legislature.”
In October 2018, Swift penned a passionate message on Instagram to raise awareness around the anti-LGBTQ record of Tennessee congresswoman Marsha Blackburn during her reelection campaign. Swift wrote: “I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love.”
Taylor Swift previously worked with GLAAD by making a surprise appearance at the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2016 to present the Stephen F. Kolzak Award to out actress Ruby Rose. Each year, GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award is presented to an LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting acceptance.
Intersections: Tales of the City
In Starbucks Discrimination Case, Company Says Misgendering Isn’t Bias
The company contradicts their own employee guidelines by arguing that calling someone the wrong pronoun doesn’t constitute harassment.
www.advocate.com/business/2019/6/03/starbucks-files-dismiss-trans-employees-discrimination-case
Gay Bars, Kesha, Rainbow Turban, Miley Cyrus, Keanu Reeves, Meryl Streep, Queer Eye: HOT LINKS
JOHANA MEDINA. Trans woman died in ICE custody on first day of Pride month : “Johana Medina, a 25-year-old transgender asylum seeker from El Salvador, died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on June 1 — the first day of Pride Month — advocates said Sunday.”
SHE IS COMING. Miley Cyrus selling $20 condoms.
THE ETERNALS. Keanu Reeves sought for starring role.
JULIAN ASSANGE. Wikileaks founder won’t face charges over role in CIA leak: “It’s a move that has surprised national security experts and some former officials, given prosecutors’ recent decision to aggressively go after the WikiLeaks founder on more controversial Espionage Act charges that some legal experts said would not hold up in court.”
WANT A LOAN? Lenders shown to discriminate against LGBT borrowers in new study: “The data reveal that, compared with otherwise similar different-sex applicants, same-sex applicants are 73.12% more likely to be denied, and they tend to be charged up to 0.2% higher fees/interest. Furthermore, neighborhoods’ higher same-sex population density adversely affects both same-sex and different-sex borrowers’ lending experiences.”
KEVIN SPACEY. Sexual predator makes unexpected court appearance.
ROTTEN TOMATOES. Their list of the 200 best LGBT movies of all time. “To be considered for the list, a movie had to prominently feature gay, lesbian, trans, or queer characters; concern itself centrally with LGBT themes; present its LGBT characters in a fair and realistic light; and/or be seen as a touchpoint in the evolution of queer cinema. And it had to be Fresh. The final list was culled from a longlist of hundreds, after which the films were ranked according to the Adjusted Tomatometer, which acts as a kind of inflation adjustment, taking into consideration the Tomatometer score, as well as the number of reviews a film received relative to the average number of reviews for films released that same year.”
TOXIC MASCULINITY. Meryl Streep is against the term.
REAL TV. Queer Eye wins big at first annual Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards: ‘Netflix’s “Queer Eye” reboot took awards as the best structured reality series, fashion/beauty lifestyle show and ensemble cast in an unscripted series, while cast member Jonathan Van Ness won the fan-voted award for Male Star of the Year.’
MIMI PRIDE. Mariah enters Pride Month like…
#Pride2019 pic.twitter.com/ZQwnoXOF0y
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) June 1, 2019
BOEING. Wing defect found in 737s: “The American aviation giant, which has been rocked by an unprecedented crisis after its entire 737 MAX 8 fleet was grounded in mid-March, said a subcontractor informed it of problems with a batch of a part involved in deploying the wings’ leading edge.”
STEVEN CROWDER. Right-wing commentator under investigation by YouTube for homophobic and racist abuse toward gay journalist.
BRONX. Gay bar to open in Port Morris: “When I was growing up, and I was going to Brooklyn and Queens to see drag shows or to go to a nice restaurant, it was always out of my borough. Why can’t we do it?”
FLY 2.0 Toronto gay club to close: ‘”It was a safe place for us to go and dance and party and be open and not have to worry about being in the club district downtown,” an area that he said wasn’t as accepting of gay people 20 years ago when he first started going there.’
TRAILER OF THE DAY. Apple’s For All Mankind.
NEW TUNE OF THE DAY. “Rich, White, Straight, Men” by Kesha. “What if rich, white, straight men didn’t rule the world anymore?”
DRAG QUEEN SHOWDOWN. Andy Cohen shares Watch What Happens Live’s best drag moments.
GORILLA STORY OF THE DAY. Matt Bomer.
TRAILER OF THE DAY. FORD v FERRARI.
MONDAY PRIDE. Rainbow turban goes viral.
This received a lot more attention than I imagined it would! It also makes me feel so much #pride and joy to be a part of such supportive and welcoming communities. See here for my friends, colleagues, mentors, and heroes: t.co/TSSH559RBh @GregYoudan
— Jiwandeep Kohli (@jiwandeepkohli) June 2, 2019
The post Gay Bars, Kesha, Rainbow Turban, Miley Cyrus, Keanu Reeves, Meryl Streep, Queer Eye: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Gay Bars, Kesha, Rainbow Turban, Miley Cyrus, Keanu Reeves, Meryl Streep, Queer Eye: HOT LINKS
HRC Joins Advocates to Call for Justice for Johana ‘Joa’ Medina
HRC is horrified to learn of the death of Johana ‘Joa’ Medina, a 25-year-old transgender woman from El Salvador who died just a short time after being released from ICE custody on June 1.
Medina passed away at a hospital in El Paso, Texas, from severe health complications that went untreated while she was in detention, according to Diversidad Sin Fronteras, which broke the news of her death on social media. Her exact cause of death is not yet known.
“The death of Johana Medina, a transgender woman of color and asylum seeker, just days after being released from ICE custody, is yet another horrific and deeply disturbing development in the ongoing crisis of anti-LGBTQ actions by immigration authorities,” HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy said.
Medina waited nearly three months in Juarez, Mexico, for her number to come up with U.S. Customs and Border Protection so she could present her case to legally seek asylum, said OJ Pitaya, an advocate with Diversidad Sin Fronteras. According to Pitaya, Medina dreamed of coming to the U.S. to become certified as a nurse, since she was unable to practice as a transgender woman in her home country.
“We are still learning details about Johana and her passing on the first day of Pride month,” the Transgender Law Center said in a press release. “But we pledge to continue our work … towards justice for all LGBTQ migrants — with a focus on the Black, trans and HIV-positive migrants who are most intensely targeted.”
The National Center for Transgender Equality estimates that there are between 15,000 and 50,000 undocumented transgender immigrants living in the U.S. However, these numbers are difficult to estimate, as many people are reluctant to self-report as transgender due, in part, to fear of mistreatment by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the persecution they faced at home. More than 70 countries criminalize LGBTQ people, while many more remain challenging places for transgender people to live freely and peacefully.
“Medina’s death follows the still-unexplained death of Roxana Hernandez and numerous reports of mistreatment of LGBTQ migrants and asylum seekers while in custody of CBP and ICE,” Stacy continued. “It is critical that every person be treated with safety, dignity and respect by immigration authorities, and this latest tragedy demands greater transparency and accountability of these agencies.”
According to information provided by ICE in response to a request by Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), LGBTQ immigrants are detained twice as long as other immigrants and also face lengthy stays in solitary confinement despite ICE regulations that stipulate its use as a last resort. ICE also reported to Rice that LGBTQ people accounted for only .14% of the people detained by ICE in 2017, but made up 12% of reported sexual assault and abuse cases.
The multitude of stories emerging from the waves of asylum seekers and refugees fleeing Central America are heartbreaking and infuriating, and the cruelty they are met with at the hands of the Trump-Pence administration is unacceptable.
As HRC mourns the loss of Medina, we continue to remain in solidarity with those seeking asylum from violence and prosecution in their home countries.
For more information about HRC’s transgender justice work, visit hrc.org/transgender.
Meet the Queer Kid Pushing for a Green New Deal
Idaho’s 17-year-old climate activist Liam Neupert is a future LGBTQ leader we should all listen to.
www.advocate.com/exclusives/2019/6/03/meet-queer-kid-pushing-new-green-deal
Gay Twitter declares Yvie Oddly’s dad the 2nd winner ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 11
For any Drag Race fan who still doesn’t know who took the season 11 crown, we have no sympathy at this point in saying it was Yvie Oddly.
And while Yvie cemented her place in the Drage Race herstory books, her father, who was in attendance for the finals, was a breakout star of the episode.
Related: ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season 11: Nina West on raising millions for LGBTQ causes and dreaming of SNL
“I already knew it was going to be this way,” an amused Yvie told Entertainment Weekly following the filming. “People have always told me I have a hot dad. Every friend who’s ever met him, every class day that he came to, he’s been drooled over his whole life. Naturally, with all the platform and scale I was given, I knew if he was even on TV for half a second, he was going to have his own PornHub site. … Now I have no excuse to eyeroll because everybody feels that way. There’s no safe space for me anymore!”
Turning serious, the drag queen said it was “really sweet and it was dope to see him there and see RuPaul call him out and force him to be vulnerable in front of everybody.”
Related: ‘Drag Race’ fans are convinced they know a bit of secret ‘All Stars’ season 5 news
In case you needed any proof of the Internet’s collective thirst for Papa Oddly — or if you simply need to commiserate along with other parched Twitter users — here are a sampling of lustful tweets on the subject.
@OddlyYvie’s dad is the ONLY trade of Season 11
— Plastique Tiara (@plastiquetiara) May 31, 2019
Can we actually talk about @OddlyYvie dad… #DragRace pic.twitter.com/OG94VOJ9Tr
— Gay’million (@TadpoleJackson) May 31, 2019
I had a lot of expectations about the #DragRace finale, but finding out Yvie Oddly’s dad is like crazy hot was not one of them
— Tom & Lorenzo (@tomandlorenzo) May 31, 2019
* @OddlyYvie ‘s dad is on screen for 3 seconds*
The homosexuals:
pic.twitter.com/IkFSOuFLJD— Danny Rumors (@Dnschtt) May 31, 2019
Um Yvie Oddly’s dad??? pic.twitter.com/7M5pcUTSxZ
— Voodoo Mama Juju (@BrendanOde) May 31, 2019
Yvie Oddly’s dad tho… #DragRaceFinale pic.twitter.com/YQYg106pjL
— R • C (@ryan__conde) May 31, 2019
I’d say it before and I’ll say it again. Yvie Oddly’s dad is hot.
— empanada daddy (@matiasgomeznyc) May 31, 2019
Yvie Oddly’s dad got me all… #DragRace #DragRaceFinale #HesFine! pic.twitter.com/qOabkPQLmf
— Jeffrey Luscombe (@JeffreyLuscombe) May 31, 2019
When I saw Yvie Oddly’s supportive ass biker dad during the #DragRaceFinale. Whew Chillay. pic.twitter.com/vkjEygRWhe
— Rinny Perkins (@rinnyriot) May 31, 2019
The winner of season 11 of #rpdr is @OddlyYvie ‘s Dad pic.twitter.com/fap89HmQ7e
— Janet Fitness (@JanetFitnesss) May 31, 2019
Queerty caught up with Yvie at the Drag Race finale red carpet, just before she locked in her win:
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