Jazz Jennings Has a Pride Message for Trans Youth

The TV star knows it’s a difficult and discouraging time, but she can’t help but be an optimist.

www.advocate.com/exclusives/2019/6/05/jazz-jennings-has-pride-message-trans-youth

Ian McKellen sets up new program to help other LGBTQ seniors

Gay icon, movie star and all-around badass Sir Ian McKellen has announced his latest project: Pride in Aging, a new charity aimed at supporting queer people over 50.

The new program will help end disparities in standards of living and social isolation of LGBTQ seniors in the UK. It will also help establish a queer community for people over 50, and also provide healthcare and social services. McKellen helped launch the initiative through a partnership with the UK-based LGBT Foundation.

“No one is born with prejudice, it’s something you learn,” McKellen said during the announcement. “Growing up, even in Lancashire, what is now Greater Manchester, 70 years ago, it was a total silence. There was no mention of sexuality other than heterosexuality at school, on the radio, in church. Absolute silence. So is it any wonder that people who are older, when things are hazy, they may think back to a time when things were different? Waving the banner for full and total equality, and love, is something that has my total support.”

Related: LGBT Seniors To Get Stunning New Housing Project

“We’re incredibly grateful to Sir Ian for launching this incredibly important new initiative,” said Paul Martin OBE, Chief Executive of LGBT Foundation. “We know that LGBT people over 50 are at a much higher risk of isolation and are under-recognized in health and social care services, and may be facing discrimination due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. We believe that all LGBT people over 50 have the right to an excellent quality of life in later years, and look forward to working to end the many inequalities that LGBT in mid-to-later life face.”

LGBTQ seniors have a much higher rate of homelessness, and have lower access to healthcare, living facilities and social services than their heterosexual counterparts. In the United States, California remains the only state in the union to offer state services to queer seniors.

www.queerty.com/ian-mckellen-sets-new-program-help-lgbtq-seniors-20190605?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Chris Evans Slams ‘Straight Pride’ Parade Plans in Withering Tweet

Actor Chris Evans blasted plans for a Straight Pride Parade in Boston in a blistering tweet on Wednesday: “Wow! Cool initiative, fellas!! Just a thought, instead of ‘Straight Pride’ parade, how about this: The ‘desperately trying to bury our own gay thoughts by being homophobic because no one taught us how to access our emotions as children’ parade? Whatta ya think? Too on the nose??”

Evans, whose brother Scott is gay, also retweeted a post by James Fell explaining why a Straight Pride Parade is so wrong.

RELATED: ‘Straight Pride Parade’ Planned in Boston and Organizers Say ‘City is Now Working With Us’

The post Chris Evans Slams ‘Straight Pride’ Parade Plans in Withering Tweet appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Chris Evans Slams ‘Straight Pride’ Parade Plans in Withering Tweet

HRC Honors HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day

As we celebrate Pride Month, it is also important that we honor those in the LGBTQ community who are long-term survivors living with HIV. June 5 was chosen as HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day to mark when the first case of AIDS was reported in the U.S. in 1981.

At the time, a person diagnosed with HIV or AIDS could expect to live only one to two years after that diagnosis. In the four decades since, more than 70 million people have been diagnosed with HIV worldwide and approximately 35 million people have died, according to the World Health Organization. People age 55 and older make up 26% of all Americans living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In recent years, the LGBTQ community has benefited from biomedical interventions such as Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that prevents HIV when taken as prescribed. Yet, this medication is not always accessible to those most at risk for HIV, including Black and Latinx gay, bisexual and transgender people.

HRC spoke with three long-term survivors living with HIV to learn their stories.

Elder Claude Bowen, M.Div
Bowen is an administrative assistant and silver lining facilitator at Thrive SS, an organization in Atlanta that works “to improve health equity for Black gay men living with HIV through direct support, advocacy and building collective power.”

What does it mean to you to be a long-term HIV survivor?

It means that I have an obligation to stand with my brothers and sisters as the struggle continues. I believe I must be that voice of hope and encouragement not only to the newly diagnosed, but I must also be a support for those people working in the field.  My support for others was not always as strong as it should have been, as we were much too busy doing the work. We didn’t have a clue how to support each other outside of saying, “We’ve got work to do, so let’s get it done.”

What would you say to someone newly diagnosed with HIV?

This is not a death sentence, I have survived for 33 years by taking care of myself, surrounding myself with positive people and energy, getting into care and maintaining my medical regime.  What do you need, and how do I walk with you through this process?  You are not alone.

Gina Brown, MSW
Brown works as a community organizer with Southern AIDS Coalition, an organization based in Alabama that works to provide access to HIV prevention, treatment, education and advocacy across the South.

What does it mean to you to be a long-term HIV survivor?

It means I’ve just about seen it all, from people dying all the time to a decrease in “vertical transmission.” It means that when I was told on April 4, 1994, that “you have AIDS and you’re going to die,” it was clearly not the case. I’ve gone from being full of all kinds of stigma to being one of the most outspoken, visible advocates in the South.

What would you say to someone newly diagnosed with HIV?

I would tell them that HIV is not a death sentence if you have access to certain things from healthcare to housing. And if you’re living with HIV, do these three things: Get in care and stay in care, not just for HIV, but any and all health issues you may have; take medications as prescribed; and learn everything you can about HIV.  

Terrence Calhoun
Calhoun is the Conference and Events Manager at HealthHIV, an HIV-focused capacity building firm based in Washington, D.C.

What does it mean to you to be a long-term HIV survivor?

Being diagnosed in the days of mono therapy. Being told to have all of my affairs in order at the age of 21. Having only 14 T-cells at one point. Battling pneumonia. Attending many of my closest friends’ funerals. And living decades longer that what was expected — all of this makes me not only a survivor but also a CONQUEROR!  I do not take any day for granted. My life has meaning and purpose and, because of this, I strive to do what I can to live my best life and make this world a better place.

What would you say to someone newly diagnosed with HIV?

Unfortunately, stigma and ignorance about HIV still exist.  Know that you are strong and that your life has value despite how some may treat you. Be good to yourself and take care of yourself mentally and physically. Taking your medicine faithfully will help you to be maintain a healthy lifestyle. Stay strong and live your life to your fullest potential. 

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-honors-hiv-long-term-survivors-awareness-day?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

YouTube Refuses to Punish Antigay YouTuber Steven Crowder

The Google-owned company had little sympathy for out journalist Carlos Maza, who reported slurs and attacks from Crowder and his followers.

www.advocate.com/media/2019/6/05/youtube-refuses-punish-antigay-youtuber-steven-crowder

Mayor says Facebook comments about killing gays were “taken out of context”

Mark Chambers is the mayor of Carbon Hill, Alabama, a small mining town in Western Alabama with a population of around 2000 people. He’s also a raging homophobe with terrible grammar and who can’t spell. Go figure.

Yesterday, Birmingham TV station WBRC reported on a string of Facebook comments written by Chambers that read: “We live in a society where homosexuals lecture us on morals, transvestites lecture us on human biology, baby killers lecture us on human rights and socialists lecture us on economics.”

“By giving the minority more rights than the majority. I hate to think of the country my grandkids will live in unless somehow we change and I think that will take a revolution,” he added.

Then came the real kicker: “The only way to change it would be to kill the problem out. I know it’s bad to say but without killing them out there’s no way to fix it.”

When approached for comment, Chambers, who was first elected mayor of Carbon Hill in 2014, initially told WBRC the remarks were “meant to be a private” then tried denying he ever said anything about killing gay people.

“I never said anything about killing out gays or anything like that,” he told the station over the telephone.

When the reporter read the post back to him, Chambers replied, “That’s in a revolution. That’s right! If it comes to a revolution in this country both sides of these people will be killed out!”

After WBRC ran the story, someone from Chambers’ camp must have told him he needed to craft a better response because shortly after that he posted a formal apology to his personal Facebook page claiming his comment about killing gays was “taken out of context.”

“Although I believe my comment was taken out of context and was not targeting the LGBTQ community,” Chambers wrote, “I know that it was wrong to say anyone should be kill [sic].”

Hours later, Chambers deleted his Facebook page. But not before local media outlets grabbed a screenshot of his typo-ridden apology letter, which will now live on the internet forever.

Related: Lawmaker caught on tape laughing about killing gays says he’s the victim of a “social media lynching”

www.queerty.com/mayor-says-facebook-comments-killing-gays-taken-context-20190605?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Alabama Mayor Defends Plan to ‘Fix’ Society by ‘Killing Out’ Gay People and ‘Transvestites’

Mark Chambers, the Mayor of Carbon Hill, Alabama, is under fire for remarks he made on Facebook about killing gay people.

Mark Chambers, the Mayor of Carbon Hill, Alabama, is under fire for remarks he made on Facebook about killing gay people.

Chambers original Facebook post (since deleted) said: “We live in a society where homosexuals lecture us on morals, transvestites lecture us on human biology, baby killers lecture us on human rights and socialists lecture us on economics.”

Chambers went on to comment: “By giving the minority more rights than the majority. I hate to think of the country my grandkids will live in unless somehow we change and I think that will take a revolution. The only way to change it would be to kill the problem out. I know it’s bad to say but without killing them out there’s no way to fix it.”

When confronted by the remarks by WBRC, Chambers responded that he never made the remarks, but he later called the station back and took ownership of the remarks and said they were taken out of context and meant to be private.

Added Chambers: “I never said anything about killing out gays or anything like that.” When the comments were read back to him, he said, That’s in a revolution. That’s right! If it comes to a revolution in this country both sides of these people will be killed out.”

Chambers original Facebook post (since deleted) said: “We live in a society where homosexuals lecture us on morals, transvestites lecture us on human biology, baby killers lecture us on human rights and socialists lecture us on economics.”

Chambers went on to comment: “By giving the minority more rights than the majority. I hate to think of the country my grandkids will live in unless somehow we change and I think that will take a revolution. The only way to change it would be to kill the problem out. I know it’s bad to say but without killing them out there’s no way to fix it.”

When confronted by the remarks by WBRC, Chambers responded that he never made the remarks, but he later called the station back and took ownership of the remarks and said they were taken out of context and meant to be private.

Added Chambers: “I never said anything about killing out gays or anything like that.” When the comments were read back to him, he said, That’s in a revolution. That’s right! If it comes to a revolution in this country both sides of these people will be killed out.”

The post Alabama Mayor Defends Plan to ‘Fix’ Society by ‘Killing Out’ Gay People and ‘Transvestites’ appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Alabama Mayor Defends Plan to ‘Fix’ Society by ‘Killing Out’ Gay People and ‘Transvestites’

10 Images Depict a Queer History of Modeling

www.advocate.com/books/2019/6/05/10-images-depict-queer-history-modeling