‘Changing the Game’ Depicts the Joy and Agony of Young Trans Athletes
This incredible film just won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Outfest film festival.
www.advocate.com/transgender/2019/7/30/changing-game-depicts-joy-and-agony-young-trans-athletes
DA says he won’t prosecute LGBTQ domestic violence cases because gay relationships aren’t real
Craig Northcott is the District Attorney for Coffee County, Tennessee and a self-proclaimed “good Christian man.” But he may soon be without a law license after spouting off his homophobic beliefs at a religious conference and then doubling down on them later.
A letter signed by over 330 lawyers is urging the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility to issue an emergency suspension of Northcott’s law license after he was caught on video telling a religious conference that he doesn’t believe the state’s domestic violence laws apply to LGBTQ people because he doesn’t recognize their relationships as being valid.
“So, what do I do with domestic assaults?” Northcott said on the tape. “On one hand, I don’t prosecute them because I don’t recognize it as marriage. On the other hand, if I don’t prosecute him, then the sinner, the immoral guy, gets less punishment. I say, ‘There’s no marriage to protect.’ So I don’t prosecute it as domestic [assault].”
In response to the leak, Northcott put out a statement saying he personally believes the laws are intended to “promote and protect the sanction of the institutions of marriage and family.”
“I assume that two adults who live together that are of the opposite gender are involved in a marital-type relationship absent some other relationship that suggests otherwise,” Northcott wrote.
Evidently, he didn’t get the memo about the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage back in 2015.
Northcott then tried arguing that, really, he’s honoring LGBTQ people’s wishes, writing, “In fact, my intent was in part to honor what I know has been the desire of the LGBTQ community–keeping the government out of their bedrooms.”
Tennessee’s domestic violence laws apply to any people who live together, regardless of whether they a sexual relationship. This includes roommates, siblings, house guests, etc.
“Mr. Northcott’s written reply to the complaint removes all doubt as to his current defiance of the rule of law and intent to further engage in conduct beneath the decency required of our profession along with raising serious questions as to his competency and fitness to practice,” the five-page letter, which was delivered to the Board yesterday, reads.
It continues: “Any attorney who believes he has the power to ignore the decisions of the United State Supreme Court is in violation of his oath and is disqualified from the practice of law.”
The letter also calls out things Northcott has posted on Facebook, including describing Islam an “evil” religion and comparing it to the Ku Klux Klan and suggesting only true Christians deserve constitutional rights.
“There are no Constitutional rights. There are God given rights protected by the Constitution,” the DA wrote. “If you don’t believe in the one true God, there is nothing to protect. No one other than God has given us any rights.”
Northcott argues that the remarks are based on his religious beliefs and are, therefore, protected under the First Amendment.
Patrick Murphy, First Iraq War Vet to Serve in Congress, Endorses Pete Buttigieg for President
Patrick Murphy (D-PA), Iraq war veteran, former Congressman, and the 32nd under secretary of the U.S. Army , endorsed Pete Buttigieg for president in an op-ed Tuesday in the Military Times.
Wrote Murphy, in part: “Pete’s leadership was forged by combat. His foreign policy experience comes not from attending a committee hearing or a Washington cocktail party, but firsthand from behind the wheel of an armored vehicle in Afghanistan. That’s one of the reasons why I believe Pete is the candidate best prepared to bring an end to our endless war. Unlike President Trump, who has torched our credibility and tarnished our values, Pete appreciates why the United States must work closely with our allies around the world. I’m confident that he will promote American interests and American values abroad. And I appreciate he’s put forth a call to action for national service here at home that will bring together young Americans through the baptism of service that we both experienced when we were deployed overseas.”
“Pete is also deeply committed to upholding the rule of law and repairing our democracy,” Murphy added. “As a former prosecutor and West Point law professor, I grimace when the president disregards our democratic institutions and downplays attacks on our elections. As the Russians continue to interfere in our democracy, I’m confident a President Buttigieg won’t laugh it up with Vladimir Putin — he’ll take him head on. He will fight for a fairer and more inclusive democracy, tackling the corrosive impact of money in politics, reforming our hopelessly politicized Supreme Court, and ensuring that in states like ours in Pennsylvania, voters will pick their politicians instead of the other way around.”
The post Patrick Murphy, First Iraq War Vet to Serve in Congress, Endorses Pete Buttigieg for President appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Patrick Murphy, First Iraq War Vet to Serve in Congress, Endorses Pete Buttigieg for President
Tadd Fujikawa: Golfing for Equality
Golfer and activist Tadd Fujikawa became the first male professional in his sport to come out as gay to help others with his visibility.
“I know that when I was struggling with my own sexuality and coming to terms with that, seeing other people sharing their truth, being authentic and sharing their story really, really helped me and gave me hope,” Fujikawa told HRC. “It made me feel that I wasn’t alone — and that’s the main reason why I came out. I wanted to do the same thing for others and pass it on.”
Yesterday, HRC was proud to present Fujikawa with the HRC Visibility Award at a reception following HRC’s 16th Annual HRC Greater NY Golf Outing in Port Washington, New York. As part of the event, Fujikawa led a golf clinic for 25 young LGBTQ people involved with the local Long Island group, Pride for Youth.
“I’m not big on awards, but this is one of those awards that I really wanted to get. Receiving it means a lot to me,” he said. “I’m thankful for everything that I’ve been given, the people who believe in me and the people I’ve touched with this.”
HRC is proud to recognize the visibility Fujikawa has brought to sports, given that heteronormativity and toxic masculinity permeate many sports, especially in male leagues. Although Fujikawa says his coming out experience was “smooth sailing,” he acknowledges that because of the culture of toxic masculinity, the experience of other LGBTQ athletes could be quite different.
“People don’t realize how much it affects an athlete being LGBTQ. Just the fears of hearing the typical locker room banter can be very traumatic,” Fujikawa said. “Those are the things that I believe we need to try to work on and eliminate from the way we speak. Personally, the way I handled it was by brushing it off and moving forward, but I know people who have been very affected by this.”
These obstacles can keep LGBTQ youth from participating in sports. According to HRC’s 2017 Youth Survey, of LGBTQ youth surveyed who said they didn’t play on their school sports teams, 16% reported not feeling safe participating in sports at school; 20% didn’t feel they would be accepted on their team because they are LGBTQ; and one in 10 transgender and gender-expansive youth didn’t participate because their coaches, teachers and administrators said they couldn’t because of their gender identity.
During his clinic with youth, Fujikawa said he wanted to inspire the young athletes to be their authentic selves while playing sports. As part of the event, Fujikawa held an hour-long discussion with the youth about his experience, the importance of coming out and visibility.
“If I can inspire them and empower them to be more of themselves and that it’s okay to be who you are and that we deserve that and we owe that to ourselves…be yourself, be authentic, be vulnerable, be able to share your true self with the world,” he said. “In my experience, that’s been one of the most authentic things that I have been able to do. It may sound simple, but it can be scary sometimes. If I can leave people with some sort of positivity about that aspect, I can be very happy.”
HRC is proud to honor Fujikawa for the visibility he brings and the work he’s doing to make sports more LGBTQ-inclusive.
www.hrc.org/blog/tadd-fujikawa-golfing-for-equality?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
Jared Polis Honored with HRC Equality Award in Denver
Bishop Defends Belief Anal Makes Gay Babies As Church Doctrine
Neophytos of Morphou went viral with a peculiar take on faith and science. He standing by it.
www.advocate.com/religion/2019/7/30/bishop-defends-belief-anal-makes-gay-babies-church-doctrine
Homophobic politician announces resignation after sending creepy texts professing his love to staffer
Jared O’Mara is a member of British Parliament who was first elected in 2017. But it looks as though his political career is being cut short after he fell in love with a staffer who didn’t reciprocate his feelings.
Jennifer Barnes says O’Mara repeatedly sent her creepy texts while she was under his employ, including several in which he proclaimed his undying love for her.
The 20-year-old said she finally quit her job two weeks ago after she received a 17-paragraph message on WhatsApp from O’Mara that left her “in tears.”
“It almost makes me kind of shiver being spoken to by someone who is 17 years older than me,” she told a reporter. “He is my boss. He’s an MP.”
O’Mara has since apologized for the texts, saying he is “deeply ashamed” for what he wrote to Barnes and blaming the whole thing on a “mental breakdown.”
But this isn’t the first time the 37-year-old has come under fire for writing inappropriate things online.
Last year, homophobic comments he made in an online forum years ago, including calling gay people “poofters,” “heterophobes,” and “fudge packers,” resurfaced.
At the time, O’Mara denied being homophobic, saying the comments were meant to be “satire” and claiming people were “bullying” him for them. When that didn’t work, he tried blaming rapper Eminem for everything.
“I used homophobic words,” he admitted, “but they were the words of the time. They were on the Eminem record that I listened to at the time.”
“I didn’t commit any crimes,” he added, “yet I have been made unfairly to feel like a criminal.”
In response to the latest text scandal, O’Mara announced he will be resigning as a Member of Parliament come September.
“Let everyone be assured I will be tendering my resignation via the official parliamentary procedure as soon as term restarts,” he said in a statement to constituents.
“I’m not well and am in the process receiving medical help.”
Adding another layer of drama to the story, last week, O’Mara’s former communications manager hacked into the MP’s public Twitter account to announce his own resignation.
Ex-staffer Gareth Arnold tweeted from O’Mara’s account: “Comms Team signing off … forever: Jared, you are the most disgustingly morally bankrupt person I have ever had the displeasure of working with. You do not care about your constituents. You do not care about anyone but yourself.”
“I cannot and will not defend you and your vile, inexcusable contempt for the people who voted you in. You selfish, degenerate prick.”
Related: Politician blames rap music for his use of antigay slurs, claims he’s the victim of bullying
Shark Uses Log as Scratching Post in Never-Before-Seen Behavior: WATCH
Happy shark week everyone! Marine biologists off the coast of British Columbia, Canada caught some rare shark behavior on film this week: “Footage shows a 2 meters male Salmon Shark heaving itself onto, and sliding along, a barnacle-encrusted log adrift at sea. Researchers believe the shark was attempting to remove the large, visible parasites from its body and fins—copepods that are detrimental to the shark’s health and swimming efficiency.”
ICYMI: Shark Week Looms, But Don’t Panic
The post Shark Uses Log as Scratching Post in Never-Before-Seen Behavior: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Shark Uses Log as Scratching Post in Never-Before-Seen Behavior: WATCH
#AM_Equality Tipsheet: July 30, 2019
U.S. SOCCER SUPERSTAR MEGAN RAPINOE TALKS WITH NYTIMES MAGAZINE ABOUT HER ACTIVISM, RELATIONSHIP WITH SOCCER AND LOVE OF CELEBRATING: “In this incredible moment that I have, I would like to use this platform to unify people. That doesn’t mean get everybody to the left, but I want to bring everybody to the conversation, and the basis of it is equal rights,” said Rapinoe (@mPinoe). Read the full interview here.
TUESDAY TWEET — HRC HOSTS TWITTER CHAT TO MARK MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH MONTH: HRC was joined online by partners across the country to break down the stigma surrounding mental health in LGBTQ communities and communities of color. Check out the conversation at #MMHMChat.
Yes, exactly.
We have to explicitly name the impact of racism, heterosexism and cissexism on mental health in LGBTQ communities of color. #MHMMChat t.co/FV7CHH0Ajj
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) July 29, 2019
LGBTQ MIGRANTS & ASYLUM SEEKERS FACE “BURDEN OF PROOF” OF THEIR IDENTITIES WHEN ENTERING THE U.S.: “Migrants are forced to reveal private and intimate details about their lives to meet the burden of proof — from the moment they first realized they were queer and/or trans to how many partners they’ve had,” writes Justin Agrelo (@JstnAgrlo) for the Chicago Reader. “An individual judge’s cultural biases have a considerable impact on whether or not an LGBTQ migrant will be granted asylum.” Read the full piece here.
NEW REPORT FROM CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS FINDS BETSY DEVOS IS FAILING TO PROTECT LGBTQ STUDENTS’ CIVIL RIGHTS: More from CAP and The New York Times.
.@LGBTProgress found that under the Trump-Pence administration, LGBTQ-related complaints were 9x less likely to result in corrective action than under the Obama administration.
Betsy DeVos’ @usedgov has failed to protect the rights of LGBTQ students. t.co/lrkv6zlD0W
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) July 29, 2019
RECENT DATA SHOWS MORE BLACK WOMEN ARE IDENTIFYING AS BISEXUAL: Twenty-three percent of Black women ages 18 to 34 now identify as bi — that’s three times higher than it was 10 years ago. Over the last decade, bisexual women have accounted for almost all the growth among those who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. Read more from Newsone.
LOS ANGELES MOVES TO FORMALLY INCLUDE LGBTQ BUSINESSES IN THE CONTRACT PROCESS: With the change, L.A. becomes the largest city in the U.S. to do so. More from Forbes.
OPENLY GAY & HIV POSITIVE PRIEST JIDE MACAULAY WORKS TO END STIGMA AND ADVOCATE FOR INCLUSION: Macaulay (@RevJide) advocates for LGBTQ inclusion and the inclusion of people who are HIV positive in the Church of England. More from PinkNews.
LGBTQ MEDIA GROUP GAY STAR NEWS TO CLOSE TODAY: More from PinkNews.
GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS
FIRST OPENLY TRANS LAWMAKER IN PHILIPPINES URGES COLLEAGUES TO PASS BILL PROTECTING LGBTQ COMMUNITY: More from Manila Bulletin.
HUNDREDS MARCH AGAINST ANTI-TRANSGENDER VIOLENCE IN TEL AVIV: In the wake of a suspected hate crime outside a local LGBTQ center, the marchers denounced violence against Israel’s transgender community. More from The Times of Israel.
IN ADDITION TO GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, TRANSGENDER PEOPLE AND QUEER WOMEN ARE ALSO TARGETS OF CHECHNYA’S ANTI-LGBTQ PURGE: Read the full piece from Natalie Vikhrov (@natalievikhrov) at BuzzFeed.
READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
Midland Reporter-Telegram reports that Texas student Madeleine Mathis has organized the area’s first-ever local Pride event; Complex reports that Lil Nas X song “Old Town Road” has broken the record for the longest time at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!
www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-july-30-2019?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
Be proud to love whoever you want
Angelo Nairod posted a photo:
This is the first photo of my new series of shots titled #BEPROUD. In the past few months I have promoted my first book “Quando i diversi siamo Noi” in my country (Italy) and I have not had time to dedicate myself to photography, till I missed it desperately. I felt like a thirsty man in the desert or like a painter without eyes, so I shot continuously for a few days. Each photo of this new project investigates what it means for me to be proud, starting with this photo entitled: be proud to love whoever you want.
Title: be proud to love whoever you want
Photo by #angelonairod
Assistente: @pasqualeauricchio2093
Models: Giada, @kiri_tank
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