Showtime Airs the Painful Complications of Trans Bottom Surgery

A trans woman shares how complications from bottom surgery incited physical and emotional pain on Showtime’s Couples Therapy.

www.advocate.com/transgender/2019/9/26/showtime-airs-painful-complications-trans-bottom-surgery

Radio host who was called gay slur by station’s Twitter page accused of sending the tweet himself

Seth Dunlap is the host of the weeknight sports show “The Last Lap With Seth Dunlap” on WWL Radio in New Orleans. He’s also gay.

Earlier this month, he was called a “f*g” by the station’s official Twitter page after he wrote an open letter to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees about his partnership with the antigay hate group Focus on the Family.

Related: Radio host who was called a “f*g” on his station’s Twitter page says he’s taking some time off

Now, according to a police report, the station claims Dunlap tweeted the slur himself by accessing the station’s official Twitter account through his personal cellphone. Not only that, but he allegedly threatened to go “scorched earth” if they didn’t pay him $1.85 million in damages.

NOLA.com reports:

The police report, which summarizes allegations leveled by WWL’s Senior Vice President Kevin Cassidy and attorneys for the station’s corporate parent, Entercom, suggested law enforcement was still working to corroborate the station’s allegations. For now, police have classified the case as a possible extortion, which Louisiana law defines, in part, as “the communication of threats to another with the intention (to) obtain anything of value.”

The station says a forensic expert determined the tweet was sent “from an Internet protocol address associated with Dunlap’s cell” and that CCTV footage taken inside the building showed Dunlap was “in his office with the door closed at the time the tweet was sent.”

But his attorney, Megan Kiefer, says Entercom is “illegally (using) the threat of criminal prosecution” to bully Dunlap into agreeing to a lower settlement.

She also says Dunlap didn’t have access to WWL Radio’s Twitter profile and accuses Entercom of trying to “create a narrative to avoid its own culpability by implicating any innocent employee, including Seth.”

Furthermore, Kiefer notes, a polygraph test taken by Dunlap earlier this week showed no indication of lying when he was asked if he had any involvement whatsoever with the tweet.

Clearly, there’s more to this story that will surely come out as the police continue their investigation.

If the accusations against Dunlap prove to be true, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

Related: Drew Brees to people criticizing his work with antigay hate group: “Shame on you!”

www.queerty.com/radio-host-called-gay-slur-stations-twitter-page-accused-sending-tweet-20190926?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

HRC Honors National Gay Men’s HIV & AIDS Awareness Day 2019

Today, HRC marks National Gay Men’s HIV & AIDS Awareness Day, which provides a vital opportunity to shine a spotlight on the disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS on gay and bisexual men in the U.S.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gay and bisexual men are the population most affected by HIV, comprising 70% of all new diagnoses in the U.S. in 2017. More than a third of those newly diagnosed are Black and African American men, followed by Latinx men.

The theme of this year’s CDC campaign is “the conversation about HIV is changing,” anchored in the new tools and advances we have to combat HIV in our communities. Far too many people living with HIV do not know their status and are unaware of the current realities of HIV prevention, treatment and care. 

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. 

If trends continue, one in six gay and bisexual men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, including one in two black gay and bisexual men, one in four Latinx gay and bisexual men, and one in 11 white gay and bisexual men.

Recently, non-binary author and reality TV star Jonathan Van Ness bravely opened up about surviving sexual abuse and living with HIV, kickstarting a long overdue national conversation about the current realities of HIV treatment and care in the U.S. His new memoir “Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love,” provides a powerful look into Van Ness’ journey to embrace self-love and acceptance. 

Stigma and shame prevent many — particularly LGBTQ people — from talking with their health care providers about these issues due to fear of discrimination. Breaking through this wall of silence and sharing stories about the impact of HIV & AIDS on our communities is a key part of the fight to end HIV. 

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

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-honors-national-gay-mens-hiv-aids-awareness-day-2019?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Man who shot transgender woman admits to using homophobic slurs before opening fire

And in news from the ghastly files…

Dallas resident Domingo Ramirez-Cavente, 29, has admitted to using homophobic slurs before shooting a transgender woman in the chest while she stood at a bus stop.

Police arrested Ramirez-Cavente after an incident last Saturday night. Local surveillance cameras caught him pulling his truck up in front of the victim before opening fire, shooting her multiple times. Now Ramirez-Cavente has admitted that he also shouted homophobic slurs at the woman, as well as made derogatory remarks about her gender prior to the shooting.

Related: National Center for Transgender Equality has endured multiple bomb threats over the past year

CBS reports: “Ramirez-Cavente began ‘speaking derogatorily of gay and transgender people’ so the 35-year-old victim walked away. Because of the encounter, the victim left the area and went to a nearby bus stop to wait on the bus. Police say Ramirez-Cavente admitted that it was then that he drove his truck over next to the victim, pulled out a handgun and fired several shots. The victim was hit multiple times in the chest and arm and had to undergo surgery. Authorities say the woman’s injuries prevented her from speaking with them until Sunday.”

Police have charged Ramirez-Cavente with aggravated assault, but have yet to declare the shooting a hate crime.

www.queerty.com/man-shot-transgender-woman-admits-using-homophobic-slurs-opening-fire-20190926?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

What Latinx Heritage Month Means to One HRC Staffer

Post submitted by HRC Health & Aging Program Associate Director Marcos Garcia

Latinx Heritage Month means a lot to me because it helped make me who I am today.

Every year growing up, my hometown of Perth Amboy would come together and celebrate my many Latinx-identified neighbors — all of them so proud of where they came from. These celebrations were where I fell in love with being a Puerto Rican-Guatemalan kid from New Jersey.

I’ve kept those memories close to my heart for years and they’ve helped me adjust to a world that doesn’t always greet being Latinx and part of the LGBTQ community with the same warm welcome.

Living at the intersection of two worlds so under attack can be exhausting. You turn on the news and you see people who look and act just like me — fighting against an administration hellbent on invalidating our existence.

In my six-plus years at the Human Rights Campaign, I’m proud to see us not only elevate LGBTQ Latinx voices (like in this video), but also prioritize and tackle these issues head-on.

As we celebrate #LatinxHeritageMonth at @HRC, we sat down with advocates to talk about celebrating the intersections of Latinx and LGBTQ identities. #HispanicHeritageMonth pic.twitter.com/VOULQIIs2F

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) September 22, 2019

We’re fighting for DREAMers and the passage of DACA, and we’ll continue to work with our coalition partners to call out the atrocities facing undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers at the border. 

The HRC Foundation also released two updated resources last year — both in English and Spanish — to specifically serve the LGBTQ Latinx community:

• “Coming Out: Living Authentically as LGBTQ Latinx Americans” was designed to aid LGBTQ Latinx Americans in navigating the intersectional challenges when coming out.
• “LGBTQ Latinx Youth Report” looks at the unique struggles and challenges our youth face every day.

I am proud of the work that went into creating these resources, but there is so much more to be done.

Whether you’re an LGBTQ Latinx individual or an ally, I hope you’ll use this Latinx Heritage Month to honor the contributions of Latinx, Hispanic and Latino-identified communities, and put in the hard work it takes to make our world better.

www.hrc.org/blog/what-latinx-heritage-month-means-to-one-hrc-staffer?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed