Presenting Queerty’s ‘Out For Good’ 2019 honorees…

In honor of National Coming Out Day, welcome to the final list of Queerty’s Out for Good, an 11-part series of mini-profiles celebrating coming out and those who made public declarations to break down barriers for others like them.

The year’s honorees constitute a range of folk from all walks of public life. From a 27-year-old mixed-race Danish professional hockey goalkeeper to the 58-year-old mayor of Ottawa, these courageous individuals might not be the richest or most famous people. In a difficult time for minorities, they share a dedication to living their own truth every day and to having a positive effect on society in the process.

It takes courage to come out. It takes courage to announce to the world that you are willing to stand up and be a role model dedicated to making the world a more accepting place.

These eleven individuals showed the rest of the world how it is done.

With no further ado, and in no particular order, here they are…

1. Connor Jessup, actor

Jessup came out because he believes “queerness is a solution” to the world’s woes.

2. Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa

Watson came out with a warning to others not to waste time, and to come out as early in life as you feel comfortable.

3. Matt Easton, BYU valedictorian

Easton brought attention to the anti-LGBTQ attitudes of the Mormon church, and those of his alma mater Brigham Young University to set other students free.

4. Jonathan Van Ness, humanitarian style maven

For Van Ness, coming out as non-binary pushed back against femme shaming. Coming out as HIV+ brought attention to and helped humanize people living with the virus.

5. Bella Thorne, actor/model

Bella Thorne wanted the world to know she’s attracted to people, regardless of gender identity.

6. Lilly Singh, comedian & YouTuber

Singh came out to her huge following as a way of accepting herself whileprojecting her queer “superpowers”… “Female, Coloured, Bisexual”.

7. Lil Nas X, chart-topping rapper

Lil Nas X wanted to come out to destigmatize homosexuality in the world of hip-hop.

8. Ryan Russell, former college & NFL player

NFLer Russell made his personal disclosure in order to be a better teammate and to bolster his own self-esteem so he could, in turn, help others.

9. Tyler Blackburn, actor

Blackburn came out as bisexual in an open letter to himself, and as a demonstration of honesty to other young men feeling the same way.

10. Shiho Shimoyamada, Japanese soccer star

On her way to the 2020 Olympics, Shimoyamada wanted the world to know she is gay so they would finally begin to see LGBTQ women in sports.

11. Jon Lee-Olsen, pro hockey goalkeeper

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Lee-Olsen became only the third male pro hockey player to ever come out. He did so in a live interview to open the door to other queer athletes in sports.

www.queerty.com/presenting-queertys-good-2019-honorees-20191011?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Harry Styles Gets Shirtless, Sweaty and Sexual in ‘Lights Up’ — WATCH

Harry Styles has returned with “Lights Up,” his first new music in more than two years. In the clip, filmed in Mexico, Styles is drenched in sweat and surrounded by men and women in a dreamy, sexualized mosh pit.

Styles told Rolling Stone that psychedelics had an impact on the album: “He joked about naming the project Mushrooms and Blood, following an incident where he bit off the tip of his tongue after ingesting the drug. ‘We’d do mushrooms, lie down on the grass, and listen to Paul McCartney’s Ram in the sunshine.’”

“Lights Up” was produced by Tyler Johnson with additional production by Kid Harpoon (Tom Hull), who both co-wrote the track with Styles.

The post Harry Styles Gets Shirtless, Sweaty and Sexual in ‘Lights Up’ — WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Harry Styles Gets Shirtless, Sweaty and Sexual in ‘Lights Up’ — WATCH

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: October 11, 2019

HRC CELEBRATES 31ST ANNUAL NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY: Every year on October 11, National Coming Out Day (NCOD) emphasizes the importance of coming out and creating a safe world in which LGBTQ people can live openly as their authentic selves. Research shows that when an individual knows someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support LGBTQ equality. Today, HRC is also highlighting a few of the standout coming out moments in pop culture from the last year. For more information and resources on NCOD, visit HRC’s Coming Out Center. 

• In honor of NCOD, HRC also launched a powerful video campaign highlighting inspirational stories of celebrities and influencers who have come out over the past year, including Lil Nas X (@LilNasX), Ryan Russell (@RKRelentless), Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn), Willow Smith (@OfficialWillow) and Lilly Singh (@Lilly). 
• HRC Foundation’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council celebrates NCOD with advice for supporting and affirming trans and non-binary kids in their identities. More from HRC. 

LAST NIGHT, HRC FOUNDATION & CNN CO-HOSTED A HISTORIC TOWN HALL EVENT, POWER OF OUR PRIDE, IN LOS ANGELES: Thank you to the candidates, staff and volunteers and all who tuned in last night. In the months ahead, HRC is eager to do our part to ensure we elect a president who will defend the rights of all Americans, including LGBTQ people. Check out highlights from the night here, and read more from Los Angeles Times and NBC News. 

The issues affecting the transgender community raised at tonight’s #EqualityTownHall needed to be heard. This is a community in crisis. Black trans women are dying. This epidemic of deadly violence demands attention by all Americans.

— Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid) October 11, 2019

FEEL-GOOD FRIDAY — EVERY COMING OUT EXPERIENCE IS UNIQUE AND MUST BE NAVIGATED IN THE WAY MOST COMFORTABLE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL: Today and every day, HRC celebrates YOU! More here. 

Every coming out experience is unique and must be navigated in the way most comfortable for the individual. On the 31st anniversary of #NationalComingOutDay, and every day, @HRC celebrates YOU! pic.twitter.com/DC0flNiR4d

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2019

“SMOKE AND MIRRORS” — DESPITE RHETORIC TO THE CONTRARY, THE TRUMP-PENCE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT SUPPORTING LGBTQ PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE: More from Dan Spinelli (@danspinelli902) at Mother Jones. 

CALIFORNIANS NO LONGER NEED A PRESCRIPTION IN ORDER TO ACCESS PREP: PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is a once-daily pill regimen that can significantly reduce the chances of contracting HIV. More from the Associated Press. 

“THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY IS AS DIVERSE AS THE FABRIC OF THIS NATION”: HRC Deputy Press Secretary Elliott Kozuch (@ElliottKozuch) on the importance of not assuming anyone’s gender or sexuality: “There is no one way for an LGBTQ person to look or act. If we assume the LGBTQ community is a monolith, we erase the beautiful diversity that makes up our humanity.” Read more from Griffin Wynne (@GriffinWynne) at Elite Daily. 

TURN OUT TO SUPPORT 27 HRC-BACKED CANDIDATES IN VIRGINIA: Learn how to get involved with HRC here. 

⚠️ The Virginia elections are one month away and we have a lot of work left to do. There are 27 @HRC-backed candidates who need our support. Come out, join us — and don’t forget to vote on November 5. #VALeg t.co/TN5eeluU3Y

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 10, 2019

ICE APPEALS RULING THAT GRANTED ASYLUM TO JOURNALIST FROM CUBA: Yariel Valdés González (@valdes_yariel), who was held in ICE custody in abhorrent conditions, was persecuted in Cuba because of his work. More from Washington Blade. 

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF KRAKÓW, POLAND ADDS TO RISING ANTI-LGBTQ SENTIMENT IN THE COUNTRY BY WRITING ANTI-LGBTQ LETTER: More from PinkNews. 

• Leading up to Sunday’s elections, Poland’s ruling party continues to push hateful, anti-LGBTQ messages, saying that LGBTQ people are a threat to society. More from HRC and Slate.

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

Elite Daily reviews what rights and resources to know before coming out at work; LGBTQ Nation talks with HRC Global Innovator Damián Cabrera-Candelaria about what drives his work for LGBTQ equality.

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-october-11-2019?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Coming Out Day: A Brief History

The origin story of October 11.

www.advocate.com/exclusives/2019/10/11/coming-out-day-brief-history

Elizabeth Warren’s Snappy Comeback to Marriage Equality Question is Going Viral for All the Right Reasons: WATCH

Elizabeth Warren’s response to a question posed at Thursday night’s Equality Town Hall is going viral.

Warren was asked what she’d say if an “old fashioned” supporter approached her and said “Senator, I’m old fashioned, and my faith teaches me that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

This Elizabeth Warren answer was quite a moment at CNN #EqualityTownHall pic.twitter.com/ThpI7YSO8M

— MJ Lee (@mj_lee) October 11, 2019

Quipped Warren to roars of laughter and approval: “Well, I’m going to assume it’s a guy who said that, and I’m gonna say, then just marry one woman. … I’m cool with that. Assuming you can find one.”

The post Elizabeth Warren’s Snappy Comeback to Marriage Equality Question is Going Viral for All the Right Reasons: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Elizabeth Warren’s Snappy Comeback to Marriage Equality Question is Going Viral for All the Right Reasons: WATCH