Queer US athlete wears rainbow sneaker at Qatar championships

Queer US athlete wears rainbow sneaker at Qatar championships

 

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A US heptathlete wore her trademark sneakers with a rainbow strap during her appearance last night at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Qatar has a poor record for LGBTQ rights and same-sex sexual activity is punishable with prison.

It’s just one of the reasons – besides the sweltering hot temperatures – why some advocates and athletes have criticized the decision to allow the event to take place in the Middle East country.

Related: Journalist writes about using hook-up apps in Qatar, where gay sex is punishable by death

Yesterday, US athlete Erica Bougard, 26, took part in the heptathlon. During the High Jump part of the event, she wore sneakers with a rainbow strap across the top of one shoe. She has been wearing the same strap for most of this year.

 

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Bougard, who has competed for Mississipi State, has been with her girlfriend for the past year.

Following her appearance, Bougard spoke about her decision to wear the shoes with the pride flag.

“I only did it to show everybody love is love, and whether you’re against it or not, I’m still for it,” she told a Swedish reporter. “And then for all the young people out there, if you’re ever frightened, don’t ever feel sad, don’t ever have suicidal thoughts, because it’s normal to me, so it should be to you, so don’t be afraid to come out.”

Related: Newly out Ryan Russell has something to tell the NFL about LGBTQ athletes

Asked if she’d had any second thoughts about wearing the pride flag in a country like Qatar, she responded: “I didn’t have second thoughts because I didn’t know it was illegal.

“I pretty much forgot what was on my shoe because I’ve been doing it all year. When I pulled my shoes out, nobody said anything upfront when I got checked, so I just wore my shoes, I just went for it.”

The same reporter told Bougard she was probably the first to make a stand in Doha for gay rights. He pointed out she had been applauded for doing so on social media, prompting an embarrassed Bougard to respond, “I love all the praise, and if somebody hates it, then what can you do, what can you say, it’s social media.

“I can cut my phone off and not see what anyone says about me … but sometimes you have to take a stand and that’s what I did.”

Asked by Associated Press if she had concerns about getting into trouble, she said, “I’m not afraid of the consequences. I feel like I’m well protected,” and if anything were to happen, “I’ll be on the first flight out.”

At the end of day one of the heptathlon, Bougard was in fourth place, with Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Great Britain), Nafi Thiam (Belgium) and Kendell Williams (US) taking first, second and third place.

Bougard continues in the heptathlon today, with the long jump, javelin, and 800-meter run.

Good luck, Erica!

www.queerty.com/queer-us-athlete-wears-rainbow-sneaker-qatar-championships-20191003?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Not Even Global Apocalypse Can Stop Matt from Recruiting Dan to Do His ‘Webisodes’ — WATCH

Not Even Global Apocalypse Can Stop Matt from Recruiting Dan to Do His ‘Webisodes’ — WATCH

Matt and Dan face the end of the world in the latest “webisode” of their eponymous series, but it will not stop an intrepid filmmaker.

For more episodes of Matt & Dan, created by and starring Matthew Wilkas and Daniel Vincent Gordh, click HERE.

The post Not Even Global Apocalypse Can Stop Matt from Recruiting Dan to Do His ‘Webisodes’ — WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Not Even Global Apocalypse Can Stop Matt from Recruiting Dan to Do His ‘Webisodes’ — WATCH

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: October 3, 2019

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: October 3, 2019

HRC AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON D.C. COUNCIL TO DECRIMINALIZE SEX WORK: “As lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and allied organizations, we know that the decriminalization of sex work in D.C. is critical to the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community, including by improving public health and decreasing the vulnerability of marginalized sex workers, particularly transgender women of color,” reads a letter from the advocates to members of the D.C. Council. More from Washington Blade, Metro Weekly and HRC

.@HRC was proud to join @NCLRights, @HIPSDC, @TransEquality, @LambdaLegal & other partner organizations to call on @councilofdc and urge them to support @cmdgrosso’s bill to decriminalize sex work in DC.

We must eliminate criminal penalties for consensual sex work. #DeCrimNOW pic.twitter.com/57BuJAg1UI

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 2, 2019

GROUNDBREAKING STUDY FINDS USE OF LIFE-SAVING PREP LOW AMONG TRANS MEN: Barriers include lack of health insurance, poor access to HIV testing centers or a lack of proper adherence, the Fenway Institute study found.“Transgender MSM have been invisible in both transgender HIV prevention efforts and in cis MSM prevention delivery,” study co-author Dr. Sari Reisner, director of Transgender Health Research at The Fenway Institute (@FenwayHealth) and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, said in a statement. More from HIV Plus Mag

OHIO HOUSE SPEAKER LARRY HOUSEHOLDER REJECTS NON-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS FOR STAFF: “This action underscores the need to pass statewide non-discrimination protections in Ohio — a proposal that has broad support from the public and from over 800 Ohio businesses,” said HRC Ohio State Director Shawn Copeland (@Sdcopeland3). More from Cleveland.com.  

THANKFUL THURSDAY — UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PROFESSOR AMY KO COMES OUT AS TRANS IN POWERFUL LETTER: “I’ve had nearly everything that a trans person needs to transition and thrive — aside from space to come out as a child — and yet accepting myself and transitioning has still been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Ko (@amyjko) wrote on Medium. More from NBC

“Sharing this…has led a lot of other people in the world coming out to me…just hundreds of people scared to be themselves and by me being public about this, that’s helped them have a little bit more courage.”

Thank you, @amyjko, for being visible.t.co/JZZenwnV1q

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 2, 2019

NEW SURVEY REPORTS THAT ONE IN FIVE LGBTQ YOUTH IDENTIFY AS OTHER THAN GAY, LESBIAN OR BISEXUAL: More from Washington Blade

MARYLAND LAW TO ALLOW NON-BINARY OPTION ON PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT TAKES EFFECT: The Maryland State Senate voted in favor of the law in February. Twelve states now offer a non-binary  option on identification documents, as well as jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C. and New York City. More from New York Daily News

As of this week, Maryland residents are now able to obtain a gender-neutral state ID. ❤️���� t.co/twPTOlvPNT

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 3, 2019

PORTLAND MAN FACES CHARGES FOR ATTACKING TRANS WOMAN: More from The Register-Guard

GET CULTURED – Entertainment, arts and sports news!

TRANSGENDER MAN MAKES HISTORY WITH POWERFUL STORY AND PERFORMANCE ON NBC’S THE VOICE: More from Yahoo

NETFLIX’S LIVING UNDOCUMENTED FEATURES STORIES OF SAME-SEX COUPLES FACING POTENTIAL DEPORTATION: More from The Advocate

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

TRANSGENDER WOMAN PROFILED BY ICE, RAISING CONCERNS FOR HER SAFETY IN DETENTION: Naomi Rosales-Ramirez is being detained in an all-male facility. More from The Arizona Republic.

ACTIVISTS TO SUE TO OVERTURN TAIWAN’S RESTRICTIONS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGES BETWEEN TAIWANESE AND FOREIGN PARTNERS:
The ban remains in place despite Taiwan’s vote to legalize same-sex marriage last May. More from Taiwan News.

GAY, UNJUSTLY CONVICTED AND STILL DENIED A PARDON: Two years after the Alan “Turing law” was passed to rectify the injustice, very few of the many gay men convicted have had their records expunged. More from BBC

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
The Advocate reports that Pope Francis expressed care for LGBTQ people in a meeting with the Rev. James Martin, a strong LGBTQ ally in the Roman Catholic Church

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-3-2019?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Ed Buck indicted by federal grand jury for second overdose death

Ed Buck indicted by federal grand jury for second overdose death

Ed Buck, Democratic donor, West Hollywood, Gemmel Moore, Timothy Dean

Wealthy former businessman and Democrat party donor Ed Buck was indicted by federal prosecutors yesterday. They accuse him of providing the meth that led to the second overdose death to take place at his West Hollywood home.

The same prosecutors indicted him last month concerning the first overdose death, that of Gemmel Moore, 26, in 2017.

Yesterday Buck, 65, faced indictment relating to the death of Timothy Dean, 55, in January of this year.

If found guilty, he potentially faces life in jail without parole.

Related: Ed Buck served eviction notice at West Hollywood apartment

Buck’s been under scrutiny since Moore died at his house in summer 2017. Although no charges were brought at the time, friends and family of Moore pushed for authorities to investigate further. Moore had left a diary in which he blamed Buck for introducing him to crystal meth.

Other young men came forward to say that Buck had a fetish for drugging men or persuading them to take drugs. Some said he had injected them while they were asleep.

When a second man, Dean, died of an overdose at Buck’s home in January 2019, the scrutiny intensified. However, Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to prosecute, citing insufficient evidence.

Then, last month, a third man overdosed at Buck’s home but managed to escape and seek medical help. He says Buck had tried to dissuade him from getting assistance.

This was enough for state prosecutors to arrest Buck and charge him with battery causing serious injury, administering methamphetamine and maintaining a drug house.

Related: Wealthy Democratic donor Ed Buck arrested after third man overdoses in his home 

However, that arrest was followed by federal prosecutors bringing their case against Buck. This includes yesterday’s indictment, directly associating him with the previous two overdose deaths. He also faces federal charges of distributing meth.

Last month’s state prosecution case went into details about Buck’s alleged private life, including a fondness for sex with homeless black men or vulnerable addicts. Yesterday’s indictment backed up these allegations.

It said Buck met most of his victims via Adam4Adam or had a “recruiter” to find them. It offered no further details on the identity of the recruiter.

Prosecutors say they have identified 11 victims in the last two years: men believed to have been given drugs in exchange for sexual favors.

In yesterday’s indictment, the Grand Jury wrote Buck targeted “vulnerable individuals who were destitute, homeless and/or struggled with drug addiction, in order to exploit the relative wealth and power imbalance between them.”

The charges were welcome by friends and families of the two men.

“This ordeal has been painful for so many,” Walter Harris, a longtime friend of Dean, told Los Angeles Times.

“Although I’m happy justice has found its way through all the red tape, delays and uneven landscape of the law, it’s with a heavy heart because our friend and brother and two mothers’ sons are not here with us. So it’s hard to be really happy.”

Buck’s attorney, Seymour Amster, has yet to issue any comment in response to his client’s indictment.

www.queerty.com/ed-buck-indicted-federal-grand-jury-second-overdose-death-20191003?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Jacob Wohl Ridiculed for New Smear Attempt: Elizabeth Warren Had ‘Long-Term Sexual Relationship’ with 24-Year-Old Marine

Jacob Wohl Ridiculed for New Smear Attempt: Elizabeth Warren Had ‘Long-Term Sexual Relationship’ with 24-Year-Old Marine

Wohl and Burkman at a press conference attempting to smear Pete Buttigieg when the trash collectors showed up.

Far right conspiracy theorist operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, who have failed in attempts to smear Pete Buttigieg, Robert Mueller, and Kamala Harris, among others, are holding a press conference this afternoon to try their luck with Elizabeth Warren.

They’re claiming Warren had a long-term sexual relationship with a 24-year-old Marine that will “shock the conscious (sic) of the nation.” Wohl alleges that Warren “solicited” the Marine “from a prominent website utilized by sex workers.”

I hope @ewarren prints this out and does massive leaflet drops over her events. pic.twitter.com/vV5OnLV1Fw

— shauna (@goldengateblond) October 2, 2019

Congrats to Elizabeth Warren on rising so quickly in the polls she forced Jacob Wohl to write erotica about her. pic.twitter.com/w73YkrEbu2

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) October 3, 2019

Look, I get that this is BS and the “decorated, former U.S. Marine” will mysteriously cancel on the event, but Elizabeth Warren being a voracious cougar who hooks up with 24-year-old bodybuilders would make me want to vote for her pic.twitter.com/P6lOdAFxwt

— Caroline McCarthy (@caro) October 3, 2019

I’m familiar with Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman’s tactics. I’m also familiar with the sexist double standards used against powerful woman running for office. But I have to say, I never saw this one coming.

On a serious note, I don’t think a Marine could handle Elizabeth Warren. pic.twitter.com/H8LDucD2ON

— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) October 3, 2019

honestly if senator warren really was smashing some 24 year old Marine bodybuilder, i’d vote for her twice. t.co/ZlWTwEZs1F

— The Warax, but spooky. (@iAmTheWarax) October 3, 2019

The post Jacob Wohl Ridiculed for New Smear Attempt: Elizabeth Warren Had ‘Long-Term Sexual Relationship’ with 24-Year-Old Marine appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Jacob Wohl Ridiculed for New Smear Attempt: Elizabeth Warren Had ‘Long-Term Sexual Relationship’ with 24-Year-Old Marine