A friend literally paid me to go into Epiphany and gamble for them. My reward: Pretty much free reign to keep the colors I liked most from the RIOT gacha. I saw it advertised and knew I needed the pants for absolutely certain.
…And since I was there already, I wandered around spending even more. Oy vey.
Anyway. Me wandering around in copious amounts of leather isn’t actually all that odd or different. Trying out some new eyes though.
Took this in Firestorm because I didn’t feel like switching viewers. Had to fix that blasted stitching glitch in post. Bleh.
Utah condom campaign halted as Governor objects to “lewd” packaging
Some of the Utah condom packets (Photo: Utah Department of Health)
A safer sex campaign in Utah has been put on hold as the Governor doesn’t like the sexual innuendo on the packaging.
Utah Department of Health launched its ‘Hi is for Human’ HIV campaign recently.
The campaign includes distributing condoms in packets that make humorous references to Utah state and its landmarks. The condoms were sent to local Utah health departments, community groups, the Utah AIDS Foundation and the University of Utah.
Themed condoms from the Utah department of health to help fight HIV. These are great ? pic.twitter.com/dDBlrfRVgR
“It’s really just to destigmatize HIV in Utah, and get everybody talking about sexual health,” said Erin Fratto, of the Utah Department of Health’s Prevention Treatment and Care Program, on Wednesday before the governor took action.
“If the condoms are fun, relatable, sex-positive — people are more apt to talk about them, which we’ve already seen.”
The plans went better than planned… people all over the world are now talking about the campaign!
Packets included slogans such as “SL, UT” (a play on Salt Lake City, Utah), and “Greatest Sex On Earth,” a twist on the state being known for the “Greatest Snow On Earth.”
Other phrases included “Explore Utah’s Caves,” “Toss The Jello Salad,” “You into bare?” (with an illustration of a bear) and “Uintah sex?.”
However, Governor Gary Herbert did not appreciate the approach.
A statement from his office read, “The Governor understands the importance of the Utah Department of Health conducting a campaign to educate Utahns about HIV prevention.
“He does not, however, approve the use of sexual innuendo as part of a taxpayer-funded campaign.”
“The Utah Department of Health apologizes for the offensive packaging included on condoms distributed as part of an HIV campaign. The designs did not go through necessary approval channels and we have asked our partners to stop distributing them immediately.
“We regret the lewd nature of the branding.
“We remain committed to running a campaign to help in the prevention of HIV and intend to do so in a manner that better respects taxpayer dollars, and our role as a government agency.”
The campaign will now be re-designed. It’s understood that 130,000 condoms had been ordered as part of the campaign and 42,000 had already been distributed.
Ron Reagan: My Father Would Have Considered Trump a Traitor and ‘Sh*t Down His Flabby Neck’
Ron Reagan, the son of President Ronald Reagan, says his father would have considered Donald Trump an incompetent traitor who is betraying the country.
“My father would—although he might not use words like this because he was a fairly genteel person—my father would pinch Trump’s empty head off and shit down his flabby neck,” Reagan told the Daily Beast in an interview published Friday.
“My father would have been ashamed of this Republican Party,” Ron Reagan added. “He would have been embarrassed and ashamed that a president of the United States was as incompetent and traitorous as the man occupying the White House now. He’s a disgrace to the office of the presidency.”
The Daily Beast’s Tim Teeman spoke with Reagan, a lifelong atheist, after his 2015 ad for the Freedom From Religion Foundation — which works to keep church and state separate—aired on some networks Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate.
As a supporter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Ron Reagan is effectively working to undo his father’s legacy. President Reagan welcomed the “moral majority,” and it was during his administration that the marriage between evangelical Christians and the Republican Party began.
In the interview, Ron Reagan addresses not only this issue, but also his father’s horrific record on HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ issues, and even rumors that he’s gay (he’s not). Reagan says his father was not privately homophobic, but failed to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic for several years due to a combination of ignorance and politics.
“My father was surrounded by people of a mind to ignore it,” he said. “As president of the United States you rely on people to funnel information to you. And he would not have been someone on his own to read up on the disease. …
“I spoke to him about it, my mother did. When Rock Hudson died of AIDS [in 1985], it suddenly woke him up. He knew Rock was gay, of course. It didn’t diminish his affection for him. He and his administration were slow to get on board. I won’t defend that, but it wasn’t as if he came into office with a fully blown AIDS crisis on hand. At that point, nobody knew what it was. …
“We are now in the present. You’re not going to get anywhere by attacking Ronald Reagan. He’s dead and gone. His administration is long gone. We have to focus on the present. What happens now? Who is responsible now going forward? What we have to focus on is getting this asshole out of the White House and his homophobic friends, and speaking forthrightly of the vitriol and venom embedded in this evangelism right now, today.”
HRC — NEW TRUMP-PENCE REGULATIONS UNDERMINE LGBTQ RIGHTS: Yesterday, the Trump-Pence White House announced the publication of proposed rules revising the regulations that guide the participation of faith-based organizations as service providers of federally funded programs. Said HRC President Alphonso David(@AlphonsoDavid): “The right to believe and to exercise one’s faith is a core American value. The right to discriminate with taxpayer dollars is not. These regulations would dismantle meaningful protections for beneficiaries of these federally funded programs and strip away basic notice requirements designed to ensure that beneficiaries know their rights to be free from discrimination and their right to an alternative, non-religious provider. Taxpayer funds should not be used to allow discrimination.” More from HRC and Advocate.
FEEL GOOD FRIDAY — POSE ACTOR AND SINGER DYLLÓN BURNSIDE RECEIVES HRC VISIBILITY AWARD AT SOUTH FLORIDA DINNER: In remarks at the dinner, he shared a (super) powerful message to LGBTQ people everywhere. Watch Burnside’s (@dyllonburnside) acceptance speech here. More from South Florida Gay News.
WATCH: Pose star Dyllón Burnside faced rejection after coming out, but he says that his LGBTQ identity is one of his greatest strengths.
FAST COMPANY ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR ‘QUEER 50’ — CELEBRATING LGBTQ WOMEN AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE IN BUSINESS: More from Fast Company.
AT CREATING CHANGE CONFERENCE IN DALLAS — ADVOCATES HOLD RALLY TO CALL ATTENTION TO EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE AGAINST TRANS AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING COMMUNITY: More from Dallas Morning News.
GET CULTURED – Entertainment, arts and sports news!
MEXICO AND MONTERREY SOCCER PLAYER JESUS GALLARDO SUSPENDED FOR TWO GAMES FOR ANTI-LGBTQ CHANTS: More from ESPN.
GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS
EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS FINDS LITHUANIA VIOLATED CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS BY FAILING TO INVESTIGATE ANTI-LGBTQ HARASSMENT: More from ILGA Europe.
CHILEAN SENATE VOTES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH BILL TO LEGALIZE MARRIAGE EQUALITY: More from Telesur.
READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
DW interviews openly gay Guatemalan Congressman, Aldo Davila (@AldoDavilagt); Reuters profiles the “Unnie Choir,” a Korean LGBTQ choir that uses song to advocate for equality
