Eminem shares his Grindr photo, Grindr messages back

Grindr pulled an “I don’t know her” on Eminem after the rapper swapped out Tinder for Grindr in his version of the popular Dolly Parton Challenge.

Here’s Em’s tweet, showing the photos he could use as profile pics on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Grindr — the last of which is a 1999 David LaChapelle portrait of a nude Slim Shady gripping a suggestively placed stick of dynamite.

And here’s Grindr’s one-word clapback: “Who?”

Twitter users loved the diss, with multiple commenting, “Drag him.”

Related: Nick Cannon’s bid for relevance by spewing homophobic garbage at Eminem is totally backfiring

This isn’t the “Lose Yourself” performer’s first run-in with Grindr: In a 2017 Vulture interview, he said he finds dates on both Tinder and Grindr, a claim his representative then had to walk back.

Anyway, Em’s history of homophobic lyrics is probably the reason Grindr has an ax to grind(r). He has dropped the f-word gay slur on many occasions, most recently in 2018 in reference to Tyler, the Creator.

“It’s astonishing, really, that after 30 years in the game Eminem, who began rapping when he was 14, still hasn’t found a new insult,” The Independent’s Roisin O’Connor observed at the time.

Related: Weirdly enough, Elton John doesn’t think Eminem is homophobic

In the same Vulture interview, however, the 15-time Grammy winner contended he doesn’t have a homophobic bone in his body:

So when I started getting flack for it, I thought, Alright, you people think I’m homophobic? Watch this. Hence the Ken Kaniff character and all that stuff. I was trying to push the buttons of people who were calling me something that I wasn’t. The honest-to-God truth is that none of that matters to me: I have no issue with someone’s sexuality, religion, race, none of that. Anyone who’s followed my music knows I’m against bullies — that’s why I hate that f*cking bully Trump.

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French Rugby Team Awards New Contract to Israel Folau, Who Said ‘Hell Awaits All Homosexuals’

The French rugby team Catalans Dragons has signed Israel Folau, who was canned by Rugby Australian after remarks on social media that “Hell awaits all homosexuals” (among other anti-LGTBQ statements) to a one-year contract.

The Dragons organization said it wanted to give Folau a “new opportunity to shine.”

The move has inspired outrage in rugby circles, The Guardian reports: “This deep-rooted concern is echoed by many within rugby league, who fear the arrival of Folau could cause significant PR damage for the sport. Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) made it abundantly clear in the wake of Folau’s dismissal by Rugby Australia that he would not be registered in their competition moving forward – but the RFL instead have opted not to block the signature.”

In April, Rugby Australia said it was terminating Folau’s contract after the player posted a meme to Instagram that said Hell awaits all homosexuals. Folau challenged the firing and the “code of conduct” panel was assembled.

View this post on Instagram

Those that are living in Sin will end up in Hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him. _______________ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these , adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 KJV _______________ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:38 KJV _______________ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Acts 17:30 KJV _______________

A post shared by Israel Folau (@izzyfolau) on Apr 10, 2019 at 1:18am PDT

Said Rugby Australia at the time: “Rugby Australia and the New South Wales Rugby Union have made repeated attempts to contact Israel both directly and via his representatives since 6.30pm on Wednesday, and at this point he has failed to communicate directly with either organisation. Whilst Israel is entitled to his religious beliefs, the way in which he has expressed these beliefs is inconsistent with the values of the sport. We want to make it clear that he does not speak for the game with his recent social media posts.”

Said Folau in his GoFundMe message: “I believe that sharing the Bible is an act of love and compassion. I know some people do not like or believe in the Bible. Indeed, what makes our country so wonderful is that we have such a diverse community made up of so many different cultures and values. But my faith defines me as a person. I do not believe that it is fair or right that I be punished for my religious beliefs.  Sadly, after I uploaded the messages from the Bible, my employers, Rugby Australia and Rugby NSW, tore up my employment contract. As a result, I have lost my job, my livelihood, and the ability to play for my country. It looks like I will never be allowed to play rugby in this country again.”

You may recall that Folau was nearly expelled from the sport in 2018 after a series of similar homophobic actions.

Folau, a devout Christian raised as a Mormon who converted to the Assemblies of God fellowship with his family in 2011, made headlines in September 2017 during Australia’s debate over same-sex marriage, when he tweeted, “I love and respect all people for who they are and their opinions. but personally, I will not support gay marriage.”

One year ago in April 2018, Folau replied to a follower in an Instagram post who asked, “what was gods plan for gay people?”

In the comments section of the post, Folau, who plays for New South Wales Waratahs, replied, “HELL.. Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God.”

Rugby Australia and the New South Wales Waratahs, for which Folau plays, said they would seek an explanation from Folau and denounced the player.

Rugby Australia declined to punish Folau, though its inclusion policy states: “Rugby has and must continue to be a sport where players, officials, volunteers, supporters and administrators have the right and freedom to participate regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or religion and without fear of exclusion. There is no place for homophobia or any form of discrimination in our game and our actions and words both on and off the field must reflect this.”

Then, one month after coming under scrutiny, Folau tweeted an anti-gay video.

The video featured a sermon by evangelical preacher David Wilkerson and footage of a Pride march where Christian street preachers were being protested, and a clip of the White House lit in rainbow colors against narration that said, “Now is the time to get right with God because this generation has lost the fear of God. There’s no fear of God left in the land.”

Late in 2019, Folau blamed deadly Australian bushfires on gay marriage.

Said Folau, according to The Telegraph: “In Australia, this past couple of weeks, with all the natural disasters, the bushfires and the droughts. God’s word says for a man and a woman to be together, one man and one woman in the covenant of marriage to be together. Abortion, it’s OK now to murder, kill infants, unborn children. Look how rapid these bushfires, these droughts, all these things have come in a short period of time. Do you think it’s a coincidence or not? God is speaking to you guys. Australia you need to repent and take these laws and turn it back to what is right by God.”

Folau also said he’d rather walk away from rugby than defy the Bible.

In December, 2019, released a statement following a settlement with Rugby Australia.

The New Zealand Herald reported: “The 30-year-old was after $14 million in compensation for wrongful termination after RA sacked him for a code of conduct breach when he said on Instagram earlier this year “hell awaits” gay people. RA was determined to hold its ground as mediation ordered by the Federal Circuit Court began this week and a marathon 12-hour session on Monday failed to yield a result as both sides remained at loggerheads. However, on Wednesday afternoon, Folau and RA released a joint statement saying they had reached an agreement, settling for a confidential amount.”

A ridiculous and frankly unbelievable joint statement released by Folau and Rugby Australia read: “Mr Folau wants all Australians to know that he does not condone discrimination of any kind against any person on the grounds of their sexuality and that he shares Rugby Australia’s commitment to inclusiveness and diversity.”

The post French Rugby Team Awards New Contract to Israel Folau, Who Said ‘Hell Awaits All Homosexuals’ appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

French Rugby Team Awards New Contract to Israel Folau, Who Said ‘Hell Awaits All Homosexuals’

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 28, 2020

HRC TO HONOR WRITER, ACTOR AND PRODUCER DAN LEVY (@danjlevy) AT THE 2020 LOS ANGELES DINNER: “Through his advocacy, his creative leadership, and his hilarious, authentic portrayal as David Rose on Schitt’s Creek, Dan Levy is moving LGBTQ visibility forward by inspiring us to embrace all of who we are, ” said HRC President Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid). Read more from HRC, People, The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly. 

I hope to find the words to properly articulate my gratitude by the time we sit down to dinner. For now, I will simply say thank you, @HRC. This means so much. x t.co/N0dI8smrhG

— dan levy (@danjlevy) January 27, 2020

HRC PRESIDENT ALPHONSO DAVID ATTENDS SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL FOR DISCUSSION ABOUT ACCLAIMED NEW DOCUMENTARY “WELCOME TO CHECHNYA”: He joined filmmaker David France (@welcomechechnya), Color of Change President Rashad Robinson (@rashadrobinson), and people featured in the film to talk about the deadly “cleansing” campaign and what activists are doing to stop it. Read more from HRC, The Wrap and Indie Wire. 

At @sundancefest with @ByDavidFrance, @rashadrobinson & a powerful panel of activists to discuss the searing film @welcomechechnya, which details the anti-LGBTQ atrocities in Chechnya & the efforts of activists risking everything to save LGBTQ lives. pic.twitter.com/3jVZQRsMil

— Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid) January 27, 2020

30 MAJOR VIRGINIA EMPLOYERS SEND LETTER TO VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS CALLING FOR COMPREHENSIVE LGBTQ NON-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS & PASSAGE OF “VIRGINIA VALUES ACT”: “These protections are good for business, good for tourism, good for the economy, and most importantly, vital for the 250,000+ LGBTQ adults living in Virginia,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “It’s heartening to see so many Virginia businesses publicly support these protections and push for equality for all.” Read more from HRC. 

TUESDAY TWEET — LATE NIGHT’S  LILLY SINGH (@Lilly) ON COMING OUT AS BISEXUAL IN THE PAST YEAR & IMPORTANCE OF LGBTQ REPRESENTATION: Watch here. 

No one’s bringin’ @Lilly down! ��❤️��️‍�� #LateWithLilly pic.twitter.com/tmkcrG7bDX

— A Little Late With Lilly Singh (@latewithlilly) January 22, 2020

APPLETON, WISCONSIN PROTECTS LGBTQ YOUTH FROM SO-CALLED “CONVERSION THERAPY”: More from Associated Press. 

GET CULTURED – Entertainment, arts and sports news!

AWARD-WINNING PRODUCER RICHIE JACKSON (@Richie_Jackson) TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK WITH HRC FOUNDATION BOARD CO-CHAIR JODIE PATTERSON (@jodie_GeorgiaNY): “Gay Like Me: A Father Writes to His Son” is being released today. More from HRC. 

S.N.L. STAR BOWEN YANG OPENS UP ABOUT SURVIVING SO-CALLED “CONVERSION THERAPY”: More from The New York Times. 

Thank you to Bowen Yang for speaking so openly about his experience enduring so-called “conversion therapy.” LGBTQ youth do not need to be “cured,” and this debunked practice should be prohibited in all communities. t.co/ZYkvFn0Xvd

— Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid) January 27, 2020

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

LAWYERS FOR SAME-SEX COUPLE IN CAYMAN ISLANDS TO TAKE FIGHT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY TO UK PRIVY COUNCIL: More from Cayman Compass.

NEW POLL SHOWS THAT TWO-THIRDS OF CZECH CITIZENS SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALITY: Read more from PinkNews. 

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

The New York Jewish Week reviews two memoirs from Abby Stein (@AbbyChavaStein), a transgender woman, and Mimi Lemay (@mimislemay), mother of transgender son Jacob
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!

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Queer guy gets revenge on school bully… by having sex with his dad

A comedy sketch is racking up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. Queer comic Nathan Pearson performed the routine at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on January, 16, as part of the ‘Characters Welcome’ solo monologue showcase. It was posted to YouTube on Friday.

In the routine, he plays the role of ‘David’: someone who comes across an old high school bully in the home of one of his sexual conquests. It turns out he’s just had sex with the father of his old tormentor.

Related: YouTuber confronts childhood bully to surprisingly positive results

He takes delight in informing his old school chum exactly what he and pa have been doing with one another. Pearson’s facial expressions are nothing short of genius, and it’s worth watching to the end for the punchline.

It uses plenty of not-safe-for-work-language, so watch with discretion!

The fantasy revenge has prompted a huge response, with some sharing their own tales of running into former school bullies.

On Instagram, @vscott333 commented on Pearson’s page, “LOVE THIS!! My high school bully was a girl. She recently was in the front row of one of my drag shows. I threw her a little shade during my performance. At first she was smiling. Then her face changed… lol. and she had no idea who I was.”

Related: Awesome dad’s pitch-perfect note to his gay son’s bully goes viral

On YouTube, another viewer, @TheOnionQueen, said, “This is so inspirational. New life goal is to find the parents of all the kids that used to bully me for being queer and top them!”

One other said this had actually happened to him.

“I did f**k my bully’s dad. He was also my college professor,” said Judd Palmer. “It’s not like I knew who he was to begin with it was after two weeks he wanted me to meet his son and it turned out to be the homophobic prick that was my high school bully.”

Pearson told Queerty he was surprised at the sketch’s popularity and “how it’s resonating with people!” He said he’d been inspired by his own experiences of being bullied in high school and college.

Follow Pearson for more content on his Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nathan Pearson (@nathankpearson) on Jan 18, 2020 at 2:00pm PST

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Hate Cancel Culture? Blame Algorithms

“Cancel culture” has become so pervasive that even former President Barack Obama has weighed in on the phenomenon, describing it as an overly judgmental approach to activism that does little to bring about change.

For the uninitiated, here’s a quick primer on the phenomenon: An individual or an organization says, supports or promotes something that other people find offensive. They swarm, piling on the criticism via social media channels. Then that person or company is largely shunned, or “canceled.”

It happened to Chick-fil-A when its ties to organizations such as Focus on the Family invited backlash from LGBTQ activists; it happened to YouTube influencer James Charles, who was accused of betraying his former mentor and lost millions of followers; and it happened to Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross after people learned he had held a fundraiser for President Trump.

Outrage can spread so quickly on social media that companies or individuals who don’t adequately respond to a mishap – intentional or not – can face swift backlash. You can send a thoughtless tweet before boarding a flight and, upon landing, realize you’ve become the target of global ire.

A lot of attention has been given to repercussions of cancel culture on celebrities, from JK Rowling, to Kevin Hart to Lena Dunham.

Less talked about is the way algorithms actually perpetuate cancel culture.

Algorithms love outrage

My own research has shown how content that sparks an intense emotional response – positive or negative – is more likely to go viral.

Out of millions of tweets, posts, videos and articles, social media users can be exposed to only a handful. So platforms write algorithms that curate news feeds to maximize engagement; social media companies, after all, want you to spend as much time on their platforms as possible.

Outrage is the perfect negative emotion to attract attention and engagement – and algorithms are primed to pounce. One person tweeting her outrage would normally fall largely on deaf ears. But if that one person is able to attract enough initial engagement, algorithms will extend that individual’s reach by promoting it to like-minded individuals. A snowball effect occurs, creating a feedback loop that amplifies the outrage.

Often, this outrage can lack context or be misleading. But that can work in its favor. In fact, I’ve found that misleading content on social media tends to lead to even more engagement than verified information.

So you can write an immature tweet as a teenager, someone can dig it up, express outrage, conveniently leave out that it’s from seven or eight years ago, and the algorithms will nonetheless amplify the reaction.

All of a sudden, you’re canceled.

Hart goes down

We saw this dynamic recently play out with actor Kevin Hart.

Once it was announced that Hart would be the host for the 2019 Academy Awards, Twitter users plumbed a series of homophobic tweets from 2009 to 2011 and started sharing them. Few were aware Hart had tweeted about homosexuality. The outrage was swift.

Hart’s unapologetic response on Instagram inflamed the online anger.

Algorithms anticipate what users want based on detailed information about their preferences. All of a sudden, those most likely to be upset by Hart’s homophobic remarks were having tweets about them splashed across their feeds.

Within a day of Hart’s Instagram post, the actor announced he would withdraw from hosting.

Cancel culture is just one outgrowth of social media algorithms.

More broadly, people have criticized how algorithms such as YouTube’s actively promote divisive posts in order to suck people into spending more time online.

In 2018, a British Parliament committee report on fake news criticized Facebook’s “relentless targeting of hyper-partisan views, which play to the fears and prejudices of people.”

Algorithms encourage second acts

Paradoxically, the same algorithmic forces that buttress cancel culture can actually rehabilitate canceled entertainers.

A few months after the Hart controversy, Netflix decided to produce two shows featuring the comedian.

Why would Netflix expose itself to criticism by elevating a supposedly canceled celebrity?

Because it knew that there would be an audience for Hart’s comedy – that, in certain circles, the fact that he had been canceled made him that much more appealing.

Like social media platforms, Netflix also deploys algorithms. Because Netflix has a massive library of content, it deploys algorithms that take into account users’ prior viewing choices and preferences to recommend specific shows and movies.

Maybe these users are die-hard Hart fans. Or maybe they’re inclined see Hart as a victim of political correctness. Either way, Netflix has granular data about which users would be predisposed to watching a show about Hart, despite the fact that he had been nominally canceled.

On Netflix’s end, there’s little risk. Netflix probably knows, on some level, which of its subscribers are likely to be offended by Hart. So it simply won’t promote Hart’s show to those people. At the same time, partnering with controversial brands and individuals can be good for business.

Together, the phenomenon of cancel culture is an illustration of the weird ways algorithms and social media can upend, distort and rehabilitate the lives and careers of celebrities.

[ Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today’s news, every day. ]

Anjana Susarla, Associate Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Hate Cancel Culture? Blame Algorithms