Boy Scouts Filing Bankruptcy Amid Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

A spokesman says the organization will still compensate survivors of abuse.

www.advocate.com/youth/2020/2/18/boy-scouts-filing-bankruptcy-amid-sexual-abuse-lawsuits

Growlr issues mass account suspensions without explanation

Social media has erupted with a massive growl of anger following mass account suspensions on the popular dating app Growlr.

Growlr, which caters to bearish men, launched in 2012 and claims to boast more than 2 million users. The mass suspensions appear to have begun February 17, and have caused a massive outcry on Facebook and Twitter. At the time of this writing, the company has yet to comment publicly on the reason for the suspensions, or the steps it is taking to resolve the issue. It also remains unclear just how many users were suspended.

Media speculation has noted that the company–which sold to the straight-owned The Meet Group for more than $11 million last year–may have signaled its demise. At the time, CEO Geoff Cook said “We are thrilled to add Growlr to The Meet Group portfolio. Similar to what we have done with our other acquired properties, we plan to be aggressive in bringing our video model to Growlr. We expect to begin rolling out live video on Growlr in the fourth quarter of 2019. We also see opportunities to grow advertising revenue on the app, and we plan to further invest in user acquisition to expand brand awareness and reach.”

Maybe those plans didn’t pan out?

www.queerty.com/growlr-issues-mass-account-suspensions-without-explanation-20200218?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Rush Limbaugh: Trump Told Me Not to Apologize for Homophobic Buttigieg Remarks

Donald Trump called Rush Limbaugh to tell him not to apologize for homophobic remarks he made about Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg.

Last week, Limbaugh made headlines when he asked viewers if they could see “Mr. Man” Donald Trump “having fun” with Buttigieg kissing his husband on stage, and theorized that Democrats were wary of it too. He also asked his listeners how they would explain Buttigieg kissing his husband to their children.

On yesterday’s Rush Limbaugh Show, the radio host told listeners that Trump called to instruct him not to apologize for the remarks.

Said Limbaugh in a clip posted by Media Matters (below): “Hell, the president even called me about this. The president checks in every now and then to see how I’m doing. He’s such a nice guy. And he called. It’s uncanny. I’m — Do I respond to him? Yeah. No, I try to reply to all of them, Dawn. I’m not going to be able to, but he calls, and yeah — powerful, influential member of the media, folks. I have got the White House private number in my phone, so when the White House calls, it says there on my phone.”

“And so, invariably, it’s uncanny,” Limbaugh continued. “He calls when I am moments away from commencing a medical procedure. And I had to tell doctors, ‘You’ve got to give me a half-hour, the president’s calling.’ ‘OK, we’ll wait a half-hour.’ Then I told the White House, ‘Look, I’ve got a medical procedure in 10 minutes. Can you have the president call me back in 35?’ And they did. So, he called back, and he said ‘Rush, I just got to tell you something. Never apologize, don’t ever –‘ and I said, ‘For what?’”

“Well, I had no idea this thing had even bubbled up, you know?” Limbaugh added. “I’m doing the medical thing that I have to do here. And I wasn’t even aware of this.”

Asked to respond to last week’s remarks, Buttigieg told Chris Wallace on FOX News Sunday: “I’m in a faithful, loving, committed marriage. I’m proud of my marriage. I’m proud of my husband. I’m not going to be lectured on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh or anybody who supports Donald J. Trump as the moral as well as political leader of the United States. America has moved on and we should have politics of belonging that welcomes everybody. That’s what the American people are for. I’m saddened for what the GOP has become if they embrace that kind of homophobic rhetoric.”

The post Rush Limbaugh: Trump Told Me Not to Apologize for Homophobic Buttigieg Remarks appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Rush Limbaugh: Trump Told Me Not to Apologize for Homophobic Buttigieg Remarks

Unconscionable: Trump-Pence’s Proposed Changes to Faith-Based Regulations Strip Away Key Protections

Post submitted by Michael Botticelli, Executive Director of the Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine, Former Director of National Drug Control Policy

Ever since Donald Trump and Mike Pence took their oaths of office, they have tried new, innovative ways to regulate compassion out of existence in our government. They’ve targeted individual groups – including the LGBTQ community, women, people of color and religious minorities – through legislation, regulation and rulemaking. Now, they’re attempting to rewrite the rules for faith-based organizations that do work with the federal government – targeting Americans’ access to lifesaving programs and care.

For over thirty years, I have worked to ensure that those with a substance use disorder receive the care that they need and deserve. Under President Obama, I served as the Director of the National Drug Control Policy at the White House. I come to this work not only with a public health background, but also as a gay man in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder. We are currently in one of the greatest health crises of our time. In 2018 alone over 68,000 people died of drug overdoses and over 48,000 of these deaths were linked to opioids. To stem this epidemic, access to high quality, evidence-based care is essential. But today only one in nine people living with addiction have access to the care they need. This care must be patient centered, and it must be fueled by compassion, kindness, and understanding. However, the proposed revisions to the Department’s faith-based regulations are anathema to this demand.

The current faith-based regulations include requirements that organizations provide clear notice to their clients that , detail their right to receive services free from discrimination and their right to decline to participate in a religious event or programming. They ensure that all beneficiaries are aware of their rights and that providers understand their obligations when participating in a federally funded program. These organizations are also directed to refer a beneficiary to another provider if that person objects to the organization’s religious character. The proposed revisions from the Trump-Pence administration would strip away these critical protections for beneficiaries and individuals interacting with these programs.

Every year the federal government provides millions of taxpayer dollars to programs designed to support treatment and recovery services.

For example, the Department of Health and Human Services funds non-profit organizations through the Basic Center Program operated by the Administration for Children and Families to meet the needs of youth facing homelessness and housing insecurity. Substance use disorder  treatment is a foundational component of these programs with youth reporting that drug or alcohol use is one of their biggest challenges. For the 100,000 youth who access Basic Center Program services every year connection to mental health and substance use care can be life-changing. These youth must be able to trust that the care they receive either by the center or through a referral will be welcoming, culturally competent, and client-centered.  However, the proposed revisions to this regulation strip away critical protections for the youth served by these programs.

People living with addiction too often struggle with the weight of stigma and with the belief that they are less deserving of basic care. People who live at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities feel this weight even more acutely, including by those who are members of the LGBTQ community. Due to systemic discrimination, stigma, and harassment, the LGBTQ community faces increased risk for substance abuse. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, LGB people are more than twice more likely to have a substance use disorder (SUD) than the general population. The 2015 National Health Interview Survey showed lesbians and gays are 10% more likely to have had a heavy drinking day within the past year than the general population, and bisexual people are at an even greater risk, being 23.8% more likely.

Research has shown that programs that are explicitly affirming of LGBTQ people result in better long-term outcomes. Gay and bisexual men in specialized programs reported recovery 18% more than those in non-specialized programs. Recovery programs that emphasize a certain religious belief or practice that is not LGBTQ affirming are ineffective and can be damaging. An LGBTQ-identified individual faced with participating in such a program may choose to forfeit care altogether, which can have significant and dire consequences including death. Under the current regulations, a beneficiary would be informed of their rights and could seek a referral to a secular program. Under this proposed change, they wouldn’t

Notice requirements are a low cost, uniform mechanism to ensure that beneficiaries understand their rights when they matter the most. Through these proposed revisions, the Department prioritizes the rights of organizations and providers over the lives of people seeking the treatment that they have been trusted to provide.  

To be frank, these proposed rules could degrade the care that so many Americans need. It would allow discriminatory programs to flourish, and leave those seeking care with fewer options. It’s unconscionable, and we shouldn’t stand for it.

www.hrc.org/blog/unconscionable-trump-pences-proposed-changes-to-faith-based-regulations?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed