The Person Supposed to Be in Charge Is Unraveling

Friday’s press conference is proof that Donald Trump has the leadership qualities of a cornered animal.

www.advocate.com/commentary/2020/3/20/person-supposed-be-charge-unraveling

The Weekend Binge: I hooked up with my best friend’s boyfriend. Now she’s dead.

Welcome to Queerty’s latest entry in our Queerantined: Daily Dose series. Every day as long as the COVID-19 pandemic has us under quarantine, we’ll release a suggested bit of gloriously queer entertainment designed to keep you from getting stir crazy in the house. Each weekend, we will also suggest a bingable title to keep you extra busy.

The Savage: Fleabag

Few comedies cut as deep as Fleabag, and fewer still do it with as much charm. Series creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge stars in the title role as a sexually fluid woman trying her best to keep her career as a cafe owner together in the face of a breakup. Unfortunately, Fleabag had an affair with her business partner/best friend’s boyfriend, prompting her to commit suicide, leaving her in charge of the cafe and to care for her friend’s pet guinea pig. In the midst of her shame, Fleabag does her best to navigate relationships with men–most of whom have issued more severe than her own–her up-tight sister, alcoholic brother in law, morose dad and bohemian stepmother.

If that sounds like a lot, it is. Fortunately Fleabag, like its title character, has an irrepressible quality to it. As awful as her behavior can get, Fleabag always has a sense of self-aware humor about herself. With a cast that also includes Andrew Scott (as a “hot priest”), Bill Nighy, Kristin Scott Thomas and Oscar-winner Olivia Coleman, the show frequently leaves us howling, or in jaw-to-the-floor shock. At two seasons, it also fits nicely into a weekend when staying in to avoid the plague.

Streams on Amazon.

www.queerty.com/weekend-binge-hooked-best-friends-boyfriend-now-shes-dead-20200320?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

‘Walking Dead’ Actor Daniel Newman Went to the ER With Coronavirus Symptoms, But Was Unable to Get Tested

Walking Dead actor Daniel Newman is self-quarantining with suspected coronavirus. Despite experiencing symptoms, Newman reported Friday on Instagram that he was unable to get tested because he didn’t meet the criteria.

Newman, who is openly gay, said some Walking Dead fans apparently spotted him at an emergency room. He thanked people for their concern and apologized for taking so long to respond, saying he needed time to process what had happened. Newman explained that he was recently in Australia for Mardi Gras Pride with Sam Smith, Dua Lipa and others.

“I was exposed to some sick people and I started developing symptoms and then back in the [S]tates I was notified someone in our group tested positive for #Covid19,” Newman wrote.

“I spent all day calling every urgent care and hospital,” he wrote, adding that none of them had tests. “Finally I found one emergency room that told me my symptoms match and to come in immediately. I did all the tests and they told me because I have ‘mild symptoms’ the government won’t allow them to process my tests!”

Newman said he was told they could only process tests for people with severe symptoms, the elderly, and those who had recently visited Italy or China. He said although the emergency room visit cost him $9,116, he was unable to find out whether he has the virus.

“They sent me home and tons of other ill people that could potentially infect their communities, just telling us to ‘self quarantine,’” Newman wrote.

“Why after almost 3 months since China is our country not prepared with tests, masks, hand sanitizer, toilet paper! … This was not a surprise, this was not being prepared. We’ve already gone through #H1N1 #SARS. [W]hy didn’t we have a pandemic unit ready when this happens every few years!?” Newman wrote, possibly alluding to the fact that President Donald Trump disbanded a federal pandemic unit in 2018.

“Everyone please treat each other with kindness and Love !” Newman wrote. “We are all going through this together. Young people are not immune, thousands of people are dying around the world. Please be safe, wash your hands, stay 6 feet or more away from people and stay home. I love you guys so much …”

Read Newman’s full post below.

View this post on Instagram

Thanks for all the concern! I guess a lot of #WalkingDead fans saw me in the emergency room regarding #CoronaVirus. Sorry I didn’t reply I needed time to process. So here’s what happened. Yes I was just in Australia with Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, and thousands of people from around the world for Mardi Gras Pride. I was exposed to some sick people and I started developing symptoms and then back in the states I was notified someone in our group tested positive for #Covid19. I spent all day calling every urgent care and hospital no one had tests! Finally I found one emergency room that told me my symptoms match and to come in immediately. I did all the tests and they told me because I have “mild symptoms“ the government won’t allow them to process my tests! They don’t have enough they’re not prepared, even though all my symptoms match. They’re only allowed to process “severe symptoms, elderly, or people recently in Italy and China”. It cost me $9,116!! and they didn’t even give me results. They sent me home and tons of other ill people that could potentially infect their communities, just telling us to “self Quarantine“. Why after almost 3 months since China is our country not prepared with tests, masks, hand sanitizer, toilet paper! Why after one day of shaky stock markets did they invest 1.5 trillion into the markets, but not the Healthcare system after three months! This was not a surprise, this was not being prepared. We’ve already gone through #H1N1 #SARS why didn’t we have a pandemic unit ready when this happens every few years!? Everyone please treat each other with kindness and Love ! We are all going through this together. Young people are not immune, thousands of people are dying around the world. Please be safe, wash your hands, stay 6 feet or more away from people and stay home. I love you guys so much you can get a hold of me on here or Twitter if you need to talk I’m here for you. Love – D

A post shared by DANIEL NEWMAN (@danielnewman_) on Mar 20, 2020 at 12:54pm PDT

The post ‘Walking Dead’ Actor Daniel Newman Went to the ER With Coronavirus Symptoms, But Was Unable to Get Tested appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

‘Walking Dead’ Actor Daniel Newman Went to the ER With Coronavirus Symptoms, But Was Unable to Get Tested

Feeling Down? 11 Videos, Tweets, Jokes to Lift Your Spirits

Laughter is therapeutic.

www.advocate.com/health/2020/3/20/feeling-down-11-videos-tweets-jokes-lift-your-spirits

Almost 100 pride events canceled so far, and here is a cool map
The map shows events that have announced their plans for 2020, although most events are still far enough away to wait and see how the coronavirus pandemic plays out in the summer

www.queerty.com/pride-festivals-canceled-rescheduled-far-20200320?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Trump Administration Putting LGBT Lives in Jeopardy Amid Coronavirus Crisis: Lawsuit

Three LGBT advocacy groups are suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, challenging the Trump administration’s refusal to enforce nondiscrimination protections covering federal grantees.

“As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread rapidly throughout the U.S., LGBTQ  individuals of all ages are left vulnerable by the Trump administration’s illegal action, which implicitly permits discrimination when providing critical services,” the groups wrote Thursday in a news release. “This unlawful federal abandonment of the LGBTQ community is particularly dangerous now, and could have catastrophic, even deadly consequences. This license to discriminate could facilitate denial of services, such as home-delivered meals, access to shelters, and fostering a homeless child.”

Back in November, in response to complaints from religiously affiliated grantees, the Trump administration issued a notice of non-enforcement concerning the Obama-era nondiscrimination rule. The groups behind the lawsuit — Family Equality, True Colors United and SAGE — allege the notice violated the Administrative Procedure Act, in part because there was no opportunity for public comment.

More from the Washington Blade: Amid pervasive fears about the coronavirus, the three advocacy groups behind the lawsuit … enumerated in a news statement many situations in which the refusal to enforce the non-discrimination rule would negatively affect LGBTQ people. Among them are students being susceptible to anti-LGBTQ discrimination as they seek shelter under the HHS’ Runaway & Homeless Program, which could happen at a time when colleges and universities shut down housing to halt the spread of the coronavirus, the statement says. … Older adults, who are seen as particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, could also if they’re LGBTQ be subject to discrimination from home delivery providers at a time when senior centers are shutting down in major cities, the statement says.

The basis of the 39-page complaint — filed before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York — is the Trump’s administration refusal to enforce the Obama-rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

The post Trump Administration Putting LGBT Lives in Jeopardy Amid Coronavirus Crisis: Lawsuit appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Trump Administration Putting LGBT Lives in Jeopardy Amid Coronavirus Crisis: Lawsuit

HRC Mourns Monika Diamond, Black Trans Woman Killed in North Carolina

HRC is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Monika Diamond, a 34-year-old Black transgender woman and business owner killed in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 18. Diamond’s death is believed to be the fourth violent death of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in 2020. 

Diamond was active in the Charlotte LGBTQ and nightlife community and was the co-owner and founder of Ncphyne Promotion Company LLC, an event promotion company that is about to honor its 10th anniversary, according to its Facebook page. She also was the co-CEO of the International Mother of the Year Pageantry System — a pageant that honors LGBTQ mothers. 

Through her work, Diamond spent her adult life creating community and spaces for LGBTQ people in Charlotte and beyond to come together and celebrate their lives. She was a chosen mother to countless. She was a business owner, a loving friend and she did not deserve to have her life taken from her. 

WBTV reports that Charlotte police and paramedics responded to a call about a disturbance, where they were met by a group of people who noted a woman, Diamond, was experiencing shortness of breath. After Diamond was placed in an ambulance, she was shot several times. No additional people were harmed in the shooting. Prentice Bess, 34, has been arrested for the shooting and faces a charge of murder.

There is an epidemic of violence against the transgender and non-binary community, and especially against Black transgender women. In November 2019, ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance, HRC Foundation released “A National Epidemic: Fatal Anti-Transgender Violence in America in 2019,” a heartbreaking report honoring the trans people killed and detailing the contributing and motivating factors that lead to this tragic violence. Sadly, 2019 saw at least 26 transgender or gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other violent means. We say at least because too often these stories go unreported — or misreported.

There are currently very few explicit federal legal protections for transgender or gender-expansive people. Transgender and gender non-conforming people in North Carolina are not explicitly protected in employment, housing or in public spaces, and they are not covered under the state’s hate crimes legislation. Nationally, despite some marginal gains in state and local policies that support and affirm transgender people, recent years have been marked by anti-LGBTQ attacks at all levels of government. 

We must demand better from our elected officials and reject harmful anti-transgender legislation appearing at the local, state and federal levels because it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color. The intersections of racism, transphobia, sexism, biphobia and homophobia conspire to deprive them of necessities to live and thrive.

HRC will continue to hold the Trump-Pence administration and all elected officials who fuel the flames of hate accountable at the ballot box. 

This epidemic of violence that disproportionately targets transgender people of color — particularly Black transgender women — must cease.

For more information about HRC’s transgender justice work, visit hrc.org/Transgender.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-mourns-monika-diamond-black-trans-woman-killed-in-north-carolina?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed