Anti-gay televangelist blows “wind of God” to defeat COVID-19

Not content with previously inviting followers to cure themselves of COVID-19 by touching their television screens, televangelist Kenneth Copeland tried a different tact last week.

In a service delivered to an empty church but streamed online, Copeland, founder of the Texas-based Kenneth Copeland Ministries, summoned the “wind of God” to defeat the pandemic sweeping the world.

Surrounded by just four of his followers, Copeland thundered: “Wind, almighty, strong, south wind, heat: Burn this thing, in the name of Jesus. Satan, you bow your knees. You fall on your face.

“COVID-19,” he says, before blowing at the camera, “I blow the wind of God on you. You are destroyed forever.”

The comments come just after the one-minute mark below.

Related: Televangelist Kenneth Copeland is “curing” people of coronavirus through the television

Copeland preaches an evangelical interpretation of the Bible, with his website talking of the “sinful desires” and “unnatural affection” of homosexuality.

A staunch supporter of President Trump, he previously suggested at a church service in mid-March that hatred directed at Trump had opened the door to the pandemic.

“This disease called COVID-19 will be over much sooner than you think,” he claimed. “Christian people all over this country praying have overwhelmed it.

“There’s been some really nasty things that have happened this year—last year and this year—that I’m quite certain—well, I know—opened the door to a lot of this,” Copeland said. “Displays of hate and hatred by politicians toward the president. And hate on both sides. The Democrats hate him, and we have some people that hate them because they hate him.”

Copeland and his wife, Gloria, have served on Trump’s Evangelical advisory board.

Copeland is far from being the only person of faith to offer unorthodox methods of healing. Fellow televangelist Jim Bakker was recently sent a cease and desist letter by authorities after he tried to sell a silver solution online that he claimed could cure the virus.

Related: Antigay preacher sued for selling fake coronavirus cure 

Like Copeland, Franklin Graham also suggested to Fox News this weekend that COVID-19 was due to the fact, “Man has turned his back on God, we have sinned against him.”

Meanwhile, in Brazil, the country’s notoriously anti-gay President, Jair Bolsonaro, in response to a request from evangelical Christian, set aside yesterday (Sunday) as a national day of prayer and fasting to “free Brazil from this evil” coronavirus epidemic.

“With the pastors and religious leaders we will call for a day of fasting by Brazilians so that Brazil can free itself from this evil as soon as possible,” he later said on radio station Jovem Pan.

As of yesterday, there have been over 337,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US and 9,643 deaths. Officials, including Trump, have said the next two weeks are likely to see a further increase in deaths. Most states have issued stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of infection.

For the latest advice on COVID-19, check the CDC and WHO websites.

Related: White House streams anti-gay church sermon at service attended by Mike Pence

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U.S. Surgeon General: ‘This is Going to Be the Hardest and Saddest Week of Most Americans’ Lives, Frankly’ — WATCH

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams offered some dire thoughts on the week ahead in an appearance on FOX News Sunday.

Said Adams: “This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans’ lives, quite frankly. This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s not going to be localized, it’s going to be happening all over the country and I want America to understand that.”

Adams later said, “I want Americans to understand that as hard as this week is going to be, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope but we’ve also got to all do our part.”

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U.S. Surgeon General: ‘This is Going to Be the Hardest and Saddest Week of Most Americans’ Lives, Frankly’ — WATCH

Drag Race’s Aiden Zhane Has a Message for Her Haters

“Drag is for everybody,” said the performer following a season where she faced some hostility from competitors.

www.advocate.com/television/2020/4/06/drag-races-aiden-zhane-has-message-her-haters

Fired Inspector General Michael Atkinson: Trump Canned Me Because I Did My Job Properly

Fired Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Michael Atkinson released a highly unusual statement on Sunday saying he was fired for his proper handling of the whistleblower complaint that led to Donald Trump’s impeachment by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Said Atkinson in the statement (in the tweet below):”I am disappointed and saddened that President Trump has decided to remove me as the inspector general of the intelligence community because I did not have his ‘fullest confidence. It is hard not to think that the president’s loss of confidence in me derives from my having faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial inspector general.”

Trump fired Atkinson in the dead of night last Friday amid chaos over the coronavirus crisis.

Michael Horowitz, Chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) and the Inspector General at the Department of Justice, rebuked Trump in a statement on the removal of Atkinson: “Inspector General Atkinson is known throughout the Inspector General community for his integrity, professionalism, and commitment to the rule of law and independent oversight. That includes his actions in handling the Ukraine whistleblower complaint, which the then Acting Director of National Intelligence stated in congressional testimony was done ‘by the book’ and consistent with the law.”

The post Fired Inspector General Michael Atkinson: Trump Canned Me Because I Did My Job Properly appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Fired Inspector General Michael Atkinson: Trump Canned Me Because I Did My Job Properly

An Update on Gender Affirming Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Post submitted by Carl G Streed Jr. MD, MPH (Research Lead), Jennifer Siegel MD (Medical Director), Center for Transgender Medicine & Surgery at Boston Medical Center

By now, we all have seen the impact of COVID-19 on our daily lives. We have been quarantining and physically distancing from our loved ones, witnessed hospitals overwhelmed by the crisis and seen people lose their jobs and livelihoods. Some of us may have already experienced personal loss. We know LGBTQ communities are particularly vulnerable to both the economic and health impacts of the virus–because they are more likely to work in industries highly-impacted by the pandemic, such as service industries–and they may have more health risk factors that exacerbate the disease, like smoking.

As part of their response to the pandemic, hospital systems across the country have postponed non-emergency surgeries and procedures in order to prioritize care for COVID-19 patients. This includes many gender-affirming procedures, which are now unfortunately on hold.

We know that gender-affirming medical and surgical care are essential to the long-term well-being of our transgender and gender diverse patients, families and communities. Just because these procedures have currently been classified as non-urgent does not mean we consider them to be non-essential. We know that gender-affirming care is indeed lifesaving, but we also know that right now the immediate health of the public is paramount. While our transgender and gender-diverse patients understand this, we know that understanding reasons for postponing procedures does not make these postponements any less distressing.

As health care professionals, we recognize that the postponement of these essential surgeries can take a dangerous mental health toll on our patients, many of whom have waited years and gone through a long–and often painful–process in order to finally get them scheduled. We want to be sure that our patients know that we are still here for them during this stressful and painful time. If you or a loved one has had gender-affirming care postponed due to COVID-19, you are not alone.

Our Center for Transgender Medicine & Surgery at Boston Medical Center is still fielding phone calls, conducting telemedicine visits and managing hormone therapy. We do not know of any shortages of hormone therapy at this time, and we ask that patients do not “stock up” or “hoard” medications as that could potentially lead to a temporary shortage. We need to look out for each other and be sure that everyone is getting the care they can at this time — so please reach out to your trans siblings to let them know they are supported and loved.

If you are struggling, please find some resources below. And please reach out to your doctor or local LGBTQ center for any personal questions:

HRC Resources:

• HRC’s COVID-19 Resources (click here)
• Direct Online and Phone Support Services for LGBTQ Youth (click here)
•  Healthcare Equality Index: List of LGBTQ-friendly hospitals (click here)

 External Resources:

• The National Center for Transgender Equality has an information and resource page called The Coronavirus (COVID 19): What Trans People Need To Know. (click here) 
• The LGBT Cancer Network has an information and resource page called CoronaVirus Information. (click here)
• Fenway Health has an information and resource page called COVID-19 Information  (click here) , they also have a information packet called COVID-19 and Considerations for People Living with HIV and LGBTQIA+ People (click here)
• The CDC has a website for COVID-19 information, resources, and guidelines. (click here)

Mental Health:

• Mental Health America has a list of COVID-19 resources (click here) 
• Trans Lifeline provides a peer support hotline and grants for trans people in need. You can call their hotline at 877-565-8860. (click here)
• Trevor Project (click here) provides access to counselors to youth by phone call (1-866-488-7386), online chat, or text (text START to 678678). They also have an online community for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24.
• SAGE runs a National LGBT Elder Hotline that provides crisis response and helps connect people with community resources. Call their hotline at 877-360-LGBT and request to speak to someone in either English or Spanish. (click here)
• Fenway Health runs an LGBT Helpline and a Peer Listening Line, which people can call from across the country. Call 888-340-4528 for adults 25+. Call 800-399-PEER for those under age 25. (click here)
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (click here) or call at 800-273-8255.
• CenterLink provides a directory of LGBT community centers. (click here)
  • Note: do not walk into a community center if you are sick or have been exposed. Call them and ask if there are virtual support groups. 
• The Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center has a website page for COVID-19 recovery resources. (click here)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) has a Disaster Distress Helpline, call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746.
•  LGBTQ National Help Center provides peer-support, community connections and resource information to the LGBT community. They have multiple hotlines and chat rooms. (click here)
• Crisis Textline that provides crisis resources, and where you can text or message a crisis counselor about COVID-19. (click here)
•  The Association of LGBTQ Psychiartrists (click here) is a community of psychiatrists that advocates on LGBTQ mental health issues. They have a directory to search for psychiatrists. (click here) 
• National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network provides mental health resources for queer and trans people of color. (click here)
• Talkspace (click here) and Better Help (click here) are both online therapy platforms, each have searches where you can find therapists providing LGBT care.
• Pride Counselling connects you with licensed therapists online who specialize in the LGBT community. (click here) 

Medical:

• The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has a map of community health centers you can search. (click here to find a local one)
  • Note: Do not just walk into a community health center – make sure you call ahead.
• GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality has trans specific resources about health care. (click here)
• Point of Pride created these information slides about navigating COVID-19 and chest binding. (click here)

Mutual Aid Resources: 

• Mutual Aid Hub is a map of member-led groups providing resources and aid to community members around the country. (click here to find a local one)
  • This is a database of localized resources, including many mutual aid resources. (click here)
• Collective Care provides a database of mutual aid resources and information. (click here)

Housing:

• If you experience trans discrimination in relief shelters and services call the contacts below.
  • Lambda Legal National Help Desk, toll free: (866) 542-8336
  • FEMA Hotline: (800) 621-3362 
  • Equal Access for Transgender People: A Guide for Shelters (click here) 
  • The Centers for Disease Control provides resources to support people experiencing homelessness. (click here)
• Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association provides updates (click here) and resources (click here) around affordable housing and other social services for people living in Massachusetts.

www.hrc.org/blog/an-update-on-gender-affirming-care-during-the-covid-19-pandemic?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed