New York Life Partner Shares Life Insurance Tips for the LGBT Community
A partner at New York Life shares his experiences working for the Fortune 500 company as well as advice for LGBT households seeking life insurance.
Advocate.com Editors
www.advocate.com/health/2014/11/12/new-york-life-partner-shares-life-insurance-tips-lgbt-community
'My Family Kicked Me Out for Being Gay'
“My family kicked me out for being gay.”
It’s one of the most common statements we hear when a young adult first contacts the Hetrick-Martin Institute, the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization that provides life-saving services to at-risk LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 24. In fact, about 80 percent of HMI youth are homeless or lack secure housing, most often because of family rejection for identifying as LGBTQ. At HMI, we have been caring for these young people for the past 35 years; it is at the core of what we do.
At HMI, we serve more than 2,000 LGBTQ youth and their straight allies annually, providing services such as hot meals, clothing, showers and laundry, and homelessness outreach in New York City as well as in Newark, New Jersey. In addition, HMI services include on-site HIV/STI testing, high-school equivalency and SAT preparation, college scholarships, job readiness, arts and cultural programming and a supportive community that fosters positive emotional development.
And yet we know that providing such comprehensive services to LGBTQ young people on-site is simply not enough; we recognize that there are so many young people in need who are beyond our geographic reach. Consequently, HMI has made it a priority to share our best practices with others, both nationally and around the world. Our newest initiative, the Center for LGBTQ Youth Advocacy and Capacity Building, offers training and best practices to other organizations and government agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The goals of the Center are twofold: 1) to empower groups and individuals with the skills necessary to care for their own LGBTQ youth, and 2) to educate leaders and decision makers so that they can make wiser, more informed and inclusive policies that improve the lives of all constituents and all people. In the last year alone, through our partnership with the U.S. State Department and USAID, HMI trained governmental employees, advocates and NGO leaders from Bulgaria, Slovenia, Macedonia, Cyprus, Argentina, Brazil and beyond as well as over half a thousand service providers throughout the State of New York.
Today, Nov. 12, at our 2014 Emery Awards, we will be celebrating not only our 35-year history but HMI’s new Center and its outreach to the world. We will be honoring some of our own home-grown “Legends” who have demonstrated outstanding leadership within the LGBTQ community: Dr. Joyce Hunter, a founding member of HMI and co-founder of the Harvey Milk School; David Mensah, HMI Executive Director from 2002 to 2007, having ensured the expansion of the Harvey Milk School into a fully Department of Education-accredited, diploma-granting transfer high school; and Orville Bell, an inaugural teacher at Harvey Milk High School and Director of After School Programs and Education Services at HMI. These individuals, alongside other honorees including eight-time Grammy award winner Fergie, New York Times bestselling author Andrew Tobias and Wells Fargo, have truly made the world a better place for LGBTQ youth.
We will also recognize the members of the LGBT Caucus of the New York City Council who offer continuing and unwavering support for HMI’s mental-health services, strong advocacy for anti-bullying measures in schools, vital programs and services that address the scourge of homelessness among LGBTQ youth, and so much more.
In sum, acknowledging the incredible progress the LGBTQ community has made in recent years and the extraordinary impact that HMI has had in the lives of LGBTQ youth, there is still more work to be done, and the future success of HMI’s mission rests in the hands of the next generation. Whether you’re a young person in need of our services or an LGBTQ advocate interested in supporting our cause, you can visit www.HMI.org to learn more, or follow the Hetrick-Martin Institute on Facebook and @HetrickMartin on Twitter and Instagram. For the past 35 days leading up to the 2014 Emery Awards, we’ve been sharing inspiring stories and photos from our 35-year history using the hashtag #HMI35, and we welcome and encourage you to join the conversation.
Together, we can help ensure that no young person ever has to say, “My family kicked me out for being gay.”
Stephen Sondheim to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Earlier this week, President Obama announced that Stephen Sondheim will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
HRC.org
The Homophobic Shopping Guide For God-Fearing Bigots
Anthony Morris III, a top Jehovah’s Witness leader, has urged his followers to avoid tight pants at all costs. In his words:
“They are tight all the way down to the ankles. It’s not appropriate. It’s not sound of mind. The homosexuals that are designing these clothes – they’d like you in tight pants.”
We hate to break it to you, Tony, but if you want to avoid things associated with homosexuals, you’re going to have to cast your net a lot wider than pants.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are some things to start avoiding at all costs.
iPhones
Any Apple product, really. In case you’ve been living under a rock (and considering your religious fervor, we aren’t ruling out that possibility), Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is now openly gay. That means you need to turn in your iPhone, get rid of that iMac, and forget about jamming out to your hymns on an iPod. In fact, you should really just avoid the lower-case letter “i” whenever possible. Chances are a gay has had some say in it, and you wouldn’t want your kids to get the wrong idea.
UCLA School of Medicine
If you’re in the market for med schools, you should probably steer clear of this one. Sure, it’s a renowned institution that ranks among the top choices for future doctors, but there’s the whole name issue. It’s really the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. And that is problematic for obvious reasons. Geffen donated $200 million to the school in 2001, and God knows what kind of gay shenanigans are going on with that kind of money. Geffen also co-founded Dreamworks Pictures, so don’t ever see How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek or Kung Fu Panda.
You’re going to need to deactivate your Facebook account if you want to abide by the Lord, sorry. Chris Hughes helped Mark Zuckerberg found the site in those early Harvard days, and we can only imagine the mark he left in the company. Don’t be fooled. Luckily there are lots of alternatives to choose from — MyFaith, ChristianFaithBook, MyFlock, JesusCrowd. Take your pick.
Surgery
This one’s going to hurt. We’ve already shattered your dreams of attending a top medical school, but unfortunately you’re going to have to get very creative when it comes to seeking medical attention as well. The Stryker Corporation is one of the leading suppliers of medical tools. You’d be hard pressed to find a hospital without something bought from them. Homer Stryker founded the company in 1964, but his gay grandson Jon is currently a billionaire stockholder in the company. You’ll be playing right into the gay agenda if the hospital is your first stop after a broken bone.
The Olympics and The Voice
Speedos aside, these two may seem like good clean fun, but they’re both broadcast on NBC. You know, the same NBC that thought it was a good idea to make Robert Greenblatt its chairman. Be warned. Greenblatt is gay, out, and wants you to view NBC‘s subversive programming. Don’t fall into the trap. Plus the Olympics and The Voice actually let gays compete right next to straights. The horror.
Dan Tracer
Go On A Sexy Excursion Into the Woods: VIDEO
Fashion and underwear brand Freedom Reigns has released a new video promoting their latest collection and, as The Underwear Expert points out, there’s definitely a certain sense of freedom about this shoot.
Go into the woods for a hot journey, AFTER THE JUMP…
Sean Mandell
www.towleroad.com/2014/11/go-on-a-sexy-excursion-into-the-woods-video.html
Federal Judge Strikes Down South Carolina's Marriage Ban
U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled South Carolina’s marriage ban unconstitutional, but placed his decision on hold until November 20.
Jorge Rodriguez-Jimenez
www.advocate.com/south-carolina/2014/11/12/federal-judge-strikes-down-south-carolinas-marriage-ban
Brazil Legislator Pastor Isidório liga Blames Pride Parade For Catastrophic São Paulo Drought
The population of São Paulo has already heard about a number of “culprits” to blame for the dramatic drought and water shortages in the state this year. But one legislator in Bahia, Brazil’s fourth most populous state, claims to have unraveled the mystery surrounding the real reason for the lack of rain in São Paulo: the Gay Pride Parade.
Sounds like a joke, right? Well, the lawman in question, Pastor Sargento Isidório, decided to immortalize his “argument” on video to banish any doubt that he TRULY does believe it. And he quoted Bible passages to back him up.
“When the skies close up and there is no rain, because the people have sinned against you– here I’m talking about the big Gay Pride Parade that takes place in São Paulo. The largest Gay Parade in the world is there (…). It’s the first sign of the spilling of the chalice of God’s wrath due to homosexuality in our Brazil,” says Isidório pompously.
Isidório then invited people of all religions to pray for five days, on behalf of São Paulo residents, because, according to him, it is extremely important for the development of the country, and the inhabitants must not pay for the “sin” of the gay population.
The legislator, who was the second most voted-for in this year’s elections and intends to be president of the Bahia Legislative Assembly in 2015, asks those who are not gay (and “non-sinners” according to him) to pray for the sin of homosexuality to be forgiven so that rain will at last fill São Paulo’s reservoirs.
According to Bahia Notícias, the president of the Bahia Gay Rights Group (GGB-BA), Marcelo Cerqueira, says the pastor’s allegations only speak to his “ignorant voter base.”
“I believe that for one who claims to have Biblical knowledge to say something this outrageous can only lead us to believe he is a false prophet, sowing lies and errant interpretations of the Bible,” Cerqueria said.
Isodírio tends to be a fan of controversy. In Brazil’s recent elections he caused a commotion from atop his campaign float wherever he went. The parliamentarian describes himself as an “ex-homosexual, ex-junkie and ex-thug.”
For all those who agree with Pastor Isodirio and his supporters, we’ll leave you with this: when the drought started, Brazilian YouTube troupe Põe Na Roda responded with a social media campaign encouraging users to #DoucheYourAssWisely in order to solve the water crisis. In a video, they declared, “Gays are doing their part to save water… are you?”
BBC to air film about trans teen on children's TV
‘I just want people to finally see me the way I see myself’
joem
www.gaystarnews.com/article/bbc-air-film-about-trans-teen-childrens-tv121114
HRC to Launch Blog Series Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance
Over the next week, HRC will raise up the voices of transgender community leaders and advocates to bring attention to the continued fight for a safer and better future for all members of our community.
HRC.org
Man Who Proclaimed 'I'm Not Gay No More' Gets A Funky Remix: VIDEO
You may recall the story we brought you of an ex-gay man who proclaimed to his Missouri mega-church, “I’m not gay no more”:
“I’m not gay no more. I am delivered! I don’t like mens no more. I said I like women. Women women women women! I said women! I’m not gay! I would not date a man! I would not carry a purse! I would not put on make-up! I will, I will love a women.”
Now, thanks to YouTube, what was once a sad statement on repression is now a funky tune.
Check it out, AFTER THE JUMP…
Sean Mandell
www.towleroad.com/2014/11/man-who-proclaimed-im-not-gay-no-more-gets-a-funky-remix-video.html
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