Let’s just get this out of the way: There is a lot more to Jennifer Lopez than all that body. She’s a movie star, pop star, producer, dancer, designer and the most influential hispanic entertainer in the United States. She can rock the mic, the dance floor and an ultra low-cut dress. While she’s been breaking records and making history as a Latina legend-in-the-making, she’s an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community.

She described her personal connection to the community when she accepted the Vanguard Award from GLAAD last year:

“[Aunt Marisa] grew up gay in a time when it meant life could be very difficult and that her struggles were mostly kept to herself. It wasn’t until I got older that I really began to know and appreciate all the difficulties she dealt with and the struggles of her community. I also realized the quiet lessons I learned from my family about love, tolerance, and acceptance. We loved her. That was all because of her. So I wanted to do this because I felt that she would be so proud of me. I thought about that a lot when I was doing this. And as I do now. I always think, I bet she would love this. And I know she is proud of me and everybody here. She’s proud of all of us.”

She was being honored for her connection to her gay fans, but also for her involvement producing a show for ABC Family, The Fosters. The series follows the titular Foster family, headed by an interracial lesbian couple. The drama earned a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

Of course, most of us know J. Lo a lot more for her work in front of the camera. Check out some of our favorite Jennifer Lopez clips, AFTER THE JUMP …

Lopez’s breakthrough role came in the 1997 biopic, Selena. She drew praise for her portrayal of the slain Mexican-American superstar. The rest of her IMDB credits are a bit of a mixed bag, with camp classics like Anaconda and Gigli among them.

Maybe you’ve gotten down to J. Lo’s music on the dance floor. From “If You Had My Love” to “Dance Again” to “Booty,” Lopez has been a mainstay of the dance-pop scene. (Our favorite J. Lo track? “Waiting For Tonight,” above.) With the release of her second studio album, J.Lo, she became the first entertainer to have a number one album and film (The Wedding Planner) in the same week.

Her LGBT TV connection pre-dates The Fosters. She appeared as herself on NBC’s Will & Grace, singing at Karen (Megan Mullally)’s wedding and offered to take Jack (Sean Hayes) with her on tour.

There’s plenty of soapy melodrama on The Fosters, but at its core, it’s about a modern family. At the start of the series, Lena (Sherri Saum), a school admin and Stef (Teri Polo), a police officer, take in two foster children to join their family. Along with their three other children, the blended family tackles topics including addiction, rape and coming out. The show has received lots of praise (and backlash) for its handling of LGBT issues, including its portrayal of a kiss between two 13-year-old boys.

She released her eighth studio album, A.K.A., in 2014. Among the album’s singles were “Booty” (one of the anthems of 2014’s Year of the Butt) and “I Luh Ya Papi,” which came with the man-candy filled video above. Next up, a return to TV drama, producing and starring in Shades of Blue, an NBC series wherein she’ll be playing an undercover FBI agent.

What’s your favorite Jennifer Lopez work?

A transgender man has settled his 15-month-old discrimination claim against AT&T Inc., despite what his attorney calls “broken” LGBT protections in San Antonio.  

In January 2014, Mathew Hileman (above) filed the first complaint under the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance, which was approved amid controversy in 2013. Hileman alleged he was fired by Resource Global Professionals, an IT consulting firm and AT&T contractor, based on his gender identity. 

When Hileman overheard two co-workers threatening violence against trans people if they were found in the bathroom, he reported it, only to later find a “no fags” sign on his chair. When Hileman told supervisors he feared for his safety, they said he was being reassigned but actually terminated him. 

Hileman’s complaint immediately revealed problems with the newly passed ordinance. The City Council never established a process for implementing the law, and it doesn’t cover employment citywide. The complaint was filed against AT&T based on the fact that the company is a city contractor. 

AT&T, a strong corporate LGBT ally, fought Hileman’s complaint bitterly. But Hileman’s attorney, Justin Nichols, announced this week the claim was finally settled. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. In addition to the city, Hileman filed a complaint against AT&T with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

Out In SA reports: 

Nichols told Out In SA that the settlement with AT&T owed nothing to the nondiscrimination ordinance which he said offered no remedy to claimants that they didn’t already have before it was was approved by the City Council.

“The NDO is broken and does not offer any protection for contract employees,” Nichols said. He added that Mayor Ivy Taylor’s office showed no interest in helping Hileman work through his claim.

“I don’t mean to diminish the efforts of those who passed the NDO,” says Nichols. “It was a valiant and important effort. What I want to convey is the NDO needs fixing, and under the current mayoral administration, there is no effort to improve and implement the NDO, rendering it wholly ineffective.”

If the NDO still isn’t being implemented properly, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising given that interim Mayor Ivy Taylor voted against the law and recently called it a “a political stunt.”

Taylor, who was appointed to serve the remainder of Julian Castro’s term after he was named HUD secretary, faces two formidable LGBT-friendly candidates in the May election, former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte and former Rep. Mike Villarreal, both Latino Democrats.

Hopefully, the winner will make it a priority to fix the ordinance, assuming that the state Legislature doesn’t gut it before then. 

Washington, New York, and Connecticut have all lifted their bans on state-funded travel to Indiana following Gov. Mike Pence’s signature on an amended “religious freedom” law that prohibits it from being used to discriminate against LGBT individuals.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued the following notice to cabinet agencies:

Earlier this week, after the state of Indiana passed its Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), IC 34-13-9, I ordered executive-level agencies and small cabinet agencies to prohibit publicly funded non-essential travel to Indiana. I issued my order because Indiana’s RFRA opened the door to allowing private companies to discriminate against individuals in that state, in sharp contrast to our own state’s long commitment to diversity and inclusion. My order stated that the travel ban would remain in effect so long as Indiana’s law existed in its original form.

In response to the intense public criticism stemming from the passage of Indiana’s RFRA, the Indiana Legislature moved quickly to fix the law. Yesterday, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed legislation amending the law and remedying the most egregious elements of the law. The new amendment prohibits businesses and individuals from refusing service or goods to potential clients based on that client’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics. This is a promising step toward greater cultural inclusion and acceptance for LGBT communities. Accordingly, I am lifting the ban on publicly funded non-essential travel to Indiana.

NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s statement:

“After reviewing the amendments made to Indiana’s state law and consulting with LGBT advocacy groups here in New York, I believe the changes enacted by the Indiana Executive and Legislature should prevent the Religious Freedom Restoration Act from being used to discriminate against gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender citizens and travelers. As a result, I am lifting New York’s ban against state funded and state sponsored travel to Indiana, effective immediately.  

“Here in New York, we believe that all Americans, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation or any other protected classes, should be treated equally under the law. Our nation’s Constitution ensures equality and justice for all. We must never forget that ‘all’ does not mean ‘some’, but all of us and we will continue to fight and stand up for equality until it is a reality for all Americans.”​​

Said Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy: