Seth Meyers Gives a History Lesson on Bathrooms
Bathrooms have a political history that goes back to the 1800s, says Seth Meyers.
www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/5/18/seth-meyers-gives-history-lesson-bathrooms
Nation's Largest Latino Civil Rights Group Joins LGBTs in N.C. Boycott
Nation's Largest Latino Civil Rights Group Joins LGBTs in N.C. Boycott
National Council of La Raza pulled its convention from North Carolina protest of the anti-LGBT HB 2.
This Ad Campaign on Being Asian and LGBT Is Overdue
This Ad Campaign on Being Asian and LGBT Is Overdue
www.advocate.com/families/2016/5/18/ad-campaign-being-asian-and-lgbt-overdue
gc2016 May 18 silent procession in plenary
gc2016 May 18 silent procession in plenary
United Methodist News Service posted a photo:
Activists support each other following a silent march through the May 18 plenary session of the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. They are protesting what they believe is an attempt to silence LGBTQ voices. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.
2015-06-14 10.22.14
5 Reasons Millennial Women Love The CockyBoys
5 Reasons Millennial Women Love The CockyBoys
It’s not exactly news that some women, even lesbians, are into gay porn. Remember Julianne Moore awkwardly trying to explain to their son why she and Annette Bening watched gay porn in The Kids Are Alright? And Pornhub has the stats to back it up.
Cosmo recently took a deep dive (mildly NSFW) into the very particular community of female fans who are obsessed with the twinky stars of gay porn studio CockyBoys.
“If it wasn’t for our women fans, I don’t think we would have the level of exposure that we’ve had,” former porn performer George Alvin (a.k.a. Max Ryder) tells the mag. So, what makes these nubile young dudes so appealing to 20- and 30-something ladies?
1. They look like a boy band.
That’s essentially the story’s starting point, positioning the boys as “One Erection.” According to CockyBoy Tayte Hanson, “When these girls were young, boy bands were the ‘in’ thing. They saw the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, and that’s what their brain decided to tell them was attractive and appealing.” The brand’s x-rated, faux boy band mocumentary series aims to cash in on that appeal.
2. Their movies have actual plots.
It’s kind of a cliché that women like porn with a plot, but CockyBoys founder Jake Jaxson says his company’s more ambitious films have “elevated” the genre.
3. They can tell they’re into each other.
“Women definitely have a preference for gay porn where the men look like they are into each other,” says Dr. Lucy Neville, a senior lecturer at London’s Middlesex University. That’s in contrast to straight porn, in which women’s sexual responses often seem fake. “If a man has an erection and he ejaculates, that shows he’s having a good time,” Neville explains.
4. They’ve built a community.
The boys are active on social media, messaging fans and interacting with them on a more personal level. Meanwhile, some of the CockyBoys’ female fans travel from all over the world to meet them at events, and some of these women have even established friendships with each other based on their mutual obsession. “I feel like this is my second family,” one fan admits.
5. The real-life behind-the-scenes drama.
Just like Joan Crawford and Bette Davis’s legendary feud made them gay icons, CockyBoys fangirls lap up the off-camera rivalries and gossip. “A lot of the girl fans thought we were dating in real life, to the point where they would sometimes attack the actual people we were dating on social media,” Alvin (a.k.a. Max Ryder) says of his former co-star Jake Bass. Fans nicknamed the pair “Jax.” “The funny part was we hated each other but on camera had to play off the whole ‘Jax’ [thing].”
feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/UNsOrbllSDw/5-reasons-millennial-women-love-cockyboys-20160518
Obama Administration Battles Republicans Over Who Is More Sex-Obsessed
Obama Administration Battles Republicans Over Who Is More Sex-Obsessed
The White House has just thrown some deep shade in response to a Wall Street Journal op-ed that suggests that the administration’s recent decision directing schools to allow trans kids to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity is rooted in a “preoccupation with sex.”
The Washington Times was on hand to get the response from White House press secretary Josh Earnest and, well, it was a read for the ages:
“It’s Republicans in the Congress that have created a special congressional committee to take a look at Planned Parenthood,” Mr. Earnest said. “It’s Republicans who have sued the administration over the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, including as it relates to women being able to get access to their birth control.”
He said the editorial’s accusation was “curious” and didn’t stand up to scrutiny.
Repeat after us: sexuality and gender identity are two different things.
We’ll be glad when people (finally) get the memo, and we’re going to have to side with Earnest on this one.
It’s laughable that the party that has spent the better part of 30+ years trying to police women’s bodies accuses the Obama Administration of being sex-obsessed for attempting to help trans kids be themselves.
But then again, this is the kind of stupidity we’ve come to expect from the GOP, where their actions are constantly inconsistent with what they claim to believe.
Earnest has their number, as does anyone who’s paying attention this election year.
Mississippi Dept. of Education Caves to Republican Pressure on Transgender Students
Mississippi Dept. of Education Caves to Republican Pressure on Transgender Students
The Mississippi Department of Education has reversed its position on President Obama’s guidance regarding how public schools should treat transgender students. While the state DOE previously said it would act in accordance with the recommendations, one of the state’s top education officials did an about-face on Wednesday.
State Superintendent Carey Wright made the announcement Wednesday morning in a brief statement, saying the department would “follow the lead of state leadership” and take no action until the state Board of Education could discuss the situation. The move comes as Republicans in a number of other states have opposed the guidance, with some seeking to join legal challenges.
Mississippi education officials had said Friday they would follow the guidance by federal authorities calling for transgender students to be treated consistently with their gender identity. They cited a need for a “safe and caring school environment.”
The reversal is widely being attributed to Republican lawmakers in the state who vocally denounced the President’s actions:
Wednesday, 27 Republican state senators among the GOP’s 32-member supermajority sent a letter to Wright and the Board of Education calling for “swift and decisive action on this urgent matter.”
“The federal government is, in effect, trying to blackmail our state by implying that funding for public schools will be withheld should we continue to recognize biological sex when setting safety and privacy policies for our schools,” the senators wrote. “Dr. Wright made the decision to usurp the board’s authority and unilaterally issue the policy decision to acquiesce to the illegal demands of the federal government. For this, the superintendent must be held accountable.”
That followed a letter Tuesday by 11 Republican House members asking Wright to reverse the department’s position. The group, including five members of the House Education Committee, told Wright that if she didn’t reverse herself, she should resign.
“The policy of allowing boys or men into bathrooms and locker rooms with girls poses a threat to the safety and well-being of every school-aged girl in this state,” they wrote.
On Tuesday, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant called for ignoring the guidance issued by President Obama:
“As I said last week, the Mississippi Department of Education should disregard the Obama administration’s so-called guidance regarding public schools’ bathroom policies. Mississippi’s school children should not be forced to participate in the president’s social experiment.”
The post Mississippi Dept. of Education Caves to Republican Pressure on Transgender Students appeared first on Towleroad.
NEW MUSIC: Nothing, pinkshinyultrablast, Modern Baseball
NEW MUSIC: Nothing, pinkshinyultrablast, Modern Baseball
This week in New Music: it’s all about the emo and shoegaze on Nothing‘s second album Tired of Tomorrow, a reissue of early pinkshinyultrablast EP Happy Songs for Happy Zombies and Modern Baseball‘s third offering Holy Ghost.
Nothing – Tired of Tomorrow
Shoegaze has always attracted sad school boys and has a reputation of squall over sense. From early Cocteau Twins to young pretenders pinkshinyultrablast it’s always been about the haze melody. Lyrics are rarely to the fore and song titles often incomprehensible.
On their second album, Philadelphia’s Nothing are changing perceptions. With a touch of EMO and some glittering indie rock interludes, Tired of Tomorrow is concerned with the vagaries of life. Everyone Is Happy is one song. Everyone most certainly is not. “Watch out for those who dare to say that everything will be okay, watch out for those who want to be anything at all” (“Vertigo Flowers”).
There’s a connection somewhere in Nothing with Deafheaven so it makes sense that Tired of Tomorrow is a sumptuous take on shoegaze with a dark undercurrent. At it’s best, the album is similar to the glory days of Smashing Pumpkins.
As with anything labeled shoegaze it’s not going to change the world but it could give some indie kids a lesson in how it should be done.
Pinkshinyultrablast – Happy Songs for Happy Zombies EP
Speaking of pinkshinyultrablast (above), the Russian shoegaze act has just reissued its debut EP Happy Songs for Happy Zombies.
Hailing from St. Petersburg, pinkshinyultrablast released Grandfeathered last month, which followed from debut album Everything Else Matters. Both albums received rapturous praise in some quarters (Everything Else Matters was one of our best albums of 2015).
Although the positive reviews have not translated into world domination, label Club AC30 would appear to be betting on pinkshinyultrablast by re-releasing this EP as a reminder – or appetizer – of just how good the band are.
Weighing in at 4 tracks over 15 minutes, Happy Songs for Happy Zombies does what good shoegaze should: it washes over you, fuzzes out when required and leaves you wondering what just happened and where can you get more.
Modern Baseball – Holy Ghost
While Nothing’s Tired of Tomorrow was allegedly informed by happy thoughts around prison, mugging and violence, indie rock act Modern Baseball’s third album Holy Ghost – while a much happier affair on the surface at least – is apparently a product of band member Brendan Lukens’ recent battles with addiction, bipolar and self harm. So far so depressing. Must be something in the Philadelphia water.
While Nothing had a shoegaze makeover incorporating emo on their new album, Modern Baseball are all about the emo with a sonic indie rock / pop punk boom. At it’s most raw is the half time track “Hiding” in which we get to the core of Modern Baseball’s concerns: “Drank a lot and danced to the Cure, holding on for dear life.”
At 28 minutes total, Holy Ghost has nary a spare moment. If Blue October had deleted the fluff from Foiled it could have been this compelling.
Indie kids take note.
The post NEW MUSIC: Nothing, pinkshinyultrablast, Modern Baseball appeared first on Towleroad.
Five Things North Carolinians Can Do to Help Repeal HB2
Five Things North Carolinians Can Do to Help Repeal HB2
Since March, HRC has been on the ground in North Carolina, fighting the discriminatory anti-LGBT law, HB2. With all that’s going on between lawsuits and legislative repeal efforts and with the mountains of opposition that is growing from businesses to sporting events, there are several ways to get involved.
There are five easy things that North Carolinians can do to be a part of the work of TurnOUT! North Carolina (NC), a coalition of HRC, Equality North Carolina, the ACLU and the Campaign for Southern Equality.
1. Volunteer to help us build a movement across NC
TurnOUT! NC is working to mobilize thousands of North Carolinians to speak out for the full repeal of HB2 and we need hundreds of volunteers to help us make phone calls, collect petitions, and other activities critical to repealing and replacing HB2. RSVP for upcoming phonebanks and volunteer opportunities.
2.Send a message to North Carolina’s elected officials
From Governor Pat McCrory to House Speaker Tim Moore to Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger to each individual state representative and senator, North Carolina’s elected officials need constant and personal reminders about the damage that HB2 is causing to the state. Even if you’ve contacted them before, take time now to send them a strong message to repeal HB2.
3. Attend a Day of Advocacy in Raleigh for a chance to meet with legislators
Just this week Equality NC hosted a Day of Advocacy.TurnOUT! NC will be hosting another Day of Advocacy for Transgender North Carolinians, Families & Friends For Repeal of HB2 on Wednesday, May 25. North Carolina residents can sign-up here to attend.
4. Recruit friends to help join the cause
There are several way you can recruit your friends, family and community to join the cause. For example, share this blog post on Facebook and Twitter, send it to friends via text or email or talk about the harms of HB2 with coworkers or classmates. Your help spreading the word will be critical to broadening our efforts statewide.
5. Don’t live in North Carolina? You can still take action
Click here to take action with HRC today by sending a message to Governor McCrory and leaders in the North Carolina state legislature — tell them to repeal this hateful law immediately.
TurnOUT! NC has field organizers based in Asheville, Charlotte and the Triangle area and HRC has staff on the ground working with coalition partners across the Tar Heel State. There are daily opportunities to volunteer with weekly phonebanks and weekend canvassing opportunities. For more information about our work in North Carolina, contact HRC Senior Regional Field Organizer Ryan Wilson at [email protected]
