WATCH: 'Empire' Sneak Peek – Does Michael Leave Jamal?

The relationship of Empire’s premiere gay couple takes a dark turn in this preview of tonight’s new episode.

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Jase Peeples

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/television/2015/02/18/watch-empire-sneak-peek-does-michael-leave-jamal

Listening to Leelah: Continuing the Conversation
Living in the greater Cincinnati area, new stories, conversations and editorials have been featured on the struggles and death of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn. In the comments under these online postings, many responders desired the conversations to halt or claiming that the story is insignificant. Unfortunately, those engaging in these conversations often used negative words to describe Leelah.

It reminded me of a situation from 2007 when I lived in Largo, Florida, and Steve Stanton was our city manager. I was acquainted with Stanton from my days employed at a local not-for-profit within the city. Stanton was a dedicated employee and leader in the community for over 17 years.

The local media broke the story of Stanton’s true gender identity and forthcoming transition before she had fully prepared to come out. As the community was stunned by the news, many people in this suburban town refused to allow Stanton to remain manager of the city. Based on her faith perspective, one of the city commissioners demanded for Stanton to be fired.

At the hearings, people from various perspectives came to speak for Stanton’s continued employment or for her removal. A pastor from a local church stated “If Jesus was here tonight, I can guarantee you he’d want (her) terminated. Make no mistake about it.” With a 5-2 vote, the Largo commissioners chose to end Stanton’s employment in February 2007. Soon after, Stanton began to publicly identify as Susan Stanton.

For me, the story of Susan opened my eyes to the discrimination that many transgender people experience – even in 21st-century government jobs. It was truly the first time that I saw how horrifically unjust religious people can be regarding gender identity.

People like to continue to believe that our current gender is our primary characteristic for defining who we are: male or female. No one is allowed to identify outside of gender norms, and those who identify with another gender are often considered perverted or immoral. They become the twenty-first century’s unclean, expendable or somehow subhuman.

The words of the New Testament gives greater insight to identity in Christ. Galatians three notes that there is “no longer male nor female,” expanding the confines of traditional gender roles, identities and expressions and releasing people from gender norms. This text also empowers people who identify with neither gender or multiple genders simultaneously. Additionally, the story of Philip and the eunuch in Acts eight gives us the powerful example that no one is excluded from the Kingdom of God. Even though the Ethiopian eunuch would have been deemed unclean, Philip was called by the Spirit to baptize this child of God.

Jesus came to fulfill the law, and in doing so, never condemns the eunuchs in Matthew 19 nor does he call them unclean. According to Jesus, some are born that way, some have become eunuchs physically or spiritually by their own accord, and some had no choice in the matter and were made eunuchs by others.

Eight years later, I would like to answer the pastor who said that Jesus would want Susan Stanton fired by this: Jesus never said that nor did he allude to ridding our society of genderqueer people.

When our society continues to consider anyone who does not fit within the boxes of gender “norms” unclean, whether they are transgender, express their gender outside of cisnormative, genderqueer, etc., then our society contributes to the hate crimes and suicides of many of God’s children.

According to the Williams Institute and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

“The prevalence of suicide attempts among respondents to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and National Center for Transgender Equality, is 41 percent, which vastly exceeds the 4.6 percent of the overall U.S. population who report a lifetime suicide attempt…”

To those people who claim that they are “tired of hearing about it” and want to “move on”: understand that many of us are privileged in the ways our gender identities and physical selves match. We can turn off the news and never have to think about gender identity. But Leelah couldn’t turn this off, give it a rest and move on. And that is why Leelah took her own life.

Indeed, we can’t move on yet. From what I’ve seen in the media, we aren’t leaving stories of the transgender experience behind. From President Obama mentioning transgender persons for the first time during any State of the Union address to the new Amazon Prime show Transparent winning a Golden Globe for best comedy program, conversations are blossoming throughout our country. The urgency to continue discussions about the transgender experience is present because, someday, many of us will lose a loved one who is transgender, either through suicide or hate crime. Maybe some of us already have lost someone close because they couldn’t believe society would accept them as genderqueer.

Those of us who identify with the gender in which we were assigned at birth can not understand the transgender person’s struggle. Because of the complexity of the human body, mind and soul, the physical self does not match the emotional or spiritual self in some people. As fellow humans, it’s important to recognize that when a person identifies with gender(s) other than the one in which they were assigned at birth, it’s not an immoral act. They aren’t somehow more depraved than anyone else. However, they are enduring struggle that those of us who aren’t transgender will never understand. Taking time to listen to and appreciate their journey instead of casting judgment will build a community of compassion.

Leelah stated in her final note, “The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren’t treated the way I was. They’re treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights.” Even though some time has past since their stories, let’s continue to make sure their stories are heard until all people are treated with equal dignity. In memory of Leelah and our loved ones who have died, and in honor of Susan and those who come out each day as a transgender person, let’s try to treat people of all genders, no genders, multiple genders and of various gender expressions as fully human and made in God’s image.

www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-michelle-l-torigian/listening-to-leelah-continuing-the-conversation_b_6672500.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Curious straight guy attempts sex with a man – realises you definitely can't choose to be gay

Receives an eye-opening experience

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joem

www.gaystarnews.com/article/curious-straight-guy-attempts-sex-man-realises-you-definitely-cant-choose-be-gay180215

Diverse Group of Celebrities Sign The People’s Brief

Since the launch of The People’s Brief, a diverse group of prominent celebrities, athletes, entertainers and politicians have stood up in support of nationwide marriage equality.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/diverse-group-of-celebrities-sign-the-peoples-brief?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

This 5-Person Town Just Adopted An LGBT Non-Discrimination Ordinance Because, Well, Why Not?

Welcome to Thurmond, West Virginia. Once a booming railroad town with a population of 700, today it is home to a total of five–yes, five–people.

The town had its hey day in the roaring 1920s, boasting two hotels, two banks, and a number of other commercial buildings. Over the decades, the population gradually dwindled. And in 1984, Thurmond was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

But don’t think that this historic small town is stuck in the past.

This week, all five of Thurwond’s residents voted unanimously to adopt a new town ordinance that extends discrimination prohibitions on employment, housing and public accommodations to LGBT individuals.

West Virgina’s current non-discrimination measure doesn’t offer any protections to LGBT people.

Tighe Bullock, a member of Thurmond’s council, told The Huffington Post that some residents (he didn’t name any names) questioned whether or not a ban on employment discrimination was really necessary, considering that the town doesn’t have any employers, but they ultimately decided to enact the ordinance for symbolic purposes.

“If the smallest city can pass it and come together unanimously and be of one mind about something, then I don’t think it’s too hard that other people can come together and provide protections that should be provided on a statewide level,” Bullock said. “This bill is about not being able to fire people based on their gender and sexual orientation. And I think almost everyone should be able to agree on something like that.”

Andrew Schneider, executive director of the advocacy group Fairness West Virginia, agrees. He told The Huffington Post that Thurmond’s new ordinance, as well as similar protections adopted in other communities across the state, shows there is “movement afoot” in creating a statewide measure, which he believes could have a positive impact on West Virginia’s economy as it would encourage businesses with diverse employees to relocate to the Mountain State.

“Passing this ordinance is living up to that ideal that all West Virginians are free and we’re free from discrimination,” Bullock said. “We’re free from fear of being fired for our gender or our sexual orientation.”

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/9aDvg6pbhdw/this-5-person-town-just-adopted-an-lgbt-non-discrimination-ordinance-because-well-why-not-20150218

Nerd Out With CNN's Quiz Show: Presidents Edition – VIDEO

Sean Mandell

www.towleroad.com/2015/02/cnns-quiz-show.html

Is This the First Time Grindr Led to Nuptials?

Konrad Juengling (left) and Robert Peterson found love in a hopeless place.

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Aaron Drake

www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/wedding-channel/2015/02/18/first-time-grindr-led-nuptials

'Witness Uganda' Composers Support Students Impacted By Homophobia With 'Invisible Thread' Video
The creators of the Broadway-bound new musical “Witness Uganda” are the stars of a poignant music video that aims to support Ugandan students who may be affected by their country’s notorious anti-gay laws.

“Invisible Thread” recalls “Witness Uganda” composers Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews’ experiences as aid workers in Africa and is featured in the musical. The video clip for the song, which is directed by Broadway actor Andrew Keenan-Bolger, takes a different approach, showing the real-life couple going about their daily lives in New York.

The aim of the video, Gould and Matthews said in a statement, is to celebrate “people all over the world who are fighting for their right to love whom they choose” while raising funds for the educational advocacy group Uganda Project.

“We believe that education is the greatest deterrent to intolerance and hatred,” they added. “With your help, we can send four of our students through their final semester of college and help them to become the next generation of enlightened leaders in Uganda.”

At the time this story was first published, the composers had raised over $5,000 for UgandaProject, with an ultimate goal of $10,000. Head here to check out the fundraising efforts.

Keenan-Bolger, who is also the co-creator of the theater-centric web series, “Submissions Only,” told The Huffington Post in an email that he felt the message of the clip resonated with him personally “as a millennial and especially an artist.”

“As a gay man I’m drawn to, and feel a responsibility to tell, stories that depict our community in an honest way,” Keenan-Bolger, currently starring in “Tuck Everlasting” at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff, said. “We came up with the idea of showing a long distance relationship told through the simple and banal tasks that remind and connect you with the person you love.”

He then added, “I chose images that alone might not mean much but when viewed next to each other in split screen could be powerful and poetic.”

For more on Gould and Matthews’ fundraising efforts, head here. Check out The Huffington Post’s take on “Witness Uganda” here.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/18/invisible-thread-broadway-uganda-_n_6702154.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices