Artist Spotlight: Fernando Bayona

Fernando Bayona creates incredible scenery as part of his photographic exploration of the human heart.

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Christopher Harrity

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/art/artist-spotlight/2015/01/17/artist-spotlight-fernando-bayona

This 13-Year-Old’s Response To Her Brother Coming Out And Being Told It’s Wrong To Be Gay Is Awesome

The Catholic Church has long served as a roadblock for full acceptance of LGBT people. But these times they are a-changing. And they’re changing fast.

A user on Imgur, the popular online image hosting service, recently posted a screenshot of a text message he received from his 13-year-old sister, Paige. What she wrote to her gay brother will totally make your day and possibly even restore your faith in humanity.

Check it out:

You go, Paige! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. It’s strong-willed, free-thinking young people like yourself who are paving the way for a more loving and accepting world.

Related stories:

“Forrest Gump” Actor Gary Sinise Cancels Appearance at Antigay Catholic Hate Rally

10 Bible-Based Reasons Why Christians Should Love Homosexuality

Is Pope Francis About To Sever The Catholic Church’s Alliance With Anti-Gay Evangelicals?

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/lUvC-KJat_E/this-13-year-olds-response-to-her-brother-coming-out-and-being-told-its-wrong-to-be-gay-is-awesome-20150117

Why My Friends and Family Slut Shamed Me for Contracting an STI
Until very recently, I had been single and dating for about the past four months. I had been on dates with several men during that time, and while it may seem shocking to some, I had sex with a portion of those men. A few weeks ago I began experiencing the classic symptoms of an STI, so I went to my doctor right away.

I was not surprised when I was immediately treated with antibiotics to attack both gonorrhea and chlamydia, as they tend to go hand in hand. My test results came back, and, as expected, I tested positive for both gonorrhea and chlamydia. By the time we knew the results, I had already been successfully treated and cured.

I had disclosed this information to some of my closest family and friends only to be greeted with an attitude of slut shaming. I got the same response from nearly everyone I told. They would all mention something sort of like this: “I’m glad to hear you got treated, but you should really be more careful and use protection.”

Perhaps the people who said these things are just ignorant of how these kinds of STIs are spread, but I was highly offended by these comments, because I do use protection, and I am very aware of my sexual health. I always use protection during penetrative sex and recently got a prescription to begin taking Truvada as PrEP.

Here’s the thing: Many of these common and easily curable STIs can easily be spread through non-penetrative sex. I know for a fact that everyone who preached to me about practicing “safer sex” does not use protection for oral and other non-penetrative forms of sex. Yet they somehow find it appropriate to stigmatize my sexual behavior simply because I contracted two of the most common STIs.

In fact, after the first signs of some type of infection, I immediately visited my physician and got treated. I also notified everyone who may have been exposed. I did all the right things, but because the infections I contracted were of a sexual nature, for some reason they felt I needed some sort of lecture on safer sex. None of these people lectured me about hand washing the last time I caught a cold.

Based on the amount of people who asked me if gonorrhea and chlamydia were treatable, my takeaway from this experience is that these people are the ones who need to practice safer sex and be more aware of their sexual health. I don’t think anyone meant to slut shame me, but I do think they lack basic knowledge regarding STIs and how they’re spread.

This is precisely why people don’t openly discuss their sexual health, because people are afraid of being stigmatized by those who are uninformed. It’s also the reason that so many of these diseases continue to spread, because people think they’re practicing “safe sex” when in reality they should probably go get tested for STIs.

www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-coffin/why-my-friends-and-family_b_6481744.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

WATCH: Glee's Coach Beiste Comes Out as a Trans Man

The tough-but-tender football coach is finally ready to be honest with the crew at McKinley High.

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Sunnivie Brydum

www.advocate.com/spotlight/2015/01/16/watch-glees-coach-beiste-comes-out-trans-man

LGBT-Inclusive School May Soon Be Opening Its Doors, But Is It A Good Idea?

A school geared specifically towards LGBT students may be opening its doors in Manchester, England within the next three years.

“It is about trying to develop something that helps people that need extra support,” Amelia Lee, strategic director for LGBT Youth North West in Manchester, told The Guardian. “Despite the laws that claim to protect gay people from homophobic bullying, the truth is that in schools especially, bullying is still incredibly common and causes young people to feel isolated and alienated, which often leads to truanting and, in the worst-case scenarios, to suicide.”

The proposed school will be located in the heart of Manchester and will offer classroom space for up to 40 full-time students, as well as 20 part-time students who also want to continue attending a mainstream school.

“This is not about making a little, safe enclave away from the real world,” Lee said. “The school will have a gentle, supportive atmosphere. Its curriculum will be closely tailored to each child’s needs and incorporate academic work with youth-work techniques, such as building self-esteem and functional skills by working in the charity’s cafe or community garden.”

Lee noted that the present school system in Manchester is failing 5-10 percent of pupils, many of whom either don’t respond well to the structure or are struggling with their identities. This new school will offer them an alternative and a place to thrive.

“We can either hope every school is going to be inclusive,” Lee said, “or we can recognize we are not there yet and so, for the moment, we need more specialized schools.”

“It will be LGBT-inclusive, but not exclusive,” she said.

But not everyone agrees with Lee. Some LGBT rights activists feel a school of this sort doesn’t help to advance their cause.

“We know that LGBT students still experience bullying and harassment. That needs to change,” Ruth Hunt, chief executive of the LGBT advocacy group Stonewall, tells the Guardian. “While we’re sympathetic to the aims and objectives of LGBT-only schools, we don’t see them as the answer.”

“Our experience working with more than 12,000 schools across the country shows that it is possible to create safe and inclusive environments where all pupils can be themselves,” she continues. “This makes the learning environment better for all students–regardless of their sexual orientation–and is the key to eradicating homophobia in every single school in Britain.”

But there are plenty of young people who feel that a specialized school is absolutely necessary.

Ellie (not her real name) told the Guardian that after she was outed by someone at her school the fallout was “awful” and that “none of the teachers did anything to help me.” In fact, some went out of their way to make things worse.

“The PE teacher made me change clothes with the lads because she said I wasn’t attracted to them,” Ellie said. “It annoyed me so much that I stopped going to PE, which meant I got in trouble for missing the lessons.”

She eventually had to transfer to a new school.

Rob (also not his real name) told the Guardian that constant homophobic bullying made his school experience extremely difficult. He, too, blames his teachers for not doing enough to stick up for him.

“They need to help us feel safe in our own environment of school,” Ron said. “And they should teach the other students how LGBT people just want to be like anyone else. But none of this happens and, as a result, LGBT pupils routinely experience bullying that, if it was racist or sexist, wouldn’t be accepted by the school for a second.”

The new school is being planned as an extension to Manchester’s Joyce Layland LGBT Centre and will likely open in 2018.

Related stories:

Crowd Gathers To Support 14-Year Old Trying To Start GSA

Transgender Student Crowned Prom Queen At Boston Area High School

Students Prevail Over Principal Who Blocked Efforts To Establish Gay-Straight Alliance

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/98_axMCOwCg/lgbt-inclusive-school-may-soon-be-opening-its-doors-but-is-it-a-good-idea-20150116