PHOTOS: Meet Florida's Same-Sex Newlyweds

Swoon over these beautiful photos of same-sex couples who married this week in Florida.

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Advocate.com Editors

www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2015/01/07/photos-meet-floridas-same-sex-newlyweds

Terrence Howard Talks Auditioning For 'Empire,' Filming Show's Most 'Difficult Scene'
FOX’s new series, “Empire,” has drawn a great deal of attention leading up to its television premiere this week.

The show, which centers around the trials and tribulations of former drug dealer-turned-music mogul running his own record label, has not only sparked a social media debate with 50 Cent accusing the show of duplicating his very own series, “Power,” it also marks the on screen reunion of Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard.

According to Howard, the pair’s previous onscreen chemistry in 2005’s Academy Award-winning film, “Hustle & Flow” had a great influence on director Lee Daniels’ decision to hire him as the show’s lead.

“Lee was auditioning Taraji and she said, ‘If you’re not using Terrence Howard then I’m not doing it. How’s that one?’ (and she hung up the phone),” Howard admitted during an interview with Deadline Hollywood. “Remember, Taraji is the same person who tried to audition for ‘Precious’ — I’m not lying! She’s a cornucopia of crazy and that’s really the reason why I am here.”

The Academy Award-nominated actor went on to detail the impact of filming one of the show’s most difficult scenes which involved Howard’s character, Lucious, throwing his son in a trash can after discovering him wearing his mother’s shoes and head scarf.

“Lee Daniels was that little boy and his father put him in the trash can,” Howard revealed. “Watching Lee while we were shooting this — at one point, he had to look away because he was in tears, because he was facing it. His mother was also there on the set. It was cathartic for Lee.”

“Lee would not allow me to show any compassion in the scene. He reminded me how much Lucious loved little Jamal, but my need for the boy to be a strong man was greater than my need to show my love to him. That was a difficult scene.”

In the past Daniels also opened up on his traumatic encounter with his father during an 2013 interview on “Larry King Now.”

“My dad was playing cards one Sunday with his cop friends and I put on my mother’s red pumps and walked down the stairs…and then I got beat,” he recalled to show host Larry King. “He beat me severely for it. But that didn’t stop me, because the following Sunday I put on her blue high-heel shoes and walked down the stairs, this time with her purse.”

FOX’s “Empire” airs on Wednesdays at 9pm ET. Read more of Terrence Howard’s interview here.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/terrence-howard-empire-difficult-scene_n_6431406.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

HIV Diagnosis Rates are Highest in Deep South, Study Finds

A new study by the Southern HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative (SASI) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that HIV diagnosis rates are highest in the Deep South region of the United States.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hiv-diagnosis-rates-are-highest-in-deep-south-study-finds?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Gay-Rights Rivalry: As Dallas Celebrates Higher HRC Score, Fort Worth Aims To Get Back On Top

Anyone who’s lived in the D-FW Metroplex knows there’s sometimes a fierce rivalry between Dallas and Fort Worth — and in recent years this has extended to the realm of LGBT equality. 

Following the infamous police raid on the Rainbow Lounge gay bar in 2009 (above), Fort Worth advanced several LGBT initiatives that resulted in the smaller, more conservative city receiving a higher score than Dallas on the Human Rights Campaign’s first two editions of the Municipal Equality Index. 

But this year, Dallas jumped back on top, receiving a 91 on the MEI compared to Fort Worth’s 83.  

One thing that hurt Fort Worth’s score this year was the unexplained disappearance of LGBT issues from the city’s official federal legislative agenda, even though they’d been included following the Rainbow Lounge raid. 

On Tuesday night, the Fort Worth City Council rectified that problem, unanimously approving a resolution placing support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act on its legislative agenda for this year. Given that ENDA seems largely dead, we’re assuming the resolution will mean support for a comprehensive federal civil rights bill — which would roughly mirror Fort Worth’s existing nondiscrimination ordinance. 

From The Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 

The federal legislative agenda came up for a council vote on Dec. 9, but [City Councilwoman Ann] Zadeh made the motion to delay approving it after David Mack Henderson (right), president of Fairness Fort Worth, told her that legislation seeking nondiscrimination laws for the LGBT community was not on the agenda.

“We are just asking for what we already had,” Henderson said.

“We had been frustrated that it fell of the radar, though I’m told that it wasn’t intentional. Still, any constituency wants to know that they matter, and we do. Fort Worth and other major cities in Texas are best represented with legislative packets that put our best foot forward and are progressive both for our citizens and for economic development.”

Zadeh said she would like to see the nondiscrimination legislation added the city’s agenda for the Texas legislative session, which begins next week.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Metroplex, Dallas was celebrating a 10-point increase in its MEI score this week, which allowed it to jump both Fort Worth and San Antonio and put Big D second behind only Austin (100) in Texas. 

 

The Dallas Morning News reports:  

In March, the City Council passed a resolution supporting equal rights for city employees, citizens and visitors and committing to address any unequal treatment of LGBT people. The city’s Human Resources department updated its plan to play for transgender psychotherapy and hormone replacement.

In May, the city updated its Family Medical Leave Act ordinance to allow care of a “designated care recipient” as a reason to utilize it. In June, the Dallas Public Library sponsored LGBT programs and a designated book section, which brought the city points for the “visibility” of its LGBT efforts.

City Council members on the Budget, Finance and Audit Committee Monday praised city employees for prioritizing the work.

“Staff has taken the ball and run with it so well,” Philip Kingston (right) said. “When you see an outstanding effort like this, you can tell people really bought into the idea.” 

John Wright

www.towleroad.com/2015/01/gay-rights-rivalry-as-dallas-celebrates-higher-lgbt-score-fort-worth-aims-to-get-back-on-top.html

Lee Daniels at 'Empire' Premiere: 'Dreams Come True'

The gay creator of Fox’s anticipated new drama about the rise of a music mogul spoke about his own path to prominence at the show’s premiere.

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Daniel Reynolds

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/television/2015/01/07/lee-daniels-empire-premiere-dreams-come-true

Beth Ditto Marries Kristin Ogata For The Second Time
Beth Ditto is a married woman…once again.

The Gossip singer tied the knot with wife Kristin Ogata in Oregon on New Year’s Eve before a group of family members and friends, E! Online reports. It was the couple’s second wedding, as they’d initially staged a 2013 ceremony in Hawaii.

Since Oregon legalized same-sex marriage in May 2013, Ditto and Ogata’s union will now be recognized in their home state.

Ditto, 33, confirmed the news with a heartwarming photograph on Gossip’s official Facebook page:

The pair first got engaged in 2012, after a decade of friendship.

“I was born to be married,” Ditto told The Guardian that May. “I love the idea of being partnered for ever. I love my girlfriend, we’ve been best friends since I was 18. There’s not a thing we haven’t been through except for marriage… We’ve had talks about what we would name our kids since we were in our 20s.”

Congrats again, ladies!

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/beth-ditto-married-_n_6431578.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Fitz and the Tantrums Join HRC’s Equality Rocks Campaign

Soul/indie pop band Fitz and The Tantrums has joined HRC’s Equality Rocks campaign.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/fitz-and-the-tantrums-join-hrcs-equality-rocks-campaign?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed