PHOTOS: Trans Men Take Over the Camera
“Trans people are being seen in mainstream media more frequently, but how much of what we see is being created through a trans lens?” Trans masculine artists ask and answer in a new photo series from Original Plumbing.
Mitch Kellaway
www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/art/photography/2014/12/28/photos-trans-men-take-over-camera
6 Big Takeaways From Michael Sam's Interview With Oprah (VIDEO)
When Michael Sam became the first openly gay man drafted into the NFL, the world watched him celebrate with his longtime boyfriend, Vito Cammisano. In those brief moments captured on film, we were given a small glimpse into Sam’s world. The lens opened a bit wider on Saturday night with the airing of “Michael Sam” on OWN, a 90-minute documentary about the history-making athlete and his desire to live an open, authentic life. Afterwards, Sam sat down with Oprah for his first interview since being drafted and later cut from two teams. Below are six big moments we’re still talking about.
The Kiss Was Not Staged
After three days of anticipation, Sam learned he was picked up by the St. Louis Rams, an emotional moment for any player. While celebrating with his boyfriend, Sam playfully smashed cake in his face and gave him a kiss, a moment some criticized as controversial and staged.
Sam says the kiss was absolutely not staged. In fact, he says, cameras were supposed to be finished filming at that point. “They were only supposed to film the moment I got drafted. That’s what people don’t understand,” he says. “They say it was staged. Well, I’m having fun. I’m in a good mood.”
Does he think the kiss was too much? “If you didn’t like it, grab your remote control, turn the channel,” Sam says.
“I’m Not the Only One”
Since publicly coming out, Sam says other gay men in the NFL have reached out to him. “Very few reached out to me and pretty much just told me their gratitude,” he says. “They wished that they had the courage to come out.”
When asked how many, Michael declines to give a number. “There’s a lot of us out there,” he says. “I’m just the only one who’s open.”
He Would Never “Out” Another Player
Sam tells Oprah he would never encourage another NFL player to come out just because he did. “They need to come out whenever they feel comfortable for them coming out,” he says. “Not once have I ever tried to advise them coming out.”
He did, however, think his openness would spark others in the NFL to come out publicly as well. “I was wrong, but everyone has to come out in their own time,” he says.
Sam Was Tormented a Kid
Sam’s two older brothers, known around his small Texas town as the “damn Sams,” bullied him mercilessly. “They used to abuse me daily,” Sam says. “Maybe just for fun. Maybe because I was different.”
In the seventh grade, Sam recalls receiving his very first trophies for honors in football, basketball and track. “I was so proud of those trophies,” he says. “My older [brother], he was so jealous and he just broke them in front of me and it was just the saddest thing. I couldn’t have anything without them destroying it or taking it from me.”
He’ll Forgive His Brothers — One Day
When he graduated from the University of Missouri as an All-American, Sam says his mother handed him a letter from one of his brothers.
“I never read it just because all the memories came back to me and I chose not to read it,” Sam says. “I know one day I will forgive my brothers for everything they did for me.”
Sam Hasn’t Given Up on His NFL Dreams
After being cut from the St. Louis Rams, Sam was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, only to be released after seven weeks. “Do you think now that the reason why you are not with a team is because you weren’t good enough to play?” Oprah asks Sam. “Or because you are gay?”
“I don’t like to think that way,” Sam says. “But I do believe I’m a very talented football player and I’m going to continue on working hard and trying to get that opportunity to play in the league.”
As to why he was cut from the Cowboys, Sam says it was just business. “I did everything I was told to do,” he says. “I was on a scout team. There was nothing I could do, the roster was full already and I had to go.”
Sam is now acting as a free agent and says he’ll hold onto his NFL dreams for as long as he can. “The season’s coming to an end and I know I’m still fresh. I could still get a call right now — it’s highly unlikely, but I can go up in next season and start all over again.”
“I believe good things are on the horizon,” he says.
Related: Sam and his boyfriend share the ups and downs of their love story.
Favorite Moments of 2014: Ten Years of Marriage Equality in Massachusetts
This year, the Bay State celebrated ten years of marriage equality.
HRC.org
Eleven Homophobic Holiday Horrors Reveal The Darker Side Of Winter Travel
For those of us who have moved far away from home in search of a more accepting community, the holidays can be a weird slingshot back into the lives we intentionally parted from.
Awkward family dynamics, small towns with no gay bars and that feeling you’re 17 again can all be uncomfortable reminders of why you moved away in the first place.
Still, you only get one family. We wanted to hear from those heading back homo for the holidays, so we asked Whisper to give us the rundown on what they’ve been seeing.
Anything sound familiar?
Dan Tracer
The Best Fails of the Year 2014 – VIDEO
Take a half hour out of your Sunday and relive 2014’s best wipeouts and moments of human stupidity – with a couple of hilarious pet fails thrown in as well for good measure.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP…
Kyler Geoffroy
www.towleroad.com/2014/12/the-best-fails-of-the-year-2014-video.html
ACLU Challenges Virginia School for Barring Trans Boy from Bathroom
On behalf of a trans high schooler, the ACLU argues “privacy” in bathrooms can easily be handled without being discriminatory.
Mitch Kellaway
Shape Up! Your SMART New Years Game Plan
If you’re like millions of Americans, you’ve set fitness resolutions in the past and haven’t been as successful as you have wanted. Many times, this is because goals were unrealistic, not specific, or there was no mechanism in place to track your progress towards your goals.
Before I became a trainer and owner of The Phoenix Effect, I worked as a project manager at a microfinance bank. If I learned one thing from my office days, setting SMART goals was the most valuable lesson. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound.
When setting fitness goals, we should always try to make them as SMART as possible. For example, saying “I want to get fit,” is not a SMART goal and you’ve just set yourself up for failure. However if you say, “I’d like to improve my body image by working on my fitness and losing four percent of body fat in two months by doing bootcamp at The Phoenix Effect three days a week and tracking my nutrition,” you’re way more likely to succeed. Let’s talk a little more in depth about SMART goals.
Be Specific. Start painting a picture of what you want, where and how you will do it, and why you want to do this.
Make sure your goals are Measurable. Sure, you want to get more fit, but what does that mean to you? Do you want to set a personal record for your deadlift? Do you want to lose body fat? If so, by how much?
Are your goals Achievable and Realistic? Perhaps if you’ve never done a squat in your life, setting a goal of squatting 300 pounds in a month is a bit unrealistic. Same goes for weight loss and muscle gain. Most athletes can hope to lose or gain 1-2 pounds per week. Anything more than that is a stretch. Setting goals requires a bit of self-awareness and knowing your starting point/baseline measurements. If you’re unsure how to do this, contact a fitness professional who can help you out!
Finally, make sure your goals are Time-bound. Set a date. Work towards that date. Write those goals down and post them where you can see them.
Now that you have your goals set, figure out how you will track and monitor your progress instead of forgetting about them. Some people like to set alerts every so often on their calendars. For others, putting the goals on the fridge or their cubicle is enough. Again, this is where self-awareness comes into play. If your methods didn’t work in the past, try something else this time.
I wish you all the best of luck and here’s to a SMART 2015!
Jeremy Kinser
feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/snk9ryc_QzU/shape-up-your-smart-new-years-game-plan-20141228
Aceh autonomy hits LGBT lifestyles
LGBT lifestyles will be forced deeper underground as new sharia laws start to bite in Indoesia’s Aceh province. Paul Chapman reports. Subscribe: …
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP8kFTJrhgk&feature=youtube_gdata
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