Trump Moves to Dump Trans-Inclusive Health Care Rule
In a court filing, Department of Health and Human Services indicated it would roll back protections for trans men and women.
www.advocate.com/health/2017/5/02/trump-moves-dump-trans-inclusive-health-care-rule
.In The Moment. ~ Dearest
Aww Cmon Puddin’ posted a photo:
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.In The Moment. ~ “Dearest” available @ The Old Fair!
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New Release price of 100L!
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Event Opens: May 4th
Event Closes: May 25th
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maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Auro/86/102/21
Onion vid stars “Trump voter” who feels betrayed after reading 800 pages of queer feminist theory
The less said about this one the better.
‘Moonlight,’ ‘Clue’, ‘Jackie Brown’ and More Films Streaming in May
Looking for something to stream while you Netflix and chill? Check out our picks for new films streaming this month below, including The Wizard of Oz, Jackie Brown and more.
Clue (1985), available May 1 on Hulu
Of all the classic scenes in this campy mystery comedy, the most GIF-able moment has got to be Madeline Kahn’s famous “flames on the side of my face” scene. Every good gay should be able to do serviceable approximation in a pinch.
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008), available May 1 on Hulu and Amazon Prime
In the grand tradition of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and, more recently, The Room, this comedy-horror rock opera is verging on “so bad it’s good” territory. The apocalyptic punk musical features lots of guts, gore and Paris Hilton. Queue it up at your own risk.
The Wizard of Oz (1939), available May 1 on Amazon Prime
Given the news these days, getting whisked away over the rainbow seems more attractive than ever.
Jackie Brown (1997), available May 7 on Amazon Prime
The iconic Pam Grier cements her queen status in this underrated Tarantino gem. This film revitalized the famed blaxsploitation actress’ career, leading to her six-season stint on The L Word.
Moonlight (2016), available May 21 on Amazon Prime
Last year’s (eventual) Best Picture winner is a must-see. The beautifully-crafted film follows young Chiron as he struggles with his identity, love and loss. It is the first film to win Best Picture with an all-black cast, and first LGBT film to receive this top Oscar honor as well.
What are you streaming this month?
The post ‘Moonlight,’ ‘Clue’, ‘Jackie Brown’ and More Films Streaming in May appeared first on Towleroad.
‘Moonlight,’ ‘Clue’, ‘Jackie Brown’ and More Films Streaming in May
This dad’s joyous reaction to his son’s new doll is one for the ages
“Now how do you think a dad feels,” he asks on camera, “when a son wants to get this?”
Donald Trump Planning to Sign Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom’ EO on Thursday: REPORT
Donald Trump is planning on signing a long-rumored anti-LGBT “religious freedom” executive order at the White House on Thursday, according to a report in Politico:
Two senior administration officials confirmed the plan, though one cautioned that it hasn’t yet been finalized, and noted that lawyers are currently reviewing and fine-tuning the draft language. Thursday is the National Day of Prayer, and the White House was already planning to celebrate the occasion with faith leaders.
The signing would represent a major triumph for Vice President Mike Pence—whose push for religious-freedom legislation backfired mightily when he served as governor of Indiana—and his allies in the conservative movement.
Dozens of Republican lawmakers sent Trump a letter last month urging him to sign the order. Although the White House said in February that it had no plans to sign the order, an official told USA Today that Trump was trying to find a “middle ground” policy.
A draft of the alleged order leaked in February. Read a PDF of the draft HERE.
The Nation reported on the draft:
The four-page draft order, a copy of which is currently circulating among federal staff and advocacy organizations, construes religious organizations so broadly that it covers “any organization, including closely held for-profit corporations,” and protects “religious freedom” in every walk of life: “when providing social services, education, or healthcare; earning a living, seeking a job, or employing others; receiving government grants or contracts; or otherwise participating in the marketplace, the public square, or interfacing with Federal, State or local governments.”
The draft order seeks to create wholesale exemptions for people and organizations who claim religious or moral objections to same-sex marriage, premarital sex, abortion, and trans identity, and it seeks to curtail women’s access to contraception and abortion through the Affordable Care Act.
The contents of the leaked document were draconian and chilling:
Language in the draft document specifically protects the tax-exempt status of any organization that “believes, speaks, or acts (or declines to act) in accordance with the belief that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, sexual relations are properly reserved for such a marriage, male and female and their equivalents refer to an individual’s immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy, physiology, or genetics at or before birth, and that human life begins at conception and merits protection at all stages of life.”
Politico reports that “The new draft is being tightly held, but one influential conservative who saw the text said it hasn’t been dialed back much—if at all—since the February leak. ‘The language is very, very strong,’ the source said.”
Meanwhile, the ACLU is telling Trump, don’t you dare, we’ll sue immediately:
It’s telling that out of nearly 240 Republicans in the House, a mere 51 signed this letter. (Eighteen Republicans out of 52 joined a similar letter in the Senate). As we have repeatedly made clear, the ACLU will not hesitate to challenge this discriminatory EO should it be signed.
For President Trump to stand any chance at following through on his campaign promise to be a “real friend” to the LGBT community, he cannot follow fringe, anti-LGBT extremists down this ill-advised path of licensing discrimination under the guise of religious liberty. Those representatives advocating for this EO in Congress are urging a return to a discriminatory past, and they are a minority even among very conservative House Republicans.
Just last year, 43 House Republicans voted in favor of an amendment that reaffirmed a 2014 executive order from President Obama that prohibited businesses that contract with the federal government from discriminating against LGBT people. Upon taking office, the Trump administration made clear that it would keep these nondiscrimination requirements on federal contractors in place. And yet these protections could be completely undermined through this proposed EO.
Among the many prominent voices who have urged President Trump to reject this discriminatory EO is former Republican U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming.
Freedom of religion is one of our most fundamental national values — and something the ACLU fights for every day. But it does not give anyone the right to impose their beliefs on others, to harm others, or to discriminate. President Trump would be well served by listening to the advice of Sen. Simpson and other conservatives who recognize that discrimination against people based on who they are or whom they love must be rejected.
The post Donald Trump Planning to Sign Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom’ EO on Thursday: REPORT appeared first on Towleroad.
Donald Trump Planning to Sign Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom’ EO on Thursday: REPORT
Ellen Kahn & Sarah McBride Close Out the 2017 HRC Foundation’s Time To THRIVE Conference
Out Congressman David Cicilline: Why I Introduced the Equality Act
“The American people deserve to know who will stand up and speak out for those on the margins of society,” writes the U.S. Representative from Rhode Island.
www.advocate.com/commentary/2017/5/02/out-congressman-david-cicilline-why-i-introduced-equality-act
Another piece of queer history faces the wrecking ball
Neighbors will likely put up a fight, but the odds aren’t great.
Angela Merkel Pushes Putin on Torture of Gay Men in Chechnya
German chancellor Angela Merkel took the opportunity of her first visit to Russia since 2015 to urge Putin to react to reports of an ongoing crackdown against gay men in Chechnya.
As accounts of the detention, torture, and even murder of gay men in the Russian republic in the Caucasus continue to spread, Merkel called on Putin to intercede on behalf of the persecuted:
At a tense joint news conference with Mr Putin, Mrs Merkel said she had received “negative reports on the treatment of homosexuals, particularly in Chechnya”.
“I asked President Putin to use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities,” she added.
Merkel further raised the matter of the freedom of protesters to gather, following the roundup of St. Petersburg LGBT activists yesterday who sought to throw light on the urgency of the situation in Chechnya:
She also called for freedom of assembly to be protected, after Russian riot police arrested protesters demonstrating against the persecution. “It’s important to have the right to demonstrate in a democracy, and the role of NGOs is very important,” Ms Merkel said.
Putin has seemed to accept Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov’s insistence that the reports were untrue. The grave human rights violations in Chechnya came to light last month, and the journalist who broke the story has since fled for her safety.
The post Angela Merkel Pushes Putin on Torture of Gay Men in Chechnya appeared first on Towleroad.
Angela Merkel Pushes Putin on Torture of Gay Men in Chechnya
