Joints & Jocks | The Perfect Sidekick LGBT Gym
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America's Player, America's Team

Michael Sam addresses the media after signing with the Dallas Cowboys (AP photo)

Michael Sam has joined America’s Team.

On Wednesday Sam officially became the first active, openly gay player in NFL history when the Dallas Cowboys signed him to their 10-man practice squad. The Cowboys, nicknamed “America’s Team” since 1979, are currently in need of defensive reinforcements, and Sam, the 2013 SEC co-defensive player of the year and a unanimous All-American, appears by all accounts to be a great fit. And while many in the LGBT community (including me) would have loved Sam to be immediately thrust into a starting role, given a multi-million-dollar contract, and anointed league MVP on his first day, the significance of his signing — even if just to the practice squad — should not be underestimated.

Texas is among the most conservative states in the nation when it comes to gay rights. Its constitution was amended by popular vote in 2005 to ban same-sex unions by a whopping 52-percent margin. The state does not protect employees from discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and a law requiring teachers to refer to homosexuality as “not an acceptable lifestyle” and “a criminal offense” remains on the books even though the Lawrence v. Texas decision struck down Texas’ sodomy laws over 10 years ago.

One might reasonably think that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is taking a significant financial risk in signing an openly gay player to a team that operates in such a conservative state. That said, the team has repeatedly asserted that the decision to sign Michael Sam was based on football, not politics. “We’re bringing a player in we wanted to see on the practice field and got nothing but good reports about him,” said head coach Jason Garrett shortly after Sam was hired. “We just want to give him a chance to come in and see if he can help our football team.” He downplayed Sam’s sexuality, simply calling his signing “a good move for our football team right now.”

That said, signing Sam could also be a shrewd business decision. The Cowboys are already the NFL’s most valuable franchise, with an estimated 2014 net worth of approximately $3.2 billion. (The average team valuation is $1.4 billion.) Merchandise sales make up a significant portion of that revenue, and Michael Sam’s St. Louis Rams jersey — he was drafted by the Rams and played four games for them during the preseason — has been the NFL’s sixth-bestselling jersey since April 1, beating future hall-of-famers like Tom Brady (seventh), Drew Brees (eighth), and Aaron Rogers (ninth). Sam’s appeal could translate into big bucks for the Cowboys, who are already ranked number one in the list of most popular NFL teams, a distinction they’ve held every year since 2007.

The risk of fan backlash against an openly gay player seems to be fading as well. In early 2013, nearly a year before Sam came out in The New York Times, Cowboys fan site The Landry Hat conducted an informal poll asking its readers if they’d support an openly gay Cowboys player. Some 55 percent said they would, with many participants adding that an athlete’s sexuality was a non-issue for them. An ongoing ESPN poll is similarly encouraging, with 64 percent of Americans saying they believe the NFL is ready for an openly gay player.

With national sentiment steadily shifting in favor of LGBT equality and acceptance, it’s heartening that Michael Sam’s signing is being seen as a football decision not just by Cowboys leadership but by a majority of fans as well. And by looking beyond the SEC All-American’s sexuality and simply giving him a chance to play, the Dallas Cowboys have proven that they truly deserve to be called “America’s Team.”

www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-jackman/americas-player-americas-_b_5766750.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Check Out DirecTV's Gay Football Ad That Aired During Thursday Night's NFL Kickoff Game: WATCH

Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2014/09/check-out-directvs-gay-football-ad-that-aired-during-nfl-kickoff-game-watch.html

Hot Sheet: September 5, 2014

Our top 10 entertainment and events highlights this week include the documentary I’m a Porn Star; Amazon’s new series, Transparent; and TV’s Secret Guide to Fabulous.

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Advocate.com Editors

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/hot-sheet/2014/09/05/hot-sheet-september-5-2014

Steve Grand Promised Video Of His Naked Ice Bucket Challenge So Here It Is

A man is only as good as his word, right? So out country entertainer Steve Grand is a fine fellow for making good on his promise to post video of his recent nude fund-raising effort on behalf of the ubiquitous Ice Bucket Challenge. To date people willing to be doused with freezing water (or some clever variation) on camera have raised close to $100 million for ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Being conscious of the world shortage in much of the world and having a penchant for showing off his chiseled physique, Grand took a nude dive into the frigid waters of Lake Superior after he performed in nearby Duluth, Minnesota.

Grand posted the following note on his YouTube channel today:

In addition to ALS, I chose to donate to two other charities I feel passionate about. I encourage everyone out there to find a cause you are passionate about, do your research, and donate according to your means. Remember, numerous little donations are what make the biggest differences!

Watch Grand take the plunge below and watch other celebs take the challenge here and here.

Jeremy Kinser

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/S17NdiKlfG4/steve-grand-promised-video-of-his-naked-ice-bucket-challenge-so-here-it-is-20140905

Alleged Killer In 2012 Murder of Halifax Gay Activist Fires Lawyer, Delays Trial

Christian Walters

www.towleroad.com/2014/09/defendant-in-halifax-murder-case-fires-lawyer-delays-trial.html

Corporación Red Somos – Redes de afecto y apoyo "LGBT Diversidad Humana Ciudad Bolivar"
Corporación Red Somos. Convenio de asociación 9407/13 LGBT Diversidad Humana Ciudad Bolivar una de las redes de afecto y apoyo para los sectores LGBT Son personas, grupos y familias que…

Half the Country's Attorneys General Ask Supreme Court to Decide Marriage Equality

Attorneys general from 32 states filed briefs Friday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a definitive ruling on marriage equality.

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Sunnivie Brydum

www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2014/09/05/half-countrys-attorneys-general-ask-supreme-court-decide

Gay Teen Kicked Out Of Home Diverts Outpouring Of Donations To Homeless Shelter
A gay Georgia teen who was kicked out of his home because of his sexuality received an outpouring of support and donations. He’s now paying it forward.

Daniel Ashley Pierce came out as gay in 2013, but was kicked out of his home last month following a “delayed intervention” with his Christian parents and grandparents. During the intervention, Pierce was told homosexuality is a choice and “God creates nobody that way.” The encounter, which was verbally abusive and ultimately turned violent, was all caught on video.

The video wound up going viral and Pierce received more than $90,000 in donations via a GoFundMe campaign for living expenses.

Now, Pierce is encouraging donors to send their money to Atlanta’s Lost-n-Found, a nonprofit agency created in 2011 with the mission to assist homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth. Lost-n-Found plans to convert a house into a homeless center for gay teens by the spring of 2015, according to Atlanta’s CBS46.

Executive Director Rick Westbrook told the network Pierce contacted the group to offer the funds.

“I would say we’re right at $10,000 [through Pierce donations],” Westbrook said. “Daniel is an incredibly bright and courageous young man. He is the epitome of who Lost n’ Found is here to serve.”

Pierce wrote about his decision to divert funds on the GoFundMe page.

“This has been a rough time for me and I never imagined that so many people would show such overwhelming compassion and generosity,” he said. “It’s important for all of you to know that right now, what I need most is time to think and work through the next steps in my life. I have been working closely with Atlanta-based Lost-n-Found Youth to help figure out what’s next for me. Right now, I’m safe and definitely feel your love all around me. Thank you!”

Lost-n-Found reports that, of the youth they have worked with, 53 percent had nowhere to turn after being kicked out of their homes. Approximately 40 percent of homeless youth nationwide identifies as LGBTQ. Additionally, “there are only about 48 hours from the time a kid becomes homeless before 33 percent of youth begin to engage in risky behaviors as theft, drug activity or selling their bodies for money to survive,” per a press release.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/05/gay-teen-kicked-out-donations-homeless_n_5774916.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices