'Tough Love' Launches Final Episode, Turns To Kickstarter To Save It
One of our favorite queer web series of 2014 may soon meet its end, unless it can raise the funds to keep us cracking up for another season.

Popular YouTube web series “Tough Love” took the model of two best friends living in New York City and made them gay — putting a twist what it’s like to be young, broke, queer and trying to make it in the Big Apple today.

Stars Steven Bell and Blaire Wendel are now engaged in a Kickstarter campaign in order to keep bringing us “Tough Love,” and the pair are only eight days away from the campaign’s end.

In conjunction with the Kickstarter, “Tough Love” has released what could potentially be their final episode — unless the funding comes through. Called “The Sleepover,” it focuses on the dyanmics of gay men and straight women, as well as the crumbling relationship of Wendel’s character.

“I think the inspiration for this episode came from my early days of discovering I was gay,” Bell told The Huffington Post. “There was a period where I knew I was gay, but I told myself that I couldn’t be 100 percent sure unless I had been with a woman. I’ve had a few female friends who would have been totally down to ‘experiment’ with me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Women have never interested me sexually. There’s just nothing there. So, it was really exciting to write an episode where I got to explore all that.”

Head here to find out how you can help save “Tough Love” and here to see more episodes from the series.

Bell wants to give special thanks to Eternal Summers and Terrorbird Media for letting his team use their song “I Love You.” Check out Eternal Summers out here.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/22/tough-love-kickstarter_n_5862260.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

The 9 Worst Offenders of Bisexual Erasure in TV, Film and Books

For Bisexuality Visibility Day, GSN looks to the worst offenders of pop culture that likes to pretend that bisexuality doesn’t exist

read more

joem

www.gaystarnews.com/article/9-worst-offenders-bisexual-erasure-tv-film-and-books220914

Philly Attack Is Important Reminder of Need for Updated State Hate Crime Laws

An attack on two gay men in Philadelphia highlights the need for laws protecting LGBT people from crimes motivated by hatred not only in Pennsylvania, but at the state level across the country.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/philly-attack-is-important-reminder-of-need-for-updated-state-hate-crime-la?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Gay Club Promoters Sexualize Terrorist Group ISIS In Deeply Disturbing New Ads

We just threw up in our mouths a little.

Drek, a gay club based in Tel Aviv, has begun circulating publicity pictures that sexualize the beheadings of James Foley, David Haines and Steven Sotloff to promote their latest circuit party. Because nothing’s sexier than a homoerotic reinterpretation of the brutal murders of three innocent civilians.

One of the images shows a half-naked man in a desert kneeling in the sand with a black-clad man looming over him with his hand on his shoulder. The poster features the “black flag” of Isis in the top left hand corner and text running below in the style of Isis’ grisly propaganda videos.

A second image shows a topless man flying a black flag symbolic of Islamist extremism.

Adding further insult to injury, the word Drek, Ynet reports, is Hebrew for “stubborn” but can also mean “hard-necked.”

The images were posted to the club’s Facebook page — where one of them can still be seen, despite public outcry.

Amiri Kalman, co-founder of Drek, said the group was merely “reacting to current events.”

“This is satire,” he added, “and our way of showing our contempt of them and their videos.”

But not everyone found the images satirical.

“Disgusting!” one commenter wrote. “Getting a laugh off of the murder of innocent victims.”

As New York Magazine pointed out, it’s worth noting that “Drek” is also Yiddish for “trash.”

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/jgUW7yrHYnU/gay-club-promoters-sexualize-terrorist-group-isis-in-deeply-disturbing-new-ads-20140922

SCOTUS Justice Elena Kagan Officiates Her First Gay Wedding

Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2014/09/scotus-justice-elena-kagan-officiates-her-first-gay-wedding.html

Samylly Vellaskes | 14º Parada LGBT de Campinas | 21.09.2014

www.youtube.com/watch?v=usBdje0GMZ8&feature=youtube_gdata

Take A Peek Under The Tent & Meet The Cast Of 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'
The freak show is getting nearer, and we finally have a good look at its wild cast of characters.

In new cast photos for “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” we meet Jessica Lange’s character, Elsa Mars, and her troupe of freaks, along with a handful of others. The only characters missing from this new set of photos are Gabourey Sidibe and Patti LaBelle, the terrifying Twisty the Clown and, of course, Pepper. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, freaks of all shapes and sizes — welcome to the freak show:

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” premieres Oct. 8 at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/22/ahs-freak-show-cast_n_5860786.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Eight men in 'gay wedding' video tortured, to face trial in Egypt

Egyptian police have been cracking down on the LGBTI community in recent weeks, using dating apps like Grindr to entrap and arrest people

read more

joem

www.gaystarnews.com/article/eight-men-gay-wedding-video-tortured-face-trial-egypt220914

Working Together for Equality in Mississippi

In every community in Mississippi, people are working for justice and equality.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/working-together-for-equality-in-mississippi?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Federal Courts Enter Frustrating Standoff Over Freedom To Marry

We’ve been waiting years for the U.S. Supreme Court to make a decision about marriage, and now an off-the-cuff comment from Ruth Bader Ginsburg has just provided a hint that the Supreme Court might’ve been waiting for us this whole time. Somehow, marriage equality has turned into a lame chicken-and-egg joke.

Here’s the problem: there are a bunch of marriage cases that are ready for the Supreme Court to take. But the Supreme Court might not want to take it (RBG hinted last week) because all of those cases agree that marriage bans are unconstitutional, and the court would prefer to wait until lower courts disagree with each other.

So far, only one federal judge has upheld a marriage ban since the Windsor decision, and he’s at the bottom of the ladder: a District Court judge. Before that case gets to the U.S. Supreme Court, it has to pass through an appellate court, which could take years.

So if Ginburg’s comment is any indication, the Supreme Court might not take a case for years. Or maybe it will take a case next week! There is literally no way to know what the hell they’re going to do, other than wear robes and look solemn.

Making things even more complicated: some courts (but not all courts) are afraid of stepping on the Supreme Court’s toes, so they’d decided to freeze their marriage lawsuits until the Supreme Court rules. But the Supreme Court might not want to make a decision until those cases advance further. And that means that the whole legal system’s in a traffic jam, waiting for someone to get out of the way and figure out where they’re going.

And that, apparently, is now important issues are settled here in the land of the free.

matt baume

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/CMhwj267rIE/federal-courts-enter-frustrating-standoff-over-freedom-to-marry-20140922