LeAnn Rimes On Country Music's LGBT Stance And Gay Stars Ty Herndon And Billy Gilman
Singer LeAnn Rimes sounded off on country music’s evolving stance on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in a new GLAAD interview.

Rimes, whose new holiday EP “One Christmas” hit stores this fall, told GLAAD’s Claire Pires, “I hope that we’re moving forward and not back.”

She also discussed fellow country stars Ty Herndon and Billy Gilman, both of whom came out as gay last month.

“I knew this was all about to happen and [Herndon] actually texted me right before it happened. I’m so proud of him,” she said. “Ty waited for a very long time in his life and Billy actually has a chance at having a full life as an out, gay man.”

She then added, “People should be able to love who they love — it’s as simple as that.”

Her sentiments echo those she made in a 2011 interview with PrideSource, in which she spoke about her support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“I just believe that everybody should be able to do what they want to do as long as no one’s hurting anybody,” she said at the time.”I don’t believe in hate. I don’t believe in bullying. It’s something that’s become a huge issue, especially with cyberbullying. It just breaks my heart seeing kids committing suicide because they’re not accepted. It kills me.”

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/08/leann-rimes-gay-country-music-_n_6290836.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

More Arrests Made in Egyptian LGBT Community

On December 7, Egyptian police forces arrested a large group of men during a raid of a bathhouse in Cairo.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/more-arrests-made-in-egyptian-lgbt-community?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Don’t Be Fooled By The Smile. You Won’t Believe What This Homophobic Pastor Has Been Saying.

There never seems to be a shortage of right-wing Christian extremists spewing out vitriolic nonsense, but Pastor Logan Robertson has risen to the top of the flock this week by tripling down on hate.

The story starts with Jim Marjoram, a self-proclaimed gay Christian who has written a book about his experience in the church and his faith. He sent an email out to around 400 churches about his project, and received a reply he could hardly believe.

Pastor Robertson of the Westcity Bible Baptist Church wrote “we are not interested in your filthy lifestyle or book,” adding, “I pray that you will commit suicide, you filthy child molesting fag.”

Jim contacted the media with the outrageous email, and New Zealand’s ONE News took the story. Openly gay reporter Matt McLean called Pastor Robertson to request an interview, and on the phone the pastor told Matt that he hoped he too would commit suicide, and that he doesn’t give interviews to “filthy faggots.”

The Pastor did grant a straight journalist an interview, however, and said:

“I think every single one of them should be put to death. Christians shouldn’t be doing it, I’m not going to do it, it’s the Government’s job to be doing it.”

Jim told ONE News he isn’t angry with the pastor, but he does hope people realize that what Logan is preaching “isn’t love.”

He also wanted to give a special thanks to the homophobic pastor for helping him promote his book. Boom.

Related stories:

Pastor Envisions An AIDS-Free World By Christmas If We “Execute The Homos Like God Recommends”

Pastor Thinks Pro-Gay Country Crooner Kacey Musgraves Ought To Be Hanged

Is New York Pastor James Manning The Next Fred Phelps?

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/PfwNEwWKKlI/dont-be-fooled-by-the-smile-you-wont-believe-what-this-homophobic-pastor-has-been-saying-20141208

New Minnesota Policy Allows Trans Students To Compete On Sports Teams 

Jim Redmond

www.towleroad.com/2014/12/new-minnesota-bill-allows-transgender-high-school-students-to-compete-on-sports-teams-.html

WATCH: Ark. School Nixes Lesbian Student's Homecoming Speech

Quitman High School canceled the entire program of speeches even after the lesbian student agreed to revise hers.

read more

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/education/2014/12/08/watch-ark-school-nixes-lesbian-students-homecoming-speech

A Black Stonewall Moment
Gays have often compared our fight for equality and acceptance to the struggle of the Black community. While not everyone in the Black community is thrilled about that, the parallels are too strong to deny.

And in one particular instance, their fight is, without question, our fight. And that is the fight to be treated with dignity and respect by law-enforcement officials, without manhandling or violence or worse.

Police brutality against LGBT at the hands of “peace officers” is nothing new. We have a long history of battles with the police. And it still happens all the time. And the police always get away with it.

Don’t forget, it was our gay ancestors’ rebellion to police bullying that led to Stonewall, which gave birth to the modern-day LGBT rights movement.

I believe the Black community is experiencing their own “Stonewall Moment.” We must join them in this battle. Because it is our battle, too.

I encourage you to get involved. Attend protests in your area. If that’s not your style, or there are no events close to you, find other ways to fight for change from within the system.

They cannot keep getting away with murder and unjustifiable violence. It is way past time for real reform and real accountability, once and for all.

www.huffingtonpost.com/leon-acord/a-black-stonewall-moment_b_6278590.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Straight Allies Join All God’s Children Campaign

Straight allies Jeremy and Kathryn Cole have joined HRC’s All God’s Children campaign.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/straight-allies-join-all-gods-children-campaign?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Salvation Army Says “No, Seriously. We’re Not Antigay. Now Give Us Your Money, Please. God Bless.”

Forget what you’ve heard in the very recent past, the Salvation Army wants everyone to know that it does not discriminate against gay people.

The website for the Salvation Army in Central Ohio currently features a video defending the charity’s past treatment of the LGBT community.

Under the headline “Salvation Army Open to All,” the video addresses what the Christian social-welfare organization calls “inaccurate claims.”

“Rumors have been leading some to believe that the Salvation Army does not serve members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community,” it says. “These accusations simply aren’t true.”

The only problem? The rumors aren’t rumors. The accusations are true. The Salvation Army has a very long and colorful history of opposing equal rights for LGBT people, and no amount of heart-wrenching YouTube videos are going to make us forget that.

Earlier this year, the organization denied shelter to a trans woman in Texas who was forced to flee her home after receiving death threats. And last winter, it included links to “ex-gay” organizations on its website. Then there was that incident in 2012 when the Andrew Craibe, the Salvation Army’s Media Director in Australia, said gay people should be “put to death.”

But, hey, all that is water under the bridge, right?

“For the past few years during the holiday season, a lot of chatter on social media was saying the Salvation Army was antigay and discriminates against people in the LGBT community,” said national spokesperson Lt. Colonel Ron Busroe. “I felt we needed to be proactive on this.”

He continued: “My concern is that we need to make sure that people aren’t reading things on the Internet or through social media and thinking that must be true.”

Like, for instance, Busroe’s comments.

Related stories:

Don’t Fall For the Salvation Army’s PR Spin! They’re Still Super Antigay

Berkeley Student Council Wants Anti-Gay Salvation Army Booted From Campus

Remember To Ignore The Salvation Army Bell Ringers This Holiday Season

Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Graham Gremore

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News: Soccer, Salvation Army, Taylor Swift, Grumpy Cat, Curiosity Rover

Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2014/12/news-4.html