Mother has message for parents of LGBT children
The suicide death of Leelah Alcorn has spurred conversation across the Buckeye State. Here in the Miami Valley, LGBT groups are hoping to raise awareness for teens like Alcorn who don’t feel …
Daily Archives: January 4, 2015
Egypt Gay Bathhouse Trial Criticized By Defense Lawyers
Egypt Gay Bathhouse Trial Criticized By Defense Lawyers
CAIRO (AP) — Defense lawyers for 26 men arrested in a televised raid by police looking for gays at an Egyptian bathhouse criticized the prosecution’s case Sunday, saying it is based on a faulty investigation and only one police officer’s testimony.
The raid was part of an ongoing crackdown on gays in Egypt, described by activists as the worst in more than a decade. While consensual gay and lesbian relationships are not specifically outlawed in Egypt, there is a societal taboo against same-sex couples. A private TV station’s crew filmed the men’s arrest, saying it tipped off police to a bathhouse “hosting men sex orgies.” The televised raid outraged activists.
One lawyer representing 14 of the men, Islam Khalifa, told the court Sunday that the defendants suffered “psychological duress” from the publicized arrests, which defamed and endangered both them and their families in conservative Egypt. He said having the television crew there violated the men’s right to privacy and Egypt’s constitution.
Of the 26 men, 21 have undergone medical examinations to see if they had had anal sex. Three of men had trauma that required further examination, defense lawyer Tarek al-Awadi said.
The men face charges including debauchery and performing indecent public acts. Such vague terms can apply to prostitution or even public display of affection.
Their trial began Dec. 21. On Sunday, the men stood in a small cage in the court, some with hoodies covering their face. Two wept in front of journalists, who were not allowed to approach them.
Family members were not allowed to attend the session, apparently to avoid outbursts as lawyers discussed details of the case. Angry family members largely refused to speak to the journalists gathered there, accusing them of trying to slander their relatives.
“We are innocent! We were scandalized! No one in our family is gay!” one screamed.
As the defendants left the courtroom, one relative chanted: “Raise your heads up high. Acquittals, God willing.” Once in a security vehicle to be return to jail, family members shouted: “You are men! You are men!”
The trial will resume Monday.
Sochi Olympics Swedes show LGBT support by singing the Russian National Anthem
Sochi Olympics Swedes show LGBT support by singing the Russian National Anthem
Pride in Portsmouth An Anthem for the LGBT Community BlokeZone
Pride in Portsmouth An Anthem for the LGBT Community BlokeZone
BlokeZone have taken Rod Stewart’s Sailing and turned it on it’s head, giving it an LGBT theme and providing the LGBT community with an Anthem to promote Equality and Pride. It is hope that…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpkx1-3r6U4&feature=youtube_gdata
Dominican Rep. Allows U.K. Embassy to Wed Gay Couple, but won't Recognize Vows
Dominican Rep. Allows U.K. Embassy to Wed Gay Couple, but won't Recognize Vows
Two men, one British and one Dominican, are the first same-sex couple to tie the knot in this religiously conservative Caribbean nation.
Thom Senzee
www.advocate.com/world/2015/01/04/dominican-rep-allows-uk-embassy-wed-gay-couple-wont-recognize-vows
Salt Lake County Prosecutors Pursuing Hate Crime, Assault Charges In Attack On Two Gay Men
Salt Lake County Prosecutors Pursuing Hate Crime, Assault Charges In Attack On Two Gay Men
Salt Lake County prosecutors are pursuing hate crime and assault charges against a pair of Wyoming men for allegedly attacking two gay men outside a Salt Lake City home on Dec. 21 reports The Salt Lake Tribune. The assault on Dec. 21 began with a volley of gay slurs, including explicit sexual references, aimed at Rusty Andrade and Maxwell Christen. A physical attack quickly followed and left the two friends bruised, bloodied and emotionally shaken. The two had just returned from a holiday party at Christen’s boyfriend’s house nearby, exchanging a hug outside Andrade’s garage when the suspects approached.
Said Christen:
“I let go and then these two guys were just standing there. They started calling us faggots … one of them pushed Rusty and then they hit both of us. It was just quick.”
An account of the attack in a Salt Lake City police report says the two suspects returned after the attack to search for a lost wallet at the same time a patrol officer arrived in response to a 911 call; the two suspects both denied participating in the fight when police questioned them. However, one of the men said he’d been drinking at a bar and couldn’t remember what happened according to the report. The man admitted that if there was an altercation then he was “probably involved,” which seems like a contradicting statement to what he said previously. He also had cuts on his face but claimed he couldn’t remember how he got them. The other man still flat-out denied any involvement in the assault.
Neither suspected assailants were arrested or cited, and initially the case was not being investigated as a hate crime according to responding Patrol Officer Sgt. Robin Heiden. A detective began a follow-up investigation and spoke with the victims a second time and discerned that a hate crime may have occurred. Andrade and Christen believe it was certainly a hate crime.
Said Christen:
“Once they found out we were gay, it was absolutely clear why they attacked us. It was a complete hate crime. If feel like if I could have done something, I would have.”
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill (top photo) said his office is reviewing police reports to determine what charges might be supported in regards to evidence and, if necessary, would conduct a follow-up investigation. Gill said his office is taking the charges seriously, regardless of whether it’s based on a person’s gender, religion or culture.
Nationally, 5,928 hate crimes were reported by law enforcement agencies in 2013, data from the FBI’s annual crime statistics report released in December show. Of those offenses, about 20 percent were motivated by a sexual orientation-related bias and most of the victims were gay men. A Utah report from the state Bureau of Criminal Identification for 2012, the latest year with readily available figures for Utah, shows the overall number of hate crimes dropped 29.31 percent to 58 percent. Of those, the report says fewer than 10 were sexual orientation motivated.
Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah, says the attack sent a disturbing message to the wider community, especially in Salt Lake City and county where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals say they generally feel safe in. Williams also noted that the assault coincides with the anniversary of the surprising court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in Utah.
Said Williams:
“When you attack one member of the LGBT community, you really attack all of us. That’s the cruel irony of it … Biases still exist.
“We’ve had these amazing legal victories, but prejudice against us because of who we are is still pervasive in society. This is an ugly, brutal reminder of that.”
As of Dec. 31 it’s unclear how soon a decision about criminal charges will occur.
[photo via QSaltLake]
Anthony Costello
India Elects First Transgender Mayor
India Elects First Transgender Mayor
For the first time in history, India has elected a transgender Mayor.
Jase Peeples
www.advocate.com/politics/politicians/2015/01/04/india-elects-first-transgender-mayor
15 LGBT Must-Dos in 2015
15 LGBT Must-Dos in 2015
The ball has dropped, the champagne has popped and the partygoers have kissed. It’s a new year. Now, it’s time to think about your travel calendar. Before you know it Phil will be prognosticating, resolutions will be neglected, the planet will tilt and then you’ll be roasting turkey and you don’t want to think, “I never got to wear that harness.” That would be tragic.
So here are my picks, arranged by date, for the 15 events and things to do in 2015:
1. Challenge your fetish tolerance. Be ready to push, pull and stretch your boundaries for an entire weekend in Washington, D.C. at Mid-Atlantic Leather, January 16 to 19.
Mid-Atlantic Leather photo by Denis Largeron
2. Run West Hollywood. Pack your sneakers and go for a run with LA Frontrunners, Los Angeles‘s LGBT running and walking club. Running will not only help rid that holiday weight it can help you shed the frustrations that come along with Grindr drama.
3. Shake off those winter blues at Miami‘s Winter Party. You’ll barely have use for a shirt, let alone a coat at this South Beach festival, March 4 to 9. Pack several swimsuits and leave the cold at home.
Winter Party Festival photo by Denis Largeron
4. Ogle the art at The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. It’s sensory overload of the non-disco-lights kind. This New York City museum is the first in the world dedicated to LGBTQ art. Housing over 22,000 objects, you’re sure to see your favorite queer artist. Added bonus: admission is free.
5. Break out the white before Memorial Day at Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party. This Palm Springs circuit party, April 24 to 27, electrifies the desert with a spicy array of men, music, DJs and superstar talent.
White Party photo by Phil Lobel / Lobeline Communications
6. Practice your overhand on one of ubiquitous Rehoboth Beach volleyball courts. As summer nears, request off a couple Fridays and Mondays, splurge on that new bathing suit and get beaching.
7. Mess with Texas. Head to Austin‘s first ever International Drag Festival, May 1 to 3 and wig out with some of the most fantastic, fierce and funny ladies, such as Lady Bunny, Sherry Vine and Pandora Boxx as they do their best to “Keep Austin Weird.”
Lady Bunny by Aaron Cobbett
8. Wave your flag high at Rhode Island Pride in Providence, RI, June 20. The country’s smallest state proves that size isn’t everything. Sometimes it’s the smaller cities that have the bigger Prides.
9. Celebrate the LGBT civil rights movement in Philadelphia. This Fourth of July mark a half-century since gay and lesbian activists protested in front of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. See where it all started and say “Thank You,” because without them we may not have marriage equality or “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia™
10. Let it grow out for Bear Week® in Provincetown. Meet up with furry friends July 11 to 19. PTown is serving up beers and bears in equal proportion this week. Be sure to pack a comb; you’re sure to get plenty of sand stuck in your mane.
11. Live la vida taco. Yes, I just paraphrased Ricky Martin. And yes, I’m serious. Grab some good friends and enjoy some great food at Tacos El Gordo on the Vegas Strip. By the way, it’s pretty inexpensive — something you’ll be craving after ordering a few Vegas-priced cocktails.
12. Take an uninhibited romp through The Big Easy. Southern Decadence, September 2 to 7, is all the craziness you’d expect from New Orleans but taken to its gayest extreme. This party challenges even the most accomplished partiers with events running around the clock.
13. Get cuddly in the countryside. When autumn nears take your lover outside the city to a Technicolor countryside town to see one of Mother Nature’s best shows. New Hope or Milford, both in eastern Pennsylvania, will offer you plenty of inspiration for handholding or more. Wink. Wink.
The Mansion Inn in New Hope, PA photo by B. Krist for Visit Philadelphia™
14. Extend summer. Hold onto that summertime feeling just a little longer with a trip to San Francisco. In October, when most of the country starts to chill, San Francisco actually heats up.
15. Don’t be shy during Bone Island Bare It All weekend in Key West. From December 3 to 6, sun seekers let it all hang out (ha!). Please remember to apply sunscreen everywhere. Yes, everywhere.
To discover more about these gay-friendly cities and events and to plan your 2015 trip, visit fagabond.com.
McDonald's Is Rebranding to Take Advantage of All the Lovin' That's Going Around
McDonald's Is Rebranding to Take Advantage of All the Lovin' That's Going Around
For years right-wing loons warned about the devastating consequences that might befall America should gay people be allowed to marry their loved ones – but no doomsayer could have predicted all our talk of love might lead to something like this…
The AP reports:
As the world’s biggest hamburger chain fights to hold onto customers, the company unveiled a new marketing strategy and ads it says will emphasize the “love” in its long-running “I’m Lovin’ It” slogan.
As part of the push, McDonald’s released TV ads it says will begin airing this week, including an animated video where the Joker and the Batman, a mail man and a dog, a blue donkey and red elephant and Smurfs and Gargamel show affection to each other and share McDonald’s products.
The upbeat spot ends with the words “Choose Lovin’, “ encompassed by a ring of hearts.
McDonald’s says it will also be “assuming less” and listening more to customers and pointed to the company’s new campaign starring sellout former Mythbuster Grant Imahara that features customers asking tough questions about the fast food corporation’s processed goodies.
Kyler Geoffroy
Phim ngắn LGBT | LẶNG (Silent) – Cực kỳ cảm động
Phim ngắn LGBT | LẶNG (Silent) – Cực kỳ cảm động
"Lặng" là bộ phim ngắn LGBT khai thác về chủ để đồng tính nữ khá nhạy cảm nhưng ẩn chứa trong bộ phim là cả một câu chuyện đầy nhân văn sâu sắc….
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVhewAHY1wQ&feature=youtube_gdata