Google Apologizes After Translate Offers Anti-Gay Slurs As Suggested Translations
Officials for Google have apologized after the translation services offered on the search engine giant reportedly suggested a series of anti-gay slurs in response to a searches on “gay” and “homosexual.”

Screenshots of attempts to translate terms for “gay” from Spanish, French and Portuguese into English have appeared on a number of media outlets, including the Daily Mail, Pink News and Queerty. The more eyebrow-raising suggestions for “el homosexual” include “poof,” “faggot” and “fagot.”

Check out a screenshot of the translation, courtesy of AllOut:

Meanwhile, a representative for Google apologized, noting “As soon as we were informed that some of our translations for certain terms were serving inappropriate results, we immediately began working to fix the issue.”

The spokesperson added, “Our systems produce translations automatically based on existing translations on the web, so we appreciate when users point out issues such as this.”

At the time this story was published, over 51,000 people had signed an AllOut online petition asking for the offending translations to be amended.

AllOut’s Executive Director Andre Banks told The Huffington Post the group was pleased with the response and apology, noting:

At its best, Google Translate promotes understanding. We value the tool and use it every day at All Out to communicate with our members and activists around the world. That’s why we took the issue so seriously. We knew Google had a good track record of standing up for equality and I have great friends who work there, but sometimes even your friends make mistakes. More than 50,000 All Out members around the world helped the company see that this bug was a priority. It was so encouraging to see it fixed in hours, not weeks or months.

In November 2014, a lesbian couple in North Carolina discovered their home was labeled with an anti-gay slur on Google Maps.

Canton residents Jennifer Mann and Jodi McDaniel told The Asheville Citizen-Times that Mann’s son discovered the misspelled epithet while surfing the web at school. When he searched for their address, the Google Maps entry read, “Fagits live here,” with the family’s driveway marked as the inappropriately named street, according to the report.

After the slur was removed, a spokeswoman for Google told local news station ABC 13 that users could edit maps, and while she didn’t know who had added the slur, she added that the company would continue investigating the incident.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/28/google-translate-anti-gay-slurs_n_6556694.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Actor and Broadway Star Joel Grey Comes Out as Gay

Actor and Broadway star Joel Grey came out as gay in an interview with People magazine.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/actor-and-broadway-star-joel-grey-comes-out-as-gay?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

New England Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski Reads Erotic Fan Fiction About Himself

New England Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski is the stuff that dreams are made of. Mostly wet dreams.

But he’s also proven himself to be a damn good sport by agreeing to read aloud from a piece of erotic fan fiction titled A Gronking To Remember by Lacey Noonan at the recent Super Bowl Media Day in Arizona.

Here’s a clip of the poetic reading, in which Rob recites with poise: “In front of the entire country, Gronk’s spike impacts right between my buttcheeks.”

Gronkowski, for the record, has also said he’d be cool with a gay teammate. Asked about it, he replied:

“If that’s how they are, that’s how they are. I mean, we’re teammates so, as long as he’s being a good teammate and being respectful and everything, that’s cool.”

The book is described on Amazon as a “super-sexy, sex-filled story of wanton lust with a super-sexy, sex-filled happy ending.” Guess that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Even at $2.50, we’re thinking it’s priced a bit high.

Gronkowski, on the other hand, does leave a few things to the imagination.

Case in point:

h/t NewNowNext

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/sxy8uABoJCk/new-england-patriots-rob-gronkowski-reads-erotic-fan-fiction-about-himself-20150128

Lindsey Graham Grills AG Nominee Loretta Lynch About Gay Marriage and Polygamy: VIDEO

Andy Towle

www.towleroad.com/2015/01/lynch.html

O-Kern-Homa, Where the Hate Comes Sweepin' Down the Plain
Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern (R) has introduced a bill to officially change the name of the state from Oklahoma to Okernhoma. Kern stated, “By putting my name in the state’s name, the people in our great state will be reminded that my opinions are more important than any one person’s individual rights.” Kern’s latest bill joins three bills that she filed earlier: (1) a bill allowing businesses to refuse service to gay people, (2) a bill promoting gay conversion therapy, and (3) a bill penalizing anyone who issues a marriage license to a same-sex couple. Kern is considering introducing another bill which will allow any citizen to slap the face of a gay person without provocation.

In Okernhoma, gay people will not be able to eat or sleep. Her HB 1597 specifies that “no business entity shall be required to provide any services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods or privileges related to any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person, group or association.” In adherence to this proposed bill, heterosexual Okernhomians will not allow gay people to buy groceries, rent apartments or (gasp!) go to the gym. It is assumed that once these preventative measures are put in place, gay people will be forced onto the streets where they will roam in packs, much like the zombies on The Walking Dead. Once banded together, homeless and hungry, gay people will be much easier to identify and discriminate against.

Okernhoma will hire specially trained agents to do the difficult work of rounding up the Walking Gays. Once the gays are locked up, conversion therapy will be forced on them to make them heterosexual. Kern has stated that homosexuality is “more dangerous” than terrorism and that it will “tear down the moral fiber of this nation.” Her proposed HB 1598 allows Okernhomians to “control or end any unwanted sexual attraction” through conversion therapy. It is assumed, of course, that homosexuality is unwanted. The agents doing this highly sensitive work shall be known as the Controlling Okernhoma Police Squad, or C.O.P.S.

If any two gays manage to fall in love anyway and then attempt to ruin Western civilization by requesting a marriage license, Kern’s HB 1599 ensures that a clerk issuing that license will lose his or her salary and benefits. A marriage license issued to a same-sex couple will automatically burst into flames once it is handed over. The couple, hands scorched and raw from handling the fiery license, will be denied any medical attention from area hospitals. They will not be allowed into drugstores for First Aid supplies either and will be forced back onto the streets. The C.O.P.S. can then round them up one more time and try conversion all over again.

“Sally Kern is my hero,” says devout Okernhomian, Mallory Fobic. “She is ensuring that our state stands firmly in the 19th century and I, for one, am all for it! Discriminatin’ against specific human beings is my God-given right! I am a waitress and my God forbids me from servin’ lunch to fags. Sally Kern understands the destruction these gays are causin’. I hope she will propose that slappin’ bill soon because Jesus wants me to slap gays in the face to knock some sense into ’em. What Would Jesus Do? He’d vote for Sally Kern’s bills, that’s what! And he’d slap a homo silly, I tell ya.”

Kern’s bills have received enthusiastic support throughout the state. However, state Rep. Todd Russ (R) believes that Kern’s name-changing bill does not go far enough. “Okernhoma is a fine name, surely,” he said, “but … Okernhetera would be much more effective in promoting our value system. We don’t want no homo in our state name.”

Kern believes passing these bills is important for the future of Okernhoma. “I don’t want any kids in my state turning on the radio and accidentally hearing some sad song sung by John Elton or Sam Smith. And God forbid that they might get a glimpse of that Ellen Degenerate Show! Enough is enough!” After a moment, Kern asked that the phrase “Enough is enough” be stricken from the interview because it too closely echoed the song “Enough Is Enough” sung by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer, two gay icons. “Oh good grief,” sighed Kern, “I can’t take it anymore.”

If none of these bills pass, Kern is considering proposing a Constitutional Amendment to kill all gay people and get rid of the problem once and for all.

www.huffingtonpost.com/domenick-scudera/o-kern-homa-where-the-hat_b_6563750.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Maryland Representative Stands Up for LGBT Employees in Congress

Rep. Steny Hoyer takes bold stance for LGBT employees.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/maryland-representative-stands-up-for-lgbt-employees-in-congress?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Sam Smith Isn’t Fat And Here’s The Shirtless Pic To Prove It

When Howard Stern called Sam Smith “fat,” ugly” and “effeminate,” the British crooner took personal offense, and rightfully so.

He initially took to Twitter and wrote, “Can’t believe what I’ve just read.” That was followed by a second tweet that simply read: “Ignore.”

This prompted none other than Bonnie Hunt (remember her?) to voice her support of the 22-year-old R&B/pop singer:

“Sam, you never let all the amazing reviews go to your head, Pls never let negative remarks go to your heart. You are loved,” Hunt tweeted.

Now, the six-time Grammy-nominee is setting the record straight… with a semi-shirtless picture of himself posted to his Instagram account. The selfie proves Smith isn’t fat. (Not that there’s anything wrong with having an inch to pinch! Besides, science says guys with bellies make better lovers.) It also proves that he’s hairy. And we kinda like it.

Seriously, who knew Sam Smith was an otter? He normally looks so clean cut.

In 2014, Smith’s album In The Lonely Hour topped the list of bestselling artist albums and has since been nominated for six Grammys.

Stern has since responded to the controversy by saying, “I feel bad because the guy thinks I don’t like him. I love him,” and adding that he had Tom Petty’s Sam Smith‘s song on his playlist.

Related stories:

Howard Stern Loves Sam Smith Because He’s Chubby And Gay

Sam Smith Forced To List Tom Petty As “Stay With Me” Co-Writer, Dish Out Royalty Checks

Sam Smith Doesn’t Need Grindr When He Has Music Video Extras Hanging Around

Graham Gremore

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