Monthly Archives: March 2015
Reform Rabbis Group Installs First Out President
Reform Rabbis Group Installs First Out President
Rabbi Denise Eger is the first openly gay or lesbian president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Trudy Ring
www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2015/03/16/reform-rabbis-group-installs-first-out-president
Terry Crews On Feminism And The Problem With Male Pride
Terry Crews On Feminism And The Problem With Male Pride
Terry Crews never disappoints when it comes to conversations about feminism and masculinity. In an interview with Dame Magazine published on March 6, the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor and former NFL player dropped some serious knowledge about gender roles and how male pride hurts men.
“The truth is, everyone is equal and valuable, and everyone is necessary, but there tends to be a dismissal of certain groups,” Crews told Dame Magazine.
Crews explained that he first became interested in feminism because of the women in his life, including his wife, four daughters, and five-year-old granddaughter. “I did some serious thinking about the world that they’re coming up in. I want my girls to have every opportunity to do whatever they want,” he said.
Since the publication of his 2014 book on masculinity, the 46-year-old has been very vocal about the problems with masculinity and how men can help break down these gender stereotypes.
“I’m not here to tell guys that it’s their responsibility to come to a woman’s rescue,” Crews told Dame. “Women are more than capable of handling themselves, and have been doing so wonderfully for years. What I am saying is, as one man to another man, examine your own mind-set. Examine what makes you tick. Because if you feel that you are more valuable than your wife and kids, that’s a problem.”
Crews with his wife, Rebecca King-Crews.
Crews believes that male pride a particular toxic force. “My message to all men is that you have to kill pride,” he said. “You’ve been taught that pride is a manly thing, that pride is a good thing. But the problem with pride is that it stops you from growth.When you’re so proud that you won’t change, you’ve got problems. Male pride causes wars; millions of people have died because of male pride, because one man would not back down.”
Although he acknowledged that it can be intimidating for men to get involved in advocacy for women’s issues, Crews explained that men simply need to consider the women in their own lives. “You look at the women in your life — that’s the best way to think of it,” he said. “Most men see the women outside their homes as somehow different from their moms or their sisters. It’s the weirdest thing. The person they’re trying to sleep with and then run out of there — that’s somebody’s mom, or sister, or daughter that someone cares about.”
Crews also summed up why men should feel empowered to engage with feminism even if they don’t know much about the movement. “For guys, if you did wrong, if you were that way, I get it. I was that guy, too. And along with apologies, you have to begin to make amends.“
We tip our hats to you, Mr. Crews.
Head over to Dame to read Crews’ full interview.
Chad Griffin takes high road reacting to Larry Kramer's trashing of Human Rights Campaign
Chad Griffin takes high road reacting to Larry Kramer's trashing of Human Rights Campaign
HRC President tells GSN: ‘We don’t necessarily always agree on everything but he is a true legend and there are few in this world that I have more respect for than Larry Kramer’
gregh
www.gaystarnews.com/article/chad-griffin-reacts-larry-kramers-trashing-human-rights-campaign160315
Indiana‘s Anti-Freedom SB 101 Moves Forward
Indiana‘s Anti-Freedom SB 101 Moves Forward
In a 9 -4 vote earlier today, Indiana Senate Bill 101 passed out of the Indiana House Judiciary Committee.
HRC.org
www.hrc.org/blog/entry/indianas-anti-freedom-sb-101-moves-forward?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
News: Beauty and the Beast, Al Gore, Ghostbusters, Stop the Robots
News: Beauty and the Beast, Al Gore, Ghostbusters, Stop the Robots
Senator Claire McCaskill thinks Hillary Clinton should have been more prepared for email questions.
A coalition of Democratic and Republican state lawmakers in Florida are renewing their push to add sexual orientation and gender identity to state civil rights law.
ESPN documentary on former Duke Blue Devils player Christian Laettner explores the homophobia directed at him in college. “To be honest with you, it hurt and I didn’t like it,” Laettner says, “but the media makes a big deal about a lot of stuff that shouldn’t be made a big deal of. I just realized it was something I couldn’t control, so when you look in the mirror, you know the truth, and rumors that I was gay in 1992, that was shocking and not very socially acceptable.”
Kathy Griffin addresses her Fashion Police exit during her Atlantic City stand-up over the weekend.
The DC bill banning “ex-gay” therapy for minors has passed Congressional review and is now law.
Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast gets March 17, 2017 release date.
Ezra Klein on why Al Gore should run for president. “Though he’s been out of office for 15 years, he’s never left the climate fight. Gore has proven himself the opposite of those politicians who love the game more than they care about the issues.”
WATCH: Mariah Carey performs beautiful rendition of “Hero” at HRC gala.
An eccentric resident of a dying southwestern Japanese community is replacing his village’s lost citizens with scarecrow caricatures – which now outnumber people roughly three to one.
Mike Huckabee is turning to snake oil infomercials to help fund his presidential campaign.
Nick Stevens writes in TIME on why he’s “proud to be a transgender Catholic.”
Madonna says she “felt incarcerated” during her marriage to Guy Ritchie.
An organization called Stop the Robots marched in Austin for South By Southwest over the weekend to protest the emergence of AI and our future robot overlords.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there won’t be a Palestinian state as long as he’s in charge of Israel.
Gwyneth Paltrow helps raise money for AIDS research at amfAR gala in Hong Kong.
Male model Monday: Xavier Serrano.
Why the GOP on Captiol Hill can’t get enough of Chick-fil-A. “Two and a half years later, the scent of fried chicken practically permeates the walls of the Capitol. Tea-party members in the House nosh on original chicken sandwiches and waffle fries at the Heritage Foundation’s monthly “Conversations with Conservatives.” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a longtime Chick-fil-A aficionado, has the chain cater his birthday lunch party every year. During late-night GOP strategy sessions in the Senate ahead of a potential government shutdown in December, Chick-fil-A was the hunger-reliever of choice. And while Speaker John Boehner prefers a glass of red wine and Italian dishes served alfresco at Trattoria Alberto, his office has dropped hundreds on Chick-fil-A fare in the last few years—though Boehner spokesman Michael Steel says he’s never seen the speaker himself indulge.”
Paul Feig, director of the upcoming all-female Ghostbusters reboot, addresses the Twitter backlash for his casting decisions.
Kanye West maintains that he and President Obama are phone buddies.
Aaron Schock reportedly bought a $5000 replica of President Obama’s podium.
Kyler Geoffroy
LGBT Vets Make History At Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade | Originals | msnbc
LGBT Vets Make History At Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade | Originals | msnbc
OutVets became one of the first LGBT groups to ever march in South Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade after organizers voluntarily accepted their application. In the 1990s, the Supreme Court…
movement
Dolce & Gabbana Defend 'Our Way of Seeing Reality'
Dolce & Gabbana Defend 'Our Way of Seeing Reality'
As the call to #BoycottDolceGabbana grows, the Italian designers respond to the backlash over their antifamily remarks — but don’t actually apologize for them.
Sunnivie Brydum
www.advocate.com/families/2015/03/16/dolce-gabbana-defend-our-way-seeing-reality
Shonda Rhimes Says She Isn't 'Diversifying' Television, She's 'Normalizing' It — There's A Difference
Shonda Rhimes Says She Isn't 'Diversifying' Television, She's 'Normalizing' It — There's A Difference
Shonda Rhimes proved long ago that she is a force to reckon with.
The growing influence she has had in television has not gone unrecognized and has resulted in a major boost for ABC’s Thursday night network ratings. However, more importantly, Rhimes — who is the mastermind behind shows like “Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “How To Get Away With Murder” — has increased onscreen representation of diverse roles that were once overlooked and in doing so, has raised further awareness on issues related to LGBT, women and people of color.
Because of her stellar contributions to the medium, Rhimes was honored with the Ally for Equality award at this year’s annual Human Rights Campaign Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday.
After accepting the award, she delivered a searing speech and discussed why she decided to tell such a wide range of stories and how the direction she has taken with her shows is one that goes far beyond just diversifying television.
“I really hate the word ‘diversity,’ it suggests something…other. As if it is something…special. Or rare,” Rhimes said. “As if there is something unusual about telling stories involving women and people of color and LGBTQ characters on TV.”
“I have a different word: NORMALIZING. I’m normalizing TV.”
Rhimes – who also received a Diversity Award during last year’s Directors Guild of America Awards — went on to share why her approach to “normalizing” television speaks to her larger mission at hand: “Making TV look like the world looks.”
“Women, people of color, LGBTQ people equal WAY more than 50% of the population. Which means it ain’t out of the ordinary. I am making the world of television look NORMAL,” she said.
“The goal is that everyone should get to turn on the TV and see someone who looks like them and loves like them. And just as important, everyone should turn on the TV and see someone who doesn’t look like them and love like them. Because, perhaps then, they will learn from them.”
Well said, Shonda, well said.
Read more of Shonda Rhimes’ speech here.
