WATCH: Iowa Catholic School Students Protest Denial of Job to Gay Teacher
The teacher, who had substituted at the school, didn’t get a full-time job offer because he’s engaged to another man.
Trudy Ring
Daily Archives: April 9, 2015
Taking the Ball From the GOP
Taking the Ball From the GOP
The right’s overreach exposes its losing game.
Republicans had a bad week last week. When not failing in their effort to sabotage nuclear nonproliferation negotiations, they were denouncing the Indiana and Arkansas legislatures for undermining their so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Acts by adding clarifying language. Retail giant Walmart was instrumental in pressuring Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to demand a fix to that state’s RFRA.
The only homophobes who had a good week were the owners of Memories Pizza, who received over $800,000 in donations what may have been a right-wing media scam that hailed them as Christian martyrs for refusing to fill the previously unknown demand for pizza at gay weddings.
Demonstrating the leadership of the private sector, openly gay Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in The Washington Post on March 29 that discrimination is bad for business. He added, “As a child, I was baptized in a Baptist church, and faith has always been an important part of my life. I was never taught, nor do I believe, that religion should be used as an excuse to discriminate.”
The right turned its wrath on Cook. Presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina, the fired Hewlett Packard executive who it seems mistook her golden parachute for a testimonial letter, called Cook a hypocrite for doing business in oppressive countries. Bob Witeck, a consultant who worked with Walmart to improve its LGBT-inclusive practices, crisply replied, “As Americans, it is past time we put our own house in order before we try to fix other societies.”
Mike Huckabee, another presidential hopeful, accused American companies of caving in to “the militant gay community” and added, “There’s been more pressure this week to put sanctions on Indiana than Iran.” Doesn’t that sound awfully militant? He pretends that straight people have a monopoly on faith, and that LGBT equality would lead to apocalyptic ruin; which is strange, considering that apocalyptic ruin is what he and his friends appear to seek in the Middle East.
There was not enough popcorn to fully enjoy neo-isolationist Pat Buchanan’s takedown of Fox News host Sean Hannity for opposing the preliminary Iran deal. Hannity, like Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, talks as if President Obama wants to give the Iranians nukes, not keep nukes from them. Netanyahu insists that he is only against a bad deal. The trouble is that his attacks on the deal began before a deal existed. Buchanan called Hannity “hysterical.” Fox host Bill O’Reilly, in a welcome surprise, cautioned that the alternative to a deal is world war.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said gays should be grateful that we are not put to death here as in Iran. Sorry, but we’ve set our sights a bit higher. His comment recalls the argument that gays do not face marriage discrimination because we can marry someone of the opposite sex, similar to an argument made 50 years ago in defense of anti-miscegenation laws.
Never before has Republican flailing been on such vivid display, nor has the right’s disconnect from mainstream American opinion been more glaring. We should seize the moment and make the GOP pay a heavy price.
Most states still lack comprehensive laws prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination. Anti-transgender “potty panic” bills have been introduced in Florida, Texas, Arizona and Nevada; one recently failed in Kentucky. Attacks on reproductive choice are relentless, yet have not stirred corporate protest. If one wedge fails, the right tries another. We must build and rebuild coalitions that teach respect and stigmatize know-nothingism.
It is exhausting dealing with the far right’s fountain of dangerous nonsense. They flirt with treason to thwart our president’s peace efforts; they itch to start another war, learning nothing from their past adventures and neglecting the soldiers maimed in them; they stir hatred and fear to distract us from their assault on the middle class; and they cry victim the moment anyone stands up to their bullying of everyone who doesn’t look and think like them. We should say this, but also convey a vision of America based on equal rights and cooperation, not paranoia.
I am a liberal. Too often, our side fights on conservatives’ turf, tacitly accepting their false framing of the issues and playing defense. It is time for us to take the ball.
This piece originally appeared in the Washington Blade and Bay Windows.
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Florida House Votes for Discrimination Against Best Interest of Children
Florida House Votes for Discrimination Against Best Interest of Children
Equality Florida and HRC Urge Gov. Rick Scott to take stand against anti-LGBT adoption measure that endorses taxpayer-funded discrimination.
HRC.org
Photo of Toronto Cop Who Dyed His Hair Pink to Oppose LGBTQ Bullying Goes Viral
Photo of Toronto Cop Who Dyed His Hair Pink to Oppose LGBTQ Bullying Goes Viral
Toronto police officer Luke Watson’s desire to see an end to anti-LGBTQ bullying burns with a hot pink intensity. To mark yesterday’s Day of Pink, an international day against “bullying, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and transmisogyny across the world,” Watson dyed his hair pink and pledged to keep it that way for an entire week if the Twitter photo of his new ‘do was retweeted 1,000 times.
The photo has since been retweeted over 3000 times.
Hey #Twitter if This gets a 1000 RT’s @pc8430 will keep the hair 4 a week #DayofPink #stopbullyingnow @TorontoPolice pic.twitter.com/2TGhGykfXe
— Ryan Willmer (@RyanCP23) April 8, 2015
Global News reports that Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne also took part in the Day of Pink, albeit without any body modifications.
More on the day via the official website:
The International Day of Pink was started in Nova Scotia when 2 straight high school students saw a gay student wearing a pink shirt being bullied. The 2 students intervened, but wanted to do more to prevent homophobic & transphobic bullying. They decided to purchase pink shirts, and a few days later got everyone at school to arrive wearing pink, standing in solidarity. The result was that an entire school took a stand and began working together to prevent homophobic & transphobic bullying.
Kyler Geoffroy
Why Only 2 States Have Banned LGBT 'Conversion Therapy'
Why Only 2 States Have Banned LGBT 'Conversion Therapy'
Despite condemnation from mental health professionals and now, the Obama administration, only two states have banned so-called "conversion therapy." Follow Sebastian Martinez: www.twitter.c.
Lesbian Couple in Guam Denied Marriage License
Lesbian Couple in Guam Denied Marriage License
A same-sex couple in Guam just wanted to get a marriage license, but instead they’re going to court.
Thom Senzee
www.advocate.com/world/2015/04/09/lesbian-couple-guam-denied-marriage-license
7 Things You Pay More For Because You're A Woman
7 Things You Pay More For Because You're A Woman
It ain’t easy — or cheap — being a lady.
Women often encounter extra expenses by virtue of being women (menstrual products come to mind) — but extra, lady-specific costs sneak into goods and services all genders use, too. A new video created by The Daily Share breaks down this so-called “women’s tax” and how much it can cost.
“Women often pay more than men… even when they’re buying a similar product,” a voiceover in the video says. Women pay around $1,350 more a year than men — simply for being women who enjoy good hygiene. Sounds pretty (ridiculously, unbelievably, maddeningly) sexist to us.
The Daily Share puts products side-by-side to show that gendered pricing is a very real issue, using examples such as face cream, cologne and even dry cleaning bills for the same shirt. In each case, the product or service for women costs a dollar or more than the identical male product — even if the “female” product has the exact same ingredients as the “male” one, as is the case with face cream.
Check out a few of the infuriating examples:
1. Lady Razors vs. Dude Razors
2. Perfume vs. Cologne
3. Lady Haircut vs. Dude Haircut
4. Women’s Face Cream vs. Men’s Face Cream
5. Lady’s Long-Term Care Insurance vs. Dudes Long-Term Care Insurance
6. Dry Cleaning For A “Lady” Shirt vs. Dry Cleaning For A “Dude” Shirt…(Even though they’re the identical shirts.)
When The Daily Share reached out to some of the companies behind these products for comment, their responses were not very encouraging. “Both Narciso Rodriguez and Schick refused to comment,” Daily Share wrote on YouTube. “While Neutrogena stated that their pricing variations ‘are related to a number of factors, including packaging differences, modifications of the formulation that impact the manufacturing process, and the discretion of each retailer.'”
“Does everything pink cost more?!” the woman in the video asks. The answer is yes — pink paraphernalia does cost more:
7. Pink Pillow vs. Brown Pillow 
Eye-rolling for days.
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Missouri House Committee Holds Hearing on Bill which Criminalizes People Living with HIV
Missouri House Committee Holds Hearing on Bill which Criminalizes People Living with HIV
On Tuesday, the Missouri House Committee on Civil and Criminal Proceedings held a hearing on HB 1181.
HRC.org
Hot Toronto Cop Dyes Hair Bright Pink To Come Out Against Homophobia
Hot Toronto Cop Dyes Hair Bright Pink To Come Out Against Homophobia
Toronto police officer Luke Wilson (who gives the hot Castro cop a run for his money) would likely win us over with any hair color, but his decision to dye his hair neon pink is an inspiration.
Hey #Twitter if This gets a 1000 RT’s @pc8430 will keep the hair 4 a week #DayofPink #stopbullyingnow @TorontoPolice pic.twitter.com/2TGhGykfXe
— Ryan Willmer (@RyanCP23) April 8, 2015
He posted a picture of himself holding a sign that says #DayOfPink and #StopBullyingNow, along with a promise that for every 1,000 retweets, he’d keep the color in his hair for another week.
They dye-job marks International Day of Pink, a day of events to “raise awareness to stop homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny and all forms of bullying.” Luke decided to adopt the new do and see how far its social media wings could carry it.
Watson attended the Day of Pink rally at Forest Hills Collegiate Institute in Toronto Wednesday, along with other cops wearing pink t-shirts beneath their uniforms.
One officer was lucky enough to get to cruise around in this baby.
Dan Tracer
Bianca Del Rio Joins Colby Keller And Connor Maguire For A Very Special Men.com Film: PHOTOS
Bianca Del Rio Joins Colby Keller And Connor Maguire For A Very Special Men.com Film: PHOTOS
When Bianca del Rio snatched the RuPaul’s Drag Race crown last season, we all expected her to do great things. A live comedy tour a given, and her feature-length film Hurricane Bianca seemed like the logical next steps for America’s newest drag superstar. Interestingly enough Bianca’s finally making her cinematic debut, albeit under slightly different circumstances. Del Rio’s landed a starring role opposite Colby Keller and Connor Maguire in Men.com’s Look What The Boys Dragged In. As the flick’s title suggests Del Rio appears in full drag playing two versions of herself–one’s evil instigator and the other’s…slightly less evil. And just to clarify–yes, it’s that kind of film.
Look What The Boys Dragged In premieres this Saturday on Men.com’s website but we’re sure that you can find a trailer for it right now if you Google for it hard enough. Otherwise, check out some SFW stills from Bianca’s performance AFTER THE JUMP…
(h/t World of Wonder)
Charles Pulliam-Moore