Alarming Number of Transgender People Killed Worldwide in the Last Seven Years

Alarming Number of Transgender People Killed Worldwide in the Last Seven Years

An updated report by a human rights group in Europe found that over 1,700 transgender people have killed worldwide in the past seven years — and those are just reported murders.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/alarming-number-of-transgender-people-killed-worldwide-in-the-last-seven-ye?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Recap Realness: Five in the Pink

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Recap Realness: Five in the Pink

After weeks of bitching about how Trixie shouldn’t be here, Ginger is suddenly sad to have sent her home. Not enough to pull a Katniss Everdeen and go in her place, but enough to express an audience-friendly amount of remorse in a talking head segment. Across the room, teamwork seems to have built a bond between Katya and Violet. They’re at opposite ends of many spectrums (old/young, funny/wooden, disgusting/fashionable), but they share a love of the vogue-tango, I guess. They seem like people who’d be into a thing that’s not actually a thing.

rpdrs7e11 01Then, out of nowhere, Ginger comes for Violet for not having lip synced yet, so Violet comes for Ginger for showing weakness, so Ginger says that she cries every night (wait, really?), and it’s real heated. We’ve got like three or four plotlines in the air already and the credits haven’t even shown yet. This opening segment is more eventful than some of the earlier episodes in their entirety.

And we’ve still got so much to cover. Kennedy reminds us the following morning that the Old Lady Brigade is here to stay, though the fact that we’re being told this immediately makes me worry that we’ll lose one of them to lip syncing or Alzheimer’s in the near future. At least they all survive long enough to listen (with hearing aids firmly in place, one assumes) to Ru’s latest Teleglam (feel free to use that for Season 8, bee tee dubs) about branding or whatever.

Ru descends the staircase not to immediately explain what the hell she’s talking about, but instead to haul out the puppet mini-challenge. Remember how last season, the contestants could all do eerily accurate impersonations of each other? Cling to that memory, because it was a moment of crystallized beauty that will comfort you in the face of drudgery this show sometimes becomes. Everyone tries, but this basically becomes a Muppet Show version of the reading challenge. And you’d think that would be fun, but other than the felt on their hands, everyone is out of material. Violet gets bonus points for her eerily accurate visual recreation of Katya, but Ginger’s takedown of our favorite useless beauty earns her a win.

rpdrs7e11 02Now here’s where the day takes a turn for the delightfully insane. After teasing a world-famous special guest, Ru introduces a live, completely silent person in a Hello Kitty plush costume. This being haunts the periphery of the episode to remind us that cartoons are alive and have opinions, and thus we live in a world without laws or gods. The main task for the week is to sew an original creation out of the Sanrio products hauled in by the underused Pit Crew.

As the ladies begin their preparation for this project (which consists mostly of complaining about it), Ru continues her Parade of Absurdity. See, last night she met with the Devil at the crossroads in order to gain unclean powers. Imbued with His insolent glory, she performed the Dark Rite that would call forth an Old One from his restless slumber. And lo, Santino is risen! The girls recoil in dread from his droopy gaze and vile stench. (Well, that’s not strictly true. Ginger reuses her “flood my basement” line and Violet seems to throw some flirty glances. Maybe Mr. Rice’s contract stipulated that he’d only appear if it looked like at least two people wanted to have sex with him.)

rpdrs7e11 03He circles the workroom to dispense his wisdom, though it seems clear that he’s going to be making clothes for these ladies outright because there’s simply no way they’re doing it on their own. A job’s a job, right, Santino? He also pretends to be an expert on corseting with Ginger, who I’m sure is really excited to hear what a thin man with no drag experience has to say on this issue.

Just as they’re leaving (in a burst of sulfur and flame, one assumes), Ru stops for one final barb. She’d like everyone to create a second look, in which they’ll embody a new BFF for Hello Kitty. To help them with the task and make sure that the episode remains fully reminiscent of a fever dream, she gives everyone giant white heads. (After this many days of applying heavy make-up, they’ve probably already got those. I hope they’ve been exfoliating!)

rpdrs7e11 04On the main stage, this ends up being a riot. Note to the producers: make next season’s assignments weirder and dumber. Between this bobble-headed nonsense and the tape face challenge, it’s clear that half-assed, clownish bullshit has much higher entertainment value than carefully scripted and rehearsed pageantry. I could watch female impersonators embodying counterfeit Sanrio characters all day. I give extra points to Ginger, the only contestant to notice that Hello Kitty and her friends have non-human features, and Katya, for committing so completely to the Soviet silliness.

The runway looks balance pretty well between camp and couture. Though Ginger’s cat lady cuteness comes correct and Pearl manages to make an irregular children’s sleeping bag look fashionable, Violet rockets to a win with her retro-futuristic set-phasers-to-kawaii concoction. On the other hand, Kennedy’s bow-ridden bathing suit was accurately clocked by heaven-sent guest judge Rebecca Romijn as a “basic ho stroll outfit.” I feel bad for poor Katya, who admitted that she had no idea what she was doing, but her valiant attempt to cover for it with a complicated backstory still kind of came across like a verbal combover. Girl, we know there’s nothing under there.

rpdrs7e11 05And so the Dancing K’s must duel to the death. It’s a tough call. On the one hand, Katya is infinitely more interesting as a performer and contestant, serving her special blend of beauty and mental illness in fashion choices and interview segments alike. Kennedy is a little duller all around (having twice this episode bluntly informed the judges that she lacks creativity), but there’s no question that she sinks Katya in this sync. Though I hate to see her go, it’s time to put this mail-order bride back in her packaging and send her home. In her honor, I’m going to pour out a bottle of vodka. Into my mouth.

 

Chris J. Kelly performs under the drag name Ariel Italic; in addition to this recap, he hosts weekly Drag Race viewings at the 9th Avenue Saloon in New York City.

Chris Kelly

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New 'Pitch Perfect 2' Sneak Peak Mashes Up Beyoncé, David Guetta and Pat Benatar: VIDEO

New 'Pitch Perfect 2' Sneak Peak Mashes Up Beyoncé, David Guetta and Pat Benatar: VIDEO

Mashup

Ahead of the May 15 release for Pitch Perfect 2, we’re getting a sneak peak at the Barden Bellas in competition. Performing a mash-up of Beyoncé’s “Run The World (Girls)”, David Guetta’s “Where Them Girls At” and Pat Benatar’s “We Belong,” the Bellas are out for global domination.

Check them out back in action, AFTER THE JUMP


Sean Mandell

www.towleroad.com/2015/05/new-pitch-perfect-2-sneak-peak-mashes-up-beyonc%C3%A9-david-guetta-and-pat-benatar-video.html

Arizona Pastor Steven Anderson Claims Anti-Gay Businesses Are 'Destroying America' By 'Being Too Nice' To LGBT Customers

Arizona Pastor Steven Anderson Claims Anti-Gay Businesses Are 'Destroying America' By 'Being Too Nice' To LGBT Customers
Bakeries, florist shops and other venues have become a surprising battleground for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in recent years, with many right-wing pundits proudly supporting business owners who have turned away same-sex couples seeking cakes, bouquets and other wedding-related services.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise that Pastor Steven Anderson of Arizona’s Faithful Word Baptist Church takes a defiant stance against those conservative entrepreneurs, arguing that they are actually “being too nice” to the LGBT community and, as such, “are not standing for the word of God.”

In a fiery, somewhat convoluted sermon originally posted by The New Civil Rights Movement, the right-wing pastor pointed to Oregon’s Sweet Cakes by Melissa, whose owners, Aaron and Melissa Klein, were recently slapped with a fine of at least $135,000 for turning away a lesbian couple who sought a wedding cake in 2013.

He said he didn’t feel sorry that the Kleins had been fined and shuttered their business in the wake of the controversy, because he believes that “they are tools of the media to brainwash you.”

Arguing that the Kleins attend a “stupid, liberal church,” Anderson notes, “[Melissa] is not taking a stand [against same-sex marriage] at all. It’s weak, it’s worthless. She is part of what is destroying America.”

He then adds, “Who thinks it’s a hard decision if some faggot wants you to make them a wedding cake? Anyone struggling with that right now?”

He also had harsh words for Indiana’s Memories Pizza, which became the first business to publicly vow to reject gay weddings in the wake of the state’s “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

“Nobody even asked them to cater a wedding with cheap, stupid pizza,” he says.

Anderson, who “holds no college degree but has well over 140 chapters of the Bible memorized word-for-word” according to his church’s website, is no stranger to controversial declarations. In early December, he argued that “we can have an AIDS-free world by Christmas” if gays were “executed.”

He has also suggested that women should be silent in church, claiming in a sermon, “I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/12/steven-anderson-anti-gay-bakery-_n_7259316.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Davey Wavey Interviews Straight Bodybuilders Against Bullying: VIDEO

Davey Wavey Interviews Straight Bodybuilders Against Bullying: VIDEO

Bodybuilder

YouTube vlogger Davey Wavey teamed up with frequent collaborator Raymond Braun to talk about their own experiences being bullied as kids and also to talk with straight bodybuilders to find out what they think about bullying. The results prove what bodybuilder Brad Rowe said best, “You can’t look at [bodybuilders] and think, typical meat heads: pick things up and put things down.”  These bodybuilders show that true strength comes not from tearing people down but from helping other people and being true to yourself. 

In an extended Director’s Cut, Davey Wavey spoke about why he wanted to speak to bodybuilders in particular about this issue:

“Part of why I think this video is important, is the kids at home who are the bullies, who do they look up to? It’s professional athletes, it’s bodybuilders, and here are these people who are really symbols of strength in every sense of the word saying that what makes you strong is helping others and that bullying is actually a sign of weakness. That’s a powerful message.” 

Watch the video, along with the extended cut, AFTER THE JUMP

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Sean Mandell

www.towleroad.com/2015/05/davey-wavey-interviews-straight-bodybuilders-against-bullying-video.html

Louis Virtel Queens Out On Jeopardy!, Loses Game, Wins Our Hearts

Louis Virtel Queens Out On Jeopardy!, Loses Game, Wins Our Hearts

11206645_10102998585881799_641687724996291554_oLouis Virtel is a familiar face to the pages of Queerty, as the host of the YouTube series “Verbal Vogueing,” where he monologues his thoughts on pop culture, politics, and often himself, all with a hefty dose of “faggot realness” and a sharp snap of his fingers.

His YouTube success led to appearances on Chelsea Lately, as well as his current job as a celeb interviewer for HitFix, and he has used his media platforms as a voice for LGBT activism.

Virtel has now come out of another closet on the national stage: this time as a die-hard trivia aficionado, after he landed a plum spot as a contestant on “Jeopardy!” (Watch him introduce himself in the “Hometown Howdies” here.)

Related Post: Can You Survive Louis Virtels Haunted Haus Of Horrible Gay Fears?

Feeling at home at the Jeopardy! podium as much as in front of his YouTube camera, Virtel confidently sassed his way through the game and found himself in the lead, only to lose everything at the Final Jeopardy question. But he has no regrets — except for not being gay enough on the show.

louisvirtelQueerty: When did you become such an avid Jeopardy! fan?

Louis Virtel: I was playing Jeopardy! before I even watched it regularly. My family had an ’80s DOS computer game when I was three or four, and I learned how to type playing that and Wheel of Fortune. I ran home from school starting in about second grade to watch Jeopardy! every day, since it comes on at 3:30 in the Chicago area. The O.J. Simpson verdict interrupted a Final Jeopardy! once, when I was 9 or so, and since then I’ve not really been a fan of O.J.

I imagine you were very bossy with your friends as a kid and tried, perhaps unsuccessfully, to make them play with you.

There was some strong-arming going on. Growing up, I forced pals to play video game Jeopardy! with me, but eventually all my friends watched with me. The summer after I graduated high school, we would all pile into somebody’s den and watch Ken Jennings win every day.

You mentioned before that you’ve met many past contetants. Have you met Ken?

I have not. He messaged me after my game aired, and he occasionally favorites tweets of mine. Clearly there’s sexual tension, which is fine.

11169746_10103010373763789_8306634148213360692_oHow did you study to be on Jeopardy!?

Preparation is tricky with Jeopardy! because the only way to really psyche yourself up is to review as many old Jeopardy! games as possible. It’s like crosswords; you can only get better by doing more crosswords.

How does reading old questions help you study? Do they repeat questions?

They repeat subjects all the time. They won’t ask the same question about Anna Karenina, but you may get the same reference to a train again. I studied certain things I’m terrible with, like weights and measures, and sports. There is just no hope for me when it comes to learning current sports. I looked up NFL MVP winners and remembered a few of those. Hello, Bart Starr! I know who you are!

You gave quite a sassy snap after you answered the Double Jeopardy question correctly. Have you waited your whole life to do that, or did it simply come from deep within you?

Snapping is a major part of my life. It establishes verve and efficiency and flavor, and in the case of that Daily Double, it was a damn relief to get that question right. My gayness gets volcanic when I’m winning at stuff.

You wrote a column about the importance of introducing your sexual orientation on the show, and why you regret not actually saying it on-air. For instance, you wrote, “As a kid growing up in the suburbs who venerated everything about Jeopardy!, I would’ve loved seeing an expressive gay contestant own his homosexuality as well as the buzzer.

If I heard a Jeopardy! contestant say, “Oh, I’m gay,” I think I’d have been pretty wowed as a kid. The fun of Jeopardy! is seeing how much people know, right? Well, I think seeing a contestant know he’s gay and acknowledge it is just as awesome. And fitting, for the show.

Fitting for the show how?

Jeopardy! is about the power of knowing. I think knowing yourself is a similar triumph.

But is Jeopardy! really the appropriate opportunity to engage in LGBT activism?

If activism means identifying myself as gay on air, yes.

There is definitely a legacy of the gays thriving in trivia contests. Even on “Will & Grace,” they bonded over playing “”25,000 Pyramid.” Why do the gays enjoy these games so much?

I think there’s a big contingent of gay people who like storing information. We like being knowers; we make use of arcana and trivia. Knowing a lot of stuff is the most surefire way to be sophisticated. I like smart-people pageantry. 

So, you’ve prepared for this moment your whole life, and now it’s over. So, what do you do next?

In terms of my trivia addiction, I wish I knew. I’ll definitely keep up with the show and continue reading Trivial Pursuit cards every night.

But it’s not just your trivia addiction. You have a life-long relationship with this show. Is this…the end?

I will always enjoy this game. Several of my best friends have gone on Jeopardy! and lost. I’ll rehash certain regrets with them, but I’m not someone who can’t look at Alex’s face anymore because I missed a question about the Tower of London. No way.

Are you at peace with this?

As far as I’m concerned, there is no such thing as going on Jeopardy! without realizing you can lose. My friend Brian is the strongest trivia guy I know, and he lost his game too. I’m completely at peace with the game. I got to prove I know about Uzbekistan and Iggy Azalea. You can’t do that on The Price is Right.

Watch Virtel’s episode of Jeopardy! below.

Dan Renzi

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