Philly Boy Scouts to Allow Gay Adult Leaders and Employees
The Cradle of Liberty Council has gotten out ahead of the national Boy Scouts by adopting a nondiscrimination policy.
Trudy Ring
Daily Archives: June 19, 2015
LGBT Asylum Seekers Not Getting Enough Relief In U.S., Report Finds
LGBT Asylum Seekers Not Getting Enough Relief In U.S., Report Finds
WASHINGTON — While the United States awaits a major Supreme Court decision that could legalize gay marriage across the nation, there are more than 70 countries where being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is a crime.
LGBT rights activist Victor Mukasa said the violence and hate crimes against LGBT people in his home country of Uganda became so bad that he had to get out.
“At some point it became unbearable. It became unbearable and you’re just like, ‘I have to leave. I have to leave to save my life,'” Mukasa said Thursday at a panel hosted by the think tank Center for American Progress. “There are people who are here for safety. There are people there who need safety.”
The U.S. has been offering asylum to LGBT people who face persecution in their home countries since 1994. Mukasa was able to obtain asylum in 2013, and others have done the same, although the government does not collect data on LGBT asylum seekers. But LGBT people still face serious barriers to receiving asylum, according to a report released Thursday by the Center for American Progress.
“For LGBT people seeking a haven in this country, we are doing more to meet our charge than ever before, but much more work still remains,” said Winnie Stachelberg, an executive vice president at the think tank who participated in the panel discussion.
One difficulty is a requirement that asylum seekers apply within a year of arriving in the U.S. The Center for American Progress report calls for dropping the one-year deadline so that those who need protection aren’t denied it simply because they applied too late.
“A lot of people don’t even realize that they can get protection based on persecution because of their sexual orientation or identity,” Sharita Gruberg, senior policy analyst at the think tank, said during the panel discussion. “And feeling comfortable disclosing something to a government official you’ve been forced for survival reasons to hide your entire life, you have to do all that and do it in a year.”
The report also urges the government to limit the detention of immigrants, which it says hurts individuals’ chances of receiving asylum. Aaron Morris, legal director at the nonprofit group Immigration Equality, said detention is particularly problematic for transgender people.
“One of the biggest problems that we see and one of our highest policy priorities is to get the U.S. government to stop putting transgender women in men’s facilities,” Morris said at the panel. “They’re attempting to keep them safer, but it’s not a humane way to do so.”
The report recommends the government dedicate more resources to reducing the backlog in immigration courts, offer free legal counsel to asylum seekers and increase training on LGBT issues for immigration officers and judges.
Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is openly gay, said during Thursday’s discussion that he thinks the nation’s asylum policy could be improved by allowing people to apply at U.S. embassies in their home countries.
“Asylum is given to people who are already here and then can apply not to be sent back by documenting the problems,” said Frank, who helped push to expand asylum to include LGBT people in 1994. “There should be a procedure whereby people could go to the embassy and apply for refugee status.”
Even after people are granted asylum in the U.S., Mukasa said, many LGBT individuals need assistance in finding food, jobs and housing.
— 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/2015/06/19/lgbt-asylum_n_7617334.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices
NOM Submits Anti-Marriage Equality Pledge to GOP Presidential Hopefuls
NOM Submits Anti-Marriage Equality Pledge to GOP Presidential Hopefuls
The National Organization for Marriage once again wants candidates to swear opposition to equal marriage rights, while another right-wing group has abandoned its pledge.
Trudy Ring
Schools That “Teach Homosexuality” Should Be Held Responsible For STDs, Lawmaker Says
Schools That “Teach Homosexuality” Should Be Held Responsible For STDs, Lawmaker Says
Meet Gary Glenn. He’s a Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives, Dr. Seuss fanatic, and advocate for all things antigay.
The former head of the American Family Association’s Michigan chapter appears in a documentary called Light Wins: How To Overcome The Criminalization Of Christianity, where he declares teachers who talk to students about homosexuality should be held criminally liable should pupils go on to contract any STDs. Like they are not capable of that on their own!
“If some young person hears at school that it’s okay to be gay and then comes down with a fatal disease as a result,” Glenn said, “school officials should be held legally liable, individually and in their official capacities, financially and maybe even criminal.”
Earth to Glenn. There’s this little invention known as the Internet, where young people learn about homosexuality and all kinds of other fun things. HIV and other STDs are entirely preventable, and students need to be educated early and often about everything from condoms to PrEP. In fact, it’s denying information that is tantamount to educational malpractice. States with abstinence-only education have far higher rates of teen pregnancies and STD rates than those that offer comprehensive sex education.
Related: Rick Santorum Takes Last Fruitless Jab At Marriage Freedom, Insists “We Must Protect The Children!”
Glenn has also campaigned to re-criminalize homosexuality, calling it “a proven threat to public health and safety,” accused an anti-bullying group of being a “Trojan Horse” from “homosexual activists” who want to “segregate students,” and challenged a Hate Crimes Prevention Act, saying it would “criminalize the Bible and use the threat of federal prosecutions and long jail sentences to silence Christians.” (For the record: The bill made absolutely no mention of Christians whatsoever. He just made that shit up.)
The dumbumentary also features appearances by some dude wearing a lab coat who claims placing one’s genitals in “the tract where you expel waste” is, put simply, perversion. A perversion, of course, only enjoyed by homosexuals. The film even dusts off Liberty University’s Judith Reisman, who once claimed that gay men can only do it doggie style, showing a remarkable ignorance of the male anatomy. (Reisman just needs a gay porn watching session with her colleague Peter LaBarbera.)
What the trailer for Light Wins: How To Overcome The Criminalization Of Christianity below. Or don’t.
h/t: Right Wing Watch
Graham Gremore
Irish LGBT Equality Group Targeted In Suspected Terrorist Threat
Irish LGBT Equality Group Targeted In Suspected Terrorist Threat
Yesterday afternoon, emergency services responded to a potential terrorist threat at the offices of Ireland’s Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), reports the Irish Examiner.
Suspicious package arrived to GLEN this morning. Terrific response from the emergency services. We’re all safe! pic.twitter.com/emfVmovJWs
— GLEN (@glenLGBT) June 18, 2015
It’s believed that an envelope containing blue powder and bearing the word “goodbye” was delivered to GLEN’s Dublin offices. A GLEN spokesperson said staff were told to wait inside the building for the arrival of the bomb squad to inspect the package.
Army & bomb squad have arrived at @glenLGBT office now. Will assess suspicious package. Hoping my colleagues all okay pic.twitter.com/B8pWIWceMw — Odhrán Allen (@odhranallen) June 18, 2015
Several Fire Brigade units attended the scene. The Army Bomb Squad ruled out any danger about two hours later.
Thanks to this hero who saved the day.. pic.twitter.com/PdwiTbABsk
— GLEN (@glenLGBT) June 18, 2015
The post Irish LGBT Equality Group Targeted In Suspected Terrorist Threat appeared first on Towleroad.
Michael Fitzgerald
Irish LGBT Equality Group Targeted In Suspected Terrorist Threat
Dr. Onion in the Fantoccini Manslaughter
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Still Won't Say 'Gay'
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Still Won't Say 'Gay'
The Indiana Republican managed to ignite a massive backlash for signing an allegedly homophobic law, yet continues to only utter the words ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ on rare occasions.
Sunnivie Brydum
www.advocate.com/politics/2015/06/19/indiana-gov-mike-pence-still-wont-say-gay
The 21 Funniest Tweets From Women This Week
The 21 Funniest Tweets From Women This Week
The ladies of Twitter never fail to brighten our days with their brilliant — but succinct — wisdom. Each week, HuffPost Women rounds up hilarious 140-character musings. For this week’s great tweets from women, scroll through the list below. Then visit our Funniest Tweets From Women page for our past collections.
In order to attract the African American vote, Donald Trump has declared his running mate will be Rachel Dolezal
— (maura) (@behindyourback) June 16, 2015
My new moisturizer has a special organic “nutri-soil” complex in it so I can look sexy AND grow heirloom tomatoes on my face if I need to.
— Mariya Alexander (@MariyaAlexander) June 16, 2015
Marriage is mostly just attempting to make compromises in which you get the better deal.
— OhNoSheTwitnt (@OhNoSheTwitnt) June 17, 2015
I miss the days before the internet, when you didn’t know some person’s every awful thought until they died and you cleaned out their attic.
— Elizabeth Hackett (@LizHackett) June 18, 2015
male doctor: I’m afraid you have mercury poisoning
me: *ahem* HERcury poisoning
md: ok but still you literally have minutes to live
— Ali Garfinkel (@aligarchy) June 16, 2015
Fact: Everything is a fact if you don’t know what the word fact means.
— Jess (@jessokfine) June 15, 2015
My vocabulary is just varying lengths of sighs.
— LazorTits (@lorigonzalez28) June 18, 2015
One time I invited a guy over for dinner but I didn’t feel like cooking so I just poured us each a bowl of cereal really romantically.
— Baby Swayze (@buhsbaby_baby) June 15, 2015
Unless my horoscope says “you should absolutely eat 26 chicken nuggets today” I’m not really interested.
— The Alicianater (@leechee420) June 18, 2015
911 what is your emer-
A HOT GUY W/ TATTOOS IS PLAYING W/ A BABY BY THE COFFEE STAND I WORK AT
Ma’am, that’s no-
I THINK MY OVARIES EXPLODED
— Jayne Complains (@jaynecomplains) June 13, 2015
*dumps a bag of sugar on you* An now you’re my Peep.
— Kaylee ☂ (@Sinfullee) June 15, 2015
After spending a day thinking too much and over analyzing, I’m pretty sure I’ve created a portal into another world with no exit
— Ella Fraser (@ella__fraser) June 15, 2015
What’s it called when you love animals more than people?
I’m that.
— OneFunnyMummy (@OneFunnyMummy) June 13, 2015
The year is 2075. Gender & race no longer exist. There are just 2 types of people: Vegan or Paleo
— Randi Lawson (@RandiLawson) June 14, 2015
It’s a lot harder to find a late night parking spot now that they deliver drugs 24/7
— Jessica Delfino (@jessicadelfino) June 13, 2015
Have you ever been unsure whether you’re angry because you’re hungry or you’re angry because it’s Tuesday?
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) June 16, 2015
it must be really hard being lebron. i remember doing group projects in school
— Alexis Wilkinson (@OhGodItsAlexis) June 17, 2015
Sometimes the conversational utility of “It’s so cold in this office, right?!” is worth it being so cold in this office.
— Amanda Duberman (@AmandaDuberman) June 16, 2015
With my massive snack collection and willingness to do the sex, my single status is puzzling.
— heather lou* (@heatherlou_) June 19, 2015
Maybe people would be happier if they just spent more time looking at pictures of dogs wearing wigs
— Pugnado (@LuvPug) June 19, 2015
Can you imagine the type of monster that eats a suggested serving size?
— bourgeois beth (@bourgeoisalien) June 16, 2015
— 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.
Zac Efron Lets It All Show In A Wrestling Singlet, Magic Mike XXL Guys Don’t Worry About Shrinkage
Zac Efron Lets It All Show In A Wrestling Singlet, Magic Mike XXL Guys Don’t Worry About Shrinkage
If you’ve seen awesome comic Alec Mapa perform live, you know he isn’t one to hold back. Check out this deleted scene from his hilarious film Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy (directed by the incredibly talented Queerty contributor Andrea James). You can download the rest for a mere $5 here.
So perhaps we haven’t seen the last of Jessica Lange on American Horror Story after all. The celebrated actress left the series after the fourth season , but now reveals she’d “absolutely” come back if creator Ryan Murphy offered her “a small character for a couple of episodes.”
It’s been a while since we’ve had new music from Robyn, but the club-banger “Love is Free” with La Bagatelle Magique was worth the long wait.
Doesn’t everyone work out this way?
If you’ve been wondering how shrinkage affects the Magic Mike XXL cast, Entertainment Weekly asked Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash and the other stars how cold air might have impaired their ability to deliver peak performances.
Channing Tatum: It don’t matter. Adrenaline takes care of all that sh-t.
Joe Manganiello: One thousand people screaming, including crew.
Kevin Nash: Tommy the turtle finds his way into the shell quickly. [Group laughs.]
Amy Schumer, will open for Madonna‘s Rebel Heart tour September 16, 17 and 19, revealed she’s been a fan since childhood.
Guess who auditioned for @Madonna and got the part? See you in NYC on Sept 16, 17 and 19.
A video posted by @amyschumer on Jun 18, 2015 at 8:07am PDT
Zac Efron was snapped in a very revealing wrestling singlet while filming Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates with Adam Devine in Hawaii. He can pin us anytime he wants.
No Complaints Here! Zac Efron? literally lets it all hang out in skintight, spandex uniform! t.co/pqKp2oq3mC pic.twitter.com/yiXXf8LUPF — OK! Magazine USA (@OKMagazine) June 18, 2015
If you’re in the mood to redecorate and have a few extra thousand lying around, maybe you can pick up a Warhol or two (like the one below). Christies is auctioning off many iconic works of the late pop artist. Check out some of the auction in this Flipagram.
Jeremy Kinser
Chris Pratt Is A-Okay That His Body Is ‘Totally Objectified’ By You
Chris Pratt Is A-Okay That His Body Is ‘Totally Objectified’ By You
Promoting his role in blockbuster “Jurassic World,” Chris Pratt has spoken out regarding the issue of “men’s objectification.” He is decidedly not team Jon Snow on the issue.
In a new radio interview with the BBC, Pratt was unequivocal that in order for there to be true equality between the sexes, men should be treated the same way as women, even when it comes to being leered at. Though Pratt says he feels “totally objectified,” he says he is not “appalled” by this. In fact, Pratt believes this is a step in the right direction.
Said the actor:
I think it’s appalling that for a long time only women were objectified, but I think if we really want to advocate for equality, it’s important to even things out…Not objectify women less, but objectify men just as often as we objectify women. There are a lot of women who got careers out of it, and I’m using it to my advantage. And at the end of the day, our bodies are objects. We’re just big bags of flesh and blood and meat and organs that God gives us to drive around.
Listen to the radio interview with the BBC, embedded below:
[h/t The Guardian]
The post Chris Pratt Is A-Okay That His Body Is ‘Totally Objectified’ By You appeared first on Towleroad.
Jake Folsom
Chris Pratt Is A-Okay That His Body Is ‘Totally Objectified’ By You