Gay couple who fought for marriage equality in Alabama win their adoption rights

Cari Saercy and Kim McKean finally won the parenting rights they’ve been seeking since their son was born in 2005.

‘I think it’s just going to be an overwhelmingly happy experience for us all,’ Searcy, who is right now not the legal parent to son Khaya, said. ‘It’s a day that we’ve been waiting for a long time.’

Since the SCOTUS result which overturned the ban on gay marriage across the country came into affect the couple will legally be able to adopt their son and be recognised as a family.

The state of Alabama where they live initially blocked the adoption while marriage was defined as between a man and a woman – the couple had already married in California in 2008.

They unwittingly became the face of the marriage equality movement in Alabama when they filed a lawsuit to overturn the ban on gay marriage in the state.

Despite its success, they were still not allowed to have Saercy adopt Khaya as her legal son due to the marriage laws.

Now the law has changed, the couple looks forward to the adoption going through. Saercy announced on Facebook that July 24th will be the adoption day.

Saercy said: ‘I look forward to when this is all over and it’s no longer gay marriage or same-sex marriage, just marriage and our family is no longer considered a gay family or a same-sex family. We’re just considered a family.’

The post Gay couple who fought for marriage equality in Alabama win their adoption rights appeared first on Gay Star News.

Jack Flanagan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-couple-who-fought-for-marriage-equality-in-alabama-win-their-adoption-rights/

Check out some of the hottest bears in Provincetown

Like your men big and beefy? One of the most famed gatherings of bears, cubs and all manner of other cuddly gay men is the annual Provincetown Bear Week, which draws to a close today in the Cape Cod coastal town.

This year’s event was the 15th annual gathering – during which time its popularity has consistently grown. The festival now features a variety of cabaret, pool parties, beach outings, art exhibitions, tea dances, cruise parties and off-the-wall events.

BearWeek 2015 included yoga, trans-inclusive ‘spirit and healing’ sessions (‘Loving our bear bodies’), gay-friendly church services, historical walks, bike rides and whale watching.

Even men’s grooming specialists Kiehl’s commemorated the event at its P’Town store – no doubt selling plenty of beard oil alongside a limited-edition Bear Week T-shirt (snugly modeled here by Kiehl’s president, Chris Salgardo)

It’s an extended program that has proved popular with those attending.

‘Provincetown Bear Week is proof that the community has come of age’, says Mike Wyeld, who is part of the Loved art collective (showing at the Masonic Place Gallery).

‘In its 15th year, like a teenager learning to drive, it is reaching out and finding diversity with the inclusion of artists, musicians and theatre shows. It has found its maturity.’

‘It has a very friendly atmosphere, with a true bear neighborhood feel,’ added fellow Loved co-founder Charlie Hunter.

‘It was it was like a school reunion where you actually wanted to see all your old classmates again.’

Bear Week hot spots include the Boat Slip, Crown & Anchor and Provincetown Inn, while celebrity appearances this past week included Lea DeLaria and Lesley Jordan.

Guest clubs included London’s Horse Meat Disco and Brut, and New York’s Furball.

‘I’m drawn back every year safe in the knowledge that I will make new friends and visit with people we’ve met before,’ says Johnny Malanga, who was visiting with husband Tom from their home in Long Island.

‘The crowds are friendly.’ Indeed, besides the increasingly diverse nature of the events; the biggest attraction of Bears Week remains the opportunity to mingle and party with some of the cutest, hirsute hunks around – many of whom shared highlights via Instagram. Check out highlights below…  

A photo posted by fastfuzz (@fastfuzz) on Jul 14, 2015 at 4:09pm PDT

A photo posted by JJ Chestney (@jjchestney) on Jul 14, 2015 at 9:59am PDT

A photo posted by matthew davis (@scorpio2ldn) on Jul 11, 2015 at 8:59pm PDT

A photo posted by Ryan S. (@musiccub) on Jul 13, 2015 at 11:56pm PDT

A photo posted by npb (@nealmeister) on Jul 14, 2015 at 3:56pm PDT

A photo posted by Dean Mitchell (@tigger_74) on Jul 13, 2015 at 8:28pm PDT

 

A photo posted by Justin Ryan Tucker (@jryantizzle) on Jul 11, 2015 at 4:54pm PDT

A photo posted by R_W_D (@aredoubleudee) on Jul 12, 2015 at 3:36pm PDT

A photo posted by Diego Calinawan (@diego_calinawan) on Jul 12, 2015 at 8:48pm PDT

A photo posted by Ben (@bjbartos) on Jul 13, 2015 at 12:07am PDT

A photo posted by bearFLAVOURED (@bearflavoured) on Jul 13, 2015 at 10:26am PDT

A photo posted by Leo Peo (@pinchebarbon) on Jul 16, 2015 at 5:57pm PDT

 

A photo posted by Matthew Simko (@sotacky33) on Jul 13, 2015 at 2:31pm PDT

A photo posted by Big Dipper (@bigdipperjelly) on Jul 13, 2015 at 12:32pm PDT

 

A photo posted by I ❤️ STREET STYLE (NYC) (@daddyersin) on Jul 16, 2015 at 8:41am PDT

A photo posted by Eric (@bearic_79) on Jul 16, 2015 at 7:23am PDT

A photo posted by Charlie (@ricopapi27) on Jul 17, 2015 at 4:52pm PDT

A photo posted by Andy (@hellofromandy) on Jul 19, 2015 at 3:49am PDT

 

A photo posted by Andrew Diaz (@juiceboxandy) on Jul 13, 2015 at 2:29pm PDT

A photo posted by R_W_D (@aredoubleudee) on Jul 13, 2015 at 4:36am PDT

The post Check out some of the hottest bears in Provincetown appeared first on Gay Star News.

David Hudson

www.gaystarnews.com/article/check-out-some-of-the-hottest-bears-in-provincetown/

Guys Reveal How They Really Feel About Open Relationships

Where do you come down on open relationships?

To some guys, they seem like an excuse to bail on commitment. For others, it’s the only way they can feel free to achieve emotional and physical fulfillment.

One thing becomes clear: There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to partnering up.

We wanted to hear what guys have to say about the topic when they’re free from judgment, so we asked Whisper to dig up some dirt.

Here’s what they found:

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/GF4OKZUlVRY/guys-reveal-how-they-really-feel-about-open-relationships-20150719

Watch Thomas Roberts Make History as First Openly Gay Man to Anchor Network News: VIDEO

MSNBC host Thomas Roberts made history last night becoming the first openly gay man to anchor an evening newscast for a major network television station.

Roberts called his newly minted NBC Nightly News anchor position a “huge honor” in an interview with The Advocate after the broadcast.

Check out Roberts’ in the anchor chair below:

Weekday editions of Nightly News are anchored by Lester Holt, who replaced Brian Williams following his embellishment controversy earlier this year.

The post Watch Thomas Roberts Make History as First Openly Gay Man to Anchor Network News: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Kyler Geoffroy

Watch Thomas Roberts Make History As First Openly Gay Man to Anchor Network News

Five Mobility Moves That Will Change Your Life In 16 Minutes A Day

In my many years of training, I have worked with countless clients with two distinct postural distortions. The first is upper cross syndrome (or as I call it, “iPhone syndrome”), and the other is lower cross syndrome (also known as “ghetto booty syndrome”). Upper cross syndrome looks something like this: your head is tilted forward, shoulders hunched forward, with an excessively rounded spine. Lower cross syndrome means that your hips are tilted so the butt is up nice and high, but the lower core is not engaged.

Upper cross syndrome can make you more susceptible to shoulder injuries, neck pain, and tension headaches. Lower cross syndrome is one of the top causes of lower back pain and other movement dysfunctions that can lead to pain in the knees. Having these imbalances will not only make you more prone to injury, but will also make your workouts less effective, because you do not get the right movement patterns and muscle activation from each exercise. Bad activation means fewer results. Basically, muscle imbalances like upper and lower cross syndrome mean that you experience more pain, and won’t be able to get the hot body you want. 

The good news is that these are easily fixable with five simple moves that you can do at home. Simply commit to doing each of these exercises for two minutes each every day. After a week or two, you will notice a huge difference in your posture and the way your workouts feel. 

Grab your foam roller and a timer and follow along! Remember that this is not a walk in the park. Rolling is meant to feel like a deep tissue massage. Remember to breathe as you release tight spots. If at any point you feel sharp or shooting pain, or tingling, back off.

1.     T-Spine Roll

a.     Set your timer for 2 minutes.

b.     Place the foam roller in the middle of your back.

c.      Cross your arms over your chest and roll back and forth and side to side. 

d.     Spend extra time on the areas that are especially tight.

2.     Lat Roll

a.     Set your timer for 2 minutes.

b.     Lie on your side and place the foam roller directly under your armpit, with one arm extended.

c.      Rock side to side and back and forth, going both against and with the grain of the muscle.

3.     Quadriceps Roll

a.     Set your timer for 2 minutes.

b.     Lie on your stomach with one leg at the end of the foam roller. You will be doing ONE LEG AT A TIME, so this will take 4 minutes for both legs.

c.      Roll the entire length of the quad, from just above your knee, all the way up to the top of your hip/underwear line.

d.     Again, go back and forth and side to side. Play around with different angles to hit those super tight spots. 

e.     Repeat with the other leg after 2 minutes.

4.     IT Band Roll

a.     Set your timer for 2 minutes.

b.     Lie on your side with the foam roller at the very top of the leg. Cross your top leg over the bottom leg – you will be using it for support.

c.      Roll halfway down your leg, and then all the way up to the top of your hip/underwear line, with and against the grain of the muscle. It is important to not go below the halfway point of your leg, as it can agitate the IT band more than it will help it.

d.     Repeat with the other leg for 2 minutes when you are finished.

5.     Piriformis Roll

a.     Set your timer for 2 minutes.

b.     Sit your right butt cheek on the foam roller, and put your right foot on your left thigh. 

c.      Rock back and forth the entire length of the butt. Do not be afraid to hit those super tight spots.

d. Repeat with the other butt cheek for 2 minutes when you are finished.

For more information or to book a class, visit www.phoenixeffectla.com.

The Phoenix Effect, a metabolic bootcamp that gets you in shape fast, is offered exclusively at 7264 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA.

Jeremy Kinser

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/t39a2aYt0kw/five-mobility-moves-that-will-change-your-life-in-16-minutes-a-day-20150719

Why This Week’s EEOC Ruling That Federal Law Bans Anti-Gay Job Discrimination is So Important

The EEOC is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; its job is to stop employment discrimination and to hold companies accountable when they do discriminate.

On Friday, in a 3-2 party-line ruling, the Commission held that discrimination against gay persons violates Title VII’s ban on discrimination on the basis of sex. This is potentially groundbreaking: until Friday, there was no federal law protecting gay workers if they are discriminated against because they are gay, and although only the Supreme Court can issue a definitive ruling on the subject, the EEOC’s view is given substantial weight by the courts. Plus, the decision may influence state courts on the matter, as well. Still, this huge step forward is unstable: We still have work to do to ensure that sexual orientation discrimination protections are codified in both state and federal laws.

Title VII, part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, bans discrimination “on the basis of sex.” An employer cannot, for example, treat women different than men. Nor can they allow people to behave in a way that creates an environment hostile to women because they are women.

How discrimination “on the basis of sex” also covers discrimination of gays is pretty simple: discrimination against gays only occurs because of the victim’s gender. That is because the status of someone being gay or lesbian is defined relative to the person he or she loves. I am gay because I love a man; if I were a woman, I would be heterosexual and, thus, not the subject of anti-gay discrimination. Consider this example: Sam works for Big Corp. Last Sunday, Sam married Patrick and their announcement was in the New York Times. Today, Sam is fired because Sam is short for Samuel. If Sam were short for Samantha, he wouldn’t be fired. That’s sex discrimination. It is worth noting that this argument was at the core of an Obergefell amicus brief, submitted by two law professors, and criticized here.

Notably, this interpretation of Title VII is on top of a decades-old interpretation that Title VII bans gender expression discrimination. This, too, is discrimination on the basis of sex: Alice, in accordance with her gender expression, dresses more like a man than a woman. Her employer can neither make her work environment hostile by hurling slurs at her nor fire her because she doesn’t wear high heels. But this is only a problem because Alice is a woman. If Alice were named Albert and dressed like a man and didn’t wear high heels, there would be no basis for discrimination (unless that workplace decides to discriminate against men who behave like men).

This is a groundbreaking development because federal judges listen closely to EEOC decisions. The EEOC is the agency in charge of interpreting and implementing Title VII; the Commission is the expert in the law of employment discrimination. And basic principles of administrative law state that the judiciary should give significant deference to agency conclusions because, unlike generalist judges, EEOC commissioners are the experts in this field of law. So, although we would feel better if this ruling were handed down by a federal court, the EEOC has taken an enormous jump in that direction.

The EEOC case involved a federal employee, so the Commission’s decision gives federal employees an avenue for justice. But for those who work for most private companies, things are not so certain. True, the decision does not directly apply to them and their employers. However, the basis for private companies’ decisions to discriminate against gays is that Title VII allows it. It will be hard to make that argument now: at least according to the EEOC, Title VII does not permit anti-gay discrimination.

Still, more work needs to be done. We need to take this decision to the Supreme Court to ensure it applies to all workers. We also need a comprehensive anti-gay discrimination law passed at the federal level because this decision (and Title VII) only applies to employment discrimination. Gays are discriminated against in the provision of housing, education, and a host of other social services. But remember this EEOC decision. It will pop up again, and again, as we march further toward full equality.

The post Why This Week’s EEOC Ruling That Federal Law Bans Anti-Gay Job Discrimination is So Important appeared first on Towleroad.

Ari Ezra Waldman

Why This Week’s EEOC Ruling That Federal Law Bans Anti-Gay Job Discrimination is So Important

Former Australian footballer Lachlan Beaton shares agony of coming out in touching video

Lachlan Beaton’s moving video in which the former Australian footballer revealed how his efforts to keep his sexual orientation a secret from his family and football club caused him engage in destructive habits for 12 years has made the press in Australia.

The Herald Sun reported that Beaton, who coached at Uni Blacks until his move to the US last month, is one of few footballers of any level to publicly come out as gay and ‘yet the statistics tell us his story of suffering is echoed across every community and sporting club.’

Now 34 and a happiness coach based in New York City, Beaton said although he had known since the age of 15 he is gay, he was afraid that he would be rejected by his friends and his identical brother Charles who he was very close to.

He said in the video he first came out when he was 27 after he became tired of his own self-destructive tendencies and suicidal thoughts because he felt like a ‘lesser human’ who ‘hated’ himself.

He first came out to his twin brother Charles, then brothers Sam and Nick, his footy mates and his parents Juddie and Andrew months later.

‘Until we feel equal, we will continue to feel like being gay isn’t normal… and this can have disastrous consequences on a young person.’

His video also called on politicians in Australia to legalize same-sex marriage.

‘Our political leaders can end this now. All it will take is a little bit of courage… courage to make #Equallove a right.’

In a Facebook post, Beaton who grew up in Casterton in Western Victoria reported that although over 20 MPs in Australia have personally expressed their support for his campaign, the MP for the area he grew up in responded to his email saying that until he provides a postal address, he won’t respond.

‘Such a great way to respond to someone with genuine concern for the mental health of youth in rural Australia. All the while, MPs from across the country who don’t know me from a bar of soap have pledged to support my campaign. Such a shame we have so many heartless politicians with no conviction,’ Beaton wrote on 13 July.

Lachlan has a personal stake in the issue as his American partner, Marcin, is not allowed to move with him to Australia under current laws.

The post Former Australian footballer Lachlan Beaton shares agony of coming out in touching video appeared first on Gay Star News.

Sylvia Tan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/former-australian-footballer-lachlan-beaton-shares-agony-of-coming-out-in-touching-video/

Married gay man says he was denied communion at his mother’s funeral Mass

A gay man in Louisiana, US says he was denied communion at his mother’s funeral Mass by the presiding Catholic priest because he’s in a same-sex marriage.

Tim Ardillo, who was an altar boy at the very church where the funeral was held, was in line with his young son next to his mother’s coffin when the pastor of the church Rev Mark Beard refused the man communion.

The funeral Mass as held at St Helena Catholic Church in Amite, Louisiana, on July 10.

According to the Baton Rouge Advocate newspaper, Ardillo said the priest told him that he’s being refused because he was married outside the church. He however believes it’s because he was listed in his mother’s obituary as being married to another man.

The newspaper reported that Beard did not return multiple calls when he was contacted in the week following the funeral.

According to Ardillo, the church passed out a quotation from 1 Corinthians at Mass the following Sunday, which read, in a portion highlighted in red ink, ‘Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks in judgment of himself.’

The paper reported that Ardillo has since received an apology from the Diocese of Baton Rouge, which directly oversees the Amite church as well as a personal apology from New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond, though his office declined to comment on the series of incidents.

The post Married gay man says he was denied communion at his mother’s funeral Mass appeared first on Gay Star News.

Sylvia Tan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/married-gay-man-says-he-was-denied-communion-at-his-mothers-funeral-mass/