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WATCH: Homeless LGBT Youth Use the Web to Make a New Home
A new short documentary showcasing LGBT youth showcases the power of the internet in the fight against homelessness.
Raffy Ermac
www.advocate.com/youth/2015/07/08/watch-homeless-lgbt-youth-use-web-make-new-home
Puerto Rico’s ban on gay marriage officially nullified by appellate court
An appellate court on Wednesday (8 July) ruled that Puerto Rico’s ban on same-sex marriage has been nullified by last month’s US Supreme Court ruling.
The US territory’s marriage ban had been upheld last October by US District Judge Perez Gimenez in a lawsuit brought on by a San Juan lesbian couple who wanted their Massachusetts marriage recognized in Puerto Rico.
The couple appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit which ruled this week that the ban is unconstitutional.
‘Certainly, after the historic ruling from the Supreme Court, this ruling from the First Circuit was not unexpected,’ Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan said in a statement. ‘There remains no legal or moral justification for forcing same-sex couples in Puerto Rico to wait any longer to have their love and commitment recognized by the state.’
Hours after the 26 June Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage legal across the US, Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla signed an executive order requiring all Puerto Rican government agencies to become compliant with the court’s ruling within 15 days.
Added Gonzalez-Pagan: ‘We applaud the First Circuit for recognizing that Puerto Rico’s marriage ban is unconstitutional, and reversing the lower court ruling. We also commend the Puerto Rico government for joining in the call to end the marriage ban.’
The post Puerto Rico’s ban on gay marriage officially nullified by appellate court appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
Exclusive Clip: Outfest Hit “Tiger Orange” Hits DVD
Writer-director Wade Gasque’s gay drama, Tiger Orange just hit DVD yesterday. Here’s an exclusive sneak peek at a clip from the film featuring Frankie Valenti (aka former gay adult star Johnny Hazzard) and co-star Mark Strano (who won the Best Actor award at Outfest last July for his performance) as estranged gay brothers who re-connect after the death of their father. The film is available now on DVD as well as on iTunes and other VOD platforms.
Jenni
Civil Partnership Bill in Cyprus To Face Crucial Vote This Week
A controversial bill regarding civil partnerships in Cyprus heads to the country’s House plenum for a vote this Thursday after two parliamentary committees reached an agreement.
Opposition Akel MP Yiannos Lamar clarified on Monday as in-cyprus.com reports, stating:
“The two committees – of Interior and of Legal Affairs – are very close to reaching an agreement that will safeguard the rights of those opting for a civil partnership on the one hand and alleviate concerns of society as regards adoptions and weddings on the other.”
However, Cyprus’ religious leaders are quickly condemning the bill. During Sunday mass, Archbishop Chrysostomos called for civil partnership advocates to “come to their senses,” saying that Cypriot society “doesn’t need a new family institution like ones already in place in some European nations and the U.S.”
The state of LGBT rights in Cyprus is contentious at the moment even though the country is attempting to implement more LGBT protections including a homophobic behavior criminalization bill in April. However, protests at Cyprus’ gay pride celebration in June between LGBT activists, police and anti-gay protestors indicate that the opposition toward LGBT rights is still strong in Cyprus.
The post Civil Partnership Bill in Cyprus To Face Crucial Vote This Week appeared first on Towleroad.
Anthony Costello
Civil Partnership Bill in Cyprus To Face Crucial Vote This Week
Two Black Trans Boys, Two N.Y. Families, and Boundless Love
Penel Ghartey, 7, and Q Daily, 9, were both featured in magazines this week, supported by their trans-affirming parents and schools.
Mitch Kellaway
www.advocate.com/families/2015/07/08/two-black-trans-boys-two-ny-families-and-boundless-love
A Thank You Note to Straight People
A recent article in the Washington Post repeatedly downplays the significance of 26 million Facebook users changing their profile photos to the colors of the rainbow flag. While I agree that this “slacktivist” gesture alone isn’t as meaningful as how individuals live their daily lives, the author’s logic is flawed. He accuses the non-LGBT rainbow-bearers of co-opting the symbol of the movement.
“Throughout history, the powerful have taken credit for social progress they did not participate in,” the author argues.
By this reasoning, only those who are gay, lesbian, bi or trans can wave the rainbow flag. Taking this a step further, only those who’ve fought in wars are allowed to wave the American flag.
I understand where the author is coming from. My coming out process was long, painful and deeply personal. Yet seeing the sea of rainbow-colored profile photos is — if nothing else — a sign that times have truly changed.
The victory of same-sex marriage can (and should) be shared by the entire country. The fight was rooted in equality, so how can we begrudge anyone the right to celebrate right alongside us? This doesn’t threaten or belittle my story; it only serves to strengthen and amplify it.
The day before the Post article was published, I wrote on my personal blog, thanking my straight allies for changing their profile photos — and for so much more. The truth is, the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage couldn’t have happened without straight people — and not just the five justices that voted in favor of it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dear Straight People,
Thank you. Thank you for cheering right alongside us as we in the LGBT community celebrate a new-found, long-overdue measure of equality. Thank you for the endless sea of rainbow-colored photos. Thank you for voting. Thank you for teaching your children (and sometimes your parents) that not every family is the same, yet deserving of the same respect. Thank you for telling them that whether they grow up to love the opposite gender or their own, you will still love them. Thank you for encouraging them to be whoever they were meant to be. Thank you for trying to understand and to learn. Thank you for asking questions, even if you don’t always have the right words. Thank you for being fair and equal in your schools, your jobs, your churches, and your neighborhoods. Thank you for defending us in a fight, even when we’re not around. Especially when we’re not around.
To friends, families, classmates and coworkers: thank you for allowing us the time and space to come out — to know ourselves and to be seen, heard and known on our own terms. We realize this is a journey for you, too; we will do our best to remember that.
On a more personal note, I count myself lucky that the majority of my family has stuck around since I came out 20 years ago. I love that they love my husband and my son, and their presence in our lives means the world to me.
I also want to voice my thanks to a specific group of straight people — the fathers I’ve met since becoming a dad myself. Some of you I’ve met in real life; countless others I know only virtually. To varying degrees you’ve been sounding board and shit-caller, muse and motivator, confidante and comrade. You’ve made me laugh, cry, think, and scream — sometimes all at once. Thank you for being my friends, my brothers, my family.
More importantly, thank you for doing all you do as you raise your families — living your lives as fair-minded men. Among you are those with LGBT fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles, in-laws, siblings, children. Some of you live and work alongside many who are LGBT. For some, I was the first gay person you ever interacted with.
Regardless of your experience, that is how the world changes — people choosing to love and accept those in their everyday lives that have known hatred, rejection and judgment elsewhere. This is how humanity grows, strengthens, and moves on from a history of bigotry and fear. So thank you for being the parents, children, friends that you are — and in turn, changing the world.
With much love & gratitude,
Brent
This post originally appeared on Brent’s blog, Designer Daddy. You can also find him on Facebook.
— 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.
Anti-gay preacher Franklin Graham furious White House was lit in rainbow pride colors
It’s been more than a week since The White House was lit with rainbow colors to celebrate nationwide marriage equality.
But Franklin Graham is still fuming.
The president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which was founded by his father in 1950, is blasting President Barack Obama for the 26 June gesture shortly after the US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry in all 50 US states.
‘He had the gall to disgrace the White House by lighting it up with the gay pride rainbow colors to celebrate,’ Graham wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday (7 July).
‘This is arrogantly flaunting sinful behavior in the face of Almighty God. My advice? He might want to have some extra lightning rods installed on the roof of the White House.’
Graham takes Obama to task for his relatively recent evolution on same-sex marriage.
‘A lot has changed in three short years!’ he writes. ‘Just three years ago, the President was on record as holding to the biblical definition of marriage. Now he can’t say enough about his support for the LGBT agenda.
Graham has made a series of anti-gay statements in recent years including his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime’s banning so-called ‘homosexual propaganda.’
He has also urged Christians to boycott LGBTI-friendly businesses, said gay marriage is sending the US ‘off a moral cliff,’ spoke out against gays being allowed in Boy Scouts and accused Marvel Comics of trying to brainwash young people into accepting a homosexual ‘lifestyle’ after a character in the popular comic book series X-Men was revealed to be gay.
The post Anti-gay preacher Franklin Graham furious White House was lit in rainbow pride colors appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
PHOTOS: Truvada Takers Given #PrEPHeroes Treatment In Edgy, Sex-Positive Campaign
It’s been three years since Truvada as PrEP was approved in the United States, and since then there have been countless success stories shared by doctors, patients and health advocates praising the effectiveness of the once-daily pill to prevent HIV infection by as much as 92-99 percent.
There’s also been backlash — “it’s too expensive,” “people can’t be trusted to take a pill every day,” “it isn’t safe,” “it promotes sexual promiscuity,” etc.
Related: Can Our Generation Stop HIV With A ‘Truvada Revolution?’ Vice Investigates.
But numerous major metro health departments from New York to SF to LA, as well as many AIDS organizations, see continued gains in educating those at risk of contracting the virus about Truvada and helping them gain access to the drug while linking them with testing, prevention education, and care.
In a recent campaign called #PrEPHeroes by Housing Works Community Healthcare, nine models currently taking Truvada were chosen and made over into edgy superheroes to draw focus to the benefit they’re providing their communities and themselves by ensuring they won’t spread HIV.
Notes art director Jack Mackenroth:
“The goal of the campaign is to portray these men as role models and as powerful individuals who are taking charge of their own defense against HIV. I love that they are depicted as bold, visionary ‘heroes.’ They are seizing control of their own sexual health and protecting others by stopping further HIV transmission. I hope that the stylish and provocative nature of the campaign will inspire others to share it on social media, participate with their own #PrEPHeroes photo, and instigate conversations about HIV prevention.”
Check out more of the photos, taken by Mike Ruiz, below:
Dan Tracer
Arkansas County Clerk Calls On Clerks State-Wide To Refuse Marriage Licenses to Gay Couples
A county clerk in Van Buren County, Arkansas is calling on all county clerks in the state to stand with her in defying the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage and refuse marriage licenses to any same-sex couples seeking them.
Pam Bradford, the Van Buren County clerk, circulated this memo to all county clerks today announcing her intention to defy the U.S. Supreme Court and have her office refuse to issue marriage licenses.
She was out of the office when I called, but an employee confirmed the memo and said, as yet, no same-sex couples had presented themselves in the county to obtain a marriage license.
Bradford’s resistance is contrary to the position taken by both Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. Even the anti-gay Family Council, which is promoting ways in which people opposed to marriage can avoid participation in the process, distributed the advice from another religious legal organization that the best means to avoid compliance is to have someone else who is willing to do the work do it in place of someone with objections. Bradford has taken this a step farther.
Bradford is a Republican and attends Shirley First Baptist Church according to her Facebook page. The clerk’s office is in Clinton.
Check out an image of the memo below:
The post Arkansas County Clerk Calls On Clerks State-Wide To Refuse Marriage Licenses to Gay Couples appeared first on Towleroad.
Sean Mandell
Arkansas County Clerk Calls On Clerks State-Wide To Refuse Marriage Licenses to Gay Couples
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