Atlanta Civil Rights Museum Expands LGBT Focus
The Center for Civil and Human Rights launches the LGBT Institute.
Neal Broverman
www.advocate.com/georgia/2015/09/07/atlanta-civil-rights-museum-expands-lgbt-focus
Daily Archives: September 7, 2015
Kentucky Clerk Asks Court To Force Governor To Let Her Deny Gay Marriages
Kentucky Clerk Asks Court To Force Governor To Let Her Deny Gay Marriages
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Sept 7 (Reuters) – Lawyers for jailed Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis said on Monday they had asked an appellate court to force Governor Steve Beshear to allow her to refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses based on her religious convictions.
They sought emergency relief from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, asking it to grant Davis an exemption from the “Governor’s mandate that all county clerks issue marriage licenses,” lawyers from the non-profit legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel, which represents Davis, said in a press release.
(Reporting by Steve Bittenbender; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Tom Brown)
— 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.
Cecil the Lion’s Killer Returning to Work Tomorrow: VIDEO
Cecil the Lion’s Killer Returning to Work Tomorrow: VIDEO
Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist who ignited a firestorm after killing Zimbabwe’s beloved lion Cecil in July, is set to return to work tomorrow.
Palmer’s announcement came in during an interview conducted by The Associated Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It was his first public interview since the story broke.
“If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a study obviously I wouldn’t have taken it,” Palmer said. “Nobody in our hunting party knew before or after the name of this lion.” […]
An avid sportsman, Palmer shut off several lines of inquiry about the hunt, including how much he paid for it or others he has undertaken. No videotaping or photographing of the interview was allowed. During the 25-minute interview, Palmer gazed intensely at his questioners, often fiddling with his hands and turning occasionally to an adviser, Joe Friedberg, to field questions about the fallout and his legal situation.
Some have called for Palmer to be extradited to Zimbabwe, although no formal steps have been announced.
ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos
The post Cecil the Lion’s Killer Returning to Work Tomorrow: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
Kyler Geoffroy
Man’s eye socket broken after anti-gay attack in London
Man’s eye socket broken after anti-gay attack in London
Police are investigating after a man was assaulted by two males, breaking his eye socket, in a homophobic attack in London.
Jean Michel Touche, 40, was hospitalized after the two young males robbed him off his iPhone 6 while shouting homophobic slurs.
The attack occurred on Barnes Common at approximately 5.30pm yesterday (6 September).
As well as a broken eye socket which requires surgery, the youths also broke his first metacarpal in his hand. This is the first bone of the thumb.
Jean Michel Touche was attacked in Barnes Common
A Met police spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying the two male suspects are believed to have ran off in the direction of Barnes Common Tennis Courts.
This attack comes as London police have revealed that homophobic crimes have increased by 30% in the last year.
Any witnesses or anyone with information should contact police quoting crime reference 0708950/15 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The post Man’s eye socket broken after anti-gay attack in London appeared first on Gay Star News.
Joe Morgan
www.gaystarnews.com/article/mans-eye-socket-broken-after-anti-gay-attack-in-london/
Westboro Baptist Church Sides With The LGBT Community On The Kim Davis Issue
Westboro Baptist Church Sides With The LGBT Community On The Kim Davis Issue
Buy some ice skates…hell has frozen over. The hate-mongering organization known as Westboro Baptist Church has come out of the closet with its disapproval of the antigay Rowan county clerk Kim Davis. Divorce and remarriage are no-nos in Westboro’s eyes, and it has armed itself with the bible passage that proves it, reports Deep South Daily. Since Davis’s four walks down the aisle are the result of her three divorces, she has become one of the church’s prime targets. The church is even calling for her resignation. Clutch the pearls!
Stating, “If Kim Davis has any real fear of God she’ll resign and move out of the house from the man she lives w/ in adultery,” the organization has been quite active on social media expressing its disdain for the jailed Rowan County Clerk. In addition to its binge tweeting, the church has also been circulating photoshopped images of Davis with the captions, “INCONVENIENT TRUTH: GOD HATES DIVORCE” and “DIVORCE + REMARRIAGE = ADULTERY.” Here are some of the gems that have been posted on the WBCSaysRepent Twitter account:
We saw your letter, #KimDavis. Here’s our open letter to you –
— Westboro Baptist (@WBCSaysRepent) September 6, 2015
What if a clerk denied #KimDavis a license for her 2nd/3rd/4th marriage because Christ calls it adultery?
— Westboro Baptist (@WBCSaysRepent) September 4, 2015
KY clerk Kim Davis would NOT feel at home at Westboro Baptist. She a fake (hence her 3 husbands!), @MattMurph24 >> t.co/lKtgZuCmol
— Westboro Baptist (@WBCSaysRepent) September 3, 2015
#KimDavis violated her oath of office! The same type of pervs outlawed our legitimate 1st Amend rights! #GodH8sEmAll t.co/XamDiTEq4p
— Westboro Baptist (@WBCSaysRepent) September 3, 2015
It’s interesting that the organization would take the stance that Davis violated her oath since part of said oath is issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Could this be a kindler, gentler Westboro Baptist Church? Should we invite the members of its congregation out to a celebratory meal at Chick-fil-A?
Alas, don’t go breaking out the champagne just yet. While it might look like Westboro has suddenly jumped over to the same side of the fence as the LGBT community, they are still very much against marriage equality. Even though the church perceives Davis as an adulterous, sinful county clerk who has not done her job, the organization somehow feels that she is partially responsible for what they call “fag marriage.” Perhaps the people over at Westboro don’t fully comprehend that Kim Davis doesn’t believe in same-sex marriage either, and she’s in jail for refusing to issue licenses for those very marriages.
Flawed ideology, but it’s still nice to have a fraction of support from Westboro Baptist Church. Enjoy the moment because it will probably never happen again.
Jeremy Kinser
Gay Welsh Rugby Icon Gareth Thomas is ‘Never Alone’ in Uplifting New Guinness Ad: WATCH
Gay Welsh Rugby Icon Gareth Thomas is ‘Never Alone’ in Uplifting New Guinness Ad: WATCH
Welsh rugby icon Gareth Thomas, who came out of the closet in 2009, is the star of an new Guinness ad that centers on the support he received from his teammates during his emotional journey to self-acceptance.
“Every impact, every rib cracked, every bone broken – that was nothing compared to the demons that were tearing me apart,” says Thomas in the video. “In my darkest hour, I turned to my teammates, telling them I was gay – that was the toughest thing I’d ever done.”
Last week, rugby union star Sam Stanley came out as gay and cited Thomas as one of his role models.
Thomas retired from rugby in October 2011.
The post Gay Welsh Rugby Icon Gareth Thomas is ‘Never Alone’ in Uplifting New Guinness Ad: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Kyler Geoffroy
Gay Welsh Rugby Icon Gareth Thomas is ‘Never Alone’ in Uplifting New Guinness Ad: WATCH
Vatican Says Transgender Man Cannot Become A Godparent
Vatican Says Transgender Man Cannot Become A Godparent
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican has rejected a request by a transgender man in Spain to become a godparent, ruling that his sexual identity means he is incapable of carrying out the task.
Alex Salinas was asked by his family to be godfather to his nephew, but the bishop of his local diocese on Spain’s southern coast questioned his gender identity.
Salinas was born a woman but has since undergone hormone therapy and has a male ID in Spain. He is now waiting for gender surgery, The Local Spain reported.
Bishop Rafael Zornoza Boy of Cadiz and Ceuta rejected the family’s request to name Salinas as a godfather. Then, after a media storm, the bishop wrote to the Vatican for advice.
In a statement Tuesday (Sept. 1), the bishop said he turned to the Vatican due to “confusion among some of the faithful” and “the complexity and media attention garnered by this issue.”
Zornoza also published the Vatican’s reasoning for rejecting Salinas’ wish.
It said transsexual behavior “reveals in a public way an attitude opposite to the moral imperative of solving the problem of sexual identity according to the truth of one’s own sexuality.”
The statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responsible for enforcing Catholic doctrine, concluded: “It is clear that this person does not meet the requirement of carrying out a life conforming to the faith and the position of godfather.”
It also said the decision was not intended to be discriminatory.
In commenting on the decision, Zornoza noted that Pope Francis had addressed gender issues in his encyclical on the environment. While not referring to transgender people specifically, the pope wrote: “The acceptance of our bodies as God’s gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home.”
Still, the pope has welcomed transgender people with symbolic gestures.
In January, Francis met with a transgender Spaniard at the Vatican.
In March, transgender prisoners near Napes, Italy, were invited to lunch with Francis.
And on Tuesday, Francis met privately with renegade French Bishop Jacques Gaillot at the pope’s Vatican residence. Gaillot, who was sidelined by Pope John Paul II, has welcomed and blessed LGBT people. His visit with Francis was a sign the pope wants to reach out to people on the margins.
Also on HuffPost:
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Which is the most homophobic place to live in London?
Which is the most homophobic place to live in London?
Homophobic crime in London has increased by 30%, police figures have revealed.
According to official data released by the Metropolitan Police Service, figures for the 12 months up to July showed 1,667 homophobic crimes, compared with 1,289 for the previous year.
Westminster, which includes London’s gay capital Soho, had the most out of every borough with 166 crimes against LGBTI people.
This was followed by Lambeth, which includes Vauxhall, with 150 homophobic crimes.
Bromley saw the biggest rise in homophobic attacks, at an increase of 217.6%.
The borough with the least homophobic crimes was Sutton, with only seven happening for the 12 months up to July 2015.
The Met defines a homophobic offence as any crime which is perceived to be homophobic by the victim or any other person, that is intended to impact upon those known or perceived to be lesbian, gay or bisexual.
The Met has attributed the increase in attacks in part to a willingness of victims to report crimes, and an awareness of police staff in being able to identify those particular offences.
The full list is here:
- Barking and Dagenham: 13 (12 months up to July 2015) – 13 (12 months up to July 2014) 0%
- Barnet: 26 (12 months up to July 2015) – 20 (12 months up to July 2014) +30%
- Bexley: 20 (12 months up to July 2015) – 14 (12 months up to July 2014) +42.9%
- Brent: 58 (12 months up to July 2015) – 34 (12 months up to July 2014) +70.6%
- Bromley: 54 (12 months up to July 2015) -17 (12 months up to July 2014) +217.6%
- Camden: 88 (12 months up to July 2015) – 76 (12 months up to July 2014) +15.8%
- Croydon: 60 (12 months up to July 2015) – 21 (12 months up to July 2014) +185.7%
- Ealing: 36 (12 months up to July 2015) -40 (12 months up to July 2014) -10%
- Enfield: 23 (12 months up to July 2015) -14 (12 months up to July 2014) +64.3%
- Greenwich: 33 (12 months up to July 2015) -44 (12 months up to July 2014) -25%
- Hackney: 90 (12 months up to July 2015) -69 (12 months up to July 2014) +30.4%
- Haringey: 46 (12 months up to July 2015) -24 (12 months up to July 2014) +91.7%
- Harrow: 18 (12 months up to July 2015) -12 (12 months up to July 2014) +50%
- Hammersmith and Fulham: 53 (12 months up to July 2015) -36 (12 months up to July 2014) +47.2%
- Havering: 26 (12 months up to July 2015) -22 (12 months up to July 2014) +18.2%
- Hillingdon: 53 (12 months up to July 2015) -30 (12 months up to July 2014) +76.7%
- Hounslow: 29 (12 months up to July 2015) -32 (12 months up to July 2014) -9.4%
- Islington: 79 (12 months up to July 2015) -82 (12 months up to July 2014) -3.7%
- Kensington and Chelsea: 55 (12 months up to July 2015) -35 (12 months up to July 2014) +57.1%
- Kingston upon Thames: 24 (12 months up to July 2015) -12 (12 months up to July 2014) +100%
- Lambeth: 150 (12 months up to July 2015) -120 (12 months up to July 2014) +25%
- Lewisham: 70 (12 months up to July 2015) -64 (12 months up to July 2014) +9.4%
- Merton: 24 (12 months up to July 2015) -15 (12 months up to July 2014) +60%
- Newham: 57 (12 months up to July 2015) -37 (12 months up to July 2014) +54.1%
- Redbridge: 19 (12 months up to July 2015) -32 (12 months up to July 2014) -40.6%
- Richmond upon Thames: 14(12 months up to July 2015) -12 (12 months up to July 2014) +16.7%
- Southwark: 95 (12 months up to July 2015) -60 (12 months up to July 2014) +39.7%
- Sutton: 7 (12 months up to July 2015) -14 (12 months up to July 2014) -50%
- Tower Hamlets: 78 (12 months up to July 2015) -65 (12 months up to July 2014) +20%
- Waltham Forest: 37 (12 months up to July 2015) -42 (12 months up to July 2014) -11.9%
- Wandsworth: 63 (12 months up to July 2015) -33 (12 months up to July 2014) +90.9%
- Westminster: 166 (12 months up to July 2015) -135 (12 months up to July 2014) +23%
The post Which is the most homophobic place to live in London? appeared first on Gay Star News.
Joe Morgan
www.gaystarnews.com/article/which-is-the-most-homophobic-place-to-live-in-london/
Longtime Companion, The First Major Motion Picture About AIDS, Turns 25
Longtime Companion, The First Major Motion Picture About AIDS, Turns 25
In 1989, playwright and screenwriter Craig Lucas and director Norman René set their sights on creating a movie that would chronicle the first years of the AIDS crisis. The project would face an uphill battle getting made and finding distribution since Hollywood wasn’t very keen on bringing a story about gay men dealing with AIDS to the big screen at that time. Taking its title from the term used by The New York Times’ obituaries section to reference the surviving partner of a deceased gay man, Longtime Companion premiered in May of 1990. The film follows a group of friends over an eight-year period from 1981 to 1989, with the movie beginning on the day The New York Times published the first article about what would go on to become the AIDS epidemic.
Yahoo! Movies interviewed the film’s screenwriter Lucas and several other people involved in Longtime Companion including actors Dermot Mulroney, Campbell Scott, Mary-Louise Parker, and Bruce Davison (who won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination for his work in the film) to discuss the making of the film and its impact. Among the many difficulties the project faced, Lucas shared that the property association of the Pines in Fire Island was initially resistant to allowing them to shoot scenes there. It wasn’t until he threatened to tell the press that a place run by gays didn’t want to be associated with a movie about AIDS that the cast and crew were given the green light to film.
Casting also proved to be tough. Hollywood actors weren’t jumping at the chance to play gay like they are nowadays. Interestingly enough, Alec Baldwin had agreed to be in the movie at one point, but had to back out because of scheduling conflicts.
Watch the original theatrical trailer for Longtime Companion below:
Many of the film’s main characters pass away as the movie progresses, but to counterbalance the sadness of those moments, Lucas and director Norman René incorporated humor as much as possible. “Norman felt very strongly that when people are under duress, they survive by laughing and seeing the absurdity in the situation they’re in,” Lucas explained.
Sadly, Norman René passed away in 1996. He discovered he was HIV-positive shortly before filming on Longtime Companion began. René did not disclose his medical condition at the time since it would have prevented him from getting the required insurance for the shoot.
The film was a critical and commercial success upon its release; however, it still faced some backlash from activists within the LGBT community who felt the movie wasn’t political enough and lacked diversity in its representation of people with AIDS. Nevertheless, Longtime Companion remains an important part of queer cinema.
Unfortunately, the movie has become hard to find these days. It is not available in DVD or digital format, nor can it be found on streaming websites such as Netflix. Ira Sachs, assistant to the director, stated, “What’s interesting to me is the disappearance of the film. I feel like it hasn’t been canonized in a way that I would like it to be. It is a really accurate depiction of a time and a group of people and a crisis.”
Watch the final scene of Longtime Companion in which three of the characters wonder if a cure for AIDS will ever be found. In a time when advances in HIV medication are being made, it is a poignant scene that still resonates.
Jeremy Kinser
11 stunning pictures of Vermont to get you in the mood for fall
11 stunning pictures of Vermont to get you in the mood for fall
It’s always been known for its awe-inspiring autumns – no surprise, given three quarters of the US
state of Vermont is forested.
What’s more, according to the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, 3.5m travelers spend around $460m (€412m, £301m) during foliage season every year.
So, as the temperature drops and the nights draw in (in some parts of the world at least), we take a look at some of the destination’s most amazing autumnal landscapes…
1 Peacham Church by David McMasters
2 Clock Tower on Burlington’s Church Street by David Juaire
3 Trapp Family Lodge by Stephen Goodhue
4 Tonal contrast by Mitchel Moraski
5 Moosalamoo region by Dennis Curran
6 Vermont landscape by Kurt Budliger
7 Cambridge by Skye Chalmers
8 Maple trees by David Juaire
9 Old First Church in Bennington by Dennis Curran
10 Vermont lake by Kurt Budliger
11 Lake Elmore by Kent Shaw
The post 11 stunning pictures of Vermont to get you in the mood for fall appeared first on Gay Star News.
Jamie Tabberer
www.gaystarnews.com/article/11-stunning-pictures-of-vermont-to-get-you-in-the-mood-for-fall/
