Presidential Candidate Rand Paul Is OK With Firing People For Being Gay

During a recent speaking engagement at Drake University in Iowa, Sen. Rand Paul argued that it should be alright to fire an employee for being gay.

The reason? Prohibiting discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation in the workplace “sets up a whole industry for people who want to sue.”

Clearly not recognizing the inherent fallacy in his thinking, the Republican presidential candidate added, “I think society’s rapidly changing, and that, if you are gay, there are plenty of places that will hire you.”

His logic, as such, goes like this:

So if you happen to be gay, you get fired — now you have a reason you can fire them. But it’s almost impossible sometimes — you know, people don’t put up a sign, ‘I’m firing you because you’re gay.’ It’s something that’s very much disputed. And so I don’t know that we need to keep adding to different classifications to say the government needs to be involved in the hiring and firing.

He also commented that “the things you do in your house — if you leave them in your house — they wouldn’t have to be part of the workplace.”

Watch Rand’s rant below.

Jeremy Kinser

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The OXD Mirror: The Legacy of Space Disco

BY TAD HAES

During the ’70s and in early years of the ’80s, while both gay and straight audiences got down across the globe and mainstream disco music reached its peak in nightclubs, other worlds were also being unveiled – literally. For the first time in history, humanity laid eyes on real photographs of Jupiter, Saturn and their moons. Frozen water was discovered in Mars, a Soviet probe landed on Venus, and the Space Shuttle program began. As disco music and space exploration evolved, it was natural that both worlds would eventually collide. Artists such as Giorgio Moroder, Patrick Cowley, Cerrone, Space and Boney M drew influence from futuristic sounds to create legendary dance hits that would change music forever, notably Donna Summer‘s now iconic ‘I Feel Love.’ The Saint nightclub opened in New York City featuring its infamous 38-feet-high dome and planetarium projector, luring massive gay crowds into dancing marathons under images of stars and galaxies and fueled by hi-NRG and futuristic disco.

The year now is 2015, and space exploration is more exciting than ever: Voyager 1 is the first man-made object to leave the Solar System, Pluto was photographed for the first time, flowing water is confirmed on Mars, we landed a probe on a comet. And dance music follows as it did before, with the so called space disco genre being once again en vogue.

Discodromo – the Italian-born, Berlin-based duo formed by Giacomo Garavelloni and Giovanni Turco – is well known in the German capital’s gay scene through their successful Cocktail d’Amore parties/record label (created alongside Berghain’s Boris), which usually go on with as many as 36-hours of non-stop house music and techno. As producers, they are famous for house and techno releases with a space disco twist. Their latest original production, ‘A Come Andromeda,’ still doesn’t have an official release date but can already be appreciated in its entire futuristic glory.

• Jeffrey Sfire “is a fag that plays 80’s italo, high nrg, chicago house, and everything WBMX. He’s real real real” – so he describes himself. He has released on Cocktail d’Amore in the past (‘Sfire2‘), and his most recent record, ‘Sfire6,’ is out now on the label Ultramajic, filled with retro-synths and ’80s italo-disco vibes. The full version of the release can be heard on Spotify, and if you live in New York, you can dance to Sfire’s music at Xanadude‘s upcoming Halloween party.
• The Emperor Machine is no stranger to our column, and it is only fitting to include his latest track, the spacey 10-minute remix of Flash Atkins‘ ‘Summer of Love.’
• London producer Toby Tobias is gearing up for his second full-length release, Rising Son, which follows his acclaimed debut album Space Shuffle. ‘The Wonder’ is the first single and features vocals by Be Atwell and, of course, a heavy dose of synths and space-inspired sounds.
• Brooklyn’s Jacques Renault is still surfing the waves of his brand new debut album Zentrum, but that doesn’t mean he is done with work for now. Forthcoming is the new Silver Machines EP with two original tracks, each accompanied by alternate mixes – including Force of Nature‘s version of ‘Fromage à Trois’ with a bonus sample of Sylvester‘s hi-NRG classic ‘Take Me To Heaven.’

OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD) is a gay, New York City-based DJ collective who got their start curating alternative night life and music events for the LGBT community. The OXD Mirror serves to showcase house, disco and techno tunes that are definitely off-the-beaten-path but rightfully deserve the attention of the gay ear.

Check out these tracks and more on our Soundcloud. For more information on OXD, visit our website at www.occupythedisco.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @OccupyTheDisco.

The post The OXD Mirror: The Legacy of Space Disco appeared first on Towleroad.

Occupy the Disco

The OXD Mirror: The Legacy of Space Disco

WATCH: Pastor Urges Boycott of 'Sodomite-Friendly' Businesses

The rabidly homophobic Pastor James David Manning, having railed against Starbucks for allegedly putting “the semen of sodomites” in its coffee, is now calling for a boycott of all “sodomite-controlled” or “sodomite-friendly” businesses, and doing so with some violent imagery.

“The sodomites … with the Supreme Court approval and a sodomite in the White House, think they now have America under their absolute thumb and control,” the pastor of ATLAH Missionary Baptist Church, in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, says in a new video.

But God, he says, has revealed to him that the opponents of “sodomites” are “in the mega-majority.” So, he tells his followers, “If you know of a business that is owned by sodomites — for instance, Tylenol has produced a commercial destroying the images that Norman Rockwell painted so beautifully, so we’re not going to buy Tylenol anymore.” (Last year Tylenol ran a lesbian-inclusive ad playing off a well-known Rockwell painting of a family gathered for a holiday meal.)

Manning urges boycotts of not just major corporations but neighborhood restaurants that “cater to sodomites” or have gay waitstaff. He then makes a reference to slave uprisings and says “sodomites” are “pushing us to the point where we now need to push back.”

“We’re greater than them in number, and quite frankly, we have their throats … in the clenches of our finger — the index and our thumb,” he continues. “And at any time we want to squeeze that Adam apple, we can, and I’m calling for a boycott to squeeze that Adam apple right now, against sodomy in America.”

His followers, he concludes, have the power “to bring the sodomites to their knees, and if need be, to put them in their economic graves.” You can watch the full deranged rant below.

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/religion/2015/10/15/watch-pastor-urges-boycott-sodomite-friendly-businesses

New Burlesque Documentary Shows Just How Powerful Getting Naked Can Be

A new documentary is telling the stories of burlesque dancers and revealing just how empowering getting naked can be.

Directed by James Lester, “Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story” follows five professional burlesque dancers over the course of four years living and working in New York City. The film features Gal Friday, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Perle Noire, Hazel Honeysuckle and Minnie Tonka. 

“Getting Naked” highlights the bright lights and distinct style of the 100-year-old performance art, while also showing the dancers’ family life and struggles with relationships outside of work. 

Burlesque, like other types of performance art, has the potential to be a feminist act. “We’re all there doing exactly what we want, not just getting naked — we’re there expressing ourselves completely,” one woman says in the trailer for the film below. 

The film’s Kickstarter launched on Oct. 15 to raise funds for post-production in order to finish the film.

According to the film’s director James Lester, the five performers all come from different backgrounds. “Each performer I followed had a different background. But they all arrived to the same place: burlesque,” he told The Huffington Post “There was a specific moment they realized they were living lives of constraint. Whether it was a dead-end job, or a life of loneliness, or a near-death experience, each woman decided for herself, enough is enough, it’s time I live a life of liberation and fulfillment. For them, that new life was burlesque.”

Darlinda Just Darlinda explained to HuffPost how burlesque has empowered her over her 11-year career. “For me, the empowerment of burlesque comes from audience inspiration,” she said. “They come to see a show and end up feeling empowered about their sexuality, their bodies and they have been entertained.”  

“Whether it’s body type, skin color, or age, burlesque represents what is actually real, in existence, not what’s been photo-shopped in a magazine or edited on TV,” Lester said. While Darlinda agreed that burlesque “can be tied to feminism,” she said that it “needs to be better curated to include all shapes, sizes and colors.” 

As Hazel Honeysuckle says in the film, “When I do burlesque I can be sexy, I can be stupid, I can be gorgeous, or ugly, or funny. I can do anything I want when I get out on stage, and that’s pretty magical.”

Damn straight that’s magical. 

Head over to the film’s Kickstarter or website to learn more about the documentary. 

Also on HuffPost: 

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New Ad Highlights Discrimination Veterans Face; Emphasizes Need for Houston Equal Rights Ordinance

A new TV commercial highlights the positive impact the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) could have, including prohibiting discrimination against veterans.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/new-ad-highlights-discrimination-veterans-face-emphasizes-need-for-houston?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Couple Divorces After One Year To Invite Third Man Into Their Relationship

Canadians Adam Grant and Shayne Curran were happily married when they decided to get a divorce.

The couple first met in Nova Scotia six years ago and were legally wed in 2011. A year after saying “I do,” they met Sebastian Tran at nightclub while searching for someone to join them in an innocent threeway.

“We never intended it to be anything serious,” Adam tells the Daily Mail. “We were certainly never planning on taking on a full-time third partner. It was just bit of sexual experimentation.”

Related: Sister Wives Family Cite Gay Marriage Ruling In Polygamy Case

But after brining Sebastian home, Adam and Shayne quickly realized he was more than just another notch on the bedpost.

“The three of us sat out in our back garden together, talking for hours about our lives, ambitions and dreams,” Adam recalls. “Sebastian was different to anyone we had ever met. There was something about him that Shayne and I couldn’t explain, but it was like meeting our life partner for the second time.”

Sebastian was equally as surprised by how well the three of them got along.

“At the time, I didn’t think I was ready to commit to anyone, so it was a surprise when I fell for both Adam and Shayne,” he says. “I didn’t think I wanted one boyfriend let alone two!”

Related: MMA Fighter Josh Thomson Says Marriage Equality Is “A Gateway” To Polygamy, Pedophilia, Bestiality, Incest

As a result, Adam and Shayne decided to legally dissolve their marriage so the three of them could make a commitment to each other as a trio.

“We didn’t want Sebastian to be excluded or feel like the third wheel in our relationship,” Adam explains. “So Shayne and I decided to get a divorce so that we could make a renewed commitment between the three of us instead.”

“We’re the happiest we’ve ever been,” Shayne adds. “All our dynamics and personalities work so well in a relationship. The three of us bring out the best in each other.”

Now, the guys say they want to start a family.

“We definitely see kids in our future,” Sebastian says, “and we have a plan on how we’re going to make that happen.”

Related: If You’re For Consenting Adults’ Committed Relationships, Do You Support Polygamy?

“I have two sisters who have both offered to carry our children for us as surrogates and are willing to donate their eggs as well,” Shayne explains. “My sisters actually argue over which one them will carry our baby first. I feel very lucky! Meanwhile Sebastian’s sister will probably donate her eggs, too, so we can keep it in the family.”

He continues: “We want to mix our genes enough so that our kids are as genetically close to us as possible. But we are open to adoption, too. Children are a huge part of our future plans.”

As for people who may want to criticize their relationship or who feel it’s counter-productive to the fight for LGBTQ rights, they trio says they really don’t care.

“Love is love,” Adam explains. “It should be multiplied not divided. It shouldn’t matter if you’re in a three-way or a four-way relationship.”

What do you think? Is Adam, Shayne and Sebastian’s story counter-productive to LGBTQ rights? Vote in the poll below.

Is Adam, Shayne and Sebastian’s story counter-productive to LGBTQ rights?

Graham Gremore

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West Hollywood Meets Westeros in New ‘Game of Thrones’ Inspired PSA: WATCH

Water conservation in California often times feels as dire as life in Westeros for any of the claimants to the iron throne. And it’s perhaps for that reason that the city of West Hollywood has created a new PSA on water conservation styled after the HBO show. The ad intends to remind WeHo’s denizens that though winter may be coming, the drought is sadly here to stay.

TIME reports:

To remind its residents that winter does not mean an end to the drought, the City of West Hollywood has crafted a memorable public service announcement with a Game of Thrones-themed reminder to conserve.

The new PSA is straight out of Westeros. According to the map featured in the credits, West Hollywood appears to be located somewhere near the Lannisters’ stronghold of Casterly Rock. The video comes packed with the Mother of Dragons, a Jon Snow-lookalike, explosive special effects, the haunting GoTtheme music, and, of course, a powerful message to continue to conserve water as the state faces one of the most serious droughts in recent history.

Watch the video, below:

The post West Hollywood Meets Westeros in New ‘Game of Thrones’ Inspired PSA: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

West Hollywood Meets Westeros in New ‘Game of Thrones’ Inspired PSA: WATCH

A Little Purple Goes A Long Way To Show Support For LGBT Youth

For the fifth straight year, ThinkProgress is proud to show our support for LGBT youth and our opposition to bullying as part of the annual Spirit Day celebration. Along with our colleagues at the Center for American Progress and Center for American Progress Action Fund, we join millions of others who are wearing purple and calling for safe schools for all young people.

In 2010, the country was rocked by several high-profile suicide deaths — all gay teens who had experienced bullying in their schools. Teenager Brittany McMillan originated the idea for a day to remember those young people, choosing purple because it symbolizes “spirit” on the Pride Flag. With a goal very similar to the “It Gets Better” project, which Dan Savage started for the same reasons, Spirit Day has grown annually as celebrities, media personalities, athletes, corporations, faith leaders, and students and workers across the country show solidarity for LGBT youth.

Anti-LGBT bullying continues to plague the nation’s schools, and groups like the Tyler Clementi Foundation, named for one of the young people lost in 2010, are developing new strategies for making schools safer. When LGBT students have the support necessary to come out, their mental health improves and they do better in school.

Many young people turn to the internet for social support, and though they can encounter cyberbullying, on Spirit Day, they find social media decked out in purple in solidarity.

The post A Little Purple Goes A Long Way To Show Support For LGBT Youth appeared first on ThinkProgress.

Zack Ford

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/10/15/3712843/spirit-day-2015/

Why A School's Transgender Locker Room Ban Could Cause 'Lifelong Injury'

John Knight of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) joined HuffPost Live this week to discuss news that a suburban Chicago school district had banned a transgender girl from using a communal locker room.

Superintendent Daniel E. Cates of Township High School District 211 in Palatine, Illinois, said that the student, whose name has not been released, will be allowed to use a restroom in accordance with her gender identity, because there are private stalls. She can’t use the communal locker room, he said, in order to “ensure a respectful school environment” and “protect the privacy of all students,” according to The Washington Post. 

Knight, whose organization is representing the student, slammed the statement in his interview, noting that his client has “been living her entire life outside and inside of school as a girl and is accepted by her classmates fully as a girl.”

“It’s harmful to her every day to be sent this kind of message that she doesn’t belong, that she’s not one of the other girls,” he said. “To be told that you can’t be who you are, and particularly when you’re young, can cause, really, lifelong injury to a student.” 

The school district’s decision goes against a federal ruling allowing transgender students to use the locker room of their preferred gender. However, Cates said although the district “fully supports” its transgender student body, they won’t adopt the requirement because it infringes on the privacy of all students, according to the Associated Press. 

“The principles we stand on are firm,” he said. 

 
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Open Question: Bisexual Actors (LGBT)?
Angelina Jolie is probably the most famous bisexual actor and the only bisexual actor or actress to win an Oscar.

I think a lot of actors in the 1950s were bisexual, though i dont think any of my favourite actors were, Humphrey Bogart is my favourite actor.

Are there any famous bisexual actors?

answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20151015131155AAqaMzr