Monday Morning News Feed: Paris, Tim Cook, Sarah Palin, Aaron Rodgers, Demi Lovato

PARIS MASTERMIND: Police have identified  Abdelhamid Abaaoud as the mastermind of the Paris attacks and linked him to the attack thwarted by three Americans on a French high-speed train earlier this year: “All my life, I have seen the blood of Muslims flow,” Abaaoud said in a video made public in 2014. “I pray that Allah will break the backs of those who oppose him, his soldiers and his admirers, and that he will exterminate them.”

BRUSSELS: Police conduct raids in search for terror suspect: “Heavily armed police officers wearing balaclavas descended on the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels on Monday in a manhunt for Salah Abdeslam, who is believed to have helped carry out the Paris terrorist attacks on Friday with his two brothers.”

PARIS: These are the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks.

IRELAND: Apple CEO Tim Cook says marriage equality should attract more investment to the country: “It will lead to many more businesses coming in. This is another example where Ireland will be the ripple in the pond. I am thrilled about it. I think it will result in many other countries following. I give a lot of credit to the Irish people. From a business point of view, we need to be able to attract and retain talent from all walks of life, all sexual orientations, all races and all ethnic backgrounds. Otherwise we’re not going to be successful. So I think Ireland did itself a great service, not only because it’s just and right, but also because it will attract more business. The [marriage equality] campaign here was so professional. It wasn’t an antagonistic kind of campaign. So I think everyone is to be complimented.”

SARAH PALIN: Bristol keeps getting pregnant because God is giving her third, fourth, and fifth chances: “The cool thing about putting your faith in God, is that he certainly is a God of second chances, and third, and fourth, and fifth chances.”

HAWAII: Dengue fever outbreak in sickens 49, is transmitted by mosquito: “The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is investigating a cluster of locally-acquired cases of dengue fever on Hawaii Island. Dengue is not endemic to Hawaii. However, it is intermittently imported from endemic areas by infected travelers. This is the first cluster of locally-acquired dengue fever since the 2011 outbreak on Oahu. Of the confirmed cases, 39 are Hawaii residents and 10 are visitors. 39 cases have been adults; ten have been children. Symptoms include fever, joint pain, headaches, and rash.

SPORTS: Green Bay Packer QB Aaron Rodgers called out a fan for anti-Muslim comments during moment of silence: “I must admit I was very disappointed with whoever the fan was that made a comment that was very inappropriate during the moment of silence. It’s that kind of prejudicial ideology that puts us in the position we’re in today as a world.”

MUSIC: Demi Lovato delivered a searing cover of Adele’s “Hello” at Seattle’s Fall Ball. The clip has already been viewed more than 1.3 million times since yesterday.

The post Monday Morning News Feed: Paris, Tim Cook, Sarah Palin, Aaron Rodgers, Demi Lovato appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

Monday Morning News Feed: Paris, Tim Cook, Sarah Palin, Aaron Rodgers, Demi Lovato

30 Then-And-Now Images That Show Beautiful Decades-Long Friendships

Your tribe. Your wolf pack. Your people. Whatever you call them, a woman’s friendship with her best girlfriends is a powerful one.

The strongest friendships often start in childhood — you know, with the nice girl in grade school who shared her pudding pack when you forgot your lunch. And if you’re really lucky, the respect, trust and fun found in these sacred early relationships truly do last forever.

With a little help from our editor-at-large, Rita Wilson, we asked our amazing community of Huff/Post 50 readers to tell us about their most important relationships: the ones with their lifelong gal pals. We were astounded by the outpouring of stories and photos — over 600 in total. While every long-lasting female friendship deserves special mention, here are just a few of the heartwarming pieces we received from women of all walks of life, but with one thing in common: loyalty and love for their longtime friends. 

Also on HuffPost:

— 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.

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Westboro Baptist Church blames Paris attacks on ‘fag marriage’

If Westboro Baptist Church could get any worse, they just have.

The leaders of the homophobic church has blamed the Paris attacks, that killed at least 129 people, on the legalization of ‘fag marriage’.

ISIS have taken responsibility for the attacks, calling it the ‘world capital of prostitution and obscenity’. They pronounced it to be the ‘top of the list of targets of the Islamic State’.

France legalized same-sex marriage in 2013.

In a series of tweets, the Westboro Baptist Church praised ISIS for doing ‘God’s work’ and saying the shooters were ‘servants of God’s terror’.

They have vowed to go to Paris, shouting at the people who may have very easily lost loved friends and family members that they are to blame for the deaths for being ‘fag lovers’.

So long as you have fag marriage and abortion, terror reigns! #godisyourenemy! #godisyourterrorist! #ParisAttacks #ParisShooting

— Westboro Baptist (@WBCSaysRepent) November 14, 2015

The only way Paris is going to get peace with God is put away proud sin & obey. #parisattacks #NoFagMarriage t.co/8FReEJP9Nh — Westboro Baptist (@WBCSaysRepent) November 14, 2015

The next day, as reports of Islamophobia were growing, author Stephen King sent out the following tweet:

Hating all Muslims for what happened in Paris is like hating all Christians because of the gay-hating Westboro Baptist Church.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 14, 2015

Even though the Westboro Baptist Church had spent hours praising ISIS and appearing to be happy 129 people were dead, they then appeared to be offended by that comment.

‘What do we say to this lying, malicious comparison of our gentle pickets to the violence of ISIS?’ they said. ‘First — and foremost — Thank God!’

They added: ‘The wrath to which these pernicious “talking heads” hope to expose the humble, peaceful servants of Christ at WBC, is impotent in fact.  We know that God moves in every man to act in accordance with His perfect will.  This includes the violent monsters of ISIS, as the wicked propagandists within today’s “media”.  All of them are filled with violence — which is fitting for a world that sits literally on the verge of destruction.’

The post Westboro Baptist Church blames Paris attacks on ‘fag marriage’ appeared first on Gay Star News.

Joe Morgan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/westboro-baptist-church-blames-paris-attacks-on-fag-marriage/

Who Is The Top Legal Eagle? Could It Be One One Surprising Antigay Ally? You Decide!

Changing hearts and minds are important, but in the end, there’s nothing like having the law on your side. That’s where the best legal advocates come in. As much as everyone likes to grouse about attorneys, the fact is that the LGBT movement would be stuck in first gear if it wasn’t for legal eagles challenging barriers we face daily. Of course they are most effective when they have political headwinds at their back, which polls have reflected in our favor. The legal and the political work best in conjunction, as each of the following stalwarts know better than anyone.

Here are six (and an unwilling auxiliar) members of the profession who have helped build the freedom & equality that we are beginning to enjoy today.

Freedom to Marry Founder Evan Wolfson

No single individual has done more to see marriage equality become reality than Evan Wolfson. For more than three decades, Wolfson methodically built the case for marriage equality, beginning as a law student, through his tenure at Lambda Legal and then as founder of Freedom to Marry. Wolfson had the foresight to see that marriage was a viable cause at a time when the LGBT community was philosophically divided about its value.  He was more than just a legal strategist, literally redefining the debate rebranding it as marriage “freedom” and away from the less emotionally potent “gay marriage” and “same-sex marriage.” Wolfson has jokingly likened himself to Paul Revere, but he was much more like George Washington, maneuvering the way to victory despite ovrwhelming odds.

 

 

 

 

Who Is The Top Legal Eagle?

JohnGallagher

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/iT5-DprZSYU/who-is-the-top-legal-eagle-could-it-be-one-one-surprising-antigay-ally-you-decide-20151116

John Oliver Rips the Paris Terrorists: ‘F–k These A**holes’

John Oliver opened Last Week Tonight with a few words about the Paris attacks, noting there is still a lot we do not know.

“But there are a few things we can say for certain, and this is when it actually helps to be on HBO where those things can be said without restraint.”

RELATED: First Person: Susie Bright on the Sex-Obsessed Paris ISIS Manifesto

He added:

“First, as of now, we know this attack was carried out by gigantic f–king a**holes, unconscionable flaming a**holes; possibly working with other f–king a**holes, definitely working in service of an ideology of pure a**holery. Second, and this goes almost without saying, f–k these a**holes, f–k them — if I may say — sideways.”

Finally, he laid out the reasons why France will endure over any terrorism.

Watch:

The post John Oliver Rips the Paris Terrorists: ‘F–k These A**holes’ appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

John Oliver Rips the Paris Terrorists: ‘F–k These A**holes’

What Happened After a Trans Justice Group Trained TSA Officers

For me, the 1990s were a decade full of overlapping journeys. It was 1996 when I came out — and remained out — as a trans and queer person. By 1999, I was perfecting my approach to creating inclusive change in government and private institutions, and in 2001, I established my private practice as a licensed psychotherapist.

In the years since, I have successfully advocated for trans-inclusive changes in multiple Nevada laws and regulations, and have made hundreds of educational presentations to increase understanding of sex/gender diversity.

And I have had the somber privilege to bear witness to the stories of thousands of transgender, intersex, and sex/gender-diverse persons who have been victimized by individuals and institutions. Among the countless queer people I have gotten to know through my career, none has escaped interpersonal and institutional violence. The vast majority of these individuals can recount not just one incident but several.

We are reminded daily that violating society’s strictly binary sex/gender norms comes at a heavy cost. Believe me, I could tell story after story of depravity — many of them would be my own personal histories.

Aside from the harrowing tales of intimate partner, familial, and faith-based abuse, we are too frequently harmed by persons in positions of power, who are sworn to protect and serve. As the recent outcry over the Transportation Security Administration’s unacceptable treatment of transgender passengers demonstrates, some of the most harmful abuse is perpetrated by persons in authority. Tragically, we as queer persons so often believe we are powerless to respond — that to resist will only increase the chances that we will be further harmed, and that this subsequent harm will be “justified” by our resistance.

We at Gender Justice Nevada have, over the past 17 years, engaged with more than 20 state and federal agencies, and innumerable private organizations, in an effort to make those environments more inclusive and accepting of trans, intersex and sex/gender-diverse persons. When we first make those invitations to cocreate change, we are often met with excitement and willingness. Individual staffers — often even leaders — working in agencies and businesses frequently express what seems to be an honest desire to make a difference.  

But this initial excitement almost always evaporates, as we dive into the details of what change really looks like. We learned this lesson the hard way when our organization last year hosted a training for TSA agents at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Although TSA agents and supervisors were professional and respectful throughout the training, we have not heard from anyone at the federal agency since we concluded our preliminary seminar in July 2014.

We were offered a friendly greeting by TSA supervisors when we arrived that day. Our training was to be one of several offered to the approximately 15 TSA officers in the class. The dynamics were mostly efficient and businesslike; attendees seemed interested overall and offered respectful acknowledgement. What was lacking was the energy of interaction; few questions were asked and while the hour didn’t drag on, we left feeling that perhaps folks were mostly fulfilling a job requirement. Afterward, we were told that our presentation was successful and that they would be contacting us about future trainings. Well, we heard back only this past summer, over a year after we had shared space. And though we quickly agreed to schedule another training, as of press time, we are still waiting for a reply confirming a training date.

We have faced this dynamic over and over through the years: enthusiasm followed by lack of follow-up. By our estimation, befuddlement over changing pronouns and bathrooms and paperwork leads to a critical lack of understanding, which itself leads to resistance and fear of change in what may be the most powerful structural belief system in Western culture: that of binary sex/gender roles.

Perhaps hoping for swift or meaningful change at a hulking federal agency like the TSA was unrealistic, but we still continue to believe there are good people at the agency who want to honor their commitment to diversity, including sex/gender diversity.  

But they can’t do that by keeping us at arm’s length. And every day the TSA fails to make meaningful progress in its screening procedures for trans, intersex. and sex/gender-nonconforming passengers, our community is being subjected to violence. 

The consequences of this violence and of our responses to it are immediate and cumulative — both for the individuals directly involved and to the communities we represent. Because these violations tend to be persistent yet also unpredictable, many visibly queer people experience symptoms commonly associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. We are hyper-vigilant and experience psychological or physiological reactivity to reminders of the violence.  

As part of our healing, we share our experiences with others who we believe can understand without judgment — which often means engaging with other queer people. Such dialogue is essential to our individual healing, as it is for anyone. But it has another, no less significant impact: We are teaching each other that authority figures are not to be trusted. Not at any time, not for any thing.

This cycle of abuse must stop, and responsibility for stopping it rests primarily in the hands of those who are in positions of power and privilege. It is not enough simply to make some token efforts to change when pressured by visible stories of violence. Our queer communities have gifts to share. We are here. We are willing to help. We are seeking reliable and honest partners.

JANE HEENAN, MS, MFT, is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, and serves as the director of Gender Justice Nevada, and the clinical director of the Queer Anti-Violence Project. They identify as trans* and queer, and prefer the personal pronouns they/them/their. Photo via Twitter.
Jane Heenan

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/11/16/what-happened-after-trans-justice-group-trained-tsa-officers

Watch: New Barbie advert first to feature boy

The new advert for Moschino Barbie is the cutest thing you’ll watch today – and the first to feature a boy.

In the 30-second clip, a young boy with a blond mohawk – which resembles that of Moschino Creative Director Jeremy Scott, plays with the Mattel doll with two female friends.

‘Moschino Barbie is so fierce!’ he says.

The video showcases the eight-piece collection Scott designed for the iconic toy, which includes leather shoes and bags and gold accessories.

Her phone then rings.

‘It’s for you, Moschino Barbie,’ the boy says before winking to the camera.

The limited-edition doll retailed on Net-a-porter.com for $150 and all 700 sold out in less than a day when it was launched last week.

MOSCHINO BARBIE SOLD OUT IN LESS THAN AN HOUR ! WOW ! BARBIE AND I THANK U FOR ALL THE LOVE ! ” class=”wp-smiley” style=”height: 1em; max-height: 1em;” />” class=”wp-smiley” style=”height: 1em; max-height: 1em;” />” class=”wp-smiley” style=”height: 1em; max-height: 1em;” />” class=”wp-smiley” style=”height: 1em; max-height: 1em;” />” class=”wp-smiley” style=”height: 1em; max-height: 1em;” />” class=”wp-smiley” style=”height: 1em; max-height: 1em;” /> #MOSCHINOBARBIE

A photo posted by Jeremy Scott (@itsjeremyscott) on Nov 9, 2015 at 12:10pm PST

The commercial won high praise on YouTube.

‘First BOY in Barbie commercial YES, YES and YES!!! 21st century – FINALLY! And he is so cute! LOVE this commercial,’ wrote one commenter.

‘This almost made me cry! I used to play with my sister’s Barbies and felt such shame afterward. I’m so glad we can just let kids be kids. Thank you for this! Boys like dolls too!’ said drag queen Pandora Boxxx.

In August, US retailer Target removed gender signage from its toy sections.

The post Watch: New Barbie advert first to feature boy appeared first on Gay Star News.

Darren Wee

www.gaystarnews.com/article/watch-new-barbie-advert-first-to-feature-boy/

6 Explicit Miley Cyrus CANDY Covers That Are 'Transversal'

Neal Broverman

www.advocate.com/music/2015/11/16/6-explicit-miley-cyrus-candy-covers-are-transversal