Most Awesome Mom Ever Creates Tinder Profiles For Her Gay Sons

YouTubers The Monastero Twins are lucky enough to have a mom that takes PFLAG to a new level – she even created their Tinder profiles for them!

While we wouldn’t personally want our mother to have anything to do with our online profiles, the twins decided to give it a shot, and created a cute and funny video that brings a new meaning to “ally.”

Related: Watch Your New Favorite Gay Twins Come Out To Each Other

Take a look below, and refrain from asking your own mom to help you with your online profiles – something tells us it may not work out quite so well for you.

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Shawn Mendes Will ‘Treat You Better’ (and Takes His Shirt Off to Prove It) – WATCH

Shawn Mendes has dropped a new music video for his track “Treat You Better”, and in it, the singer shows some skin.

“Treat You Better” follows Mendes as he pines for the girl next door (literally) who is caught up in a toxic and physically abusive relationship with another guy.

Mendes goes shirtless in an emo (but beautifully shot) scene where he confronts his own reflection in the mirror and ponders what is going on the other side of the wall he shares with the objection of his desire.

Mendes, 17, recently attempted to dispel rumors that he is gay, saying,

Now I’m not frustrated because people were saying that I was gay at all, I have no problem with that cause it wouldn’t make a difference to me. I’m frustrated because in this day and age people have the audacity to…write online that I’m gay as if it were a bad thing.That’s all I really have to say about that.

PREVIOUSLY: Canadian Singer-Songwriter Shawn Mendes: ‘I’m Not Gay’

Watch Mendes’s new music video, below.

The post Shawn Mendes Will ‘Treat You Better’ (and Takes His Shirt Off to Prove It) – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Donald Trump Blasts RBG: She Should Step Down from SCOTUS ASAP

Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for characterizing a possible Trump presidency as an unthinkable and negative prospect for the county.

Ginsburg made those comments in a Sunday interview with The New York Times. During that interview, she also jokingly hinted that a Trump presidency would be so bad as to merit a move to New Zealand. Via NYT:

“I can’t imagine what this place would be — I can’t imagine what the country would be — with Donald Trump as our president,” she said. “For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be — I don’t even want to contemplate that.”

It reminded her of something her husband, Martin D. Ginsburg, a prominent tax lawyer who died in 2010, would have said.

“‘Now it’s time for us to move to New Zealand,’” Justice Ginsburg said, smiling ruefully.

Trump responded to those comments by suggesting Ginsburg acting in a “highly inappropriate” fashion and that he hopes she will step down from the bench “as soon as possible”:

“I think it’s highly inappropriate that a United States Supreme Court judge gets involved in a political campaign, frankly,” Mr. Trump said. “I think it’s a disgrace to the court and I think she should apologize to the court. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it.”

He continued: “That she should be saying that? It’s so beneath the court for her to be making statements like that. It only energizes my base even more. And I would hope that she would get off the court as soon as possible.”

Donald Trump labeling out anyone else’s actions other than his own as inappropriate is the latest absurdity we are forced to endure this election cycle.

The post Donald Trump Blasts RBG: She Should Step Down from SCOTUS ASAP appeared first on Towleroad.

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Congressman Cummings Destroys Arguments For License-To-Discriminate Bill In Three Minutes Flat

One month after the mass shootings in Orlando, Congressional Republicans held a hearing on how to allow more anti-LGBT discrimination.

The post Congressman Cummings Destroys Arguments For License-To-Discriminate Bill In Three Minutes Flat appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/07/12/3797610/elijiah-cummings-destroys-first-amendment-defense-act/

Say it Ain’t Pence: Is Trump About to Double Down on his Anti-LGBTQ Agenda?

With speculation growing that Donald Trump might actually choose notoriously anti-LGBTQ Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate, HRC today released a memo revisiting Governor Pence’s disastrous record.

Governor Pence became a national disgrace in 2015, for his “license to discriminate” bill that would have allowed businesses to deny service to LGBTQ people — and subsequently defending the bill over an outcry from the business community and a majority of Hoosier voters. In a now notorious interview with ABC last year, Pence refused to answer eight separate times when asked whether businesses should be able to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

Pence’s discriminatory bill had enormous consequences for the business and economic health of Indiana after a flood of companies spoke out against his bill. Indianapolis’s nonprofit tourism agency estimated that in their city alone, Pence’s anti-LGBTQ bill cost up to 12 conventions and $60 million in lost revenue. Polling conducted by HRC after the 2015 fight found that 75 percent of Hoosiers said the debate was bad for the state’s economy and 70 percent of those surveyed said they opposed to the law.

Voters in Indiana continue to have strongly negative feelings toward Pence. In a recent poll, only 36 percent said that Pence deserved re-election, and they gave their governor a net negative job disapproval rating. Only 40 percent approved of his job performance and 42 percent disapproved.

Pence also opposes marriage equality and Department of Education guidelines supporting transgender students. When serving in Congress, he voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, calling it a “radical social agenda.”  

“As Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence has given us all a preview of his vision for America — a future where LGBTQ people everywhere are put at risk for discrimination because of who they are or whom they love,” said HRC Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof. “It’s alarming that Donald Trump is considering putting an atrociously anti-LGBTQ Governor like Mike Pence just a heartbeat away from the Presidency. If Trump’s own despicable anti-LGBTQ record wasn’t enough, this reality is a vivid reminder of what disaster a Trump-Pence administration would spell for LGBTQ Americans and our allies.”

Despite Governor Pence’s disastrous record, speculation has grown about his potential selection as Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential pick. Trump — whose own disgraceful record of opposing marriage equality and threatening to revoke, repeal, or block LGBTQ equality at nearly every turn aligns closely with Gov. Pence’s worldview — will campaign alongside him this evening in Indiana.

Below is a snapshot of how Donald Trump and Indiana Governor Mike Pence stack up on LGBTQ issues.

In recent weeks, Donald Trump has reaffirmed his opposition to transgender equality, appeared alongside Tony Perkins — leader of SPLC-designated hate group the Family Research Council — and delusionally bragged about fictional support from the LGBTQ community in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. His false claims about his own support are belied by his own long record of opposing LGBTQ equality.

As Donald Trump prepares to campaign alongside Governor Pence in Indiana tonight — and potentially name Pence his running mate — here’s a snapshot of where the two align on the issues.

On Marriage Equality

• Trump: Vowed to roll back nationwide marriage equality by appointing justices to the Supreme Court who would reverse nationwide marriage equality. 
• Pence: Pence opposed the Supreme Court’s nationwide marriage equality ruling, saying, “Like many Hoosiers, I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman…” Prior to that, he supported the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and after section 3 of DOMA, which barred legally married same-sex couple from having their marriages recognized by the federal government, was ruled unconstitutional, he urged amending the state of Indiana’s constitution to outlaw marriage equality.

On Non-Discrimination Protections

• Trump: Trump has committed to signing the so-called “First Amendment Defense Act,” a bill to enable taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBTQ people in the federal government. Trump said at the Iowa Faith and Family Coalition, his priority as President would be to “preserve and protect our religious liberty.”
• Pence: While in Congress, Pence voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. He opposed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” by saying it would turn the military into “a backdrop for social experimentation.” He voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, calling it a “radical social agenda.” As governor, his “right to discriminate” bill could have allowed businesses to discriminate and deny service to LGBTQ people because of who they are or whom they love.

On Transgender Equality

• Trump: When asked about laws like North Carolina’s deeply discriminatory HB2, Trump said he supported the law, saying, “I’m going with the state. The state, they know what’s going on, they see what’s happening and generally speaking I’m with the state on things like this. I’ve spoken with your governor, I’ve spoken with a lot of people and I’m going with the state.” Trump previously told Sean Hannity that when it comes to laws like North Carolina’s HB2, Trump said he would “leave it up to the states.”
• Pence: Opposed guidance from the Department of Education that clarifies that transgender students have a right under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to access restrooms consistent with their gender identity, saying, “The federal government has no business getting involved in issues of this nature.”

www.hrc.org/blog/say-it-aint-pence-is-trump-about-to-double-down-on-his-anti-lgbtq-agenda?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Man Allegedly Strangles Boyfriend to Death at L.A. Sober Living Home

A man has been arrested on suspicion of strangling and killing his boyfriend in a sober living home in Echo Park, a neighborhood in central Los Angeles.

Nicholas James Bowling, aka Nick Bowling, 28, is being held on $2 million bail in connection with the murder of his on-again-off-again boyfriend, 48-year-old Frank Rogers.

Bowling, who lost both legs in 2012 after he crashed an LAPD car he had stolen into a light pole, a parked car and a Starbucks on South La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, is being held at the Los Angeles’ Inmate Reception Center and a hearing is set for Tuesday.

Frank Rogers/Facebook

A friend of the victim told KTLA 5 News that Rogers was a “loving, gentle and kind soul” who will be “missed by the entire community.”  LAPD’s Northeast division are still investigating the case, but “from a distance, it’s death by way of a domestic dispute.”

The Pride Los Angeles reported that “an enraged Bowling is said to have overpowered Rogers and locked him into what police describe as a ‘choke-hold’ that he held until Rogers was lifeless.” Bowling had “struggled for several years with substance abuse,” and Rogers, a “highly regarded member of Los Angeles’ recovery community,” was known to be a “generous mentor and supporter of Bowling.”

Bowling is no stranger to the generosity of friends.

After he stole and crashed the LAPD car which resulted in the loss of his legs, friends rallied in support of his recovery. A GoFundMe page was set up in his name to help with his “mounting medical expenses and extensive physical rehabilitation”  and “blew right past” its initial goal of $5,000, according to organizer Ehren Bragg.

Friends also organized A Sunday Funday Event to Support Nick Bowling, a benefit at the now-defunct Eleven Nightclub in West Hollywood which raised over $9,000. The club donated 20 percent of food sales towards the benefit.

Watch the full report from KTLA 5 News:

Photo credit: Nick Bowling Fund/GoFundMe 

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#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: July 12, 2016

SHAME: ON ANNIVERSARY OF ORLANDO TRAGEDY, HOUSE REPUBLICANS HELD HEARING ON ANTI-LGBTQ BILL: Today, on the one-month anniversary of the horrific attack in  Orlando, House Republican leaders held a committee hearing on a deeply discriminatory anti-LGBTQ bill. The so-called “First Amendment Defense Act” (FADA) — endorsed by Donald Trump — would sanction unprecedented taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBTQ people. “Members of Congress should hang their heads in shame for attempting to advance this reckless and irresponsible bill that embraces taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBTQ people,” said HRC Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof.

• The White House didn’t mince words when slamming the hearing. Spokesperson Jeff Tiller told The Washington Blade that the hearing is “disturbing” and he reaffirmed President Obama’s commitment to “promoting and defending the equal rights of all Americans, including the rights of LGBT Americans.”

#BENCHHB2: AS NBA NEARS DECISION ON ALL-STAR GAME, LEADERS URGE THEM TO STAND STRONG: Tech industry leaders in a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver are urging the league to move its 2017 All Star Game out of Charlotte unless North Carolina legislators repeal the discriminatory HB2 law “in very short order,” the Associated Press is reporting. The letter, signed by leaders including those from SV Angel, Google, Reddit, Paypal, Lyft, and Pinterest, asserts that, “If the NBA holds events in North Carolina while HB2 remains law, players, employees, and fans will be at risk of discrimination — and that’s wrong.” Silver is huddling this week in Las Vegas with team owners, and is holding a press conference tonight at 8 p.m. EDT. Speculation is he may announce a decision on the game’s location, which the NBA had said would come sometime this summer. Silver has warned repeatedly that the NBA would move the high-profile game if lawmakers fail to roll back HB2’s vile anti-LGBTQ provisions. Read more here.

RNC CONSIDERS ANTI-LGBTQ PROVISIONS FOR PARTY PLATFORM: Yesterday, the Republican Party’s policy subcommittee proposed a slew of anti-LGBTQ provisions for the GOP platform, including: supporting anti-transgender discrimination, calling for a Constitutional amendment undermining marriage equality, and embracing the discredited practice of “conversion therapy.” The proposals to undermine marriage equality and attack transgender people align with anti-LGBTQ stances taken by the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump. HRC urged the RNC and Trump campaign to strike the anti-LGBTQ provisions, and called on sponsors and convention affiliates to make clear their opposition to the proposals. More from HRC.

• HRC’s Senior Vice President JoDee Winterhof on the platform:“The Republican Party’s message is clear: Their proposed platform says LGBTQ people are second-class citizens, and that we are not equal or worthy of basic fairness or dignity. This is a shameful and repugnant message for the Republican Party to send, particularly as the nation prepares to mark the one month anniversary of the tragedy in Orlando.”
• “With friends like these”: Salon breaks down the Trumpster’s VP picks and allies, and says a Trump presidency could be worse for LGBTQ people than Reagan’s.
• Despite Republicans’ overwhelming support (64 percent) for the Equality Act, which would provide federal non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people nationwide, it’s not mentioned in the party platform. Shocker!

MISS. GOV. BRYANT STILL TRYING TO FORCE IMPLEMENTATION OF H.B. 1523: Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant has asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to stay a federal judge’s ruling blocking the implementation of the state’s discriminatory H.B. 1523. For this latest discriminatory move, Bryant enlisted notorious anti-LGBTQ legal group, the Alliance Defending Freedom, along with the  general counsel for the office of the governor and a smaller Missouri-based law firm. This follows Bryant’s unsuccessful bid to have U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves reconsider his block on the implementation of the law.

WILL AUSTRALIAN MPs FINALLY GET A VOTE?: Australia’s recent federal election has raised concerns about the country’s path to marriage equality. With a strong majority of Members of Parliament favoring marriage rights for same-sex couples, advocates are hoping Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s will finally allow members to simply vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the issue. Turnbull has been promising a nationwide vote on marriage, which LGBTQ advocates have argued is expensive, contentious and non-binding. More from HRC.

• Australian officials announced on Monday that AIDS is “not a public health issue in the country anymore,” with so few people dying from AIDS that it’s become insignificant to report. This success comes from medical advances and public awareness campaigns. More from Mic.

ANTI-LGBTQ VIOLENCE ESCALATING IN BRAZIL: Leading up to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic Games, HRC Global’s Saurav Jung Thapa takes a look at the troubling escalation of brutal anti-LGBTQ violence in the South American country. Read the full op-ed at The Advocate.

ICYMI, STIRRING READ: Imagine being told that you cannot take your child home with you from the hospital on the day they were born because of your sexual orientation. That is what one couple was forced to endure because of a lone judge’s hateful interpretation of the law. Read the full heartbreaking story at Independent Journal Review.

READING RAINBOW

The Associated Press reports that a LGBTQ-supportive pastor has been detained in Russia and ordered to leave the country; Pink News chronicles potential British Prime Minister Theresa May’s evolution on LGBTQ equality; Independent.ie breaks down a new Irish report that says half of LGBTQ survivors of sexual assault wait more than ten years to report the crime; Bustle asks for your support in helping the oldest LGBTQ bookstore in the world to stay in business; LGBTQ Nation shares that France is ending it’s ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood — if they abstain from same-sex intercourse for a year; The Washington Blade talks to LGBTQ Puetro Ricans who continue to honor the victimes of the Orlando tragedy; and Local 4 Detroit examines a new Detroit Police Department team dedicated to investigating LGBTQ hate crimes.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

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