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Finally: Bernie Sanders Endorses Hillary Clinton (Video)
“Hillary Clinton will defend the rights of the LGBT community, workers rights, the needs of minorities and immigrants, and protect our environment.”
www.advocate.com/election/2016/7/12/finally-bernie-sanders-endorses-hillary-clinton-video
Watch LIVE: Bernie Sanders Expected to Endorse Hillary Clinton at NH Rally
Bernie Sanders is expected to endorse Hillary Clinton at a Portsmouth, NH Rally at Portsmouth High School.
Alternate stream:
The post Watch LIVE: Bernie Sanders Expected to Endorse Hillary Clinton at NH Rally appeared first on Towleroad.
Watch LIVE NOW: House Panel Holds Hearing on Vilest Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill of Our Time
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform is holding hearings today, on the one-month anniversary of the Orlando shooting, on the First Amendment Defense Act, a vile, anti- LGBT religious freedom bill.
The bill was introduced by the two bigots pictured above, Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), left, and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
The Human Rights Campaign explained the measure:
The legislation would prohibit any adverse action by the federal government against an individual or organization for discriminatory actions against legally married same-sex couples as long as they claim they are acting in accordance with their religious beliefs. “Adverse action” is broadly defined to include the denial or revocation of a federal tax status or deduction; denial of a federal grant, contract, loan, benefit or employment; or any other act of discrimination. The bill provides individuals and organizations the right to sue the federal government for monetary damages in federal court.
If passed, this legislation would create a breakdown of government services and runaway litigation. It would permit a federal employee, for example, to refuse to process tax returns, visa applications or Social Security checks whenever a same-sex couple’s paperwork appears on his or her desk. This legislation would also permit recipients of federal grants and contracts, including those for social services programs like homeless shelters and substance abuse treatment programs, to turn away LGBT people. It allows any of these individuals or groups, or anyone else who believes they have been somehow required by the federal government to approve of married same-sex couples, to file a lawsuit and potentially receive damages from taxpayer money.
Yesterday, The New York Times editorial board attacked the bill, warning that it would “it would deliberately warp the bedrock principle of religious freedom under the Constitution.”
They add:
As critics of the bill quickly pointed out, the measure’s broad language — which also protects those who believe that “sexual relations are properly reserved to” heterosexual marriages alone — would permit discrimination against anyone who has sexual relations outside such a marriage. That would appear to include women who have children outside of marriage, a class generally protected by federal law.
This bizarre fixation on what grown-ups do in their bedrooms — which has long since been rejected by the Supreme Court and the vast majority of Americans — is bad enough. The bill makes matters worse by covering for-profit companies, which greatly multiplies the potential scope of discrimination against gays and lesbians.
The White House called the decision to hold the hearing today “disturbing”:
Jeff Tiller, a White House spokesperson, made the remarks in response to an email request from the Washington Blade to comment on the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform’s controversial hearing on the First Amendment Defense Act.
“We strongly oppose attempts to roll back non-discrimination protections for LGBT Americans,” Tiller said. “It’s disturbing that congressional Republicans plan to hold a hearing tomorrow on discriminatory, anti-LGBT legislation. President Obama remains firmly committed to promoting and defending the equal rights of all Americans, including the rights of LGBT Americans.”
The post Watch LIVE NOW: House Panel Holds Hearing on Vilest Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill of Our Time appeared first on Towleroad.
PHOTOS: Underneath It All, Color As Light As A Feather
When it comes to underwear, seasonal colors end up being worn year-round. But wear them during the appropriate season, and that stylish pair is super-charged to look better than ever. This week’s style guide is a testament to various shades of light blue underwear. From teals and robin’s egg, undies that are bright and light as a feather for spring and summer.
Model and dancer Benji Poirier poses in light blue shades of underwear available within our Curated Underwear Club. With his skill in ballet, he was also light as a feather in the studio, posing with ease and grace.
For more information, visit The Underwear Expert.
Photo Credit: Jerrad Matthew
feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/Gu9ASzb3uOk/photos-underneath-color-light-feather-20160712
Dolly Parton Wrote a Dance Track Called ‘I’m a Wee Bit Gay’ and She Promises to Release It
Dolly Parton spoke to the Guardian while on her first North American tour in 25 years ahead of her release of a new album called Pure and Simple.
Guardian reporter Mark Guarino asked Parton about the long-rumored dance album geared toward the LGBT community that she has spoken about, and she had this to say:
Every time I start to work on that, something else comes up, like this big tour. I’ll have to put that dance album on the shelf again. But one day I promise you I will get that out. One of the songs is I’m a Wee Bit Gay. It’s a fun, tongue-in-cheek type of song. I promise I’ll get it out.
She said this when asked about her LGBT following:
Well, I don’t really know why for sure. I’m just happy it is. I’ve often said people don’t come to see me to see me, they come to see me to see them.
I’ve been around so long, so a lot of people grew up with me. I feel more like a family member or an aunt or an older sister or a friend. They know I’m a little different myself. I’ve fought for the right to be myself, so that is one of the reasons that the gays and lesbians relate to me. They know that I appreciate everybody for who they are. We are who we are, so why can’t we be allowed to be that? I ain’t out to preach no sermons, I’m just out to do my work, sing my songs and write them, and love people and share them.
Parton also said she might run for president:
I have not endorsed Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Someone asked me, “Would I think about a woman being president?” I was saying that I think a woman would be great, I’m sure Hillary would be fine. I have not endorsed either candidate. I was only saying I might run myself because I have the hair for it, it’s huge. And I think we could use more boobs in the race. I do not get involved in political things. I have not decided who I am voting for.
Read the full interview HERE.
The post Dolly Parton Wrote a Dance Track Called ‘I’m a Wee Bit Gay’ and She Promises to Release It appeared first on Towleroad.
Korean ‘Star Trek Beyond’ Ad Believed to Reveal Hikaru Sulu’s Husband, Daughter: WATCH
A Korean trailer for the new Star Trek Beyond film reveals a man wearing a wedding ring believed to be Hikaru Sulu’s husband, holding their daughter as they flee the swarm outside of Starbase Yorktown.
The glimpse is the first we’ve had of Sulu’s family, Trek Core reports, outside of a desk photo of Sulu’s daughter. The man is played by Beyond writer Doug Jung.
Watch the trailer:
Declaring Mr. Sulu to be gay has created controversy within the Star Trek universe.
After news emerged last week of the character’s development in that direction, George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in the original series,called it a “really unfortunate” turn of events.
Takei told The Hollywood Reporter that he had tried to convince Pegg and director Justin Lin that it was a bad idea.
“I told him, ‘Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted,” said Takei.
Takei’s statements caused immediate reaction from screenwriter Simon Pegg, who also plays Scotty, who said he “respectfully disagreed” with Takei, and Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock, who said he was “disappointed” by Takei’s reaction.
Pegg expressed sympathy with Takei’s sentiment that mainstream gay heroes were belatedly coming to the big screen, but rejected the idea that this meant a new character needed creating.
“He’s right, it is unfortunate, it’s unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science fiction hasn’t featured an LGBT character until now. We could have introduced a new gay character, but he or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the ‘gay character’, rather than simply for who they are, and isn’t that tokenism?”
Pegg continued: “Justin Lin, Doug Jung and I loved the idea of it being someone we already knew because the audience have a pre-existing opinion of that character as a human being, unaffected by any prejudice. Their sexual orientation is just one of many personal aspects, not the defining characteristic. Also, the audience would infer that there has been an LGBT presence in the Trek Universe from the beginning (at least in the Kelvin timeline), that a gay hero isn’t something new or strange. It’s also important to note that at no point do we suggest that our Sulu was ever closeted, why would he need to be? It’s just hasn’t come up before.”
Added Pegg: “The viewing audience weren’t open minded enough at the time and it must have forced Roddenberry to modulate his innovation. His mantra was always ‘infinite diversity in infinite combinations’. If he could have explored Sulu’s sexuality with George, he no doubt would have. Roddenberry was a visionary and a pioneer but we choose our battles carefully.”
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Javier Muñoz, Broadway’s New Hamilton, is Openly Gay, HIV+ and a Cancer Survivor
Until this week, Javier Muñoz has been Lin-Manuel Miranda’s alternate for the role of Alexander Hamilton in Broadway’s insanely successful show. He’s also played the lead role every Sunday matinée, a performance The New York Times described as the “sexy Hamilton.”
New York Magazine and tech rehearsal.@Lin_Manuel @HamiltonMusical pic.twitter.com/OhaMzwJUAI
— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) July 9, 2016
He put a “different spin on the title role,” the Times critic pointed out, with his “penetrating stare and a Don Juan smile,” adding that Muñoz was a “natural” when “courting the ladies” on stage — which pretty much certifies him as an outstanding actor, since he is openly gay and proud.
Munõz is also HIV positive and a cancer survivor, but today he feels “healthy and well,” he says. “And I’m grateful for that.”
In an interview with The New York Times Sunday, he talked about his real-life role as an HIV advocate: “I have been living with H.I.V. since 2002, and I’m undetectable. I’m healthy, I’m strong and I’m very out about that because of the stigma still attached to it.”
When he was diagnosed with cancer, however, Muñoz felt differently and didn’t want to tell anybody from the show. (He told the New York Post that after he was diagnosed in October, he “spent about six weeks not wanting to think about it, face, it, deal with it.”)
“I was filling myself with disappointment, as if you can blame yourself for cancer,” he continued in the Times interview. “But that’s a thing, you know. I had to reveal it, and then I had to own that I needed help, and I had to ask for help, and that was the hardest thing in the world.”
He ended up missing a few weeks of performances as he underwent surgery, radiation and physical therapy, but he’s been back for months. “I had my first follow-up in March, and all green lights,” he said. “I’m good.”
Final tweet tonight honoring @Lin_Manuel
Us tonight celebrating.
I. Love. My. Friend.#grateful @HamiltonMusical pic.twitter.com/ZzqGJzDoQA— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) July 10, 2016
Born to Puerto Rican parents, the 40-year-old actor grew up in a housing project in East New York, Brooklyn and saw the power of theatre as a tool for social change.
“I just fell in love with the idea that theater can be a mirror, theater can be a commentary, theater can be powerful and can start a conversation that needs to happen. I started working for a children’s literacy organization that used theater to teach literacy in after-school programs, and that was another powerful thing — suddenly the kid who really had trouble reading in class, or was embarrassed to speak out loud because of their accent, was inhabiting a character, using their imagination, reading and writing. That blew my mind.”
After battling cancer, dealing with HIV and almost giving up acting, Javier Muñoz now gets ready to step into one of Broadway’s biggest roles.
Just a few hours before he starts as the official new Hamilton in town, he took it to Twitter:
First to the haters & Twitter trolls; you know the saying: if you are not part of the solution… Try love; its vital & our strongest power.
— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) July 11, 2016
Secondly; to the fans & followers who’ve been here the whole journey; THANK YOU! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) July 11, 2016
Lastly; today is exciting for me but there are far more important matters happening in our world. Today & every day: #LiftEachOtherUp
— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) July 11, 2016
You can read the full interview here.
Photo credit: Javier Muñoz/Twitter
The post Javier Muñoz, Broadway’s New Hamilton, is Openly Gay, HIV+ and a Cancer Survivor appeared first on Towleroad.
SHAME: On Anniversary of Orlando Tragedy, House Republicans Hold Hearing Anti-LGBTQ Bill
HRC denounced House Republican leaders for holding a hearing on a deeply discriminatory anti-LGBTQ bill on the one-month anniversary of the horrific attack in Orlando. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is holding a hearing on the so-called “First Amendment Defense Act” (FADA) — radical legislation backed by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump that 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. “On any given day, this hearing would be wrong but it is especially deplorable to be considering this legislation on a day that marks just one month since our nation’s deadliest mass shooting left 49 families and friends of LGBTQ people and allies in mourning. Meanwhile, these same House leaders refuse to hold hearings on the Equality Act, which would provide comprehensive non-discrimination protections to protect LGBTQ people, or on addressing common-sense gun violence prevention measures.”
FADA is tantamount to state-sanctioned discrimination. On its face, this legislation purports to prohibit discrimination by the federal government based on individual beliefs about marriage between loving, same-sex couples. In reality, it would allow individuals, many businesses, and nonprofit organizations — even nonprofit organizations and businesses contracting with the federal government — to circumvent critical federal protections designed to protect LGBTQ families from harmful discrimination.
The U.S. Supreme Court decisions in U.S. v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges, guarantee that same-sex married couples have access to all federal spousal benefits regardless of where they live. FADA would allow individual businesses to run roughshod over the civil rights of these couples, denying them the spousal benefits they are entitled to under the law. It would allow individuals and businesses receiving taxpayer dollars to use the guise of “personal beliefs” to ignore the few federal policies that protect LGBTQ people.
Trump wrote in December, “If Congress considers the First Amendment Defense Act a priority, then I will do all I can to make sure it comes to my desk for signatures and enactment.”
Winterhof continued, “This hearing on FADA is not an exercise. It’s a frightening preview of how LGBTQ people would be targeted for discrimination in our federal government if Donald Trump is elected.”
HRC previously joined more than 50 national organizations and 20 local and state organizations in a letter to Chairman Jason Chaffetz urging him to cancel the hearing.
Among FADA’s many harms, it could even allow any privately-owned business to refuse to allow an employee take time off to care for their same-sex spouse, in violation of family and medical leave laws — and particularly appalling given the many families currently caring for those injured in the Orlando shooting.
A similar anti-LGBTQ measure that was signed into law in Mississippi was blocked last month by a federal judge who ruled it was a violation of both the Establishment Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
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