Australia’s Only LGBT Radio Station Evacuated After Bomb Threat Amid National Gay Marriage Debate
JOY 94.9, Australia’s only LGBT radio station, located in Melbourne, was evacuated on Tuesday night after a bomb threat was emailed to station directors, News.com.au reports:
The station managed to remain on air while the building in Melbourne was cleared by Victoria Police about 7pm (AEST). At the time about 30 staff and volunteers were on site. In total, the station enjoys the support of more than 300 volunteers. Earlier today it released a defiant press release stating that it would not be silenced.
“JOY will continue to remain open, producing radio, and welcoming volunteers who are passionate about our purpose and values,” it said.
The station’s chief executive officer Tennille Moisel said there did not seem to be a link between the bomb threat and the program airing at the time, which was about gender fluidity.
“It was more of a general threat, definitely towards the community,” she said on-air tonight.
Turnbull said he would negotiate with senators, not in advance through the media. “We will sit down and talk and seek to do the best deal for the government, and the people, and the nation, and the parliament, with the people who have the say in the Senate.”
Gay Man Says Police Officer Called Him a ‘Dirty Bastard’ Before Setting Attack Dog on Him
A gayman has accused a police officer of calling him a “dirty bastard” and allowing a dog to brutally attack him.
The 55-year-old man, who doesn’t want to be named, said he was set upon as he and a friend walked through a graveyard near Manchester, UK.
He alleges the officer then spotted his friend and presumed they were “up to no good” before allowing the dog to carry on attacking him for three minutes, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“All I can remember is this dog running towards me. At first I thought it was a pit bull but as it bit into my leg I realised it was a German Shepherd type. An officer appeared and he had a torch or a camera with a light that he was shining on the dog. That’s how I could see its teeth ripping into my leg. The handler pulled the dog off and when he saw my friend he thought we were up to no good. He said ‘You dirty bastard’. He set the dog onto me again. He didn’t do anything to stop. It was like he was taking pleasure in seeing me attacked. I’d say the attack lasted for about three minutes, which trust me, is a long time when you’re being bitten by a dog. I keep having flashbacks. I’ll never be able to go near a police dog again.”
“I’m furious about the entire situation. Being attacked by a police dog is one thing. But being called a dirty bastard and having a dog set on you because you’re gay is another. That dog should not be being used by police and the dog handler should be suspended.”
A police spokesman said he could not comment as the case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
GOVERNOR MCCRORY HAS SOME NERVE… writes The New York Times’ editorial board this morning. The board called out Governor McCrory for his lies and cheap trick “resets” and encouraged him to come to his senses, admit blame and repeal the disastrous law. The piece also called out the true intention of HB2, “to harm and humiliate LGBT citizens,” and the true motives behind McCrory’s desperate ploy — he is failing in the polls for his re-election bid.
GOV MCCRORY DOES WHAT HE DOES BEST — PLAYING THE BLAME GAME: Yesterday, North Carolina Pat McCrory made boldly false remarks at a Rotary Club meeting in Charlotte — lying to his constituents and once again placing the blame for his disastrous anti-transgender law on just about anybody but the person who signed the law in the dead of night (himself). He attacked HRC publicly and has continued to falsely characterize a meeting earlier this year with HRC President Chad Griffin, Equality North Carolina Executive Director Chris Sgro and community advocate Candis Cox. McCrory — who refused to allow cameras into the meeting earlier this year with Griffin, Sgro and Cox — has made ever-evolving statements about what occurred at this meeting over the last six months. But, speaking to the Rotary Club in Charlotte, N.C., today, Governor McCrory offered an entirely fictional account of the meeting and HRC President Chad Griffin’s remarks. More from the Charlotte Observer and HRC.
Roy Cooper calls out McCrory on his rotten deal: At an event yesterday, Cooper said that McCrory has blamed him, “the president, the city of Charlotte, the liberal media and Bruce Springsteen” for the discriminatory law that the North Carolina General Assembly passed and that Governor McCrory signed. More from The Charlotte Observer.
North Carolinians aren’t buying McCrory’s snake oil: A new poll from Elon University shows that a majority of people believe North Carolina’s reputation is worse off since HB2 passed.
LGBTQ RIGHTS ARE AN ASSET — NOT A LIABILITY — IN THIS ELECTION: The landscape for LGBTQ rights in changing — and anti-equality villains can no longer hide behind their discriminatory views, so writes Susan Milligan (@MilliganSusan) for U.S. News & World Report. In the presidential race as well as state races like North Carolina’s gubernatorial race, candidates are getting slammed in the polls when their platforms include pulling the carpet out from under the feet of LGBTQ rights. Jay Brown, HRC Communications Director (@JayBrownHRC) told Milligan, “Unlike in any other presidential election, it’s a liability to be anti-gay.” And this makes sense — turnout among LGBTQ voters is reliably high. Based on exit polling in the 2012 presidential election, 81 percent of eligible LGB voters nationally cast a ballot, compared to just 58 percent of all eligible voters. In total, roughly 6 million LGB voters cast a ballot in 2012 — an election President Obama won by just under 5 million votes. In key swing states like North Carolina, Florida, Nevada and Ohio, the number of LGBTQ adults is greater than the average margin of victory in the last three presidential elections. More from U.S. News & World Report.
This point in action: Republican South Dakota Governor Daugaard, who vetoed a dangerous anti-transgender law earlier this year, tops a national poll for highest approval rating among U.S. governors.
OUT OF THE SHADOWS: DADT’S REPEAL FIVE YEARS LATER: Between 2009 and 2011, American artist Jeff Sheng photographed about 80 LGBT service members in the U.S. military who could not show their faces due to DADT. His photographic work is a powerful statement of the pain inflicted on servicemembers and military families because of this archaic policy. In 2014, Jeff began revisiting many of these service members to follow up about their experiences since DADT’s repeal, and to photograph them now with their faces showing. Yesterday, HRC worked with Jeff on a sneak peak of his work in our Instagram series, “Out of the Shadows: DADT’s Repeal 5 Years Later.”
2/5 – �� cred: @jeffsheng . #OutOfTheShadows: DADT’s Repeal Five Years Later . Today marks the five year anniversary of the full implementation of the repeal of “#DontAskDontTell.” Repeal of the law closed a dark and discriminatory chapter of American history that required gay, lesbian, and bisexual servicemembers to be dishonest about who they are in order to serve the country they love. . Between 2009 and 2011, American artist, Jeff Sheng photographed about 80 LGBT service members in the US military who could not show their faces as out and proud individuals due to #DADT. His photographic work is a powerful statement of the pain inflicted on servicemembers and military families because of this discriminatory policy. . In 2014, Jeff began revisiting many of these servicemembers to follow up about their experiences since DADT’s repeal, and to photograph them now with their faces showing. On today’s anniversary HRC has worked with Jeff on a sneak peak of his work in our Instagram series, “Out of the Shadows: DADT’s Repeal 5 Years Later.” . “While the work in still in progress, I wanted to share some of these images now on the 5-year anniversary of the repeal of DADT, to visually show the kind of progress we have made as a society. It’s unimaginable now to think that just over 5 years ago, these brave service members were not allowed to to show who they are, but today can be recognized fully and celebrated as the heroes that they truly are.” – Jeff Sheng . DADT’s repeal five years ago marked a new chapter in American history. It meant that gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans eager to serve, but unwilling to compromise who they are as individuals, could now do so without having to live dishonestly. . Thanks to the repeal of DADT, and the recent end to outdated policies that prevented transgender people from serving, the LGBTQ community is finally able to openly and proudly serve our nation. As we celebrate five years of a wrong made right, our we must recommit to the fight for the expansion of rights and protections for LGBTQ people everywhere. . Read more at: HRC.im/OutoftheShadows
A video posted by Human Rights Campaign (@humanrightscampaign) on
SENATOR BILL NELSON SIGNS ONTO THE EQUALITY ACT: Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) has signed onto the Equality Act, which provides basic protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, access to public spaces, housing, education, jury service, credit and federal funding. He is the 43rd senator to do so. Senator Nelson earned a 90 percent on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard for the 113th Congress. More from The Washington Blade.
WHAT WE’RE READING WEDNESDAY: Kenny Cooley is a regular teenager who wanted to play on his school’s football team — and this transteen found the love and support of a team after transferring schools. Read about Cooley’s powerful journey in The Washington Post.
WH HOSTS MEETING ON LGBTQ PEOPLE AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN US CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Yesterday, the White House hosted 150 formerly incarcerated LGBTQ people, policymakers and advocates to discuss unique challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and people living with HIV in the criminal legal system. Formerly incarcerated individuals in attendance joined legal, advocacy and Administration leaders in discussions on discriminatory policing and other factors driving LGBTQ people into the criminal legal system such as HIV criminalization, youth homelessness, and high rates of poverty and discrimination against LGBTQ people, as well as conditions of confinement in federal prison, and HIV and health issues.
FEDS GUARANTEE EQUAL ACCESS TO MANY HOMELESS SHELTERS FOR TRANS PEOPLE: Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a final rule ensuring equal access to many federally funded homeless shelters based on gender identity. The rule requires that shelters admit, house, and serve all individuals in accordance with their gender identity, including transgender people. Today’s final rule builds off of nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity issued by HUD in 2012. More from HRC.
EXPORT OF HATE — DENIED: American Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church said he believes the government of Botswana should kill lesbians and gays while doing a radio interview on Tuesday during a trip to Botswana. President Ian Khama of Botswana then ordered the arrest and deportation of Anderson and denounced the pastor’s hate speech, according to Reuters. President Khama said Anderson was on a visa watch list but had managed to slip into the country before border posts were alerted. More from The Washington Blade.
Trouble on the horizon: Brian Brown, the new president of the World Congress of Families (WCF), another SPLC-designated hate group, will be attending an anti-marriage equality march in Mexico City over the weekend. More from The Advocate.
American anti-LGBTQ extremists exporting their hate abroad. Such vile bigotry has no place here or around the world. t.co/czC5Yjew3e
The Reflector talks about the need for LGBTQ-affirming churches in the South… HRC shares five resources on bisexual health for #BiWeek… The Calvert Journal reports that Russia has banned a LGBTQ news site… Harper’s Bazaar India will feature two transgender models in a nine-cover series, a first for any Harper’s Bazaar… The Huffington Post shares an Australian MP’s emotional reaction to hearing from LGBTQ children…
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The video features members of the bisexual+ community: Lacey Kennedy, who works with AIDS Alabama to make schools safer for LGBT students and grew up in the Yellowhammer State; Sofia Peña, a community educator and the daughter of former migrant workers in the borderland of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas; and Jessica Piness, who grew up in South Carolina, but attends graduate school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and is active with the city’s LGBT center, The Spectrum Center.
All three people open up about coming to terms with their intersecting identities while living in the South, the fear or hurt they’ve experienced, the important issues—like safe schools, immigration, and reproductive justice—that pervade their lives, and their complex relationships with the U.S. South.
Jessica Piness, who is gender fluid and pansexual, tells GLAAD, “I definitely respect people who stay here and fight…People always need to stand up against injustice. But I tell a lot of my friends, I know I’m leaving, and I wish I could take you with me, because this state just doesn’t deserve you.”
Jessica adds, “I can be very reluctant to come out. I think there’s a lot of fear as to how will this affect my perception in my workplace, how will this affect my perception in healthcare, for example. Just, how will this expose to me adverse effects, even potential violence?” Last year, Mississippi’s Governor Phil Bryant signed the “licenese to discriminate” bill HB1523 into state law.
While their experiences have at times been “complicated,” a word both Lacey and Sofia use, they feel connected to Southern culture and are dedicated to making it an increasingly safe and accepting place for all people.
“There’s a lot of great things about living in Alabama, we have a very rich culture here,” says Lacey, who is both trans* and bisexual. “I don’t know if I feel like I would fit in if I moved somewhere else, as a Southerner. I hate feeling like I have to leave in order to be able to have access to a supportive environment.”
Sofia, a bisexual Latina woman, says of southern Texas, “The culture is beautiful and rich and there’s something so comforting about seeing the big ol’ 10 gallon hats, with the big ol’ belt buckles, and the sound of music playing…At the same time, I wish it was a little bit different. I wish that we could come here [and] not be afraid for our safety.”
GLAAD collected these stories while meeting with LGBT community members and leading advocates across Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi, as part of the GLAAD Southern Stories Tour to amplify their voices in order to accelerate LGBT acceptance across the U.S. South.
In late 2014, GLAAD commissioned Harris Poll to measure attitudes towards LGBT Americans. The report found that while the public is increasingly embracing LGBT civil rights and equal protection under the law, many are still uncomfortable with having LGBT people in their families and the communities where they live. Within these numbers we find that Southerners feel significantly more discomfort about their LGBT family, friends, and neighbors than is found in other regions of the country.
#BiWeek–co-founded by GLAAD, BiNet USA, and others to accelerate acceptance of the bi+ community–draws attention to the public policy concerns, while also celebrating the resiliency of, the bisexual community. Many within the bi community often face underreported or unreported issues and challenges; from health disparities to physical violence, anxiety, depression, poverty, and more, and at a higher rate than their gay, lesbian, and straight peers. Throughout #BiWeek, allies and bi+ people learn about the history, culture, community and current policy priorities of bi+ communities.
Check out glaad.org/biweek for more on how to celebrate bisexuality+.
Broadway’s Hottest Bisexual Has An Important Message For All You Bi-Deniers
It’s Bisexual Awareness Week. To mark the occasion, Broadway actor Andy Mientus has written a lengthy but powerful Instagram post about the stigma many people still attach to bisexuality.
The 29-year-old Spring Awakening and Les Misérables star says he is often contacted by young people still coming to terms with their sexualities, and “it breaks my heart to learn that they are denying their hearts, bodies, and souls just because of what other people will think of them.”
“I try to be visible all the time just by being true to who I am,” Mientus says, “but I know many people struggle with this because of the stigma associated with bi-ness.”
“Have you ever doubted someone who tells you they are Bi–‘Sure, Jan’–or debated the validity of that claim behind their back?” he asks. “Do you have a preconceived idea of what bi ‘really’ looks like based on what TV and movies have told you? Do you think of it just as a sexual kink or as a true identity?”
Mientus continues: “When I encounter ignorance about my identity, I always try to approach it from a place of warmth and education, so this is not me lecturing the monosexuals out there. I’m inviting you this week to think about your own feelings towards bisexuals and ask yourself if there is any lingering doubt or prejudice there.”
Beyond The French Quarter: Three Adventures To Get The Most Out Of New Orleans
Believe it or not, there’s a lot more to New Orleans than just the French Quarter. In fact, there’s a lot more to New Orleans than New Orleans. Adventures are awaiting just outside the city limits.
Scroll down for three off-the-beaten-path experiences waiting to be had during your next trip down the bayou…
Hit the swamps…
Snakes and turtles and alligators, oh my!
A pontoon tour is great for a leisurely look at the bayou and some truly unique photos. Airboats are ideal for those with a need for speed who want to go zipping across the water and aren’t afraid of getting wet. But for those who really want to get down in the muck, a kayak tour is a definite must. See exotic wildlife, lush vegetation and abandoned cajun fishing camps up close and personal as you navigate through the many hidden waterways.
Most tour groups offer shuttle service to the swamps from the French Quarter. Just remember to pack a bottle of water and bug spray.
History, interior design and architecture buffs alike will appreciate the nearly one dozen historic plantation homes within an hour or so from the French Quarter.
Walk beneath the centuries-old live oaks leading up to the front entrance of iconic Oak Alley. Hear about Creole culture as you wander the historic halls of Laura. Visit St. Joseph, which is still a productive sugarcane plantation. Then there’s the Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum with a focus on slavery, which it does through the moving use of first-person narratives, historic buildings and artwork.
Perhaps no other neighborhood in New Orleans exhibits more pride or greater resilience than the Lower 9th Ward, which is just a four mile jaunt from the French Quarter.
Take a bike tour and see the historic houses, community farms and famed Make It Right homes, then stop by the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle, where you’re likely to spot all kinds of native wildlife–birds, raccoons, nutria, even alligators.
Afterwards, have lunch over at Cafe Dauphine, a cozy white table cloth restaurant that specializes in traditional New Orleans cuisine, then walk the calories off along the Bend in the Levee trail, a tranquil, mile-long path along the Mississippi with an unparalleled view of the downtown skyline.
Obama Cites Violence Against Gays, LGBT Rights in Final UN Speech Warning Against Isolation, Nationalism: WATCH
President Obama delivered his final speech to the United Nations yesterday and called on nations to work together and resist the urge to isolate, persecute, specifically mentioning violence against gays, and LGBT rights. He also warned against nations “ringed by walls” and thee dangers of nationalism, a clear statement against the policies pushed by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Said Obama:
“I do not believe progress is possible if our desire to preserve our identities gives way to an impulse to dehumanize or dominate another group. If our religion leads us to persecute those of another faith, if we jail or beat people who are gay, if our traditions lead us to prevent girls from going to school, if we discriminate on the basis of race or tribe or ethnicity, then the fragile bonds of civilization will fray. The world is too small, we are too packed together, for us to be able to resort to those old ways of thinking.”
Earlier in the speech he had called for dignity and respect for all people:
In remote corners of the world, citizens are demanding respect for the dignity of all people no matter their gender, or race, or religion, or disability, or sexual orientation, and those who deny others dignity are subject to public reproach. An explosion of social media has given ordinary people more ways to express themselves, and has raised people’s expectations for those of us in power. Indeed, our international order has been so successful that we take it as a given that great powers no longer fight world wars; that the end of the Cold War lifted the shadow of nuclear Armageddon; that the battlefields of Europe have been replaced by peaceful union; that China and India remain on a path of remarkable growth.
I say all this not to whitewash the challenges we face, or to suggest complacency. Rather, I believe that we need to acknowledge these achievements in order to summon the confidence to carry this progress forward and to make sure that we do not abandon those very things that have delivered this progress.
In order to move forward, though, we do have to acknowledge that the existing path to global integration requires a course correction. As too often, those trumpeting the benefits of globalization have ignored inequality within and among nations; have ignored the enduring appeal of ethnic and sectarian identities; have left international institutions ill-equipped, underfunded, under-resourced, in order to handle transnational challenges.
And as these real problems have been neglected, alternative visions of the world have pressed forward both in the wealthiest countries and in the poorest: Religious fundamentalism; the politics of ethnicity, or tribe, or sect; aggressive nationalism; a crude populism — sometimes from the far left, but more often from the far right — which seeks to restore what they believe was a better, simpler age free of outside contamination.
We cannot dismiss these visions. They are powerful. They reflect dissatisfaction among too many of our citizens. I do not believe those visions can deliver security or prosperity over the long term, but I do believe that these visions fail to recognize, at a very basic level, our common humanity. Moreover, I believe that the acceleration of travel and technology and telecommunications — together with a global economy that depends on a global supply chain — makes it self-defeating ultimately for those who seek to reverse this progress. Today, a nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself.
Elizabeth Warren Delivers Withering Takedown of Wells Fargo CEO: ‘You Should Resign’ — WATCH
Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered a riveting sermon to Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf yesterday over the massive scam by the company to increase its cross-selling numbers by creating millions of fake accounts under customers’ names.
More than 5,000 employees were said to be involved in the cross-selling operation but, as Warren points out, nothing has changed in the top echelon of leadership.
Said Warren:
“Here’s what really gets me about this, Mr. Stumpf. If one of your tellers took a handful of $20 bills out of the crash drawer, they’d probably be looking at criminal charges for theft. They could end up in prison. But you squeezed your employees to the breaking point so they would cheat customers and you could drive up the value of your stock and put hundreds of millions of dollars in your own pocket.
“And when it all blew up, you kept your job, you kept your multi-multimillion-dollar bonuses, and you went on television to blame thousands of $12-an-hour employees who were just trying to meet cross-sell quotas that made you rich. This is about accountability. You should resign. You should give back the money that you took while this scam was going on, and you should be criminally investigated by both the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. This just isn’t right.”
Indiana Gubernatorial Candidate Eric Holcomb Says LGBT Rights, Religious Freedom Are No Longer An Issue: WATCH
Indiana’s lieutenant governor Eric Holcomb has said that LGBT rights are no longer an issue in the state.
In an interview last weekend, Holcomb said that Indiana has “gotten through” the “religious freedom” law signed last year by Donald Trump’s running mate Governor Mike Pence. The controversial law sparked national uproar as opponents maintained it would’ve sanctioned discrimination against gays before GOP legislators approved revisions.
I’ve maintained my approach throughout the last decade+. That means being very available & transparent. I travel the state quite frequently!
Holcomb said gay rights “is not an issue I’m focused on at all. We’ve gotten through that,” he added, “We’ve moved forward as a state.” The GOP candidate also said that the state is “going to protect religious liberties and freedoms…and municipalities can pass local ordinances.” This approach, he said “seems to be working.”
However, on the campaign trail Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg (right) said “Holcomb has his head in the sand to think that the LGBT issue has passed.” Gregg also attacked his opponent can’t to any particular accomplishments in government because he has spent much of his career as a campaign manager for other lawmaker including former governor Mitch Daniels.
“He’s got no program,” said Gregg. “He has no program. There’s nothing out there. That’s because, what’s he going to do, say he knows how to run a good campaign?”
