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Jorge Ramos Puts American Racism And Xenophobia on Full Blast
Veteran journalist Jorge Ramos travels across the country exploring how hatred and intolerance have become center stage in the U.S.
www.advocate.com/election/2016/10/25/jorge-ramos-puts-american-racism-and-xenophobia-full-blast
Deodorant Ad Perfectly Nails What’s Wrong With The Trans Bathroom Debate
Leave it to a deodorant company to get what so many elected officials in this country can’t quite wrap their heads around — that there is no “one way” to express gender.
And while right wing politicians and talking heads spend no shortage of time obsessing over how they, and most importantly their pure and innocent daughters, will feel should they ever cross paths with — gasp! — a transwoman washing her hands at the bathroom sink, they give little to no thought to what it can be like from the trans person’s perspective.
Related: Selfie Campaign Shows How Absurd It Is To Force Trans People To Use The Wrong Bathroom
Many businesses are adopting gender neutral bathrooms — and why not? It’s not like there are separate men’s/women’s bathrooms when you go over to grandma’s house for Thanksgiving, and somehow the turkey gets carved just the same.
But until that becomes the norm (and perhaps it never will), there will be moments like the shockingly intimate one portrayed in the below ad, for Secret Deodorant of all things.
Related: Children’s Musician Has A Message For The Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill Folks
In the ad, the ever-lovely Karis Wilde (check out her Instagram if you’re in the mood for a good gag or twenty) plays Dana, a trans or genderqueer person debating her exit from a busy bathroom. Though she says nothing, we know exactly what’s going through her head — anxiety, some fear, perhaps shame.
Finally she takes a deep breath and with head held high, braves a world that is all too often cruel and callused. Text is superimposed that reads: “Stress test #8260 — Dana finds the courage to show there’s no wrong way to be a woman.”
“I always have moments of insecurity but I have conditioned myself to act unbothered,” Karis shared with Queerty when asked if the scene bears any resemblance to her daily life. “While shooting, I allowed myself to feel vulnerable. It terrified me how much I’ve stored all those emotions; I almost cried in the middle of taping.”
Watch below:
Death of Boise State Student Raises Questions of Foul Play, Teen’s Gender Identity – VIDEO
The body of an 18-year-old Boise State student was found on the outskirts of Idaho City on Saturday.
The student, legally known as Sierra Bush but who was known by friends as Simon, was reported missing in late September.
Bush’s body was discovered by an as-yet unknown individual who called 911 to alert authorities. Police are still looking to find out the identity of that caller.
Current reporting does not state definitively whether Bush was transgender. Bush’s family referred to Bush as ‘Sierra’ in their statement to the media. However, Bush’s preference to go by the name Simon suggests the student may have identified as male. Current reporting has gendered Bush as female.
The cause of Bush’s death is not yet known.
Sierra’s body was found in an outdoor location just south of Idaho City. Boise Police say they will work with the Boise County Coroner’s Office and the Boise County Sheriff’s Department to determine how she died.
Police have not said whether they suspect foul play in her death, or whether Bush left Boise of her own volition. But Boise Police Sgt. Justin Kendall said the case is being investigated as suspicious.
“Sierra’s disappearance has been suspicious from the beginning and this is a tragic discovery for everyone who knows her,” he said in a statement. “Every missing person’s case is initially investigated as being suspicious and Sierra was not the type to disappear without telling anyone. For weeks, our detectives have been following up on leads and our investigation is ongoing.”
KTVB spoke to Sierra’s longtime friend Samantha McGraw who says Sierra finds comfort in things that are familiar to her.
“I know that she would never run away and she didn’t have a need to or drive to,” McGraw tells KTVB.
She adds that the whole process of trying to find Sierra since she disappeared has been terrifying.
“It’s been heartbreaking not knowing and it’s even more heartbreaking now with us knowing where she is. And it’s been very hard,” McGraw said.
A statement from Simon’s family also misgendered him:
“Sierra was a happy and cheerful young lady. She had a 4.0 GPA her entire senior year and maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.82 throughout high school. She scored 1800 on the SAT. She sought out the Honors College at Boise State University and was accepted into the program. She applied for numerous scholarships and was awarded enough scholarship money, based on merit not financial need, that we only had to come up with approximately $500 for her tuition. She had joined the Creative Writing Club and the Beekeepers Club at BSU. Every indication was that she was thoroughly enjoying the start to her freshman year at BSU. When her mother last spoke to her Sierra was happy and in good spirits, there was not the slightest sign of any trouble whatsoever. Sierra was very talented individual and had so much to offer the world in her future years.
“We want to thank all of the people who helped look for Sierra and for the countless hours that they put into it. We want to thank the law enforcement community and especially the Boise Police Department. There were many, many officers and detectives working very hard on Sierra’s case, most of which occurs out of sight and cannot be known while the investigation is ongoing. We hope and pray that the law enforcement community will be able to charge, prosecute and successfully convict the perpetrator or perpetrators who are responsible for this crime and bring them to justice.
“Sincerely, Bart and Mary Helen Green”
Boise State President Bob Kustra issued a statement as well, saying,
“The Boise State campus community joins me in grieving the loss of one of our students today. Sierra Bush, known by many on campus as Simon, was an active and involved engineering and Honors College student who left an indelible mark on many students, faculty and staff. It is difficult to lose any member of the Boise State family and our hearts go out to the Bush family and friends who are also mourning this loss. We stand ready to support those in need of services as well as to aid investigators in any way possible as they search for answers to this tragedy.”
The Boise State Gender Equity Facebook page posted this of Simon’s death.
If you have any knowledge of Bush’s disappearance or death please call Crime Stoppers at 343-COPS.
Watch a new report on Bush’s death, below.
The post Death of Boise State Student Raises Questions of Foul Play, Teen’s Gender Identity – VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
[UPDATED] Death of Boise State Student Raises Questions of Foul Play – VIDEO
USAID Announces New Policy Prohibiting Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination in All Contracts
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has finalized a new non-discrimination policy that prohibits their contractors from discriminating against LGBTQ people in the services they provide overseas. USAID provides nearly $16 billion in foreign aid annually in more than 100 countries.
This new policy will be written into all USAID contracts, and will require contractors –both those based in the U.S. as well as abroad–not to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the way they provide services. However, the policy only extends to contractors and does include grantees, who are also major recipients of USAID funds. It also does not include employment decisions for USAID contractors and grantees who undertake projects around the world across a broad range of areas, including access to healthcare, housing, food security and education. HRC released a one-pager detailing this new policy.
“USAID has taken an important step in ensuring that people around the world who are being helped by U.S. taxpayer-funded programs are able to access them without fear of discrimination because of who they are or whom they love,” said David Stacy, HRC’s Director of Government Affairs. “This is a critical protection that can make a huge difference in the lives of LGBTQ people.”
Stacy added, “While this is a step forward, we ultimately hope to see all implementers across all U.S. foreign affairs agencies – including USAID – include non-discrimination policies that cover not only the services they provide, but also the people they hire. No organization supported by U.S. taxpayer dollars should turn anyone away because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
HRC’s Blueprint for Positive Change, released in 2015, specifically advocated for new non-discrimination measures that would ensure that USAID funding is not used to discriminate against LGBTQ people around the world.
The announcement comes the same day Ambassador Susan Rice, President Obama’s National Security Advisor will give a speech on protecting and promoting LGBTQ human rights around the world.
President Obama made clear in 2011 that the “struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States commitment to promoting human rights.” In his 2015 State of the Union address, President Obama explained that protecting individuals, including those who are LGBTQ, is in the national security interests of the U.S. His Administration has taken major steps to bend the arc of history towards justice for LGBTQ people everywhere, including this action, spearheaded by USAID Administrator Gayle Smith and Senior LGBT Coordinator Todd Larson.
20 countries now have marriage equality and in two countries same-sex marriage is legal in certain jurisdictions.
But in up to 10 countries worldwide, same-sex activity is punishable by death, and 72 countries criminalize same-sex relationships.
Hundreds of transgender individuals have been brutally murdered in the last year.
In a growing number of countries, governments have sought to silence equality advocates and organizations with so-called “anti-propaganda” laws and legislation.
For more information on HRC Global, visit hrc.org/global.
Watch Trump’s Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star Get Destroyed… With An Ax
Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star, via Twitter.
A man dressed as a construction worker and wielding a sledgehammer and pickax made short work of Donald Trump‘s Hollywood Walk of Fame star on Wednesday morning, leaving it an unrecognizable mess.
It now lay in ruins, much like Trump’s campaign. Sparks flew as it was beaten as badly as the man himself in the three presidential debates.
The Los Angeles Police Department have no suspects and are asking for anyone with information to come forward.
#LAPD Update: Asking public’s help IDing Vandalism Suspect. Please call @LAPDHollywood at 213-972-2971. pic.twitter.com/QBwro9010j
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 26, 2016
Deadline reports that the man identified himself as Jamie Otis and said he was planning on auctioning off the hardware he pried from the star to raise funds for the women who have accused Trump of sexually assaulting them.
Watch the video of the destruction below.
This is not the first time Trump’s star has been targeted. It has previously been spray-painted with a swastika, as well as a mute button, and has been urinated and defecated on. A street artist also built a wall around it, mocking Trump’s claim that he will build a wall along the southern border and make Mexico pay for it.
Trump was awarded the star for his reality show “The Apprentice,” for which, Hillary Clinton reminded us at the final debate, he was never given an Emmy.
Eight Percent of British Football Fans Would Dump Their Team Over a Gay Player
Though most sports fans would feel comfortable with their club signing an openly gay player, 8 percent of British football fans would stop watching their team if there was a gay player on it, according to a survey taken by BBC Radio 5.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live on Wednesday, [Football Association chairman Greg] Clarke said he stood by his “personal view” that “vile abuse” from a “small minority on the terraces” must be solved before any gay footballers “take that risk” to come out.
“If they want to take that risk I would respect them and support them,” said Clarke. “But we can’t promise to provide them at the moment with the required protection. We need to redouble our efforts to provide that safe space.”
Clarke added that he hoped to achieve that in a “year or two”.
In an online survey of more than 4,000 people commissioned by Afternoon Edition and carried out by ComRes, 71% of football fans said clubs should do more to educate fans about homophobia. And 47% of all sports fans – 50% of football supporters – say they have heard homophobic abuse at matches.
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton told Afternoon Edition that Clarke had “taken the easy way out” by being “dictated to by 8% of cavemen”.
In other areas of the world, the sport is still grappling with homophobia.
In Spain, the sport’s first openly gay referee, Jesus Tomillero returned to work after quitting in May due to anti-gay harassment from fans. Unfortunately, Tomillero immediately began to be subjected by the same abuse.
In the U.S., midfielder Richard Chaplow of the Orange County Blues was suspended and fined after calling out LA Galaxy player Robbie Rogers a “queer” repeatedly during a game in August.
The post Eight Percent of British Football Fans Would Dump Their Team Over a Gay Player appeared first on Towleroad.
Eight Percent of British Football Fans Would Dump Their Team Over a Gay Player
TODAY: Ambassador Susan E. Rice to Deliver Speech on LGBTQ Human Rights Around the Globe
Today, HRC, American University, and Human Rights First are hosting Ambassador Susan Rice, President Obama’s National Security Advisor, for remarks on protecting and promoting the human rights of LGBTQ people around the world. The event is being held at American University’s School of International Service.
As the United Nations Ambassador and National Security Advisor, Ambassador Rice has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure basic rights and safety for LGBTQ people globally. She will discuss the Obama Administration’s legacy of leadership on equality, the vital role it plays in America’s national security and the need for continued effort to secure LGBTQ human rights abroad. Following her remarks, Ambassador Rice will participate in a brief moderated discussion with James Goldgeier, Dean of American University School of International Service.
“Over the last eight years, the Obama administration has made protecting the rights of LGBTQ people a pillar of American foreign policy,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “As a central figure on the world stage throughout the Obama Administration, Ambassador Rice has been a steadfast advocate for the human rights of LGBTQ people. And because of her leadership, our world is a safer and more secure place not only for countless LGBTQ people, but for all people. We must ensure this life-saving work continues in future administrations.”
“We are honored to have Ambassador Rice visit SIS. Part of our promise to our students is that we will prepare them to build understanding in our world. Hosting national and global leaders here, particularly to speak directly about human rights for LGBTQ citizens, helps fulfill that promise,” said James Goldgeier, Dean of American University’s School of International Service.
“Our nation is stronger and more secure when the rights and dignity of all people are respected,” said Human Rights First’s President and CEO Elisa Massimino. “Thanks to the vision and persistence of the Obama Administration—and of Ambassador Rice in particular—courageous activists around the world seeking to promote the rights and equality of LGBT people know that America stands with them in their struggle.”
Prior to Ambassador Rice’s address, Goldgeier, Griffin, and Massimino will deliver brief remarks.
Since taking office, President Obama and his administration have made advancing the human rights of LGBTQ people a central pillar of U.S. foreign policy. In 2011, the White House issued a memorandum incorporating LGBTQ human rights as part of our nation’s foreign policy objectives. That same year, Ambassador Rice played a vital part in the adoption of a historic resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council focusing on sexual orientation and gender identity. The United States has consistently used its powerful platform to condemn anti-LGBTQ laws passed in countries like Uganda and Russia. These actions, among others, provide an important layer of support and protection for the global LGBTQ community and underscore the continued need for U.S. global leadership on behalf of LGBTQ people and their families.
The event will begin at 3 PM and can be viewed via live-stream available here and on social media under the hashtag #GlobalEquality.
Deray Mckesson Endorses Hillary Clinton
The Black Lives Matter activist announced his endorsement of Clinton Wednesday.
www.advocate.com/election/2016/10/26/deray-mckesson-endorses-hillary-clinton
Because Lady Gaga’s Carpool Karaoke Is Just What You Need
Beep, beep. This was the day Lady Gaga careened into James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke to belt out a total of six of her all-time shoutiest songs — “Perfect Illusion,” “Bad Romance,” “Edge of Glory,” “Born This Way,” “Poker Face,” and “Million Reasons.”
Related: Lady Gaga Shades Madonna; Twitter Erupts
Gasp at the secret meaning of the “ra-ra-ra” mantra in “Bad Romance.” Scream at the revelation that she owns 400 items of clothing previously worn by Michael Jackson. Oh, and totally freak out upon discovering that she just got her driver’s license at the age of 30. Vroom.
Watch:
James Franco Endorses Hillary Clinton: ‘She’s a F***ing Wizard’ – WATCH
James Franco endorses Hillary Clinton in a new video:
“The smartest guy in the room is always her. After she opens a can of whoop-ass, she always recycles the can. Her Secret Service code name is Hermione, because she’s a f**king wizard. She’s the most interesting woman in the world. I don’t always endorse candidates, but when I do, they’re extraordinary. Vote wisely my friends.”
Watch:
The post James Franco Endorses Hillary Clinton: ‘She’s a F***ing Wizard’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
James Franco Endorses Hillary Clinton: ‘She’s a F***ing Wizard’ – WATCH
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