Trump's Time Cover Is Not 'Normalization'

Time‘s choice for Person of the Year achieved exactly what it intended to do.

www.advocate.com/media/2016/12/09/trumps-time-cover-not-normalization

Why Gays Will Go Gaga for 'La La Land'

The film is about a straight couple, but don’t be deceived. There’s much for LGBT viewers to fall for in this musical movie.

www.advocate.com/film/2016/12/09/why-gays-will-go-gaga-la-la-land

Frank Ocean, Rudy Giuliani, Conor McGregor, Brazilian Squatters, John Barrowman, Roger Ailes: HOT LINKS

IN TRUMP’S AMERICA. Second Tampa Bay, Florida church vandalized with swastikas, MAGA graffiti: “The Iglesia el Sembrador Wesleyano, a church in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood of Clearwater, Florida, was targeted by vandals this week with pro-Donald Trump and racist graffiti. It is the second reported incident of church vandalism in the Tampa Bay area since Donald Trump’s Electoral College win on November 8. The first church, similarly vandalized last month, primarily serves the LGBT community.”

BLONDE AMBITION. Kanye West got a dye job…as an homage to Frank Ocean? 

GREED IS GOOD. Donald Trump names Goldman Sachs President and COO Gary Cohn to be his National Economic Council Director. Because Drain the Swamp.

CASTING. Conor McGregor lands role on Game of Thrones.

VICTORY. Montebello, California gets its first openly gay mayor: “It’s like coming out twice in your life: once to your family and then another time as a politician,” she said. “It’s like kicking off the mask. I’m being honest about who I am and let my leadership and decisions speak for themselves. I’m going to step into this new position and do the very best I can to get things done.”

HIV. Infection rates have gone up 100% in the Philippines: “[Human Rights Watch] said HIV prevention education in Philippine schools is woefully inadequate, commercial marketing of condoms is nonexistent, and barriers to condom access and HIV testing — particularly those below 18 who are required by law to have parental consent— have contributed to the worsening epidemic. The report said the problems found in national and local government policies are compounded by longstanding resistance of the Roman Catholic church to contraceptives. More than 80 percent of Filipinos are Catholic.”

BYE, BYE RUDY. Giuliani out of the running for Secretary of State: “The transition team released a statement Friday saying Giuliani removed himself from consideration for a position last month, a description contradicted by CNN reporting that the New Yorker was told he would not get the secretary of state position this week.”

BRAZIL. Squatters offer LGBT people shelter from hate-motivated crimes: “They were invited to join some 300 squatters who have been living in the building for several months in an occupation organized by Front in the Fight for Housing, an activist group promoting rights of some 400,000 people without decent housing in Sao Paulo.”

DISCRIMINATION. John Barrowman said he lost acting job because he’s gay: “Speaking on Loose Women , John explained: “The producers pulled me into the office and sat me down – one was gay – and said they didn’t want me to talk about my boyfriend at the time, Scott, who I eventually married…In a nutshell, they asked me to go back into the closet, and I went back to Scott and said, ‘I can’t do that’.”

PHILIPPINES. LGBT community faces increasing threats: “But the recent arrest of several gay men at a private party in south Jakarta’s Kalibata City was a shock for many, both because the raid was led by the right-wing Islamic Defender’s Front (FPI) party and because the police actually followed their lead.”

GUN SHOW. Nick Jonas serves thirst. 

THE KELLY FILE. Film on Roger Ailes’ history of sexual harassment may be in the works: “According to multiple reports, Annapurna Pictureshas optioned a project about the former Fox News chairman that will include screenwriter Charles Randolph, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning The Big Short. […] The film “will focus on Megyn Kelly and the women who brought down the man once considered the most powerful in media with accusations of sexual harassment, as well as the wife, Elizabeth Tilson, who propped him up,” says The Hollywood Reporter.”

FRIDAY FLESH. Chef Denevin Miranda. 

The post Frank Ocean, Rudy Giuliani, Conor McGregor, Brazilian Squatters, John Barrowman, Roger Ailes: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.

Frank Ocean, Rudy Giuliani, Conor McGregor, Brazilian Squatters, John Barrowman, Roger Ailes: HOT LINKS

Ellen Asks Macklemore to Perform Anti-Trump Anthem

The singer tears into Trump’s rhetoric in his new song “Wednesday Morning.”

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/12/09/ellen-asks-macklemore-perform-anti-trump-anthem

Out SNL Star Kate McKinnon Is Getting Her Own Movie

Kate McKinnon just landed another movie role, and it sounds appropriately weird and excellent: she will play Grunhilda, a witch who works in a school cafeteria. Nobody believes in magic anymore, but she gets her kicks scaring children until she forms an unlikely friendship with a student.

This follows her role in the lovely Ghostbusters sequel, and also Office Christmas Party, in theaters now. This new film is called The Lunch Witch, which is a little clunky and we wouldn’t be surprised if it gets retooled by the time the movie comes out. The director is Clay Kaytis, who directed the Angry Birds movie. That is not an encouraging sign but maybe maybe maybe Kate will be up to the task of making this movie good. Oh let’s hope so.

The story’s based on a novel by Deb Lucke, a former advertising industry exec. There’s already a sequel to the book — Knee Deep in Niceness — and a third is in the works, so if Kate can pull this off we may see her as a witch for many years to come.

Of course, the question on many of her fans’ minds: will she get to play it queer in this movie? Studio interference is rumored to have nixed the lesbian content in Ghostbusters, but maybe this movie will be different. Then again, a scary witch is maybe not the representation we want?

www.queerty.com/snl-star-kate-mckinnon-getting-movie-20161209?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

This Gay Couple Got Engaged at a Chicago Bulls Game and It Was Absolutely Adorable – WATCH

A gay couple got engaged during Thursday night’s Chicago Bulls game against San Antonio and video of the proposal is the perfect reprieve from the colossal amount of awful going on in the world right now.

Jake Conrad wanted to propose to his boyfriend Michael Holtzman in a special event before a Bulls game, and after reaching out to friends on Facebook, was able to get in touch with the team to set up the proposal. The Bulls management were so moved, they decided to help Conrad up the ante.

Outsports reports: 

While marriage proposals are regular occurrences at sporting events and concerts, this is the first one we have heard about that involved a same-sex couple at an NBA game.

 Bulls spokesman Ross Lipschultz sent Outsports this statement:

“At the Chicago Bulls game vs. the San Antonio Spurs on December 8, the Bulls worked with Jake Conrad to set up an in-game proposal for his partner, Michael Holtzman. Michael has been a lifelong Bulls fan and watches every game. After he once told Jake that his dream was to go to a Bulls game, Jake knew he wanted to propose to Michael at a game to show him how committed he is to making Michael’s dreams come true.

“Jake bought tickets to the game and contacted the Bulls to purchase a fan experience package to propose before the game. The Bulls were touched by Jake and Michael’s story and wanted to make the experience extra special, so they asked Jake if he would be open to proposing during the game. Once Jake agreed, the team worked with him to set up a proposal during a timeout involving Benny the Bull and the Luvabulls. The Chicago Bulls are honored to have been part of such a special moment for this couple.”

Conrad proposed to Holtzman using a Ring Pop.

Once Holtzman said “yes”–to wild cheers from the crowd–Meghan Trainor’s “Dear Future Husband” played throughout the arena.

And the Bulls’ cheerleaders formed a circle around the guys to celebrate.

Bulls legend Scottie Pippen was also present and congratulated Conrad and Holtzman.

Photo via Outsports

Watch the too-sweet proposal, below.

The post This Gay Couple Got Engaged at a Chicago Bulls Game and It Was Absolutely Adorable – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

This Gay Couple Got Engaged at a Chicago Bulls Game and It Was Absolutely Adorable – WATCH

Cherokee Nation Will Recognize Same-Sex Marriage

Todd Hembree, Attorney General of the Cherokee Nation

The attorney general of the Cherokee Nation issued an opinion on Friday indicated that the tribe of approximately 300,000 living mostly within the state of Oklahoma, will recognize same-sex marriages.

Tulsa World reports:

While agreeing that the tribe, as a sovereign nation itself, was not bound by the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision that made gay marriage legal in all 50 states, Todd Hembree echoed the court’s reasoning, deciding that the tribe’s own constitution “protects the fundamental right to marry,” regardless of the genders involved in the relationship. That decision appears to nullify a law that the Cherokee Nation enacted in 2004 to specify that marriage had to be between a man and woman.

That law came after two women, Dawn McKinley and Kathy Reynolds, obtained a marriage license from the tribe. Then-Attorney General Dianne Hammons issued an opinion that the license was invalid because Cherokee law, while not specifically requiring couples to be opposite-sex, presumed the traditional definition of marriage. The Tribal Council then quickly passed a bill to make that definition explicit.

The attorney general’s opinion came after a request from the tribe’s Tax Commission director who asked for clarification on licenses issued by the state of Oklahoma.

Under the opinion, conscientious objections to issuing marriage licenses or benefits are prohibited but ministers and citizens are not forced to participate in same-sex ceremonies.

The attorney general also noted that gender roles and sexuality are Christian constructs and before Christianity was introduced to the tribe alternative sexual orientations were recognized.

The post Cherokee Nation Will Recognize Same-Sex Marriage appeared first on Towleroad.

Cherokee Nation Will Recognize Same-Sex Marriage

Congress Passes Global Magnitsky Act; Legislation Includes Tools to Fight Human Rights Abuses Abroad

Yesterday, Congress passed the Global Magnitsky Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2017. The Magnitsky Act gives the U.S. government the authority to deny U.S. visas and freeze the U.S. assets of anyone who has committed “gross violations of human rights” against anti-corruption activists or human rights defenders around the world. The bill was named for the anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Russian prison. HRC has long advocated for passage of the bill, which now awaits President Obama’s signature.

While the bill does not include language that explicitly protects LGBTQ people or any other discrete group, key leaders in Congress highlighted how it will benefit LGBTQ advocates around the world, sending a clear message abroad that the U.S. will not tolerate human rights abuses against LGBTQ people. The Magnitsky Act could be used in cases where LGBTQ activists have been tortured, killed or been subjected to other forms of human rights abuses at the hands of government officials.

“Passing this bill is a very positive step,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “The more tools the U.S. has available to combat human rights abuses abroad, the more the U.S. can do to help to protect LGBTQ people and other vulnerable groups.”

The final version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which contained the Magnitsky Act, also importantly did not include a House-passed provision that would have dramatically expanded religious discrimination with taxpayer funds and undermined President Obama’s executive order prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in federal contracting. The provision — proposed by Representative Steve Russell (R-OK) under the guise of so-called “religious liberty” — had been previously included in the House version of the bill, but not in the Senate version. Conferees did not include it in the conference report.

Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and John McCain (R-AZ) co-sponsored The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act in the Senate and Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) in the House. In addition to the tools mentioned above, the bill also directs the U.S. government to consider information from civil society organizations and Members of Congress when deciding on these sanctions.

www.hrc.org/blog/congress-passes-global-magnitsky-act-legislation-includes-tools-to-fight-hu?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

The GLAAD Wrap:'Allegiance' opens next week, Hulu picks up 'Please Like Me' and more!

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrapallegiance-opens-next-week-hulu-picks-please-me-and-more