Obama Ends ‘Wet Foot, Dry Foot’ Cuban Policy

President Obama has ended a policy that gave Cubans who escaped the island legal residency even without visas.

www.advocate.com/politics/2017/1/13/obama-ends-wet-foot-dry-foot-cuban-policy

Jennifer Holliday’s Rep Says She Hasn’t Yet Agreed to Inauguration Even Though Trump Team Announced It

Jennifer Holliday’s representative says the Dreamgirls singer has not yet committed to the inauguration even though the Trump inauguration committee announced it this afternoon.

Reports The Wrap:

“Jennifer has been asked to perform but she hasn’t officially agreed to do so yet,” her publicist, Bill Carpenter, told TheWrap. “I’ll let you know later this afternoon for sure if she’ll be performing.”

The Presidential Inauguration Committee sent out an announcement earlier today that Holliday was among the acts performing.

Can’t wait for @TobyKeithMusic, @LadyJHOLLIDAY, @3doorsdown, etc. and remarks from @realDonaldTrump at the #MAGA Welcome Celebration!

— Boris Epshteyn (@BorisEP) January 13, 2017

The post Jennifer Holliday’s Rep Says She Hasn’t Yet Agreed to Inauguration Even Though Trump Team Announced It appeared first on Towleroad.

www.towleroad.com/2017/01/jennifer-holliday-inauguration/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Gay+News+%29

Gallup Survey Finds More Than 10 Million American Adults Identify as LGBTQ—Historic Increase

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to a new Gallup survey reflecting a historic increase in adults in the United States identifying as LGBTQ — 10 million, or 4.1 percent of the population, compared to 8.3 million just four years ago.

“This survey reflects the fact that in just the past four years, there has been a historic increase in American adults boldly coming out as LGBTQ, often at great risk, but it does not take into account the countless LGBTQ Americans who remain closeted — especially in areas of the country where our community lacks protections from discrimination and violence,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “However, the Gallup survey does confirm what we already know — the LGBTQ community is at a turning point when it comes to political relevance. On the same night that we saw Donald Trump win the presidency, we saw North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, the face of anti-LGBTQ equality, become the only incumbent governor to lose re-election this fall, underscoring that reality that anti-LGBTQ discrimination is not only wrong, it’s now a political liability.”

The Gallup survey notes that the growing clout of LGBTQ voters and consumers is driving inclusive policies and marketing strategies across corporate America, as well as the business community’s opposition to anti-LGBTQ legislation like McCrory’s discriminatory HB2 law in North Carolina.

The Gallup Daily tracking survey of 1.6 million people finds that the increase in American adults identifying as LGBTQ is largely driven by millennials, 7.3 percent of whom identify as LGBTQ, and women, 4.4 percent of whom identify as LGBTQ. When broken down by race, all categories saw an increase in the number of adults identifying as LGBTQ — with the largest increases in Asian and Hispanic populations.

No one survey can tell the whole story of the LGBTQ population, but data like this is vital for advocates and policymakers alike. Some federal government surveys collect voluntary, self-disclosed information on sexual orientation and gender identity, allowing government and social service organizations to better understand and serve the entire population. However, federal surveys are not required to collect information on sexual orientation and gender identity — although HRC has supported efforts to change that.

Please find the full Gallup polling data here.

www.hrc.org/blog/gallup-survey-finds-more-than-10-million-american-adults-identify-as-lgbtq?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Ben Carson’s “no extra rights” for LGBTQs comments aren’t going over so well

How is this guy a brain surgeon? During his confirmation hearing this week, Ben Carson said that LGBTs want “extra rights.”

Carson is being considered for the role of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development — sure, why the hell not. Previously, he said that he shouldn’t have a role in the administration because he doesn’t have enough experience — kind of a funny position to take, given that he was also running for president at one point.

The statement came out when Senator Sherrod Brown asked him what he would do to ensure that LGBT people wouldn’t be kicked out of public housing for being gay. Currently, the law is shifting and vague — although the HUD issued multiple rules barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and identity, those guidelines haven’t been codified in law and continue to be the subject of lawsuits.

But Carson’s position: “What I have said before is I don’t think anyone should get extra rights.”

That’s super, that wanting the security of knowing that you won’t be thrown out of your home is an “extra right.”

Here’s how Twitter responded:

This is who we want in charge? Ben Carson has said he thinks housing protections for LGBT people are “extra rights.” t.co/wKT8zYsehh

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 12, 2017

During his confirmation hearing, Ben Carson said that LGBT Americans don’t deserve “extra rights.” Really? It’s 2017, sir. t.co/c1vm4govR4

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) January 12, 2017

Dr. Carson, no one is asking for “extra rights.” LGBTQ Americans must have equal protection under the law despite your political opinions.

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 12, 2017

HUD secretary nominee Ben Carson thinks housing protections for LGBT people are “extra rights.” We strongly disagree t.co/9C6DgeszE6

— ACLU National (@ACLU) January 12, 2017

EXTRA RIGHTS. Ben Carson thinks LGBTQ+ folks want “extra rights” and that they don’t deserve them. extra rights. let that sink in. pic.twitter.com/JfYnt9rSNo

— Kevin Allred (@KevinAllred) January 12, 2017

Carson loves to accuse queer people of demanding “extra rights.” Here’s what he said about LGBT people in the past:

“It’s one of the things that I don’t particularly like about the [LGBT] movement. I think everybody has equal rights, but I’m not sure that anybody should have extra rights—extra rights when it comes to redefining everything for everybody else and imposing your view on everybody else.”

And who could forget the time he said that marriage equality leads to polygamy?

But hey, Donald Trump once held up a rainbow flag that said “LGBTs for Trump” so we probably have nothing to worry about! You can totally trust Republicans to have your best interests at heart!

www.queerty.com/ben-carsons-no-extra-rights-lgbtqs-comments-arent-going-well-20170113?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Want to see James Corden and Bryan Cranston kiss? Why not?

Apparently straight guys making out for attention is officially a thing now. And it’s about time!

The latest to participate in this sweeping trend are car karaoke aficionado James Corden and breaker of badness Bryan Cranston.

Related: Did you catch Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield kissing at the Golden Globes?

Cranston was describing how he knew his wife was “the one” after a particularly long kiss that sent sparks a-flyin’.

“As actors do, we greeted each other each time we saw each other,” Cranston told Corden. “One time, we kissed each other, and the duration of the kiss exceeded the normal amount allotted for a friendly kiss. Do you know what I mean?”

Related: If you ever wanted to watch Andrew Garfield and Stephen Colbert make out, you’re in luck

The rest, as they say, is awkward-but-endearing-in-that-straight-guy-who-doesn’t-take-himself-too-seriously kind of way.

Watch below:

www.queerty.com/want-see-james-corden-bryan-cranston-kiss-not-20170113?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Disrupt Trump Inauguration, Cabinet Hearings, Comey/Clinton, Deportations: DAILY RESIST

DAILY ROUNDUP

DisruptJ20, Tillerson, Comey, woman who confronted Ryan

DISRUPT THE INAUGURATION. A total of 27 different protest permits have been granted for D.C. the weekend after next. That’s four times more than for past inaugurations. The groups DisruptJ20, ANSWER and Refuse Fascism are all planning a series of traffic disruptions, protests and more.

CABINET HEARINGS. Trump’s Cabinet picks are disagreeing with him left and right. Defense secretary pick James Mattis said he supported the Iran nuclear agreement, secretary of state pick Rex Tillerson called Putin a threat and denounced a ban on Muslims, and CIA head pick Rep. Mike Pompeo defended the intel community.

COMEY, CLINTON & JUSTICE. The Justice Department will investigate FBI director James Comey’s decisions regarding Hillary Clinton’s emails. That will include Comey’s choice to reopen the email issue only days before the election. In response, Trump tweeted that Clinton was “guilty as hell.”

DEPORTATIONS. House speaker Paul Ryan told an undocumented woman and her child that there would be no deportation squads. “I can see that you love your daughter and that you’re a nice person who has a great future ahead of you, and I hope your future’s here,” he said. His promise contradicts Trump’s.

OBAMACARE. The House is set today to follow the Senate’s lead and take the first step toward repealing the program. But both extreme and moderate GOP reps are anxious about repealing with unclear plans for a replacement.

DAILY WATCH: WILL TRUMP USE MEDIA LEAKS TO GO AFTER JOURNALISTS?

At Trump’s press conference yesterday, he shut down questions from CNN because they reported on the spy dossier of unproven claims about his ties to Russia. It’s not the first time he has demonized and punished media outlets for reporting or writing critically on him. Take ten minutes to watch this interview (starting at 26:55) that Democracy Now! did with Joel Simon, head of the Committee to Protect Journalists (the group Meryl Streep urged people to donate to in her Golden Globes speech blasting Trump).

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As Simon notes, it’s actually Obama who began the trend of prosecuting journalists for investigating and reporting leaks–but under Trump, that could have devastating consequences for a free press. “We’re very concerned that there will be a weakening of the protections that journalists have relied on to be able to carry out their communication with confidential sources,” he says. Give it a watch.

DAILY PLANNER: HOW WILL YOU PROTEST THE INAUGURATION?

From the long list of protest permits filed in D.C. to affiliates of the January 21 Women’s March in countless cities including San Francisco and New York, Americans everywhere are planning to hit the streets to protest Trump’s inauguration on (and even well before) January 20.

Have you thought about going to D.C. for the weekend if possible? Groups including DisruptJ20 are lining up transportation, food and housing. If you can’t travel, all you have to do is Google “Trump,” “protest” and the name of your city or state to find a myriad of options.

Personally, we’re thrilled by this sweeping, detailed nationwide vision of resistance in the coming several days put out by the collective Refuse Fascism, which plans to have a major presence in D.C. starting this weekend (Jan 13-15). Give it a read and be inspired by what could be. Then figure out how to be a part of it–wherever you are. Here’s a short video call to action from Refuse Fascism:

DAILY ACTION: TELL THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS TO STAND UP TO TRUMP

Trump at his press conference this week.

This important petition comes from MoveOn, which wants to send a mass message to media: “If Trump blacklists or bans one of you, the rest of you need to stand up. Instead of ignoring Trump’s bad behavior and going about your business, close ranks and stand up for journalism. Don’t keep talking about what Trump wants to talk about. Stand up and fight back. Amplify your colleague’s inquiry or refuse to engage until he removes that person/outlet from the blacklist.”

Daily Resist is a new digest from the LGBTQ blog Towleroad on efforts to block Trump and right-wing extremism and how you can get involved. Follow, like and share us here.

The post Disrupt Trump Inauguration, Cabinet Hearings, Comey/Clinton, Deportations: DAILY RESIST appeared first on Towleroad.

Disrupt Trump Inauguration, Cabinet Hearings, Comey/Clinton, Deportations: DAILY RESIST

The GLAAD Wrap: 'The Fosters' renewed, Lena Waithe's new series, 'The Good Fight' trailer

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-fosters-renewed-lena-waithes-new-series-good-fight-trailer

Gordon Klingenschmitt Exploits Abuse Allegations to Tar All LGBT People

The antigay preacher claims an abuse case in Minnesota shows schools shouldn’t hire LGBT teachers.

www.advocate.com/religion/2017/1/13/gordon-klingenschmitt-exploits-abuse-allegations-tar-all-lgbt-people