Gay Couple Say They Were Drugged and Raped on Vacation in Thailand

A gay couple from Northern Ireland claim they were robbed and raped following a night out in Phuket, Thailand.

Belfast couple Gerald Drumgoole (above left) and Michael Burnett (right) said that their drinks were spiked before their attackers stole two iPhones and cash. Drumgoole and Burnett were then subjected to a “horrific sexual assault.”

After returning home last Wednesday, the couple underwent a medical exam by their doctor who confirmed they had been raped.

RELATED: Thailand Isn’t Always the LGBT Paradise it Appears To Be. Just Ask These Gay Dads

Belfast Live reports:

“We have been to Thailand before, but we have never experienced anything like this,” Gerald told Belfast Live.

“On the night we were attacked Michael and I decided to go out for some drinks to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We had a beer in one bar and then moved on to another. It was in the second bar that our drinks were spiked with a date-rape drug.

“After that we can’t remember anything. It was only well after the attack took place that we realised that we had been attacked and raped.

Drumgoole added that their travel insurance company OUL Direct “abandoned” them in Phuket:

“We were told that we had to contact the insurance company before deciding on which hospital to go to in Phuket. We phoned OUL Direct for five days and all they kept telling us was that they would send an email on and get someone to call us,” Gerald said.

“On the fifth day my family back in Belfast got in touch with the British Embassy in Bangkok and we finally got sent to a hospital, but the hospital wouldn’t accept our insurance documents.

“We then got sent to a private hospital, which insurance companies don’t usually do, but because of our case they got us into this facility. The insurance company also said they would cover all charges, because they knew we had no money after being robbed.

“It was agreed that our excess fee would be paid, but after we received the treatment we were told we had to pay it.”

Gerald also claimed OUL Direct told the couple to leave the hospital without paying, as long as they still had possession of their passports.

“They basically told us to flee the hospital. That is completely illegal. We could have ended up in a Thai prison,” Gerald added.

An OUL Direct spokesman said:

“We take all complaints very seriously and are sorry that this situation has occurred. However, OUL Direct do not deal with emergency assistance cases directly and therefore we are not aware of the details of this case at this time. The company who operates the emergency assistance service on behalf of the underwriter on this policy is Travel Assistance Facilities. We will also investigate this situation as a matter of urgency.”

Drumgoole said he is “not expecting any action” from the insurance company.

In an interview with The Phuket News yesterday, Patong Police Chief Col Chaiwat Uikam said he had not received from his officers any official reports of the men’s rape or robbery. However, he added that he is “looking into it.”

(Image via Facebook)

The post Gay Couple Say They Were Drugged and Raped on Vacation in Thailand appeared first on Towleroad.

Gay Couple Say They Were Drugged and Raped on Vacation in Thailand

Film “Moonlight,” Seth Meyers, and Meryl Streep to be Honored at the 2017 HRC Greater New York Gala

Today, HRC announced that both the groundbreaking film Moonlight and comedian Seth Meyers will be honored at the 2017 HRC Greater New York Gala on Saturday, February 11, 2017, at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. As previously announced, HRC will also honor critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning actress Meryl Streep at the event which raises crucial funds in the fight for full LGBTQ equality.

“Moonlight has captured the hearts and minds of audiences across the country,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The film triumphs in its portrayal of the struggles that many in this country face every day because of discriminatory barriers that still exist, especially if you’re young, African American, and LGBTQ. We are proud to recognize the brilliance of Moonlight with the HRC Visionary Arts Award and welcome playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney to accept the award.”

Moonlight, which tells the story of a young black gay man, is inspired by the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney, who will accept the award on behalf of the film. HRC recently sat down with the film’s writer and director, Barry Jenkins, as well as McCraney, to discuss the groundbreaking film and the issues of bullying and masculinity. Richard Brody of The New Yorker said, “Blasting aside conventions, archetypes, and stereotypes, Jenkins conjures the birth of an individual’s consciousness, the forging of a complex and multifaceted identity; he restores complexity to the very idea of identity, of the multiplicity as well as the singularity of being oneself—and he conveys his own primordial sense of wonder that art itself can conjure it.” Moonlight is the winner of the 2017 Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Drama.

HRC also announced the organization will honor Emmy-Award winning writer Seth Meyers with the HRC Equality Award. Using his perfectly-timed wit and off-the-cuff satire, Meyers has helped to draw attention to discriminatory legislation targeting LGBTQ people across the country, including North Carolina’s deeply discriminatory House Bill 2.

“Seth Meyers’ has wielded his talent and humor to raise awareness about deeply serious issues impacting LGBTQ people,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Through his comedy, Meyers’ consistently speaks out against discrimination, exposing the false premises and irrational efforts by opponents of equality. We look forward to welcoming Seth Meyers to this year’s HRC Greater New York Gala and honoring him with the HRC Equality Award.”

Seth Meyers is an Emmy Award-winning writer and current host of Late Night with Seth Meyers. He was named one TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2014. He was also the former head writer for Saturday Night Live. In 2011, Meyers won the Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for host Justin Timberlake’s musical monologue. Meyers also garnered 14 additional Emmy nominations for his work as a writer in television.

In December, HRC announced that critically-acclaimed actress and LGBTQ-icon Meryl Streep will be honored at the event with the National Ally for Equality Award. For almost 40 years, Meryl Streep has portrayed an astonishing array of characters in a career that has cut its own unique path from the theater through film and television. An outspoken advocate for LGBTQ equality, Streep credits childhood music teachers for helping to open her eyes to LGBTQ acceptance, including her gay piano teacher and his partner, and another transgender music teacher. “I just can’t remember when LGBT people were not in my life,” Streep said an in interview.

The Greater New York Gala is one of HRC’s most prestigious events of the year, attracting more than 1,000 of the organization’s most active leaders, supporters, and members. The event regularly draws political officials from federal, state, and local governments, as well as celebrity entertainers and leaders in the business community. To purchase tickets for the #HRCGreaterNY gala, learn more about the event, ways to volunteer, and more, please visit www.HRCGreaterNY.org.

www.hrc.org/blog/film-moonlight-seth-meyers-and-meryl-streep-to-be-honored-at-the-2017-hrc-g?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Good work, people! America just got even gayer.

Congratulations, everyone: America is gayer than ever before.

A new study by Gallup shows that more Americans than ever before identify as LGBTQ. The polling group surveyed more than 1.6 million people, and used the findings to extrapolate that 10 million adults now claim the acronym. It’s about 4.1% of the population, up from 3.5% in 2012. Not surprisingly, those numbers are strongest among people who are not religious. Women are also more likely to self-identify than men, among whom antigay stigma is stronger.

From these numbers, we can extrapolate the percentage of the population will only swell as organized religion continues to diminish as a role in American life and masculinity and heterosexuality continue their decoupling.

Millennials are credited for for the increase. They’re far more comfortable identifying with orientations other than straight than previous generations. Though when they choose a label, it’s often B rather than L or G.

Around 7.3% of millennials are queer in some way, compared to 3.2% among Generation X and 2.4% of baby boomers. It’s unlikely this age group are any more likely to be LGBTQ; they are just more open about it.

www.queerty.com/good-work-people-america-just-got-even-gayer-20170117?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Randy Rainbow Grills Jennifer Holliday About the Real Reason for Her Inauguration Exit: WATCH

Randy Rainbow looks ahead to “the least attended party since [his] bar mitvah,” — Trumps inauguration — and the line-up of people planning to attend which includes a flock of geese, a life-size cutout of Anne Hathaway, and a block of cheese.

RELATED: Jennifer Holliday Cancels Trump Inauguration Performance, Apologizes to LGBT Fans

Joining Randy is the inauguration’s most recent drop-out: Jennifer Holliday.

Randy quizzes Holliday on the reasons for her exit, specifically the thing that scared her into changing her mind: gay Twitter.

Watch:

The post Randy Rainbow Grills Jennifer Holliday About the Real Reason for Her Inauguration Exit: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Randy Rainbow Grills Jennifer Holliday About the Real Reason for Her Inauguration Exit: WATCH

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 17, 2017

HEARINGS BEGIN FOR TRUMP’S SEC. OF EDUCATION PICK: Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education, will begin her confirmation hearings today. Earlier this month, Politico reported that DeVoz has had several conversations with a Senator who wants her to gut critical protections for young LGBTQ people. “(DeVos) has had several phone conversations with Republican Sen. James Lankford about reining in the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights,” Politico reported. “Lankford stressed to DeVos that there are areas that he sees as federal overreach — like the Education Department’s position that Title IX offers explicit protections for transgender students.” Last May, the U.S. Department of Education offered guidance to schools clarifying that transgender students have the right to be free from discrimination in schools, including the ability to use gender-separated facilities (such as restrooms and locker rooms) that match their gender identity. This guidance follows similar policies in states and school districts across the country, including many that have been treating transgender students with dignity and respect for more than a decade. DeVos’ family foundation, The Douglas and Maria DeVos Foundation, as well as her own foundation, The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, have funded major anti-LGBTQ organizations and campaigns. Senators must ask her about how she will ensure LGBTQ students are safe and treated with respect in our nation’s schools. Advocates — including HRC — will also be watching to see if she makes clear whether she shares her family’s support for conversation therapy programs that harm LGBTQ youth.

SEVEN REASONS THE ACA MATTERS TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY: Congress has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — landmark legislation that provides access to healthcare for 22 million Americans, including millions of LGBTQ people. In the past, President Obama has blocked such attempts, but when President-elect Donald Trump assumes office on Friday, all bets to protect the ACA are off. There is much at stake for the LGBTQ community. State marketplaces, health plans and their employees are prohibited from discriminating against LGBTQ people. Without the protections guaranteed by the ACA, many could lose coverage for lifesaving treatment for HIV and AIDS. The ACA makes it easier for people living with HIV and AIDS to get coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans. The ACA has expanded transition-related healthcare coverage, even to people who are not in ACA marketplace plans. Insurers cannot limit or deny coverage for services used for gender transition when those services would normally be covered when treating a non-transition related health condition. More from HRC.

MORNING MUST WATCH: HRC Equidad MX, a program seeking to expand workplace equality and inclusion in Mexico, launched last year. Deena Fidas, Director of HRC’s Workplace Equality Program, recently spoke with Genaro Lozano on Televisa about the project’s origins and progress. Check out a short clip here.

VA LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS — ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS ALREADY FILED: The Virginia’s legislative session opens this week, and 2017 is shaping up to be a critical year for the state’s LGBTQ community. Early this month, Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order extending protections that exist on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity for state employees to contractors and in the delivery of state services. In contrast, Delegate Bob Marshall pre-filed several bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ Virginians. HRC is calling on members and supporters to oppose this discriminatory legislation, and is partnering with Equality Virginia to defeat any attack on the rights of LGBTQ Virginians and their families. More from HRC.

AND IN GEORGIA, LEGISLATIVE SESSION OPENS WITH CALL FOR STATEWIDE LGBTQ NON-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS: This week also marks the start of Georgia’s 2017 legislative session. In anticipation of attacks from anti-equality legislators, Georgia Unites Against Discrimination, a coalition project of HRC and Georgia Equality, released “Liberty and Justice in Georgia,” a report calling for statewide non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ Georgians and demonstrating the need for comprehensive civil rights protections for a more welcoming and prosperous state. During the session, HRC and its coalition partners at Georgia Unites will continue efforts to defeat any attacks on the rights of LGBTQ Georgians and their families. More from HRC and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

HRC HONORS MLK DAY WITH DAY OF SERVICE FOR LGBTQ HOMELESS YOUTH: In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day, HRC members and supporters across the country gathered Monday for the annual MLK Day of Service. This year, HRC dedicated the Day of Service to ensuring the safety and well-being of homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth. More from HRC.

• Shameful — Over the weekend, President-Elect Donald Trump attacked civil rights hero Congressman John Lewis, who has dedicated his life to protecting civil rights. More from The Washington Post.

.@realDonaldTrump begins MLK weekend by attacking @repjohnlewis, a legend of the Civil Rights Movement and an American hero. Truly shameful. pic.twitter.com/q2Kg3ECd21

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) January 14, 2017

WE ARE HERE TO STAY RALLY FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS: This weekend, HRC co-sponsored the We Are Here To Stay rally for immigrant and refugee rights. The rally, part of a national immigrant day of action, organized by a coalition of immigration advocacy groups, was held at the historic Metropolitan AME Church in downtown Washington, D.C.  Javier, an HRC intern, whose moving story about coming to the United States is featured in a new HRC video in English and Spanish, spoke at the rally. More from The Washington Blade.

●The Rev. MacArthur H. Flournoy, HRC Foundation’s Director for Faith Partnerships and Mobilization, spoke at the We Shall Not be Moved March, sponsored by the National Action Network, on Saturday.

●This weekend, HRC is proud to sponsor the Women’s March on Washington. More from The Washington Blade.

ICYMI — “MEET THE LEADERS OF THE TRUMP RESISTANCE”: Tim Dickinson (@7im) of Rolling Stone sat down with progressive leaders, including HRC President Chad Griffin, who are working together to combat the anti-LGBTQ, anti-woman, Islamaphobic and anti-immigrant platform of President-Elect Donald Trump. Read Dickinson’s interviews with Griffin; Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU; and others at Rolling Stone.

�� BROADWAY STAR BILLY PORTER MARRIES LONGTERM PARTNER: Star of the hit show Kinky Boots and long-time HRC supporter Billy Porter married his partner, Adam Smith, this weekend. More from People.

DAUGHTER OF CONSERVATIVE ALABAMA RADIO HOST COMES OUT AS BISEXUAL: John Archibald (@JohnArchibald) of AL.com writes about Brandi Bubb, her relationship with her father, conservative Alabama radio host Rick Bubb, and what her coming out means for LGBTQ children of evangelical parents. Read the full piece at AL.com.

READING RAINBOW

The Nib illustrates the struggles of LGBTQ homeless youth in New York City… HRC interviews a gay, undocumented immigrant in a new video… and New York Daily News shares the love and support that comedian Colin Mochrie has for this transgender daughter…

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-january-17-2017?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Revolutionary-Era L.A., S.F. in Pictures

www.advocate.com/photography/2017/1/17/revolutionary-era-la-sf-pictures

DC Activists Plan Queer Dance Party at Mike Pence’s Home to Protest Anti-LGBTQ Agenda

DisruptJ20, a series of mass actions supported by the activist collective DC Welcoming Committee, is planning protests around the inauguration, one of which is a Queer Dance Party at the Chevy Chase, Maryland home of VP-elect Mike Pence on Wednesday.

Writes the group on its website and Facebook page:

The homo/transphobic Mike Pence has graciously invited us to shake our booties and bodies in front of/around his house in Chevy Chase. We plan on leaving behind [biodegradable] glitter and rainbow paraphinalia that he can NEVER forget. #WeAreQueer #WeAreHere #WeWillDance That’s right, get ready to WERK it and tell Daddy Pence: homo/transphobia is not tolerated in our country!

WERK for Peace and DisruptJ20 are teaming up to bring you the best dance party in the nation, so you betta’ show up and weerrrrkkk! We will meet at the Friendship heights metro and make our way via carpooling or dance to Daddy Pence’s neighborhood. Bring your flyest rainbow gear and your booty/body shaking skills!

Afterparty Fundraiser Location TBA!

Pence will arguably be the most openly anti-LGBTQ Vice-President in history when sworn in.

From running a think-tank that published virulently anti-gay articles, to attempting to divert HIV/AIDS money to fund conversion therapy, to refusing to protect LGBT Hoosiers from discrimination, to legalizing anti-LGBT discrimination in Indiana, to cozying up to notorious homophobes, to supporting a ban on gay marriage, and decrying the ‘mainstreaming of homosexuality in the military’ after DADT was repealed, the list is among the worst records on LGBTQ issues the office will have ever seen.

Trump has emboldened the ugliest, most hateful elements of society. Fight back, join the resistance! t.co/Y44T4mG4nd #disruptj20 pic.twitter.com/a5C1D26OzA

— ✊ #DisruptJ20 ✊ (@DisruptJ20) December 29, 2016

The post DC Activists Plan Queer Dance Party at Mike Pence’s Home to Protest Anti-LGBTQ Agenda appeared first on Towleroad.

DC Activists Plan Queer Dance Party at Mike Pence’s Home to Protest Anti-LGBTQ Agenda

Can California End AIDS Without the Affordable Care Act?

Cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco were making huge dents in transmission. Thanks to Republican lawmakers, that could all end.

www.advocate.com/commentary/2017/1/17/can-california-end-aids-without-affordable-care-act

バレンタインデー「職場チョコレート」の悩み、「愛はカラフル！」チョコで幸せなイベントに
職場にトランスジェンダーや同性愛者などがいることが想定されていない（村木真紀さん）

もっと見る: バレンタインデー, Lgbt, バレンタイン, チョコ, チョコレート, レインボー, 虹色ダイバーシティ, 同性愛, 職場, 働き方, Japan Lgbt, Japan News

www.huffingtonpost.jp/2017/01/16/nijiiro_n_14212226.html