Global Gag Rule, GOES-16, Ian McKellen, TPP, Ed Sheeran, Goldfrapp, Last Jedi, Marco Rubio: HOT LINKS

EARTH. GOES-16 satellite sends back first stunning images. “Since the GOES-16 satellite lifted off from Cape Canaveral on November 19, scientists, meteorologists and ordinary weather enthusiasts have anxiously waited for the first photos from NOAA’s newest weather satellite, GOES-16, formerly GOES-R. The release of the first images today is the latest step in a new age of weather satellites. It will be like high-definition from the heavens.”

NEWT GINGRICH. Arrest Madonna.

NUMBERS. Women’s march had 3x more people than Trump’s inauguration. “Marcel Altenburg and Keith Still, crowd scientists at Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain, analyzed photographs and video taken of the National Mall and vicinity and estimated that there were about 160,000 people in those areas in the hour leading up to Mr. Trump’s speech Friday. They estimated that at least 470,000 people were at the women’s march in Washington in the areas on and near the mall at about 2 p.m. Saturday.”

RUE THE DAY. Sir Ian McKellen had a very uniquely witty sign at the Women’s March, of course.

ALTERNATIVE FACTS. White House pushes “alternative facts.” Here are the real ones.

FACTS. Merriam-Webster trolls Kellyanne Conway.

?A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. t.co/gCKRZZm23c

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 22, 2017

GLOBAL GAG RULE. Trump reinstates Mexico City policy: “Donald Trump wasted no time Monday resurrecting the “global gag rule,” which cuts off federal funds to international organizations offering family planning information that includes abortion.”

One of @realDonaldTrump’s 1st exec actions combines 2 of his favorite things:
✓ Silencing anyone who disagrees with him
✓ Repressing women pic.twitter.com/btMtehhcFQ

— NARAL (@NARAL) January 23, 2017

NO COMMENTS. White House phone line shut down.

TRADE. Trump signs executive order withdrawing US from TPP: “The move fulfills one of Trump’s signature campaign pledges to get out of the sweeping 12-nation trade deal, which he once called “a rape of our country” and said would hurt U.S. jobs.”

.@POTUS shows the exec. order withdrawing the U.S. from #TPP after signing it in the Oval Office. UPI/Pool/Ron Sachs pic.twitter.com/Jz5lXcjSH0

— UPI Photos (@UPIPhotos) January 23, 2017

CHARLES BLOW. Quote of the day: “I have given quite a few speeches since the election and inevitably some variation of this ‘reaching out’ issue is raised in the form of a question, and my answer is always the same: The Enlightenment must never bow to the Inquisition.” Continued here.

SPINELESS MARCO RUBIO. Senator caves on opposition to Rex Tillerson.

NEXT MOVE. Clintons plot return to political fray. “The recently vanquished candidate has told some associates she’s looking at a spring timeline for mapping out some of her next political steps.”

NYC. Chelsea’s fave gay eatery gets a facelift.

NICHOLAS HOULT. Rocking a new ‘stache.

FIRED. Stacey Dash.

UK. PM Theresa May knew about Trident missile failure: “Downing Street is facing growing accusations of a cover-up as the prime minister stood up in the Commons to ask MPs to vote for the renewal of the Trident programme on 18 July without telling them about problems with the missile system.”

MALE MODEL MONDAY. Lucas Loyola. More HERE.

 

THE LAST JEDI. It’s the title of the next Star Wars film.

It’s official. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is the next chapter of the Skywalker saga. This December. #TheLastJedi t.co/ySkVwQcMTP pic.twitter.com/eHrPgbsRJq

— Star Wars (@starwars) January 23, 2017

COMING SOON. Feud.

NEW TUNE. Goldfrapp “Anymore”.

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Ed Sheeran “Castle on the Hill”.

MONDAY MUSCLE. Terrence Jae.

 

 

The post Global Gag Rule, GOES-16, Ian McKellen, TPP, Ed Sheeran, Goldfrapp, Last Jedi, Marco Rubio: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.

Global Gag Rule, GOES-16, Ian McKellen, TPP, Ed Sheeran, Goldfrapp, Last Jedi, Marco Rubio: HOT LINKS

The Women’s March motivated and inspired me. What now?

9 Ways to Channel This Weekend’s Energy Into Sustained Action for LGBTQ Rights

Throughout our nation’s history, we’ve faced setbacks in our pursuit of a more perfect union. But even in the darkest of moments, Americans have summoned the courage and persistence to battle forward. That’s why one day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, LGBTQ people took to the streets with millions of Women’s March participants around the world to speak out against hate, division, and fear.

And now, upon the March’s conclusion, we must not to slow down. We must double down and channel the energy of this past weekend into sustained political action.

It’s more important than ever for us to organize, mobilize, and fight in solidarity against attempts to roll back the rights of vulnerable communities. No matter who sits in the Oval Office, HRC will remain focused and undeterred in our fight for the equal dignity of LGBTQ people everywhere — and we can’t do it without you.

Here are some actions you can take right now to make a difference:

#1. Call your member of Congress and make sure they know that you care about LGBTQ equality and that you’ll be watching how they vote on Trump’s cabinet picks. Ensure they thoroughly vet each nominee for where they stand on LGBTQ rights and ask them to oppose Jeff Sessions, Tom Price, Ben Carson, and any nominee who fails to make clear LGBTQ people should receive full protection under the law. Tell them you want the Affordable Care Act to stay. Ensure they know you support our LGBTQ family and friends who are immigrants. Put your lawmakers’ numbers on speed dial and call frequently. Your persistence matters!

#2. Stay informed on current events and share information. Read the newspaper, follow your favorite non-profits, and help your friends stay up to date on the issues. Sign up to HRC’s AM Equality for daily updates on the fight for equality and share a news tip with HRC’s blog.

#3. Talk to your kids about bullying issues. Let’s help arm them against bullying and harassment and ensure that all kids feel safe in their schools and community. Visit WelcomingSchools.org for tips to share with your child and school.

#4. Speak up. If you hear or see something offensive, please say something if it feels safe. It’s our collective responsibility at this moment in history, to help fight against hate and create spaces that are safe and open for all. Let others in the LGBTQ community know that they matter, they are valued, and they have a place in our country.

#5. Reach out to local leaders. Whether it’s your school board member or your state legislators, changes starts in your backyard. Track local laws and policies and reach out to your elected officials wherever you might be.

#6. Follow HRC across social media. Follow HRC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up to date news, actions and alerts, including specific news in your city and state. Don’t forget to add your email address to our list for the latest news as well.

#7. Volunteer with the Human Rights Campaign. Our volunteer-led events and activities are about engaging LGBTQ people and our allies, educating the public, and raising funds necessary to support the important work of HRC locally and nationally. Join a vibrant, energetic group of leaders in your community. Our work now is more important than ever.

#8. Make a donation to HRC and other non-profits. Your monetary contributions make our work possible. We promise to use your gift to fight for a world in which every single LGBTQ person has the rights, privileges, and protections they deserve.

#9. Share your story. Use your voice to inspire change. Never underestimate the value of your story and its ability to move hearts and minds to the side of equality. We have seen it work before.

www.hrc.org/blog/the-womens-march-motivated-and-inspired-me.-what-now?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Must-See LGBTQ TV: “TGIT” returns this week, plus the premiere of 'Riverdale' and more

www.glaad.org/blog/must-see-lgbtq-tv-tgit-returns-week-plus-premiere-riverdale-and-more

George Michael’s ex says chemsex may have led to singer’s death

One of George Michael‘s ex-lovers is coming forward to suggest the dangerous, highly dose-sensitive drug GHB may have played a part in the artist’s untimely death.

Escort Paul Stag claims Michael was addicted to chemsex, and says he supplied him with numerous drugs before and after dating him between 2009 and 2013.

According to Pink News, Stag says “George was mad on G. He loved it. It is 100 percent he would have chems on Christmas Eve before his death.”

Talking to The Sun, the 48-year-old Stag says:

He was incredibly sexually active and in his mind drugs equalled sex and sex equalled drugs. My belief is he didn’t separate that until the day he died.

I saw him collapse many, many times. He threw up on my bathroom floor and I had to kick him out of my house.

Stag says Michael called him about 500 times in nine years to get drugs from him.

My heart never sank when the phone went and it was a request from George. It was 300, 400, 500 times…Sometimes it would be twice a week, then nothing for a few weeks because of his work.”

Stag says that he and Michael never had sex when the pop star wasn’t on the drugs he supplied. They apparently met “through a gay magazine.”

Stag insists he only supplied Michael with the drugs because he didn’t want him to start using someone who was less trustworthy.

Related: Ricky Martin and George Michael were too old to influence Troye Sivan

www.queerty.com/george-michaels-ex-says-chemsex-may-led-singers-death-20170123?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Sean Spicer Holds First White House Briefing Since Falsely Accusing Press of Lying: WATCH LIVE

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer is set to hold his first briefing since the bizarre press conference he held over the weekend in which he unleashed a series of assertions about inauguration attendance that were demonstrably false and offered reporters no opportunity to respond.

It’s scheduled to begin at 1:30 pm ET.

RELATED: Why Team Trump’s Litigation of ‘Alternative Facts’ About Inauguration Attendance Should Alarm Us All

Alternate feed:

The post Sean Spicer Holds First White House Briefing Since Falsely Accusing Press of Lying: WATCH LIVE appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Spicer Holds First White House Briefing Since Falsely Accusing Press of Lying: WATCH LIVE

14 “alternative facts” for the Trump administration to chew on

Donald Trump’s presidency is off to a rocky start. Not only was his poorly attended inauguration on Friday overshadowed by the Women’s March the following day (which drew nearly 3 million people nationwide), but he had his Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, blatantly lie to reporters about the inauguration attendance numbers, claiming Trump had the “largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period,” despite clear photographic evidence, metro data, and TV ratings numbers to the contrary.

Related: 10 things Kellyanne Conway looked like other than a respectable politico at Trump’s inauguration

If that wasn’t pathetic enough, Kellyanne Conway then went on Meet The Press to defend Spicer’s lies. “Sean Spicer gave ‘alternative facts,’” she insisted. Naturally, Twitter had a field day with this. An #alternativefacts hashtag began trending, with people offering their own ridiculous interpretations to facts they find inconvenient. 

Scroll down for some of our favorite #alternativefacts tweets…

I’m a masc 4 masc daddy who spends weekends in weho sippin’ vodka sodas with my bros. #ALTERNATIVEFACTS ????

— Kory DeSoto (@Korsoto) January 23, 2017

Icebergs are disappearing because polar bears are eating them #alternativefacts

— David Belz (@dmdb44) January 23, 2017

I stuck an extension cord in my gas tank so now my car is electric. #AlternativeFacts

— Tommy Campbell (@MrTommyCampbell) January 22, 2017

Grabbing by pussy meant he was trying to pet their cats. #alternativefacts

— Mike Signorile (@MSignorile) January 22, 2017

WE WILL WIN GRAMMYS IN EVERY CATEGORY THIS YEAR #alternativefacts

— DNCE (@DNCE) January 23, 2017

‘Nobody has more respect for women than me, believe me.’

-Donald Trump

#AlternativeFacts pic.twitter.com/cE13eNwNNT

— Impeach Donald Trump (@Impeach_D_Trump) January 23, 2017

Hillary is president right now. I choose to believe this. #alternativefacts

— Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) January 22, 2017

There was never a Tegan AND a Sara. #fightclub #alternativefacts

— Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) January 23, 2017

I was born a woman #alternativefacts

— Katya (@katya_zamo) January 22, 2017

officer I am not drunk, I am alternative sober, #alternativefacts

— kyle humble (@khumble14) January 22, 2017

So I’m gonna send my landlord a fiver and say I’m paying “alternative rent.” That’ll be cool, right? #alternativefacts

— Bill Loehfelm (@BillLoehfelm) January 23, 2017

As a member of the @backstreetboys, I had a love child with @BettyMWhite. #AlternativeFacts

— Lance Bass (@LanceBass) January 22, 2017

Millions cheer as Mike Pence greets adoring crowds along the #Inauguration parade route #AlternativeFacts pic.twitter.com/MCq12kZQxu

— Donald J. Drumpf (@RealDonalDrumpf) January 22, 2017

One million people wear invisibility cloaks to inauguration #alternativefacts

— Laura Kay (@cclaurak) January 23, 2017

And then, of course, there’s this tweet from the all-knowing Merriam-Webster dictionary itself…

?A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. t.co/gCKRZZm23c

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 22, 2017

www.queerty.com/14-alternative-facts-trump-administration-chew-20170123?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Restaurant Caught Red-Handed Denying Entrance to Gay Couple on ‘Date Night’ – WATCH

A restaurant near Johannesburg, South Africa was caught discriminating this week when it forbid Eyewitness News journalists Clement Manyathela and Victor Magwedze, who were posing as a gay couple, from sitting down at the restaurant’s date night.

News24 reports:

In an SMS, which is sent out once a booking has been made for “date night”, the restaurant stipulates that same-sex couples are not welcome…

…On Monday, restaurant owner Sami-Jo Amiras told News24: “Date night is a themed event designed for a man and a woman.

“The reason for stating ‘no same-sex couple’ is not meant to discriminate against anyone, but to control a couple’s event.”

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is looking into the matter. Spokesperson Gushwell Brooks said the equality clause of the Constitution stated clearly that discrimination based on sexual orientation was unacceptable.

“There are numerous establishments that still refuse entry or services to people based on their sexual orientation and that this is obviously in breach of our right to equality,” he said.

Watch:

The post Restaurant Caught Red-Handed Denying Entrance to Gay Couple on ‘Date Night’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Restaurant Caught Red-Handed Denying Entrance to Gay Couple on ‘Date Night’ – WATCH

HRC Previews Anti-LGBTQ Action Anticipated in Statehouses During 2017

Today, HRC released a new report previewing battles against anti-LGBTQ state legislation expected in the year ahead. With at least 40 anti-LGBTQ bills in 16 states introduced so far, HRC anticipates that, as in 2016, anti-equality activists will push for legislation giving a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people under the guise of religion; measures specifically targeting transgender people; and proposals to eliminate local LGBTQ non-discrimination protections, among others. The new analysis also highlights opportunities to advance LGBTQ equality in 2017.  

“Lawmakers seeking to target LGBTQ people would do well to heed the lessons learned in North Carolina, where legislators are still working to repeal HB2 and undo the damage wrought by that hateful law,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Like last year, we will be working closely with state partners across the country to prevent lawmakers from plowing down a destructive path that threatens LGBTQ people and wrecks a state’s economy and reputation. It’s time to recognize that Americans have moved inexorably in the direction of equality and there is no appetite for anti-LGBTQ politicking.”

In recent years, the steady increase in public support for LGBTQ equality has been met with a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation being introduced in state legislatures. As lawmakers begin new sessions in state capitols around the country, HRC is bracing for a repeat of the 2015 and 2016 sessions, with hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills filed. In 2016, legislators in 38 states filed more than 250 bills meant to restrict the rights of LGBTQ individuals and their families. With hard work, collective cooperation, and tight focus throughout the state and national LGBTQ equality movement, only 8 of those bills passed both legislative chambers, and after gubernatorial vetoes, just 5 bills actually became law. However, with the 2016 election results, 2017 has the potential to be even more challenging. As the 2017 legislative sessions begin, more states will have Republican single-party control in the House, Senate, and Governor’s office than in the previous legislative period.

The discriminatory legislation targeting LGBTQ people is taking many different forms across the country. They range from measures specifically targeting transgender people and seeking to prevent them from accessing sex-segregated facilities consistent with their gender identity; legislation aimed to authorize individuals, businesses, and taxpayer-funded agencies to cite religion as an excuse to refuse goods or services to LGBTQ people; and bills seeking to eliminate the ability of local governments to protect LGBTQ residents and visitors from discrimination, among other proposals.

Continued Southern Focus

Most of the anti-LGBTQ legislation considered in 2016 was introduced in southern states, and 2017 is expected to be the same with significant concerns being raised in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. In fact, in these and other states, more than three dozen bills are already on the docket for consideration, and there is no doubt there will be more as the legislative sessions progress.

Advocates are especially concerned with the threats posed by lawmakers in the Lone Star State. It is clear the Texas Legislature expects to take up religious refusal bills, anti-transgender legislation, and other discriminatory proposals. It will take the full force of the LGBTQ movement, business and civic leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure Texas does not pass anti-LGBTQ laws this session.

Pro-Equality Legislation

Although the legislative environment in a majority of states will not likely be open to considering pro- equality bills, there are a few places where movement is possible. Leaders in New Hampshire and New York will continue to consider whether to add gender identity to their state non-discrimination laws. Legislators in California are expected to remain on the cutting edge of passing laws protecting LGBTQ people. In Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Ohio, legislators will again be presented with the opportunity to add sexual orientation and gender identity to state non-discrimination laws, while in Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Rhode Island, consideration could be given to laws protecting minors from incredibly harmful conversion therapy.

Ballot Initiatives

Last year marked one of the rare recent years where there was not a repeal of pro-LGBTQ state or local legislation on the ballot anywhere. Unfortunately, the future holds several challenges in attempts by anti-equality activists to undo important legislative protections for LGBTQ people.

Activists in Massachusetts have already secured enough signatures to place a repeal of the new gender identity public accommodations law on the ballot in November of 2018. Freedom Massachusetts, the campaign that includes the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations that secured the legislative victory, is already at work to protect the law when it goes to the ballot. Meanwhile, opposition forces in Washington State were unable to secure enough signatures in 2016 to take a repeal of the state’s 10-year- old non-discrimination law to the ballot, but are expected to make another attempt in 2017. And in Maine, extremists have received approval to collect signatures to place on the ballot the removal of “sexual orientation” from the state’s Human Rights Act.

After the governor’s veto of discriminatory anti-transgender student legislation in South Dakota, anti-LGBTQ forces in the state have threatened a ballot referendum if a bill similar to the one vetoed by Governor Daugaard does not pass in the 2017 legislative session.

The full report — Preview 2017: Pro-Equality and Anti-LGBTQ State and Local Legislation — can be found here.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-previews-anti-lgbtq-action-anticipated-in-statehouses-during-2017?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed