Randy Rainbow Shames Trump on DACA, Which Now Stands for ‘Donald’s A Cold-hearted Assface’ — WATCH

Randy Rainbow Shames Trump on DACA, Which Now Stands for ‘Donald’s A Cold-hearted Assface’ — WATCH

DACA shame Randy Rainbow

“Danke Schoen”, the song popularized in 1963 by Wayne Newton and later revived by Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, gets new life from Randy Rainbow in this musical commentary on Trump’s cruel and inhumane decision to end DACA, which now stands for “Donald’s A Cold-hearted Assface”.

With special appearances by Kellyanne Conway and a special announcement by Jeff Sessions “from inside the hollow tree where she makes cookies.”

Watch:

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Randy Rainbow Gives Trump a Musical Dose of ‘DACA Shame’ — WATCH

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: September 6, 2017

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: September 6, 2017

THE TRUMP-PENCE ADMINISTRATION CRUELLY DECIDES TO END DACA: “This is yet another hateful decision by the Trump-Pence Administration,” said Alejandro Avilés, HRC’s Director of Outreach and Engagement, in response to the administration’s announcement yesterday it will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. “A White House that has pardoned human rights violators like Joe Arpaio and espoused racism and white nationalism has now decided that hundreds of thousands of young people — many of whom have never known a home outside the U.S. — are no longer welcome here. Students, with bright futures ahead of them, ready to help make our country truly great, will be sent back to places they don’t remember, breaking families apart and setting our country back immeasurably.” The five-year-old program has allowed hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the U.S. as minors to stay in the country, to continue their studies and to continue making positive contributions to our nation. It is estimated that approximately 75,000 of these “Dreamers” are LGBTQ, and HRC has endorsed the 2017 DREAM Act to explicitly authorize the government to stop the deportation of Dreamers. More from HRC, the Washington Blade and Advocate.

NASHVILLE STATEMENT BY TRUMP’S EVANGELICAL SUPPORTERS IS “DEADLY THEOLOGY”: Writing in AL.com, HRC Alabama State Director Eva Kendrick said this about the dangers of the ugly anti-LGBTQ manifesto: “I am the daughter, granddaughter, niece and relative of more than ten evangelical Baptist and Methodist ministers in Alabama and Georgia. As a part of my work to achieve full legal equality for LGBTQ Alabamians, I prioritize the value of dialogue and conciliation above drawing hard lines, particularly related to theological differences. But there is no room to do that with this week’s ‘Nashville Statement.’ It is deadly theology.” More from AL.com.

WHAT WE’RE READING WEDNESDAY: HRC’s thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. We will stand with Texas and the entire region in the days, weeks and months ahead. While we’ve watched the destruction unfold, we’ve also witnessed fellow Americans step up and show the true character of our country. The Montrose LGBTQ Center in Houston has been helping the local LGBTQ community, and has dedicate itself to increasing its resources and outreach in the wake of Harvey. More from BuzzFeed.

U.S. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE INVOLVING ANTI-LGBTQ DISCRIMINATION: In June, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a case involving a baker who in 2012 refused to provide a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Last year, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld a ruling by the Colorado Court of Appeals that bakery owner Jack Phillips cannot cite religious beliefs or free speech in order to discriminate against same-sex couples. Get in-depth background on this case from CNN.

INDIANA APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS ANTI-TRANSGENDER LAW: The law had required those seeking to change their name to issue a ‘public notice’ in most cases — often forcing transgender people to publicly out themselves, which could put them at risk of discrimination, harassment or violence. More from LGBTQ Nation.

HRC MOURNS KASHMIRE NAZIER REDD, TRANS MAN KILLED IN GATES, N.Y.: HRC mourns the tragic loss of Kashmire Nazier Redd, a 28-year-old transgender man who was fatally stabbed by his partner on Monday morning. Democrat & Chronicle reported that Redd’s partner stabbed him several times during an argument inside their shared apartment in Gates, New York. A friend wrote on Facebook “[Kashmire] loved hard and just wanted to be loved and [accepted].” This tragedy is the latest reminder that the transgender community is disproportionately represented in domestic violence cases across the country, and more must be done to support those experiencing intimate partner violence. More from HRC.

WELLESLEY COLLEGE AND SPELMAN COLLEGE JOINS OTHER ALL-WOMEN SCHOOLS IN ACCEPTING TRANSGENDER WOMEN: Ninotska Love will be one of the first openly transgender women to attend Wellesley, following the college’s decision to change admission rules to explicitly allow transgender women to attend. Spelman College president Mary Schmidt Campbell announced the college would begin accepting transgender women next year. Other all-women colleges that accept transgender women are Mills, Smith, Bryn Mawr and Barnard. More from The Associated Press and Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

HRC MOURNS RODNEY LYLE BRAGG, NASHVILLE LGBTQ ADVOCATE: Rodney worked within the Nashville faith community to advocate for LGBTQ rights within the church and beyond. More from Out and About Nashville.

BACK TO SCHOOL Q&A WITH EXPERT FROM NATIONAL PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION: As part of our Back to School campaign to support LGBTQ students and their families, we spoke with Dr. Beverly J. Hutton, Deputy Executive Director of Programs and Services at the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) to learn more about how their organization supports LGBTQ youth. More from HRC.

PHILADELPHIA NAMES TRANS WOMAN TO POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION: Local transgender advocate Naiymah A. Sanchez will serve on the city’s Police Advisory Commission, which investigates complaints of police misconduct. More from Philadelphia Gay News.

MALTA ADDS THIRD GENDER OPTION TO OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS: The decision comes on the heels of the official beginning of marriage equality in the country on Friday. Malta already passed a federal law protecting citizens from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics, and bans so-called “conversion therapy” for minors. More from Malta Today.

  • The country’s Ministry of Equality also announced it will soon give free access to transition-related health care. More from Times of Malta.

SHAME — ROMANIAN POLITICIANS SEEK TO BAN MARRIAGE EQUALITY BY REFERENDUM: The ruling Social Democratic Party is pushing forward with the plan after an anti-LGBTQ organization collected 3 million petition signatures calling for a constitutional ban on marriage equality. More from Sofia News Agency and Gay Times.

MEET THE PLAINTIFF WHO HELPED OVERTURN BELIZE’S ANTI-LGBTQ LAW: Last year, the highest court in Belize issued a decision that declared unconstitutional a law criminalizing male same-sex sexual activity, and ordered it to be amended. Orozco, an HRC Global Innovator, wrote about his role in overturning the discriminatory law for HRC and The Daily Beast.

READING RAINBOW 

Reuters shares the experiences and struggles of a gay man in Zimbabwe; Salon speaks to a soldier who served during the days of “Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell”; ThinkProgress asks why students aren’t learning more LGBTQ history in schools

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-september-6-2017?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Gunshots Ring Out in the First Teaser for ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ – WATCH

Gunshots Ring Out in the First Teaser for ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ – WATCH

The gates of the late fashion designer Gianni Versace’s former South Beach home – Casa Casuarina – are featured in the first teaser for Ryan Murphy’s upcoming series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. The series does not premiere until 2018.

Versace was murdered on the front steps in 1997.

The 10-episode series features Édgar Ramirez, Ricky Martin, Penélope Cruz and Darren Criss, who stars as Versace’s killer Andrew Cunanan.

Several photos have already been teased from the filming.

Antonio D’Amico, who is played by Martin, took exception to the depiction of the murder based on images he saw on social media of the filming.

The Guardian reported:

“The picture of Ricky Martin holding the body in his arms is ridiculous,” he said, adding that it was like looking at a mimic of Michelangelo’s Pietà, which depicts the body of Jesus in the arms of his mother after the crucifixion. “Maybe it’s the director’s poetic licence, but that is not how I reacted.”

D’Amico says the tragedy of his lover’s murder on 15 July 1997 tipped him into a deep and long depression. Even now he will only briefly discuss it. Versace, who was 50 when he died, was killed shortly before 9am as he returned to his Ocean Drive home after buying a newspaper at a nearby cafe. D’Amico was drinking coffee on the veranda close to the mansion’s entrance when he heard the shots.

“I felt as if my blood had turned to ice,” he said. He and Versace’s butler went outside to investigate.

“The house had stained glass windows so we couldn’t see what had happened from inside, so we had to open the gate. I saw Gianni lying on the steps, with blood around him. At that point, everything went dark. I was pulled away, I didn’t see any more.”

The post Gunshots Ring Out in the First Teaser for ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.


Gunshots Ring Out in the First Teaser for ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ – WATCH

47 LGBT Groups Send Letter Opposing Trump’s Justice Department Pick Eric Dreiband

47 LGBT Groups Send Letter Opposing Trump’s Justice Department Pick Eric Dreiband

eric dreiband

When the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice sued the University of North Carolina for alleged discrimination against transgender people, Eric Dreiband stepped up to defend the university. On Wednesday, more than a year after the department announced that lawsuit, Dreiband will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a confirmation hearing to lead…

The post 47 LGBT Groups Send Letter Opposing Trump’s Justice Department Pick Eric Dreiband appeared first on Towleroad.


47 LGBT Groups Send Letter Opposing Trump’s Justice Department Pick Eric Dreiband

Out country singer Brandon Stansell talks resisting ‘heartless’ administration through music

Out country singer Brandon Stansell talks resisting ‘heartless’ administration through music

Out gay singer Brandon Stansell burst onto the country music scene in 2016 with his latest EP. Now, the California country crooner has written his first full-length album, Slow Down.

Over the past year, Brandon has quickly made his mark using his platform to speak his mind. The recently released music video, for the single “Spare Change,” is his latest to feature powerful messages of acceptance and inclusion for all marginalized communities. In addition, the emerging artist recently performed at St. Louis Pride and Sacramento’s Rainbow Festival. 

Brandon is currently raising money to produce and release his first full-length album. For more information, visit: tinyurl.com/BrandonKICKS.

Brandon took some time to speak with GLAAD about his music career and resisting the current presidential administration through his music.

GLAAD: How did you get into the country music industry? What inspired you to get started?

Brandon Stansell: I love country music and have my entire life. I grew up in a small town just outside of Chattanooga but spent my entire childhood wanting to live in Nashville (and thanks to my parents, who drove me back and forth almost every other day to sing in shows at what used to be Opryland USA, it basically felt that way at times). Regardless, growing up in Tennessee, I was surrounded by country music. I’d wake up listening to what my older siblings were into — Alabama, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and Amy Grant. Musicians who have influenced me to this day. Thank God my siblings had good taste. 

Amy Grant, who was actually the outlier, is THE reason I started singing. I heard “Baby Baby” for the first time when I was five years-old and knew then what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. (A side note: I met Amy Grant shortly after hearing her song for the first time on her 1991 Heart In Motion Tour. We took a picture backstage together, and it proudly hangs in my apartment as a constant reminder of when this journey of mine first began.)

GLAAD: What does it mean to you to be an out singer-songwriter?

BS: Well, it means I get to write and sing honestly about my life experiences. Country music is rooted in storytelling and my music is just that – my story. For anyone who has ever been to my live show, they can tell you I talk candidly about my inspiration for songs, ranging from family to falling in love. 

GLAAD: We’ve seen a number of high profile LGBTQ moments in the country music community in recent years. How have you experienced the evolution of acceptance in country music?

BS: I think fans of country music are more accepting than they are given credit, although I do think there are still quite a few minds and hearts to change. I am so excited to say I am going to be a part of Ty Herndon’s Concert for Love and Acceptance Show, which is something I think would have been inconceivable 10 years ago in this industry. It’s an exciting time for gay artists in country music and I am thrilled to be a part of the changing tides. 

GLAAD: You’ve stated in previous interviews that the video for “Spare Change” is an act of “joyful resistance.” What are you resisting?

BS: I’m resisting this heartless administration. The message of the “Spare Change” video is one of solidarity in resistance. And that this moment in time is a painful, but shared experience. I wanted this video to be as entertaining as it was thought-provoking. We have a president actively dismantling the rights of minorities in this country, and I wanted to use my music as my own form of protest. One thing the queer community has always been good at is protesting in colorful and creative ways, so this new video is just another voice in the choir. Like I always say, if you’re going to take the time to make something, it better mean something. And at the end of the day, if anyone watches this video and is kinder to one stranger—especially someone who doesn’t look like them—then I’m happy.

GLAAD: What inspired you to tell the story told in the “Spare Change” video?

BS: We started thinking through the treatment of this video shortly after Trump announced and initiated his travel ban. I saw the world in an uproar, rightfully so, and wanted to make sure the moment didn’t pass without me being on record as saying in some way of saying how vehemently I disagreed with the policies being enacted on innocents in this country.

GLAAD: What would you tell LGBTQ young people living in the heartland?

BS: I would say, “you’re not alone.” Though our stories may differ in detail, I can honestly say I know what you’re going through. And even though it’s hard, and you may feel hopeless at times, I promise it will get better and you will be a stronger, confident, and more self-sufficient person for having had this experience. 

To keep up to date with Brandon, follow @brandonstansell on Twitter and Instagram.

September 5, 2017
Issues: 

www.glaad.org/blog/out-country-singer-brandon-stansell-talks-resisting-heartless-administration-through-music