#AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 8, 2018

LGBTQ STORIES AT THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS, HRC GOES BLACK TO HONOR #TIMESUP ADVOCACY: The 75th annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday featured a number of groundbreaking stories about LGBTQ people and celebrated the LGBTQ actors and allies who brought them to the screen. The award show was hosted by Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers), a longtime advocate who received the HRC Equality Award last year. All eyes were on the red carpet, as many actors wore all black in a show of solidarity with the #MeToo movement and the new #TIMESUP project to advocate for women — especially the most vulnerable — in an effort to stop workplace sexual assault and harassment. HRC stood in solidarity with this movement, changing its logo to black across its social platforms.

• Emma Stone brought tennis icon Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) to the red carpet. King, honored with HRC’s National Equality Award in 2006, spoke at last year’s HRC National Dinner. More from Bustle.
• Emma Watson’s (@EmmaWatson) guest was LGBTQ and women’s advocate Marai Larasi (@MaraiLarasi). More from Hollywood Life.
• Last year, several other noted LGBTQ people and allies were nominated and the groundbreaking film “Moonlight” made history when it won for Best Motion Picture – Drama.

REMEMBERING TRAGIC DEATH OF AN OHIO TRANS TEEN & THE URGENT NEED FOR LGBTQ-INCLUSIVE NONDISCRIMINATION MEASURE: “A little more than three years ago, people across Ohio awoke to tragic news: Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year-old transgender girl from Kings Mills, near Cincinnati, had died by suicide… Leelah’s final call was for all of us to ‘fix society’ and fight injustice,” writes HRC Ohio Director Shawn and TransOhio Co-Chair Melissa Alexander in a piece for Cleveland.com. LGBTQ advocates are hoping to fufuill Leelah’s final plea by passing Ohio Fairness Act, expected to have its first hearing this month. This crucial legislation would bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in areas of employment, housing and public accommodations in Ohio. Read the full piece in Cleveland.com.

MUST WATCH MONDAY: In a new video, HRC thanks its millions of members and supporters for standing on the right side of history and continuing to unite, resist and enlist in 2018. They made a huge difference by calling Congress, signing petitions, donating money, responding to urgent text alerts, marching, and speaking out in their hometowns. More from San Diego LGBT Weekly.

GEORGIA LAWMAKER PURSUES HATE CRIMES BILL: GOP State Rep. Meagan Hanson will introduce a bill with bipartisan support. It mirrors protections in federal hate crimes law, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity. More from The Georgia Voice.

HRC MOURNS KERRICE LEWIS, LESBIAN WOMAN MURDERED IN DC: HRC was shocked to hear about the horrifying murder of Lewis, 23, who was shot and burned alive last month. Lewis’ grandfather described her as “full of life” and a “free spirit” who could “light up a room, just talking and laughing.” Police are investigating and have yet to release a possible motive. More from HuffPost.

#SayHerName: Our hearts break for family & friends of Kerrice Lewis, whose tragic murder still demands answers. t.co/qzvEJTUGUK

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) January 7, 2018

LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR TRANS WOMAN COMING OUT AT WORK: When Zoe, a trans woman in Ontario, Canada, came out to her coworkers, she was astonished at their support — from sending her notes, decorating her office and holding a “coming out” party in her honor. More on this beautiful story from Upworthy.

ICE SKATER ADAM RIPPON MAKES HISTORY – HEADING TO OLYMPICS:

Congrats @Adaripp on becoming the first openly gay American male figure skater to compete in the Winter Olympics! #TeamUSA ����⛸��️‍�� t.co/htqbq8meEu

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) January 8, 2018

SEVEN YEARS SINCE GABBY GIFFORDS INJURED IN SHOOTING IN TUCSON: The mass shooting took the lives of six people and seriously injured many more, including then-Rep. Giffords. ‪HRC is proud to work with Gabby and other advocates to end gun violence once and for all.

LGBTQ MORMONS SEEK EQUALITY IN THE CHURCH: Across the nation, LGBTQ Mormons and their allies are having important conversations about the role of faith in their lives. Vice’s Nigel Duara (@nigelduara) sat down with LGBTQ Mormons to talk bout their struggles and hopes for the future in light of the church’s recent change in leadership. In 2017, HRC Foundation released “Coming Home to Mormonism Guide,” which provides advice and resources to help Mormons in the U.S. looking to engage more deeply with their faith, even in the face of significant challenges. More from Vice.

• “In the 18-26 age bracket, more than 40 percent [of Mormons] support gay marriage, double the 20 percent backing among Mormons age 52 and over. Of the former Mormons in the Riess’ millennial cohort, LGBT issues were the third most commonly cited reason for their decision to drop out.” More from The Salt Lake Tribune.

TRANS INMATE SEEKS TRANSFER TO WOMEN’S PRISON: Deon “Strawberry” Hampton is receiving a rare hearing from a U.S. magistrate judge on her request to serve out her sentence in a women’s facility, where she will be less vulnerable to assault and harassment. More from The Seymour (Ind.) News.

HRC WORKPLACE EQUALITY EFFORT IN MEXICO FEATURED ON COVER OF COUNTRY’S ONLY LGBTQ MAGAZINE: Comunidad Divers highlights HRC Equidad MX: Global Workplace Equality Program, which launched recently in Mexico City, highlighting the importance of LGBTQ-inclusive policies in workplaces, including at major multinationals. More from Comunidad Divers.

HRC EN LA PORTADA DE LA ÚNICA REVISTA LGBT IMPRESA DE MÉXICO: Comunidad Divers, la única revista LGBT impresa de México, destacó el lanzamiento del Programa HRC Equidad MX: Global Workplace Equality que se llevó a cabo hace un mes. La nota destacó la importancia de políticas inclusivas de personas LGBT en centros laborales y multinacionales. Más de Comunidad Divers.

.@HRC makes the cover of #ComunidadDivers, the only #LGBTQ magazine in #Mexico highlighting HRC’s Equidad MX Report.

HRC hace portada en #ComunidadDivers, la única revista LGBTQ de #México destacando el lanzamiento del Informe HRC Equidad MX ¡Gracias t.co/fwSenxG0AK! pic.twitter.com/xDjtKGcIE9

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) January 5, 2018

WHERE DO THE 12 NFL PLAYOFF TEAMS STAND ON LGBTQ EQUALITY? Find out in this wrapup from OutSports.

SINGAPOREAN GAY MAN TO APPEAL DECISION DENYING HIM RIGHT TO ADOPT BIOLOGICAL SON: The child was born to a surrogate in the U.S. More from Daily Mail.

CANADIAN MAYOR TO APOLOGIZE FOR PREDECESSOR’S ANTI-LGBTQ ACTIONS: London, Ontario, Mayor Matt Brown will apologize for actions taken by a former mayor to refuse to recognize the LGBTQ community. More from CTV News.

READING RAINBOW

South Florida Gay News reviews “Welcome to Fairyland: Queer Miami Before 1940;” BBC highlights Paris Lees, the first openly trans woman featured in British Vogue; Washington Blade interviews trans women in El Salvador’s capital

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-8-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Seth Meyers Drew ‘Boos’ with His Golden Globes Harvey Weinstein Joke, But That’s What He Wanted: WATCH

Seth Meyers delivered a pitch perfect opening monologue at last night’s Golden Globes, addressing sexual harassment, Donald Trump, and powerful men in Hollywood.

See the full list of winners, and Oprah’s speech, HERE.

Said Meyers:

For the male nominees in the room tonight, this is the first time in three months it won’t be terrifying to hear your name read out loud. “Did you hear about Willem Dafoe?” “Oh, God, no!” “He was nominated.” “Don’t do that! Don’t do that.” …

…They tried to get a woman to host this show, they really did. They said, “Hey, how would you like to come and be judged by some of the most powerful people in Hollywood?” And women were like, “Hmm, well, where is it?” And they said, “It’s at a hotel,” and long story short, I’m your host tonight.

He took direct shots at Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey:

Well, I think it’s time to address the elephant not in the room. Harvey Weinstein isn’t here tonight. Because, well, I’ve heard rumors that he’s crazy and difficult to work with. But don’t worry, he’ll be back in 20 years when he becomes the first person ever booed during the “In Memoriam.” [boos] It’ll sound like that.

Well, despite everything that happened this year, the show goes on. For example, I was happy to hear they’re going to do another season of “House of Cards.” Is Christopher Plummer available for that, too? I hope he can do a Southern accent, ’cause Kevin Spacey sure couldn’t. Oh, is that too mean? To Kevin Spacey?

He also attempted to get Oprah to run for president, citing his emcee role at the White House National Correspondents Dinner where Trump was humiliated and which many say was the night he decided to run:

Oprah Winfrey is receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award tonight. What a tremendous honor, for Cecil B. DeMille. And Oprah, while I have you, in 2011 I told some jokes about our current president at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — jokes about how he was unqualified to be president — and some have said that night convinced him to run. So if that’s true, I just want to say: Oprah, you will never be president! You do not have what it takes! And Hanks! Where is Hanks? You will never be vice president! You are too mean and unrelatable. Now we just wait and see.

Watch Meyers’ monologue up top.

The post Seth Meyers Drew ‘Boos’ with His Golden Globes Harvey Weinstein Joke, But That’s What He Wanted: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Seth Meyers Drew ‘Boos’ with His Golden Globes Harvey Weinstein Joke, But That’s What He Wanted: WATCH

‘Neighbours’ Star Craig McLachlan Denies Sexual Misconduct Allegations​
Former ‘Neighbours’ star Craig McLachlan has denied allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.

The actor – best know for playing Henry Ramsay on the Australian soap from 1987 to 1989 – has been accused of inappropriate touching and harassment by three women.

The allegations date back to 2014 during a stage production of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’, where he played the lead ole of Dr Frank N Furter.

While he has stepped down from a new season of the show playing to audiences in Adelaide, Craig has dismissed the claims as “entirely false”.

He said in a statement: “Frankly, they seem to be simple inventions, perhaps made for financial reasons, perhaps to gain notoriety.”

Christie Whelan Browne, Erika Heynatz and Angela Scundi came forward with their claims about Craig’s in appropriate behaviour as they wanted to protect other cast members.

Christie told ABC News: “I think people who know him know that he’s very generous, warm, funny… I saw a very different side come out in him which was terrifying.”

The Rocky Horror Show’s producer, Gordon Frost Organisation, said they were “shocked” to learn of the claims in a statement explaining his exit from the production.

“We have spoken to Craig and have mutually agreed it is not appropriate for him to continue in the current production,” a spokesperson said.

“We will be conducting a full internal investigation and will co-operate fully with authorities. We were not aware of any details of these allegations until they were published in the media today.”

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/craig-mclachlan-neighbours-sexual-misconduct-allegations-denial_uk_5a535244e4b003133ec9fbbb

A Trans Man Closes in on His Military Dream

With Trump’s military ban blocked for now, Nicolas Talbott is enlisting, and he’s optimistic his dream will come true.

www.advocate.com/military/2018/1/08/trans-man-closes-his-military-dream

Drei Freunde machen ein Foto – doch alle schauen nur auf den vierten Mann

www.huffingtonpost.de/entry/drei-freunde-machen-ein-foto-am-strand-doch-alle-schauen-nur-auf-den-vierten-mann-im-bild_de_5a5338fde4b0efe47eba280a

It’s Time For Welsh Labour To Get Back On The Front Foot

The other day I came across a video on my Twitter timeline:

“I don’t think anyone who is facing a planned operation which has been cancelled would say it’s more important that they have treatment than someone who is a genuine emergency.”

These were the words of one of the most up-and-coming Welsh Labour politicians, as he stood in the lobby of the Senedd speaking to BBC Wales Politics about the recent operation cancellations in Wales. For me, this quote, from Health Secretary Vaughn Gethin, is representative of a wider issue for Welsh Labour. It was stale, it was not good enough, it was a day too late.

My fear is, if Welsh Labour can’t get back on the front foot, the whole party might start to look stale.

Since the Welsh Assembly began on the turn of the millennium, the Labour Party has been the governing party, either alone or in coalition. Over the years since, the turnout rate for elections has at times been frustratingly low, hitting its lowest point around the high 30s – that’s 30% lower than the turnout in the 2017 general election.

As good as this has been for the Welsh Labour Party, having one major party always in government isn’t healthy for a democracy. Despite opposition parties putting plenty of pressure on every Labour-led government, having such a strong, continuous presence in the assembly brings with it dangers. Dangers of complacency, dangers of inefficiency… perhaps worse.

Being the only national branch of the Labour Party that has any control of the levers of power, Welsh Labour has a unique responsibility to play their part in the democracy of the United Kingdom. They have a responsibility not just to provide a voice for Welsh Labour, but to provide a voice for Wales. As brilliant as Vaughn Gethin has been over the last year, in my opinion his comment to the BBC shows that Welsh Labour aren’t quite meeting the mark.

Suggesting that people waiting for knee operations should be understanding about having their operations cancelled is completely beyond the point. Welsh Labour’s job is not to swallow the bitter medicine of central government and regurgitate some meaningless platitude. People who already wait years for knee operations have a right to be outraged, and Welsh Labour should be giving them a voice.

It’s time Labour stopped being defensive about the standard of our NHS and tell the people the honest truth: the reason the NHS is struggling is because it doesn’t have enough money. If you want that money for your operation, go tell Theresa May at the ballot box, because she’s got it in her treasury.

Despite the OECD objectively showing that no one country is lagging behind another in the UK in terms of NHS improvement, the Conservatives still like to point at Wales’ ‘worse’ NHS to deflect the attention from their austerity agenda. The irony is that the reason our NHS is on its knees is because of that very agenda.

But if they want to compare, as they often do, let’s compare: because our NHS is nothing to be ashamed of. The Welsh government have done well with the money they have been given – they’ve protected it from the private sector, English Conservatives haven’t. They’ve protected free prescriptions, English Conservatives haven’t. They’ve invested more money in social care through local authorities, English Conservatives haven’t.

The truth is that Wales is, demographically speaking, older, unhealthier, and more at risk to health complications than our English counterparts. The Barnett formula, which determines how much money Wales gets given from government, doesn’t take this into account – and Wales suffers as a result.

In the 2016 Assembly elections, a party called ‘Abolish the Welsh Assembly’ won 4% of the vote – more than the Green Party. If Labour don’t get on the front foot soon and show the people that Welsh politics matters, that it gives them a voice, this could be just the beginning.

Voters aren’t stupid. Talk to them, tell them the truth. Tell them their central government is failing them and show them what a Labour alternative could look like.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/welsh-labour_uk_5a4fa121e4b0cd114bdb3288