Yance Ford Becomes First Transgender Director of an Oscar-Nominated Film

The director of the personal documentary Strong Island has made history.

www.advocate.com/film/2018/1/23/yance-ford-becomes-first-transgender-director-oscar-nominated-film

And the 2018 LGBT Oscar Nominees Are…

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2018/1/23/and-2018-lgbt-oscar-nominees-are

PHOTOS: It’s a hairy situation on the dance floor of Brooklyn’s Rough Trade party
Inside Brooklyn’s Rough Trade party, DJ Duo SexShooters were spinning all night long for the hot sweaty boys.

www.queerty.com/photos-hairy-situation-dance-floor-brooklyns-rough-trade-party-20180123?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Ed Miliband Part Of Team To Investigate Social Housing In The Wake Of Grenfell Tragedy
Ed Miliband is joining with a survivor of the Grenfell tragedy to carry out an investigation into social housing.

The former Labour leader will serve on a commission investigating the sector alongside Edward Daffarn – part of the residents’ group which warned of a lack of fire safety before a blaze ripped through the West London tower block killing 70 people dead and causing a still-birth.

The project, launched by housing charity Shelter, has received the backing of Housing Secretary Sajid Javid, who said it was vital party politics is put to one side to tackle concerns around the issue.

Highlighting the need for the commission, Shelter and YouGov have revealed new research showing almost half (48%) of families in social housing who reported issues around poor or unsafe conditions felt ignored or were refused help.

These included concerns around fire safety, gas leaks, electrical hazards, mould and pest problems – some of which were raised by residents in Grenfell tower in the months leading up to the fire.

Announcing the commission, Miliband said: “We have failed for too many years to deliver the social housing this country needs in the way people need it.

“This commission is a huge opportunity to build a great consensus for a transformation of housing provision and to respond to the rightful demand for change which followed the Grenfell tower tragedy.”

Daffarn, now part of the survivors’ group Grenfell United, added: “Everyone who lived in Grenfell Tower knows just how devastating the consequences are when the wellbeing of social housing tenants and leaseholders are disregarded – more than 70 members of our community needlessly lost their lives in a wholly avoidable tragedy.

“If we are ever to achieve any kind of justice and recompense for what happened it will come through genuine social change and by ensuring that people living in social housing will never again be treated like second class citizens or experience such neglect and institutional indifference at the hands of housing providers.”

The commission will carry out a series of roadshows across the country, while a public consultation will take place online to gather experiences and views of those in and out of the social housing sector.

A major piece of research with social housing tenants will also be carried out, and an independent report carrying recommendations will be presented to the Prime Minister and to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn before the end of the year.

Reverend Mike Long, who is chairing the commission, said: “I hope this commission will hold a mirror up to society.

“We need to take a long hard look at why communities such as Grenfell have felt ignored, forgotten and too often like second-class citizens.

“The experiences of residents here in Grenfell are sadly common in many other parts of the country, too.”

The YouGov survey revealed that almost a quarter (24%) of families in social housing said they feel looked down on because of where they live, compared with only 8% of families who are private renters or homeowners.

The Government is currently conducting its own investigation into the social housing, with Housing Secretary Sajid Javid promising a “wide-ranging, top-to-bottom review of the issues facing the sector” in a speech last September.

Welcoming the new commission, Javid said: “I look forward to working with the commission on this important issue.

“It’s key that we work together with tenants, the sector and charities such as Shelter, putting party politics aside so that we can get on and address the long-term issues of social housing.”

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ed-miliband-grenfell-tragedy-investigation_uk_5a67a32fe4b00228300783f4

This reporter went and lost her damned mind while interviewing Ricky Martin
Rule #1 regarding celebrity interviews: Always keep your cool.

www.queerty.com/reporter-went-lost-damned-mind-interviewing-ricky-martin-20180123?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Costa Rica Bureaucracy Blocks Country’s First Same-Sex Marriage

Costa Rica’s first same-sex wedding has been blocked by notaries who are refusing to work under temporary rules designed to allow such marriages to take place.

The marriage was set for last weekend after the Inter-American Court earlier this month ruled that countries in the region should legalize same-sex unions.

#CostaRica‘s First #Gay Marriage Suffers Bureaucratic Hitch. Costa Rica’s first same-sex wedding has been blocked by notaries who are refusing to recognize it until laws forbidding gay marriage are changed, setting them at odds with the president. #LGBT  t.co/DYHJ5TUnlX pic.twitter.com/NjY4IptMr5

— Alturi.org (@AlturiOrg) January 22, 2018

The court recommended that those rights be upheld via temporary decrees while governments pursue permanent laws.

RELATED: Costa Rican Biscuit Company Courts Controversy With Gay-Inclusive Ad: VIDEO

Reuters reports:

Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis then directed government agencies to apply the ruling until lawmakers or the constitutional court formally adopt new laws.

However, the notary council of the Central American country said on Friday it would only authorize such unions if the local legislature or the court annul laws outlawing gay marriage.

“The rules that regulate marriage in Costa Rica … remain in force,” the council said, telling notaries to abide by them.

The court’s decision has triggered debate ahead of Costa Rica’s presidential election on Feb. 4, with some candidates vowing to fight it.

Larissa Arroyo, an attorney representing the couple in Costa Rica who planned to marry on Saturday, said:  “There’s nothing stopping the road to equality, but the truth is we don’t know how long it will take to get there.”

Costa Rica’s Justice Minister Marco Feoli said in a statement that the notary council’s position goes against both the executive branch and the Inter-American Court.

Although several Latin American countries do not allow same-sex marriage, in recent years same-sex couples have been allowed to marry in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and some parts of Mexico.

The post Costa Rica Bureaucracy Blocks Country’s First Same-Sex Marriage appeared first on Towleroad.

Costa Rica Bureaucracy Blocks Country’s First Same-Sex Marriage

NTAs 2018: Sir David Attenborough Delivers Speech Of The Night As He Accepts Impact Award For ‘Blue Planet II’
Sir David Attenborough delivered a rousing speech about the devastating effect of humans on our oceans as he accepted a National Television Award for ‘Blue Planet II’.

The naturalist was on had to collect the gong, after the hit BBC documentary series was honoured with the Impact Award during Tuesday’s (23 January) ceremony.

Sir David told of how he hoped the show had “helped stir the consciousness of people around the world” as he addressed the audience, who were upstanding for him.

“It was my privilege to provide the words for that series, but you know and I know is what counted in that series was the pictures,” he said. “It is the pictures that were created by the camera men and camera women who dived into the ocean to get them, who spent three and a half years in doing so.

“These are the people who should be holding this but I know they will join me in saying what we were all trying to do was raise an issue that is of great importance – not only to this country – but worldwide. It is what we are doing to our planet.”

He continued: “If our television programmes have helped stir the consciousness of people around the world and that we are going to do something to protect our beautiful world, then all of us will be very pleased.”

The series was named the most watched show of 2017, with one episode attracting an official rating of 17 million.

On the show, Sir David warned our oceans were “could be at crisis point” due to climate change, plastic pollution and overfishing.

During the awards, producer James Honeyborne also revealed the story of how a cameraman saved a baby sperm whale.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ntas-2018-sir-david-attenborough-speech-blue-planet-ii-national-television-awards_uk_5a679fcce4b0e56300746e00