Cosby’s Trial Kicks Off With His Lawyer Painting Lesbian Accuser as a ‘Con Artist’
Bill Cosby’s attorney Tom Mesereau made accuser Andrea Constand out to be a conniving schemer in it for the money while also slamming #MeToo culture.
www.advocate.com/crime/2018/4/10/cosbys-trial-kicks-his-lawyer-painting-lesbian-accuser-con-artist
Federal Judge in Texas Rules Title VII Bans Anti-LGBT Discrimination
The ruling doesn’t change the law immediately but stands to influence future decisions.
How Do You Feel About Using Gay Sex Apps?
The Grass Is Always Grindr, the first of a new three-part web series from 56 Dean Street, a sexual health and HIV clinic in London’s Soho district, focuses on the complexities of hooking up on gay sex apps, and how doing so affects mental and sexual health.
Check it out above.
Self esteem, body image, disclosure, STDs, honesty, intimacy, and loneliness are all tackled in the first clip, in which a young man named Joe searches for sex online, eventually hooking up with a closeted boxer named Adam.
Right off, the clip tackles the process of improving one’s public persona in order to received the desired feedback, perhaps the most elemental aspect of online dating – marketing oneself on a supermarket of pecs and abs.
What’s going to increase the possibility of a sexual payoff?
In the clip, Joe edits his response to Adam’s query of “how are you feeling?” from the honest yet more ambiguous answer of “I’d like some company” to “horny lol.”
Said the series’ writer Patrick Cash to GSN:
“I think we’ve all been there, haven’t we? Writing something that you think is too honest or sad, and then re-editing to what you think is more sexually attractive. And in the case of Joe, all the stuff that he’s really feeling – he’s feeling lonely, he’d like some company – he can’t bring himself to express because he assumes the other guy won’t be interested in such a loser. So instead he edits it all to sex talk. It’s funny, I hope, but also there’s a bit of pathos as I think it mirrors some of our interactions in real life.”
Joe is successful and Adam comes over for sex.
It doesn’t always happen though, and that’s much of what drives the use of gay sex apps – the possibility of payoff.
They leverage a psychological concept called ‘variable ratio enforcement’ according to Jack Turban, a physician and medical writer at Harvard Medical School, who conducted an informal poll of Grindr users to find out “why they’re on the app so much and how it’s affecting their relationships and mental health.”
Variable ratio reinforcement is one of the most effective ways to reinforce behavior, and it makes stopping that behavior extremely difficult. Slot machines are a classic example. Because gamblers never know when the next payout will come, they can’t stop pulling the handle. They hold out hope that the next pull will give them the pleasurable sound of coins clanking against a metal bin, and they end up pulling for hours.
Now imagine a slot machine that rewards you with an orgasm at unpredictable intervals. This is potentially a powerful recipe for addiction and may explain why one user I spoke with stays on Grindr for up to 10 hours at a time, hoping to find the perfect partner for casual sex.
Turban’s study was non-scientific. He received around 50 responses after querying users on the app, and while not everyone on the app found it to be a negative experience – he spoke to a man who met his future husband on Grindr, and others who told him it hasn’t affected them negatively, but he said the majority of his research was somewhat troubling:
The users I interviewed told me that when they closed their phones and reflected on the shallow conversations and sexually explicit pictures they sent, they felt more depressed, more anxious, and even more isolated. Some experience overwhelming guilt following a sexual encounter in which no words are spoken. After the orgasm, the partner may walk out the door with little more than a “thanks.”
And yet they keep coming back for that temporary emotional relief. One user told me that he feels so bad after a hookup that he jumps right back on the app, continuing the cycle until he is so tired he falls asleep. Every once in a while, he deletes the app, but he finds himself downloading it the next time he feels rejected or alone.
Turban also cites a recent study by Time Well Spent, a nonprofit focused on the digital attention crisis, which revealed that 77 percent of Grindr users felt regret after using the app.
Time Well Spent
Turban thinks it’s time that we start thinking more about gay sex apps’ affect on our mental health, and for companies to be more proactive in thinking about how they affect mental health. Grindr recently began reminding users to get regular HIV tests. How do you think they could be more proactive about mental health and do you think they have a responsibility?
Also…
How do you feel about using gay sex apps? Do you feel regret after using them? What do you love about them?
Do you find them to be a negative or positive experience?
Do you think they keep you from forming lasting relationships? How do you feel like they affect gay social life in general?
Can you relate to the guys in the ‘Grass is Always Grindr’ video? Do you know how to date in person, or is your dating life always centered around casual hook-ups?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.
The post How Do You Feel About Using Gay Sex Apps? appeared first on Towleroad.
Ellen Congratulates First LGBT ‘Navy Spouse of the Year’
DeGeneres honored military spouse Brian Alvarado, along with his husband, Matthew.
www.advocate.com/military/2018/4/10/ellen-congratulates-first-lgbt-navy-spouse-year
There’s a reason why this powerful video from the BBC is bringing gay people to tears
Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan are a Gay Couple Trying to Make an ‘Ideal Home’ – WATCH
In silly rom-com news, Paul Rudd (sporting a sexy beard) and Steve Coogan play gay couple Paul and Erasmus in the new trailer for Ideal Home, a comedy in which they learn to be less self-indulgent after adopting a 10-year-old kid who arrives on their doorstep claiming to be Erasmus’s grandson.
The post Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan are a Gay Couple Trying to Make an ‘Ideal Home’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan are a Gay Couple Trying to Make an ‘Ideal Home’ – WATCH
Hawaii House of Representatives Passes Bill to Protect LGBTQ Youth from Abusive “Conversion Therapy”
Today, HRC hailed a vote by Hawaii’s House of Representatives approving SB 270 — legislation protecting LGBTQ youth from the dangerous and debunked practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” Several amendments were added to the bill, sending it to conference committee before it can move to Governor David Ige’s desk. Last month, Hawaii’s State Senate passed SB 270 with only one senator voting against the bill.
“So-called ‘conversion therapy’ is nothing short of child abuse with life-threatening consequences for countless LGBTQ youth,” said HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof. “It is time Hawaii join the growing number of states who are enacting laws to protect LGBTQ youth from this dangerous and discredited practice. We urge state legislators to swiftly advance SB 270 through conference committee with the strongest, timely protections intact and send it to Governor Ige’s desk.”
There is no credible evidence that conversion therapy can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. To the contrary, research has clearly shown that these practices pose devastating health risks for LGBTQ young people such as depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicidal behavior. The harmful practice is condemned by every major medical and mental health organization, including the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, and American Medical Association.
Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Washington all have laws or regulations protecting youth from this abusive practice. A growing number of municipalities have also enacted similar protections, including cities and counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida, New York, Arizona, and Wisconsin. In addition, the Maryland state legislature passed similar protections earlier this week.
According to a recent report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, an estimated 20,000 LGBTQ minors in states without protections will be subjected to conversion therapy by a licensed healthcare professional if state lawmakers fail to act.
HRC has partnered with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and state equality groups across the nation to pass state legislation ending conversion therapy. More information on the lies and dangers of efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity can be found here.
Mike Pence Sponsors White House Bible Study Led By Anti-LGBTQ, Anti-Women Extremist
Post submitted by Paul Lisbon, HRC Political Research Coordinator
Several cabinet secretaries, along with Vice President Mike Pence, sponsor a White House Bible study group led by Ralph Drollinger, an extremist who says LGBTQ people are “illegitimate.” Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos attend the weekly sessions in Washington. While Drollinger claims he doesn’t tell members he’s advised in the past how to vote, he notes that he would “put the blueprint on the engineer’s seat on the train.”
People look to their faith as a source of guidance and inspiration – and LGBTQ people and our family and friends are no different. Drollinger’s brand of faith, however, seeks to drive a wedge between the LGBTQ community and other people of faith. Drollinger calls “the ultimate outcome” of gay people “the discontinuation of the species since homosexuals cannot procreate.” He also said that endorsing LGBTQ equality is “to head in a direction contrary to God’s desire.”
In 2013, Drollinger went so far as to say, “Homosexuality and same-sex ceremonies are illegitimate in God’s eyes.”
His problematic ministry does not end there. Drollinger has championed anti-women views, saying that “there is a prohibition of female leadership in marriage and female leadership in the church.” According to the BBC, none of his bible studies, which are in 43 U.S. state capitols and more than 20 legislatures abroad, are led by women.
Drollinger’s influence and involvement in the current administration is not only driving a wedge between faith communites and the LGBTQ community, but it is turning back the clock on progress with the spread of even more divisive rhetoric throughout the highest ranks of government.
Human Rights Campaign Endorses Kate Marshall for Nevada Lieutenant Governor
HRC announced its endorsement of Kate Marshall for Nevada Lieutenant Governor.
“Kate Marshall’s commitment to equality and years of service to the people of Nevada make her the clear choice for voters,” said HRC Nevada State Manager Briana Escamilla. “As Lieutenant Governor, I have no doubt she will work hard to advance equality in the Silver State. HRC is proud to endorse Kate Marshall’s bid to be the next Lieutenant Governor of the state of Nevada.”
“The Human Rights Campaign has been and continues to be on the front lines for the fight for the dignity and equality for all people. I’m honored to receive their support in my campaign for Lieutenant Governor,” said Kate Marshall. “An open and inclusive Nevada isn’t just morally just, but economically advantageous as well. As your next Lieutenant Governor, I look forward to working with HRC to ensure that our state is on the right side of history.”
As the former Nevada State Treasurer and Senior Deputy Attorney General for the state of Nevada, Kate Marshall has spent her career working to make Nevada safer and protect the rights of every Nevadan. She has been a longtime supporter of LGBTQ equality.
Marshall will be facing Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson, who has repeatedly sought to undermine the rights of LGBTQ Nevadans. During his time in the Nevada State Senate, Roberson has supported a federal constitutional amendment barring marriage equality, as well as the repeal of legislation that would have extended marriage benefits to same-sex partners, before marriage equality became the law of the land. He has opposed bills protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations, and has spoken out against efforts that would require Nevada school districts to adopt gender diverse policies protecting all students.
HRC recently announced a bold, proactive grassroots expansion with the launch of HRC Rising — a campaign to accelerate progress in states from coast-to-coast, resist the politics of hate, fight anti-LGBTQ legislation, and fuel pro-equality candidates and initiatives. The campaign is the biggest strategic expansion in the organization’s 38-year history and will include significant investments in Nevada. HRC has identified more than 455,000 Nevadans as likely Equality Voters, meaning they are strong supporters of progressive LGBTQ policies including marriage equality, adoption by LGBTQ people, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
| Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036, 202-628-4160, www.hrc.org, approved by the Committee to Elect Kate Marshall. Not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate’s committee.nbsp; |
WATCH: Matt Bomer plays transgender sex worker in new trailer
It’s a casting choice that’s met with considerable criticism.
