Most Complex Penis Transplant Ever Performed on Bomb Victim
The patient was a military veteran — would the military make such surgery available to transgender men?
www.advocate.com/health/2018/4/23/most-complex-penis-transplant-ever-performed-bomb-victim
BREAKING: Montevallo, Ala. Passes Comprehensive LGBTQ-Inclusive Non-Discrimination Ordinance
Today, HRC hailed the Montevallo City Council for passing city-wide non-discrimination protections that include sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, public accommodations and employment. Montevallo will become the second city in Alabama to pass such an ordinance; Birmingham passed one last year.
“Today, Montevallo’s elected leaders have sent a strong message that they will support their LGBTQ constituents — not just with words, but also with policy,” said Eva Kendrick, HRC Alabama state director. “Now that Montevallo has joined Birmingham in passing a comprehensive LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance, it is time for other cities in Alabama to follow these communities’ lead in protecting all people from bias and discrimination. Thank you to Buddy Freeman, Tonia Mayton and members of the Montevallo Acceptance Project for their more than two years’ work to introduce and pass this ordinance.”
When signed into law, Montevallo’s citizens will be protected from discrimination in housing, public accommodations and employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, familial status, and veteran status.
Alabama is one of 31 states without comprehensive LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination protections.
In 2014, HRC launched Project One America, an initiative geared towards advancing social, institutional and legal equality in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. HRC Alabama continues to work to advance equality for LGBTQ Alabamians who have no state level protections in housing, workplace or public accommodations. Through HRC Alabama, we are working toward a future of fairness every day — changing hearts, minds and laws toward achieving full equality.
Homophobe Mike Pompeo Likely to Win Confirmation as Nation’s Top Diplomat
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Pompeo to be secretary of State by a vote of 11-9, and a full Senate vote is expected this week.
WATCH: Ada Vox belts “The Show Must Go On” by Queen
She came to slay.
Drag Queen Ada Vox Slays ‘American Idol’ with Queen’s ‘The Show Must Go On’ – WATCH
On American Idol, drag queen Ada Vox is proving week after week that she has what it takes, this week delivering a powerhouse performance of Queen’s “The Show Must Go On”.
Said Lionel Richie: “you came here tonight to stop the show…Each time you come, you take us to another level. You are on fire my dear.”
“Not only did you stop the show, you started the show, queen,” sassed Katy Perry. “I was waiting for someone to show up.”
Added Luke Bryan: “The biggest voice I ever heard. Right there.”
Watch:
The post Drag Queen Ada Vox Slays ‘American Idol’ with Queen’s ‘The Show Must Go On’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Drag Queen Ada Vox Slays ‘American Idol’ with Queen’s ‘The Show Must Go On’ – WATCH
HRC Responds to Troubling Committee Approval of Anti-LGBTQ Secretary of State Nominee Mike Pompeo
Today, HRC responded to the troubling approval of anti-LGBTQ Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee:
“Mike Pompeo’s long-standing opposition to LGBTQ equality and lack of diplomatic experience makes him a poor choice to lead our nation’s diplomatic efforts,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Senate confirmation of anti-LGBTQ Mike Pompeo could have serious consequences for the United States and LGBTQ people around the globe. The State Department has a crucial role to play in advancing human rights — a role which was already significantly eroding under Rex Tillerson. This decision has the potential to make a dire situation even worse. The Senate should reject Pompeo’s nomination.”
Pompeo’s attacks on LGBTQ equality are long and well-documented: he opposes marriage equality, and, as a member of Congress, co-sponsored legislation to allow states to not recognize same-sex marriage and to allow businesses and organizations using taxpayer dollars a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people. Equally as troubling, his political career has been funded by anti-LGBTQ hate groups, including the Family Research Council.
GLAAD denounces Senate Foreign Relations Committee approval of Mike Pompeo’s nomination for Secretary of State
NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today denounced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for approving President Trump’s dangerous nomination of Mike Pompeo for the position of Secretary of State. This result comes after Sen. Rand Paul flipped his vote to favor Mike Pompeo at the last minute.
“The fact that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved someone with ties to an anti-LGBTQ hate group that supported Uganda’s efforts to punish and execute LGBTQ people to serve as our nation’s top diplomat is sickening,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “Together we must fight to prevent Mike Pompeo confirmation and ensure that anti-LGBTQ hate and extremism do not become one of our nation’s major exports.”
This fight is far from over. Mike Pompeo’s nomination now advances to a Senate-wide vote. GLAAD is urging all U.S. Senators to rebuke this dangerous nomination and vote against the confirmation of Mike Pompeo.
Mike Pompeo’s anti-LGBTQ record goes far beyond his personal beliefs opposing marriage equality and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Pompeo has worked closely with the Family Research Council (FRC), an anti-LGBTQ group which openly supported Uganda’s efforts to punish and execute LGBTQ citizens – known as the “Kill the Gays Bill,” promotes and defends the dangerous practice of conversion therapy, and actively opposed overturning laws that criminalize being gay. Meanwhile, Pompeo earned Family Research Council’s endorsement and praise, appearing on their anti-LGBTQ radio program at least six times, and personally consulting with their president, Tony Perkins, while serving the United States as CIA Director.
Since Mike Pompeo’s nomination was first announced, GLAAD has been fighting to expose his anti-LGBTQ records and urging Senators to come out in opposition to his confirmation. The week before his Senate Foreign Relations Committee nomination hearing, GLAAD campus ambassador Tony Hernandez hand-delivered research about Pompeo’s ties to anti-LGBTQ hate and extremism to all 21 members of the committee asking them to question Mike Pompeo about his extensive anti-LGBTQ record. This research was also hand-delivered to the offices of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin along with a letter from GLAAD’s President, Sarah Kate Ellis, calling on them to lead Democrats in opposition to Pompeo’s confirmation.
GLAAD has also created an action center where followers can find out where their Senators publically stand on Mike Pompeo’s nomination along with their office phone numbers and a sample script to use in order to call on their representatives to come out against this dangerous nomination.
Read more about Mike Pompeo’s anti-LGBTQ record and ties with FRC below via GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project:
Mike Pompeo’s Connections to Family Research Council:
Consulted with Tony Perkins while serving as CIA Director: “Pompeo has consulted with Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled an anti-gay hate group.” [The Washington Post; 8.24.17].
Has made (at least) six appearances on Family Research Council’s anti-LGBTQ radio show. Live with Tony Perkins: October 6, 2016; March 22, 2016; July 26, 2016; September 3; 2015; July 22, 2015; May 5, 2014.
Family Research Council endorsed Mike Pompeo during his re-election to the U.S. House in 2014, specifically citing his “support for marriage” and “traditional family values” as reasons behind their support: The culture has been challenged beyond all reasonable limits. The strong, conservative men and women elected in 2010 and 2012 need reinforcements…The votes you have cast on the life issue reflect your concern for mother and child and your support for marriage as between one man and one woman.” [Pompeo for Congress, 3.5.14]
One of thirty House of Representative members to join the Family Research Council on an amicus brief challenging the Affordable Care Act in the case National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius. [FRC; 10.27.11]
Anti-LGBTQ Record of the Family Research Council (FRC):
Actively lobbied against a congressional resolution denouncing Uganda’s “kill the gays bill:” “The blog Joe. My. God.,working with a reporter from Gay City News, reported that the conservative Family Research Council spent $25,000 “to lobby Congress against approving a resolution denouncing Uganda’s plan to execute homosexuals. The site posted three screencaps from the Family Research Council’s lobbying report; they suggest $25,000 was spent on lobbying what FRC described as “Res.1064Ugandan ResolutionPro-homosexual promotion.” [CBS News; 6.4.10]
Claimed the Ugandan bill that aimed to punish and execute LGBTQ people “upholds moral conduct:” The President [Obama] criticized Ugandan leaders for considering enhanced penalties for crimes related to homosexuality…The President said that “We may disagree about gay marriage, “but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are.” Mr. President as long as you characterize efforts to uphold moral conduct that protects others and in particular the most vulnerable, as attacking people, civility will continue to evade us.” [Family Research Council via the Internet Archive; 2.4.10]
Opposed overturning Texas “Homosexual Conduct” law, which criminalized consensual sexual intimacy between same-sex couples: “To extend homosexual sodomy the same protections given to the marital union would undermine the definition of marriage and could open the door for homosexual marriage. The court should demonstrate judicial humility and decline to deconstruct in radical and revolutionary ways the bedrock social institution of marriage.’” [Family Research Council via the Internet Archive; 6.25.03]
Spent over $75,000 to lobby to keep “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” in place: “The Traditional Values Coalition and the Family Research Council, have each spent more than $75,000 so far on their overall lobbying expenditures this year. Both groups support keeping the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in place.” [Open Secrets; 11.3.10]. Family Research Council President, Tony Perkins, also claimed there is “blood of young marines” on hands of legislators who voted to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. [YouTube, Right Wing Watch; 11.20.10]
Lobbied against LGBTQ-inclusive hate crimes legislation: “Social conservatives said the hate crimes bill would violate the First Amendment, and would be a step toward a larger gay rights agenda they oppose. ‘Expanding hate crimes puts America in lock step with the stated agenda of homosexual activists who will turn next to the so-called Employment Non-Discrimination Act, followed by the repeal of the ban on homosexuality in the military and then the Defense of Marriage Act,’ the Family Research Council warned on its Web site.” [The Washington Post; 10.23.09]
Printed and disturbed flyers defending the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy: “Although much attention has been focused on counseling techniques or therapies for unwanted same-sex attractions and on the work of “ex-gay” ministries, there is startling evidence that considerable numbers of people experience significant change in some aspects of sexual orientation, particularly their behavior, quite spontaneously, without therapeutic intervention.”[Family Research Council via the Internet Archive; 7.5.10]
Testified in favor of anti-LGBTQ conversion therapy before legislative bodies in New Hampshire, Washington D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts, and Vermont: “Testimony by Peter Sprigg in Opposition to New Hampshire House Bill S. 587-FN” [Family Research Council; 2.21.17], “FRC’s Peter Sprigg Testifies before D.C. Council on Proposed Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Ban” [Family Research Council; 6.27.14], “FRC’s Peter Sprigg Testifies Before MD State House in Opposition to Bill Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Therapy for Minors” [Family Research Council; 3.2.18], “Family Research Council Expert Testifies Before Massachusetts General Court” [Family Research Council; 6.7.17], Testimony by Peter Sprigg in Opposition to Vermont Bill S. 132 [Family Research Council; 2.26.16]
Lobbied against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) proposed legislation that would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. [Open Secrets; bills FRC lobbied, 2013]
Mike Pompeo’s Personal Anti-LGBTQ Record:
Vowed to continue to fight against abortion, marriage equality, and related matters “each and every day:” As a Kansan, I hold a deep reverence for the sanctity of life, the solidarity of family, and the solemnity of marriage. I will continue the fight to uphold these fundamental ideals each and every day…I also fully support the traditional institution of marriage. Strong families are the most important building block of our Republic, and we must preserve them for the sake of our community and our culture. [Vote Smart; 1.1.13]
Insists families with same-sex parents are less “ideal”: “I think as you look back at civilization, look back at history, you find the strength of these families having a father and a mother is the ideal condition for childbearing,” Pompeo said. “Doesn’t mean there aren’t great families with single parents, great young men and women raised without either parent. If you’re asking for what is ideal, I think it’s being raised by a man and a woman.” [Vote Smart; 10.22.14]
Opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, suggesting that “when you enter the army you give up a few of your rights, there’s a few things that you can’t do that we get to do a civilians, so I would not a have supported that policy—or would.” [YouTube; September 23, 2010 District 4 Congressional Debate; 9.14.10]
Called the US Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling granting marriage equality to all fifty states as “a shocking abuse of power:” “Creating, out of nowhere, a federal right to marry, flies in the face of centuries of shared understanding of our Constitution,” Pompeo said in an email Friday. “It is a shocking abuse of power. It is wrong. I will continue to fight to protect our most sacred institutions; Kansans and our nation deserve no less.” [Vote Smart; 6.26.15]
HRC Leads LGBTQ Day of Action to GOTV in New York
Post submitted by Ryan Rowe, HRC Northern Region Associate Field Director
On Saturday April 21, the HRC Greater New York Steering Committee led an LGBTQ Day of Action to get out the vote for HRC-endorsed candidate for state Senate Shelley Mayer. More than 30 HRC volunteers rolled up their sleeves to knock on doors and help canvass as a part of HRC’s ongoing efforts to mobilize New York voters on April 24 for the state’s special election.
HRC has endorsed Mayer of Yonkers (SD-37) and Luis Sepúlveda of the Bronx (SD-32). If Mayer and Sepulveda succeed, Democrats could win back a pro-equality majority in the New York State Senate and finally pass long overdue protections like the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA)—a trans-inclusive employment non-discrimination act.
Both candidates currently serve in the state Assembly where they voted for GENDA, which passed the Assembly 10 times and received the strong support of Governor Cuomo. Now, as candidates for the state Senate, Mayer and Sepulveda represent the best chance to unlock the blockage in the Senate that has prevented GENDA from coming for a Senate vote.
If you live in either District 32 or 37, remember to VOTE in the special election on Tuesday, April 24. Find your polling locations here.
If you’d like more information about how to get involved in HRC election efforts in New York in 2018, contact HRC Northern Region Associate Field Director Ryan Rowe at [email protected]
From phonebanks to knocking on doors, HRC Greater New York Steering Committee members have been working hard to get out the vote.
From phonebanks to knocking on doors, HRC Greater New York Steering Committee members have been working hard to get out the vote.
Anatomy of a Song: How the Zedd – Maren Morris Pop Earworm ‘The Middle’ Got Made – WATCH
It’s hard to avoid “The Middle”, Zedd’s pop smash featuring country star Maren Morris.
The New York Times took a deep dive into how the song got made, from its germ as a demo from a young Australian songwriter to its chart-topping status.
But while “The Middle” and other would-be major hits of its ilk may strike some purists (or snobs) as cynical — compositions by committee, designed for mass appeal and maximum pleasure — they are also meticulously constructed, deeply collaborative and often inventive, squeezing multiple moods and genres into a three-minute package that can somehow feel universal.
A fascinating look at how songs get made, and the first in a series.
The post Anatomy of a Song: How the Zedd – Maren Morris Pop Earworm ‘The Middle’ Got Made – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Anatomy of a Song: How the Zedd – Maren Morris Pop Earworm ‘The Middle’ Got Made – WATCH
Frameline42 reveals first 10 films for 2018 festival
Lights. Camera. Take Action.
Frameline, the world’s longest-running and largest showcase of queer media, is pleased to announce its first slate of high-profile programs and pre-sales—including Opening and Closing Night films and Centerpiece selections — for Frameline42: San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, which takes place June 14-24, 2018 in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland. The complete Frameline42 program will be unveiled on Tuesday, May 22.
“Frameline is thrilled to return for our 42nd year, serving as a platform for the world’s finest in LGBTQ content, and a lightning rod for fresh, radical ideas and stories,” says Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace. “Film has always been used as a vehicle of change and our tagline this year — Lights. Camera. Take Action. — speaks directly to our mission to change the world through the power of queer film.
Frameline42 will open with TRANSMILITARY, a powerful documentary which shines a light on transgender people who currently serve in the U.S. military, now under very precarious conditions. Frameline has always prided itself to be at the forefront of LGBTQ social change, and the strength of this film — which was supported by the Frameline Completion Fund — goes to the very heart of our work.” Paul Struthers, Frameline’s new Director of Exhibition & Programming, selected 10 films to announce early and begin pre-sales to Frameline Members and the public. “I’m thrilled with this year’s diverse and enriching slate that our exceptional Programming team has curated, for my first festival as Director of Exhibition and Programming.”
Struthers says. “These ten features offer an exciting glimpse into the exceptional program for Frameline42, which will present over 150 stories representing the breadth of the queer communities’ experience with Bay Area audiences in June.”
OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT FILMS & GALA:
TRANSMILITARY – Thursday, June 14
● First feature from directors Fiona Dawson and Gabriel Silverman
● West Coast Premiere
● The U.S. military is the nation’s largest employer of transgender people. But now, the careers of some 15,000 transgender military personnel are in peril. This captivating documentary—fresh off its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival where it won the Audience Award—tells the inspiring stories of four transgender troops who are the visible front lines of America’s fight for LGBTQ rights. Supported by the Frameline Completion Fund, TransMilitary is also the first feature film to receive funding from the GLAAD Media Institute.
Immediately following TRANSMILITARY, Frameline42’s festivities continue at the
Opening Night Gala at Terra Gallery in SoMa. Enjoy signature cocktails and snacks,
take star-studded selfies, and talk up everything in store for Frameline42.
STUDIO 54 – Sunday, June 24
● Directed by Matt Tyrnauer
● Bay Area Premiere
● You’ve heard of Studio 54. But do you know what went on behind the velvet rope? Strap on your dancing shoes, feather your hair, and prepare to get down with this electrifying documentary, which premiered at Sundance, about the most famous disco of all time. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage and photos as well as candid interviews with co-founder Ian Schrager.
After the program, boogie on over to the disco-themed Frameline42 Closing Night Party at Oasis, where we’ll announce the Frameline42 Festival Awards and feature exciting performances.
CENTERPIECE PRESENTATIONS:
WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY – Centerpiece US Feature – Wednesday, June 20
● Directed by Madeleine Olnek
● Bay Area Premiere
● With sly wit, Molly Shannon embodies poet Emily Dickinson as a driven writer, a target of obsessive envy, an ardent lover, and a woman who suffered no fools. This delightful account of creative passion and longing tells only the truth but tells it with an ingeniously subversive slant. Following its world premiere at SXSW, Wild Nights with Emily is the latest from Frameline alum Madeleine Olnek ( The Foxy Merkins, Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same ).
AND BREATHE NORMALLY – Centerpiece World Cinema – Tuesday, June 19
● First feature from director Ísold Uggadóttir
● West Coast Premiere
● Lara is a struggling single mom whose life unexpectedly collides with that of a female refugee in this intensely moving drama—a Sundance award winner—from Iceland. As the two women find themselves falling outside society’s safety nets, they turn to one another to find a way out of their predicaments. Winner of the Best Director – World Cinema prize at Sundance.
WHEN THE BEAT DROPS – Centerpiece Documentary – Monday, June 18
● Directed by Jamal Sims
● West Coast Premiere
● Famed and prolific choreographer Sims directs this bold, energetic documentary exploring “bucking,” a dance subculture popular within the black LGBTQ community in the South, from its beginnings at historically black colleges and universities, through its evolution at underground clubs, and on to fierce competitions at large venues.
BONDING – Centerpiece Episodic – Thursday, June 21
● Directed by Rightor Doyle
● North American Premiere
● First ever Episodic Centerpiece for Frameline42, in addition to the inaugural
Episodic Audience Award this year.
● Struggling to pay his rent, a shy, aspiring stand-up comedian teams up with his best friend—who moonlights as a dominatrix—in this hysterical, touching, and kinky new episodic. Bonding had its world premiere at the inaugural Cannes International Series Festival in April.
FRAMELINE42 STANDOUTS:
HIGH FANTASY – World Cinema – Sunday, June 17
● Directed by Jenna Cato Bass
● Northern California Festival Premiere
● Captured by four friends with smartphones, a camping trip deep in the South African wilderness takes a sharp turn toward the weird when they wake to discover they have switched bodies with one another, in this high-energy riff on sexuality, gender, and race.
MAN IN AN ORANGE SHIRT – World Cinema – Friday, June 15
● Directed by Michael Samuels
● U.S. Premiere
● Produced by the BBC, two connected love stories, set sixty years apart, explore the evolving challenges of gay life for men in England from the post–World War II era to the present day, in this well-crafted, sophisticated drama which stars Vanessa Redgrave, Julian Morris, Laura Carmichael, and Julian Sands.
MAPPLETHORPE – Showcase – Thursday, June 21
● Directed by Ondi Timoner
● West Coast Premiere
● Starring Matt Smith, this vibrant biography dramatizes the life and legacy of visionary photographer and sexual outlaw Robert Mapplethorpe—from the early days of his friendship with Patti Smith to his success as an artist and provocateur and then to his ultimate struggle with AIDS.
OF LOVE & LAW – Documentaries – Saturday, June 23
● Directed by Hikaru Toda
● West Coast Premiere
● With their Osaka law firm, openly gay life partners Fumi and Kazu blaze new trails, as they promote expanded human rights for outsiders suffering in Japan’s strictly conformist society while building their own family. An award winner at both the Tokyo and Hong Kong International Film Festivals.
Head to Frameline.org to see more information on the 10 films available for pre-sale.
About Frameline42:
San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival:
Lights. Camera. Take Action. Frameline42, San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, takes place June 14-24, 2018 in the Bay Area. The 42nd Festival celebrates the spectrum and intersection of identities that make up LGBTQ communities worldwide. Join filmmakers and festivalgoers alike at the largest showcase of queer media on the planet.
About Frameline:
Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline’s programs connect filmmakers and audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the globe. Frameline’s integrated programs provide critical funding for emerging LGBTQ filmmakers, reach hundreds of thousands with a collection of more than 250 films distributed globally, inspire thousands of students through Youth in Motion, which sends free films and curricula to schools across the nation, and create an international stage for the world’s best LGBTQ film through the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival and additional year-round screenings and cinematic events. Learn more at www.frameline.org
www.glaad.org/blog/frameline42-reveals-first-10-films-2018-festival
