Monthly Archives: November 2019



You Might Like

Videos | Dating

Live Cams | Live Chats

 

NEWS

Far-Right Group Threatens to Enter Cinemas and Turn Off Film Projectors if This Gay Love Story is Screened Tonight: WATCH

Far-Right Group Threatens to Enter Cinemas and Turn Off Film Projectors if This Gay Love Story is Screened Tonight: WATCH

Far-right groups in Tblisi, Georgia are threatening to take extreme steps if cinemas try to screen And Then We Danced, Sweden’s official Oscar submission in the best international feature film category.

The film, directed by Levan Akin, is a love story about two dancers in Georgia’s national dance company. It is scheduled to screen in Tblisi on Friday night.

AFP reports: “Levan Vasadze, a Georgian businessman with links to Russia’s anti-Western and far-right groups, said his supporters will ‘enter screening rooms in the six cinemas in Tbilisi and turn off the projectors,’ also vowing to ‘shove back police if need be.’

Vasadze and his nationalist group Georgian March have planned protests today ahead of the film’s screening.

Konstantin Morgoshia, a member of Georgian March, said, “Our goal is to prevent the film from showing. If they wanted to make a film about love, then why couldn’t they make a film about the love of a man and a woman, when most of Sukhishvili’s dances are based on man’s respect for a woman.”

Another former politician who is part of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s government, called And Then We Danced a “propaganda of sodomy” and vowed that it would not be screened.

According to Screen Daily, “The film will play in five venues on November 8, 9 and 10 in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and coastal city Batumi. Tickets for the first screenings reportedly sold out in minutes. … Shot in Tbilisi, the Georgian-Swedish co-production premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2019, where it was nominated for the independent Queer Palm for best LGBT-relevant film. It has also been a hit on the festival circuit, winning three prizes at Odessa, two at Valladolid, and the best actor award for lead Levan Gelbakhiani at Sarajevo.”

Wrote Akin on his Facebook page: “So many people have asked me about what’s going on in Georgia regarding the premiere of And Then We Danced on Friday the 8th. Some far right groups and the Church have basically condemned the film and are planning to stop people from entering the sold out screenings. It is absurd that people who bought tickets need to be brave and risk getting harassed or even assaulted just for going to see a film. I made this film with love and compassion. It is my love letter to Georgia and to my heritage. With this story I wanted to reclaim and redefine Georgian culture to include all not just some. But unfortunately these are the dark times we live in and the pending protests just proves how vital it is to stand up against these shadowy forces in any way we can. Over and out.”

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a statement: “One of the tasks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is to protect human rights and freedoms, regardless of a person’s gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, political views and other signs. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia ensures the protection of public safety and order, as well as the freedom of self-expression (which, of course, corresponds to the frames of the law). We address everyone: obey the law. Otherwise, police will use their lawful mandate and suppress unlawful acts immediately.”

Check out the trailer:

The post Far-Right Group Threatens to Enter Cinemas and Turn Off Film Projectors if This Gay Love Story is Screened Tonight: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.



www.towleroad.com/2019/11/and-then-we-danced/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Gay+News+%29

NEWS

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 8, 2019

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 8, 2019

JEFF SESSIONS IS A DANGEROUS OPPONENT OF EQUALITY: Sessions yesterday announced a bid for the U.S. Senate. “At every point in his career, Jeff Sessions has used his power to discriminate against LGBTQ people, people of color and anyone who doesn’t look or think like him,” said HRC President Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid). “From his time as Alabama Attorney General to the Senate to his horrific leadership at the Department of Justice, Sessions has systematically worked the levers of government to deny the rights of others.” More from HRC.

HRC URGES U.S. SENATE TO REJECT ANTI-LGBTQ EXTREMIST STEVEN MENASHI: The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12 to 10 to advance Menashi, a nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. “Steven Menashi has made a career of  promoting anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, and has used whatever platform he’s handed — from his college newspaper, to legal publications, to a seat at the table at the White House — to undermine our community’s fight for equality,” said HRC President Alphonso David. More from HRC.

HRC PRESIDENT ALPHONSO DAVID ON THE LATEST ANTI-LGBTQ ATTACK BY TRUMP-PENCE — “THIS IS A BLANKET LICENSE TO DISCRIMINATE”: More from The Hill TV.

FEEL-GOOD FRIDAY — CAPT. AMERICA SUPPORTS EQUALITY! During an appearance on the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Chris Evans and his gay brother, Scott, shared childhood memories and little-known facts about each other. More from Pink News.

PA MOM OF TRANS SON URGES SCOTUS TO PROVIDE CLARITY THAT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEX IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL: “I’ve been moved to tears by the support that a growing majority of Americans have shown for Aidan and other transgender young people in recent years,” writes Melissa DeStefano of Boyertown, Pennsylvania. “Understanding and affirmation is growing for LGBTQ protections, and that’s a critical piece in ensuring that everyone feels welcome and respected in our country.” More from The Morning Call.

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC. ENDORSES USE OF SINGULAR PRONOUN “THEY”: The APA joins AP Style, Merriam-Webster and a host of other style guides and dictionaries that support using a person’s pronouns and respecting a person’s gender identity. More from Out.

RESEARCHERS PUSHING TO MAKE STUDIES MORE DETAILED WHEN IT COMES TO GENDER IDENTITY: The move underscores the importance of disaggregating data on trans populations. More from STAT.

IOWA MAN CONVICTED OF HATE CRIME FOR TEARING DOWN, BURNING CHURCH’S LGBTQ PRIDE BANNER: Adolfo Martinez admitted to a local TV station that he targeted the Ames United Church of Christ because of its LGBTQ acceptance. More from Ames Tribune.

PALANA BELKEN BECOMES FIRST OPENLY TRANS PERSON ELECTED TO A CITY COUNCIL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: More from Fosters. 

DECEMBER 2 — NATIONAL CATHEDRAL TO DEDICATE PLAQUE TO MATTHEW SHEPARD: Shepard, brutally murdered in a hate crime in 1998, was interred at the Cathedral last year. More from Washingtonian.

 GET CULTURED – Entertainment, arts and sports news!

THE BALLROOM SCENE IN PHOTOS — HOW DANCE, ART AND FASHION COMBINES TO CREATE COMMUNITY FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE OF COLOR: More from The Atlantic.

Via @TheAtlPhoto: In the Kiki Ballroom Scene, Queer Kids of Color Can Be Themselves t.co/wlmhBtvU01

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) November 7, 2019

 GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

MALAYSIA COURT SENTENCES FIVE MEN TO JAIL, CANING BECAUSE THEY ARE LGBTQ: More from Reuters.

ANTI-LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ARE ATTEMPTING TO BLOCK THE PREMIERE OF A GEORGIAN FILM: The film centers on the love story of Merab and Irakli, two men in a Georgian ballet company. More from Reuters.

 READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

NPR talks to gay Black writer and author of the memoir How We Fight for our Lives Saeed Jones (@theferocity); Boston.com interviews Mimi Lemay (@mimislemay), a member of HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council, about her new memoir; Culture Map Dallas reports on the local Black Tie Gala, which benefited the Human Rights Campaign Foundation; The Good Men Project sits down with Adrian Miller, a gay man from Jamacia who received asylum in the U.S.

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-november-8-2019?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

NEWS

Buttigieg Plan Promises Free College Tuition for Americans Earning Under $100K

Buttigieg Plan Promises Free College Tuition for Americans Earning Under $100K

Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg unveiled an economic plan on Friday that promises free tuition at four-year public colleges for Americans earning under $100,000.

We need an economy that delivers more. As president, I won’t just measure success by looking at the size of the stock market or GDP—I’ll look to you. Today, I’m announcing a plan to raise incomes, lower costs, and build a brighter future for all Americans. t.co/yEHC43el71

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) November 8, 2019

The Washington Post reports: “The move is part of a package of new economic policies aimed at boosting the fortunes of middle- and working-class Americans and positioning Buttigieg as a clear alternative to more liberal candidates. While Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have proposed making college free for everyone, Buttigieg is taking a more targeted approach of giving free tuition only to families he considers middle-class and lower. His new policy calls for reduced tuition at public universities for families earning $100,000 to $150,000 and no tuition for those below that threshold. … Buttigieg also proposes expanding Pell Grants to help low-income students pay for housing and fees and investing $50 billion in historically black colleges.”

The post Buttigieg Plan Promises Free College Tuition for Americans Earning Under $100K appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Buttigieg Plan Promises Free College Tuition for Americans Earning Under $100K

You Might Like

Videos | Dating

Live Cams | Live Chats