AOC, Donald Trump, Lance Bass, Joe Exotic, Digital Drag Fest, Bob Dylan, Joe Biden, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Madonna: HOT LINKS

NO ROLL CALL: The House Has Passed A $2 Trillion Coronavirus Aid Bill. The House passed the bill by a voice vote, which was their original plan that would have allowed members to stay home. However, Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who opposed the bill, attempted to force a full recorded vote. “I came here to make sure our republic doesn’t die by unanimous consent in an empty chamber, and I request a recorded vote,” Massie said on the House floor.

YOU GO, GIRL: Ocasio-Cortez blasts coronavirus stimulus package as ‘shameful’ on House floor

OFF HIS MEDS AGAIN: After Snubbing Cuomo, Trump Demands General Motors ‘START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!!!!!!’

‘ONE FOR EACH BOROUGH’: Cuomo calls on Trump to build field hospitals throughout the city

GHOULS: Republicans Go for Obamacare’s Jugular Amid Spiraling Coronavirus Pandemic

OOPS: Christian pastor who thought COVID-19 is just ‘mass hysteria’ among the first from Virginia to die from virus

OVERDUE: Democrats urge FDA to allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood amid coronavirus pandemic

KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS: How Is The Coronavirus Lockdown Impacting Gay Hookup Culture?

OUT OF SYNC: Lance Bass Recalls Fellow NSYNC Member Chris Kirkpatrick Confronting Him Over His Sexuality

MARK BLUM: Madonna pays tribute to co-star after coronavirus death

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I Want to Acknowledge the Passing of a remarkable Human, fellow actor and friend Mark Blum, who succumbed to Coronavirus. This is really tragic and my heart goes out to him, his family and his loved ones. I remember him as funny warm, loving .and professional when we made Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985!! Another reminder that this virus is no joke, nothing to be casual about or pretend wont affect us in some way. we need to stay grateful -be hopeful- help each other-and follow the quarantine rules! #covid_19 #markblum #desperatelyseekingsusan

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on Mar 26, 2020 at 12:58pm PDT

SHE LOVES NY: Rihanna donates safety gear to New York City hospitals

I want to thank @rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State.

We’re so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up.

5/5

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020

STARTING TONIGHT: RuPaul’s Drag Race queens launch digital concert festival amid coronavirus pandemic

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT: Tiger King Joe Exotic Is Suing The Government For $94 Million From Prison

HMMM: Demi Lovato is isolating with her new boyfriend, how long have they been together?

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when u realize u should’ve packed more for your quarantine stay have a blessed Monday filled with health, happiness, safety, joy, love, & laughter <3

A post shared by MaxEhrich (@maxehrich) on Mar 23, 2020 at 12:27pm PDT

‘A MOMENT TO JUST DANCE’: Dua Lipa Says She Was Conflicted Releasing New Album ‘Future Nostalgia’ During Pandemic

ON THE RAGS: A weekly look at what’s making news in the gay magazines

LATE-NIGHT CLIP OF THE DAY: Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Joe Biden

NEW SONG OF THE DAY: “Murder Most Foul,” Bob Dylan  

FIT FRIDAY: Pita Taufatofua

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Join Tonga’s two-time Olympian (in two different sports!) Pita Taufatofua this week, LIVE on Instagram for a workout from his home. @pita_tofua Who’s joining?! Time: 11am UTC When: Tues- Sat #StayActive #StayStrong

A post shared by Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) on Mar 24, 2020 at 2:35am PDT

The post AOC, Donald Trump, Lance Bass, Joe Exotic, Digital Drag Fest, Bob Dylan, Joe Biden, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Madonna: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

AOC, Donald Trump, Lance Bass, Joe Exotic, Digital Drag Fest, Bob Dylan, Joe Biden, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Madonna: HOT LINKS

WATCH: Joe Biden just called a gay couple “mommy and dad”

Former Vice President and 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden held a social distancing livestream via Twitter this week, taking questions from young people around the country. Fielding a question about LGBTQ rights, Biden slipped up and referred to a gay couple he met as “mommy and dad.”

It’s a harmless enough mistake, but doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

Related: Trump and Pence’s personal Bible teacher blames COVID-19 on the gays

The question came from Alabama Young Democrats President Josh Coleman, who asked the candidate “why you thought it was important” to voice support for marriage equality in 2012, even before then-President Barack Obama did.

Biden answered by saying he never had to “evolve” on the issue, like so many other politicians, and that he was inspired to speak out after meeting a family with two gay dads back in 2012.

“I showed up at an event- and doing an event when I was vice president, and it was in the home of a gay couple,” he said. “And I walked in the kitchen and met them first and they had two beautiful children, a little boy and a little girl.”

Related: LISTEN: Trump caught on hot mic before coronavirus address saying “Oh f**k”

He continued: “And the way they loved their mommy and dad – two men, who were in fact really strong men and strong people – just impressed me so much.”

We’re going to give him a pass here because his intentions are clearly good, but it’s a bit worrisome to think what gaffes could be lurking in the near future as we approach what is arguably the most important election of modern history.

Watch:

www.queerty.com/watch-joe-biden-just-called-gay-couple-mommy-dad-20200327?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Pastor: Coronavirus is a Warning from God Because Only 5% of Brides are Virgins (WATCH)

Coronavirus is wake-up call from God about the sin of fornication (and homosexuality!), according to one End Times pastor.

In fact, we should view the pandemic as “a privilege,” since “there is a much bigger judgment coming,” Irvin Baxter, who appeared Thursday on The Jim Bakker Show.

Right Wing Watch reports: “There are 7.5 million unmarried couples living together in the United States,” Baxter said. “That means 15 million people are living together unmarried, and that’s increased over the last 10 years by 138 percent.” Baxter added that, according to his findings, only “5 percent of new brides in America are virgins. That means 95 percent have already committed fornication.” “God is not mocked,” Baxter warned as he cited 1 Corinthians 6, which states that “neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Watch it below.

Irvin Baxter Says The Coronavirus Is a Warning From God About the Sin of Fornication from Right Wing Watch on Vimeo.

The post Pastor: Coronavirus is a Warning from God Because Only 5% of Brides are Virgins (WATCH) appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Pastor: Coronavirus is a Warning from God Because Only 5% of Brides are Virgins (WATCH)

How The CARES Act Impacts LGBTQ People

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed a $2 trillion package to help address the COVID-19 crisis. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) would provide significant assistance to individuals, families, health care providers, small businesses and key sectors of the economy. The House of Representatives is expected to pass the legislation on Friday and the president is expected to sign it into law. HRC supports many of the provisions in this bill, especially those that will help LGBTQ people, though we recognize the bill is not perfect. We will continue to work with Congress to ensure that further steps are taken to address our country’s needs in this difficult time.

The key features of the legislation are:

• Expanded unemployment insurance
  • $600 per week increase
  • Incentives for states to eliminate waiting periods
  • Extended number of weeks of eligibility
• Direct payments to individuals and families
• Aid to hospitals and other health care providers
• Loans and grants to small business and non-profits
• Loans to larger companies to retain workers and maintain liquidity
• Aid to states

The bill also expands programs that disproportionately impact LGBTQ people, particularly around health care:

• Additional $90 million for the Ryan White Care Act for HIV/AIDS care and treatment.
• Additional $65 million for housing for people living with AIDS (HOPWA).
• Require that Medicare Part D plans provide up to a 90-day supply of a prescription medication if requested by a beneficiary during the COVID-19 emergency period.
• Includes language to ensure that states are able to receive the 6.2% FMAP increase, the funding formula used to apportion money under Medicaid.  
• Additional $25 million for carrying out activities under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.   
• $4 billion for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Emergency Solution Grants to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19, address needs of individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance. It also allocates funds to geographic areas with the greatest needs, and for the benefit of unsheltered and sheltered homeless and those at risk of homelessness.
• $5 billion in additional funding for the Child Care Development Block Grant to provide child care assistance to health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers and other workers deemed essential.

Since 2020 is a major election year and the COVID-19 outbreak is making it even harder for people to vote, the bill includes $400 million in election assistance for states to expand vote by mail, early voting and online registration. 

This package is the third major bill that Congress has passed to address the crisis. Additional measures are expected as the full impact of the crisis becomes clearer.

To learn more about how LGBTQ people are impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, be sure to check out HRC’s Foundation newest report, “The Lives and Livelihoods of Many in the LGBTQ Community are at Risk Amidst COVID-19 Crisis.” 

www.hrc.org/blog/how-the-cares-act-impacts-lgbtq-people?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Hoda Kotb Breaks Down in Tears on Air During ‘TODAY’ Show Coronavirus Coverage: WATCH

TODAY show anchor Hoda Kotb broke down in tears on air after a segment on the spiking number of cases of coronavirus in Louisiana and an interview with NFL star Drew Brees on Friday. Brees made a $5 million donation to help the state fight the pandemic. Kotb has close ties with Louisiana. From 1992 to 1998, she was an anchor for CBS affiliate WWL in New Orleans.

“I think a lot of things are contagious, including generosity,” said Kotb, before becoming overwhelmed with emotion.

Said co-host Savannah Guthrie, breaking in to the segment, “Oh, Hoda. I know. It’s a lot. Hoda, I’m so sorry, hon. Take a moment. I know where your heart is. I do, I do. How bout I read the tease for you?”

“Yes, please do,” said Kotb, her voice quaking with tears.

There’s a bit of Hoda in all of us right now. Thank you for showing us your humanity.

The post Hoda Kotb Breaks Down in Tears on Air During ‘TODAY’ Show Coronavirus Coverage: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Hoda Kotb Breaks Down in Tears on Air During ‘TODAY’ Show Coronavirus Coverage: WATCH

#AM_Equality: March 27, 2020

HRC PRESIDENT ALPHONSO DAVID JOINS SLATE’S LGBTQ PODCAST, “OUTWARD,” TO DISCUSS COVID-19’S IMPACT ON THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY: David (@AlphonsoDavid) joined hosts J. Bryan Lowder (@jbryanlowder), Rumaan Alam (@Rumaan) and Christina Cauterucci (@c_cauterucci) to look at comparisons between the COVID-19 health crisis and the early days of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, and talk about how the LGBTQ community can stay organized while we’re unable to come together. More from Slate. 

TODAY — HRC HOSTS WEBINAR AT 3PM EDT ON COVID-19 AND PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV: More from HRC. 

ANTI-LGBTQ CARDINAL BLAMES COVID-19 HEALTH CRISIS ON LGBTQ PEOPLE: “The harmful words of Cardinal Burke are immoral and unjustifiable,” said HRC Religion & Faith Program Director Michael Vazquez (@mvsebastian). “He is putting countless Catholics around the world at risk with his statement, including LGBTQ people. At the same time, he is further stigmatizing LGBTQ people who are uniquely impacted by COVID-19. In this moment of crisis, the Catholic Church must lead by encouraging social distancing and supporting the most vulnerable communities — including the LGBTQ community.” Read more from The Advocate. 

FRIDAY FEELING — ADVOCATING FOR COMPETENT HEALTH CARE AND VISIBILITY AS A BI+ MAN: “For many, growing up bi+ means having a hard time finding the right words to describe yourself,” writes HRC Senior Writer for Online Strategy Ryan Carey-Mahoney (@thegoodcarmah). “For some bi+ men, that means pushing part of you aside to live a life in the closet — and for others, that means coming out as something we’re told is more ‘real’ like gay, or to a shrieking chorus of ‘it’s just a phase’ invalidation. We, as a collective community, need to do better. And there’s no better time to engage than right now as we commemorate Bisexual Health Awareness Month.” Read more from HRC. 

HRC JOINS MORE THAN 270 ORGANIZATIONS CALLING ON CONGRESS TO PASS COVID-19 RELIEF LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS EVERY AMERICAN — ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH DISABILITIES: More from HRC. 

AMERICA’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM LEAVES LGBTQ PEOPLE AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO COVID-19: “There is no federal law that expressly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “If I live in one of those 29 states where there are no affirmative protections and I’m facing discrimination in the allocation of services, where do I go?” Read more from Nico Lang (@Nico_Lang) at VICE. 

IN THE STATES

TRUMP-PENCE ADMIN FILES TRANSPHOBIC STATEMENT OF INTEREST IN CONN. COURT CASE: More from HRC. 

The Trump-Pence administration is once again attacking the trans community and reaffirming its dangerous stance towards LGBTQ people. We will continue to fight so all transgender people – especially trans youth – are treated fairly in every part of society. t.co/KTmoTmR88B

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) March 26, 2020

GET CULTURED – Entertainment, arts and sports news!

“SCHITT’S CREEK” STARS DAN LEVY (@danjlevy) AND NOAH REID (@olreid) ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR CHARACTERS’ HAPPY ENDING: Read more from The Advocate. 

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

THE JIMME FOUNDATION, AN LGBTQ RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IN INDIA FOUNDED BY HRC GLOBAL INNOVATOR HARISH IYER (@hiyer), HAS LAUNCHED A FUNDRAISER TO SUPPORT SEX WORKERS IN MUMBAI: More from Openly. 

SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE COURT OF ANKARA, TURKEY HAS OVERTURNED A BAN ON LGBTQ ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY: More from Kaos GL. 

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

Outsports shares a list of 39 LGBTQ sports books to check out

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!

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