Straight Men French-Kiss Gay Men for the First Time and Everyone Seems to Enjoy It: WATCH

Straight men and gay men play tongue hockey for the first time in a new video that sends a great message about being open-minded, being secure, and being accepting of people for who they are and who they love.

YouTubers Bria and Chrissy paired other YouTubers up for their big moment.

Despite the unsurprising fact that none of the kisses caused the straight guys to switch teams, all seemed to experience the mood-boosting rush that comes with swapping spit:

A kiss sends sensations directly to the limbic system, those parts of our brains associated with love, passion, and lust. As neural impulses bounce between the brain and the tongue, the facial muscles, the lips, and the skin, they stimulate our bodies to produce a number of neurotransmitters and hormones. One of the most important neurotransmitters is dopamine. Spiking during a kiss, dopamine is responsible for a rush of elation and craving and can also result in the obsessive thoughts that many of us experience with a new romance — almost like an addiction.

Watch:

The post Straight Men French-Kiss Gay Men for the First Time and Everyone Seems to Enjoy It: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/81n5QorN2-s/

Queen’s Brian May Announces the Naming of an Asteroid After Freddie Mercury: WATCH

Asteroid 17473 a 3.5km-wide celestial object on the other side of Mars, will be named after the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. Queen’s Brian May made the announcement on Monday, which would have been Mercury’s 70th birthday.

The Guardian reports:

May, who has a PhD in astrophysics and an asteroid named after him already, revealed the name by video message to more than 1200 guests at the “Freddie for a Day” party at the Montreux Casino on Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Behind the venue is the band’s former studio where Queen recorded a host of songs, from Under Pressure with David Bowie to Who Wants To Live Forever?

Discovered in 1991 by the Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne, the freshly-named asteroid swings around the sun at 20km per second. Its slightly elliptical orbit never comes closer than 350 million kilometres to Earth, meaning that the heavenly body called Freddiemercury poses no imminent danger to the planet.

The post Queen’s Brian May Announces the Naming of an Asteroid After Freddie Mercury: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/rf8Qtc8qsXI/

#AM_Equality News: September 6, 2016

THE LGBTQ VOTE IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH… writes Frank Bruni (@FrankBruni) for The New York Times. Across the country, voters are prioritizing candidates’ records on LGBTQ equality — as seen in races from Florida’s 7th Congressional District to the North Carolina’s gubernatorial campaign. On the power of the LGBTQ vote, JoDee Winterhof, HRC’s Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs, told Bruni it “really is a new day.” Read the full piece from The New York Times.

ICYMI–WHAT TRUMP WOULD MEAN FOR GLOBAL LGBTQ EQUALITY: Last week, HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) authored a piece for CNN on the enormous threat Donald Trump and Mike Pence pose to global LGBTQ equality. Over the last eight years, President Obama and Secretary Clinton helped make LGBTQ equality a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy — along with tremendous other administration officials from Ambassador Power to Ambassador Rice to Secretary Kerry. Come next January, all of that could change.

• Members of Congress call for LGBTQ protections in Turkey: “The Turkish government has a duty to protect all of its citizens regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity,” HRC Global’s Ty Cobb (@TyWesleyCobb) tells Voice of America.

TX AG PAXTON JOCKEYING FOR 1ST PLACE IN ANTI-TRANS DISCRIMINATION RACE: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has jumped into the legal battle over North Carolina’s discriminatory, anti-LGBTQ law, HB2. Paxton and 10 other state attorneys general have urged U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Schroeder to pause the proceedings of a pending U.S. Justice Department challenge to HB2 so that other cases can be heard and resolved first. More from HRC.

• Shameful: A Texas business owner purchased full-page ad promoting his professional discrimination against LGBTQ Texans last week. More from KTRE.

TUESDAY TWEET: H/T to News & Observer reporter Colin Campbell (@RaleighReporter) for sharing equality advocate Montel Williams’ disgust at having his image used used in a re-election ad for anti-LGBTQ North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory. According to Williams’ spokesman Jonathan Franks, the incident could result in “a very expensive headache for Lyin’ Pat.”

Looks like former talk show host @Montel_Williams was none too thrilled about seeing his face in a McCrory ad #ncpol pic.twitter.com/J3my5mSocO

— Colin Campbell (@RaleighReporter) September 2, 2016

MIKE PENCE, THEN AND NOW — THE FACE OF ANTI-LGBTQ DISCRIMINATION: Right Wing Watch reminded us last week that Mike Pence has always been the face of anti-LGBTQ discrimination, highlighting a piece the GOP vice presidential nominee wrote lamenting the “AIDS activists” who spoke at the 1996 RNC. The same conservative journal, which was the official publication of the organization that Pence led, claimed that “gaydom” was a “pathological condition” that could slant journalists’ coverage. More here.

HRC VIDEO MUST WATCH — #ThisIsTransgender: In recent months, some anti-transgender politicians have been scratching their heads over what it means to be transgender. It’s pretty simple, says HRC in this new video showcasing actress Laverne Cox (@LaverneCox), teen author and HRC Youth Ambassador Jazz Jennings (@JazzJennings_), among other transgender advocates.

PULSE NIGHTCLUB HERO — A USMC VET — TO BE HONORED BY MILITARY ORG: The American Military Partner Association (@LGBTMilPartners) will honor Imran Yousuf at its West Coast Gala on Sept. 17. Yousuf, a Marine Corps veteran, saved more than 70 lives during the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting in June. More from AMPA.

IN EMOTIONAL SPEECH, COLTON HAYNES ACCEPTS HRC AWARD: Teen Wolf and Arrow star Colton Haynes (@ColtonLHaynes) got emotional when he accepted an HRC Visibility Award during an event in Seattle. “I have experienced a lot of ‘Wow’ moments in my life, but I think tonight is probably topping all of them” said Haynes, honored for living an authentic life as an openly gay man. Watch his speech here.

#EQUALEVERYWHERE: HRC wants you to show your pride wherever you are. Speaking out against hate in the name of LGBTQ equality? Going on a global excursion? Running the Boston Marathon? Standing up as an ally for your loved one? Proclaiming your stance as a voter who believes #LoveTrumpsHate? Jumping out of a plane? Tag your post with #EqualEverywhere. We’ll be on the lookout, sharing the best posts across our platforms. More here.

PrEP APPROVED FOR EU MEMBER STATES: Last month, the European Commission approved the use of Truvada as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in all 28 European Union (EU) member states. This decision paves the way for a reduction in HIV transmission rates throughout Europe, as pharmaceuticals in the member states are regulated by the European Commission, as well as by national governments. More from HRC.

• Last week, the South African government announced they will provide free treatment to people living with HIV. More from Fox News.

READING RAINBOW

The Washington Post shares the story of Gavin Grimm, whose lawsuit to use the correct bathroom has sparked a national debate… BuzzFeed tells the story of a loving same-sex couple who almost lost custody of their children because of a rogue anti-LGBTQ judge… Grab a box of tissues and check out HRC’s new Dads for Trans Equality video series… and The Independent discusses the King of Norway’s powerful speech in favor of LGBTQ rights…

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-news-september-6-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

HRC Holds Voter Mobilization Workshops in Texas

This year, HRC Equality Votes is undertaking an unprecedented national effort to mobilize pro-equality voters in key races up and down the ballot, including U.S. Congressional candidates in the Lone Star State.

On Monday, HRC joined volunteers in Houston, Texas, several of whom worked for months to mobilize thousands of voters in support of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). Although HERO failed to pass last November, the skills local advocates learned on the campaign will serve Houstonians well as they mobilize for pro-equality candidates in Texas. The residents of America’s fourth largest city know the stakes couldn’t be higher in November 2016.

Folks in Austin showed up Tuesday to the training in droves and ranged in advocacy experience from 30 years to 30 minutes. As the state’s capital, Austin participants had their eyes not only on the outcome November 8, but squarely on what this election will mean for state leadership and the upcoming 2017 Texas legislative session. Advocates cited 2015 as a big year for attempted anti-LGBT legislation and expressed the importance of building a strong team not just for November but as a base for the coming year. Their close-knit crew also kicked around ideas about volunteer vacations to battleground states as the election nears.

In Dallas-Fort Worth, volunteers had already participated in local phonebanks. This veteran crew of advocates and campaigners made plans to tap into pro-equality voters and maximize their impact at the ballot box.

Wrapping up the week in San Antonio, leaders met to plan for the November election season and explored ways to partner with other progressive groups in the area already working to mobilize voters. This included the local volunteer led group known as San Antonio for Hillary.

At HRC we know that elections matter. We’ve come too far to go back now and the stakes could not be higher for the LGBTQ community this election. That’s why we have aggressive plans to mobilize our members and supporters this fall and there is an important role for you in our effort. Click here to learn more about upcoming workshops in cities across the country.

For more information about our HRC Equality Votes workshops or volunteer opportunities in Texas, contact HRC’s Ryan Wilson, [email protected].  

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-holds-voter-mobilization-workshops-in-texas?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Meet JR, a Dad for Transgender Equality

JR and his wife Vanessa have always been open about letting their children be who they are – and though they didn’t know it initially, they were also making an intuitive decision to fully support their transgender daughter.

JR noticed a change in Ellie when she was quite young and started asking about wearing nail polish and dresses to preschool. It wasn’t long before Ellie shared with her parents about how she truly felt on the inside.

“Right after her fourth birthday party that she said, ‘I’m a girl.’” JR recalled. “It wasn’t a mourning of what we perceived as our son, it was more of a ‘how do we support our daughter moving forward?’ Once she was able to tell us who she was, her personality and her demeanor did a 180. She completely blossomed.”

Despite having a happy-go-lucky five-year-old at home, JR worries about Ellie’s safety as she gets older. He discusses the importance of educating people, particularly school administrators and staff, about being accepting of and open to all people.

“It just presents another perspective to a person when they can associate a human being with an issue,” JR said. “To have Ellie kind of as a beacon in our family is really helpful for making our family tighter, making her community around her tighter. Every kid is different. Every kid is unique. It’s just for us to accept them and support them in every way. Listen to your kid.”

While JR and his family have become a vocal advocates for transgender youth, many LGBTQ young people lack crucial support from their families, and instead are rejected, leaving them at greater risk for homelessness, substance abuse, depression, and suicide. Up to 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ.

Watch the video below to see the difference supportive dads can make in their transgender children’s lives. For more information on supporting and caring for transgender and gender-expansive children and youth, visit hrc.org/trans-youth.

Whether you identify as transgender or as an ally, join HRC’s #ThisIsTransgender social media campaign to share your story. Tag HRC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and send your Snapchat snaps to WeAreHRC and include the hashtag #ThisIsTransgender.

www.hrc.org/blog/meet-jr-a-dad-for-transgender-equality?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

When a Gay Man's Only Porn Is a JC Penney Catalog (Video)

In this exclusive clip from the new film Other People, a gay man tells his ex a humorous story from his closeted youth.

www.advocate.com/film/2016/9/06/when-gay-mans-only-porn-jc-penney-catalog-video

Out Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Kneels During National Anthem in Solidarity with Kaepernick

In solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to remain seated during the national anthem to protest the oppression of people of color, out soccer star Megan Rapinoe supported the NFL star on Sunday by also refusing to stand.

Kaepernick remained seated during a preseason game against Green Bay and last week knelt before a game against the San Diego Chargers.

#USWNT star Megan Rapinoe kneels during the national anthem. “It’s the least I can do.” t.co/tjuDrd1ytO pic.twitter.com/1VLcU6mtnI

— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 5, 2016

Following that game he explained his actions to NFL Media:

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

RELATED: Olympic Athletes are Being Taunted with Homophobic Slurs and It’s a Problem

On Sunday Rapinoe said:

“It was very intentional. It was a little nod to Kaepernick and everything that he’s standing for right now. I think it’s actually pretty disgusting the way he was treated and the way that a lot of the media has covered it and made it about something that it absolutely isn’t. We need to have a more thoughtful, two-sided conversation about racial issues in this country.

“Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties. It was something small that I could do and something that I plan to keep doing in the future and hopefully spark some meaningful conversation around it. It’s important to have white people stand in support of people of color on this. We don’t need to be the leading voice, of course, but standing in support of them is something that’s really powerful.”

Kaepernick has since been accused of being unpatriotic. A video of 49ers fans burning a Kaepernick jersey emerged last week. On Saturday, the American Family Association tweeted that Kaepernick was breaking federal law as well as being unpatriotic. The hate group has also set up a petition asking the NFL to discipline Kaepernick.

Speaking during a news conference at the G20 in Hangzhou, China yesterday, President Obama said Kaepernick has “generated more conversation around some topics that need to be talked about.” Obama added he added he would rather have young people engaged in the argument than “people who are just sitting on the sidelines and not paying attention at all”.

Watch Obama’s full statement on the issue and a report on Rapinoe below.

(Image via Twitter)

The post Out Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe Kneels During National Anthem in Solidarity with Kaepernick appeared first on Towleroad.

feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/3t5SLRHLmXk/

19 LGBT Hindu Gods

For centuries, Hindu literature, mythology, and religious texts have featured deities that defied the gender binary. 

www.advocate.com/religion/2016/9/06/19-lgbt-hindu-gods

Susan Larson Was Advocating From Inside the Closet

For decades, Susan Larson helped make the world a safer place for trans people. Then she came out too. 

www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/9/06/susan-larson-was-advocating-inside-closet

Violence Against LGBT People Is Unabating, Even in San Francisco

A person armed with a metal pipe attacked the S.F. LGBT Center last month. The center’s executive director says it was an important reminder of all the work that remains.

www.advocate.com/commentary/2016/9/06/violence-against-lgbt-people-unabating-even-san-francisco