7 Reasons You Really Can’t Miss New Orleans Pride This Year

New Orleans Pride is experiencing a bit of a renaissance as one of the fastest growing Pride festivals in the country. Last year, Travel + Leisure named it as one of their “Nine LGBT Destinations to Visit This Summer,” and people are starting to notice. The events have been growing in number each year, and 50,000 plus folks are expected to swarm the city for this year’s parade.

We’ve outlined a few reasons this year’s event will be even more special:

1. You could be IN the Pride Parade

There will be a 100-foot-long rainbow flag leading the parade through the French Quarter and down Bourbon Street, and volunteers are needed to help carry it (sign up here). This is a truly unique experience, and you’ll even get a T-shirt for helping out! This year’s parade is set to have more than 1,000 participants, including nine floats and more than 70 groups.

2. It’s also the annual Louisiana HRC Dinner

Some years these great events overlap, giving you a chance to add a little black tie to your rainbow wardrobe. The Gala and Auction happens on Saturday, June 18 at the Hyatt Regency. The General Reception starts at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards at 6:45 p.m. This has been an important year for LGBT rights, and this gala is not to be missed. You can buy individual tickets and will be placed at a table, or you can host your own table. Three amazing local chefs will serve up the dinner, and there is an after-party in one of the suites upstairs in the hotel.

3. This weekend is a great value

There’s so much going on, and most of it is FREE! Besides the free Pride events, there’s also Cajun Zydeco Fest. If you’ve never heard this type of music, you definitely need to check it out.

4. Girls, girls, girls

Pride is definitely one time of year the girls will be OUT! Besides the Girl Party at the Bourbon Pub on Saturday (4 p.m. – 8 p.m.), you will be certain to find lesbians at Swirl Bar on Friday night, at the HRC Gala, and enjoying the music in the city.

5. Bianca Del Rio is back!

Missing the “queen of mean”? The winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6, our hometown girl, Bianca is back to kick off the Pride festivities with a show at the Joy Theater. She’ll be joined by Drag Race alums Mrs. Kasha Davis, Milk, and Darienne Lake.

6. New this year: PrideFest on Bourbon

This year, New Orleans Pride is taking to the streets. On Sunday, June 19, the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann streets will become a musical stage starring Debby Holiday, Jai Rodriguez, Billy Francesca, Persana Shoulders and many more.

7. If you’re still not convinced…press play

New Orleans Pride Parade on Bourbon Street being led by a giant rainbow flag.

(Top photo courtesy Paul Broussard)

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Gun Sales Skyrocket Among LGBTQ Americans In The Aftermath Of Orlando Massacre

Last weekend was absolutely terrible for America, and particularly LGBTQ Americans. But it was great for firearms shops and gun manufacturers. Like, really great.

Gun sales in the country have skyrocketed since Sunday’s deadly shooting massacre at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando that left 49 dead and 53 injured. But this time, a brand new demographic is loading up on weapons and ammunition: Gays and lesbians.

“For this time of year I’d say its three to four times what we normally have,” George Horne, the owner of The Gun Room, Denver’s oldest firearms dealer, tells FOX 31-TV, adding that he’s “not surprised” by the spike in sales.

Related: The Heartbreaking Story Of The Mother Who Died Saving Her Son In Orlando Attack

According to Vox, gun sales almost always surge after mass shootings.

“[Mass shootings] are an opportunity for gun manufacturers to sell more guns,” explains James Hardiman, an analyst who covers the firearm industry.

Hardiman adds that the political discourse only adds to the number of sales.

“On the left, you have Hillary Clinton talking about tighter gun restriction, which scares the gun people,” he says. “And on the right, you’ve got Donald Trump, who is contributing to the fear of Muslims and ISIS. Gun sales are being bolstered by rhetoric on both sides.”

Related: If Only There Was Something We Could Do About Mass Shootings. Oh Wait, Sam Bee Gets It.

FOX 31-TV also reports that The Pink Pistols, a national LGBTQ gun club, says its memberships more than double between Saturday and Monday, soaring from about 1,500 members to 3,500, with dozens of new chapters are springing up all over.

One of the people opening a chapter in Colorado Springs is Mike Smith, a heterosexual firearms instructor.

“Because of what happened, people are looking for answers,” he says. “I look at it as a disenfranchised minority that needs someone who’s willing to say I’m a resource who’s here and willing to help.”

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John McCain: ‘Barack Obama Is Directly Responsible’ for Orlando Massacre

Senator John McCain on Thursday blamed President Obama for the Orlando massacre, saying he is “directly responsible” for the worst terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.

McCain, who lost to Obama in the 2008 election, made his remarks to press on Capitol Hill. McCain was responding to questions about Democrats’ filibuster on gun control, a move prompted by the deadly mass shooting at the gay nightclub, Pulse, on Sonday.

The Washington Post reports: 

“Barack Obama is directly responsible for it, because when he pulled everybody out of Iraq, al-Qaeda went to Syria, became ISIS, and ISIS is what it is today thanks to Barack Obama’s failures,” McCain said.

When pressed by a reporter on the claim that Obama was “directly” responsible, McCain reiterated his point — that Obama should not have withdrawn combat troops from Iraq.

“He pulled everybody out of Iraq, and I predicted at the time that ISIS would go unchecked, and there would be attacks on the United States of America,” he said. “It’s a matter of record, so he is directly responsible.”

Sensing a backlash, McCain then tweeted a clarification, saying, ” I was referring to Pres Obama’s national security decisions that have led to rise of #ISIL, not to the President himself.”

To clarify, I was referring to Pres Obama’s national security decisions that have led to rise of #ISIL, not to the President himself

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) June 16, 2016

[Image via Wikipedia]

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Anonymous Hacks ISIS Twitter Accounts, Makes Them Super Gay 

Hacktivist members of the group Anonymous have taken over several pro-ISIS Twitter accounts and filled them with images of gay pride following the Orlando massacre.

The Orlando shooter reportedly swore allegiance to ISIS in a phone call to 911 during his attack on the gay nightclub, Pulse.

ISIS has a history of brutally killing people it claims are gay.

CBS News reports: 

Following the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando — which the FBI is investigating as both a hate crime and an ISIS-inspired terror attack — the Anonymous hacker started to infiltrate pro-ISIS accounts and then post images of rainbow flags, non-graphic gay pornography and slogans such as “I’m gay and I’m proud.”

The pro-ISIS accounts that were hacked were all renamed “Jacked by a Ghost” and most linked to CIA.gov. While some of the hacked accounts have been suspended, some still exist, according to CBS San Francisco.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Anonymous hacker Twitter account appeared to still be at it, tweeting its successful takeover of the Twitter account @islamsunna111, with an IP address in Oman, and peppering that account with slogans such as “Make love, not war” and “#MoreSex #LessDeath #ISIS #ISIL #IslamicState.”

Hacker WauchulaGhost is behind most of the attacks.

Via Techly: 

For instance, he broke into ISIS account, @gi_h_a_d35, changed his profile picture to a gay flag and tweeted out this message:

“Hello World. It’s time I share with you a little secret…I’m Gay and I’m Proud!! #GayPride #OrlandoWillNotBeForgotten !!! #GhostOfNoNation.”

WauchulaGhost has also been tweeting out their IP addresses, phone numbers and other contact information for fellow hackers to use.

Explaining his motivation, he/she said:

I did it for the lives lost in Orlando.

Daesh [ISIS] have been spreading and praising the attack, so I thought I would defend those that were lost. The taking of innocent lives will not be tolerated.

Our actions are directed at Jihadist extremists. Many of our own [group of hackers] are Muslim and we respect all religions that do not take innocent lives.

Check out some tweets by WauchulaGhost, below.

For you #Orlando. #Daesh in Iraq @gi_h_a_d35 #OpDaesh #Anonymous #GhostOfNoNation pic.twitter.com/LGI9fRVpA4

— WauchulaGhost (@WauchulaGhost) June 14, 2016

#Daesh in #Irag @dygft9uy4 Still remembering those we lost. #Orlando #OpDaesh #Anonymous #GhostOfNoNation pic.twitter.com/ZdxXL4y6Y6

— WauchulaGhost (@WauchulaGhost) June 16, 2016

#DaeshBag in #Oman. @islamsunna111. IP’s in Image. Make Love, Not War. #ISIS #OpDaesh #Anonymous #GhostOfNoNation pic.twitter.com/W1JuK8H0ti

— WauchulaGhost (@WauchulaGhost) June 15, 2016

#DaeshBag in #Saudi @zxmgklb #RxpectUs #OpDaesh #Anonymous #GhostOfNONation pic.twitter.com/lQQv1VLkxh

— WauchulaGhost (@WauchulaGhost) June 15, 2016

Keeping the thoughts and prayers going. #Daesh In #Jordan. @0Jdkshey #Orlando. #OpDaesh #Anonymous #GhostOfNoNation pic.twitter.com/UCrBTFcBMD

— WauchulaGhost (@WauchulaGhost) June 14, 2016

Also, this image from 2015 has been recirculating as well.

@RyanBarrell your wish is my command lol. pic.twitter.com/PvFngPfwAP

— Angela Korras (@AngelaKorras) August 27, 2015

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JetBlue Passengers and Crew Comfort Grieving Grandmother of Orlando Victim

A grieving grandmother found unexpected comfort and support from the crew and passengers aboard her JetBlue flight to Orlando, where she was headed to attend her grandson’s funeral.

In the wake of the Orlando massacre, JetBlue announced it would offer free flights for families of the victims who were traveling to say goodbye to their loved ones.

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo (above) was one of the youngest victims of the mass shooting, aged only 20 years-old, and when JetBlue crew member Kelly Davis Kara learned his grandmother was aboard a flight she was working she decided to rally the plane behind her.

CNN reports:

Karas passed around a piece of paper for passengers to sign so their words might ease the grandmother’s aching heart.

As Karas pushed the beverage cart down the plane’s aisle, she whispered to passengers about the paper. Halfway down the aisle, another crew member on board said more paper was needed. Instead of signing their names and moving on, passengers were writing paragraphs—long notes of compassion, grief and strength.

“When we gathered them together to present them to her, we didn’t have just a sheet of paper covered in names, which is what I had envisioned. Instead, we had page after page after page after page of long messages offering condolences, peace, love and support. There were even a couple of cash donations, and more than a few tears,”  Karas wrote on Facebook.

Karas also said on Facebook, 

“As we deplaned, EVERY SINGLE PERSON STOPPED TO OFFER HER THEIR CONDOLENCES. Some just said they were sorry, some touched her hand, some hugged her, some cried with her. But every single person stopped to speak to her, and not a single person was impatient at the slower deplaning process.”

Karas also announced over the plane’s loud speaker that “We stand with Orlando” and also had a moment of silence in honor of Omar.

RIP Omar.

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La Communidad Latinx es Desproporcionadamente Impactada en el Tiroteo de Orlando

Lo que ocurrió en Orlando ha sacudido a esta nación y al resto del mundo. Estamos sumamente concertados y sentimos una profunda tristeza por las 49 personas inocentes que trágicamente perdieron sus vidas y así mismo por las otras 50 personas heridas, muchas quienes en el hospital aún luchan por sus vidas. La mayoría de las víctimas eran de la comunidad Latina y LGBTQ.

Expresamos nuestras condolencias y nuestro más sincero y profundo pésame por sus familias, sus seres queridos y toda la comunidad.

Trágicamente, este ataque mortal es el peor tiroteo masivo en la historia de nuestra nación. En este momento, como nación y como comunidad, debemos unirnos para derrotar el odio y la intolerancia que motivó este ataque tan horrendo y otros similares.

Este ataque también se tomo a cabo durante “La Noche Latína” en donde la mayoría de las víctimas eran latinos asi como LGBTQ. Nuestras comunidades LGBTQ y de color son trágicamente víctimas de violencia en una manera desproporcionada y alarmante.

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U.S. Office of Special Counsel Releases Gender Transition Policy

Post submitted by HRC Law Fellow James Shygelski

On Tuesday, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) released a Gender Transition Policy as part of recent efforts to raise awareness of the issues still present within the LGBTQ community. In issuing this policy, OSC aims to achieve “a diverse and inclusive workplace free of discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming employees and applicants.”

In a thirteen page directive, OSC detailed their new policy for responding to the workplace challenges faced by those entering the transition process. Recognizing that transitioning is an “inherently personal” experience, the policy mainly addresses common changes and questions in the workplace, such as information privacy and confidentiality, name and pronoun usage, and access to facilities consistent with gender identity.

Under the policy terms, transitioning employees will work with supervisors and a designated Gender Transition Coordinator (GTC), to develop a Workplace Transition Plan tailored to the needs and confidentiality concerns of the employee. This system allows the employee “to decide when, with whom, and how much information to share” about their transition, while simultaneously setting a timeline for establishing name and pronoun changes, as well as allowing access to restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity on the first full day of work. In addition to these services, the GTC works with the employee to ensure that all personnel records are promptly changed, federal insurance benefits are maintained and medical leave is provided through appropriate channels for those who undergo surgical transitions.

OSC also reaffirmed its commitment to adhering to existing federal regulations aimed at preventing discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In a press release, Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner stated “[d]iscrimination against LGBT employees in the federal workplace is illegal” and vowed to “vigorously enforce the law and conduct training and outreach to educate managers and employees on how to make their agencies diverse and inclusive.” The policy clearly details the potential for legal ramifications for intentionally violating its harassment provisions through derogatory remarks, demeaning behavior or the intentional misuse of improper pronouns or an incorrect name both verbally and in writing. Supervisors and managers are encouraged to undergo training with their staff to implement these policies, and to promote reporting any witnessed violations.  Moreover, these policies further apply in the hiring practices, granting further protections to those who began or already completed the transition process, regardless of whether or not that information was disclosed at the onset.

“We hope our policy inspires other agencies to craft their own gender transition policies,” Lerner continued.

HRC applauds OSC for implementing this important policy.

To view the OSC webpage listing LGBTQ resources, please click here.

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#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: June 16, 2016

SHAMEFUL: TRUMP ALIGNS WITH McCRORY, WHO JUST SIGNED HATEFUL HB2 LAW; SAYS HE’S DOING A “FANTASTIC JOB” Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump continues to show his true, anti-LGBTQ colors. After delivering a disgusting speech saying he “predicted” the Orlando tragedy, Trump traveled to North Carolina to attend a fundraiser with NC Governor Pat McCrory and later praised him for “doing a fantastic job.” HRC President Chad Griffin blasted Trump for endorsing McCrory: “Donald Trump’s two-faced insincerity is mind-blowing. If his anti-LGBTQ agenda and unbridled Islamophobia didn’t give fair-minded voters enough pause, his hearty endorsement of a Governor who has made North Carolina home to one of the worst state law in the nation for LGBTQ people should.” More from Buzzfeed.

• #AskTheGays: Need further proof of Trump’s deplorable record on LGBTQ issues? He encouraged us all to ask “The Gays” and they responded in kind. Read the best responses at BuzzFeed.

Earlier today, dozens of HRC staffers and other advocates chanted “Love Conquers Hate” outside a building near HRC where the anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim Trump was being deposed in a lawsuit. More from Politico.

TOP UTAH OFFICIAL APOLOGIZES FOR FAILING TO STAND WITH THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY: Powerfully testifying to the power of knowing LGBTQ people as colleagues, friends and fellow citizens, Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox offered an apology for not standing with the LGBTQ community sooner. At a vigil this week for victims of the Orlando massacre, the Utah Republican said: “Over the intervening years, my heart has changed. It has changed because of you. It has changed because I have gotten to know many of you.You have treated me with the kindness, dignity, and respect — the love — that I very often did not deserve. And it has made me love you.”

• But anti-LGBTQ animus is still evident at the Republican National Committee, which edited its original statement on the Orlando shooting to eliminate references to LGBTQ people as victims of the attack. HRC Communications Jay Brown said that “the RNC’s erasure of LGBTQ people of color, who were targeted simply because of who they are, demonstrates a profound lack of judgment and empathy that has no place in politics.”
• Meanwhile, actor and LGBTQ activist Wilson Cruz, who lost a family member in the Orlando massacre, described it as “a direct attack on LGBTQ Latinos.” In an interview with The Huffington Post, Cruz, best known for his role as one of the first queer characters of color in the cult-classic “My So-Called Life,” urged the media not to “whitewash the experience.” Cruz, related by marriage to victim Brenda Lee Márquez McCool, encouraged the LGBTQ Latinx community to “find some refuge and some comfort in knowing that they are members of a long line of LGBT Latino people that have fought their entire lives, generation after generation, for our right to live the lives that we live now…”
• For more on how you can support victims, survivors and their families go to WeAreOrlando.org and SomosOrlando.org.

A CLOSER LOOK AT ANTI-LGBTQ HATE CRIMES: The New York Times highlights the high rate of hate crimes against the LGBTQ community, which is more likely to be targeted than any other minority group. The report breaks down the most recent data from the FBI, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) and HRC. Reporting often dramatically undercounts LGBTQ data, as it’s based on local, non-mandatory reporting. More here.

HOLD THE FLOOR: In a historic 15-hour filibuster, Senate Democrats argued for gun law reform in the wake of the tragic Orlando massacre. The effort was initiated by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn), who was joined by dozens of senators including Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-Md), Dick Durbin (D-Ill), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), Joe Manchin (D-W. Va), Ed Markey (D-Mass), Bill Nelson (D-Fl), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), among others. The names of the 49 victims in Orlando were read during the impassioned speeches, and accounts given other major mass shootings in the United States. The filibuster ended at 2 AM today when the Senate majority agreed to allow votes on gun-control legislation. More from Politico.

ORLANDO TRAGEDY INSPIRES PEOPLE TO LIVE THEIR TRUTH: Following the tragedy in Orlando, people, including including actress and author Mara Wilson, are using social media to open up about their own sexual orientation and gender identity. Wilson, best known for her role in the films Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda, tweeted Monday about her sexual orientation. “I said I used to identify as mostly straight. I’ve embraced the Bi/Queer label lately,” she said. BuzzFeed reported that a number of people around the globe took to social media to come out, sending a powerful message to those still closeted. And surveys have shown that when people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. More from HRC.

• LGBTQ members of Congress have also spoken out in the wake of the tragedy. Yesterday the co-chairs of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, Reps. Jared Polis, David Cicilline, Sean Patrick Maloney, Mark Pocan, Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Takano, all released statements. Read them here.
• A brave gay couple in Moscow was arrested earlier this week for leaving a “Love Wins” sign at a memorial for the victims of the Orlando massacre. They were questioned for three hours and face 10 days in prison or a fine of 60,000 rubles if convicted. Read more here.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HONORS ARMY RESERVIST KILLED IN ORLANDO ATTACK: U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter movingly honored Army Reserve Captain Antonio Brown, who lost his life in the Orlando shooting last weekend. Brown had served in the Army domestically and abroad for nearly a decade. Carter said that Brown “gave his fellow Americans the security to dream their dreams, and live full lives,” asserting that the Army stands “with the people of Orlando and the nation’s LGBT community during this difficult time….”

KANSAS VOTES TO PUT TRANS STUDENTS AT RISK: Yesterday the Kansas State Board of Education unanimously voted to ignore the Obama administration’s historic guidance ensuring that transgender students are treated with respect in public and federally-funded schools, instead leaving the decision of whether to comply with federal civil rights law to each individual school district. Kansas schools receive almost $500 million dollars in federal education funding, which would be at risk if schools fail to comply. More from The Associated Press.

AMA URGES BETTER PrEP EDUCATION FOR PROVIDERS: Yesterday the American Medical Association (AMA), the largest association of physicians and medical students in the nation, adopted two new policies recognizing the need for better provider education about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). First approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012, PrEP is a once-daily pill regimen that can keep someone HIV-negative. However, PrEP uptake has been frustratingly slow in the U.S., due in part to low levels of awareness among doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. According to a 2015 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three primary care doctors and nurses haven’t even heard about PrEP.

READING RAINBOW

The Huffington Post explains why we need LGBTQ Pride now more than ever; Valley Central highlights the story of 10-year-old transgender boy Benjamin Alder; The New York Times stresses that it’s time to stand with LGBTQ Americans; Pink News reports on the first anti-trans protest calling for a “bathroom bill” in the UK; Vice updates the fight for marriage equality in Bermuda; and Gay Times introduces us to the pro-equality Archbishop of York.
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!

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