Antigay Bride Fires Pro-Gay Wedding Photographer Only To Have Her $1,500 Deposit Donated To GLAAD

A wedding photographer from Florida recently found himself out of a job when a bride-to-be fired him upon learning he supported gay marriage. But, don’t worry, he got the last laugh.

Clinton Brentwood Lee, owner of Brentwood Photography in Saint Petersburg, FL, received a rather nasty text message from a client after she went on his went on his website and discovered, to her absolute shock and horror, that he had photographed same-sex wedding ceremonies.

Related: PHOTOS: Adorable Gay Wedding Photos That Will Make You Say “Awww!”

“Greetings Brentwood,” the text began. “We would just like to inform you that we will NOT be using your services for our wedding.”

The text continued: “My fiance and I support traditional marriage between a man and a woman and don’t want our money going to places that support otherwise.”

Boycotting every pro-gay business in the world? Good luck with that, honey.

The bride then asked for the $1,500 non-refundable deposit she initially put down to be returned. Apparently, she doesn’t understand how a non-refundable deposit works.

But Brentwood didn’t let the bitchy little note get the best of him. Instead, he replied:

“Wow, I’m really not sure what to say here. I would say this disappoints me, but I actually find this to be a good thing because our company would not not like to work with you as well.”

Related: Wedding-Dress Shoppers React To Bridal Discrimination On What Would You Do?

He continued: ” Now as far as your retainer goes, I hope you’ll read the first article in the contract you signed stating that this retainer is nonrefundable. But don’t worry, I’m not going to keep it!”

Instead, Brentwood says, “I have decided to donate your $1,500 to GLAAD, a group created to help and support gay rights.”

“Let me be the first to say thank you very much for your donation and support for this great cause,” his response concluded. “I couldn’t have done it without your money.”

See the full exchange below.

H/t: upmoments

Graham Gremore

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Gordon Klingenschmitt Thinks Hurricane Gordon Was a Sign of Support From God: VIDEO

Demon-obsessed lawmaker and unintentional comedy figure Gordon Klingenschmitt appears to believe that Hurricane Gordon was a nod and wink from God supporting the Colorado Republican state legislator.

Klingenschmitt was speaking at the same event at which pastor Rick Scarborough said the U.S. would find a cure for AIDS if it rejects homosexuality.

According to Right Wing Watch, former Navy chaplain Klingenschmitt dedicated his speech to a series of events in 2006 when he erroneously claimed to have been prevented from praying in his official capacity as Navy chaplain. He was in reality disciplined for appearing at a political rally and eventually court-martialed.

However, all is OK in his world because “on 14 September, 2006, the same day I was literally [or not] found guilty of worshiping in public in a Virginia Beach courtroom, 1,000 miles off the Virginia coastline, Hurricane Gordon is swelling at full strength.”

“My first name is Gordon,” he helpfully added. “Glory to God! Hallelujah! God is doing signs and wonders in the heavens.”

Thanks for that Gordon.

Watch his speech below.

The post Gordon Klingenschmitt Thinks Hurricane Gordon Was a Sign of Support From God: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Michael Fitzgerald

Gordon Klingenschmitt Thinks Hurricane Gordon Was a Sign of Support From God: VIDEO

97 Seattle Starbucks Locations are Turning Into 'LGBT Safe Spaces'

Amidst all the controversy surrounding its seasonal red cups, coffee giant Starbucks is taking a stand for LGBT inclusivity by turning 97 of its Seattle-area locations into what can be best described as “LGBT safe spaces.” 

According to The Seattle Times, the popular multinational coffee retailer is joining forces with the Seattle Police Department and their Safe Place Program to help train 2,000 of their Seattle employees on the proper methods of helping and responding to victims of anti-LGBT violence. Employees will also be trained on how to properly communicate with the police when it comes to reporting LGBT hate crimes, reports the Huffington Post. 

“We don’t have roving bands of people assaulting LBGTQ people as we did in the ’80s, but the crimes are predatory, they’re picking somebody out of the herd,” Jim Ritter, an openly gay Seattle police officer and the SPD’s LGBT community liaison, told The Times about the need for the Safe Place program. “They’re cowards for the most part…they’re opportunistic, they do their damage and leave. They like operating in the shadows and Safe Place eliminates a lot of those shadows.”

“Starbucks has more locations than any other business in Seattle, and its name brand is recognized all over the world,” he continued. “I haven’t been turned down by a single business. It is heartening and reinforces that people in Seattle get it and don’t support hate of any kind.”

This isn’t the first time the Starbucks corporation has stood in solidarity with the LGBT community. In 2011, CEO Howard Schultz canceled an appearance at the Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois after learning the church had an association with a conversion  or “ex-gay” therapy program. Just last year, Starbucks aired its first LGBT advertisement, a commercial featuring drag superstars Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano.

“We’re already a part of our customers’s lives and … this is another way to be part of the community,” Heather Jennings, Starbucks’ Seattle regional director, told The Times. “Anyone who needs a place to go to feel safe, to call the police, we want to be there for them.”

Raffy Ermac

www.advocate.com/business/2015/11/13/97-seattle-starbucks-locations-are-turning-lgbt-safe-spaces

Utah Judge Reverses Order For Lesbian Couple To Surrender Baby

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah judge reversed his decision to take a baby away from her lesbian foster parents and place her with a heterosexual couple after the ruling led to widespread backlash.

Judge Scott Johansen signed an order, which was released Friday, that will allow the 9-month-old baby to stay with April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce, a married couple who live in the city of Price.

It comes after Johansen said in court Tuesday that the baby would be removed from the couple’s home. Utah officials and the couple filed court challenges demanding the judge rescind the order.

In his first decision, Johansen cited research that shows children do better when raised by heterosexual families. However, the American Psychological Association has said there’s no scientific basis that gay couples are unfit parents based on sexual orientation.

Messages left with Jim Hunnicutt, a lawyer for the couple, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services seeking comments on the judge’s revised order were not immediately returned Friday.

Hoagland and Peirce are among a group of same-sex married couples who were allowed to become foster parents in Utah after last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made gay marriage legal across the country. State officials don’t keep an exact count but estimate there are a dozen or more foster parents who are married same-sex couples.

A full transcript of Johansen’s initial ruling has not been made public and may not be because court records of cases involving foster children are kept private to protect the kids. Johansen is precluded by judicial rules from discussing pending cases, Utah courts spokeswoman Nancy Volmer has said.

The move to take the baby away generated widespread criticism, including from national gay rights groups and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert.

Herbert said Thursday that Johansen should follow the law and not inject his personal beliefs into the decision. Groups including the Anti-Defamation League, Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union called the order shocking, outrageous and unjust.

Also on HuffPost:

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HRC Calls For Investigation Into Utah Judge Who Removed Foster Child

Ruling may violate Utah’s Judicial Code of Conduct, leading to possible sanctions for judge with history of inappropriate conduct.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hrc-calls-for-investigation-into-utah-judge-who-removed-foster-child?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Gus Kenworthy Discusses First Sexual Experiences, How He Realized He Was Into Guys

Attitude recently sat down with freshly out, dog-rescuing Olympian Gus Kenworthy, covering a range of topics from his sudden media attention and what it means to be an LGBT role model to his first boyfriend and, for lack of a better term, dick pics.

Here are some highlights — head here for the full interview.

On realizing he was attracted to guys:

I remember going with my family to these hot springs when I was a kid and there was a lifeguard there who was probably in his 20s, who was really fit and had, like, big arms and shoulders, which I hadn’t really seen before I guess – not in a swimsuit! And I was just like ‘Oh my god, what is happening!’ [chuckles] But I didn’t know whether I was so drawn to it because I wanted to look like that or to have that to myself, but I knew I had this pull, and obviously that got more frequent and stronger as I got older.

He tried to find the words to come out as a teenager:

I used to drive to hockey games with my dad, just the two of us, and we always had a good dynamic between us, and I remember wanting to say something, but just not having the words, or the courage. Also remember feeling that I didn’t want to come out because I hadn’t been with a guy in any form, and I didn’t want to tell people and have them go ‘Oh you’re sleeping with guys?’ because I hadn’t; I’d never even kissed a boy.

On his first sexual experience with a guy:

I had no idea he was gay or interested at all, we just became friends, and one night we’d been out to the bars and had a few drinks, and we staying at a friend’s and sharing a pull-out couch, and I kinda just thought I’m gonna kiss him, and if he punches me in the face I can play it off as having one too many to drinks or just being an idiot. But it ended up being reciprocated and it started a five-year relationship.

Addressing all those shirtless pics floating around:

I just think the worry is that I’ll type-cast myself or people will come to expect it. I’m not being controlled though, [my publicist] just thinks it’s important to remain a skier and not have all the emphasis on my body. And I agree. It feels good to have a bit of validation but it’s very vain! I know it’s vain, so I don’t wanna be that guy all the time. There’s a lot more to me.

On his constantly full inbox:

I’ve had a lot of kids saying that they’re in the closet or are having similar feelings, so I’ve tried to kind of search through my inbox for those, because I feel like those are the people that need to be responded to and need some attention. But in that process I’ve definitely opened up messages that are just of peoples’ dicks! I’m like ‘Why are you sending me this! This is ridiculous!’

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/T4P6mGc1vHQ/gus-kenworthy-discusses-first-sexual-experiences-how-he-realized-he-was-into-guys-20151113

Utah Judge Reverses Decision to Remove Foster Child From Gay Moms

The Utah judge who had ordered a foster child be removed from the home of a lesbian couple reversed that decision on Friday.

Juvenile Court Judge Scott N. Johansen had said the child in question, a 9-month-old girl, would be better off in a home where she would be cared for by heterosexual parents. Johansen said he had seen research that showed children do better in homes with heterosexual as opposed to homosexual parents, though he did not cite the source of this alleged research in his order issued earlier this week.

RELATED: Hillary Clinton Supports Gay Moms Who Had Foster Child Removed by Judge

The New York Times reports: 

The clash is the first of its kind, said Ashley Sumner, a spokeswoman for the state agency, because Utah only recently began approving foster child placements with same-sex couples, after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on gay marriage in June.

The clash is the first of its kind, said Ashley Sumner, a spokeswoman for the state agency, because Utah only recently began approving foster child placements with same-sex couples, after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on gay marriage in June.

Judge Johansen eliminated a line saying that “it is not in the best interest of children to be raised by same-sex couples,” and another ordering the child removed and placed with a heterosexual couple. But the new order still says, “The court cited a concern that research has shown that children are more emotionally and mentally stable when raised by a mother and father in the same home.” And there is still a Dec. 4 hearing scheduled on the best interests of the child.

RELATED: Utah Governor: Judge Who Removed Child from Gay Foster Parents Should ‘Follow the Law’ – VIDEO

The post Utah Judge Reverses Decision to Remove Foster Child From Gay Moms appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Utah Judge Reverses Decision to Remove Foster Child From Gay Moms

Congressional Forum to Investigate 'Epidemic of Violence' Against Transgender People

As the transgender community prepares to mark one of its darkest days on the calendar — the Transgender Day of Remembrance — members of the House LGBT Equality Caucus announced this morning they will hold the first-ever congressional forum on violence against the transgender community next week.

The congressional forum is set for Tuesday afternoon and will follow a morning press conference held by the LGBT Equality Caucus to officially launch a Transgender Equality Task Force.  

Rep. Mike Honda of California — whose own granddaughter is trans — said in a statement he will chair this effort to raise awareness of the issues facing the transgender community.  

“This week, as we seek to raise awareness of the issues facing the trans community, it is important to renew our commitment to help trans individuals be free of the fear of violence or bullying just for being who they are,” said Congressman Honda. “It is my hope that by launching this workforce and holding a first-ever forum, we will reach some of my colleagues and encourage them to stand with the trans community. It is only through social change that we can truly elevate the conversation in this country and reach a place of true understanding and embrace all people for who they are.”

To date, 21 trans women have been murdered in the United States since January, almost double the number of trans murders in all of 2014. Most of this year’s victims were trans women of color.

The move by members of the House to address this issue won praise from the Human Rights Campaign, which is scheduled to participate in the forum:

“Imagine fearing for your life every day. That nightmare is a reality for far too many transgender women, a nightmare that deserves national attention,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.  “At least 21 transgender people – almost all women of color – have been murdered this year.  Today, transgender women are more than 4 times as likely to be murdered in the U.S. than other women. This forum will bring together a coalition of families, advocates, lawmakers, and other leaders to address the realities that conspire to put transgender people at risk. We are proud to be a part of this work and hope this forum will lead to greater collaboration and action to help end this epidemic of violence.”

The other members of Congress who will take part in the panel on the impact and causes of transgender violence chaired by Honda are Rep. David Cicilline, Rep. Barbara Lee and Rep. Joe Kennedy. 

They will hear from panelists who include La La Zannell of the Anti-Violence Project and a survivor of violence, Laura Sorenson and Morris Home, the leaders of a drug and alcohol treatment facility dedicated to serving the transgender community, and Joanna Cifredo, a writer, advocate, organizer and a survivor of violence.  

Another panel on policy and how to end bias-motivated violence against transgender people will be chaired by Rep. Jared Polis, Co-Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus. Members joining him are Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. Mike Quigley and Rep. Alan Lowenthal.

They will hear testimony from Chad Griffin of HRC, Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality, Kylar Broadus of the TPOCC, and Sharon Lettman-Hicks of the National Black Justice Coalition. 

Also this morning, HRC and the Trans People of Color Coalition released an updated report on what Griffin and Rep. Honda called the “epidemic of violence” against transgender people – particularly transgender women of color., that was timed to coincide with the announcement of the forum. 

The joint report focuses on the realities, challenges, and solutions for policy makers and community advocates in addressing anti-transgender violence. 

“The LGBT community has long counted on our non-LGBT allies to stand beside us in the fight for equality; and right now, the transgender community needs allies more than ever as we fight for our very survival,” said Kylar W. Broadus of TPOCC. “We are proud to partner with HRC on this work, and we ask all of our cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight friends, loved ones and supporters to stand up against the continuing stigma and discrimination that is killing transgender people of color at alarming rates.”

Click here to read the joint report from HRC and TPOCC.

Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/transgender/2015/11/13/congressional-forum-investigate-epidemic-violence-against-transgender-people