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Steamy “Orthodox Priests” Disrobe (And Then Some) In Hottest Calendar We’ve Seen Yet

Steamy “Orthodox Priests” Disrobe (And Then Some) In Hottest Calendar We’ve Seen Yet

Makers of the annual Orthodox priest calendar are upping the ante for 2016, releasing some of the raciest and most risqué images in the calendar’s four-year history.

The hunky Italian models posing as Orthodox priests have provided the calendar with global attention since 2012, so this year, calendar organizers are putting the priests in extra-frisky scenarios and using the appeal to push a very strong message against hate.

“Art has long been one of the main channels for social change,” said press representative Magdalena De Iona. “What we stand for is true love and free will. And that makes us think one day we will find common ground, in a better world.”

Take the cover shot, for instance — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s Patriarch Kirill I are depicted as each other’s brides in briefs and skimpy lingerie. Because why not?

Scroll down for more sinfully hot scenes:

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Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/B0iXnJT8I7E/steamy-orthodox-priests-disrobe-and-then-some-in-hottest-calendar-weve-seen-yet-20151009

SeaWorld Forbidden from Breeding Whales in Captivity

SeaWorld Forbidden from Breeding Whales in Captivity

seaworld

SeaWorld has been forbidden to breed whales in captivity in California, CBS News reports:

After a meeting that reportedly drew hundreds of SeaWorld opponents and supporters, California regulators on Thursday approved SeaWorld’s plan to construct larger quarters for its killer whales at its park in San Diego, but the green light came with strings attached.

The California Coastal Commission, which oversees seaside developments in the state, barred SeaWorld from breeding whales at the facility, a ruling that could means the 11 orcas now at the park would be the last. The commission also imposed conditions on transporting whales in and out of the park.

“We are disappointed with the conditions they have placed on their approval,” Joel Manby, SeaWorld’s president and CEO, stated in a release. “Depriving these social animals of the natural and fundamental right to reproduce is inhumane and we do not support this condition.”

Because keeping them in tiny tanks and separating them from their young and families is so humane.

The post SeaWorld Forbidden from Breeding Whales in Captivity appeared first on Towleroad.


Andy Towle

SeaWorld Forbidden from Breeding Whales in Captivity

Meet Giowana Cambrone, The Transgender Woman Who Tried To Help Brazil's 'Sustainability Network' Push For More LGBT Rights

Meet Giowana Cambrone, The Transgender Woman Who Tried To Help Brazil's 'Sustainability Network' Push For More LGBT Rights

Giowana Cambrone is a charming woman with an incredible story. A transgender woman, LGBT activist, lawyer, professor of family law with a master’s degree in public policy and human development from Rio de Janeiro State University, Giowana participated in the coordination of the Rio de Janeiro branch of Rede Sustentabilidade (Sustainability Network) — a political party founded by Marina Silva– and played a key role in preparing the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB)/Rede coalition’s program for the 2014 elections.

In an interview, she told us about her personal experience, her view on the hetero-cis-normative society she lives in, and explained Rede’s views on sexual minorities.

Giowana also offered details on the controversy around chapters that addressed LGBT rights in Marina Silva’s program during the 2014 presidential elections.

Let me start with a personal question: How did you realize you were a woman? What was going on in your mind then?
I’ve known I was different from the hetero-cis-normative standard ever since I was a child. I remember watching the Silvio Santos show, a talent show where drag queens were performing. And then the host asked one of the drag queens how she felt. She gave an answer that would be considered inappropriate today, but I completely related to it. She said she felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body. From that moment on, I got to know myself better and I thought: “I am not alone, there are other people like me.” But I lived in the state of Minas Gerais, and there was a lot of prejudice. I didn’t feel accepted. I felt guilty, abnormal and even sinful. But I overcame all that.

What has changed since?
A lot has changed. Today I feel like I’ve accomplished something. I lived a life that wasn’t mine. I was unhappy. I was trapped for 30 years, with an identity that wasn’t mine. Gender rules that are imposed on us are very strict, and they oppressively dictate our behaviors. The transition process was not without struggle and pain– both emotional and physical. I had to deconstruct an identity shaped by the gender assigned to me at birth, and build another one that actually represented me. It was like I was impersonating a character. There was no Giowana in the old Giowana.

In an earlier interview, you said: “We live in a state with an imaginary heterosexual population.” Could you explain to our readers what you meant by that?
Actually, this is a concept proposed by a feminist named Ochy Curiel, who developed the notion of the “heterosexual nation.” Using this concept, I realized that heteronormativity and cisnormativity are very prevalent among the hegemonic ruling class. And this is reflected in public policies, legislation and the entire structure of the state. As a result, it is very hard to approve legislation that favors the LGBT population, even when it addresses very basic things, such as same-sex marriage or the recognition of trans as an identity. This suppresses access to essential citizen rights.

What do you think about the controversy around the Family Statute?
The Family Statute is a stillborn law. Today, the definition of family is much more pluralistic and diverse. Laws often become irrelevant due to the changes in the social dynamics, thus losing their purpose. But this law has been proposed without a social purpose. That is why I say it is stillborn. Moreover, they are proposing a Statute that goes against the interpretation of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), which is the guardian of the Constitution. In fact, it proposes a threatening political discourse. The main problem is that it is a prohibitive and hate-oriented discourse. The proposed Family Statute violates the constitutional principles of equality, fairness and freedom. They are trying to approve a law that discriminates against other, non-standard family configurations…This greatly concerns me. What defines a family is the bond of love and affection, which cannot be extinguished by a law. The families outside this imposed “normative standard” will exist, regardless of the law.

You were the first transgender person to be appointed as part of the Sustainability Network. How was this experience? Are you no longer a coordinator?
I participated in the coordination of Rede Rio. It was a very good experience. I had to leave for personal reasons. I was busy getting my master’s degree and also going into the job market, which took up more of my time than I had hoped. But I’m still active with Rede and I’m dedicated to the project.

Many people mention the editing of Marina’s campaign program in 2014. How do you feel about what happened then?
I helped prepare that program. We held meetings with representatives of the LGBT groups in the coalition, and I drafted the proposals that would be submitted to the program. As a human rights activist for many years now, I learned that one must go for the whole package. And that’s what we proposed. However, we knew that there would be mediation. That is, the program would not include everything we proposed. Because a program means goals, for which you will fight with all your political capital to accomplish. In the meantime, between the proposals for the a program and the mediations, everything changed. Eduardo Campos died in an airplane accident, the campaign was reset, and Marina Silva had to take the lead. All of this disrupted the normal flow of events. On that Friday when it [the LGBT program] was launched, people called me and said: “The program is out, the program is out!” When I read it, I saw that the proposal had been published in full. They even kept my original punctuation. I was very pleased, of course, but I found it odd that they had published it in full. Obviously, there had been no mediation. The final, mediated version of the document was published the following day. I was very upset, not so much because of the program, which hadn’t been changed substantially, but because of the mistake [in the editing process].

Nevertheless, one must recognize that the proposed program was still the most advanced compared to those of the other candidates, because they kept the chapter that allows adoption by same-sex couples in the program, and upheld the João Neri Act, which provides for the civil requalification of transgender people. However, the misunderstanding that took place during the publication stage unfortunately weakened the campaign, and we started being attacked and accused of having changed the program after Malafaia’s (a conservative evangelical minister) opportunistic tweets.

Malafaia was never an ally of Rede, and is an extremely opportunistic public figure. Saying that Malafaia had a role to play in Rede means you know nothing at all about the movement. As I see it, Marina has no restrictions on LGBT civil rights. I think Marina is someone who is very open to this human rights issue. You just have to read the final version of the program to understand that. In the heat of the campaign, though, the winners were those who resorted to marketing strategies, rather than those who presented proposals and made written commitments.

Is there room for the LGBT population in Rede?
Of course! Rede was born with sustainability in mind. You cannot think of sustainability without considering diversity. Diversity applies to all aspects of life. There is cultural diversity, biological diversity, human diversity and, of course, sexual diversity. That’s one of Rede’s commitments.

It is a party that welcomes human diversity, a party that welcomes pluralism and the diversity of voices. Rede is not a party of one color. It was born with special attention to the human condition.

The Diversidade em Rede (Network Diversity) has used a horizontal approach and a knowledge-sharing exercise to discuss and build an LGBT agenda within the party. We have already gotten two resolution proposals approved, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, to guide the party’s policies regarding sexual diversity, as well as push for a secular state. Additionally, we have welcomed new congressmen and members of other parties, and shared our values and agendas with them.

Finally, what can people do to help improve the quality of life of the trans population?
There is so much, but at the same time it is very simple. The main problem is disrespect. It is as if society wished it could make transgender people invisible. But they exist. They are a reality that most people would rather not see. They are bodies that challenge the concept of gender. “Abnormal” when compared to social standards and relegated to societal margins.

The main problem is in not acknowledging transgender identities, which leads to other problems, such as difficulties in finding jobs. The labor market rejects them. There is a lack of opportunity. Today, approximately 90 percent of this population are employed as sex workers. No other oppressed or marginalized population, women, black people or any others, has ever been reduced to a single economic activity. I am not judging those who work in this industry willingly. The problem is when it is the only option.

If you don’t work, you don’t live and you don’t eat. Some people think that the transgender population lives on air, or glitter, or glamour. No, transgender people have to eat, have to drink and have to dress. They must have at least two meals a day. They must have access to health care and education. Now. And from time to time, they should be able to go to the movies.

However, these needs are neglected. While the rest of the LGBT community is discussing and claiming their civil rights, transgender people still have to discuss their rights to the most basic needs. Even the physiological ones, such as which restrooms they are allowed to use, or social rights, like work, health care and education. Something unthinkable in the 21st century.

This article first appeared on HuffPost Brazil and was translated into English.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.


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Raven-Symone slammed for saying she’d discriminate against someone with ‘ghetto’ name

Raven-Symone slammed for saying she’d discriminate against someone with ‘ghetto’ name

Raven-Symone came under fire on Friday for saying she would discriminate against someone with a ‘ghetto’ name.

The former child star made her remarks during a conversation with her fellow co-hosts on The View about new study released in the Journal of Evolution and Human Behavior.

She said if she were an employer looking to make a hire, she would not consider any names that sounded too ethnic.

‘I’m not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea,’ she said. ‘It’s just not going to happen. I’m not going to hire you.’

When co-hosts challenged her remarks Symone asked: ‘Is that mean?’

The backlash quickly spread to social media.

YouTube superstar Tyler Oakley tweeted: ‘Please educate yourself.’

Fox Sports host Mike Hill wrote: ‘What if their name was Pam Smith and then [they] showed up at work looking like YOU, Raven?’

Last year, Symone caused an uproar when she said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that she does not consider herself to be African-American but simply American.

Although she is in a relationship with a woman, she has also refused to be called lesbian or bisexual preferring to be described as a human who loves humans.

The post Raven-Symone slammed for saying she’d discriminate against someone with ‘ghetto’ name appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/raven-symone-slammed-for-saying-shed-discriminate-against-someone-with-ghetto-name/

AIDS Drug CEO Martin Shkreli Still Hasn’t Lowered Price As He Promised Two Weeks Ago

AIDS Drug CEO Martin Shkreli Still Hasn’t Lowered Price As He Promised Two Weeks Ago

Martin_Shkreli__3449094bTwo weeks after Turing CEO Martin Shkeli assured the world he would lower the price of his drug, nothing has actually changed, reports Tech Insider.

Last month, Shkeli provoked outrage when it was revealed he planned to dramatically raise the price of Daraprim, a drug that helps fight parasitic infections.

The drug rose from $13.50 to $750; a 5000% price hike.

Speaking to ABC News last month, he said, “We’ve agreed to lower the price of Daraprim to a point that is more affordable and is able to allow the company to make a profit, but a very small profit.”

Related: Greedy CEO Drops Price Of AIDS Drug, Pissed He’s Not Going To Make A Killing

So far, that’s yet to happen.

The price hasn’t gotten any higher in recent days, but it hasn’t gotten any lower, either.

A 30-day supply purchased at your nearest pharmacy would cost you $27,006; roughly $900 a pill.

H/t: LGBTQ Nation

 

Jeremy Kinser

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/4aj4gxmIYSU/aids-drug-ceo-martin-shkreli-still-hasnt-lowered-price-as-he-promised-two-weeks-ago-20151009

Danny Pintauro Talks Rough Sex, Meth, Grindr, and PrEP: WATCH

Danny Pintauro Talks Rough Sex, Meth, Grindr, and PrEP: WATCH

Danny Pintauro

Former Who’s The Boss star Danny Pintauro, who revealed to Oprah last week that he’s HIV-positive, continues to reveal more in his efforts to remove stigma and talk about issues surrounding meth addiction and unsafe sex.

RELATED: Candace Cameron Bure Shames Danny Pintauro On His Past Drug Use, HIV Status: WATCH

Pintauro sat down with HIV Equal and told them how he became addicted to meth:

“So, here I am wanting to explore bondage, wanting to explore…rougher things, wanting to explore, sort of, being dominated. And the person that I find, who I think is just gorgeous and, oh my God, it’s like, perfect. Oh my God, this guy wants to hang out with me? How can I turn him down? So I get over there and then he says, ‘well you should try this.’ … It happens, and you want it to happen again.”

He says he can pick out a meth user out of a hook-up app’s line-up and says there are pretty high odds that somebody on it is using:

“From my experience, with Grindr and all of those sites, I could go on there right now and look at the people in this area and I could tell you which ones are either doing, have done, or want to do meth. I know what to look for. I know what the look in their eye is…I guarantee you that’s probably going to be 1 in 8 guys.”

RELATED: Alyssa Milano’s Emotional Reaction To News Danny Pintauro Is HIV Positive: ‘He Is A Beacon of Light’ – WATCH

Finally, he says that though he’s a fan, there are elements to using PrEP that people aren’t really talking about:

“The conversation with PrEP is not simply if you take this regularly your chances of getting HIV are very slim. It’s, if you take this regularly your chances are slim, but you still need to do the following things in a sexual environment or you’re going to end up with something else.”

Watch:

The post Danny Pintauro Talks Rough Sex, Meth, Grindr, and PrEP: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.


Andy Towle

Danny Pintauro Talks Rough Sex, Meth, Grindr, and PrEP: WATCH

One Million Moms Is Boiling Mad Over This Adorable Ad

One Million Moms Is Boiling Mad Over This Adorable Ad

Readers squee’d and smiled when The Advocate’s sibling publication Out showcased the new commercial from Campbell’s soup featuring “the galaxy’s best dads.” But just like in the Star Wars saga, there is a dark side to this tale: the wholesome, heartwarming ad is being spurned by antigay forces known by the misleading name One Million Moms

Campbell’s ad focusing on real-world situations features an “adorable real-life family of two dads and their son,” as The New Civil Rights Movement reported. One Million Moms, which is actually closer to 80,000 people, didn’t see the ad quite the same way:

“A homosexual ‘married’ couple is featured prominently with a young boy (their son) in the new Campbell’s Soup advertisement.

“How confusing for this little boy and for all children viewing this commercial. Obviously, Campbell’s is sending the message that homosexual men are raising children, whom they wouldn’t have if a woman wasn’t involved, and they are ok with it.

“Campbell’s Soup is glorifying this unnatural marriage. One Million Moms believes family is based on love, but this does not justify normalizing sin.”

The Million Moms rant about the “gay-inclusive” commercial goes on to criticize Campbell’s for “pushing the LGBT agenda” and expresses outrage that the company is “attempting to redefine ‘family’ and ‘real marriage’” and to “desensitize viewers.”

Quite the contrary, Ellen Kahn, head of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Children, Youth and Families Program, tells The Advocate:

“Campbell’s is modeling what it means to recognize and include all kinds of families; not only is that important for same-sex parents and their children, but it conveys a powerful message to classmates and teachers, friends and neighbors that our families are part of all communities.  I would say this is very socially responsible advertising and I applaud Campbell’s for embracing our families.”

One Million Moms isn’t satisfied, of course, merely complaining and shaking fingers at the soupmaker:

“Companies should advertise the quality of their products. It is no longer about the product but about their cause. They should not be highlighting who is attracted to whom or who sleeps with whom. This is a marketing decision Campbell’s will regret.”

The group is calling on its followers to urge Campbell’s “to pull this inappropriate commercial immediately and remain neutral in the culture war.” And then the group suggests a boycott is imminent:

“Let Campbell’s Soup know that continuing to air this ad and other offensive advertisements in the future will force your family to make the decision to no longer purchase any of Campbell’s Soup Company brands such as Pepperidge Farm, Pace, Spaghetti O’s, V8, Swanson, and Prego.”

The Advocate includes those brand names here so our readers will know which ones far-right groups like One Million Moms will be targeting in their antigay campaigns. 

Watch the ad from Campbell’s, featuring real-life gay couple David Monahan and Larry Sullivan and their son, below:

Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/marriage-equality/2015/10/09/one-million-moms-boiling-mad-over-adorable-ad

I Help Someone Apply for a Job on a Date

I Help Someone Apply for a Job on a Date
This is from Pass the Salt, a dating blog on Kindle

If someone tells you to always expect the unexpected when dating, believe them with every inch of your soul. It isn’t that people will fall out of the sky unexpectedly, but people will definitely do some weird things. To them, however, everything is utterly normal. Poodles could be laughing about the end of the world and to some people, that’s utterly normal.

As I’m sitting in a rickety old chair in an apartment complex that could be the birth child of a direct hurricane hit, I am comparing my own level of weirdness as I watch a very attractive brown head look for something in his bag. I assume that we’re going to have sex, just as I assume Denzel will come out of the closet so I can marry him, but nether prove to be coming true at the moment.

The brown heads belongs to a striking fellow named Anthony. Anthony had a basic profile, just like all of the rest of the contestants I haven’t wheedled out yet, but his writing is utterly stellar. It’s actually something that keeps me writing messages back and forth. Our longest debate has been about Gummy Bears and if they would be good on pizza.

The phone conversations were just as flawless, even though he sounds as if he has stepped out of a stereotypical sperm. usually, I have to check in with guys when we want to meet and or, even, if they want to keep talking to me, despite my gummy bear love and other weird thoughts.

Anthony, however, immediately makes me like him because he has been checking up on me when he does not hear from me for a day or so. The texts are polite, and sincere, which makes me feel guilty and immediately want to buy him gummy bears as a thank you.

Hey Robbie. I hope you’re doing OK. I am good. I am just relaxing at home and thinking about the book I will read next, text me back when you can. I hope you have a good day.

XOXO

It’s a rare feet that someone can have me so starstruck via text messages but I can’t help it. Something inside of me swoons when he sends me a message.

It didn’t take me long to give him my Google voice number. His picture emphasizes his words beautifully. He displays photos of casual poses, with a slight smile in every one of them. He always has a hat on, and his muscles are a bit larger than I’d expect in a guy that is 6.5.

What draws me to him are the pictures of him engaging in various activities. There’s one where he is smiling with a PS4 controller in one hand, sporting white teeth that accentuate the slight mustache. His eyes are big and inviting. They scream friendliness. There’s another picture where he and a great Dane are laying down in the grass at a park. These entrance me, because it demonstrates that he is active and he engages in many types of discussions.

It isn’t long before I agree to step into his studio apartment, the apartment I am in now, watching Anthony dig around in his bag as if it holds a can of string cheese.

“So,” I say, looking a bit closer at my surroundings. “what you looking for?”

“I almost gots it.” he trills, lowering his head deeper into the bag. I feel as if I am being punked, so I look around for some hidden cameras or a roommate to play his video game system with. I have been sitting here for almost twenty minutes. This isn’t what Anthony promised me. I was sure we wouldn’t be having sex right away, but I didn’t expect him to sort out his mail, muttering to himself as he reads the envelopes, all of which he has to pay soon. I don’t listen to this red flag, however, as I think he’s been really busy at work and didn’t have much time to fill anything out.

Even though I didn’t ask, I assumed he had a job. As his head goes even deeper into the tenth compartment in his bag, I stand up and have a walk around the apartment.

The apartment is really bland. There’s a 30 inch TV set with an entertainment center resting across a love seat that sits against a white wall. My journey takes me to a very clean kitchen. In fact, it’s so clean, it looks as if it hasn’t been occupied at all. The black counter tops are so glossy that the overhead light bounces off of the surface and onto a gray wall near the refrigerator.

Because I am very adventurous, I open the refrigerator. What I see in there is all sorts of healthy foods, such as yogurts. the cabinets show clean plates that have been stacked carelessly on top of each other. Dog food rests on the counter. This is for his dog who greeted me with more attention and affection than Anthony had once I stepped in the door. The dog barrels me over as soon as I step in the apartment and Anthony has to rescue me from having to force that dog to attend my funeral.

I make my way into the bedroom, where it is an utter pigsty. Clothes cover the bed in a pile that’s as tall as my stomach. There’s a spot with a pile of clothes surrounding it, like it’s a reserved seat in a public bathroom. I wonder if he sleeps with his backpack. The room can’t hold much, just a bed and a few dressers, all of which have a huge array of colognes and deodorants lined up, as if I am at the store or something.

Next, I make my way into the bathroom. I look in everywhere I can think of, but I can’t find anything of the sort. There’s a note with math equations scribbled on it resting on the toilet. I have no idea what that’s for. In the dining room, I can actually hear him talking to himself as he starts opening another bag. I am amazed he isn’t looking for me. I know I’d be watching anyone who enters my house.

I flush the toilet, just so I can have an excuse to my disappearance. Though, something tells me that he does not notice and will never notice, even if I strip down to my boxers in front of him with a backpack on.

The dog meets me at the bathroom door and it stares at me with eyes that make me instantly melt inside. When I start petting the dog, it immediately snuggles up to me, almost knocking me over. The longer I scratch and pet, the happier the dog becomes. It even smiles.

My hand travels down the thin body, where I can even feel his ribs. This definitely isn’t the same dog I saw in the pictures. This one is thinner and looks a bit older. I stand up again and return to where Anthony is returning from the center of the earth.

“Yo dawg. Hea it iz yo!” he plops down a piece of paper on the table before smiling at me. “i be finding it!”

Due to my limited vision, I peek at the paper with a magnifying glass. It’s a McDonald’s job application. Holy shit. Taxes will never go down in this country.

“Great. You can leave that here, and we can finally hang out!” I say, unable to hide my annoyance at being left to snoop in his home for almost an hour.

“But first I gots to fill dis out.”

“Do you need any help?” I ask. I am sure he doesn’t need any help, and I am correct because he shakes his head. I want to spend some time with him though. that’s why I came here, after all. As soon as he bends over to begin the application, I immediately race into his room, grab one of his socks from the bed, and turn to the sad looking dog trotting behind me.

“You want to play fetch?” I ask. The dog nearly yips with excitement.

For about twenty more minutes, we’re playing fetch with his sock when I have the urge to check in on Anthony. I have no doubt that our tax dollars will be worth him working. After all, McDonald’s has health benefits.

I approach the employee of the year and gently take a hold of the application. To my shock, it’s complete.

“Totally cool!” can I read it?” I ask.

“Yeah!” he exclaims, as if I asked him if I could teach him how to give oral sex. I start reading.

Five minutes later, I am in a cab, speeding away from the best employee I have ever met. Before I leave, however, I give the dog a dozen of his socks to play with. I know he will need them.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-kingett/i-help-someone-apply-for-_b_8173772.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices