Michigan AG Asks Supreme Court To Skip Ruling on Marriage Equality
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a petition urging the U.S. Supreme Court to leave the decision for marriage equality to voters.
Jorge Rodriguez-Jimenez
All posts by GayFriendschat.com
Mean Girls Heartthrob Jonathan Bennett Breaks Two Ribs Doing Interpretive Dance To Bette Midler
Mean Girls Heartthrob Jonathan Bennett Breaks Two Ribs Doing Interpretive Dance To Bette Midler
We’re aware that Bette Midler still possesses a very sharp tongue (right, Ariana?), but who knew her own music could be so dangerous? Jonathan Bennett, that’s who. The actor who made Lindsay Lohan’s heart go pitter-patter as Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls a decade ago learned the hard way while rehearsing for his recent stint on Dancing with the former Stars. Bennett was working on an interpretive dance to Midler’s mawkish “Wind Beneath My Wings” and while sliding down a bannister (!) he toppled over and fell many feet to make a hard thud on the floor. TMZ reports Bennett broke two ribs and his arm required a sling after the scary tumble. Don’t try this at home, folks.
Watch Bennett go boom below.
Jeremy Kinser
State Department Condemns Severe 'Aggravated Homosexuality' Law in Gambia: VIDEO
State Department Condemns Severe 'Aggravated Homosexuality' Law in Gambia: VIDEO
The U.S. has condemned the decision of Gambia President Yahya Jammeh to approve a severe new law imposing life imprisonment for homosexual acts, reports ABC.
The law went into effect on October 9th. Homosexual acts had already been punishable with up to 14 years in prison.
The AP reported last week:
“It criminalizes ‘aggravated homosexuality’, which targets ‘serial offenders’ and people living with HIV or AIDS. Suspects can also be charged with aggravated homosexuality for engaging in homosexual acts with someone who is under 18, disabled or who has been drugged. The term also applies when the suspect is the parent or guardian of the other person or is ‘in authority over’ him or her.”
The term “aggravated homosexuality” was borrowed from a Ugandan anti-gay law signed earlier this year that was eventually ruled unconstitutional. More extreme anti-gay laws are expected to be enacted in Uganda shortly.
In a statement issued on Monday, State Department Director of Press Relations Jeff Rathke said:
“We are dismayed by President Jammeh’s decision to sign into law legislation that further restricts the rights of L.G.B.T. individuals and are deeply concerned about the reported arrests and detention of suspected L.G.B.T. individuals in The Gambia.”
Rathke also voiced concerns about reports of recent arrests in Gambia of at least four men, a 17-year-old boy and nine women accused of committing homosexual acts.
Last week, Amnesty International accused Gambian security forces of resorting to beatings and the threat of rape and other abuses if the detainees did not confess.
Gambian officials have declined to comment on the new law or the arrests.
Watch a Young Turks report on Gambia’s anti-gay law, AFTER THE JUMP…
Jim Redmond
LGBT Group
U.S. Issues First Response to Gambia's New 'Jail-the-Gays' Law
U.S. Issues First Response to Gambia's New 'Jail-the-Gays' Law
The State Department says it’s “disappointed” in President Jammeh.
Thom Senzee
www.advocate.com/world/2014/11/27/us-issues-first-response-gambias-new-jail-gays-law
Holiday Shopping? Support These Pro-Gay Companies & Avoid These Homophobes
Holiday Shopping? Support These Pro-Gay Companies & Avoid These Homophobes
The Human Rights Campaign just released its 2015 Corporate Equality Index, which rates hundreds of companies on their friendliness to LGBTs. That’s handy for a whole host of reasons, whether you’re job hunting or trying to figure out where to invest. But at this time of year, it’s especially convenient for holiday-shopping.
We’ve combed through the report and compiled a list of the gay-friends stores where you should be spending tons of cash, and the homophobic stores you should avoid at all costs.
Clothing
No big surprise here, but San Franciscan Levi Strauss & Co is at the top of the list, with a perfect score. Macy’s and Nike are also perfect-scorers, followed by Kenneth Cole, Ralph Lauren, and Aeropostale with nearly-perfect ranking. At the bottom of the list is L.L. Bean — you weren’t seriously considering buying from them anyway, though, were you? L.L. Bean has a couple of problems, ranging from failure to offer trans-inclusive health care and a lack of public commitment to equality.
And then there’s The Jones Group, owner of Nine West (among other labels). They aren’t terrible — their score is 60 — but among their problems is a failure to offer cultural diversity training.
The lowest score came from Hanover Direct, which is baffling, because that’s the company that owns International Male and Undergear! Something’s screwy there. They sell to flamboyant homosexuals but barely offer any benefits to the queers they employ? Crazy.
At the Mall
This is a big category, so we’re just going to pick some of our favorites from the list. Go read the full CEI report if you want the exhaustive listing.
Perfect scorers: Barnes & Noble, GameStop, Office Depot, Sears and Target.
High-scorers: Mattel, Tiffany, CB2, Hallmark, Williams-Sonoma and L’Oreal.
Low-scorers: Harry & David, RadioShack, Men’s Warehouse and Kohl’s.
Flying Home
Good news: all major airlines have super-progressive policies when it comes to queer employees! Alaska, American, Jetblue, United and Virgin all got perfect scores of 100, with Delta, Southwest and US Air close behind at 90. (All three lost points by failing to offer trans-inclusive health coverage.)
And if you’re thinking about a cruise instead of a flight this winter, go ahead and book with Royal Caribbean. They scored 80.
Tech Toys
You probably already knew that Apple loves the gays. Dell ranked highly, too, along with some computer companies that aren’t likely to appear on your holiday list (unless you’re planning on getting someone a Xerox copier for Kwanzaa). Adobe and Microsoft nabbed scores of 100 as well. Texas Instruments and NVIDIA scored fairly well, so go ahead and get that graphing calculator and gaming machine.
Low-scorers: Acer, which makes PCs; and Seagate, which makes hard drives. McAfee, the virus-scanning company, had a dismal score of 25, due in part to lousy policies on equal employment and partner benefits. So when you go home and fix your parents’ computers, don’t install McAfee software. And if your parents have a McAfee subscription, cancel it. (It’s worth mentioning that McAfee was purchased not long ago by Intel, which scored 100, so maybe that low score will change next year.)
It pains us to say this, but Polaroid scored just 30. The company does almost nothing good for LGBTs, aside from a publicity gimmick with Lady Gaga.
Entertainment
Go ahead and give gift certificates to AMC theaters — they got a perfect score. So did Sony and Disney, so buy those Blu-rays with confidence. Nextflix got a score of 80 — they lost points due to a lack of spousal benefits, cultural competency training, and employee groups — but that’s still not bad.
Shockingly, News Corp scored just 15. So if you needed another reason to hate Fox News, there you go.
Online Shopping
If you’re buying from a major online retailer, you probably don’t have to worry. Groupon, eBay, Overstock and Amazon all ranked super-high. So did AOL, but we’re not sure what to do about that since what do you even buy from AOL?
Liberty Interactive got a score of zero. You might not recognize the name, but you probably know their properties: don’t do business with Evite, Gifts.com, QVC and Proflowers. The Home Shopping Network, on the other hand, got a score of 85.
Shipping
If you have a choice between FedEx and UPS, go brown. The scores are close — 90 for UPS and 85 for FedEx. The only difference is that FedEx doesn’t do quite as well when it comes to spousal benefits.
Mining and Metals
Trying to figure out where to buy your raw iron ore? Alcoa scored 100, while Newmont Mining Corporation for a 60.
This category probably doesn’t apply to your holiday shopping. We’re just being thorough.
matt baume
This is What Dragsgiving in L.A. Looks Like: VIDEO
This is What Dragsgiving in L.A. Looks Like: VIDEO
World of Wonder’s Damiana Garcia and Tanya Roberts (played by Chloe’s Drew Droege) hit L.A.’s Griffith Park for a Thanksgiving picnic and hike. Find out what happens when two drag queens find themselves in the wilderness with no GPS, and just hope this doesn’t happen to you.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP…
Andy Towle
www.towleroad.com/2014/11/this-is-what-dragsgiving-in-la-looks-like-video.html
European Parliament votes to protect LGBT people in global development
European Parliament votes to protect LGBT people in global development
European Parliament votes to protect LGBT people in global development.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCoqVPOCNR0&feature=youtube_gdata
Art on the Edge in a Warm Climate
Art on the Edge in a Warm Climate
The Queer Biennial I in Miami — running alongside Art Basel — looks fun, risky, and cool.
Christopher Harrity
www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/art/2014/11/27/art-edge-warm-climate
Happy Thanksgiving from HRC
Happy Thanksgiving from HRC
This Thanksgiving, we mark another transformative year for LGBT equality. HRC is thankful to the staff, members, supporters and volunteers who have helped us accomplish so much in the past 12 months.
HRC.org
www.hrc.org/blog/entry/happy-thanksgiving-from-hrc?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
