Elementary pupils show support for gay headteacher in best way possible

A gay headteacher in England has spoken about the messages of support he received from his pupils after he was targeted by homophobic graffiti outside his school.

Miles Wallis-Clarke is headteacher of Hotspur Primary School, in Heaton, Newcastle. ‘Primary’ school in the UK is the equivalent of elementary school in the US.

Last week, Wallis-Clarke discovered the vile graffiti outside the school. Despite being at Heaton Primary for 15 years, he says this has never happened before.

Related: Gay teen sues high school after he couldn’t bring a boy to dance

He posted a message about the incident on the school’s Friday newsletter bulletin.

“This week some of you will have seen the homophobic and libelous abuse about me sprayed at the entrance to school. This was hurtful and upsetting. The hate crime is being dealt with appropriately and we have suspicions about the perpetrators.

“To be attacked for who you are is a horrible experience. Some people question the need for Pride celebrations or work in schools on equality and diversity. There is a need when there is this level of hatred for difference in our community.

“At the same time, I recognize that other people have a more relentless experience than I have had. There are members of our school community who suffer racism on a daily basis and fear it every time they open their door.

“There are others who live with misogyny and domestic violence and see no way of escape. This is why we place importance on these issues in our curriculum.

“How am I feeling? A little damaged to be honest. Sometimes angry and then quite sad. However, the support from my husband, family, colleagues, our governing body and many others has been wonderful.”

Police are investigating the graffiti as a potential hate crime.

Returning to work on Monday, Wallis-Clarke was bowled over by what greeted him. His school kids had painted rainbow hearts and strung them up alongside rainbow flags outside the school. He was also sent cards and messages of support.

He told the local newspaper the Chronicle: “I am a gay man, I make no secret of that at school and I’m very open and I talk about it. I have been at the school for 15 years and I have never ever had anything like that.

“But from what was a hate crime so much love has come pouring out.”

On the school’s Facebook page, he posted: “I would like to thank everyone in our school community for the fantastic supportive response to the bulletin last week. I have been overwhelmed by the messages, cards, pictures, etc.

“I was also so moved by the decoration of the entrance gates on Monday morning. This turned an awful event into one which was so heart-warming and reminded me what a wonderful school community we have.”

Wallis-Clarke told the Chronicle, “We have got four main entrances to the school and each one had been decorated with rainbow flags and hearts. It was just lovely.

“I always stand outside in the morning and I was given cards and letters, and people saying ‘what can we do to help’, and it was just incredible.”

He said the incident had again reminded him of the importance of teaching about diversity. He was proud his kids had responded so quickly to the act of homophobia.

“We always do a lot of work on equality and diversity and we know our children are going to live in a diverse society. Talking about that is really important and we are looking at what we can do to reinforce that we don’t accept homophobia.”

Related: This school wants to out Gay-Straight Alliance members. The students are suing.

The topic of teaching kids about LGBTQ diversity and equality in schools has been hotly contested in the UK of late.

Parents outside one particular primary school in the city of Birmingham have staged regular school gate protests about their kids being taught about diversity as part of the school’s anti-bullying ‘No Outsiders’ program.

The UK government ruled earlier this year that from September 2020, all secondary schools must teach pupils about sexual orientation and gender identity. All primary schools will be required to teach about different families, which can include LGBTQ families.

Last month, a survey conducted by LGBTQ-rights charity Stonewall found that 60% of people aged 16 and over supported primary schools teaching kids about different types of families – although one in five ‘strongly disagreed.’

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The Most Epic Proposal We’ve Seen Yet – Probation Officer Stunned as Her Boyfriend Proposes in Shackles!

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The Most Epic Proposal We’ve Seen Yet – Probation Officer Stunned as Her Boyfriend Proposes in Shackles!

Judge rules in favor of adoption agency that wants to discriminate against same-sex couples

A Michigan judge has issued an injunction allowing a Catholic-based adoption agency to continue denying services to same-sex couples and leaving children without families. The agency maintains its discriminatory policies are protected as a form of religious freedom.

District Judge Robert Jonker ruled against Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel–who is an out lesbian–and in favor of St. Vincent Catholic Charities. During her run for political office, Nessel vowed to terminate all state funds with religious-based adoption agencies that denied services to gay couples.

In his ruling, Jonker slammed Nessel for labeling religious-based adoption agencies as “‘hate mongers’ who disliked gay people more than they cared about children.” He elaborated: “The State’s real goal is not to promote non-discriminatory child placements, but to stamp out St. Vincent’s religious belief and replace it with the State’s own.”

Jonker, an appointee of George W. Bush (this is why elections matter, folks!), also struck down Nessel’s ban on state funds for religious adoption agencies saying it “would disrupt a carefully balanced and established practice that ensures nondiscrimination in child placements while still accommodating traditional Catholic religious beliefs on marriage.”

Both Nessel and the ACLU criticized Jonker’s decision, and have vowed to continue the fight.

“Today’s ruling requires the state to put the individual religious beliefs of foster care agencies ahead of the welfare of children,” said Jay Kaplan, a spokesperson for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project.

“This will not facilitate foster and adoptive placements for children in need. Instead, it will allow agencies to turn away same-sex foster parents who are able to provide supportive and loving homes for these children.”

Related: Homophobic right-wing nutjob announces Senate run in Minnesota

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See footage of Stacey Dash bragging to cops about being in “Clueless” while getting arrested

In case you haven’t heard, professional homophobe Stacey Dash was arrested in Florida on a domestic battery charge over the weekend.

The 52-year-old failed actress and Trump devotee was taken into custody on Sunday by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office in Land O’ Lakes, just outside of Tampa, after she violently attacked her fourth husband, Jeffrey Marty, who she married last year.

Listen to the dramatic 911 call HERE.

Related: Professional homophobe Stacey Dash arrested in Florida for beating her fourth husband

Now, body cam footage has been released showing Dash making small talk with her arresting officer as she is led away in handcuffs.

“I’m an actress,” Dash tells the officer. “I did a film called Clueless.”

To which the officer, feigning interest, responds, “OK.”

Later, Dash says, “I did politics for a while. I was a FOX News contributor.”

To which the officer, still not impressed, replies, “Oh, OK. That’s pretty cool.”

Watch.

During her time “in politics,” Dash regularly made offensive remarks about the LGBTQ community, including calling being LGBTQ a choice and suggesting trans people pee in the bushes rather than use public restrooms.

“Go in the bushes,” she famously quipped to Entertainment Tonight in 2016. “I don’t know what to tell you, but I’m not gonna put my child’s life at risk because you want to change a law.”

Also in 2016, she blamed the Pulse massacre on Barack Obama. She was eventually let go from her gig at FOX News after she threw a profanity-laden temper tantrum on live TV.

The Twitter response to her arrest has been pretty unified…

Today, Dash filed legal papers claiming she is indigent, meaning she can’t afford a private lawyer so she’s asking for a public defender to handle her case.

Related: The Internet Responds To Stacey Dash’s Idiotic Remarks About Trans People

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VIDEO: Paula Abdul pays tribute to HIV/AIDS activists and sends message of solidarity to her LGBTQ fans during Ariadne Getty Ally Award acceptance speech at the GLAAD Gala San Francisco: “I’ll always be ‘forever your girl.’”

www.glaad.org/blog/video-paula-abdul-pays-tribute-hivaids-activists-and-sends-message-solidarity-her-lgbtq-fans

The GLAAD Wrap: ‘Judy’ in theaters; casting news for Brian Michael Smith, Peppermint, Cynthia Nixon, and Andrew Scott; new albums from Tegan and Sara, Young M.A, Adam Lambert, and more!

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-judy-theaters-casting-news-brian-michael-smith-peppermint-cynthia-nixon-and-andrew

BREAKING: HRC Announces Major Expansion In Fight for Transgender Equality and Justice ​

Today, HRC announced it is significantly expanding its work dedicated to justice for the transgender community. The organization will advance new initiatives that address the urgent needs of the transgender community, with specific attention to community members deeply impacted by racism, sexism and transphobia. This major effort will include a focus on economic empowerment; capacity-building programs; targeted task forces in communities hardest hit hard by the epidemic of anti-trans violence; and expanded public education campaigns.

“We are in the midst of a national crisis. People are dying, and the response must be swift, strong and rooted in solutions the transgender community is rightfully demanding,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “In meetings with activists all over the country, time and again I have heard about systemic failures that are pushing many transgender people out of a job, on to the streets and into desperate and dangerous situations for survival. Through this new initiative, we aim to help change these realities. Change will not come overnight and it will not come from any single organization or person. But the Human Rights Campaign will be a part of the work to help build the capacity of leaders already on the frontlines of this fight.” 

Over the last 10 years, HRC has dramatically deepened its transgender justice work. From passing critical gender identity non-discriminaton protections and combating anti-transgender bills to sounding the alarm on the epidemic of violence targeting transgender people — especially Black and Latinx women, the organization’s advocacy and programs have been increasing in scope and impact. Still, significant work remains to ensure that every transgender person is protected from discrimination and safe from violence.

The challenges facing the transgender community demand action and change at all levels. This national crisis is made shockingly clear by the fact that at least 18 transgender people have been victims of fatal violence this year, 17 of whom have been Black transgender women. According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 21% of Latinx transgender people and 20% of Black transgender people are unemployed, compared to 15% of transgender people overall and 5% of the overall U.S. population. 43% of Latinx transgender people and 38% of Black transgender people were living in poverty, compared to 29% of transgender people overall and 14% of the U.S. population. And 40% of transgender people overall have attempted suicide in their lifetime, compared to 4.6% overall — nearly nine times the attempted suicide rate in the U.S.

The Human Rights Campaign’s expanded work will seek to address many of the persistent and insidious barriers to employment, housing and safety faced by transgender people, especially transgender women of color. The expansion includes four main pillars:

• Economic empowerment is a central part of true lived equality. HRC’s annual Corporate Equality Index has helped reshape the workforce for transgender people — but far too many still can’t access pathways to employment.
  • HRC will leverage our strengths and partnerships to deliver new economic opportunities.
  • HRC will engage in a partnership with Trans Can Work to join with community-based organizations and corporate America to address the employment gap through trainings and career fairs in up to five major U.S. cities over the next year. A Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded in 2016 by restaurateur Michaela Mendolsohn, Trans Can Work is committed to empowering gender diverse communities through career navigation, workforce development, and job placement. 
• The march toward justice for transgender people must be led by transgender people, which is why HRC is expanding our training and professional development programs for transgender advocates, activists and community leaders of color.
  • This year, HRC launched ELEVATE, which focuses on professional and leadership development for trans people of color in public health fields. Ten fellows will participate in the first class of this program, which provides intensive in-person training and a series of interactive webinars throughout the year. 
  • HRC is also announcing the creation of ACTIVATE, a fellowship program that launches in 2020 and will focus on enhancing the core skills needed to access and succeed in leadership roles in the nonprofit sector. The first fellows will be chosen from jurisdictions that have experienced high documented anti-trans violence.                                 
• This is an urgent crisis of public safety and government officials must respond as such.
  • HRC will be working on the ground with community leaders to pilot task forces to address violence in five to seven communities hit particularly hard by this epidemic.
  • Legislation must be a part of this solution too. The fact that the Violence Against Women Act hasn’t been reauthorized is inexcusable. LGBTQ panic defenses should be outlawed in every state in this country. HRC will, of course, continue to push for comprehensive state and federal legal protections like the Equality Act to ensure transgender people have legal recourse when facing discrimination where they work, where they live and when seeking crucial social services. And several of other bills making their way legislatures, including bills decriminalizing sex work in New York and Washington, D.C., will be required to shift the reality for transgender people in the United States. 
• The public needs to be educated in a much more robust way than it is today, rooted in the real stories of trans people of color. 
  • HRC will be ramping up efforts to create more conversation about this epidemic of violence through national media and our own platforms. 
  • HRC will also leverage our programs to more expansively engage parents and faith communities of color in this public education effort.

Today’s announcement comes ahead of Saturday’s historic National Trans Visibility March in Washington, D.C. HRC President Alphonso David will be speaking alongside other advocates, activists and community members. 

To learn more about HRC’s work on transgender justice, visit HRC.org/transgender.

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