[Android Update] Keep, your personal storage for LINE, is now easier to use!
The Android version of Keep, LINE’s free cloud storage, has gotten some new features, and it’s now much easier to use (The Android version took effect on June 18, with the iOS version expected to come soon).
Keep is a great tool for saving your important
content, such as text, images and links, that were shared in a chat. You can
access them anytime.
In this Android version update, we have introduced new features, Collection and Favorite. Collection organizes your content and displays them beautifully. You can also Favorite your content to store it quickly.
Worst First Date Venues – 4 Places You Should Rethink For A First Date (& Some Great Alternatives)
Dating is complicated enough as it is. It takes social savvy, charm, compatibility, and good timing for both partners to have a great time on a date. So what you shouldn’t do is make it hard on yourself and choose a venue where the ability to freely communicate one on one is compromised. Bonus Tip: […]
HRC RESPONDS TO SENATE CONFIRMATION OF ANTI-LGBTQ MATTHEW KACSMARYK TO BE U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE IN TEXAS: “Kacsmaryk has a long history of virulently anti-LGBTQ opinions and positions — including his deeply disturbing opposition to same-sex marriage, his vocal hostility towards legal protections for gender identity and sexual orientation, and his shocking refusal to recognize the basic humanity of transgender people.” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow (@SarahWarbelow). Read more from HRC and Dallas News.
HRC HONORS LGBTQ REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS ON WORLD REFUGEE DAY: “On World Refugee Day, we are in solidarity with LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence and conflict from some of the most dangerous places in the world,” said HRC Global Director Ty Cobb (@tywesleycobb). More from HRC.
Advocates call for release of LGBTQ asylum seekers, as report from the Center for American Progress finds that LGBTQ individuals are 97 times more likely to be victims of sexual abuse at border detention centers. More from NewNowNext.
THANKFUL THURSDAY — “THE POWER OF PRIDE”: Variety interviews LGBTQ creatives in Hollywood about progress in LGBTQ representation and changes that are still needed. Check out the interviews from Variety.
Variety’s first ever Power of Pride issue is here. Read interviews with Billy Eichner, MJ Rodriguez, Hannah Gadsby, Don Lemon, Asia Kate Dillon, Jim Parsons, Janet Mock and more LGBT voices t.co/ceLtaAe7NFpic.twitter.com/tbLybYVOX3
NEW GALLUP SURVEY — 71% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT OPENLY TRANSGENDER PEOPLE SERVING IN THE MILITARY: The overwhelming support comes as “President Donald Trump’s ban on most transgender military servicemembers continues to face legal challenges,” reports Gallup’s Justin McCarthy (@JustinKMcCarthy). Read the full results at Gallup.
HAPPENING TODAY — TRANSGENDER EDUCATION NETWORK OF TEXAS AND BLACK TRANSWOMEN, INC. TO HOLD DAY OF ACTION IN TEXAS: Following a deadly rash of anti-transgender violence in Texas, groups to hold rallies calling for action from elected officials. Events will take place in Houston and Austin.
And in D.C., LGBTQ community groups are planning a vigil Friday in Dupont Circle after recent violent incidents targeting LGBTQ people, including the killing of of two transgender women. More from DCist.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER SURVEY — BISEXUAL ADULTS FAR LESS LIKELY TO BE OUT THAN THEIR GAY AND LESBIAN PEERS: The study found that “only 19% of those who identify as bisexual say all or most of the important people in their lives are aware of their sexual orientation. In contrast, 75% of gay and lesbian adults say the same.” Read more from the Pew Research Center.
JANET MOCK MAKES HISTORY IN DEAL WITH NETFLIX: Mock (@janetmock), a director, producer and writer of the hit FX series Pose, characterized it as the first “deal of its kind” for an openly trans person. More from HuffPost.
Today, @JanetMock makes history as the first Black transwoman to establish an overall deal with a major studio.
“…there’s potential to introduce hundreds of millions of viewers to trans people, and showing people who may not understand us, that we can tell our own stories.” pic.twitter.com/nXhaW0STvo
— Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) June 19, 2019
CONGRATS FROM HRC TO ALL THE DESERVING NLGJA EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM WINNERS FOR YOUR GREAT, IMPORTANT WORK: See the full list from NLGJA (@nlgja) here.
NLGJA is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Excellence in Journalism Awards. Congratulations to all of the winners! Check out the full list at t.co/NTYmGV3xGC. #NLGJA2019
QUEER EYE STAR JONATHAN VAN NESS (@jvn) TALKS PRIDE MONTH AND HIS PARTNERSHIP AT WORLD PRIDE WITH SMIRNOFF THAT BENEFITS HRC: More from AOL.
RAYMOND BRAUN (@raymondbraun), EXEC PRODUCER AND HOST OF DOCUMENTARY “STATE OF PRIDE”, ON HOW TO CELEBRATE PRIDE IN UNSUPPORTIVE PLACES: Check out the five tips he shared with Refinery29here.
GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS
OPENLY GAY MAN ALDO DÁVILA (@AldoDavilagt) POISED TO WIN A SEAT IN GUATEMALA’S CONGRESS: Preliminary results from Sunday’s elections also indicate that openly gay José Carlos Hernández (@JoseParlacenGT) won a seat in the Central American Parliament, the regional legislative body. Read more from the Washington Blade.
READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
In my view as a social media researcher and educator, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is clearly seeking to give his company even more political power on a global scale, despite the potential dangers to society at large. In a sense, he is declaring that he wants Facebook to become a virtual nation, populated by users, powered by a self-contained economy, and headed by a CEO – Zuckerberg himself – who is not even accountable to his shareholders.
Humanity needs ethical leadership, and time to think through the potential repercussions of rapid technological change. That’s why, in my view, Facebook’s cryptocurrency should be blocked by financial regulators until its design has been proved to be safe for all of global society.
The technical details of Facebook’s plans are still emerging, but it seems that the company is not seeking to compete with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Rather, Facebook is looking to replace the existing global financial system with an all-new setup, with Libra at its center.
At least at the moment, the Libra is being designed as a form of electronic moneylinked to many national currencies. That has raised fears that Libra might someday be recognized as a sovereign currency, with Facebook acting as a “shadow bank” that could compete with the central banks of countries around the world.
To protect consumers, regulators should look carefully at whether the new system supporting the Libra is sound. It may be that an entirely new set of financial rules and regulations is needed to shield the existing financial system from harm if the Libra becomes more popular than national currencies. At the very least, governments need to proceed slowly and carefully when new products may introduce systemic risks into our environment. Even the CEO of Google has acknowledged that. In my opinion, Libra’s planned launch in 2020 does not allow enough time to fully vet this technology and its risks.
As new digital financial services, methods of electronic payment and currencies develop and become popular, they should not be allowed to undermine longstanding financial safety systems, even in the name of smoother, cheaper transactions.
My concern is not just about large-volume transactions. Facebook has shown how even small amounts of money can buy microtargeted ads with the power to influence public opinion and election outcomes in the U.S. and around the world.
This concern is especially urgent because Facebook also has a long history of launching products and services, like political ads and live-streaming video, without fully considering their potential to damage democracy and the global society at large.
Mark Zuckerberg didn’t think enough about how people could use Facebook for ill.
The company has demonstrated its inability to serve society beneficially – and it may not even be interested in trying. All the signals suggest that customers and regulators alike should carefully examine whether Facebook’s Libra is truly innovative or just a way to avoid restrictions on a potentially hazardous financial product.
Defending democracy
Facebook’s entrance into the financial industry is a threat to democracies and their citizens around the world, on the same scale as disinformation and information warfare, which also depend on social media for their effectiveness.
It may be hard for world leaders to understand that this is an emergency, as they cannot see the virtual powers aligning against them. But they must huddle quickly to ensure they have – and keep – the power to protect their people from technology companies’ greed.
It will be key to understand if Facebook’s future cryptocurrency will ultimately function more like anonymous cash, or more like a traceable credit card transaction. Facebook has the blockchain and encryption technology to create an anonymous digital cash-like system, or a private digital currency, which has not been created yet. Anonymity would heighten the risks of abuse such as money laundering, so it’s worth watching out for a cash-like Facebook cryptocurrency that mirrors the central banks’ cash system.
In addition, I cannot help but reflect on the name that Facebook chose for this, the Libra, which is a reference to the Roman measurement for a pound, once used to mint coins. In many ways the company that Mark Zuckerberg is building is beginning to look more like a Roman Empire, now with its own central bank and currency, than a corporation. The only problem is that this new nation-like platform is a controlled company and is run more like a dictatorship than a sovereign country with democratically elected leaders. Even now, the company may have as much power as some countries – and more than others.
In the wake of the not too distant global financial crisis, and the “fake news” and disinformation culture that is developing, people must slow down and fully evaluate disruptive technology of this magnitude. Society cannot withstand a launch of a cryptocurrency in Facebook’s infamous “move fast and break things” style.
Tig Notaro, P!nk, Michael Wolff, Arthur, Orlando Rally, Jon Stewart, Gay Veterans, Lizzo, Top Gear: HOT LINKS
ORLANDO. Trump opponents launch protests at gay bar with mariachi band and drag queen: ‘Organizers of the “Win With Love Rally” said Trump’s announcement in Orlando Tuesday night is an affront to a city with a large Puerto Rican population and a visible gay community. Orlando is at the center of the Interstate 4 corridor, stretching from Tampa to Daytona Beach, which is considered the swingiest part of the nation’s largest swing state.
ALABAMA. Hundreds celebrate Arthur’s gay rat wedding at church. ‘Last month, Alabama Public Television chose not to air an episode of “Arthur” that contained same-sex rat nuptials. Mike McKenzie, director of programming at APT, cited parents’ trust in APT as the reason behind the decision.’
LOCK HIM UP.Democrats flirt with calls to prosecute Trump: ‘A role reversal is starting to play out, with some Democrats openly taunting President Donald Trump with threats he’ll be the one spending time behind bars after he’s out of office. And some White House hopefuls have started weighing in, teeing off on the norm-busting Trump presidency and arguing that no person should be above prosecution if the evidence is there. Yet in the process, they’re alarming law enforcement veterans across the political spectrum who see the Democrats engaging in their own version of the politicization of the country’s criminal justice system…’
MITCH MCCONNELL. Jon Stewart isn’t letting him off easy.
POSE. Renewed for Season 3! “Pose has elevated our culture and the TV landscape like few shows before it,” FX chairman John Landgraf said in a statement, “and we are honored to partner with co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals on a third season.”
PBS NEWS HOUR. 2 gay veterans on their 25 years of love
PAUL MANAFORT. Department of Justice intervenes, stops transfer to Rikers Island: “The former Justice Department officials and current state prosecutors, who regularly handled the transfer of federal inmates to state custody, said they were surprised that the second-highest official in the Justice Department would take an interest in the case. The decision is usually made by the warden at the prison where the inmate is being held. Justice Department officials were unable to say who made the decision in Mr. Manafort’s case; the Bureau of Prisons, which is part of the Justice Department, did not respond to a request for comment.”
FIRE AND FURY. Michael Wolff on why Mueller didn’t indict Trump: ‘Mueller was thinking that Donald Trump wears a suicide vest of sorts. If Mueller had pushed Donald Trump into a corner he would blow up everything. Donald Trump would take the country’s political institutions down with him. Trump would take down the Department of Justice. Trump would not care. For somebody like Robert Mueller, this was a reality he had to confront. Mueller was likely thinking to himself, “I have to deal with the fact that somebody who has as much power as I do, or more, can use this power in a way that could harm everybody in a much greater way.” Robert Mueller decided it was much better to let Donald Trump just run out the clock than to give Trump the opportunity and the cause to destroy everything, the country’s political institutions.’
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. P!nk featuring Wrabel “90 Days”.
UNDER A ROCK. Tig Notaro tries to figure out who Wyclef Jean is.
Looking for Love This Season? Follow These Summer Romance Do’s and Don’ts
Summertime is in full swing! The nights are longer, the weather is hotter, and many of us have one thing on the brain: summer love. Maybe you’ve already met someone who’s caught your eye, or maybe the influx of weddings you’ve been attending has you daydreaming. Whatever the reason, the season of love has you […]
Meet the yogi who specializes in all-malenaked yoga classes for gay and bisexualguys
Dan Carter is the owner of Danimal Yoga, where he recently began leading all-malenaked yoga classes geared towards gay and bisexualmen.
Courage to love is the only way to become truly happy. David sees this now. He writes: “I was encouraged by a friend to join Zoosk. So, I mustered up the courage and signed up. I connected with Thuy and we quickly arranged a first date. We went on a walk with our dogs. I think she fell
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