#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 13, 2018

HISTORIC VICTORY FOR HRC-BACKED U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE KYRSTEN SINEMA IN ARIZONA : Said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin): “Arizona voters rejected Donald Trump and Mike Pence’s politics of bigotry and fear and made history by electing bold pro-equality champion Kyrsten Sinema as the nation’s first openly bisexual U.S. Senator. For more than a year, HRC has worked to organize 800,000 equality voters across the state and we are proud to have helped Senator-elect Sinema across the finish line in a tight race. We celebrate this incredible moment and look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting to work with Sinema, and Arizona Congress members Tom O’Halleran, Ann Kirkpatrick, Raul Grijalva, Ruben Gallego, and Greg Stanton to move equality forward for all Arizonans.” More from HRC, The Hill and The Associated Press.

• Headline on Griffin piece in the Advocate, “On Tuesday, LGBTQ People Crushed It”: Read it at the Advocate.  

The short answer is YASSSSS! ����t.co/ObIHa8fC8E

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) November 13, 2018

NYTIMES — BIG DEMOCRATIC HOUSE WAVE USHERS IN “MOST DIVERSE, MOST FEMALE FRESHMAN CLASS IN HISTORY”: The Times’ Sheryl Stolberg (@SherylNYT) reports: “There are at least four lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the new Democratic class; they include Angie Craig, a health care human resources official who ousted a Republican incumbent in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minn. She said she takes pride in being another first: the first lesbian mother in Congress. She and her wife have four sons.” The HRC-endorsed Craig told Stolberg, “I think the thing that impresses me most about the voters of this district is that it didn’t matter.” Read more at the New York Times.

HRC AND HBCU BUZZ ANNOUNCE FIRST-EVER LGBTQ HBCU ALUMNI NETWORK: The announcement came during the HRC Foundation’s HBCU Program’s 13th annual HBCU Summit in Atlanta.  “We’re excited to launch this groundbreaking partnership with HBCU Buzz, giving us the unique opportunity to connect LGBTQ HBCU alums across the country,” said Leslie Hall, Associate Director of HRC’s HBCU Program. “At a time when marginalized communities are under constant attack by anti-equality politicians, it has never been more important to build welcoming spaces that give LGBTQ people of color the opportunity to share their experiences and support one another. I’m confident this network we’re building will bring people together and add to the richness of the HBCU experience.” More from HRC.

This year, @HRC is proud to mark the 13th annual HBCU Leadership Summit to empower the next generation of #EqualityVoters to mobilize and act as changemakers in their communities, campuses and workplaces year round. #HBCUatHRC t.co/XDNmuEL09H

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) November 8, 2018

TUESDAY TWEET: Reports the Advocate’s Tracy Gilchrist (@TracyEGilchrist): “One of Kansas Governor-elect Laura Kelly’s first moves will be to reinstate the protections for LGBTQ state workers that a homophobic earlier Kansas governor, Sam Brownback, rescinded following the national marriage equality ruling in 2015.” Read more in the Advocate.

BREAKING: Newly elected Democrat Laura Kelly of Kansas has announced that once she is sworn in as Governor she will reinstate an executive order providing protection from discrimination for LBGT State employees.

See what happens when we vote?!?!?

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) November 9, 2018

HRC EQUIDAD MX WORKPLACE SURVEY DOUBLES # OF EMPLOYERS IN MEXICO COMMITTED TO LGBT INCLUSION: The second annual HRC Equidad MX: Programa Global de Equidad Laboral, an assessment evaluating LGBT workplace inclusive policies and practices in Mexico, found that 69 Mexican employers earned the HRC Foundation’s designation of “Best Place to Work for the LGBT Community” or “Mejores Lugares para Trabajar LGBT,” more than doubling the number of Mexican businesses that explicitly support inclusion of LGBT individuals in the workplace, and reflecting the commitment of corporate leaders to advance LGBT equality and foster inclusive and safe workplace environments for their employees. More from HRC y 20 Minutos.

Aplaudo y celebro la diversidad y la inclusión ������

Qué alegría conocer las 69 compañías gay friendly certificadas por @HRC, y me llena de orgullo conocer la historia y el talento de Armando y Zoé. #LoveIsLove #DareToBeYou �� pic.twitter.com/ZeXKpVx0MY

— Martha Debayle (@marthadebayle) November 12, 2018

HRC FIGHTS TRUMP-PENCE PROPOSAL TO INCARCERATE IMMIGRANT CHILDREN: As the Trump-Pence administration escalates its attacks on immigrants and immigrant children, HRC continues to sound the alarm that families belong together. In September, the administration announced it was seeking to create a new rule that would fundamentally alter the long-standing “Flores Settlement Agreement” (FSA) — a move that would have devastating effects on immigrant families. More from HRC.

POLICE INVESTIGATING THREATENING CALLS MADE TO BOSTON-AREA LGBTQ BARS: More from WBUR.

FREE WEBINARS FOR TRANS AWARENESS WEEK: HRC Foundation’s All Children – All Families is hosting two free webinars to help social service professionals improve their practice with transgender and gender-expansive youth and adults. More from HRC.

NSF TO PILOT OPTIONAL LGBTQ DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS ON SURVEY OF SCIENTISTS SUBMITTING DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS: More from Science.

FORTY SIX STATES WILL NOW HAVE LGBTQ PERSON SERVING IN STATEHOUSE: And more than 100 LGBTQ candidates were elected during the midterm elections. More from NPR and NBC.

• In Florida, Wilton Manors elected an all-LGBTQ city council. More from NBC 6.
• In Colorado, Brianna Titone made history as the state’s first openly trans state representative. More from CBS Denver.

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

UNA MUJER TRANSGÉNERO HONDUREÑA VIENE A EE.UU. EN LA CARAVANA MIGRANTE: Para Alexa, una mujer transgénero de Honduras, lo más difícil de dejar su país de origen no han sido las caminatas ni la falta de alimentos, sino la discriminación contra la comunidad LGBTQ. Más de ElUniversal.

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

KJZZ explores the unique struggles for LGBTQ elders

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-november-13-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Introducing More Genders on Tinder India

Everyone is welcome on Tinder.

Starting today, no matter how you identify, you can express your authentic self on Tinder.

To edit or add more information about your gender on Tinder, simply edit your profile. When you tap “I Am” and select “More” you can type a word that describes your gender identity. You can also select to be shown in searches which best reflect your identity. All users have the option to display their gender on their profile, as well.

More choices. More voices.

Every new person in your life expands your horizons in some way. Inclusion and acceptance drive this expansion, and we want Tinder to reflect the world that surrounds us every day.

No one will ever be banned from Tinder because of their gender. We haven’t had the right tools to serve our diverse community in the past, but that changes today. In addition to this new feature, we are learning to be a better ally to transgender and gender non-conforming communities by allocating additional resources to our support team, which includes educating our staff about the challenges facing these communities.

We know that we haven’t been perfect in the past. If you believe you were ever wrongfully removed from Tinder because another user reported you unfairly due to your gender, we want to invite you back to our platform. Simply send an email to [email protected] with details about your account. Our team will review your request and work to grant you access to Tinder.

This is just one step in our efforts to make Tinder a more inclusive community. We built this feature with the help of our transgender and gender non-conforming users and consultants, including India’s oldest LGBTQ organization working for the health and human rights of the LGBTQ community since 1994, The Humsafar Trust and LGBTQ author and inclusion advocate, Parmesh Shahani.

We welcome your feedback and are committed to making Tinder the best platform for meeting new people – for everyone.

Users identifying outside the binary, for more assistance and access to the clinical and counselling unit of The Humsafar Trust click here. You can also call their helpline 022 26673800 to talk to their resident counsellors and doctors. Issues include coming out, acceptance, anxiety, depression, relationships and sex- reassignment.

For LBT persons seeking support, Umang, the LBT support group of The Humsafar Trust, based in Mumbai provide community support spaces to Lesbian women, Bisexual women and Trans*persons (LBT). Services include mental health counselling, legal support, community support and events.

They also have a helpline number whereby they accept counselling calls from Monday to Friday 10.00 am to 8.30 pm. The helpline number is +91 9930095856. You can call or Whatsapp them and stay up to date on activities and events and for information on additional resources in cities outside of Mumbai.

More Genders is rolling out to iOS and Android users in India.

blog.gotinder.com/more-genders-tinder-india/

Must-See LGBTQ TV: The premiere of ‘TransMilitary,’ ‘The Bisexual’ premieres on Hulu, the People’s Choice Awards,

www.glaad.org/blog/must-see-lgbtq-tv-premiere-transmilitary-bisexual-premieres-hulu-peoples-choice-awards

Wisconsin High School Students Give Nazi Salute in Prom Photo

The Baraboo school district in Wisconsin is investigating after a photo was tweeted showing members of the Baraboo High School Class of 2019 giving the Nazi salute before their junior prom last spring.

Madison365 reports: ‘The photo was first posted in an online album of BHS prom photos at wheelmemories.com, the website of local motorcycle photographer Peter Gust. It was posted to Twitter last night by the account @GoBaraboo, which calls itself a “parody account.” It was posted with the caption, “We even got the black kid to throw it up #BarabooProud.” Gust’s website says he has a son who is a junior at Baraboo High School. It is not clear whether Gust’s son is in the photo. Gust’s website also indicates that he is a retired teacher…Gust has removed the entire prom photo album, replacing it with a statement that reads, in part, “due malevolent behavior on the part of some in society; this page has been modified. It is too bad that there are those in society who can and do take the time to be jerks; knowingly and willingly to be jerks! … To anyone that was hurt I sincerely apologize.”’

@News_Republic Can someone please explain and/or investigate why the graduating class from Baraboo High School is throwing the Nazi salute in this image? Has @BarabooSD commented on this? Has anyone at your paper even asked or investigated the meaning of this? pic.twitter.com/YspaHfq3Tk

— Mark Toth (aka Rancid Butter) (@TheButteryOne) November 12, 2018

Baraboo Schools Superintendent Lori Mueller tweeted a statement: “The photo of students posted to #BarabooProud is not reflective of the educational values and beliefs of the School District of Baraboo. The District will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address.”

The photo of students posted to #BarabooProud is not reflective of the educational values and beliefs of the School District of Baraboo. The District will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address.

— Lori M. Mueller (@LoriMMueller) November 12, 2018

If anybody from Baraboo High School in Wisconsin can clue me in on why it appears the entire male class of 2018 is throwing up a Sig Heil during their prom photos – that would be great.

h/t @CarlySidey pic.twitter.com/BL8lDVLMA4

— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) November 12, 2018

It is so hard to find words…

This is why every single day we work hard to educate. We need to explain what is the danger of hateful ideology rising. Auschwitz with its gas chambers was at the very end of the long process of normalizing and accommodating hatred. t.co/13AzZaMGJR

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) November 12, 2018

The post Wisconsin High School Students Give Nazi Salute in Prom Photo appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Wisconsin High School Students Give Nazi Salute in Prom Photo

Must-See LGBTQ TV: The premiere of ‘TransMilitary,’ the People’s Choice Awards, ‘She-Ra and Princess of Power’

www.glaad.org/blog/must-see-lgbtq-tv-premiere-transmilitary-peoples-choice-awards-she-ra-and-princess-power

Are gay men more likely to stay in toxic relationships?
Say it ain’t so?

www.queerty.com/gay-men-likely-stay-toxic-relationships-20181111?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Robert De Niro Returns for an Emotional Goodbye to Jeff Sessions on SNL: WATCH

With the exit of Attorney General Jeff Sessions this week it was time for SNL to say goodbye as well, and Robert De Niro’s Robert Mueller was there for the send-off.

But first Aidy Bryant’s Sarah Huckabee Sanders came to collect his White House ID, Mikey Day’s Donald Jr. and Alex Moffatt’s Eric Trump stopped by to give their regards and ask if they were going to be getting “some penis,” and Beck Bennett’s Mike Pence dropped in to ask if everything was going to be okay.

Said McKinnon’s Sessions: “I don’t understand what I did wrong? I put kids in cages. I said no to gays? What more did you want?”

Replied Bennet’s Pence (daydreaming): “I’m sorry, I heard the words ‘gays in cages’ and I went somewhere crazy.”

Finally, it was time for McKinnon’s Sessions to say goodbye to President Trump, to a rendition of Adele’s “Someone Like You”.

This was interrupted by De Niro’s Mueller, who came with a special gift to set Sessions free.

“Don’t you worry,” McKinnon’s Sessions winked. “I’m still gonna be a little stinker.”

Watch:

The post Robert De Niro Returns for an Emotional Goodbye to Jeff Sessions on SNL: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Robert De Niro Returns for an Emotional Goodbye to Jeff Sessions on SNL: WATCH

25 truths about total tops and top privilege
Dom top. Fem top. Vers top. Total top. These are all important terms in the lexicon of top culture.

www.queerty.com/25-truths-total-tops-top-privilege-20181110?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Thousands Flee California Wildfires; 9 Dead; 6,700+ Structures, Including Caitlyn Jenner’s Home, Destroyed – VIDEO

Multiple people are dead and thousands have been forced to flee the wildfires ravaging northern and southern California.

At least 9 people have been killed in the fires: “According to the Butte County sheriff’s office, five of the people whose deaths have been confirmed were found near Edgewood Lane in Paradise, California, in or near “vehicles that were overcome by the Camp Fire.” The sheriff’s office was not yet able to identify those victims because of their burn injuries. Other residents ran from the fire, the Sacramento Bee reported.”

Terrifying videos show one man’s escape from the Camp Fire in northern California that destroyed the town of Paradise. 6,700 structures have been destroyed in the Camp Fire.

HELL ON EARTH: Terrifying video shows what one man faced as he drove through the #campfire in #buttecounty ..giant flames, flying embers & falling trees. Colton Percifield escaped the fast-moving fire, others may not have been so lucky. The town of #Paradise was devastated. pic.twitter.com/9xi3a2QBRY

— Alex Savidge (@AlexSavidgeKTVU) November 9, 2018

WATCH: An insanely scary site with the #CampFire roaring in #ButteCounty California.

MORE: t.co/xtWRNtXdTP

Please keep families, first responders and firefighters in your thoughts!

via Brynn Parrott Chatfield pic.twitter.com/NxBIUJHCMO

— ????? ?????? (@brian_schnee) November 9, 2018

Caitlyn Jenner’s Malibu home was destroyed in the Woolsey fire.

TMZ reports: “Caitlyn’s pad, which was featured on her reality show, sat on top of a ridge overlooking the Malibu beach area — and, unfortunately, it is the same area where the Woolsey fire is burning out of control. Our sources say the home went up in flames Friday as the fire burned toward Malibu. She has been in the home since 2015, and she’s had to deal with natural disaster issues before. Just last year, winds as high as 60 MPH tore the roof off the 3,500 square foot, 4-bedroom spread.”

Among other celebrities forced to flee from the Woolsey fire were Lady Gaga, Alyssa Milano, Guillermo del Toro, Rainn Wilson, Eddie McClintock, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West.

More than 250,000 people have been evacuated.

Trump blamed the fires on California mismanagement, threatening the state’s funding: “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!”

There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018

The post Thousands Flee California Wildfires; 9 Dead; 6,700+ Structures, Including Caitlyn Jenner’s Home, Destroyed – VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Thousands Flee California Wildfires; 9 Dead; 6,700+ Structures, Including Caitlyn Jenner’s Home, Destroyed – VIDEO