Video: Meet ‘Rebecca,’ the drag queen who finds happiness at a Phnom Penh gay bar
In less welcoming parts of the world, gay bars still play vital and even life-saving roles. Witness the popular Phnom Penh, Cambodia, gay bar Blue Chilli, which features drag performers and a friendly place for outcasts and misfits of all sorts.
Category Archives: MISC
Christian hate group leader Tony Perkins got his butt handed to him on live TV
HRC Exposes Ohio’s Slate of Anti-Equality Candidates
HRC Exposes Ohio’s Slate of Anti-Equality Candidates
With the midterm elections just three weeks away, and early voting already started in Ohio, HRC is sprinting through the finish line to pull the emergency brake on Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and their dangerous administration. Today, we’re exposing six of Ohio’s anti-equality candidates and highlighting their dangerous records undermining LGBTQ equality.
From fighting to ban marriage equality, to opposing critical protections for transgender youth, these candidates are a threat to our community’s progress and dangerously out of step with the majority of Ohio voters who believe in equality, fairness and justice.
Here’s what you need to know about six anti-equality candidates in Ohio before you cast your ballot this November:
Jim Renacci (Senate candidate)
- Voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which offers critical protections for LGBTQ people
- Voted against protecting LGBTQ employees of federal contractors from discrimination
- Recently appeared at event of anti-LGBTQ hate group
Mike DeWine (Gubernatorial candidate)
- Opposes anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people
- Opposes marriage equality
- Opposes allowing transgender kids to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity
Steve Chabot (U.S. House candidate — OH-01)
- Received “0” on HRC Congressional Scorecard every Congress in office since 2004
- Opposed marriage equality
- Voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which offers critical protections for LGBTQ people
Troy Balderson (U.S. House candidate — OH-12)
- Strongly supports Trump-Pence, and vice versa
- Voted against anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people
David Joyce (U.S. House candidate — OH-14)
- Never received higher than a “16” on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard
- Voted 30+ times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which offers critical protections for LGBTQ people
- Voted against protecting LGBTQ employees of federal contractors from discrimination
Steve Stivers (U.S. House candidate — OH-15)
- Voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which offers critical protections for LGBTQ people
- Voted against protecting LGBTQ employees of federal contractors from discrimination
These records of supporting and legislating discrimination show that these candidates have no business representing the great state of Ohio. HRC is committed to mobilizing Ohio’s more than 1.5 million Equality Voters in support of HRC-backed, pro-equality champions like Senator Sherrod Brown, Gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray, Aftab Pureval (OH-01), Danny O’Connor (OH-12), Betsy Rader (OH-14) and Rick Neal (OH-15), who will fight for our community and all Ohioans. Join us today! Learn how you can cast your vote and check your voter registration status, volunteer with HRC and stay updated on HRC’s efforts in Ohio.
HRC has been on the ground in Ohio for more than a year as part of our coast-to-coast campaign called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history. We’re mobilizing and organizing with so many amazing local HRC members, volunteers, and supporters to elect champions of equality in Ohio up and down the ballot. For more information on how to get involved and sign up to volunteer, visit HRC’s Equality Voter Action Center.
| Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC (www.hrc.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee |
Target encourages LGBTQ allies to wear purple and share what Spirit Day means to them
Target encourages LGBTQ allies to wear purple and share what Spirit Day means to them
Photo Credit: Target
Spirit Day, the world’s largest and most visible LGBTQ anti-bullying-campaign is gearing up for an even bigger year as exciting ways to show support for LGBTQ youth are piling up!
For the fourth consecutive year, GLAAD is thrilled to have Target show its support by going purple! Target will focus this year on storytelling and active support of the community, both digitally and in real life.
“Through their Spirit Day activations online and offline, Target will once again inspire dialogue and reach countless young people with strong messages of kindness, respect, and acceptance,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Target to take a stand against bullying on Spirit Day and throughout the year.”
The Target brand Instagram (think: Spirit Day stickers!) and Snapchat profiles will feature original Spirit Day content, like Spirit Day filters. Target is also partnering with iHeartRadio’s Snapchat via the “Discovery” feature to keep audiences current on all things Spirit Day 2018.
Content creators and team members over at @TargetTag will share their Spirit Day stories!
Target is even going purple in their Minneapolis headquarters! They will be lighting up their corporate headquarters buildings in purple lights once again.
“For the past four years, we’ve stood proudly with GLAAD as a sponsor of Spirit Day to unite against LGBTQ bullying. We developed an interactive social campaign this year that encourages people to show their pride – and tell their stories – to their communities on social media,” says William White, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Target. “Target will also go purple on Spirit Day with millions of people across the country, which is part of our work to make sure our team members and guests feel welcomed, valued and respected every time they engage with Target.”
Spirit Day supporters everywhere will have the opportunity to show their stance against LGBTQ bullying by doing the following:
- Download the official Target + GLAAD Spirit Day poster.
- Fill in the “My spirit is:” box.
- Put your spirit on display!
Be sure to show how you “go purple” by using #SpiritDay and tagging @GLAAD on all of your social posts!
About Spirit Day
Each year, millions go purple for GLAAD’s Spirit Day to support LGBTQ youth in a united stand against bullying. Started in 2010 by high school student Brittany McMillan in response to numerous young LGBTQ lives lost to suicide, Spirit Day now draws the participation of celebrities, schools, faith institutions, national landmarks, corporations, media outlets, sports leagues, and advocates around the world, all joining together to stand against bullying and support LGBTQ youth.
Presenting partners include Hilton, Target, and Wells Fargo; official partners are Johnson & Johnson, the NBA and WNBA; and supporting partners include Kellogg’s, Barilla, and Kirkland & Ellis — all will participate in the anti-bullying campaign.
This year, Spirit Day is October 18, 2018. Take the Spirit Day pledge to show LGBTQ youth you’ve got their backs at glaad.org/spiritday. Follow @GLAAD on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up to date with #SpiritDay news.
October 17, 2018
Issues:
www.glaad.org/blog/target-encourages-lgbtq-allies-wear-purple-and-share-what-spirit-day-means-them
HRC Releases Scorecard of 115th Congress, Measuring Support for LGBTQ Equality
HRC Releases Scorecard of 115th Congress, Measuring Support for LGBTQ Equality
Today, with only 20 days left until the crucially important midterms, HRC released its Congressional Scorecard measuring support for LGBTQ equality in the 115th Congress. Members of Congress were scored based on a range of key indicators of support for LGBTQ equality — from votes in the Senate to confirm anti-LGBTQ Trump-Pence cabinet officials and judicial nominees to votes and co-sponsorships in both chambers on pieces of legislation that significantly impact LGBTQ people and their families.
“While Donald Trump and Mike Pence have spent the past two years unleashing relentless attacks on the LGBTQ community, the 115th Congress has done little to hold them accountable or pass LGBTQ equality, while doing a great deal to undermine the rights of the most vulnerable members of our community,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The HRC Congressional Scorecard serves as an important tool to understand where Members of Congress stand on LGBTQ equality. As we face one of the most important elections of our lifetime, HRC’s Congressional Scorecard makes clear that it is crucial for fair-minded voters turn out in force to elect a pro-equality majority to Congress.”
For the 115th Congress, 184 Democrats in the House and Senate received perfect 100 scores. In comparison, zero Republicans earned perfect scores. There was also a slight increase for the average score among House Democrats in comparison to the 114th Congress.
With 246 cosponsors, The Equality Act — critically important federal legislation that would finally add clear, comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people to our nation’s civil rights laws — has record support in both the House and Senate. The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, International Human Rights Defense Act, Voting Rights Advancement Act, Freedom from Discrimination in Credit Act, and the Juror Non-Discrimination Act/Jury ACCESS Act all also have record support in both chambers.
In addition to votes on LGBTQ-specific legislation like the deeply discriminatory Hartzler Amendment, the scorecard also includes a number of votes beyond LGBTQ-specific measures that profoundly impact LGBTQ people and their families. From votes to refuse to provide Title X family planning grant funds to Planned Parenthood — one of the largest providers of trans-competent care in the country and a vital source of healthcare for women, especially low-income women — to attempts to repeal core provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the measures scored all significantly impact the LGBTQ community.
Key Facts:
- 184 Members of Congress earned perfect scores (184 Democrats, 0 Republicans).
- The average score for Representatives is 47.6.
- Average score for Democratic Representatives is 97.6.
- Average score for Republican Representatives is 5.6.
- The average score for Senators is 48.7.
- Average score for Democratic Senators is 94.8.
- Average score for Republican Senators is 2.5.
- The Northeast and West continue to elect Members of Congress with strong support of LGBTQ equality; the average score for Representatives and Senators from the Northeast was 73.8 and 89.9 respectively; in the West it was 66.0 and 53.1 respectively.
The scorecard is a critically important tool for voters as the nation heads into the final days before the midterm elections. For more than a year, HRC has been on the ground building support for pro-equality candidates with priority investments in six key states — Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — and in nearly 70 congressional districts nationwide. The critically important work is a part of coast-to-coast campaign to mobilize voters for the midterm elections called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.
The estimated 10 million LGBTQ voters across the nation have proven to be one of the most important voting blocs in the nation. And with support for LGBTQ equality at historic heights, HRC has used sophisticated analytics to identify and mobilize 52 million “Equality Voters” nationwide who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The HRC Scorecard for the 115th Congress is available online at www.hrc.org/scorecard
Stephen Colbert Had a Gassy Response for Trump’s ‘Horseface’ Attack on Stormy Daniels: WATCH
Stephen Colbert Had a Gassy Response for Trump’s ‘Horseface’ Attack on Stormy Daniels: WATCH
Stephen Colbert had a lot to say about the insult-slinging between Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels on Tuesday after a judge threw out a defamation case filed by the adult film actress against the president.
Said Colbert: “The judge’s reasoning for why he threw the case out is — it’s a little upsetting. Trump called Stormy a liar on Twitter, but Judge S. James Otero ruled that Trump’s speech was protected by the First Amendment because, he said, it was the kind of ‘rhetorical hyperbole’ normally associated with politics and public discourse in the United States.”
Colbert reacted: “It’s only normal because Trump made it normal! Like how now it’s normal to be buddies with Kim Jong Un yet fear the cruel and devious Canadians.”
The Late Show host then read out the tweet from Trump announcing he would exact revenge on “horseface” Daniels.
“Yes, ‘horseface,’” gasped Colbert. “You heard it straight from the horse’s ass…”
And then Colbert noted how Stormy spanked Trump back, just like in real life, by mocking his “tiny” dick.
Quipped Colbert: “That is the most devastating presidential putdown since John Wilkes Booth shouted ‘Sic semper, small-penis!’”
Colbert also suggested a way for Daniels to raise some change: “Launch a GoFundMe campaign called For ‘$10 Million I Will Stop Describing Trump’s Penis’.”
Jimmy Kimmel also commented on the exchange:
“That’s not a very nice thing to say about a lady you made brief, sputtering love to after being spanked by a magazine with your face on it is it? All kidding aside, are we 100% sure he knows he’s the President of the United States?”
The post Stephen Colbert Had a Gassy Response for Trump’s ‘Horseface’ Attack on Stormy Daniels: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Stephen Colbert Had a Gassy Response for Trump’s ‘Horseface’ Attack on Stormy Daniels: WATCH
Netflix just gave a huge update about its newest queer series
Netflix just gave a huge update about its newest queer series
Work!
Advocates Fight to Protect Transgender Equality in Massachusetts This Election
Advocates Fight to Protect Transgender Equality in Massachusetts This Election
This article first appeared in HRC’s Equality magazine. View the latest issue at hrc.org/magazine.
A lot is at stake for advocate and author Mimi Lemay’s family this midterm election. On Nov. 6, Massachusetts voters will decide the fate of a non-discrimination law that protects transgender people in public spaces.
Lemay’s son, Jacob, came out to his parents when he was two-and-a-half years old. Lemay and her husband, Joe, who are both part of HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council (PTEC), supported Jacob, now 8 years old, and his transition. PTEC is a coalition of the nation’s leading parent-advocates working for equality and fairness for transgender people.
“Our transition was such a positive experience, but we realized that families with trans kids still faced many hurdles from folks who didn’t understand how a child could know their gender identity,” Lemay told Equality.
Since then, they’ve dedicated themselves to education and advocacy. When Lemay publicly shared her experience, advocates in Massachusetts reached out to her family to join the fight they had been waging for a decade to pass the transgender non-discrimination bill. In July 2016, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed the bill into law, and it went into effect in October 2016.
Opponents of equality, led by the anti-LGBTQ Massachusetts Family Institute and Keep MA Safe, used anti-transgender tactics and messages to get Question 3, which would repeal these non-discrimination protections, on the ballot this election.
“This is a horrifying prospect,” Lemay said. “The civil rights of our transgender and non-binary citizens in Massachusetts are at stake. If Massachusetts, one of the most progressive states in the union, falls, what happens to the rest of the country?”
In an exclusive HRC and Freedom for All Massachusetts video (see below), Lemay talked about what it would mean to her family if the law is repealed.
This ballot fight, Lemay emphasized, will have national ramifications.“Hate groups across the U.S. see the ballot measure in Massachusetts as a potential catalyst that will help them strip rights from LGBTQ people nationwide,” she said. “What happens in Massachusetts will have significant impact – either positive or, God forbid, negative, in the rest of the country.”
Through her advocacy and as a member of PTEC, Lemay found that her local community has been responsive to understanding the need for anti-discrimination laws that protect transgender people.
“I ask people what kind of world they would like for their children, one where all can participate in public life, or one where some people, like my son Jacob, are relegated to the shadows?” said Lemay. “I feel optimistic that with HRC at our backs we will win this fight in November.”
Lemay hopes voters see the urgency to affirm equality and fairness.
“I remind people that my son is real, that he is a good person, that he is who he is meant to be and should be allowed to grow up alongside their own children. I remind them that when they go to the polls on November 6, they are voting for his future,” she said.
HRC calls on Equality Voters to vote YES on 3 and preserve the dignity and respect for transgender Bay Staters like Jacob and many others this November. Learn more about the #YesOn3 campaign here.
Paul Allen, Neil Patrick Harris, Fascism, White Castle, Tina Turner, Proud Boys, Lady Gaga, Uptown Spot Robot: HOT LINKS
Paul Allen, Neil Patrick Harris, Fascism, White Castle, Tina Turner, Proud Boys, Lady Gaga, Uptown Spot Robot: HOT LINKS
FASCISM. If you’re not scared about it happening in the U.S., you should be.
2020 ELECTION. Trump has already raised more than $100 million. “Between his own campaign committee and the two joint fundraising efforts he has with the Republican National Committee, Trump has raised $106 million since taking office. He brought in $18.1 million in the last quarter and had $35 million on hand at the end of September. That’s quite a haul that will likely put Trump at a distinct advantage over whoever emerges from the crowded Democratic field to challenge him in 2020.”
ELIZABETH WARREN’S DNA TEST RESULTS. Trump will only believe her if he can test her personally. “I’ll only do it if I can test her personally, OK? That will not be something I enjoy doing either.”
LIE OF THE DAY. Trump says he has no financial ties to Saudi Arabia. “For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!”
For the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018
Here’s the video of Trump at his July 2015 rally boasting he makes “a lot of money” to the tune of “hundreds of millions” of dollars selling things to the Saudis and Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/QrjrnF4Hen
— andrewkaczynski (@KFILE) October 16, 2018
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS. Whoopi Goldberg offered me sex.
RIP. Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen dead at 65.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of @PaulGAllen, our founder and noted technologist, philanthropist, community builder, conservationist, musician and supporter of the arts. All of us who worked with Paul feel an inexpressible loss today. t.co/OMLZ7ivvSD pic.twitter.com/Bfa8kK6Q8e
— Vulcan Inc. (@VulcanInc) October 15, 2018
AD OF THE DAY. Ted Cruz mocked for loving White Castle. ‘In another political ad from the “Fire Ted Cruz” PAC, an older man has a beef with the incumbent calling Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke a “Triple Meat Whataburger liberal who is out of touch with Texas values.” Whataburger, a chain founded in Texas, has played a prominent role in the Texas senate race between Cruz and O’Rourke, who even ate at a Dallas Whataburger after their debate in September. But the ad posted Monday steps up the fast-food feud.’
PROUD BOYS. NYPD to arrest 9 members of white supremacist group involved in brawl: ‘The NYPD said Monday that it plans to arrest nine members of the alt-right group the Proud Boys and three more anti-fascist opponents involved in a brawl on the Upper East Side on Friday — as new video of the melee surfaced. “We believe we have valid [reason for the] arrests for those nine individuals to include charges of riot and attempted assault,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said at a press conference, adding that the raps could be upgraded.’
IT’S OFFICIAL. Lady Gaga is engaged.
DANCING ROBOT OF THE DAY. Uptown Spot.
INTERVIEW OF THE DAY. Tina Turner.
SLANG OF THE DAY. KJ Apa explains New Zealand slang.
UNDERCOVER DRIVER OF THE DAY. Chance the Rapper. “Watch as Lyft’s newest driver, Chance the Rapper, takes unsuspecting passengers on a ride around the city of Chicago. Chance discusses love, life, other rappers, and how his charity, The New Chance Fund (along with the help of SocialWorks), is using the Round Up and Donate feature in the Lyft app to support Chicago Public Schools. ”
TWO HOT FOR TUESDAY. Cristobal Remu and Andres Zurdo.
The post Paul Allen, Neil Patrick Harris, Fascism, White Castle, Tina Turner, Proud Boys, Lady Gaga, Uptown Spot Robot: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Univision’s ‘El Gordo y La Flaca’ talk show airs anti-transgender comments after death of Mexican trans woman and sparks protests
Univision’s ‘El Gordo y La Flaca’ talk show airs anti-transgender comments after death of Mexican trans woman and sparks protests
Angela Ponce will compete in Miss Universe this December representing Spain, and she happens to be transgender. Many pageant participants and organizers have been supportive, but those opposed to trans inclusion had the spotlight last week, including Lupita Jones, director of Miss Universe in Mexico and herself a former Miss Universe. Jones was widely quoted in Spanish-language media saying trans women should not compete, which prompted a trans activist in Mexico, Itzel Ávila, to create a video in response. Ávila died, reportedly by suicide, shortly after posting the video.
Coverage of Ávila’s death and of Jones’ comments have shone a glaring light on the lack of knowledge on the part of way too many media outlets on what it means to be transgender, on the differences between sexual orientation and gender identity, on which pronouns to use, and on a host of other issues.
One show, El Gordo y la Flaca, drew particular ire from trans community members. The segment aired with a caption that read, “un transexual se suicida” or “a transsexual committed suicide” and the reporter also misgendered Ávila by using the incorrect pronouns to refer to her. After the news segment ended, hosts Raúl de Molina and Lili Estefan went on to misgender Ávila. “If this man or woman, or however you want to call them, killed themselves …,” De Molina said. Later, Estefan also misgendered Ávila and said, “the transgenders now want to be part of this,” among other problematic comments about gender and legal change of documents. In the same segment, De Molina and Estefan mentioned, with affection, a deceased former member of their cast, Cachita, who was transgender. Despite years of working with Cachita, issues around gender identity and the correct use of pronouns to refer to other trans women seemed to utterly confound them.
A number of New York City trans community members and groups quickly mobilized and organized a protest on Friday outside Times Square where the show was taping. Activists Elizabeth Chávez and Liaam Winslet helped organize a protest and Chávez confronted De Molina after the host stepped out to interview them. De Molina denied part of his statements but then said he apologized if he had said “man or woman.” De Molina and Estefan mentioned the protests on Monday’s show.
GLAAD has reached out to Univision about trainings for the show and other staff members to ensure LGBTQ issues are addressed accurately on air.
Unfortunately, this was not the only show to misgender Ávila or to use incorrect terminology. Ventaneando, on Azteca TV, which has an openly gay cast member, did so as well. In addition to misgendering and a lack of understanding of trans issues, sadly many stories focused almost entirely on Jones rather than on Ávila. Some news and entertainment segments offered more thoughtful coverage and commentary, but many missed an important opportunity to discuss suicide, depression, lack of job opportunities, discrimination and the many other issues that disproportionately affect transgender people in the United States and internationally, especially if they are also people of color.
In 2012, GLAAD worked to ensure the inclusion of trans woman in Miss Universe.
GLAAD’s vital reporting guide, Doubly Victimized: Reporting on Transgender Victims of Crime, provides clear guidelines to ensure that transgender victims of violent crimes are treated respectfully and fairly. GLAAD’s new report More Than a Number: Shifting the Media Narrative on Transgender Homicides, is an advanced reporting guide for journalists and advocates to accompany our Doubly Victimized Guide.
Jones’ comments were preceded by those of Miss Colombia, Valeria Morales, who told media she did not think trans women should not be allowed to participate in the contest. Morales’ comments prompted Omar Vasquez, a YouTuber, to post a brilliant take-down titled “Miss Colombia or Miss Transphobia?” Miss Universe takes place Dec. 17 and will also include a trans contestant from Mongolia.
October 16, 2018
Tags:
