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MISC

HRC Mourns the Loss of Vontashia Bell, a Trans Woman Killed in Louisiana

HRC Mourns the Loss of Vontashia Bell, a Trans Woman Killed in Louisiana

HRC is saddened to learn about the death of Vontashia Bell, a young Black transgender woman who was fatally shot in a neighborhood of Shreveport, Louisiana.

According to local media, which misgendered her in their reports, Bell, 18, was shot multiple times early Thursday morning. Police found Bell lying on the street in the Cedar Grove neighborhood. Police rushed her to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

No suspect has been identified, but investigators are asking anyone with information to contact  Shreveport Police Investigators at (318) 673-6955.

The Louisiana Trans Advocates organization released a statement condemning the shooting and calling on the city’s leaders to help curb the violence against the trans community.

“Shreveport and Louisiana leaders must speak out against these killings, against the ongoing, systematic devaluation of trans people that pervades our media and politics, and against the institutional racism that places almost all of this burden on trans women of color,” the group said.

Louisiana has disproportionately carried a burden of anti-trans deaths. Bell’s death marks the 13th known killing of a transgender person in Louisiana since January 2013, the highest among all 50 states. Victims of anti-transgender violence in Louisiana comprise approximately 1 in 10 of all victims HRC has tracked, despite the state only holding 1.5 percent of the U.S. population. This includes four deaths in Louisiana in 2017 and one in March 2018.

HRC was also appalled to learn of another shooting, this time in Chicago, where media reports that a Black trans woman named Dejanay was found dead Thursday with a gunshot wound in the head. At the time of publication, her death was not yet ruled as a homicide. HRC is monitoring the situation closely and has reached out to contacts in the Chicago area government for more information.

Sadly, Bell’s death marks the 17th known killing of a transgender or non-binary person this year. HRC Foundation and the Trans People of Color Coalition released a report documenting the senseless acts of violence that made 2017 the deadliest year on record for transgender people, particularly for trans women of color.

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

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-mourns-the-loss-of-vontashia-bell-a-trans-woman-killed-in-louisiana?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

MISC

The GLAAD Wrap: ‘1985’ trailer, ‘Dream Daddy’ comics, new music from Troye Sivan, MNEK, and more!

The GLAAD Wrap: ‘1985’ trailer, ‘Dream Daddy’ comics, new music from Troye Sivan, MNEK, and more!

Photo Credit: GLAAD

Every week, the GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBTQ-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend!

1) The first trailer has been released for the intimate drama 1985, starring out actor Cory Michael Smith as a young gay man who returns home to Texas to inform his parents that he has been diagnosed as HIV-positive. “If you read a thumbnail of what this film is about, it could be perceived as something so tragic, but I find there to be so much heart and hope in this,” Smith says of the film. After getting rave reviews out of SXSW, 1985 will be released in theaters on October 26. Watch the trailer below!

2) Breaking Glass pictures has acquired the rights to documentary Call Her Ganda, which follows the murder of Jennifer Laude, a Filipino transgender woman, who was killed by a US Marine. The film dives into those seeking justice for her death, including trans journalist and them. editor Meredith Talusan. Call Her Ganda will be released in New York on September 21, and expand to further cities throughout the fall. In other film news, out producer, writer, and actor Lena Waithe has acquired the rights to Such a Fun Age, an upcoming novel that follows a young Black babysitter and her relationship with her employer.

3) Several directors have been announced for the first season of OWN’s David Makes Man, the new semi-autobiographical series from out Moonlight playwright Tarrell Alvin McCraney. Among the list of filmmakers is lesbian director Cheryl Dunye, known for her iconic debut film The Watermelon Woman, as well as her recent work on Claws, The Fosters, and Queen Sugar.

4) The first group of presenters for the Creative Arts Emmys have been announced. The group features several out Emmy nominees including Samira Wiley, Jane Lynch, and the cast of Queer Eye, among a large group of celebrity talent. The full list can be found here. The Creative Arts Emmys will take place September 8 and 9, and be telecast on FXX September 15.  

5) Out actor John Barrowman, of Torchwood and Arrow fame, co-created and is set to star in Acursian, a new series from Legendary Comics airing on Webtoon. The show follows a man who seems to have everything, but becomes the victim of an ancient Celtic curse where every decision he makes fails spectacularly. Acursian will premiere on the Webtoon app on September 13. In further news, Crunchyroll, the popular anime streaming site, has announced its first original series. Created by transgender artist and comic creator Raye Rodriguez, the show is called High Guardian Spice, and is a coming-of-age story of four girls with powers. The show will air on Crunchyroll in 2019.

HEY EVERYONE, FUN FACT, WE’RE MAKING A SHOW!!! <333 t.co/LjUEaDKvL4

— Raye Rodriguez@ CRX (@dinoraye) August 22, 2018

6) Troye Sivan’s highly anticipated sophomore album Bloom drops today. The gay Australian pop star, who received GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award in 2017, is already receiving rave reviews for the album. As NME says, “whatever subject matter he touches, Sivan manages to tear away all the filters; there’s a tender sort of honesty to the whole album.” Bloom is available wherever music is sold, and will be hitting the road on a tour this fall.  Watch the video for title track Bloom below.

7) Panic! At the Disco, led by out front man Brendan Urie, released a music video for their song “High Hopes” off their most recent album Pray for the Wicked. Watch the video here, and catch Panic! At the Disco on tour in 2019. Rising trans pop star Kim Petras released a new single “All the Time” last week, another upbeat pop hit. Petras will be performing at GLAAD’s San Francisco Gala on September 15, as well as opening for Sivan on his Bloom tour.

8) Queer singer and songwriter MNEK released a new single from his upcoming album Language. The newest release, “Correct,” is an upbeat pop hit that comes with a music video with visuals that matches the the fun tone of the song. Language will be MNEK’s first full length album, though he has released an EP, several singles, and written for artists including Beyoncé and Madonna. Language will be released on September 7 and “Correct” is available wherever music is sold. Watch the video below.

9) Popular video game Dream Daddy, where players play as a single dad who moves to Maple Bay and romances other dads, has announced a new miniseries of comics from Oni Press. The new comics will tell five individual stories, each focused on a different Dad in Maple Bay. The series, which features the work of several queer writers and artists including Josh Trujillo and Kris Anka, will release issues monthly and the first issue is currently available to purchase here!

10) Limerance, a film about Park, a 10-year-old girl living in the rural south, who writes a love letter to her best friend’s sister, is currently seeking funding. The film follows Park, as both her bully and her mother find out about the letter and Park feels pressure to live differently. The project shows the challenges faced by young people who are living as their authentic queer selves. Click here to find out how to contribute to the film

August 31, 2018

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-1985-trailer-dream-daddy-comics-new-music-troye-sivan-mnek-and-more

MISC

Simplicity and familiarity—updates to the Skype user experience

Simplicity and familiarity—updates to the Skype user experience

This post was written by Peter Skillman, Director of Design for Skype and Outlook.

Our passion for bringing people closer together through simple, seamless experiences that “just work” is the foundation of Skype. Over time, we’ve grown beyond our origins of voice-only calling, adding video calling, messaging, group video calling, and a broad range of other features and services.

As Skype functionality has expanded, so too has its complexity. As with any feature rich product, maintaining simplicity while enhancing functionality is critical to usability. This past year we explored some design changes and heard from customers that we overcomplicated some of our core scenarios. Calling became harder to execute and Highlights didn’t resonate with a majority of users. We needed to take a step back and simplify!

Today, I want to share our focus on simplicity* to provide an overall better experience for you by making Skype faster to learn and easier to use.

Simplified navigation—We are refocusing on the fundamentals of why most people use Skype—to make a call (often with video) and/or send a message.

Our new navigation model removes redundant and underused features that create clutter—making it much easier to find the people you want to talk to and contact them in an instant. On mobile we are moving to three buttons at the bottom of the app—Chats, Calls, and Contacts. Removing Highlights and Capture provides a cleaner and more efficient user interface (UI) that is easy to navigate while still providing all the functionality Skype customers want. (Note: you will be able download all the Highlights that you have posted until September 30, 2018.)

For the desktop, we’re connecting to the Skype legacy while producing a navigation model that is familiar to our mobile experience. We moved buttons for Chats, Calls, Contacts, and Notifications to the top left of the window, making it easy for long-time Skype users to understand.

Easy to discover contacts, updated for simplicity—Our data suggests Contacts isn’t a highly used entry point for most Skype customers, but those who do use it find it a “critical” and “safety” mechanism to find people they may have otherwise forgotten in a long list of contacts.

Modern, fresh look and feel—Your content is king. We want to celebrate content AND give you a full range of color expression with light and dark themes. We toned down the visual range of the gradients and reintroduced a simplified Skype “Classic” blue theme—adjusted for contrast and readability. We also reduced some of the more decorative elements—such as notifications with a squiggle shape cut out—which weren’t core to getting things done. The result is a more elegant experience that brings your content to the forefront.

To develop these designs, our team worked closely with Skype customers. We looked at how people use Skype apps, performing extensive testing across global markets and building prototypes to test new concepts. We also created a UserVoice site so you can vote on the feature changes you want us to prioritize. While we have plenty of work left to do, we hope you find these changes simplify your experience and bring you closer to those who matter.

We are listening to your feedback and are wholly committed to improving the Skype experience based on what you are telling us. We hope this updated design makes Skype easier to use and provides a better Skype experience. This is only the beginning and you can expect many more updates over the next several months as we continue to simplify and improve the core experiences around calling, chat, and contacts. We are passionate about bringing you closer to the people in your life—so if we can do that better, please tell us. Watch this space for more to come in the near future.

—Peter Skillman

 

*The new design is available on the latest Skype version (8.29) for Android, iOS, OS X, Linux, Windows 7, 8 & 8.1 operating systems.

The post Simplicity and familiarity—updates to the Skype user experience appeared first on Skype Blogs.

blogs.skype.com/news/2018/08/31/simplicity-and-familiarity-updates-to-the-skype-user-experience/

MISC

GLAAD encourages senators to #AskKavanaugh about LGBTQ rights and hold him accountable for the company he keeps

GLAAD encourages senators to #AskKavanaugh about LGBTQ rights and hold him accountable for the company he keeps

Approaching Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing for a position on the Supreme Court, GLAAD has started a campaign to draw attention to the anti-LGBTQ organizations who have given Kavanaugh their endorsements. Supreme Court Justice is a lifetime appointment, and Kavanaugh’s confirmation could have an impact that will last for decades. We can’t afford to have a Justice on the court who doesn’t support LGBTQ rights, and GLAAD is on the move.

Yesterday, GLAAD Campus Ambassador Tony Hernandez went to Capitol Hill to personally hand-delivered questions about Judge Kavanaugh’s praise of anti-LGBTQ Justice Antonin Scalia anti-LGBTQ dissents and statements, as well as his endorsement by anti-LGBTQ hate group Family Research Council and other anti-LGBTQ organizations, urging the 21 members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to confront Judge Kavanaugh about his past remarks, as well as the company he keeps.

When asked about participating, Tony responded enthusiastically, “anything to stop Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.” The stakes are high for LGBTQ people.

Kavanaugh has often described Justice Antonin Scalia, a notorious homophobe, as a “hero” and a “role model.” He even praised Scalia’s dissent on Obergefell—the landmark ruling that made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states. Though perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise—while working with the Bush Administration, Kavanaugh worked closely with the team promoting the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have defined marriage in the United States as a union of one man and one woman under federal law. Furthermore, he’s been endorsed by a variety of anti-LGBTQ groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group the Family Research Council.

The Federalist Society, of which Kavanaugh was once a member, has produced materials arguing against every major LGBTQ policy proposal, including the Employment Non Discrimination Act and hate crimes legislation. He has also been endorsed by the Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group Family Research Council, which operates on the belief that LGBTQ people are a threat to American society, and received an outpouring of support from the Heritage Foundation, which uses the guise of “research” to shield its homophobic and transphobic rhetoric.

Our campus ambassador @tonyehdz is in Washington, D.C. today to deliver letters asking senators to #AskKavanaugh about LGBTQ rights and hold him accountable during next week’s confirmation hearings. pic.twitter.com/Vh74ycVYZZ

— GLAAD (@glaad) August 30, 2018

These ties to known anti-LGBTQ hate groups and a vocal support of Scalia’s famously anti-LGBTQ record lead GLAAD to believe that Judge Kavanaugh is not able to serve on the Supreme Court with the interests of all Americans at heart.

GLAAD is taking action and so should you! Join this fight and push back against Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, by joining the conversation using #AskKavanaugh. Ask him yourself, does he believe LGBTQ rights are Human Rights? Will he uphold the law as it has been established as precedent or will he turn back the clock? These are questions that need to be answered.

 

 
August 31, 2018
Issues: 

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-encourages-senators-askkavanaugh-about-lgbtq-rights-and-hold-him-accountable-company-he

MISC

Following Jamel Myles’ Death, We Must Address the Critical Need to Support LGBTQ Youth

Following Jamel Myles’ Death, We Must Address the Critical Need to Support LGBTQ Youth

Trigger Warning: This post contains mentions of suicide.

The tragic death of Denver nine-year-old Jamel Myles by suicide following extreme anti-gay bullying at school has shaken LGBTQ and allied communities around the country, and comes as students are heading back to their classrooms.

Myles had come out to his family over the summer and was excited to start the school year and tell his classmates  because he was “proud of himself,” said his mother Leia Pierce, reported by KDTV. But just four days into the his new school year, all of that had changed.  According to family members, classmates told Jamel that “he should kill himself.”

“Will you do my son and I a favor?” asked Pierce in an interview with The Daily Beast. “Stand together as equals and show love to everyone, with acceptance of everyone.”

HRC and the University of Connecticut’s 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report found alarming trends among more than 12,000 respondents, ranging in age from 13 to 17:

  • More than 70 percent reported feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness in the past week;
  • Only 26 percent of youth said they always feel safe in their school classrooms — and just five percent said that all of their teachers and school staff are supportive of LGBTQ people;
  • Only 25 percent of LGBTQ youth have families who show support for them by getting involved in the larger LGBTQ and ally community.

And, heartbreakingly, the Centers for Disease Control’s most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that LGB youth were four times more likely than non-LGB youth to attempt suicide in the previous year. The reporting on transgender students is expected to be published later this year.

Myles’ story reinforces that children even younger than this age range are hearing the same dangerous messages, and are too often made to feel hopeless and alone simply for being who they are.

Addressing these startling statistics starts with schools and communities alike working to foster safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ young people.

HRC’s Welcoming Schools program provides specific guidance to parents, teachers and the wider community for preventing anti-LGBTQ bullying and aggression in schools. This can be as simple as responding appropriately to anti-LGBTQ comments in the classroom, or encouraging educators to promote inclusivity and diversity in their lesson plans.

Parents and families can start by learning the facts and educating themselves about issues that impact LGBTQ youth. Whether or not families have openly LGBTQ children, it is vital to make home a safe and affirming space for all identities. We all can play a role in our communities to ensure that LGBTQ youth feel safe and supported.

If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. If you’re a young LGBTQ person and need to talk to someone, call The Trevor Project’s 24-hour crisis hotline for youth at 1-866-488-7386. If you are a transgender person of any age, call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.

To learn more about supporting LGBTQ youth in their homes, schools and communities, visit www.hrc.org/youth. For more information about how HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools Program can help schools work to become more inclusive and welcoming of LGBTQ young people, check out welcomingschools.org.

www.hrc.org/blog/following-jamel-myles-death-we-must-address-the-critical-need-to-support-lg?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

MISC

David Hogg, Prince Harry, MAGA Hat, Alex Jones, Ron DeSantis, Lady Gaga, Eric McCormack, Damien Chazelle, Kesha: HOT LINKS

David Hogg, Prince Harry, MAGA Hat, Alex Jones, Ron DeSantis, Lady Gaga, Eric McCormack, Damien Chazelle, Kesha: HOT LINKS

MAYORS FOR OUR LIVES. NYC mayor Bill De Blasio and David Hogg team up for young voter registration campaign. ‘The student-founded organization March For Our Lives is teaming up with mayors from both parties for the new initiative, Mayors For Our Lives. Hogg said the initiative is crucial to advancing the cause of gun safety, the issue that originally sparked the creation of March For Our Lives.

JIMMY KIMMEL’S QUESTION. Kanye West finally answers the question Jimmy Kimmel posed to him, “I mean, you’ve so famously and so powerfully said George (W.) Bush doesn’t care about black people. It makes me wonder, what makes you think that Donald Trump does, or any people at all?”

HAMILTON EXTRA. Prince Harry sings!

ALEX JONES. Transphobic extremist conspiracy theorist denies watching trans porn. “I saw a couple of news articles about that, it’s ridiculous. I was like looking up some reporter we’re trying to hire today and punched in some number and porn popped up on my phone. Everybody has had porn pop-up on their phone hundreds of times.”

CALIFORNIA. High school senior faces possibly battery charge over classmate’s MAGA hat. ‘In cellphone video, a teacher is seen trying to subdue fired-up 17-year-old senior Jo-Ann Butler after she became enraged at a classmate for wearing the MAGA hat. She grabbed the hat off his head. “That’s a racist and hateful symbol,” Butler said.’

RON DESANTIS. Florida GOP gubernatorial nominee moderated racist, conspiracy-obsessed Facebook group: “DeSantis, who was under fire yesterday for making what many deemed a racist remark toward his black opponent Andrew Gillum, helped manage the 95,000 members strong group as one of its 52 administrators.

Another admin/moderator for the racist, conspiracy Facebook group has also been promoting Ron DeSantis’ campaign, and specifically named DeSantis as an admin, and said the Central Florida Post writer Taylor Foland was specifically brought on to promote DeSantis. pic.twitter.com/tXcqDmDrAX

— Natalie Martinez (@natijomartinez) August 28, 2018

A STAR IS BORN. Soundtrack to forthcoming film reveals 14 new songs from Lady Gaga. ‘The songwriting credits also reveal Mother Monster’s collaborators are they are mouthwateringly eclectic. Mark Ronson had a hand in creating “Shallow,” for example, while legendary country songsmith Lori McKenna co-wrote “Always Remember Us This Way.” They are not the only familiar names. DJ White Shadow co-produced five tracks, Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter co-wrote “Heal Me” and Diane Warren returns for “Why Did You Do That?”

ITALY. Two gay teens beaten in Palermo. “Two boys aged 15 and 16 were beaten up in Palermo because they are gay, the Gironale of Sicily said Thursday. The pair were chatting in the city’s park when they were attacked…”

STAR BOY. Eric McCormack.

Where there’s a WILL there’s a way! Actor @EricMcCormack will be honored with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 13th! His star will be next to his acting partner in crime Debra Messing! pic.twitter.com/2eZZjLOeda

— Ana Martinez (@wofstargirl) August 29, 2018

TRAILER OF THE DAY. First Man directed by Damien Chazelle.

SERIES PROMO OF THE DAY. Riverdale.

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Thunderclouds ft. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth.

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY II. Kiddy Smile “Be Honest”.

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY III. The Struts featuring Kesha. “Body Talks”.

THIRSTY THURSDAY. Immense Ray.

The post David Hogg, Prince Harry, MAGA Hat, Alex Jones, Ron DeSantis, Lady Gaga, Eric McCormack, Damien Chazelle, Kesha: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


David Hogg, Prince Harry, MAGA Hat, Alex Jones, Ron DeSantis, Lady Gaga, Eric McCormack, Damien Chazelle, Kesha: HOT LINKS

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