I’ve been an ally before I knew what it meant to be one
I volunteered for the Atlanta photo shoot because I believe all people should be treated equally . My mother was a Southern feminist who taught not only with her words but by her actions. She treated everyone with respect and was often judged for her open-mind . My obstetrician in the 1980s was a lesbian. I didn’t know that until many years later when Mom told me

www.noh8campaign.com/article/ive-been-an-ally-before-i-knew-what-it-meant-to-be-one

GLAAD and The Studio by HBO to host Provincetown’s New Queer Comedy panel with Cameron Esposito, Travon Free, and Matteo Lane

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-and-studio-hbo-host-provincetowns-new-queer-comedy-panel-cameron-esposito-travon-free-and

Samantha Bee Names the Up and Coming ‘Fascists to Watch 2018’

Samantha Bee introduced a new segment on Full Frontal last night, Fascists to Watch 2018, in which she introduced the up-and-coming ghouls to watch out for, including Corey Stewart, James Allsup, E. Scott Lloyd, and Arthur Jones.

Said Bee: “From the rise of the alt right, to the horror of Trump’s anti-immigration policy, to the marketing of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as a hit young adult novel, authoritarianism and racism are creeping into every part of our once-okay institutions. And not just super-star races like Donald Trump. There are lots of eager young monsters out there paying their dues, getting ever closer to a shot at the big time.

Watch:

The post Samantha Bee Names the Up and Coming ‘Fascists to Watch 2018’ appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Samantha Bee Names the Up and Coming ‘Fascists to Watch 2018’

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: August 16, 2018

MEET THE ANTI-LGBTQ EXTREMIST RUNNING TO OUST THE SENATE’S ONLY OPENLY LGBTQ MEMBER: Throughout her almost two decades in public office, Leah Vukmir has:

• Derailed efforts to pass commonsense protections for Wisconsin’s LGBTQ community, including protections for LGBTQ youth facing discrimination and bullying at school;
• Long opposed marriage equality and has close ties to some of the nation’s most virulently anti-LGBTQ organizations, including the Family Research Council;
• Consistently voted against pro-equality legislation and has pushed for a license to discriminate in the health care system that would prioritize physicians’ beliefs over life-saving patient care. More from Washington Blade, Into and Pink News.

Leah Vukmir’s extreme views place her far outside the mainstream. Her record and close affiliation with extremist groups is setting off alarms not only for the LGBTQ community, but for all Wisconsinites. #WISen
�� Help us stop Vukmir: t.co/U3nnnCObFK ��

— HRC in Wisconsin (@HRC_WI) August 15, 2018

ICYMI — OKLAHOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT CANCELS CLASSES AFTER EXTREMISTS THREATEN TRANS STUDENT WITH VIOLENCE: “The hateful and violent rhetoric of these adults is despicable, disgusting and completely dehumanizing,” said Ellen Kahn, Director of the HRC Foundation’s Children, Youth and Families Programs.  “No student should face threats of violence or harassment from anyone in their school community, let alone from their peers’ parents. In the aftermath of the last election, LGBTQ students reported an increase in bullying, and the incident in Oklahoma reinforces the unconscionable fact that the bullying can sometimes come from adults in their community.” More from Pink News, Time and Refinery29.

THROWBACK THURSDAY — HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY, ELLEN AND PORTIA! This power couple have been warming our hearts and serving as role models to LGBTQ youth everywhere for the past decade. Cheers to that!

Happy th anniversary to @TheEllenShow and @PortiaDeRossi! #RelationshipGoals
❤️ pic.twitter.com/kNXUtQ80yr

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) August 16, 2018

TRANS TROOP BAN UPDATE — YET ANOTHER JUDGE RULES TRUMP-PENCE MUST BRING FORTH INFORMATION USED TO IMPLEMENT UNCONSTITUTIONAL BAN: In yet another ruling against the administration in their ongoing crusade against transgender troops, a federal judge in Maryland has ordered that documents the Trump-Pence administration hoped to shield in a case to bar qualified trans service members must be revealed. More from The Associated Press.

“CHILDREN DO NOT ALWAYS KNOW WHAT’S BEST,” SAYS TRANSPHOBIC JUDGE WHO DENIED TEEN A NAME CHANGE — DESPITE SUPPORT FROM PARENTS AND THERAPIST: Judge Joseph Kirby, who has a history of denying transgender people the right to legally change their name, is being sued by group of dedicated parents on behalf of their trans children. More from The Cincinnati Enquirer.

DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT CITED AS REASONS LGBQ YOUTH ARE MORE LIKELY TO USE ILLEGAL DRUGS: The study from San Diego State University did not look at rates among transgender youth. More from Reuters.

HRC HOSTS EQUALITY ACTION ACADEMY IN HOUSTON: More than 60 HRC members participated in the training to build their campaign skills. Learn more about HRC’s nationwide efforts to mobilize members for the 2018 midterms at hrc.im/Academy.

Tired of the Trump-Pence administration rolling back LGBTQ protections? ��

Empower yourself and your community to #TurnOUT the vote & mobilize #EqualityVoters ahead of the November midterms. ����

Join @HRC’s new Equality Action Academy TODAY. ����️‍�� t.co/sfWNesE5co pic.twitter.com/MgHsOoS3sY

— HRC in Wisconsin (@HRC_WI) August 15, 2018

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

ALARMING — INDONESIAN PRESIDENT SELECTS RUNNING MATE WHO HAS CALLED FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE TO BE CRIMINALIZED: More from Gay Star News.

GAY AFGHAN ASYLUM SEEKER REJECTED BY AUSTRIA ON SUSPICION OF LYING ABOUT SEXUAL ORIENTATION: An official claims the teenager did not “walk, act or dress” like a gay man. More from The Guardian.

CRICKETER BEN STOKES (@benstokes38) SAVES SAME SEX COUPLE FACING HOMOPHOBIC ATTACK: More from Metro.

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

 Tennis World shares star player Roger Federer’s (@rogerfederer) powerful support for LGBTQ players; Pink News reports on an attack on a same-sex couple in Belgium; Al Dia speaks to Cuban activists about the upcoming constitutional debates, which could lead to marriage equality; Voice of America interviews Haitian LGBTQ activists; Iowa Public Radio reviews the local one-man show “Confessions of a Gay Catholic”

                                                                                                 Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC (www.hrc.org) and not authorized by any candidate or committee.

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-august-16-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

A Revolution in Transgender Political Power

The LGBTQ Victory Fund’s Annise Parker on the extraordinary victory of Christine Hallquist and what it portends.

www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/8/16/revolution-transgender-political-power

Charles Blow, David Beckham, Katrina Pierson, Jack Phillips, Ben De La Creme, Austria, Colton Haynes

CHARLES BLOW. Trump’s N-word tape will probably excite his base. “We would be insane if we kept questioning and saying this is a matter of opinion of whether he’s a racist or not. He is. People have cooked that into the books. I think that if you found the tape of him using the N-word, it might actually increase his support. This does nothing to them, they believe wholeheartedly in this approach, and none of these insults to people who look like me hurt them because it is not them. There is not a betrayal of their belief in him, there is not a betrayal in what they want him to do, this is what they want him to do. This is what they accepted. This is what they want.”

VOGUEING. The entire Beckham family.

JOHN BOLTON. Trump national security adviser to meet with Russia next week.

Anti-gay baker Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop.

JACK PHILLIPS. Bigoted Masterpiece Cakeshop owner sues Gov. John Hickenlooper and Colorado officials: “Even though Jack serves all customers and simply declines to create custom cakes that express messages or celebrate events in violation of his deeply held beliefs, the government is intent on destroying him—something the Supreme Court has already told it not to do. Neither Jack nor any other creative professionals should be targeted by the government for living consistently with their religious beliefs.”

KATRINA PIERSON. Ed Henry gets into it with the Trump supporter who changed her story about the N-word tape. ‘Pierson dealt with the apparent inconsistencies of her story by raising a fog of multiple discussions and multiple recordings. But a remarkably nonplussed Henry was having none of it, ultimately lashing out at his guest, asking her “If that’s the truth, why didn’t you tell me, ‘Ed, you know, I don’t know all the details of this book, I haven’t seen it, but I did say, yes, he used the N-word to move the conversation along?’” before adding ” You didn’t say that last night. You changed the story today.”’

GOP MIDTERM STRATEGY. No red meat to the base: “The Senate will return to work on Wednesday to take up an array of bills with bipartisan support — such as the Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services spending bill, opioids legislation and the Water Resources Development Act. Also on the agenda is the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization and the conference report for the farm bill, as well as conference reports for the seven appropriations bills the Senate passed before taking an abbreviated August recess.

IT’S A CELEBRATION. Queer Eye celebrates their four Emmy nominations with GLSEN.

ORRIN HATCH. “Not comfortable” with Trump calling Omarosa a dog.

Orrin Hatch, an ally of Trump’s and president pro tempore, tells me this of Trump calling Omarosa a “dog:” “No, I’m not comfortable with that. I don’t think words like that should be used — especially by the president. … I think he should rise above that.” pic.twitter.com/skjAqgEfyD

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 15, 2018

ALEX JONES. Twitter finally suspends the InfoWars extremist.

BENDELACREME. Drag Race alum cancels Australian tour: “At this point in time, queens have no unions to protect us, and we have to stick together as advocates for each other. It is important for all performers to stand up for the fair treatment and pay of everyone working in drag, burlesque, cabaret, and all of the many designers and artists that support us.
I cannot in good faith continue to tour with a promoter who is not treating performers without my platform with the same consideration as those who have been on TV. It is my hope that this situation will be rectified very soon. ”

AUSTRIA. Afghan asylum seeker rejected for not being gay enough: ‘An Afghan teenager who said he feared being persecuted in his home country for being gay has had his asylum application rejected by Austria after an official said he did not “walk, act or dress” like a gay man, according to reports. An official in Lower Austria found no grounds for fear of persecution based on the sexual orientation of the 18-year-old, the Falter newspaper reported.’

INDIA. French tourist murdered by lover, chopped up: “The 68-year-old’s body was found packed into three sandbags in Tamil Nadu state’s Thanjavur district on Sunday. A 29-year-old student, who has been arrested, confessed to killing the Frenchman in an altercation after the pair had sex, senior police officer Senthil Kumar told AFP.”

MEAN GIRLS. Taylor Smith may face charges for pushing her friend off a bridge 60-feet above the water.

LYRIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Matt Fishel “Bored of Straight Boys”.

HUMP DAY PHOTOSHOP. Colton Haynes channeling Kim Kardashian.

The post Charles Blow, David Beckham, Katrina Pierson, Jack Phillips, Ben De La Creme, Austria, Colton Haynes appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Charles Blow, David Beckham, Katrina Pierson, Jack Phillips, Ben De La Creme, Austria, Colton Haynes

HRC Deploys Staff to #TurnOUT Equality Voters Across the Country

HRC’s first staff electoral deployment of 2018 is complete, and a second team has just finished in Milwaukee turning out Equality Voters for yesterday’s primary election in Wisconsin.

The first deployment was to Ohio’s 12th congressional district for a highly competitive special election. Four HRC staff and one HRC intern signed up to help call members and knock on doors to try and flip a congressional district that Donald Trump won by 11 points in 2016.

During our time in Ohio, HRC met and worked with incredible volunteers who have been organizing, calling and knocking doors in their communities for months. On election night, HRC-endorsed candidate Danny O’Connor even recognized the HRC team and thanked them for their work knocking doors over the weekend.

.@HRC is proud to be on the ground to support pro-equality champion @DannyOConnor1. #OH12 pic.twitter.com/GHWEiZeSPb

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

While we won’t know the official results won’t be announced until all provisional and absentee ballots are counted, the fact that O’Connor is within the margin of error is a huge victory and a wake up call to anti-equality candidates everywhere.

With just 83 days until the election, HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in six key states in the 2018 cycle, and has already put staff and resources on the ground. HRC has identified more than 52 million “Equality Voters” — voters 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.

If you need inspiration to help turn out Equality Voters, check out what the HRC staff deployed to Ohio had to say about their experience working on the ground:

“Being in DC means that sometimes I feel one step removed from some of our efforts, but getting the chance to go interact with the people, volunteers and voters who are working alongside us to move our mission forward was a really refreshing and encouraging experience.”

“On election night, where the race was too close to call and the result showed less than a percentage point difference in votes between the two main candidates, it was clear that every door knock, phone call and conversation with voters truly mattered.”

“The best part of being deployed was getting to know people in a very real and human way — from spending time with people outside of the office, drinking lemonade made by a fellow volunteer or showing a picture of your dog to someone while canvassing (a real thing that happened). There’s nothing that brings out the importance of connecting with others more than working on a campaign.”

“Working and living in Washington, D.C., I’ve recently found myself feeling disheartened or pessimistic about our political system. I’m so glad that mentors within HRC encouraged me to sign up and even more grateful that I had the opportunity to go out to Ohio and work on a campaign with a great HRC team. I knew that it would be hard work, but I had no idea just how rewarding it would be to knock on doors and meet parents, senior citizens, young people and energetic local organizers who all realize just how important this moment is in our democracy.”

Supporters in any state can text “VOTER” to 30644 to verify their voter registration, find their polling place and receive election reminders. For more information on how to get involved, sign up to volunteer or join an advocacy training, visit HRC’s Equality Voter Action Center.

#TurnOUT 2018, Danny O’Connor, midterms, canvas, HRC Rising” src=”https://assets2.hrc.org/files/images/blog/OhioCanvas1-500×281.jpg”>

#TurnOUT 2018, Danny O’Connor, midterms, canvas, HRC Rising” src=”https://assets2.hrc.org/files/images/blog/OhioSpecialElection2018-500×281.jpg”>

#TurnOUT 2018, Danny O’Connor, midterms, canvas, HRC Rising” src=”https://assets2.hrc.org/files/images/blog/OhioCanvas2-500×281.jpg”>

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-deploys-staff-to-turnout-equality-voters-across-the-country?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Is There Anything Worse Than Bad Sex? Research Says There Is!

YES, there is, and we have the answer!  Evidently the wrong use of “there, their and they’re” really grinds the gears of singles across America. I don’t know about you, but some of the least attractive messages I’ve ever received on a dating app, include poor grammar and incorrect spelling. It doesn’t take a whole […]

The post Is There Anything Worse Than Bad Sex? Research Says There Is! appeared first on PlentyOfFish Blog.

Is There Anything Worse Than Bad Sex? Research Says There Is!

300 Catholic Priests Accused of Monstrous Sex Abuse of More Than 1,000 Children in Pennsylvania Grand Jury Probe: VIDEO



The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has revealed the results of a grand jury probe into sexual abuse by the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania and the results are staggeringly sickening.

Vox reports: ‘Some of the priests’ names in the report have been redacted. The report’s release was delayed after several clergy members named in the report filed legal challenges against its publication. Shapiro told reporters at a news conference that the report details “systematic coverup by senior church officials in Pennsylvania and at the Vatican.”…The report, which is often graphic and disturbing, details widespread sexual abuse and rape by priests of both female and male minors, many of whom used the language and rhetoric of their office to convince their victims that their sexual abuse was “holy” or desired by God. The breadth of the accusations and the graphic specificity of the charges make the report a watershed moment in the history of abuse in the Catholic Church: one that will take the church decades to recover from.

The Washington Post reports: ‘The report is an index of frightful physical and psychological violence. It recounts how one priest allegedly abused five sisters in a single family; how another confessed to raping 15 boys as young as 7; how a victim was bound and whipped with leather straps; and how a victim died from an overdose of painkillers taken for a back injury suffered during a particularly violent attack. Most of the victims, the court said, will never be able to pursue cases against their alleged attackers, as state law gives victims of child sex abuse until they are 30 to undertake civil suits, 50 to file criminal charges.’

More from The Morning Call:

“This group of priests used whips, violence, and sadism in raping their victims,” reads one line of the nearly 900-page document, which outlines horrific abuse that occurred in Pittsburgh and five other Catholic dioceses, including Allentown, across the state.

The report said the men gave a specific gift to children they favored, something they could wear that would mark them as prime targets for abuse. Zirwas “had told me that they, the priests, would give their boys, their altar boys, or their favorite boys these crosses,” George told the grand jury. “So he gave me a big gold cross to wear.”

He remembered the rectory photo session as a degrading experience. “It is still really hard to get it out there that you were in a room when you were 14 or 15 and getting naked pictures taken from priests,” he said.

However bad you thought the corruption among Catholic clergy and bishops was, the reality is much worse. pic.twitter.com/AN8gPLwAwo

— Michael Brendan Dougherty (@michaelbd) August 14, 2018

The post 300 Catholic Priests Accused of Monstrous Sex Abuse of More Than 1,000 Children in Pennsylvania Grand Jury Probe: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

300 Catholic Priests Accused of Monstrous Sex Abuse of More Than 1,000 Children in Pennsylvania Grand Jury Probe: VIDEO

Is There Anything Worse Than Bad Sex?

YES, there is in fact, and we have the answer!  Evidently the wrong use of “there, their and they’re” really grinds the gears of singles across America. I don’t know about you, but some of the least attractive messages I’ve ever received on a dating app, include poor grammar and incorrect spelling. It doesn’t take […]

The post Is There Anything Worse Than Bad Sex? appeared first on PlentyOfFish Blog.

Is There Anything Worse Than Bad Sex? Research Says There Is!