The military is being sued for discriminating against people living with HIV
Category Archives: MISC
Psychotherapist Matthew Dempsey Stripped Down: WATCH
Psychotherapist Matthew Dempsey Stripped Down: WATCH
Regular readers of Towleroad will be familiar with Matthew Dempsey‘s soft-spoken YouTube sessions on racism, aging, masculinity, depression, and other topics of interest to gay men.
Generating a different kind of interest is a new ‘interview’ with Dempsey by Jerrad Matthew in which he strips down in a field of tall grasses to talk about body image. Dempsey says that while he expects “eye rolls” and “rejection,” confronting the fear of that is entirely the point.
Writes Dempsey: “Doing this photo shoot and video was not a ploy to nab some extra attention under the guise of body positivity and ‘loving yourself at any size.’ Though that’s true, I understand how ridiculous that message can be coming from me. Genetics has given me an unearned advantage in life and it’s easier for me to love my body when the world around me tells me it’s looking just fine. That said, I’ve rarely posted even a nip slip because that’s not what I’m trying to be about or promote. I’ve been afraid to show any of my body for fear that others could feel worse about theirs or even more that you would all think I’m a fraud and not care about me or what I have to say anymore.”
He adds: “Though therapy is my passion, it’s not the one note that defines me. I can sometimes get stuck in trying to predict what others want from me and not disappoint and my social media presence has been no exception. Though I don’t have any major plans of stripping down publicly on the reg, I did want to challenge my people-pleasing and literally strip down my fear of the eye rolls and rejection. When I have unrealistic expectations of myself to do things perfectly, then I’m going to have the same expectations of others and I’ll wind up happy with no one. So, here’s to a little bit of ego, a lot of surrender, and a whole lot of beauty in a shoot created by my friend Jerrad Matthew.”
For some of Dempsey’s videos, click here.
The post Psychotherapist Matthew Dempsey Stripped Down: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
5 Tips for Planning Your First Romantic Getaway
5 Tips for Planning Your First Romantic Getaway
Those early stages of a relationship are filled with new experiences. From learning about one another’s childhood to meeting your respective families, to sharing timid first kisses or exchanging passionate “I love you’s,” each milestone will send your hearts racing with excitement, passion, butterflies and romance. But one right-of-passage takes that feeling of togetherness to […]
The post 5 Tips for Planning Your First Romantic Getaway appeared first on PlentyOfFish Blog.
GLAAD spotlights Dinesh D’Souza’s history of anti-LGBTQ remarks following Trump pardon
GLAAD spotlights Dinesh D’Souza’s history of anti-LGBTQ remarks following Trump pardon
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, put a spotlight on the egregious anti-LGBTQ history of conservative commentator, author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, who was convicted in 2014 of violating campaign finance laws, and who was pardoned by President Trump today.
D’Souza’s offensive actions and remarks include laying part of the blame for the 9/11 attacks on LGBTQ people, outing his college classmates at Dartmouth, and claiming that President Obama supported marriage equality because of his “pathological hatred for traditional Christianity.” More recently D’Souza callously mocked survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting that left 17 of their fellow students and teachers dead.
“Dinesh D’Souza, who has blamed LGBTQ people in part for the tragic attacks on our nation on 9/11, may reflect the values of President Trump, but he does not reflect the values of this nation,” said Zeke Stokes, Vice President of Programs at GLAAD. There is simply no place in our discourse for this ignorance and hate that we hear all too often being espoused by members of the Trump Administration and its surrogates.”
GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project has documented more than 75 direct attacks on LGBTQ people since President Trump took office.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Dinesh D’Souza’s Extreme Anti-LGBTQ Views
- Insists: “Gay activists hope to legitimize their lifestyle by promoting a view of sexuality that is completely severed from reproduction,” “homosexuality is an ideology,” and that “The real goal of the gay movement is to break down moral resistance to the homosexual lifestyle”
- Said of the gay rights debate: “What some of these gays really want is a law that says what they do is not immoral, not disgusting and they are not going to hell”
- Has declared that “the cultural left is responsible for 9/11,” with Islamic reaction to “the sights of hundreds of homosexuals kissing each other” being central to his argument.
- Has repeatedly attempted to make a connection between Nazis, Hitler, and homosexuality
- Mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s impassioned apology to LGBTQ2 people as “high comedy”
- Supporting the right of religious business owners to discriminate, demands that “a gay couple looking for a service can GO ELSEWHERE”
- Insisted California’s high court committed “legal fraud” in siding against the discriminatory and unconstitutional Proposition 8
- While a student at Dartmouth, was known for outing gay classmates
- On the very day of the shooting at a Florida gay club, grossly politicized it like so: “I bet Obama would have preferred that the #FloridaNightclub shooting was perpetrated not by a Muslim but by an angry Christian baker”
- Claimed President Obama supported marriage equality because of his “pathological hatred for traditional Christianity”
- Promoted an Indian program for “curing homosexuality”
- Mocked President Obama for appearing on the cover of Out magazine, seemingly suggesting that he is secretly gay
- Wrote of transgender people: “THE TRANSGENDER ENIGMA: Age, weight & height are objective measures–they aren’t just “in the mind”–so why should gender be any different?”
- Defended Trump walking in on women at the Miss Universe competition because “now fine for men to use women’s bathrooms.”
- Mocked Eric Holder by suggesting he had become transgender
- Apropos to nothing, suggested the San Bernardino shooter was transgender
- Mocked the Anne Frank Center for supporting transgender soldiers.
- Mocked Adam Rippon for not visiting the White House, tweeting: “But he will be there no doubt at the Folsom Street Fair”
May 31, 2018
Issues:
Northwestern College President Apologizes for Equating Sexual Assault with Gay Relationships, Which He Characterizes as ‘Brokenness’
Northwestern College President Apologizes for Equating Sexual Assault with Gay Relationships, Which He Characterizes as ‘Brokenness’
Greg Christy /YouTube
Northwestern College President Greg Christy apologized this week for equating sexual assault with same-sex activity in a reflection he wrote about being president of the Iowa Christian college for 10 years.
Wrote Christy in the piece, which has since been edited: “While there are many cultural issues that threaten to distort God’s vision for human flourishing, issues related to human sexuality are at the forefront. Pornography, premarital sex, adultery, sexual assault, the objectification of women, and same-sex activity all exemplify the brokenness of sexual desire and expression.”
Christy apologized after reaction on social media to the article, the Des Moines Register reports:
The phrase “sexual assault” was removed from the sentence and Christy is issuing statements to people who contact him with concerns. As of late Tuesday, however, the statement had not been posted on the college’s Facebook page.
“In no way was I intending whatsoever to equate that sexual assault was in any way, shape or form equal to or the same as any of the other items that were listed,” Christy said in an interview with the Des Moines Register on Tuesday. “I was just (trying) to say that just like same-sex activity is inappropriate, so is premarital sex, according to scripture.
“I’m sorry and regretful that those words have caused hurt to people.”
According to the paper, “Northwestern is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, which has roots with Dutch Calvinist immigrants. The school first opened in 1882 as Northwestern Classical Academy. Eventually it added a junior college and in 1961, awarded its first bachelor’s degree.”
The post Northwestern College President Apologizes for Equating Sexual Assault with Gay Relationships, Which He Characterizes as ‘Brokenness’ appeared first on Towleroad.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Working at the Intersections
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Working at the Intersections
HRC is proud to honor Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and celebrate the many advocates and allies who have driven our movement forward at the intersections of LGBTQ experiences and Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) identities.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month became a national weekly observance in 1979, scheduled to coincide with anniversaries of the completion of the transcontinental railroad — built largely by Chinese immigrants — and the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the U.S. In 1992 the observance became a permanently designated month to celebrate API communities.
Below, members of HRC’s staff share what it means to live and work at the intersections of API and LGBTQ identities:
“As a first generation, gay, Filipino-American, I find myself in a constant state of struggle – the struggle for acceptance from my family for being gay, the struggle for visibility within the wider LGBTQ community, and the struggle for equality as a person of color. Throughout my life and career, I have found strength in the support that I’ve received from my colleagues, my friends, my mentors and my community. During these dark and difficult times, I remind my API LGBTQ siblings that choosing to live authentically is the best form of activism you can do. Never apologize for being yourself, and never lose faith in the power of your voice!”
— Peter Cruz, HRC Associate Director of the HIV and Health Equity Program
Pronouns: He, Him, His
“As a Taiwanese American, I am as proud of my cultural heritage as I am to be a part of the LGBTQ community. At the same time, I know full well how challenging and difficult it can be to feel invisible, marginalized or be told that your identity isn’t valid or real. As an API person working in social justice, the intersectionality of these two parts of my identity makes our work at HRC all the more meaningful to me — as they are a reminder that I must constantly do better to ensure that no one feels excluded or anything less than equal, and to serve those in our communities who need our help and support the most.”
— Mark Lee, HRC Senior Writer, Public Education & Research
Pronouns: He, Him, His
“I grew up in India which is socially conservative, and I did not know of any openly LGBTQ people. People must have been scared to come out. I only met openly LGBTQ people when I immigrated to the United States in 2000. HRC has provided me a platform to be an ally to LGBTQ people and understand their issues. I am proud to be an ally and to consider many LGBTQ people as close friends!”
— Shveta Mukherjee, HRC Accounting Manager
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
“As someone who grew up in Nepal, pursued higher education in the United States and worked on LGBTQ rights at the national level in Nepal, regional level for the U.N. in Bangkok, and now globally with HRC in Washington, D.C., I feel fortunate to be able to understand LGBTQ rights, issues and challenges from a variety of perspectives. My South Asian background and pan-Asian work experience allows me to draw parallels and see nuanced differences between, for instance, hijra experiences in South Asia and transgender experiences here in North America. This greatly enriches and better informs the work I do as an LGBTQ activist and professional, and I am grateful for that.”
— Saurav Jung Thapa, HRC Global Associate Director
Pronouns: He, Him, His
“It’s a great privilege to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with advocates from all backgrounds in our diverse community to protect and advance the civil rights of LGBTQ people everywhere. We are stronger by bringing our unique experiences to the fight for full equality. My API identity is shaped by my experience as an immigrant to the U.S., the strong cultural traditions of my family, and the activist spirit I have cultivated in my personal and professional life. I’m inspired each day by my colleagues and the amazing API activists I’ve met through HRC Global and its annual Global Innovative Advocacy Summit.”
— David Yu, HRC Senior Major Gifts Officer
Pronouns: He, Him, His
“I’m fortunate to work at an organization that encourages staff to bring their authentic selves to work and celebrates our differences. As a Sri Lankan-American raised in Texas, I grew up learning how to balance my Sri Lankan heritage and cultural expectations with my American sensibilities and upbringing. I proudly own both identities and acknowledge that each have contributed to the way I go about trying to make a positive difference in the world. Working at HRC, I am part of a community that celebrates my intersectional perspective as a woman of color and an immigrant and empowers me to use my voice as a change agent in the fight for equality. LGBTQ Asian Americans face many unique challenges, including our lack of visibility in American society and balancing our cultural and familial expectations with our individual identities. I am inspired by the many API advocates, activists, and allies that use their voice to challenge stigmas, support other LGBTQ Asian Americans, and push the fight for equality forward.”
— Rashika Pedris, HRC Volunteer Leadership Organizer
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
HRC Urges Insurance Commissioners & Attorneys General to Investigate Copay Accumulator Programs
HRC Urges Insurance Commissioners & Attorneys General to Investigate Copay Accumulator Programs
HRC has joined our partners in the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership in calling on insurance commissioners and attorneys general in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. to investigate copay accumulator programs. This relatively new policy from health insurance companies disallows the subsidies that patients receive from drug or copay assistance programs to be applied towards the patient’s deductible or annual out-of-pocket maximum. This policy will prevent many individuals from accessing and adhering to PrEP, also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, a once-daily pill used to prevent HIV.
Based on this policy, once the subsidies from the drug or copay assistance program are exhausted, a patient would be responsible for the full cost of PrEP until they meet the annual out-of-pocket maximum of their health plan. At $1,300 per month, the cost of PrEP without insurance makes it inaccessible for many individuals who would benefit from its use.
“We now have the tools and resources in place to end the HIV epidemic in the United States,” says Jay Brown, HRC Foundation’s Deputy Director of Programs, Research and Training. “And it can only be achieved by removing the obstacles that stand in the way of public health, not by setting up new barriers to effective prevention and treatment strategies. Lives are literally at stake.”
According to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, United Healthcare, CVS Caremark and Express Scripts are currently implementing copay accumulator programs. AIDS Foundation of Chicago has also released a blog and video that contains useful information for patients and consumers.
As one of the first national LGBTQ organizations to endorse PrEP, HRC stands with our community partners in urging insurance and pharmaceutical companies to work together to ensure that everyone who seeks PrEP has access to this life-saving resource, regardless of their ability to pay. We are also calling on insurance commissioners and state attorneys general to investigate the impact that copay accumulator programs have in limiting access to life-saving medications for HIV & AIDS and other chronic conditions.
For more information on HRC’s work to end HIV and HIV-related stigma, click here.
Trump is Now Quoting Voice of Reason Rush Limbaugh in His Attacks on the FBI
Trump is Now Quoting Voice of Reason Rush Limbaugh in His Attacks on the FBI
Donald Trump quoted conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh on Thursday morning in a continuation of his baseless claims that the FBI infiltrated his campaign.
Tweeted Trump: ‘RUSH LIMBAUGH “If the FBI was so concerned, and if they weren’t targeting Trump, they should have told Trump. If they were really concerned about the Russians infiltrating a campaign (hoax), then why not try to stop it? Why not tell Trump? Because they were pushing this scam.”’
RUSH LIMBAUGH “If the FBI was so concerned, and if they weren’t targeting Trump, they should have told Trump. If they were really concerned about the Russians infiltrating a campaign (hoax), then why not try to stop it? Why not tell Trump? Because they were pushing this scam.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018
Trump also continued his whine session over how he was treated by Bob Iger…”Iger, where is my call of apology? You and ABC have offended millions of people, and they demand a response. How is Brian Ross doing? He tanked the market with an ABC lie, yet no apology. Double Standard!”
Iger, where is my call of apology? You and ABC have offended millions of people, and they demand a response. How is Brian Ross doing? He tanked the market with an ABC lie, yet no apology. Double Standard!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018
Ross was suspended. Not like nothing happened. t.co/t0eo09bgDd
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 31, 2018
Trump then returned to his baseless conspiracy theory, tweeting: “The corrupt Mainstream Media is working overtime not to mention the infiltration of people, Spies (Informants), into my campaign! Surveillance much?”
The corrupt Mainstream Media is working overtime not to mention the infiltration of people, Spies (Informants), into my campaign! Surveillance much?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018
And brought up something that, you know, totally doesn’t matter: “Not that it matters but I never fired James Comey because of Russia! The Corrupt Mainstream Media loves to keep pushing that narrative, but they know it is not true!”
Not that it matters but I never fired James Comey because of Russia! The Corrupt Mainstream Media loves to keep pushing that narrative, but they know it is not true!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018
The post Trump is Now Quoting Voice of Reason Rush Limbaugh in His Attacks on the FBI appeared first on Towleroad.
Trump is Now Quoting Voice of Reason Rush Limbaugh in His Attacks on the FBI
The Perfect Setting for a Novel: a Lesbian Bar
The Perfect Setting for a Novel: a Lesbian Bar
Genderqueer author M. Ullrich explores women’s spaces — and offline romance — in novels like Love at Last Call.
www.advocate.com/current-issue/2018/5/31/perfect-setting-novel-lesbian-bar
