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HRC Global Hosts Briefing on Capitol Hill to Discuss Human Rights Concerns in Egypt
On July 8, HRC hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill about human rights concerns in Egypt from the perspective of civil society, the media and the LGBT community.
HRC.org
Which Presidential Candidates Still Think There’s Wiggle Room To Get Rid Of Marriage Equality?
Kim Davis hijacking the law
In the two weeks since the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages must be recognized across the nation, there have been troubling (if not unsurprising) cases of government workers at the local level intervening with the law based on their own personal religious beliefs. Is this what the right means by “religious freedom?”
It’s easy to get angry at these people, like Kim Davis in Kentucky, who believe they somehow have the authority to negate the highest court in the land simply because they think a fictional character from 2,000 years ago would have turned his wine back into water if he ever found out gay people were getting hitched.
But while Kim Davis and her ilk are certainly a problem, they aren’t The problem. Up the ranks of power, a more troubling trend appears.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, both members of the not-so-exclusive club of 2016 Republican presidential candidates, are both pushing for a constitutional amendment that would let states ban same-sex marriage.
While the chances of it succeeding are abysmally low, they’re pouring fuel into the flames of homophobia. And they know it.
In 1967, the state of Virginia called an expert witness to argue against the merits of interracial marriage in the landmark Loving v. Virginia case.
Albert Gordon, author of Intermarriage: Interfaith, Interracial, Interethnic (tip: don’t ever read it) testified that interracial marriages, “hold no promise for a bright and happy future for mankind” and “bequeath to the progeny of those marriages more psychological problems than the parents have a right to bequeath to them.”
His obvious hogwash was unconvincing to the court and now reads as unmistakably offensive, just as Scott Walker, Ted Cruz and anyone holding a position of power who still thinks there’s room to go back on marriage equality will be seen for what they are: sore losers and bigots.
Marco Rubio, who admittedly disagrees with the court’s ruling, has the modicum of decency to speak like an adult even though things didn’t go his way.
“I don’t support a constitutional amendment. I don’t believe the federal government should be in the marriage regulation business,” the Florida senator told reporters after a speech at the Cedar Rapids Country Club in Iowa.
“We can continue to disagree with it. Perhaps a future court will change that decision, in much the same way as it’s changed other decisions in the past. But my opinion is unchanged, that marriage should continue to be defined as one man and one woman. The decision is what it is, and that’s what we’ll live under.”
Of course, a future court won’t change that decision, but the faster these so-called Christians swallow their reality pills, the better off we will all be as a nation — bigots included.
Dan Tracer
The OXD Mirror: The Carry Nation Re-works Andy Butler
BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / TAD HAES
Andy Butler feat. Richard Kennedy: ‘You Can Shine (The Carry Nation Remix)’
Andy Butler, the mastermind behind the acclaimed house and new disco ensemble Hercules And Love Affair, released ‘You Can Shine’ earlier this year, which features the sophisticated vocal work of queer singer Richard Kennedy. For this release, Butler commissioned fellow Brooklyn gay nightlife stars The Carry Nation (Will Automagic and Nita Aviance) to create a deeper, darker version of the original.
The Carry Nation’s remix brings in their signature underground sound, filled with tribal percussions and expressive drums, a more introspective pace and expansive progression. This is a track that will likely become an iconic piece from the current dance scene in Brooklyn for future generations.
OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD) curates and recommends music events to the gay community in NYC—in an effort to move the focus of the nightlife scene beyond the promoter and venue and to the music itself. OXD’s goal is to educate, entertain, engage and empower the gay audience to reclaim their ability to question and experience the unknown. The OXD Mirror will serve to showcase tunes that are definitely off-the-beaten-path but rightfully deserve the attention of the gay ear.
Follow us on Spotify! Subscribe to our ‘As Seen on Towleroad Playlist to listen to tracks posted from past weeks. For more information on OXD, check out our website and accompanying blog at www.occupythedisco.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @OccupyTheDisco.
The post The OXD Mirror: The Carry Nation Re-works Andy Butler appeared first on Towleroad.
Occupy the Disco
Russia Trolls U.S. After Supreme Court Marriage Ruling
The United Russia party unveiled a “heterosexual flag” at a rally to honor the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity.
Bil Browning
www.advocate.com/world/2015/07/09/russia-trolls-us-after-supreme-court-marriage-ruling
Lawmaker Wants To Make Federal Laws Gender Neutral To Reflect Marriage Equality
WASHINGTON — Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) introduced a bill Wednesday to make federal laws that reference marriage gender neutral, now that the Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
“We need to have our values reflected in our laws,” she said, adding, “This is a piece of what we have to do to readjust the way everything is framed.”
Capps’ legislation, which has 23 cosponsors, identifies 31 portions of the federal code that need to be updated. Instead of words like “wife” and “husband,” there will be the terms “spouse” or “married couple.”
The bill would also fix some areas of gender discrimination written into federal laws. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, for example, refers only to miner’s wives as being eligible for survivor benefits. With Capps’ change, spouses of miners, regardless of gender, would qualify. It is also currently illegal to kill the president’s wife, but not his or her husband.
“We appreciate Rep. Capps introducing legislation to ensure that the words in the U.S. Code appropriately reflect the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, that all marriages are equal,” said Human Rights Campaign spokesman Jason Rahlan.
There have also been efforts to make laws gender neutral at the state level. In Washington state, “fisherman” became “fisher” and “journeyman plumber” became “journey-level plumber.”
The Justice Department announced on Thursday that the government will extend federal benefits to same-sex couples in light of the Supreme Court ruling.
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Shaggy thinks ISIS will stop killing gays if you sent them weed, Shaggy CDs
Shaggy, known for his 90s and early 00s raps, has shared his strategy for dealing with Islamic militants chopping gay men and other victims’ heads off.
The Boombastic rapper has figured that they would stop killing people if you sent them a bag of good Jamaican weed and a few Shaggy CDs, they’d probably stop waging war on innocent civilians.
‘ISIS can go fuck themselves,’ he told the New Miami Times. ‘That’s some crazy shit what they’re doing.
‘It’s horrible, man. I can’t see… I don’t get that much hate. I just don’t get that level of evil. I can’t understand it.’
He added: ‘If you’re able to cut a man’s head off, you’re sick. But right, music evokes emotion. So if they’re listening to Shaggy music or reggae music, they’re not going to want to cut somebody’s head off.
‘There are two thing you want to do when you listen to reggae: You get somebody pregnant, or you’re fucking high. High people don’t want to kill nothing; they want to love.
‘They need to bag some Jamaican weed and distribute it amongst ISIS. I guarantee there won’t be any more wars out there.’
Unlike many Jamaican rapper and singers, Shaggy has said in the past that he does not want to write homophobic lyrics.
In an interview with the Antigua Sun, he said: ‘There are way more things going on than to sit down and wonder who is doing what and what they are doing, personally.’
The post Shaggy thinks ISIS will stop killing gays if you sent them weed, Shaggy CDs appeared first on Gay Star News.
Joe Morgan
Obama Administration Confirms Married Same-Sex Couples Will Have Access to Federal Benefits
Today, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed that married same-sex couples will finally have access to full federal benefits thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision affirming a Constitutional right to nationwide marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges.
HRC.org
This Rugged Grizzly Bear Wants To Hold You All Night Long
The ultimate anthem for the furry and rugged Bear community — and those who love them — has finally arrived. DaddyB’s “I Want A Bear” is all about the multitude of joys that come from being with a burly man.
Set to a ‘90s house music-inspired beat, DaddyB vents his frustration about being steered in the wrong direction when it comes to men. “You keep pointing out every tweezed, plucked, shaved, skinny, wannabe muscle boy who walks by, and I’m through,” he states at the beginning of the track. He goes on to proclaim, “You want to know what kind of M-A-N makes me H-O-T? I want a bear.”
Flanked by two dancing cubs in the song’s accompanying video, DaddyB spills the tea about the beefy, stocky type of guy he’s looking for. There’s a plethora of eye candy throughout the clip in the form of lumberjacks, leather men, football jocks, and military studs…and it that’s not enough, there’s even a daddy who rips a Cornish game hen in half with his bare hands. Yum.
This delightful ode will have guys wanting to explore their inner-Goldicocks after they hear it, but if you’re still unsure about the exact definition of a bear, DaddyB provides the answer:
“A bear is a friendly man with hair upon his hide. He wears his heart upon his sleeve and walks through life with pride. Bears come in every size and shape, loyal to the end. The perfect kind of buddy, lover, partner, mate, or friend.”
Woof! Or should we say growl? Watch it below.
Jeremy Kinser
ACLU to Anti-gay County Clerk in Nebraska: Don’t Even Think About Refusing to Issue Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska has written to Sioux County clerk Michelle Zimmerman asking if she intends to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, reports KETV.
Zimmerman had previously indicated that she would refuse to do so because of her religious beliefs.
The letter from ACLU’s Amy Miller reminds the clerk that “there is no question you are under legal obligation to comply with this ruling” and that “failure to perform a legal duty is a crime in Nebraska.”
Miller also warns Zimmerman that “this issue is a high priority for the ACLU and we will consider legal action to enforce the law.”
Nebraska GOP Governor Pete Ricketts (right) said that although he does not agree with the SCOTUS ruling on same-sex marriage, “it is the highest court in the land and we here in Nebraska will comply with that law.”
Ricketts said in other Nebraska counties where a clerk had a religious objection, other staff had been found to complete the task of issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.
The ACLU had requested that Zimmerman reply to the letter by yesterday.
Earlier this month, we reported that county clerks in Kentucky cited religious beliefs in their refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.
We are thrilled to have so many people, business and groups supporting love! t.co/LPv21MiABa
— ACLU of Nebraska (@ACLUofNE) July 7, 2015
(Image via Facebook / ACLU Nebraska)
The post ACLU to Anti-gay County Clerk in Nebraska: Don’t Even Think About Refusing to Issue Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples appeared first on Towleroad.
Michael Fitzgerald
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