Category Archives: NEWS

Korean Men Tie the Knot In Heartwarming 'My Fair Wedding' Documentary: VIDEO

Korean Men Tie the Knot In Heartwarming 'My Fair Wedding' Documentary: VIDEO

My Fair Wedding

South Korea, like many places in the world and in too much of the U.S., bans gay marriage. South Korean gays, like in many places in the world and in increasingly more places in the U.S., are reaching the point of not caring what the bans are and are getting married anyways, governmental recognition be damned. Such is the case with Kim Jho Gwang-soo and Kim Seung-hwan, a South Korean gay couple whose marriage became the subject of a documentary by Jang Hee-sun entitled My Fair Wedding. 

The documentary follows the couple along their journey to wedded bliss, from the planning stages to the challenges of telling their families to the ceremony itself in downtown Seoul. Despite the pushback they received from anti-gay protesters, the two felt that this was necessary in order to raise awareness of sexual minorities in South Korea. Said Kim Jho,

Through this film, we would like to show that we are not different from heterosexuals.

Hopefully this will facilitate legislation in South Korea that, like many places in the world and in most of the U.S., legally recognizes same-sex marriage. The film will be released in South Korea on June 6, 2015, and you can watch the trailer AFTER THE JUMP


Christian Walters

www.towleroad.com/2015/05/korean-men-get-gay-married-in-my-fair-wedding-documentary-video-1.html

Would You Rather: Max Rockatansky Or Nux From ‘Mad Max: Fury Road'

Would You Rather: Max Rockatansky Or Nux From ‘Mad Max: Fury Road'
Life often presents us with tough choices, but we’re here to help work them out. Each week, we discuss two attractive men, weigh the pros and cons, and decide, once and for all, which one we’d rather have sex with. In this week’s Would You Rather, we debate hopping into bed with either “Mad” Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Nux (Nicholas Hoult) from Mad Max: Fury Road.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/25/mad-max-would-you-rather_n_7423780.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Nine More States Comply With Federal Prison Rape Law, But DOJ Rejects Texas Governor's Letter

Nine More States Comply With Federal Prison Rape Law, But DOJ Rejects Texas Governor's Letter

Abbott

For a brief instant, it was starting to appear as though a wave of sanity had swept over the Texas GOP. 

First, Rep. Sarah Davis became the first Republican state lawmaker in history to publicly back same-sex marriage.   

Then, it was widely reported that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had agreed to comply with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act — unlike his predecessor, Rick Perry. 

Alas, though, it was apparently too good to be true, at least with regard to Abbott. The New York Times reports that the Justice Department has rejected the governor’s assurance of compliance with PREA: 

Mr. Abbott, who took office in January, was under some pressure in the week before the deadline, during which an article in The New York Times highlighted the sexual abuse problem in Texas’ prisons, an editorial in The Dallas Morning News urged the governor to “enact the federal reforms now,” and protesters in Austin called on him to take action against prison rape.

“I can assure you that we will fully implement D.O.J.’s PREA standards wherever feasible,” he wrote to the attorney general. … 

Mr. Abbott did not, however, provide the required written assurance that Texas would spend at least 5 percent of certain federal grants to achieve full compliance with the anti-rape standards.

“The letter we received from Texas makes no such representation and, therefore, it cannot be considered to be an assurance under PREA,” said Dena W. Iverson, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department.

All told, nine more states certified compliance with PREA this year, brining the total to 11. Texas was one of six states that had rejected the federal standards outright, foregoing federal funds rather than striving to meet them. Two of those states, Florida and Indiana, have since said they’re working to comply with PREA. It was unclear whether whether the other three, Arizona, Idaho and Utah, had done so, The NYT reports. 

According to Just Detention International, which works to eliminate sexual abuse in detention facilities, LGBT inmates are 15 times more likely to be victims of prison rape than non-LGBT inmates. And Texas is home to five of the 10 facilities in the nation with the highest rates of sexual assault. 

Jael Humphrey of Lambda Legal, which is suing Texas on behalf of transgender inmate Passion Star, who’s been repeatedly raped in assaulted in the state’s prisons, issued this statement: 

“We are profoundly disappointed that Governor Abbott has neglected to make a meaningful commitment to meet the PREA standards set by the DOJ, and we applaud the Justice Department for demanding real commitment from Texas to use grant funds to actually enforce these standards. Governor Abbott cannot coast by paying lip service to PREA, while Passion Star and other incarcerated people remain at risk of continued sexual violence. Lambda Legal will continue to press Governor Abbott to take the necessary steps to end prison rape in his written statements and to turn his words into action.”


John Wright

www.towleroad.com/2015/05/nine-more-states-comply-with-prison-rape-law-but-doj-rejects-texas-governors-letter.html

Is The Struggle Of The Straight-Acting Gay Man Really A Thing?

Is The Struggle Of The Straight-Acting Gay Man Really A Thing?

Are you a gay guy who feels like he doesn’t “fit in” with other gay guys?

Do you find society expects you to act a certain way, then gives you shit when you don’t make the mark?

Is the struggle of the “masculine gay man” really a thing, or does it simply reflect the limitations our internalized gender roles?

To these guys on Whisper, it’s definitely a thing.

We’re not so sure about some of them, though:

I feel bad that I find  other gay guys annoying.  I'm very much into "straight" hobbies and  don't want to change,  but I still want to  find love.

Because Im gay, I get asked if I want to do flamboyant things like dress as a girl. It bothers me that people fail to realize that not all gays are that way. Ignorance makes the world blind to reality

As a gay man I feel as if  I'm forced to be the stereotypical gay  person that pop  culture continues to  put on display. But  that's just not who I  am or want to be.

It's VERY difficult trying not to be like the stereotypical gay man when it comes to sex. Holding out for Mr. Right when experience increases the belief he may just be fairy tale

I know a bunch of other  gay guys who would love  to be the "I didn't even know he was gay. He's so  manly!" type. Trust me,  it's not that great, I feel very confused about  what I like and how I can relate to the community.

Just because I'm gay, doesn't make me a stereotypical "gay guy". I like guy stuff too. Why do some people not understand this?

Straight guys say they  are comfortable "experimenting" with  me because I don't act  like the "gay" stereotype but it never goes past  sex. It gets lonely sometimes.

I'm scared I'll never find  a boyfriend because I'm  not into partying or stereotypical gay guy activities. I'd rather  just stay home so I  never meet people.

It's so hard to be a masculine gay man nowadays. I came out  two years ago but it seems like no one believes it. Girls still try to  get with me

I'm too gay for straight people and too straight  for gay people. Truth is  I'm not even bi, I'm gay. I don't know where I belong so I don't have many  people I can talk to

I'm gay but I feel weird  being around other gay  guys because I don't really belong. My interests are not stereotypically gay  and guys tell me I act "too straight". I can't figure  it out

I hate having arguments with random girls about being gay. I understand  that I'm masculine and  have the bad fashion  sense of the average straight man but I'm not saying I'm gay to blow  you off. I like men.

Being a butch gay male makes me feel depressed.  I don't fit in with the culture. I get along fine with straight men but not with women. I can't win

Sometimes I wish I wasn't gay. I don't fit in with my own kind & feel like an outcast sometimes.

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/zVCLoaCl-Tc/is-the-struggle-of-the-straight-acting-gay-man-really-a-thing-20150525

Thank You For Your Service: Five LGBT Veterans Who Helped Change The World

Thank You For Your Service: Five LGBT Veterans Who Helped Change The World

Happy Memorial Day.

Today we honor and remember military personnel who served their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. (Not to be confused with Veterans Day, which honors all soldiers who have served our country.)

Scroll down to read about five famous LGBT army veterans from decades past, and add more to the list in the comments section below…

von-steuben-by-ralph-earl

Baron Frederick von Steuben

Though Prussian by birth, Frederick von Steuben trained George Washington’s Colonial Army and was invaluable in helping them defeat the better equipped and trained British troops. The Baron arrived in the Colonies in September 1777, with his young aide de camp, Louis de Pontière, and their prized Italian greyhound, Azor. Steuben developed a model company of 120 men, who in turn trained others. As part of his technique, the Baron would don full military dress and upbraid the troops in French and German. (He eventually recruited a captain to curse at them in English.) The Baron was often described as “eccentric”and “flamboyant,” which was essentialy Colonial-era lingo for “gay.” Despite this–or more likely, because of this–he still managed to become one of the great heroes of the Revolutionary War.

 

Dooley

Thomas A. Dooley

While serving as a physician in the U.S. Navy in the 1950s, Dooley, a celebrated doctor and humanitarian, was investigated by the Navy and forced to resign his commission. Despite being fired, he remained in Southeast Asia, tending to the forgotten victims of war and building hospitals through the Medical International Cooperation Organization. After he died of cancer at just 34, Dooley’s legacy was later enshrined by President John F. Kennedy, who cited the doctor’s example when he launched the Peace Corps. Dooley was also posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

Fannie-Mae-Clackum-600x469

(Female members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, a.k.a WASPs)

Cpls Fannie Mae Clackum and Grace Garner

Though hardly the first people forced out of the military for being gay, Fannie Mae Clackum and Grace Garner, U.S. Air Force reservists in the late 1940s and early 1950s, were the first to successfully challenge their discharge. When the two women were suspected of being lesbians, the Office of Special Investigations essentially entrapped the pair, giving the Air Force cause to issue dishonorable discharges to both in 1952. But they refused to accept the discharges and demanded their case be brought to a courtmartial. Eight years later, the pair won their suit: the courts vacated the discharge and awarded them back pay.

Matlovich_time_cover-360x474

Sgt. Leonard Matlovich

Vietnam vet Sgt. Leonard Matlovich was the first gay man to disclose his sexual orientation in the military while serving in the U.S. Air Force. His photograph, along with the headline “I Am a Homosexual,” appeared on the cover of the September 8, 1975 edition of Time. In addition to being one of the first openly gay American soldiers, Matlovich was also the first to appear on the cover of an American news magazine.

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/61gcJAf9iYI/thank-you-for-your-service-five-lgbt-veterans-who-helped-change-the-world-20150525

'Game Of Thrones' Just Had One Of Its Most Impressive Episodes

'Game Of Thrones' Just Had One Of Its Most Impressive Episodes
A good “Game of Thrones” episode can be a lot of things. It can be one that triggers a powerful, emotional reaction for a beloved character, one that stuns its audience with a shocking death, or even an episode that spends the entire hour depicting an epic battle.

Spoiler alert for Season 5 Episode 7 “The Gift”

tv show gifs
Image via HBO/HuffPost

But Sunday night’s “Game of Thrones” was one of the most well-written, well-sculpted episodes of the entire series. Episode 7 of Season 5, “The Gift,” was fantastic for weaving together so many plots with various tones. The episode honored the passing of a cherished character (RIP Aemon Targaryen), showcased the courage of others, served up some of the best dialogue between rivals (all the awards for Olenna Tyrell), incited long-awaited romance, and best of all, served up delicious justice. That alone is a lot for merely half a season of “GoT,” but “The Gift” managed to cohesively pack it all in with smooth directing and poignant writing that still didn’t fall short on the nudity and violence. Here were the highlights:

Cersei got what was coming to her
Finally the queen of manipulating and backstabbing was served up a hot steaming plate of justice when the High Sparrow locked her up for her previous incestuous relations with Cousin Lancel. Watching the satisfied smirk slowly fade from her lips almost made her evil acts from the past five seasons worth it. Now we can expect that major Cersei scene to happen any week now.

cersei

Sansa stood up to Ramsay
After last week’s highly controversial episode where Sansa is brutally raped by Ramsay, we saw the Stark girl weeping in bed covered in bruises. She told Theon that Ramsay has continued to assault her each night and that she’s trying to escape Winterfell. Theon, aka Reek tattled on Sansa, but she held her own when she called her new husband a bastard to his face. She may be continually abused, but Sansa is still strong and fighting as best she can.

Tyrion and Daenerys finally meet!
Two of the (arguably) most significant characters in the series finally met when Jorah and the Lannister arrived to the fighting pits. The look on Dany’s face when Tyrion announced himself (as “the gift”) was something truly magnificent. Now go take over the world and make it a better place, guys.

jorah

Sam was the real hero
Samwell Tarley has proven his courage number times, first by killing a White Walker and then during the Battle of Castle Black. But in “The Gift” he fought two of his Night’s Watch brothers to save Gilly from being raped. His reward? The two finally kissed and had sex! We shall dub them Gillwell. And Ghost the direwolf also made a heroic appearance, reminding us why the House Stark sigil is the baddest of them all.

sam gilly

Melisandre wants another sacrifice
The Red Woman’s latest scheme to help Stannis achieve victory is one the Lord of Dragonstone isn’t thrilled to hear. Melisandre wants to sacrifice his daughter Shireen in order to win Winterfell from the Boltons. He kicks her out of his tent for mentioning it, and after a recent episode where Stannis bonded with his daughter, it would be surprising for him to give in.

The Baratheon kids got really upset
Both Tommen and Myrcella Baratheon lashed out at their parents on Sunday, (except the latter doesn’t know Jaime is her father). Tommen yelled at Cersei and cried over Margaery’s imprisonment, while Myrcella refused to return to King’s Landing since she’s determined to marry Tyrstane Martell.

myrcella jaime

Bronn got seduced and saved
Last week, we predicted Bronn’s possible death after he was cut by one of the Sand Snakes’ spears, which was likely dipped in poison. As it turns out, the blade was deadly and began to slowly kill the fighter as he lay in his cell watching Tyene Sand seduce him with her bare chest. Tyene eventually gave Bronn the antidote for the poison — but only after he admitted she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

“Game of Thrones” airs on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/24/game-of-thrones-the-gift-recap_n_7433484.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Texas Legislature Poised to Pass Bill that Undermines Privacy for People Living With HIV

Texas Legislature Poised to Pass Bill that Undermines Privacy for People Living With HIV

The Texas State House is considering SB 799, a bill that would allow any HIV test results to be used in any criminal proceedings against a person with HIV in Texas. 
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/texas-legislature-poised-to-pass-bill-that-undermine-privacy-for-people-liv?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Gay Catholic: 'I Still Want to Have a Family. It’s Just Going to Look Different' – VIDEO

Gay Catholic: 'I Still Want to Have a Family. It’s Just Going to Look Different' – VIDEO

Carlo

When Carlo, a gay Catholic from Sydney, Australia, told his aunt he was gay, she began sobbing uncontrollably. 

When she finally calmed down, she explained that she needed to grieve the loss of the image she built up for him of having a wife and children. 

“I said to her, ‘I get that, but I want to make sure you understand: I still want that,'” Carlo recalls. “‘I still want to have a family, but it’s just going to look different. It’s going to be with a man as opposed to a woman.'” 

Carlo tells his coming out story as part of Nathan Manske’s “I’m From Driftwood” project. He says he didn’t come out until 25, largely because of his Catholic upbringing, including his image of the perfect family as a father, mother and children. 

Finally, he began telling his friends he was gay, but he knew he hadn’t really come out until he told his parents. He did it as they were driving to church for a Catholic mass. 

“I said to them, ‘Mom, dad, I’m attracted to men,” he recalls. “There was a bit of silence for a moment, but Dad was the first person to chime up and say ‘Carlo, as long as you’re happy, we’re happy,'” Carlo says. “And mom soon thereafter said: ‘You can’t change who you are. This is you, and we want you to be you.’ So I was actually surprised that they didn’t have any more questions.” 

Carlo later explained to his parents that he didn’t plan to follow the church’s teaching that you can be gay as long as you’re celibate, which was slightly harder for them to understand. A few weeks later, he was making cake decorations with his aunt. 

“My auntie jokingly said, ‘Maybe you could make some of these pink rose cake decorations for your girlfriend,'” Carlo recalls. “I said, ‘Well, that will never happen, because I’m actually gay.'” 

Once his aunt stopped crying, she said she was grateful that he told her because it would allow them to have a deeper relationship. 

“What I’ve learned is that I can be gay and I can be Catholic and the two can actually build on each other, and strengthen both parts of my identity,” Carlo says.  

Watch Carlo tell his coming out story, AFTER THE JUMP … 


John Wright

www.towleroad.com/2015/05/gay-catholic-i-still-want-to-have-a-family-its-just-going-to-look-different-video.html