London Police Search for Suspect in Murder of Trans Woman Visiting from U.S.
Vanessa Santillan, a Mexican trans woman visiting the U.K. from Miami, Fla., was beaten to death in a London apartment.
Mitch Kellaway
Category Archives: NEWS
LGBT Hoosiers Are Not Slogans or Hashtags!
LGBT Hoosiers Are Not Slogans or Hashtags!
Last week, Indiana found itself at the center of a huge media frenzy after Governor Mike Pence signed into law RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act). Businesses, corporations, universities, celebrities, sports figures and organizations, all condemned the passage of this bill and urged for its repeal.
LGBT groups and allies also shared their outrage. On March 28th, a rally was held at the Indiana Statehouse to oppose this bill, bringing over 3,000 people together who felt angry and betrayed by the governor’s actions. A march was held the following week during the Final Four, as hundreds of Hoosiers wore t-shirts proudly stating “Indy Welcomes All.”
In the meantime, local civic and business leaders tried to undo the damage caused by the negative images of Indiana as an unwelcoming place. Additionally, LGBT leaders met with state legislators to try to “fix” the bill. After hours of deliberation, the bill was amended to ensure that religious objections protected under RFRA cannot be used as a defense in a discrimination lawsuit in communities that already have local human rights ordinances. This means that the added protection ONLY covers 11 Indiana communities, such as Indianapolis and Bloomington, where such protections already exist. Indiana still does not have full statewide protections for LGBT Hoosiers.
As state coordinator of the ten Indiana PFLAG chapters, I have mixed feelings — on the one hand, I am proud of the outpouring of love and support our community has received. I am very grateful to those who worked with legislators and business leaders to amend the bill. But, on the other hand, I still have fears and trepidations.
Because the amendment only covers those cities with existing human rights ordinances, this leaves LGBT Hoosiers in small towns and rural areas extremely vulnerable. They are now more exposed than ever. They are much more likely to experience discriminatory backlash from newly empowered and angry enemies. Not only does the “fix” not apply to them, but now things can get much worse for them.
Last week, one of the headlines of an editorial in the Indianapolis Star read, “It was a bad week for our state. Now time to heal. #WeAreIndiana.” www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2015/03/27/editorial-message-world-still-welcome-indiana/70563360/
I understand the intent behind the headline and the article. However, LGBT Hoosiers have had more than a “bad week.” They have had a bad twenty years or more. Indiana will recover. But what about the LGBT citizens of Indiana? For too long they have been the victims of legislators and right-wing zealots who have been trying to pass bills that would harm them and their families.
Before RFRA was passed, many of my LGBT friends shared their fears and anxieties about this bill — how they would react if and when they were turned away from healthcare offices, banks, restaurants, etc. Imagine living that way day-to-day — not knowing if you will be able to take care of yourself and your family the way you need to do. Think of the emotional, psychological and physical toll this places on LGBT Hoosiers.
We cannot sit by and claim total victory. NOW is the time to push for statewide legal protections for every LGBT Hoosier — not just those living in the supportive communities that the “fix” could impact. We must be cognizant of LGBT youth who are still at risk — who still face bullying and harassment at school on a daily basis. We need to be aware that there are still LGBT adults who cannot be out at work for fear they might get fired. These are REAL PEOPLE — they are students who need to get an education — they are adults who need to support and feed their families. They are your neighbors, friends and co-workers.
Additionally, we need to focus on what is important. Rather than sharing distracting stories about bigoted pizza restaurant owners, we need to share OUR stories. Tell people WHY you and your families need statewide protections. Share why it’s important that your LGBT adult child resides and works in a safe environment. Explain why LGBT youth need to live in a state that causes them no harm. Explain what this means to YOU.
We cannot let our legislators off the hook. The media will be packing up soon. The world will be looking at the next big story. But we owe it to our LGBT brothers and sisters to keep the pressure up here in Indiana. Our LGBT friends and loved ones are not slogans or twitter hashtags — they are real people who need real solutions. We must not abandon them.
— 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.
Voters in Springfield, Missouri, Head to the Ballot Box Today
Voters in Springfield, Missouri, Head to the Ballot Box Today
Lynne Bowman is on the ground in Springfield, Missouri for the final day of the campaign to protect the non-discrimination ordinance in the city from repeal.
HRC.org
Sean Hayes And Hubby Star As Cookie And Han Solo In Mashup Of ‘Star Wars’ And ‘Empire’
Sean Hayes And Hubby Star As Cookie And Han Solo In Mashup Of ‘Star Wars’ And ‘Empire’
Can someone give Sean Hayes and hubby Scott Icenogle their own show already? A couple of weeks ago the couple killed with their interpretation of the Iggy Azalea-Jennifer Hudson duet “Trouble.” Now the newlyweds are at it again with Empire Strikes Back, a game mash-up of the hit Fox series and Star Wars that even has Hayes lip-syncing to Aretha Franklin. Watch it below, Boo-Boo Kitties.
And then this happened.
Posted by Sean Hayes on Saturday, 4 April 2015
Jeremy Kinser
Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1718
Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1718
MANATEE ATTACK: They’re harmless but this girl doesn’t care.
THE RECIPES FOR LIFE: Joe Hanson spends some time in the primordial kitchen.
PRINCE HARRY: Not a fan of selfies.
DANCE PARTY: On the NYC subway.
For more recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.
Andy Towle
www.towleroad.com/2015/04/towleroad-guide-to-the-tube-1718.html
Canine flu cases spike in Chicago area
Canine flu cases spike in Chicago area
Chicago-area officials are cautioning dog owners that a recent surge in cases of canine flu could last for several weeks.
woodtv.com/2015/04/07/canine-flu-cases-spike-in-chicago-area/
After Antigay Pizzeria Fundraiser, Nonprofit Serves Up a Slice of Equality
After Antigay Pizzeria Fundraiser, Nonprofit Serves Up a Slice of Equality
Planting Peace is hosting a virtual pizza party that will benefit homeless members of the LGBT community.
Raffy Ermac
Davey Wavey Offers Wives A Chance To See Their Husbands In Drag
Davey Wavey Offers Wives A Chance To See Their Husbands In Drag
Drag is deinitely having a moment in the mainstream and seems to be causing some people to wonder, “What would I look like if I played around with my gender presentation?”
Now, YouTube personality Davey Wavey has brought together three straight couples to have their male counterparts be made-over by a drag queen named Miss Haley Star. The results are hilarious, and kudos to these men for having such open minds!
Check out the video above or head here to see more from Davey Wavey.
(h/t The Gaily Grind)
— 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.
WATCH: Is “Boy Meets Girl” The First Truly LGB And T film?
WATCH: Is “Boy Meets Girl” The First Truly LGB And T film?
Stealing the screen from Twilight hottie Michael Welch, transgender actress Michelle Hendley makes her auspicious screen debut in the heartwarming romantic comedy, Boy Meets Girl (out today on cable and VOD outlets including iTunes, Comcast, WolfeOnDemand.com and others). Breaking stereotypes and genre expectations, writer-director Eric Schaeffer (My Life’s In Turnaround, If Lucy Fell) delivers a satisfying rom-com from an unexpected set-up — as twenty-something transwoman Ricky (Hendley) plays the field with both her straight guy best friend Robby (Welch) and the super sexy rich girl Francesca (Alex Turshen). With this ambitious plot, Boy Meets Girl may just be the first truly LGBT film — it really has something for everyone.
Check out the trailer above and look for the film on fine digital platforms everywhere today (and on DVD April 28th from Wolfe Video).
About WolfeOnDemand.com
WolfeOnDemand.com is the global LGBT digital movie platform from LGBT specialty distributor Wolfe Video. The service showcases more than one hundred titles — features and documentaries — including popular favorites and hits like I Am Divine, The Circle, Getting Go, Undertow and many more. Most titles are available in HD and are priced at US $3.99 for streaming rentals and US $14.99 for digital download to own. Most of the films are available worldwide and are all also available on DVD directly from WolfeVideo.com for US viewers.
Jenni
Openly Gay California Police Chief Accused Of Harassing And Firing Subordinate
Openly Gay California Police Chief Accused Of Harassing And Firing Subordinate
Chris Magnus, the openly gay and married police chief to the city of Richmond, California, is being sued by a former officer who alleges that Magnus repeatedly made untoward sexual advances before firing him. Thomas Hauschild (pictured right), the officer who filed the lawsuit last Friday, claims that Magnus was responsible for a bogus internal investigation that ultimately led to his being fired.
Issues between the men, the lawsuit recounts, first began when the police department received word of a potential attack on Magnus’s house. Hauschild was assigned to a special team responsible for guarding Magnus’s residence and one night, during Hauschild’s rounds, the police chief allegedly touched his arm and upper leg.
In the following days Hauschild claims that Magnus made a number of phone calls directly to his cell phone for reasons unrelated to work. When Hauschild rejected his superior’s advances, he says, he was immediately punished–removed from the special SWAT detail, and subjected to heightened internal scrutiny.
An investigation was launched into Hauschild’s personal life in the wake of a domestic dispute that led to his arrest and the confiscation of eight unregistered firearms. Soon after, Hauschild was terminated from the police force. Hauschild alleges that Magnus engineered his dismissal as an act of retaliation for rejecting his sexual advances.
“It appears that having assessed (that) some other claim of bias wasn’t his best option, this officer and his attorney apparently decided to exploit the fact that as a police chief who happens to be gay, I would be ‘vulnerable’ to this particular type of accusation,” Magnus responded in a lengthy Facebook post.
“If the goal of the plaintiff and his attorney is to embarrass, intimidate, or otherwise bully me for doing my job when it comes to addressing misconduct within my department, I can assure you it’s not going to happen.”
Charles Pulliam-Moore
