Lady Gaga Is a Creepy But Glamorous Blood Sucker in New ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ Teaser: WATCH

Lady Gaga is heading to your TVs this fall on Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: Hotel, and in a new trailed put out by FX, we get a glimpse at her crazy character, The Countess.

From what we can tell, she appears to be an old Hollywood glamazon who dances to German trance/house music whilst sucking the blood of young zombie-like children. In other words, Gaga’s character will likely be every bit as eccentric as she is.

Watch:

The post Lady Gaga Is a Creepy But Glamorous Blood Sucker in New ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ Teaser: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Lady Gaga Is a Creepy But Glamorous Blood Sucker in New ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ Teaser: WATCH

31 Photos of Oakland Pride

www.advocate.com/pride/2015/9/16/31-photos-oakland-pride

The Man Who Coined the Term "Homosexual"
The man who invented homosexuality was a libertarian. (I use the term in the classical sense, not the Rand Paul conservatarian sense.)

Before I explain, here is some history.

The first active campaign for extending equal rights before the law to homosexuals took place in the mid- to late-1800s in what is now Germany. At the center of the campaign was a small classical liberal publishing house in Leipzig, Serbe Verlag, which published the works of Karl Ulrichs (1825-1895) and Karl-Maria Kertbeny (1824-1882).

As Germany moved from a loose confederation of states into a nation-state, a debate about laws banning same-sex relationships took place. Some states had followed the more liberal Napoleonic code, but other state laws were quite severe. Ulrichs and Kertbeny were concerned that the more repressive Prussian code would be imposed on all states and began agitating against the move.

Kertbeny’s first booklet on gay rights was published in 1869 and entitled, “Paragraph 143 of the Prussian Penal Code.” This law was the anti-homosexual law, which ultimately morphed in the infamous Paragraph 175, the law under which Nazis rounded-up gay men.

Kertbeny’s role in fighting for gay rights is rarely mentioned. His one lasting legacy was that he was the man who invented homosexuality, or to be more precise, the one who coined the terms “homosexual” and “heterosexual.” Kertbeny felt that the common phrases of the day were unfairly pejorative and wanted more neutral terms. Ulrichs tried to coin a new term as well, “Urnings” or “Uranians,” neither of which, thankfully, caught on.

Prof. Robert Tobin says Kertbeny’s role in founding gay rights is overlooked and scholars rarely mention him beyond noting his coining of these terms. The reason, says Tobin, is Kertbeny’s “publications are difficult to find, not often collected by libraries or reprinted, and even more rarely translated into English.”

Hungarian sociologist Judit Takacs, wrote that Kertbeny became friends with libertarian theorist Alexander Humboldt, when living in Berlin in 1848. Humboldt, it is believed, was gay himself, though this has yet to be proven. Certainly Kertbeny’s arguments were typically classical liberal. He argued governmental functions do not include policing of private affairs, unless the rights of others are infringed. Tobin says Kertbeny fought for gay rights using classical liberal ideas and was himself a firm liberal in the libertarian tradition. “As a liberal, Kertbeny argues for a strictly secular state” and denounced:

“…sodomy laws as carry-overs from the days when canon law concerned itself with ‘original sin, the devil, and witches.’ Instead, Kertbeny hopes the new German nation will be a “modern constitutional state” [Rechtsstaat], ‘the strict opposite of the theocratic-hierarchical autocratic state [Pflichstaat] of feudalism.’ A classical liberal, Kertbeny argues that the constitutional state’s only duty is ‘to protect the rights of its citizens.’ According to Kertbeny , ‘the constitutional state is only concerned with questions of sexuality insofar as the rights of others are infringed upon.’ To back up his point, Kertbeny cites a series of liberal legal theorists including: Johann Jacob Cella, who had argued in 1787 that the law should only punish carnal crimes if they hurt others; Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, who had moved forward Napoleon’s liberal legal code; and Anselm von Feuerbach, who had attempted to distinguish between things that were immoral, like witchcraft, heresy, blasphemy and sodomy, and things that were illegal, like murder or rape, when he reworked Bavaria’s penal code in 1813.”

Kertbeny extolled the virtue of the “equality of legal rights of life.” Tobin writes that, “In the tradition of classical liberalism, Kertbeny generally envisions the right to sexuality negatively–that is to say, he argues that the state should stay out of the bedroom and should not impinge on the sexual freedom of his new category of homosexuals. As he remarks, the liberal state does not meddle uninvited in bad marriages, unless someone is being harmed–what should it interfere in ‘the possible relationship between man and man?'”

According to Takacs, Kertbeny and Ulrichs corresponded often between 1864 and 1868 and for Kertbeny “the main issues was not whether same-sex attraction be innate or not, but that people ought to have the right to be left alone by the state in their intimate lives.”

While Kertbeny did believe sexual orientation was innate, he thought where rights were concerned it didn’t matter either way. He wrote Ulrichs, that regardless of whether sexual orientation was “innate or voluntary” the “state does not have the right to intervene in what is happening between consenting people.”

— 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.

feeds.huffingtonpost.com/c/35496/f/677065/s/49e7fd52/sc/7/l/0L0Shuffingtonpost0N0Cjames0Eperon0Cthe0Eman0Ewho0Einvented0Ehomo0Ib0I8143560A0Bhtml0Dutm0Ihp0Iref0Fgay0Evoices0Gir0FGay0KVoices/story01.htm

Gay porn star dead at 24

A memorial is being held for a gay porn star on Saturday (19 September) who was proclaimed dead at just 24.

Mehran Chestnut, known as King B, was found dead nude in a Hyatt Atlanta Midtown hotel room by a man he had met online on 3 September.

According to the Atlanta police incident report, he was discovered clutching a bottle of poppers.

‘[The man] stated that they both fell asleep around 12.30am and when he woke up, he tried to wake Mr Chestnut but he was not responding,’ according to the incident report and as reported by blogger William McCray. The man then called 911.

A cause of death has not been determined pending the results of toxicology results, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner.

Police are not treating the death as a homicide.

On his Facebook page, family and friends have said Chestnut suffered from grand mal seizures, which can include a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.

Chestnut had appeared in gay porn scenes for studios like NextDoorEbony, Raging Stallion/Hard Friction among others.

He had also appeared on online reality show Tha Life: Atlanta. A tribute from the show’s producer, George Smith, is here.

Ebony World Media, an Atlanta-based porn company, said: ‘In the world of exotic dance and adult entertainment, there are many people with huge egos and attitudes that are often outsized and unwarranted.

‘But KB never once exhibited any of those things. Yes, he was gorgeous to look at, but his soul was — is — kind, easy going and genuine. For projects, he professional and courteous on set and off and a genuine pleasure to work with.

‘We will miss him and our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to all who cared for and loved him.’

The post Gay porn star dead at 24 appeared first on Gay Star News.

Joe Morgan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-porn-star-dead-at-24/

A Cacophony of Silence Regarding LGBT Inclusion and Justice

For many people, faith and spirituality are central to our existence and are places where we find comfort, respite and healing.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/a-cacophony-of-silence-regarding-lgbt-inclusion-and-justice?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Christian Couple Warn Gay Waiter He’ll Burn In Hell, Tip 20 Percent In The Meantime

Here’s the advice a gay server has for a couple who recently wrote “straight” on their receipt and left along a bit of fire and brimstone Christian literature: don’t.

Britton Weaver of Boise, Idaho seems about as nice a guy as they come. He recently served a middle-aged couple lunch, and remembers them as pleasant and respectful.

That is, until the bill came.

“They signed their receipt not as their first or last name, they signed it as Straight,” said Weaver.

And before we all laugh at the giant mixup that Mr. and Mrs. Straight always seem to wind up in (those scamps), the pamphlet titled What you miss by being a Christian with the eye-popping (and soul-damning) headline “HELL!” made their intention crystal clear.

“I got a little offended. I got a little angered by it,” said Weaver.

A little?!

Maybe the 21% tip helped soften the unsolicited “you’ll burn for eternity if you don’t address your perversion” message.

More at ScrippsMedia

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/X_9-flIl8ac/christian-couple-warn-gay-waiter-hell-burn-in-hell-tip-20-percent-in-the-meantime-20150916

Big Man on Instagram: NYPD’s Hot ‘No Donuts Here’ Cop, Michael Counihan

Big Man on Instagram is a column in which we highlight the exhibitionists of social media.

If you like a seriously jacked man in uniform, look no further than NYPD Police Officer Michael Counihan. New York’s fittest cop recently appeared in the NY Post sharing his love of fitness and how he’s hoping to fight the stereotype of the donut-eating cop. The Post writes:

At 5 feet 9 and 210 pounds of pure, rippling muscle, the handsome cop is bringing new meaning to the phrase “New York’s Finest.”

He can bench-press 405 pounds, dead-lift 675 pounds, squat 635 pounds and hits the gym five days a week for two hours a day. His arms are so big, he wears extra-large shirts to accommodate his bulging biceps — though they’re tailored to snugly fit his narrow waist.

 

As for his Instagram, Counihan says he created the account “to break the negative stereotypes against cops, that they are chubby and overweight and eat doughnuts” and “to build a platform to inspire first responders to be in shape.”

Ogle the man giving new definition to the NYPD below:

Counihan’s perfectly tailored uniforms underscore the importance of fit (a shirt fitting those guns and tapered at the waist like that can’t be bought off the rack).

 

Speaking of guns, Counihan believes in the right to bare arms.

 

‘Murica.

 

He’s also an advocate for gym selfies.

 

He even shares inspirational quotes.

 

Changing lives and perceptions, one push-up at a time.

 

He also knows how you feel when you’re hitting it hard in the gym.

 

And even he, Mr. No Donuts, indulges his sweet tooth every once in a while.

 

Plus, he knows the value of a good vacay.

 

And is happy to indulge your fetishes.

 

He doesn’t mind stripping down.

 

Or getting dirty.

 

Keep up the good work, Officer.

The post Big Man on Instagram: NYPD’s Hot ‘No Donuts Here’ Cop, Michael Counihan appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Big Man on Instagram: NYPD’s Hot ‘No Donuts Here’ Cop, Michael Counihan

Kim Davis Loses Another Court Case

Renegade county clerk Kim Davis does not have “a substantial likelihood of success” according to the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals as the panel killed her latest attempt to delay issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The court on Tuesday denied her request for a stay of a federal judge’s orders that she issue the licenses while her court case against Kentucky governor Steve Beshear progresses.

Davis is suing Beshear over his post-Supreme Court decision instructing all clerks in the state to issue licenses to same-sex couples. The court denied her request for a stay while the case is decided, but allowed the lawsuit to continue moving forward.

Davis first stopped issuing licenses to both straight and gay couples following June’s Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality. After four couples of mixed sexual orientations sued her for refusing to do her job, a federal judge ordered Davis to issue the licenses. Her multiple appeals of the decision have all failed.

Still, she defied the law and was jailed September 3 for contempt. Davis spent five full days behind bars before being released on the sixth day. Federal Judge David Bunning freed her after her deputy clerks began issuing licenses, as required by the judge. After being released, Davis has continued to refuse to issue the licenses herself, but has allowed her deputy clerks to do so if her name is not on the document. The licenses have been changed to say they have been issued “pursuant to a federal court order.”

She has another appeal currently pending as well, arguing that the judge ruled improperly by extending his order to all couples seeking marriage licenses instead of narrowly tailoring his decision to the four couples who sued her. The appeal is not expected to win.

Bil Browning

www.advocate.com/2015/9/16/kim-davis-loses-another-court-case

There's a Woman in the United States Whose Religious Freedom Is Under Attack, But Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz are Silent
Calling all conservatives! There’s a woman in the United States who says her religious freedom is under attack, and she needs your support.

No, I’m not talking about Kim Davis, the county clerk in Kentucky who refuses to serve marriage licenses to gay couples. I’m talking about Charee Stanley, a Muslim flight attendant who refuses to serve alcohol to gay couples — and straight couples, and anybody else, for that matter.

By now, of course, we’re all familiar with the Davis saga. Kim Davis is the clerk from Rowan County, Kentucky, who refuses to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, despite the fact that the Supreme Court has ordered her not once, but twice to do so. In refusing to issue those licenses, Davis says she is acting “under God’s authority,” and that gay marriage violates a “central teaching of Scripture.”

Forget about the fact that Davis herself has violated Scripture numerous times. As we now know, Davis has been married four times, divorced three times, and she gave birth to twins who were conceived in an adulterous relationship. Not sure if you know what Scripture says about adulterers and their children, but I can assure you it’s not pretty. In short, Leviticus says adulterers should be put to death. The Book of Samuel says the same about their children.

But forget about all that, because Kim Davis says she is forgiven. Hallelujah for that! And not only is she forgiven, but last week she was released from jail. Double hallelujah!

Davis greeted her supporters outside the county jail last week in a victory celebration that felt like it was equal parts Rocky and “Hee Haw.” Walking onstage to Survivor’s hit single from 1982, “Eye of the Tiger” — fitting, given that 1982 appears to be the same year that Davis last visited a hair stylist — Davis was flanked by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, both of whom are running for the GOP nomination for president.

Cruz and Huckabee flew to Kentucky to support Davis, and ostensibly, to voice their support for religious freedom. Katherine Frazier, a spokeswoman for Cruz, said, “The First Amendment — freedom of religion, freedom of speech and expression — is foundational to all other freedoms, and Sen. Cruz is committed to defending it.”

It’s odd that Frazier would say Cruz is “committed to defending” religious freedom, because incidentally, there’s another woman in the United States who, just like Kim Davis, says her religious freedom is under attack. But Cruz is nowhere to be found. Neither is Huckabee! Not only are they not meeting with this woman, but as far as I know, neither one of them has even bothered to drop a dime and call her.

The woman I speak of is Charee Stanley, a 40 year-old flight attendant who converted to Islam two years ago. She says she came to a mutual agreement with her employer, ExpressJet, whereby other flight attendants would serve alcoholic beverages to any passengers requesting a drink on her flights. But after her fellow flight attendants complained to management, Stanley says ExpressJet reneged on their agreement, and placed her on unpaid leave.

Last Tuesday — exactly one week before Cruz and Huckabee flew to Kentucky to support Kim Davis — Stanley filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her attorney told CNN that Stanley was fighting for the same religious freedoms that Kim Davis and all Americans are afforded under federal law — the same freedoms that Cruz spokeswoman Katherine Frazier said Ted Cruz is “committed to defending.”

“What this case comes down to is no one should have to choose between their career and religion,” her attorney, Lena Masri, said. “It’s incumbent upon employers to provide a safe environment where employees can feel they can practice their religion freely.”

Yes, it is incumbent upon employers to provide a safe environment where employees can practice their religion. In fact, it’s the law. Ted Cruz knows this; his own spokeswoman said he is “committed to defending” basic Constitutional freedoms like freedom of religion.

But for some strange reason, neither he nor Huckabee is supporting Charee Stanley. Just Kim Davis.

If Ted Cruz is truly committed to defending religious freedom, why is he not supporting Charee Stanley? Why did he and Mike Huckabee fly hundreds of miles to support one woman who says her religious freedom is under attack, but not another? Is it because Davis is a Christian and Stanley is a Muslim? Perhaps. Is it because Davis is white and Stanley is black? Possibly. Is it because Cruz and Huckabee don’t actually care about religious freedom, and in fact, they only care about pandering for votes? Probably!

At this point, it seems fairly evident that many of the Christian right’s “defenders” of religious freedom — Cruz and Huckabee included — are committed to defending nothing more than the dying ways of an increasingly bigoted, xenophobic political base. Kim Davis represents everything they’re comfortable with: she’s white; she’s a Christian; she’s a conservative from the heartland; and best of all, she’s a
hypocrite who says she is committed to Scripture, but in fact doesn’t practice what she preaches.

Sound familiar?

Charee Stanley, on the other hand, is a young, black Muslim woman who seems perfectly happy with serving gays, as long as she’s not serving them wine, beer, or liquor. She’s not a hypocrite, and she doesn’t appear to harbor any animosity towards gays or any other customers. She simply doesn’t want to serve them alcohol. This, apparently, doesn’t’ resonate with “values” voters in the heartland, and I can only assume that’s why Cruz and Huckabee aren’t supporting her.

It would be nice to see some real defenders of religious freedom on the Christian right. It would be nice to see the Christian right acknowledge, once and for all, that religious liberty applies to all Americans, not just Christian conservatives in the heartland like Kim Davis.

Sadly, however, I don’t see that happening. Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee will not be meeting with Charee Stanley. In fact, Huckabee has been dodging questions about it all week. And Kim Davis will not be marrying gay couples any time soon.

Which is a shame, really, because it seems Kim Davis could really use some gays in her life. They would have fixed up that dreadful, 1982 hairstyle of hers a long time ago.

— 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.

feeds.huffingtonpost.com/c/35496/f/677065/s/49e76aa2/sc/7/l/0L0Shuffingtonpost0N0Cbrian0Ejoyce0Ctheres0Ea0Ewoman0Ein0Ethe0Euni0Ib0I81163260Bhtml0Dutm0Ihp0Iref0Fgay0Evoices0Gir0FGay0KVoices/story01.htm

Five Anglican priests in Kenya suspended ‘for being gay’

Five Anglican priests in Kenya have been suspended ‘for being gay’.

Their actual ‘sins’, however, have nothing to do with homosexuality at all.

Bishop Joseph Kagunda, the diocese of Mount Kenya West, suspended the clerics when it was found in a tribunal that they were ‘guilty of the sin of homosexuality’.

Kenyan newspaper The Star reports the tribunal said the priests involved had been found guilty of taking advantage of children in their custody. This involved having sex with the children and then forcing them to keep it quiet.

The tribunal called this homosexuality when this is very clearly pedophilia.

The tribunal removed the clerics’ license to preach and then told their victims to consult the police if they wanted to see a conviction.

Bishop Kagunda said the Anglican Church of Kenya is ‘totally against any kind of gay practice and marriage, unlike the mother church, the Church of England, which embraces homosexuality’.

The Rev. John Njogu Gachau, accused of ‘luring young boys into sex in his parish house’, also found the claim that he was gay offensive.

‘These accusations are false,’ he told The Nairobian. ‘I don’t get why a man can level such abhorrent claims against a servant of God. I have never had sex with a fellow man. This is just distateful’.

Changing Attitude Kenya, a LGBTI rights group, described Kagunda’s words as ‘not acceptable at all’.

If the five priests do not appeal, they will be excommunicated.

The post Five Anglican priests in Kenya suspended ‘for being gay’ appeared first on Gay Star News.

Joe Morgan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/five-anglican-priests-in-kenya-suspended-for-being-gay/