News: Keegan Hirst, Queen Elizabeth II, Pink Dolphin, Homophobia in Hollywood, Apple

> Keegan Hirst’s wife talks about her husband’s coming out: “I’m still not 100 per cent and I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I am. I’ve been in a dark horrible place, but now I’m coming through the other side. I’m able to say now ‘Yeah, this is my husband – at least for the moment. I’m proud of him and I can support him.”

> Caitlyn Jenner is worried she may have to go to a men’s jail if charged with and convicted of manslaughter.

> Hump Day Hotness.

> Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest reigning monarch in the history of the United Kingdom. 

> Couple who sued Kim Davis have yet to marry, say “the entire experience is tainted now.”

> Rare pink dolphin spotted in Louisiana river.

> Read an excerpt from Towleroad’s books columnist Garth Greenwell’s first novel, What Belongs To You.  

> Irish transgender rights law takes effect.

> James Franco talks homophobia in Hollywood.

> If Disney characters had Instagram accounts.

> The top moments from today’s Apple event.

> Mike Huckabee won’t say if “religious freedom” protections apply to Muslim flight attendant who says she shouldn’t have to serve alcoholic beverages because it’s against her religion.

> Transgender high school cheerleader gets nominated for homecoming queen.

> Freedom Indiana launches statewide campaign aimed to extend non-discrimination protections to LGBT people. 

> Staffer at San Diego LGBT Center punched in the head.

The post News: Keegan Hirst, Queen Elizabeth II, Pink Dolphin, Homophobia in Hollywood, Apple appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

News: Keegan Hirst, Queen Elizabeth II, Pink Dolphin, Homophobia in Hollywood, Apple

Caitlyn Jenner on Deadly Crash, Transition Regrets and Halloween Costume on 'Today'

Caitlyn Jenner remembers little about her involvement in a multicar accident last February that took one woman’s life, she told Matt Lauer in an interview that aired this morning on the Today show.

“I remember it happening. That’s about it,” she said of the February 7 accident on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif. “A tragedy like this, you’ll never get over it. You just learn to live with it the best you possibly can.”

When Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies completed their investigation last month, a detective said there was a “50/50” chance that Jenner would face a criminal charge in the accident, but so far no charges have been filed against anyone. If one is filed against Jenner, the charge would most likely be misdemeanor-level manslaughter, the detective said.

Jenner is a plaintiff in two civil lawsuits regarding the crash, another factor that prevents her from talking about it in detail, as she noted to Lauer.

In the accident, Lexus driven by Kimberly Howe rear-ended a Prius driven by Jessica Steindorff; then Jenner’s Cadillac Escalade rear-ended Howe’s car, pushing it into oncoming traffic, where it was struck head-on by a Hummer. Howe died in the crash, and several people were injured. Howe’s stepchildren have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jenner, and Steindorff has filed a personal injury suit against her.

Jenner was driving under the speed limit, she told Lauer, but sheriff’s deputies have said she was driving too fast for the rainy conditions that day — something with which Jenner took issue.

The usual sentence for misdemeanor-level manslaughter is a year in the county jail. About the possibility of going to jail, Jenner told Lauer, “The media wants that picture, don’t they? That is the worst-case scenario. I don’t know. We’ll see. The men’s county jail. It is an enormous problem that they would put trans women in a men’s county jail.”

The L.A. County Men’s Central Jail, by the way, does have a special wing for gay and transgender inmates, and while such segregation is controversial, the arrangement has reportedly protected gay and trans inmates from violence.

In the wide-ranging interview with Lauer, Jenner discussed the controversy over her selection as winner of the ESPYs’ Arthur Ashe Courage Award, and revealed she has no regrets about no longer living as a man. “There’s nothing more, nothing better in life to wake up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror, and feel comfortable with yourself and who you are,” she said.

And as for reports of Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costumes that have sparked controversy, Jenner acknowledged that while members of “the community” are upset about it, she said she’s not offended. “I think it’s great!”

Watch below.

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/caitlyn-jenner/2015/9/09/caitlyn-jenner-deadly-crash-transition-regrets-and-halloween-costume-today

25 Things Every Woman Should Be Able To Do By Age 25

I turned 25 early this summer, and for the most part I have no idea what the f**k I’m doing.

I’m three years out of college and pretty firmly ensconced in the “real world”– employment, rent, taxes, commutes and all. However, I am still deeply bewildered about what the future holds, and what I’m “supposed” to be doing to get there. Shouldn’t I be a fully-fledged human by now? I’m starting to suspect that no one ever really feels like one. 

There are many things I probably should be able to do by now, like drive a car when other people are on the road, going over 15 miles an hour. Or maybe wake up without pressing the snooze button once in a while. But amidst all the confusion and angst, there are some things I think I have figured out.

Here are 25 things you should aim to learn how to do by age 25 — or whenever you get around to it. 

1. Negotiate a raise. Women — especially women of color — earn less than their male counterparts. If you don’t think you are being paid what you are worth, know how to ask for more. 

2. Whip up a signature drink. Bee’s Knees, anyone?

3. Give unwelcome news with tact and compassion. There are times when brutal honesty is OK — and times when it is not. Learn the difference, and practice being an effective communicator. 

4. Put together furniture. You’ll feel so proud every time you sit on that IKEA sofa that took you three hours, two beers and one private temper tantrum to assemble. 

5. Read and think critically. Don’t believe everything you are told. Know how to read between the lines and analyze something for yourself, whether it’s the morning news or someone’s convoluted Facebook post.   

6. Spell properly. If you don’t know something, look it up. 

7. Be a good houseguest. And for the love of god, write a thank-you note.

8. Understand your finances. No, your student loans won’t magically go away. Yes, you should put money into your 401(k), especially if your company matches it. And so on. Financial literacy isn’t something you learn in school, so you’ll have to take matters into your own hands. It’s worth it. 

 9. Have fun on your own. Not everyone is built for traveling the world solo, but being able to entertain yourself is a seriously underrated skill.

10. Make at least one simple, nutritious meal. Start here. 

11. Trust your instincts. Constantly second-guessing yourself is exhausting. 

12. Walk away. From a friendship, a job, a relationship, an argument, and anything else that you know in your heart just isn’t right. 

13. Advocate for yourself.  Ask your doctor for a second opinion if you really think something is wrong. Ask that manspreader to move over so you can sit down. And don’t let anyone steamroll you into making a decision until you’re ready to make it. 

14. Perform simple repairs. YouTube will teach you how to sew that button back on or use a power drill to re-hang that badass feminist print. 

15. Say “no.” It’s a complete sentence. 

 16. Cut yourself off when you’ve had enough to drink. Enough said. 

17. Stick to a budget. Apps like Mint and You Need A Budget make this easier than ever. 

18. Take rejection well. This one is easier said that done, but as Aaliyah famously said: “If at first you don’t succeed, pick yourself up and try again (you can dust it off and try again, try again).”

19. Use the items in your toolbox. Because the days of paying your friends down the hall in beer to hang your pictures are over. 

20. Argue without losing your cool. If you can stay logical when you are angry, any conversations you have in the midst of conflict will be far more effective.

21. Speak passably in public. Be prepared for that future work presentation, maid of honor speech or casual toast at a party. 

22. Tell a totally inoffensive, hilarious joke. Bonus points for clever puns. 

23. Apologize with sincerity. No matter how old you are, you’ll mess up and get things wrong sometimes. But how you react after the fact is up to you. 

24. Go a full day without complaining. You’d be surprised at what you learn. 

25. Make a new friend. The squad goal of #NoNewFriends can’t last forever. You can do it! After all, you’re a grown-ass woman. 

 Also on HuffPost: 

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Kim Davis and Mike Huckabee sued by the band Survivor for $1.2 million

The band Survivor has filed a $1.2 million lawsuit against Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for using their 1982 hit song Eye of the Tiger at a rally earlier this week.

The song, made popular by the 1982 film Rocky III, roared through loud speakers outside Carter County Detention Center in Grayson, Kentucky, after Davis was released from jail. She had been held for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite a Supreme Court ruling against her.

‘The song has motivated thousands through the years to reach beyond their limits. Its use for the release of Kim Davis does not support my views or my politics,’ band co-founder Jim Peterik tells Billboard. ‘I have contacted my publishers to make sure this usage is stopped immediately.’

Peterik co-wrote the song with the band’s guitarist Frankie Sullivan who had earlier expressed his outraged in a Facebook post: ‘NO! We did not grant Kim Davis any rights to use The Eye Of The Tiger. I would not grant her the rights to use Charmin! C’mom Mike, you are not The Donald but you can do better than that – See Ya really SoooooooonnnnnnN!!!!!!’

 

Source: NBC News

 

The post Kim Davis and Mike Huckabee sued by the band Survivor for $1.2 million appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/kim-davis-and-mike-huckabee-sued-by-the-band-survivor-for-1-2-million/

It’s Time to Know the Truth About Mat Staver and the Liberty Counsel

Over the past few weeks, the Liberty Counsel, a legal organization aimed at “advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family,” has made headlines as Kentucky’s Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis’s attorney.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/its-time-to-know-the-truth-about-mat-staver-and-the-liberty-counsel?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Oregon Judge One-Ups Kim Davis: I’ll See Your ‘No Gays Allowed’ And Raise You A Hitler!

If Kim Davis ever decides the media coverage is too much to handle and wants to pack it up and head for greener pastures, she might give Marion County, Oregon, a try (apologies to the good people of Marion County).

Once there, she should immediately give Judge Vance D. Day a call to arrange a coffee date. They’d have lots to gab about, chiefly their shared mission to stand in the way of same-sex couples lawfully exercising their rights.

Judge D. Day is the subject of a months-long investigation into his refusal to marry same-sex couples.

Day’s spokesman contends that Day doesn’t have a problem with gay people, per say — he just didn’t want to be a part of their icky weddings.

He instructed his staff that if any same-sex couple sought him as their wedding officiant, they should refuse and tell the couple to look elsewhere.

Judges are sworn to uphold “integrity, impartiality and independence.” Day seems to be focused a bit too much on that third point at the expense of the first two.

And oddly enough, this is miraculously the less offensive of the two allegations against Day.

That’s because he’s also facing scrutiny for hanging a picture of Hitler in the Salem courthouse, because nobody epitomizes integrity and impartiality like Adolf himself.

Yikes.

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/MDBnjumZxH0/judge-one-ups-kim-davis-ill-see-your-no-gays-allowed-and-raise-you-a-hitler-20150909

Oregon Judge Who Refused to Perform Same-Sex Marriages Hangs Hitler Picture In Courthouse

An Oregon judge who refused to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies is under investigation by the Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability for accusations that he posted a portrait of Adolf Hitler in a Salem courtroom reports Yahoo! News.

Marion County Circuit Court Judge Vance Day is currently facing an ethics review after accusations surfaced that he selectively screened gay applicants and refused to perform their marriage ceremonies in addition to complaints directed at the judge for posting a picture of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in one of the courtrooms along with other ethics complaints.

However, a court spokesman for Day, Patrick Korten, says the picture was not posted to admire Hitler but to serve as a honor display for veterans’ service in World War II:

“We went to war against Hitler. His picture was there. It was not admiringly. It was him as the epitome of the enemy that we went to fight against.”

The picture in question is a collage submitted by the family of a World War II doctor, filled with memorabilia from the duration of the doctor’s service however, a large picture of Adolf Hitler unfortunately fills most of the frame. Day posted the collage without seeking permission and claims he didn’t know he needed pre-approval to post the collage.

Day is also under investigation for allowing a veteran with a felony to wield a firearm in his presence and unethical use of his judicial powers. A judicial commission for Day is set for Nov. 9, with a formal complaint against Day possibly heading to the Oregon Supreme Court if they find Day guilty of violating judicial codes of conduct and the state’s constitution.

Watch Oregon news station KOIN 6’s interview with Day’s spokesman, Patrick Korten, on Day’s same-sex marriage refusals below:

The post Oregon Judge Who Refused to Perform Same-Sex Marriages Hangs Hitler Picture In Courthouse appeared first on Towleroad.

Anthony Costello

Oregon Judge Who Refused to Perform Same-Sex Marriages Hangs Hitler Picture In Courthouse

The Next LGBT Battle: Sex Ed

Recognizing the dearth of sexual health information for LGBT students, two prominent organizations are pushing for schools to evolve with the times.

Planned Parenthood Federation of American and the Human Rights Campaign are lobbying schools to include more sex ed for young LGBT or questioning students, reports The Boston Globe. Most curriculums have scant sex education to begin with, and even less for those students who fall outside of heterosexual or cisgender descriptions.

Not surprisingly, liberal Massachusetts has the best record when it comes to LGBT-inclusive sex ed, with 44 percent of secondary schools offering pertinent information on safe sex, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy. Massachusetts contrasts greatly with numerous Southern and Western states, where any discussion of homosexuality is banned in schools; Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah all fall into that category.

The need for information for LGBT students is great. HIV rates are rising among gay and bi male youth, while lesbian and bisexual girls have unintended pregnancy rates twice that of their straight peers (that can partially be explained by lesbian and bi youth being pressured to conform to societal norms by having straight sex). Transgender students also need accommodation; forcing a child who identifies as one sex to hear lessons intended for the other can be psychologically damaging.

Religious organizations are gearing up to fight the HRC and Planned Parenthood’s initiative, though. The conservative Massachusetts Family Institute does not want to “normalize homosexuality” and instead advocates the teaching of abstinence-only education. Institute president Andrew Beckwith says any discussion other than that is too explicit.

“If you’re teaching about the birds and the bees, there’s no need to talk about anal and oral sex,” Beckwith told the Globe. “It has nothing to do with reproduction.”

Neal Broverman

www.advocate.com/youth/2015/9/09/next-lgbt-battle-sex-ed

Kim Davis' Lawyer Says Forcing Clerk To Do Job Is Like Making Her 'Grant A License To Sodomize Children'

The lawyer for Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who briefly went to jail last week after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, said Tuesday that requiring her to issue those documents would be like making her “grant a license to sodomize children.”

Mathew Staver, the Liberty Counsel lawyer representing Davis, made the comments during an interview on the conservative talk radio program “WallBuilders Live.” Right Wing Watch posted audio of the segment.

“A clerk provides licenses to do something,” Staver said. “In this case, they’re licensing… something that is directly contrary to the core of their religious convictions, to engage in sinful activity among same-sex relations, and sanction something that is contrary to the Scriptures, and that is marriage of two people of the same sex.” 

Rick Green, who co-hosts the program, prompted Staver to give an example of another “activity… that would be un-biblical and violate [Davis’] beliefs” if people asked for a license to do it.

Staver replied that it would it would be similar to requiring a clerk “to grant a license to engage in pornography, to grant a license to sodomize children or something of that nature… that would be harmful to the people involved in the activity.”

He also said that requiring Davis to issue same-sex marriage licenses would be like forcing a Jewish deli owner to serve pork, or forcing someone to endorse a Ku Klux Klan rally.

Staver said that same-sex couples who want to get a marriage license can easily get one elsewhere.

“It’s not that these people can’t get a license. There’s 130 offices in Kentucky,” he said. “They could go to a different county if they wanted to. Or, alternatively, they could go to a judge within the same county.”  

Davis was released from jail Tuesday and appeared briefly at a rally flanked by Staver and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), who is also an opponent of same-sex marriage. Huckabee is one of more than a dozen Republicans seeking their party’s presidential nomination.

“She loves God, she loves people, she loves her work and she will not betray any of those three,” Staver told reporters outside Carter County Detention Center in Grayson, Kentucky, on Tuesday. 

When Davis was jailed Thursday for refusing to issue marriage licenses, Staver compared her to the persecuted Jews in Nazi Germany.

“They were evicted from public employment, then boycotted in their private employment, then stigmatized, and that led to the gas chambers,” Staver told Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, during a radio show.

U.S. District Judge David Bunning released Davis from jail after five of her six deputies began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Although Bunning warned that Davis may not interfere with the duties of her deputy clerks, Staver told reporters that his client “cannot and will not violate her conscience.” 

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Caitlyn Jenner remembers ‘very little’ about fatal accident in Malibu

Caitlyn Jenner says it’s a ‘worst case scenario’ that she have to serve jail time for her role in a car crash earlier this year in Malibu that left one woman dead.

‘The media wants that picture, don’t they?’ Jenner said on NBC’s The Today Show in an interview that aired Wednesday (9 September). ‘That is the worst case scenario. I don’t know. We’ll see. The men’s county jail. It is an enormous problem that they would put trans-women in a men’s county jail.’

Jenner also opened up about a fatal car accident earlier this year in which her Cadillac SUV rear-ended another vehicle, causing a chain-reaction that resulted in the death of a 69-year-old woman.

If investigators for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department have their way, Jenner will face manslaughter charges in the multi-car crash on Pacific Coast Highway that left Kim Howe dead.

Sheriff’s investigators found that Jenner was driving ‘unsafe for the prevailing road conditions’ because her SUV rear-ended the Lexus being driven by Howe and pushed it into oncoming traffic.

Jenner said she remembers “very little” about the collision but told interviewer Matt Lauer that she was driving under the speed limit.

‘I remember it happening. That’s about it,’ she said. ‘A tragedy like this, you’ll never get over it. You just learn to live with it the best you possibly can.’

It is the Los Angeles district attorney who will what charges, if any, Jenner will face.

The post Caitlyn Jenner remembers ‘very little’ about fatal accident in Malibu appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/caitlyn-jenner-remembers-very-little-about-fatal-accident-in-malibu/