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Op-ed: What Happened When President Obama Met Two Trans Service Members
Laila Villanueva and her fiancé, Logan Ireland, are both transgender Americans currently serving in the U.S. military. At last month’s White House Pride Reception, they made history.
US Army CPL Laila Villanueva
Two Double-Mastectomy Survivors Walked Topless Down A Runway For A Powerful Reason
It was a powerful moment: the event was a fashion show that sought to challenge normative ideas of gender and beauty, and there, walking the runway were two double mastectomy survivors, both topless and wearing nothing but underwear.
The two women are cancer survivors Emily Jensen and Melanie Testa, and they were modeling the creations of Play Out, a New York City-based company that specializes in gender-inclusive undergarments. The show took place during Rainbow Fashion Week, a weeklong event that’s part of NYC Pride.
Abby Sugar, co-founder of Play Out, told Mashable that the point of the show was to challenge gender norms and empower people of all bodies. She said she also hoped to spread awareness about “flattoppers,” or women who have undergone mastectomies and have chosen to remain flat-chested.
“We wanted to … show that you can be yourself, no matter your gender presentation or after a cancer diagnosis,” she said. “We also want to … keep breaking down barriers in terms of gender expectations. It’s underwear, no matter your gender presentation or sexual orientation (gay, straight, bi, pan, etc.), we should all be able to wear whatever underwear makes us feel sexy and affirms our sense of self.”
Earlier this year, Play Out released a powerful photo campaign featuring double-mastectomy survivors. Both Jensen, founder of Flattopper Pride, an organization that supports LGBTQ breast cancer survivors, and Testa took part in the series. They said at the time that they hoped the campaign would serve to empower other survivors.
Models Emily Jenson (left) and Jodi Jaecks (right) in Play Out’s photo campaign
“Living in a society that does not reflect the image of my body [type] — breast-less, scarred, affected by cancer — has great consequence and influence to those who are newly diagnosed,” Jensen told HuffPost in May. “Not all women choose reconstruction or feel that it will make them whole again; some feel quite whole without breasts and without the need to wear breast forms. I choose to embrace my body as is and blithely proceed with grace and dignity. My hope is that other women will see these images in their time of need and that they will feel empowered and informed about flat reconstruction as one option among many.”
Flattopper Pride was also born from a similar sentiment, she said.
“One in eight women [in the U.S.] will have breast cancer in their lifetime. Fifty-eight percent of those women will not have reconstructive surgeries. That is a huge percentage of the population that is flat, yet people are shocked to see flattoppers,” Jensen told HelloGiggles in a recent interview. “Flattopper Pride began as a result of my realization that people like me had nowhere to turn for support, or even for a compassionate ear.”
Find out more about Flattopper Pride here; and visit Play Out’s website to learn more about their underwear, which the company says are designed to appeal to all genders. Play Out told Mashable that the company is planning on expanding its product line to include plus-size products, and new items including tank tops and bandeaus.
— 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.
Uganda national football manager tortured to ‘prove’ he’s not gay
The former Ugandan national football manager was tortured to ‘prove’ he’s not gay, a doctor has said.
Chris Mubiru is facing charges of ‘sodomizing’ one of his team players after he was allegedly ‘exposed’ by a tabloid.
In 2012, Red Pepper splashed pornographic pictures across their front page with the headline: ‘SMOKED OUT! Uganda Cranes boss nabbed sodomizing players – Shocking pictures inside.’
The captions were designed to outrage the conservative population, with one saying: ‘MASTER AT WORK: Mubiru nails the boy’s butt.’
Another said ‘END GAME: The boy struggles to stand up after the bum shattering session.’
The alleged ‘young player’ was not identified and the pictures were unable to verified.
Due to the papers selling so well, the gay pornographic Red Pepper issue was reprinted for another two weeks.
And now, three years later, Mubiru is facing a lifetime in jail for homosexuality.
In the court case, Mubiru’s lawyer asked a doctor to ‘anally probe’ the football manager. During these procedures, popular in Africa and the Middle East, the doctor examines the anus of a suspect for ‘proof’ he has engaged in anal sex and checks for traces of sperm.
The doctor also takes a picture to study the shape of the hole – the larger the width, the more ‘likely’ the person is gay, according to this discredited theory.
These tests are scientifically nonsensical and human rights organizations have condemned them for being inconclusive, degrading and a form of torture.
According to Uganda’s Daily Monitor, Dr Francis Kajumba said: ‘The lining of Mubiru’s genital was intact. I have examined two victims of sodomy, so I have some experience in such cases. There was no darkening or change on foreskin, his anus had a normal tone so it would withhold stool and his HIV/Aids status was also negative.’
Mubiru has claimed he is not gay, saying: ‘I have never, at any one time in my life, committed sodomy acts.’
The post Uganda national football manager tortured to ‘prove’ he’s not gay appeared first on Gay Star News.
Joe Morgan
www.gaystarnews.com/article/uganda-national-football-manager-tortured-to-prove-hes-not-gay/
Hundreds rally around torched LGBT mural in San Francisco
The ‘Por Vida’ (for life) mural that depicts gay couples and a transgender man has been a target of homophobes since it was unveiled in San Francisco’s Mission District last month.
The mural by artist Manuel Paul of Los Angeles’ Maricón Collective was vandalized twice by vandals before it was torched late on Monday night, the most serious attack to date.
Some 400 supporters including District Supervisor David Campos and State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano joined an outdoor rally on Wednesday evening to call for unity and dialogue.
A memorial of flowers and candles had been placed in front of the section of the mural located on the exterior wall of Galería de la Raza that was torched.
‘To go from the incredible high of the Supreme Court using a ruling that extended the Constitution to the LGBT community, to go from that high to seeing this, was an emotional experience,’ Campos was quoted as saying by Misson Local.
‘The Mission has always had that queer presence,’ he said in defiance of anyone who thought otherwise. ‘From every single moment of its existence the Mission has had that queer presence.’
The report noted that the mural was defaced twice on the opening weekend, followed by more tagging after the first mural was replaced. It was replaced again on Friday at the start of Pride weekend.
Galería de la Raza, which has spent $3,000 to get rid of the spray paint, is accepting donations to help with repairs.
The post Hundreds rally around torched LGBT mural in San Francisco appeared first on Gay Star News.
Sylvia Tan
www.gaystarnews.com/article/hundreds-rally-around-torched-lgbt-mural-in-san-francisco/
Morocco Police arrest two over mob beating of trans woman in Fez
Police have arrested two men over a 29 June attack on a Moroccan transgender woman in the city of Fez that went viral online and authorities hope to identify more suspects
Moroccan authorities have announced the capture of two suspects in a brutal and sustained attack by a mob on a transgender woman in the city of Fez last week and are hopeful of making more arrests.
‘Two suspects have been arrested for the time being and the investigation will continue to determine the responsibility of other persons,’ police said in a statement circulated by Moroccan national news agency MAP.
While carrying no comment on the right of LGBTI people to be able to live in safety, the statement stressed the ‘firm determination of the authorities to take action against those who act outside the law.’
In the video the trans woman is seen being punched and hit by several unidentified individuals, and as she tries to flee, she is hunted down by the crowd.
Forcing her to the ground, the crowd is seen striking her and kicking her in the head. One thug used a motorcycle to attack her as she clearly struggled to stay conscious.
Finding the strength to flee once again, the victim then ran towards a market where a police officer protected her from the clutches of her attackers by drawing his pistol and pointing it in the air.
It was reported that several glass bottles were thrown at the police car that took the victim away to safety.
Homosexual acts are punishable by up to three years in prison in Morocco and the country’s laws do not recognise the possibility of gender transition so transgender women could potentially be punished under the same law.
Two gay men were jailed for four months as recently as 19 June for kissing in public – deemed an ‘affront to public decency’ and an ‘unnatural act with a person of the same sex.’
The post Morocco Police arrest two over mob beating of trans woman in Fez appeared first on Gay Star News.
Andrew Potts
www.gaystarnews.com/article/morocco-police-arrest-two-over-mob-beating-of-trans-woman-in-fez/
"We Do!"– Episcopalians OK Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
The Episcopal Church took a giant step forward today by removing barriers for same-sex couples desiring to be married in the church. Meeting in Salt Lake City, the General Convention an overwhelming majority of the House of Deputies concurred with the actions of the House of Bishops earlier this week, adopting two resolutions: A054 (authorizing new marriage liturgies for trial use) and A036 (removing references to marriage as being between a man and a woman in the church’s canons.)
Taken together, these actions make marriage – which the Supreme Court ruled last week is a “fundamental right” for all Americans – equally available for all Episcopalians. Carefully and prayerfully crafted, they provide as wide a tent as possible for the historic diversity that characterizes the Episcopal Church – guaranteeing access to marriage liturgies to all couples while protecting the conscience of clergy and bishops who dissent theologically.
The genius of today’s action is that the conscience of a dissenting bishop is protected but not at the price of denying same-sex couples access to the sacramental rite of marriage. It will be a “bridge too far” for some and not far enough for others. But it is an exemplary illustration of the hard, faithful work of a church refusing to let the perfect be the enemy of the good as it strives to become a more expansive and inclusive church.
The journey to this day has been long and the challenges have been great. We have worked, prayed, argued, debated and compromised to this moment. We have been on a forty year journey in the Episcopal Church working to turn the ‘full and equal claim’ promised to LGBT Episcopalians in 1976 from a resolution to a reality.
There is still work to do to reach the audacious goal of a church where there are no barriers to full inclusion for any member of the Church but today we celebrate an important and incremental victory toward that goal. It is a proud day to be an Episcopalian as we journey together into God’s future – a diverse people united in our commitment to the Jesus Movement our Presiding Bishop-elect has called us to claim and to proclaim to a world hungry for love, justice and compassion.
— 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.
June’s 12 Hottest Shirtless Celebrity Selfies: PHOTOS
We love Instagram. We also love shirtless selfies. Ergo, we created a round-up of the best shirtless selfies from male celebrities on Instagram posted in the month of June.
Take a peek below and tell us which is your favorite.
Have a hot Instagram we should be following? Email us at [email protected].
A photo posted by Adam Devine (@andybovine) on Jun 29, 2015 at 8:22am PDT
Today on set with @parkergregory1 and @riverviiperi thx @giampaolosgura for the shot!
A photo posted by Pietro Boselli (@pietroboselli) on Jun 19, 2015 at 10:52am PDT
A photo posted by Jack Laugher (@jacklaugher) on Jun 28, 2015 at 12:24pm PDT
To much fun #selfieworldtour #londonpride getting ready for @londonlgbtpride #bathroomselfie @clonezoneuk
A photo posted by Alex Minsky (@mminskyy) on Jun 27, 2015 at 1:53am PDT
Is someone trying to get baptized again in #MyBigFatGreekWedding2 ?
A photo posted by Nia Vardalos (@niavardalos) on Jun 25, 2015 at 9:55pm PDT
A photo posted by iansomerhalder (@iansomerhalder) on Jun 4, 2015 at 8:22am PDT
A little Heat won’t hurt anybody, #EFFENVODKA #FRIGO #SMSAUDIO
A photo posted by 50 Cent (@50cent) on Jun 16, 2015 at 9:38pm PDT
Progress selfie… #3months #21lbsgained #hardwork #TheWorkDoesntStopHere
A photo posted by Ryan Guzman (@ryanaguzman) on Jun 13, 2015 at 4:04pm PDT
A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on Jun 29, 2015 at 10:30pm PDT
The post June’s 12 Hottest Shirtless Celebrity Selfies: PHOTOS appeared first on Towleroad.
Towleroad
Texas Pastor Who Threatened to Set Himself Aflame Now 'Loves' Gays
Don’t get all misty for Pastor Rick Scarborough, who wrote an op-ed explaining that his ‘love for homosexuals’ is so he can ‘offer God’s redemption.’
Dawn Ennis
As Same-Sex Couples Line Up To Wed, Others Celebrate The Right To Divorce
While courthouses around the nation are flush with same-sex couples ready to tie the knot, a New Orleans court has already seen another effect of marriage equality: divorce equality.
Shortly after the Supreme Court’s landmark marriage equality ruling on Friday, Anna Wellman and Stephanie Baus filed for divorce at the Orleans Parish Civil District Court in Louisiana after years of waiting.
Making “bittersweet history” — in the words of The Times-Picayune — the couple quickly finalized their divorce before the city’s first same-sex couple wed a few hours later.
Wellman and Baus were married in 2009 in Massachusetts, where marriage equality had been the law of the land since 2004. But when the pair decided to separate five years ago, they couldn’t divorce in their home state since Louisiana didn’t recognize their marriage.
Many states, such as Massachusetts, don’t have a residency requirement to get married, but do have one to divorce. Depending on local laws, couples are required to reside in the state from six months to two years before getting a divorce. Before the Supreme Court’s ruling, a same-sex couple seeking a divorce could end up tied financially, legally and emotionally to a partner regardless of whether they wanted to be.
And while that hurdle has been overcome in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling, a host of other complexities involved in dissolving a same-sex union have cropped up.
Family attorney Michael Bialys with the California-based Gay Family Law Center told The Huffington Post that the tricky part with same-sex marriages is knowing when the clock starts on those unions, which affects common divorce issues like the division of property.
“Let’s say I live with my partner in 2000. The minute we can become domestic partners in 2009, we do. And in 2012, we get married officially. And in 2015, we want to divorce: That issue hasn’t been really addressed,” Bialys said. “Are you entitled to all the benefits of marriage retroactively?”
Traditionally in common-law states such as Colorado or Kansas, the clock on a union can start once a couple passes the cohabitation threshold for a common-law marriage, even if they never get officially married. In civil states such as Louisiana and California, assessing the couple’s community property starts only when they officially marry, regardless of how long they were together before that.
Custody may prove another tricky situation for divorcing same-sex couples, due to traditional perceptions of caregiver roles (which usually favor the mother) and biological ties when a child shares DNA with one or neither of the parents.
Just as overall divorce laws took a few decades to be fully formed, laws surrounding same-sex divorces may take a while to get up to speed.
“In the ’50s, people weren’t getting divorced, and in the ’60s when it was happening more, the law caught up — but it realistically took about 20 years for the law to catch up,” Bialys said. Same-sex couples, he notes, may be in for a similarly long wait.
“It’s going to be a while, and there are going to be inconsistencies in the decisions.”
— 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.
SCOTUS Marriage Equality Ruling A “Victory For The Mentally Ill” According To Legislator
Dwight Kiefert, a Republican from Valley City, ND serving in the state House, is the first person to admit that he is neither a doctor nor a psychiatrist.
Of course, he’d never let a couple of minor details like that get in the way of sharing his esteemed insights into mental health.
Just hours after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages should be recognized by the entire nation, Kiefert took to Facebook to offer his medical psychiatric opinion:
Google it, he says.
Dwight’s stance on the gays was hardly a secret — he’s previously said of homosexuality, “I don’t think that it’s normal. You can’t reproduce. I mean, a man and a woman is what it takes to make a child.”
Even so, his Facebook mini-rant seems to exhibit the telltale signs of a paranoid conspiracy theorist. But then again, we aren’t psychiatrists either.
When pressed on the since-deleted post, Kiefert said he didn’t think it was a “public statement,” adding “There’s a lot of question marks. Was what I read true? I don’t know. The bottom line is: Through my faith, I have to oppose it.”
House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, was quick to distance himself from his fellow representative. “Dwight speaks for himself. He has a lot of strong opinions,” Carlson said, emphasizing that he “absolutely” doesn’t agree that homosexuality is a mental illness. “That topic shouldn’t even be discussed.”
And the crazy train keeps on chugging.
via Inforum
Dan Tracer
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Simon Dunn (@bobsleighsimon) on Jun 18, 2015 at 1:21pm PDT