GLAAD's Southern Stories Summer Tour will kick off in Florida on June 27

Today, GLAAD announced its second Southern Stories Summer Tour, a summer-long campaign aimed at accelerating LGBT acceptance across the U.S. South. The 2016 tour, supported by national, state and local partners, will kick off in Jacksonville, FL, on June 27 and include stops across Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama, before ending with a week-long trip across Texas. 

“We know that Americans’ attitudes and behavior on LGBT equality are not just influenced by what they see and hear, but also who they know. That’s why our Southern Stories initiative is so important. By telling the stories of LGBT individuals and their allies in the South, hearts and minds are changed,” said Zeke Stokes, GLAAD Vice President of Programs.

The 2015 Southern Stories Tour helped to create connections and amplify the voices of LGBT Southerners. This year, GLAAD elevates the tour from a single week in June to three weeks, spread across the full summer. To view a recap of the 2015 tour, click here. 

Why the South? Why now?

In late 2014, GLAAD commissioned Harris Poll to measure attitudes towards LGBT Americans. What we found is that even though 2015 had been an historic year for the rights of LGBT Americans, beneath legal and policy progress lies a layer of uneasiness and discomfort. While the public is increasingly embracing LGBT civil rights and equal protection under the law, many are still uncomfortable with having LGBT people in their families and the communities where they live. Within these numbers we find that Southerners feel significantly more discomfort about their LGBT family, friends, and neighbors than is found in other regions of the country.

In 2016, a follow-up GLAAD-commissioned Harris Poll found that Southerners are slightly more unconcerned or unaware of important issues facing the LGBT community than the rest of the country.

Through meeting with community leaders and advocates, hosting public events by and for LGBT community members, and collecting and telling stories of LGBT lives in the South, GLAAD continues to accelerate acceptance in these communities not only on the tour, but year round. 

We hope you will get on board with the GLAAD 2016 Southern Stories Sumemr Tour. For more information, check out glaad.org/summertour.

www.glaad.org/blog/glaads-southern-stories-summer-tour-will-kick-florida-june-27

Lea Delaria: LGBT Acronym Divides Community

The Orange is the New Black star doesn’t believe in “LGBTQQTY-whatever-LMNOP.” Instead she hopes more people become comfortable with identifying as queer. 

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/6/08/lea-delaria-lgbt-acronym-divides-community

When The Dangerously Hot ‘Bad Boy’ Loses His Sex Appeal

Have you ever met someone you thought was drop-dead sexy, only to get to know them over a period of time and realize you have absolutely no attraction to them in any way, shape or form?

We’ve seen it a million times, which only goes to show how powerful a force our own imaginations are when it comes to what turns us on.

Related: That Awkward Moment When You Realize You Hooked Up With Your Friend’s Boyfriend

There will always be a fantasy that’s more titillating than reality, but if you lose yourself entirely to some idealized version of what you’re looking for, you’ll end up closed off to a world of possibility and pleasure.

OK, this intro got way too serious because the below video from comedian Michael Henry is pretty hysterical.

Watch below:

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Gay Guys Are Having More Open Relationships Than Ever

There’s never been a better time to be alive, queer, and horny! First there was that study showing that people are growing far more likely than ever to have same-sex sexual encounters, and to identify as bisexual. Now there’s another study showing that queers are having more open relationships than ever before.

Is this a good thing? Well, the jury’s still out on that. Short-term, having an open relationship can be a lot of fun, and can mean a lot of sex. But long-term, there are some unique relationship hurdles that our culture doesn’t exactly prepare us for. It’s easy to model behavior on monogamous couples that you see in movies and on TV, but how many healthy happy stable poly guys do you see?

Related: I Don’t: Six Kinds Of Relationships To Try Before, Or Instead Of, Marriage

The research comes from Australia, where a third (!) of respondents said that they were in open relationships. About the same amount said they were monogamous, a quarter said they were just having casual sex, and the rest aren’t getting any ass right now.

Other intriguing findings: half used apps to meet other guys; a third meet guys in bars; and just over a quarter make new friends in saunas. Saunas! Is that an Australian thing, or is this some global gay trend that we’ve missed out on? Saunas used to be a big thing in the United States but we can’t think of the last time any of our friends mentioned going to one.

Related: Guys Reveal How They Really Feel About Open Relationships

And there’s some good news from the survey as well: a doubling in the rate of STI testing. If we’re all having more sex we’ll need to be extra-vigilant about combatting diseases. For example, after International Mr. Leather last weekend, there was a mini-outbreak of severe flu-like symptoms in Chicago. A bunch of attendees wound up hospitalized. But quick testing and quarantines kept the illness under control, and despite a little rumor-mongering about meningitis, everyone seems to be on the mend.

So in terms of physical health, it seems like we’re making some good choices about being in open relationships. But what about emotional health? That’s a much harder quality to gauge. Time will just have to tell whether this means bigger, healthier, happier families; or if the lack of poly visibility leads to heartbreaks and mistakes.

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Whitney Houston Was Bisexual, Says Bobby Brown – VIDEO

Whitney Houston was bisexual according to her former husband Bobby Brown, who is coming forward to reveal intimate details about his life with Houston in a new tell-all book.

Us Weekly reports: 

Whitney Houston was long rumored to have had a secret same-sex romance with her best friend and assistant, Robyn Crawford, and Bobby Brown tells Us Weekly in the new issue that it’s all true.

“I know,” Brown, 47, tells Us exclusively of his ex-wife’s relationship with Crawford, 55. “We were married for 14 years. There are some things we talked about that were personal to us.” Houston and Crawford met as teens when they both worked at a community center in East Orange, New Jersey, and Crawford became her assistant and later creative director, traveling the world with the Bodyguard star.

Brown insists that Houston was bisexual and not a lesbian. “I’m a man and she was attracted to me!”, he says.

Brown believes that Houston, denied her relationship with Crawford while alive because she knew her family would disapprove. In 2013, Houston’s mother Cissy Houston told Oprah she would “absolutely” have been disappointed if her daughter had come out to her as gay.

It was the lack of acceptance that Brown believes may have been fatal to Houston. Brown tells Us, “I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney’s life, Whitney would still be alive today. She didn’t have close friends with her anymore.”

Watch a video from Us on Brown’s relationship with Houston, below.

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Richard Simmons’ Rep: ‘He’s Not Transitioning Into A Woman’ – VIDEO

A representative of celebrity fitness trainer Richard Simmons has denied that Simmons is transitioning to become a woman.

A statement was issued by rep Tom Estey on Wednesday in response to a report from tabloid The National Enquirer which ran a cover story with the headline, “Richard Simmons: He’s Now a Woman!”

Radar Online made similar claims, suggesting Simmons had been spotted “dressing as a female on occasion.”

The tabloids also speculated about the reason behind Simmons’ trip to the hospital last Friday. Simmons and his rep say he was treated for dehydration. Simmons has been reclusive in recent years after suffering a knee injury and having knee replacement surgery.

PEOPLE reports:

“It’s not true,” Simmons’ rep Tom Estey tells PEOPLE in response to reports about the fitness guru. “He is not transitioning into a woman. He has decided to live quietly the last few years. He had knee surgery a few years ago and has a bum knee. He is still on Twitter and Facebook and works behind the scenes continuing to inspire and motivate people to lose weight. When he decides to come back, he will come back.”

Estey adds, that Simmons “was in the hospital over the weekend for dehydration and was out the next day. He’s a human being. He was in the public eye for over three decades, but he deserves his privacy. He should be able to have a private life. He just needed a break. He is still taking care of the people who need his help.”

Simmons thanked fans for their support, writing on Facebook, 

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with love and concern after hearing I was in the hospital. I was dehydrated and needed some fluids and now I am feeling great! Summer is here – drink plenty of liquids. Big hugs and kisses for caring. <3″

Watch a report from PEOPLE, below.

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J.K. Simmons Got Totally Swoll for the ‘Justice League’ Movie – PHOTOS

“61 years old & making the young generation jealous.”

Actor J.K. Simmons is set to play Police Commissioner Gordon in the upcoming Justice League movie and looks ready to fight some baddies. Simmons, who won an Academy Award for his role in Whiplash, already had a noticeably defined physique–exhibit A: those guns in that black t-shirt…

But Simmons is taking it to a new level in training for his role in the upcoming superhero flick. In comic book movies these days, it would seem that even the supporting cast has to be jacked.

Simmons’ trainer, former U.S. Marine Aaron Williamson shared photos of Simmons on Instagram, often declaring himself stunned by Simmons’ strength.

[h/t Batman-News; SB Nation]

The post J.K. Simmons Got Totally Swoll for the ‘Justice League’ Movie – PHOTOS appeared first on Towleroad.

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HRC Watches Vermont Governor Sign Bill Protecting LGBTQ Youth from “Conversion Therapy” into Law

Last month, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed Senate Bill 132 into law, making Vermont the eighth jurisdiction—behind California, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Washington D.C., and Cincinnati—to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangers of “conversion therapy.”

HRC Legislative Counsel Xavier Persad attended the bill signing and spoke on the proven dangers of “conversion therapy,” highlighting the fact that it​ leads to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicidal behavior.

“Conversion therapy,” sometimes referred to as “sexual orientation change efforts” or “reparative therapy,” is a range of practices that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. These practices are based on the false premise that being LGBTQ is a mental illness that needs to be cured, a theory that has been rejected by every major medical and mental health organization for decades.

HRC thanks Senator Brian Campion, Senator Claire Ayer, Representative Ann Pugh, and Governor Shumlin for their leadership and support in getting this bill passed and signed into law.

In February, NCLR, HRC, and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a historic federal consumer fraud complaint against a major provider of “conversion therapy,” urging the Federal Trade Commission to take enforcement action against the organization and all practitioners engaging in similar fraudulent advertising and business practices.

NCLR and HRC have partnered with state equality groups across the nation to pass state legislation to end this harmful practice.

More information on the lies and dangers of efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity can be found here.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-watches-vermont-governor-sign-bill-protecting-lgbtq-youth-from-conversi?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

TurnOUT! NC Weekend of Action in Charlotte to Repeal HB2

This past weekend, TurnOUT! North Carolina (NC) organizers and volunteers were on the ground for a weekend of action in Charlotte talking with voters about the dangers of the discriminatory HB2 and the need for full repeal.

TurnOUT! NC canvassed local neighborhoods and events to engage Charlotteans in the efforts to repeal HB2 and gathered over 200 petition signatures. Volunteers were out early Saturday morning to beat the heat and talk to voters in the Dilworth area about HB2. Two mothers loaded their young children into strollers and canvassed together to ensure a better future for their children in North Carolina.

After spending a few hours talking with voters, TurnOUT! NC joined Stonewall Sports at Veteran’s Park for the “Inaugural Drag Ball Tournament”, a kickball tournament benefiting Time Out Youth Center. TurnOUT! NC received a huge showing of support from the league with petition signatures and commitments to volunteer.

On Sunday, TurnOUT! NC teamed up with HRC Charlotte to host a table at the HRC Community Family Picnic at Wedgewood Church. TurnOUT! NC field organizer Lara Nazario and HRC Senior Regional Field Organizer Ryan Wilson collected nearly 100 petition signatures from Charlotteans opposed to HB2. There was a face painting station and some of the kids broke into a water balloon fight on the church lawn while our organizers spoke with the parents about the harm that HB2 is having in North Carolina.

Since the North Carolina legislature passed the dangerous HB2 in March, dozens of HRC staff have been on the ground mobilizing pro-equality supporters and talking with voters about the dangerous implications of this harmful legislation.

TurnOUT! NC is working to mobilize thousands of pro-equality North Carolinians to speak out for full repeal of HB2. TurnOUT! NC has field organizers based in Asheville, Charlotte and the Triangle area. There are daily opportunities to volunteer with weekly phone banks and weekend canvassing opportunities.

If you live in North Carolina and want to join the efforts to repeal HB2, RSVP for upcoming phone banks and volunteer opportunities. For more information about our work in North Carolina, contact HRC Associate Regional Field Director Ryan Rowe at [email protected].

TONC’s Field Organizer, Lara Nazario and HRC’s Senior Field Organizer, Ryan Wilson are all smiles at the HRC Community Family Picnic in Charlotte.

TONC teams up with Stonewall Sports for the Inaugural Drag Kickball Tournament at Veteran’s Park benefiting Time Out Youth programs

www.hrc.org/blog/turnout-nc-weekend-of-action-in-charlotte-to-repeal-hb2?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed