Anne Hathaway and James Corden Get Shady in Hilarious Rap Battle – WATCH

Anne Hathaway and James Corden faced off for a rap battle on Tuesday night and the tea being served was scalding.

Corden opened with a light offensive: “The only cat woman I acknowledge is Halle Berry.” To which Hathaway retorted, “A ‘cat woman’ diss, gosh, what do I do? I can’t make fun of you, James, ‘cuz no one’s heard of you!” Referencing one of Corden’s late night competitors, Hathaway rapped, “I’m like your wife, I watch Seth Meyers instead.”

Corden came back with a Devil Wears Prada burn: “Call me Meryl Streep, ‘cuz you my assistant. This isn’t just for me it’s for the whole UK, mad at your awful British accent in the movie One Day.”

But Hathaway came through to Hatha-slay: “I was hated and shaded, but now I’ve been liberated. Now you know what it’s like to get Hatha-slayed.”

Watch, below.

The post Anne Hathaway and James Corden Get Shady in Hilarious Rap Battle – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Leading National Groups Call on Legislators to Reject Appalling Attacks on Transgender Children

As state lawmakers continue to attack transgender children with outrageous and shameful bills, four leading national health, education and child advocacy groups have added their names to HRC’s letter calling on state lawmakers and governors across the nation to reject the discriminatory bills being promoted in state legislatures targeting transgender children and their fundamental rights.

The American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO; the Association of Title IX Administrators; and the National Association of Secondary School Principals have signed the open letter, joining the American Academy of Pediatrics; the American Counseling Association; the American School Counselor Association; the Child Welfare League of America; the National Association of School Psychologists; the National Association of Social Workers; and the National Education Association. The letter expresses grave concerns about and objections to the flurry of bills attacking one of our nation’s most vulnerable youth populations.

“In cities and states across our country, transgender youth are being targeted and attacked by lawmakers who were elected to serve and protect,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Rather than legislating hate and discrimination, elected officials should listen to this broad chorus of nonpartisan experts speaking out against dangerous bills that only exacerbate the violence, bullying and harassment the most vulnerable of our society already experience on a daily basis.”

The 11 groups represent nearly five million members across the country.

Since state legislatures began meeting this year, more than thirty bills have been introduced seeking to deny transgender students access to appropriate restrooms and locker rooms, and preventing them from playing on sports teams that are consistent with their gender identity. This type of needless and mean-spirited legislation would put school districts directly at odds with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice, which have asserted for years that, under Title IX, school districts cannot discriminate against students based on their gender identity, including in access to sex-segregated facilities and activities. That position was confirmed by the guidance released recently from both departments in response to questions from educators seeking more information about best practices from around the country. This type of needless and mean-spirited legislation places school districts at risk of losing federal funding and opens up school districts to lawsuits and other liability for infringing on these students’ federally protected civil rights.

A survey by the HRC Foundation found that three-quarters of transgender students feel unsafe in school settings. This startling number will only rise if discriminatory bills continue to target these young people.

www.hrc.org/blog/leading-national-groups-call-on-legislators-to-reject-appalling-attacks-on?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Vermont Joins Growing Number of Jurisdictions Protecting LGBTQ Kids from “Conversion Therapy”

Today, Vermont Gov. 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.”

Senate Bill 132, which protects LGBTQ youth from mental health providers attempting to change their sexual orientation or gender identity through practices that are linked to substance abuse, extreme depression, and suicide, was approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives in April. The law will go into effect July 1, 2016.

“We are thrilled that Vermont has joined the rapidly growing number of states leading the way to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy,” said the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Youth Policy Counsel Carolyn Reyes. “Vermont families can now have confidence that the mental health professional they turn to in times of uncertainty may not use their state license to profit from their children’s pain. Most importantly, Vermont children can now rest easy in the knowledge that they cannot be forced or coerced to undergo dangerous and discredited treatments to try to change who they are. Today brings us one step closer to the day when all LGBTQ youth know they were born perfect.”

Said HRC President Chad Griffin: “No young person should be subjected to this extremely harmful and discredited practice, which medical professionals agree not only doesn’t work, but can also have life-threatening consequences. It is nothing short of child abuse. We thank Governor Shumlin and the Vermont State Legislature for prioritizing the well-being and safety of our nation’s youth, and remain committed to working with our partners to ensure that this quackery is banned from coast to coast.”

NCLR, HRC, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Pride Center Vermont, and Outright Vermont played a key role in organizing the coalition behind the bill. A broad range of groups supported Senate Bill 132, including national LGBTQ organizations and civil rights organizations.

NCLR and HRC are at the forefront of efforts to protect youth and their families from “conversion therapy,” and work closely with legislators and state leaders across the country to introduce bills protecting youth from these dangerous practices.

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.

For more information about the dangers of “conversion therapy” and NCLR’s #BornPerfect campaign visit www.NCLRights.org/BornPerfect or HRC’s resource page

www.hrc.org/blog/vermont-joins-growing-number-of-jurisdictions-protecting-lgbtq-kids-from-co?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 25, 2016

NORTH CAROLINIANS DON’T LIKE HB2 — AND ARE REALLY FED UP WITH THEIR LEGISLATORS: A new survey from North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling found that a majority of likely voters in the state want the discriminatory HB2 repealed, with 56 percent saying the law is hurting the state economically and damaging its national reputation. Oh, and despite false claims by anti-LGBT forces that the bill is all about safety, most women say HB2 hasn’t made the state safer. The state legislature, which passed the discriminatory measure, isn’t faring any better than HB2: only 19 percent of voters surveyed approve of the job their elected leaders in Raleigh are doing. More from The News & Observer.

• Spike in number of people who know a transgender person: A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 39 percent of people surveyed say they personally know or work with a transgender person, up a whopping 10 points from last year and consistent with HRC polling.
• Blame Game continues…. NC House Speaker Tim Moore has announced yet again, that the only way Republican state leadership will consider making changes to HB2, is if Charlotte makes the first move. Moore told reporters yesterday, “Charlotte needs to take a look at what it did and it needs to be the first to make any movement before there’s any conversation.” Time for state lawmakers to face the facts — they are the only ones responsible for this mess, and the only way to fix it is by repealing HB2.
• Charlotte Chamber playing clean-up, claims they’ve supported non-discrimination efforts all along: Following a meeting yesterday with NC Chamber Board Chair Ned Curran, Charlotte Chamber President Bob Morgan and his organization released a letter urging NC House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger to consider the “diverse needs” of NC cities, and urged them to return to the cities the power to pass their own non-discrimination ordinances.
• Maybe NC’s Chambers should give Oklahoma Chambers a call … Yesterday Oklahoma lawmakers (despite saying they wouldn’t bring up the bill) voted 10 – 10, effectively squashing a bill that would have discriminated against transgender students. A force in defeating the bill? The warnings of the Tulsa and Greater Oklahoma City Chambers of Commerce of the economic damage the bill would cause.

TEXAS STATE AG EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE LAWSUIT AS NEARLY 5 MILLION EDUCATORS, PEDIATRICIANS, ETC. SAY STOP IT ALREADY: Based on his relentless attacks on transgender students and school officials doing right by them, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is expected to announce at a 2 p.m. press conference that he’ll be filing a lawsuit against the federal government in response to the guidance issued earlier this month by the Departments of Justice and Education reaffirming their position that transgender students have the right to be free from discrimination in federally-funded education. This comes as HRC today released a letter signed by national organizations representing almost 5 million educators, pediatricians, counselors and other child welfare providers urging lawmakers like Paxton to stop their vile attacks. Organizations include the American Federation of Teachers; the American Academy of Pediatrics; the American Counseling Association; the National Association of School Psychologists and the National Education Association.

• Meanwhile, HRC Welcoming Schools today released a key resource for school officials to effectively and respectfully follow recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on the rights of transgender students. The guide answers questions school officials may be asked by parents, guardians and other community members. “These kinds of policies, already in place at many schools, have helped transgender students enormously, and without any negative effect on their non-transgender schoolmates,” said HRC’s Ellen Kahn.
• Fayette County in Tennessee, on the other hand, worked against the best interest of their schools last night by passing a resolution in a 17 to 0 vote to defy that guidance on transgender students. The Tennessee Equality Project reports the Fayette County Commission did not put the resolution on their agenda, giving the public no time to respond. Now doesn’t that sound familiar?
• And in Mississippi, the State Board of Education has done an about face, officially saying it will follow the “state’s lead,” and ignore the guidance from the Departments of Education and Justice that transgender students be treated with dignity and respect. The State superintendent originally said Mississippi would comply with federal law, but changed her position when Republican state lawmakers called for her resignation.

REPUBLICAN HOUSE LEADERSHIP SEEKS TO BLOCK DEMOCRATS’ AMENDMENTS: After last week’s abuse of House rules to defeat an amendment protecting LGBT workers, Speaker Paul Ryan may try to limit such amendments to save Republican leadership from “surprises.” Ryan may propose a procedural change that would make efforts more difficult, like Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s (D-NY) attempt to protect LGBT workers employed by federal contractors. “This change seems intended to give leadership more time to figure out how to defeat amendments like Rep. Maloney’s preventing LGBT discrimination, which would have passed if not for their strong arm tactics,” said a spokesperson for Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY). So much for the promises of an open and transparent amendment process. More from The Hill.

• Rep. Maloney plans to revive his amendment this week on the House floor. If passed, the amendment would prohibit the government from paying contractors that discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Maloney is hopeful: “There is a majority [in] the House of Representatives right now to oppose discrimination in the workplace. Really, the only way discrimination is going to win is if [House Majority Leader] Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) keeps rigging the votes.” More from The Washington Post.

HELP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH FORCED TO LIVE ON THEIR OWN: LGBTQ youth are much more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to be forced from their homes because of rejection or abuse, and too often lack the skills or resources needed to live safely and begin building a successful life. To help them establish stability and safety, the HRC Foundation, in partnership with Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund and Time Out Youth Center in Charlotte, NC, has released On Our Own: A Survival Guide for Independent LGBTQ Youth, which is geared toward older teens and young adults. It provides practical advice on essential topics ranging from finding housing, going to school and opening a bank account, to getting a job, accessing healthcare and living on a budget. More from the HRC Foundation.

ANTI-TRANS FLYER FROM KKK SURFACES IN ALABAMA TOWN: Fear-mongering by anti-LGBT legislators can have real consequences. Yesterday, disturbing anti-transgender flyers surfaced in the Dothan, Ala., neighborhood. They appear to have been distributed by the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan as a recruiting tool. The Dothan Police Department notified the FBI, as the flyer’s message could promote hate crimes against the transgender community. More AL.com.

TOUCHDOWN FOR EQUALITY: The NFL announced yesterday that it is awarding the 2019 Super Bowl to Atlanta. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed an anti-LGBT religious refusal bill last month, after the measure drew criticism from the NFL and LGBT advocates. The NFL warned Georgia that it stood little chance of hosting a Super Bowl if it did not adhere to the League’s standards of “tolerance and inclusiveness.” More from The New Civil Rights Movement.

YOUNG QUEER LEADERS ARE OUR FUTURE… AND PRESENT! The Advocate profiled seven extraordinary young LGBTQ politicians who are taking the system by storm. The lawmakers are all under 30 and dedicated to bettering their communities and the country at large. More from The Advocate.

READING RAINBOW

Slate points out the flawed logic of those claiming that transgender people using the correct bathroom is somehow a “safety concern”; Newsweek considers the possibility of the 2021 UK Census finally asking vital questions about gender identity and sexuality; Wayne Dhesi writes for Huffington Post about the continued need for LGBT Pride events; The Associated Press calculated that Florida will spend more than $213,000 to compensate the attorneys who sued the state to bring marriage equality to Florida; WMFE reports that the Brevard (Fla.) School Board will continue its fight to expand LGBT protections to students and staff… Gay Times highlights a rejected marriage lawsuit filed in South Korea; and The Des Moines Register looks into whether Rep. David Young (IA – R) was bullied by Republican leadership into switching his vote on a LGBT rights bill.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-may-25-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Two Men Allegedly Used Grindr to Lure Men and Carjack Them

Dates didn’t go as planned for men who met carjackers on Grindr. 

www.advocate.com/crime/2016/5/25/two-men-allegedly-used-grindr-lure-men-and-carjack-them

6-Year-Old Trans Girl’s Landmark Court Win Subject Of New Documentary

While the issue of bathroom policing may have found its unfortunate cultural moment as a wedge issue for the right (they’re really running out of ideas at this point), the topic isn’t new.

In fact, the subject made national headlines when 6-year-old transgender child Coy Mathis and her Colorado family brought a civil rights discrimination case against her school district and fought for her rights to use the girl’s bathroom. The district had previously told Coy she had to use the boy’s room.

The case was argued in 2013 and the family won, and it’s considered a landmark case.

Now Coy’s story is the subject of a new documentary called Growing Up Coy.

Director Eric Juhola and producer Jeremy Stulberg show audiences what it was like for Coy to develop her personality and identity against the grain of expectations, and the obstacles and media frenzy her parents faced all in the name of doing right by their child.

Catch the trailer below, and head here for more info:

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/vB-lyE39Uv0/6-year-old-trans-girls-landmark-court-win-subject-new-documentary-20160525

Rocco Steele Explains Why He Became an Adult Performer After 40 – WATCH

Rocco Steele has only been a gay adult performer for the past two years, yet in that short time he’s amassed a large following of fans. And while Steele possesses certain attributes that you might expect of a gay adult film star, his journey to become an adult performer has been anything but ordinary.

In an interview with Gay Star News, Steele talks about why he got into adult entertainment in his 40s, his relationship to his body image, and the connection between working in adult entertainment and self-confidence.

Steele explains that he used to work in corporate America but wanted to start his own business. Working as an adult performer helped him raise money to start his own underwear line, 10seven. 

Steele also says that there are a lot of misconceptions about what it’s like to be a gay adult performer: “I think people think that it’s a lot of–like it’s nothing but hot sex. But it’s not true. It’s a lot of work. I can only count on maybe two fingers scenes that were actually not uncomfortable.”

Discussing body image and what he would say to someone who’s self-conscious about their appearances, Steele says, “You have to accept the things you cannot change. If there’s something about yourself that you really can change, set a plan and work towards it.” Of his own experience with insecurity as a performer he adds, “Coming into the [adult entertainment] industry at the age of almost 50 years old, I do not have the body that the 20-year-olds have. So there was a lot about myself I had to come to terms with very quickly.”

He also cautions against getting into adult entertainment to boost your confidence. “You need to find that validation from within before you seek it in [adult films] or whatever it is,” he says.

Watch Steele’s interview, below.

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Hillary Clinton, Tesla, Vince Foster, Sean Hayes, Xavier Dolan, Blake Shelton: NEWS

2016 ELECTION. State Department says Clinton violated rules in use of private server for emails. “At a minimum, Secretary Clinton should have surrendered all emails dealing with Department issues before leaving government service,” says an audit by the State Department Inspector General, obtained by NBC News. “Because she did not do so, she did not comply with the [State] Department’s policies that were implemented in accordance with the Federal Records Act.”

BREAKING: Clinton violated federal records rules through use of private email server, State Department audit finds t.co/S8J0iHL9xx

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 25, 2016

NEW MEXICO. Violence breaks out at Trump rally in Albuquerque. “Albuquerque Police, who later called the evening’s events a riot, said on Twitter that some protesters were throwing bottles and rocks at mounted officers. Damage was reported to the glass doors of the center.”

VINCE FOSTER. Wolf Blitzer rips Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson over Trump’s decision to resurrect tired story.

HOT DOGS. New bill would allow Californians to free them from cars: “…a new bill would give her another option, allowing Californians to smash car windows and break imperiled animals out of vehicles that are too hot or cold without facing a civil lawsuit.”

BROOKLYN. Police accused of changing stories about man’s beating at Gay Pride house party: “Jabbar Campbell was busted on trumped-up charges three years ago, when homophobic cops brutally beat him before a failed attempt to trash his reputation, his lawyer says. With Campbell now acquitted on all counts, the Daily News has learned the officers in his case provided testimony contradicting both their initial version of the arrest — and their fellow cops.”

GAWKER VS. Was billionaire Peter Thiel behind Hulk Hogan’s Gawker lawsuit? “For months, the Gawker Media owner and people around him had speculated that the pro wrestler had a wealthy backer footing the legal bill for his fight against Denton and Gawker, which had published an excerpt of a Hogan sex tape. And in recent weeks, Denton had been more specific — he believed that Thiel was the one pushing the case forward, according to people familiar with Denton’s thinking. Now Forbes says Denton is right.”

TESLA. Model S driver caught sleeping while car is on auto pilot. “Tesla’s Autopilot requires the driver to always monitor the vehicle and be ready to take control. If the system lacks data to continue to actively steer the vehicle safely, it will show an alert on the dashboard.”

FORT PECK. Native American tribal leaders implement bathroom policy mirroring NC: “With a majority vote in favor, the tribal executive board approved a policy Monday that requires people use the bathroom according to the gender on their birth certificate, not the gender they identify as.”

SOUTH KOREA. Court dismisses same-sex marriage appeal: “A South Korean court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal by two male filmmakers to legally recognize their marriage, saying that same-sex marriage cannot be accepted without due “legislative” action. Kim Chokwangsu and Kim Seung-hwan tied the knot in a public wedding in September 2013 but are still seeking to get legal status as the country does not recognize same-sex marriages.”

XAVIER DOLAN. The director rips Cannes critics after the reception of his film Only the End of the World.

GIVING BIRTH. Sean Hayes on his kidney stone adventure:

MATT MCGORRY. Secure in his masculinity.

FIRST TIMES. Blake Shelton tries sushi.

HUMP DAY HOTTIE. Seoul stud Mondo Grosso.

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See What Happens When Europeans Look Into the Eyes of Refugees for 4 Minutes: VIDEO

The first step to understanding someone’s story is to look them in the eyes, as Look Beyond Borders, this powerful new video about the European/refugee divide from Amnesty International, illustrates.

Writes the organization:

When talking about the problem of refugees, we use dehumanised language, which reduces human tragedy to numbers and statistics. But this suffering concerns real people, who – just like us – have families, loved ones, friends; their own stories, dreams, goals… Only when you sit down opposite a specific person and look into their eyes, you no longer see an anonymous refugee, one of the migrants, and notice the human before you, just like yourself – loving, suffering, dreaming…

20 years ago, psychologist Arthur Aron discovered that 4 minutes of looking into each other’s eyes can bring people closer. Using this discovery, we decided to carry out a simple experiment, during which refugees and Europeans sat opposite each other and looked into each other’s eyes. Clearly, it is most important to give each other time to better understand and get to know each other.

The experiment was conducted in Berlin: the city, which – first of all – is a symbol of overcoming the divisions, and secondly, seems to be the centre of the contemporary Europe. We wanted the movie created on the basis of the experiment to be as symbolic as possible – and to touch upon the general divisions between people.

The experiment participants were ordinary people. The situations were not staged; we wanted to get natural, spontaneous reactions. The people sitting opposite each other had not known each other before and saw each other for the first time during the experiment. What is important, the refugees mostly came from Syria and had not been living in Europe for longer than a year.

Watch:

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The Failed Scheme To Blame Charlotte’s LGBT Protections For HB2’s Consequences

HB2 supporters blamed Charlotte for passing LGBT protections; now the city’s being blamed for not repealing them too.

The post The Failed Scheme To Blame Charlotte’s LGBT Protections For HB2’s Consequences appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/05/25/3781719/charlotte-chamber-hb2/