Op-ed: Hey, Mary Cheney, Here's Why Drag and Blackface are Different
Op-ed: Hey, Mary Cheney, Here's Why Drag and Blackface are Different
The next time someone asks what the difference is between blackface and drag, here’s what you can tell them.
Matt Baume
LGBT and suicide
LGBT and suicide
In this episode I talk to you guys about a vote in the usa and suicide and self harm.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aErhhIIKzPw&feature=youtube_gdata
PHOTOS: A Wedding Fantasy in Tel Aviv
PHOTOS: A Wedding Fantasy in Tel Aviv
Nir Slakman’s photos show what could be a reality if Israel had marriage equality.
Advocate.com Editors
www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2015/02/04/photos-wedding-fantasy-tel-aviv
Five Things You Don’t Know About The First Man Cured Of HIV
Five Things You Don’t Know About The First Man Cured Of HIV
Timothy Ray Brown is the first and only person in the world to be cured of HIV. There are some fascinating parts to his story you may not know, but first, here’s a little background.
In 2007, Timothy was a gravely ill leukemia patient living in Berlin (after his cure he was famously known as “the Berlin patient” before he came forward in 2011 and identified himself). Timothy was also HIV-positive, but at the time his HIV was the least of his worries.
When Timothy needed a stem cell transplant to treat his leukemia, doctors located a donor who had a rare gene mutation known as CCR5, which makes human cells immune to HIV. And that is the most scientific sentence you will read on Queerty all week.
By sheer good luck, doctors found a stem cell donor for Timothy who had the CCR5 mutation. The result of the stem cell transplant? Timothy’s immune system was replaced with a brand new immune system minus the HIV, and to this day he remains the only person to be cured.
“The HIV is gone and it is gone for good,” Timothy, who today lives in Palm Springs, told Queerty. “And I am also cancer free. Two cures. I am really fortunate and blessed.”
His cure is now part of the scientific record, but there are more interesting tidbits to learn about this courageous gay man who risked it all and found himself making history in the process.
Here are five things about Timothy Ray Brown that you may not know:
1. Timothy still identifies as part of the HIV community.
He may be the only person on earth who can say, “I used to have HIV,” but his heart is still very much connected to those living with the virus. He doesn’t care to engage in the sometimes nasty sexual politics between guys who are HIV-positive and those who are negative.
“Remember, I was HIV-positive twice as long as I have been cured,” Timothy said. “I still consider myself part of the HIV community. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
In fact, this November Timothy is embarking on the HIV Cruise Retreat (“the Poz Cruise”) to sail the Mexican Riviera with hundreds of people living with HIV and their allies. Between days at the beach and excursions in tropical cities, Timothy will share his story during a special presentation and discuss the latest in HIV cure research.
2. Timothy initially didn’t want the leukemia treatment that eventually cured his HIV.
“I said no to the transplant,” Timothy said, “thinking that it would not be necessary were the leukemia to remain in remission (which it was at the time). I did not need to be a guinea pig and risk my life receiving a transplant that might kill me.” When his leukemia returned, Timothy had no choice but to go through with it.
Neither Timothy nor his doctors had any idea that the stem cell transplant using a donor with the CCR5 mutation might lead to an historic breakthrough. It was a shot in the dark that miraculously hit the target.
3. The treatment Timothy received nearly killed him. Twice.
Folks, don’t try this at home. Timothy’s HIV cure happened in extreme and dangerous circumstances. Timothy endured chemotherapy, the stem cell transplant, and got pneumonia and sepsis infections in the process. His recovery from the stem cell transplant was exhausting and life-threatening.
The physician responsible for Timothy’s cure, Dr. Gero Huetter, eventually admitted he had given his patient only a 5 percent chance of survival. “Whatever,” says the good-humored Timothy now. “Math wasn’t my favorite subject anyway.”
4. There is a little bit of Timothy in vials all over the world.
In laboratories around the globe, millions of drops of Timothy’s blood, DNA and tissue samples are being studied.
“I love to give researchers and scientists a hard time about how they know me intimately,” Timothy said. “If only they knew how many pokes, prodding, surgeries and pain I have endured, perhaps they would at least buy me dinner. But it’s all worth it in the spirit of finding a cure for AIDS.”
5. Helping to find a cure that works for everyone has become Timothy’s mission in life.
Imagine winning the lottery and then using your fortune to help other people. That is the mindset that has driven Timothy since he was cured.
In 2013, Timothy co-founded the Cure for AIDS Coalition with Dave Purdy, and has used his notoriety to keep the search for a cure at the forefront of HIV research. “I know in my heart and soul that I will not be the only one cured of AIDS,” Timothy said. “We are committed to helping end this dreaded disease once and for all.”
While being the first person to be cured of HIV assures this gracious gay man a place in history, it is really what Timothy has done since then that makes him a genuine hero.
Mark
Chúc mừng LGBT Nha Trang!!!
Chúc mừng LGBT Nha Trang!!!
description.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUGgbdeaJzw&feature=youtube_gdata
little_miss_horror_story
Treat Yourself To A Luxurious And Romantic Hilltop Retreat
Treat Yourself To A Luxurious And Romantic Hilltop Retreat
Looking for a romantic getaway with your beau? How about a relaxing hangout with your buddies? Or maybe a quiet place where you go can enjoy some quality “me” time? Then check out and check into Sparkling Hill Resort and KurSpa in Vernon, BC, Canada.
The stunning hilltop location, luxury accommodations, world class spa, and fine dining options will leave you feeling renewed and ready to take on the world.
The resort offers all sorts of specials, including a two-night “Couples Escape” for love birds, which comes with a deluxe room, two three-course dinners, and two $150 vouchers for the spa, or a two-night “Health and Wellness” package that includes a dinner, two activity classes, and 20% off KurSpa treatments.
Of course, our friends at Sparkling Hill understand that we gays have exceptionally high standards, which they have no trouble meeting and exceeding. Guest rooms and penthouses include trendy designer furnishings, plush queen and king-sized beds, floor-to-ceiling sliding window walls overlooking Lake Okanagan, Swarovski crystal fireplaces, soaking tubs, and walk-through showers with breathtaking views. (Fun fact: Sparkling Hill is the only resort in the world to incorporate Swarovski crystal elements into every aspect of its design, using over 3.5 million crystals.)
KurSpa boasts 40,000 sq.ft of uniquely-themed steam and sauna rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, hot tub, water therapy walkway, fitness studio, as well as the Tea and Serenity Relaxation Rooms. The spa also offers over 100 healing treatments, including massages, facials, mud wraps, body scrubs, and more.
Need we go on?
The resort is in close proximity to a number of local wineries, a golf course, hiking trails, and other indoor and outdoor activities. And United Airlines offers direct flights from San Francisco to the Kelowna International Airport that is just 2 hours 50 minutes.
So have we convinced you yet? Good. Because our friends at Sparkling Hill and KurSpa are currently offering 10% to 20% discounts on a number of packages. Don’t miss this great opportunity to treat both yourselves to a little rest, romance and relaxation.
You deserve it.
Graham Gremore
'Ex-Gay' Michael Glatze Says James Franco Film Gave Him 'New Life', Apologizes to Gay Youth: VIDEO
'Ex-Gay' Michael Glatze Says James Franco Film Gave Him 'New Life', Apologizes to Gay Youth: VIDEO
Michael Glatze, writer for the (now shuttered) gay twink magazine XY and the short-lived publication Young Gay America who went “ex-gay” and became a poster boy for that movement, marrying a woman in 2013, sat down for an interview with vlogger Jake Reynolds following the screening of the new movie, I Am Michael at Sundance.
I Am Michael is based on the Benoit Denizet-Lewis NYT article “My Ex-Gay Friend”. You can read it here.
Glatze (played by James Franco in the film) appeared thrilled with his portrayal and told Reynolds that it is a turning point in his life:
“Life is starting up again. It’s almost like a new life. I thank James Franco for that. I did. I sent an email for him and I said ‘thank you so much for your interest in this project’ because it has been the spark to a gigantic healing process for so many people in my world, and now we can rejoin the rest of the world.”
For those who are not familiar with Glatze’s story this requires a bit of context.
Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, an organization that has devoted much time to exposing the “ex-gay” myth, wrote about Glatze’s story in 2013:
Mr. Glatze worked for XY Magazine and was the co-founder of a short-lived LGBT teenie-bopper mag, Young Gay America. Suddenly, he broke up with his boyfriend and had what appeared to be a nervous breakdown, where he had severe panic attacks about dying. During these disturbing episodes, he renounced his sexual orientation and temporarily converted to Mormonism. Though he had dived into the Mormon faith with gusto, he just as quixotically abandoned this faith to become an outspoken fundamentalist Christian…
…He began writing incendiary op-eds for World Net Daily where he claimed to be “repulsed by homosexuality.” He appeared on Porno Pete LaBarbera’s radio show. However, his time on the “ex-gay” circuit was short-lived and he proved to be an incompetent spokesperson. His columns were so beyond the pale, that he alienated long-time “ex-gay” activists. Eventually, Glatze was drummed out of the “ex-gay” industry after a meltdown. His demise came after he wrote a racist rant against president Barack Obama on his blog…
Franco this week reacted to the experience of meeting Glatze for the first time and said that Glatze told him the film was “healing” as well.
Franco added:
“In a way, we had to show to him we were going to have a very even-handed, non-judgmental approach, but we also had to say to ourselves, ‘We’re not telling this story just to make Michael happy, we’re telling the story to get both sides.’ The best we could do was say to him, ‘We have good intentions. We’re not going to crucify or judge you but we also need to tell the story from the other side as well as the side you’re on now.'”
However, there is only one side to the “ex-gay” story, and if the film (which I have not seen but was reviewed by our film critic here) presents being “ex-gay” as a valid option in life, it will certainly do a disservice to all of the young gay people who have been irreparably damaged by so called “conversion therapy”, “ex-gay” ministries, and so on. As time goes by, former “ex-gays” and proponents (John Paulk, Randy Thomas, Robert Spitzer, and James Stabile, and more) continue to come out and reveal that being “ex-gay” is a damaging, damaging myth.
In the new interview, Glatze is asked what he would say to the gay youth who have said they were hurt and felt betrayed by Glatze’s renunciation of his identity:
“I’m sorry, and that is one of the things I would say to anyone who has been hurt by any of the words that have come through my mouth or typed out on a computer screen…and even through video is that I’m sorry for any of the pain that I have caused. I literally feel that and have been dealing with that over the past really three or four years especially. It has just been a lot of the process of healing for me – we’ve been going through that together – and just growing in what the Buddhist teacher kind of observed was missing in me at that time was compassion…If there (are) amends to be made then to make those amends and not offend anyone on either side. We’ve got to be very careful with that.”
Watch the interview, AFTER THE JUMP…
Andy Towle
LGBT Women in eSports Have Unfair Advantage?
LGBT Women in eSports Have Unfair Advantage?
My personal thoughts and a few online comments about the recent news release from Garena eSports. I apologize for the terrible quality; I’ve yet to receive my webcam, and I would prefer to…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs3cBjVnRSg&feature=youtube_gdata
