Category: Uncategorized

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Report: 46% Of LGBTQ Folks Stay Closeted At Work

A new survey shows 46% of LGBTs stay closeted to avoid stereotyping at work

In a new survey of 1,615 straight and gay workers by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 46% of LGBTQ employees stay closeted in the workplace because they are afraid of being stereotyped, damaging business relationships or making folks feel ‘uncomfortable.’

That’s a drop of only 4 points from 50% ten years when the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Degrees of Equality report was issued in 2008.

Of the straight respondents, half said there aren’t any LGBTQ employees at their place of employment.

According to The Wall Street Journal, over half of Fortune 500 businesses now have an executive tasked with addressing inclusivity and diversity at their company.

Even so, one in five LGBTQ employees say they’ve been told to dress in a more ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ manner.

Fifty-three percent of LGBTQ workers say they hear gay/lesbian jokes occasionally at work.

The number one reason why LGBTQ employees don’t say anything about negative comments about gay folks is they don’t believe the issue will be addressed and they don’t want to injure relationships with coworkers.

The new report by the HRC Foundation looks to “uncover the prevalence of LGBTQ workers feeling pressure to hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity on the job and the cost of that hiding both to individuals and employers.”

You can download a PDF of the report, titled A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ Workers Nationwide, by clicking here.

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Supreme Court Upholds Trump Travel Ban

The U. S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Donald Trump’s Muslim travel ban in a 5-4 decision.

From The New York Times:

Just a week after he took office, Mr. Trump issued his first travel ban, causing chaos at the nation’s airports and starting a cascade of lawsuits and appeals. The first ban, drafted in haste, was promptly blocked by courts around the nation.

A second version, issued two months later, fared little better, although the Supreme Court allowed part of it go into effect last June when it agreed to hear the Trump administration’s appeals from court decisions blocking it. But the Supreme Court dismissed those appeals in October after the second ban expired.

In January, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to Mr. Trump’s third and most considered entry ban, issued as a presidential proclamation in September. It initially restricted travel from eight nations, six of them predominantly Muslim — Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, Venezuela and North Korea. Chad was later removed from the list.

The restrictions varied in their details, but, for the most part, citizens of the countries were forbidden from emigrating to the United States and many of them are barred from working, studying or vacationing here.

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Chris Hayes: ‘The Border’ Is a Convenient Metaphor For Anxious Whites

I usually tune into late night talk shows for folks to say something funny or clever.

But in this short segment from Late Night with Seth Meyers, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes succinctly breaks down what’s really behind today’s anti-immigration debate.

In discussing his trip to the southern border of the United States to examine immigration issues, Hayes is asked about Donald Trump going to Duluth, Minnesota, for a campaign rally and raging about ‘the border’ to his supporters there – in a state that isn’t directly impacted by folks crossing any ‘border’ into their state.

So – why do they rage? Because white folks are afraid America won’t be ‘America’ if our demographics shift.

Said Hayes, “It’s not actually ‘the border.’ It’s this idea of ‘invasion.’ The country is changing in ways they don’t like. The border is a convenient metaphor for that anxiety.”

And he’s right.

Watch the clip below.

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‘What Would You Do?’ Explores Homophobes Stiffing A Lesbian Waitress

Over the weekend, I wrote about ABC News’ popular series “What Would You Do?” exploring how regular folks would react if they witnessed a baker refusing to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple.

It appears the folks at WWYD weren’t done with LGBT-themed situations.

Today we get to see actors playing homophobic bigots refusing to tip a waitress in a restaurant after they find out she’s lesbian.

The segment is based on a real incident back in 2017 where a waitress in Illinois was denied a tip by customers who had seen her rainbow tattoo. After the guests had departed, the waitress found a zero tip and a note which read, “Can’t tip someone who doesn’t love Jesus – Bad tattoo.”

So ABC News hired two actors to play homophobes who loudly act shocked and offended when the actress playing the waitress shares she’s married to a woman. “Marriage is by definition a man and a woman,” the female ‘homophobe declares for the other restaurant guests to hear.

One yahoo sitting near the ‘homophobes’ agreed with the couple, tossing out this this whopper: “Look at it this way, they can’t have any kids. Nature takes care of it all by itself. So, eventually they’ll wipe themselves out. Give it time.”

But when other diners overhear the plan to stiff the waitress, customers chime in asking, “Her life doesn’t impact your life, does it?”

Another woman was so riled up about the anti-LGBT animus she couldn’t stay seated. And her dining companion threatened to use physical force against the haters.

Watch how it all unfolds below.

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‘Storm Chasers’ Star Died Of Deadly Mix of Ecstasy, Ketamine & Ambien

In late January, Joel Taylor, the out host of Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers, was found unconscious in his cabin aboard a gay cruise.

The reality TV star died amid rumors that party drugs were “flowing freely” among some passengers on the Harmony of the Sea owned by Royal Caribbean and charted by gay cruise company, Atlantis Events.

I should add that I actually boarded the ship in Puerto Rico on the same day that Taylor’s body was removed from the ship for autopsy.

The FBI launched an investigation into the death and Taylor’s toxicology lab results have just been revealed.

The report from the Bureau of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico shows the 38-year-old’s death was the result of an accidental overdose involving a deadly mix of drugs including “tricyclic antidepressants,” MDMA, Ketamine, and Zolpidem (a version of Ambien).

MDA, a derivative of amphetamines, was also found in his system.

There were rumors that GHB was the cause, but the newly-released toxicology report did not find any traces of the drug in his system at the time of death.

According to The Blast, testing took much longer than usual since the lab testing machines in Puerto Rico broke, and Taylor’s samples had to be sent to the U.S. for analyzing.

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Donald Trump Wants To Eliminate Due Process For Immigrants Coming Into US

Apparently, Donald Trump wasn’t paying attention when he swore to uphold the U.S. Constitution during his inauguration.

The New York Times reports:

President Trump asserted on Sunday that immigrants who crossed into the United States illegally should be sent back immediately without due process or an appearance before a judge, an escalation of his attacks on the judicial system.

It was another twist in an already head-spinning series of developments on immigration after the president reversed a policy last week that had resulted in the separation of more than 2,300 children from their families.

The call to abandon due process on Sunday in some ways echoed part of his executive order, which seeks to detain immigrant families indefinitely, a stance that courts have said violates the rights of the children. But on Sunday, Mr. Trump went further, saying no judges at all were needed to process immigration cases.

The ACLU responded to Trump’s call to eliminate due process for migrants: “What President Trump has suggested here is both illegal and unconstitutional. Any official who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws should disavow it unequivocally.”

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Madonna Sends ‘Love From Lisbon’ For Pride Month

Pop queen Madonna sent her best wishes to the LGBTQ community on Sunday for Pride Month.

Via Instagram, Madge thanked “every gay boy that taught me a new dance, how to dress, how to drag” and more.

“Until I can Share MY music……. I’m sending Love from Lisbon! 🌈💕🌈💕🌈💕missing NY and the fierceness of the LGBT community that gave me life from the moment I landed there!! For Me, Pride Month is every month! This 👑 Bows down to every Gay Boy that taught me a. New dance, how to dress, how to drag, how to slay, To stand tall in the face of adversity, to not give up hope, to own my inner bitch and to love my flaws! 🌈🎉🌈🎉🌈🎉 #loveislove #gratitude #pride 🌈 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈”

Madonna and the gay community have been a mutual admiration society for decades. In a 2010 appearance on ELLEN, the queen of pop proudly declared, “I wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for the gay community.”

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Trump Attacks Restaurant That Asked Sarah Huckabee Sanders To Leave

President Trump told the Twitterverse Monday morning that the Virginia restaurant that refused to serve White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is “dirty” and “needs a paint job.”

Over the weekend, Sanders confirmed (via her official White House press secretary Twitter account) that the owner of The Red Hen in Lexington, Va. asked her to leave while she dined out with a group of people.

Speaking to The Washington Post after the incident, the owner of the restaurant, Stephanie Wilkinson, shared that she asked Sanders to leave, in part, because of the Trump administration’s proposed ban on transgender military service members.

“I’m not a huge fan of confrontation,” Wilkinson said. “I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.”

This followed a spate of confrontations of Trump administration officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen at a Washington, D.C. restaurant over the administration’s immigration policy and White House policy adviser Stephen Miller at a Mexican restaurant.

Folks were quick to point out to the Trumpster that his own Mar-a-Lago resort has had its share of health code violations.

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Out Athletes Cover 10th Annual ESPN Magazine’s ‘Body Issue’

ESPN Magazine’s 10th Annual ‘Body Issue’ is online today!

Begun in 2008, the issue highlights the physiques of 16 world-class athletes.

Alison Overholt, editor in chief of ESPN Magazine said in a statement,“The goal has always been for us to celebrate the athletic form—in every shape and size—and to allow people to stop and marvel at the works of art these bodies truly are.”

This year’s edition is more LGBTQ-inclusive than ever featuring Olympic bronze medalist Adam Rippon as well as lesbian soccer forward Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign) together with her girlfriend, 10-time WNBA All-Star point guard for the Seattle Storm, Sue Bird.

The couple’s print cover is the first time a queer couple has covered the Body Issue.

“It’s pretty amazing to think about [being on the cover of the Body Issue], especially in the times we’re in,” Rapinoe shared in her interview. “Just think of how far we’ve come, but also the current climate. Not only are we female athletes, but we’re dating as well. It’s kind of bad-ass.”

Coming off of this year’s Winter Olympics as well as a grueling tour for ‘Stars On Ice’ while competing (and winning) Dancing with the Stars, Rippon told ESPN Magazine, “I couldn’t have done this [shoot] while I was in the closet.”

“I think that, with my experience of coming out, I felt so liberated in so many ways,” the 28-year-old added.

Also included in the Body Issue are Saquon Barkley (running back for New York Giants), sprinter Tori Bowie, cross-country skier and Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins, National Women’s Soccer League MVP Crystal Dunn, Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, as well as totally fit seniors Jerry Rice of the NFL and pro-golfing legend, Greg Norman.

The print edition of the Body Issue hits news stands on June 29, but you can check out the online versions over at ESPN Magazine here.

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Pride Month: Ellen’s Favorite LGBTQ TV Moments

Ellen DeGeneres

In observing Pride Month, Ellen DeGeneres shared a video montage of her favorite inspiring LGBTQ+ Pride moments on her show.

The three-minute video includes Ellen’s announcement of her wedding, Laverne Cox’s appearance on TIME Magazine and Sam Smith saying he wants to be a spokesman for the LGBTQ community.

Also in the highlight reel are transgender military veterans sharing their stories as Donald Trump proposed banning their service as well as touching coming-out stories.

Hit the play button below and feel good.