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Spirit Day 2016

Spirit Day began in 2010 as a way to show support for LGBTQ youth and take a stand against bullying. Following a string of high-profile suicide deaths of gay teens in 2010, GLAAD worked to involve millions of teachers, workplaces, celebrities, media outlets and students in going purple on social media or wearing purple, a color that symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag.

Spirit Day now occurs every year on the third Thursday in October, during National Bullying Prevention Month, and has become the most visible day of support for LGBTQ youth.

This year GLAAD will celebrate Spirit Day on October 20 where we will all stand together; communities, corporations, celebrities, landmarks, faith groups, sports leagues, schools and so much more, to send a message of solidarity and acceptance to LGBTQ youth.

An amazing teenager, Brittany McMillan, wanted to remember those young people who lost their lives to suicide and to take a stand against bullying.

Students, schools, organizations, corporations, media professionals, celebrities, parents and many more. Everyone from Oprah to Cher to Facebook and MTV have gone purple for Spirit Day. Even the White House has joined the cause!

So, click over to GLAAD, change your pic to purple and get your grape on today remembering how we need to stand up to bullying.

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The Two Moments From The 3rd Presidential Debate Everyone Is Talking About

Instead of recapping the entire third presidential debate last night, I’ll just get to the two moments that grabbed everyone’s attention.

The first was Donald Trump’s attempt to treat the debate like the finale of a reality TV show when he announced he would decide at a later date whether or not he would accept the results of the election.

From CBS News:

On the University of Nevada debate stage in Las Vegas, Trump was asked point-blank whether he would “absolutely accept” the result of this election.

His response: “I will look at it at the time. I’m not looking at anything now. I’ll look at it at the time.”

The statement came just hours after his own vice presidential nominee, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, told CNN in a pre-debate interview: “I’ve said before that we’ll certainly accept the outcome of this election.”

Debate moderator Chris Wallace, of Fox News, pressed Trump on the “tradition in this country” of the election loser conceding, allowing for a “peaceful transition of power.”

“Are you saying you’re not prepared now to commit to that principle?” Wallace asked.

“What I’m saying is that I will tell you at the time,” Trump replied. “I’ll keep you in suspense. OK?”

The second moment came near the very end when Trump interrupted Hillary Clinton to say she was “such a nasty woman.”

Here’s how folks in the political world scored the two candidates:

“She devastated him. He melted down. His refusal to accept the results of this election disqualifies him automatically from any office in the United States. There were several areas where he was utterly incoherent, grasping at ‘facts,’ without any understanding of policy. His personal foulness emerged.” – Andrew Sullivan for New York Magazine

“He should have said he would accept the results of the election. There is no other option unless we’re in a recount again.” – conservative pundit Laura Ingraham

“This was the Democratic nominee’s best debate performance. She finally figured out the right calibration of ignoring and engaging Trump.” – Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post

“Clinton really is doing well tonight. Again and again, she’s taken Trump apart.” – James Astill of The Economist

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CBS News Poll: Likely Voters Say HIllary Clinton Tops Trump In Final Debate 49% – 39%

Democrat Hillary Clinton was deemed the winner of the third and final presidential debate last night according to viewers in 13 battleground states.

From The Hill:

Almost half, 49 percent, in the CBS News Battleground Tracker poll released Thursday morning said the Democratic nominee won the debate Wednesday night, compared to 39 percent who said Republican Donald Trump was the winner.

Twelve percent called it a tie.

Trump during the debate would not say if he would accept the results of the election, which he has called “rigged.”

The CBS News poll found Trump supporters split on that issue heading into the debate: 33 percent said candidates should accept election results, 36 percent said they should not agree to such a pledge, and another third had no opinion.

Nearly all Clinton supporters said candidates should accept election results.

CBS News interviewed 934 likely voters who watched the debate in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. The new poll has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

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Aaron “Totally Not Gay” Schock Returns To Instagram

Ok, so it’s a far cry from the “totally not gay” moment above, but yesterday saw the return of Aaron Schock to social media after an 83 week hiatus.

The 35-year-old former Congressman from Illinois had a fall from grace in March 2013 when he resigned his office after reports of misusing campaign funds for travel expenses, concert tickets, office renovations and a personal photographer on call.

In the aftermath of his resignation, Schock became much less visible to the public which stood in stark contrast to half-naked Instagram pics and fitness magazine covers.

Yesterday, Schock stuck a toe back in the social media waters when he shared this Instagram post:

Rumors swirled for years about Schock’s sexuality thanks to his propensity to show some of that worked out body and a fashion sense that seemed to ping some gaydar occasionally.

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Man On PrEP Contracts Rare Strain Of HIV

At the 2016 HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) Conference this week in Chicago, Illinois, researchers shared the news that a man in the U.S. has acquired a rare strain of HIV despite regularly using Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

As many gay men know, PrEP is an HIV prevention strategy that has been touted as 99% effective via the use of a once-a-day pill.

From the Human Rights Campaign:

In an interview with TheBody.com, a leading news source for information related to HIV and AIDS, Dr. Howard Grossman says the man is his patient and had been using PrEP since December 2015. The patient came in for routine follow-up testing earlier this year and was discovered to be HIV-positive. When asked why PrEP didn’t work in this case, Dr. Grossman replied that the man had acquired a rare strain of HIV that is resistant to both of the drugs found in Truvada, the only medication that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for PrEP. This is the second documented case of someone contracting HIV while consistently using PrEP. The first case was announced earlier this year in February.

In a separate interview with The Body, Dr. Robert Grant, an internationally recognized PrEP expert who co-presented on the case, said that he continues to believe PrEP is “at least 99 percent effective” even with these now two cases of PrEP failure. According to Grant, “PrEP is still the most effective tool for HIV prevention we have ever had.”

Even though PrEP has been proven to be safe and highly effective at preventing HIV transmission, it is not foolproof. It only works if you take it exactly as prescribed. Additionally, it’s important to remember that PrEP does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections or unwanted pregnancy. Condoms, birth control and other proven prevention methods can be paired with PrEP to provide additional protection.

For more info about PrEP, click here.

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Happy Hump Day

Photos by Christopher DeVargas, Art Direction by Wesley Gatbonton

Las Vegas Magazine’s recent photo shoot with the world famous Chippendales captures the sexy men at a sweaty, midnight workout.

Each of the men also took time to do a little Q&A. Here’s what James Davis (you may remember from his #2 finish on The Amazing Race a few seasons back) had to share.

• Favorite TV show right now? Stranger Things.

• Three non-physical traits that attract you to another? Musical taste. Taste in movies. And taste in literature.

• Favorite childhood cartoon? Beavis and Butt-Head.

• If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be? Bring back The Doors. Now, this sounds so hippy-dippy, but, bring peace and love to this earth. And I wish I could sing opera.

• Best dish you can make? Steak and potatoes.

• If I’m home alone I’m? Nerding out on comic books.

• Favorite cereal? Lucky Charms.

• Favorite dance move? Hip thrust/body roll. It’s a move we do in our show every 25 seconds (laughs).

• The perfect date is? Unplanned and spontaneous. Sometimes the best plan is no plan.

• Favorite musical genre? Metal. I was in a metal band for 12 years; I did vocals.

• If you were on a deserted island, what three things would you want to bring? All my CDs I collected throughout the ’90s. My French bulldog, England. And I’d bring Bear Grylls.

Click over to Las Vegas Magazine for more. Definitely worth the click.

James Davis of The Chippendales

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Bruce Springsteen On “Flagrant, Toxic, Narcissist” Donald Trump

Bruce Springsteen doesn’t mince words here calling out White House hopeful Donald Trump for his current “scorched earth” approach to the final weeks of the presidential campaign.

“He’s such a flagrant, toxic narcissist that he wants to take down the entire democratic system with him if he goes.”

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Bill Clinton & Melania Trump Will Not Cross Paths Before Tonight’s Presidential Debate

According to the New York Times, the spouses and children of the two presidential candidates will not cross paths as they enter the third and final debate tonight in Las Vegas.

You’ll remember at the last debate, the Trump campaign attempted to seat past accusers of Bill Clinton in the Trump family VIP seating meaning he would have been face to face with the women at the top of the evening.

The Clinton side is not taking any chances at the final presidential debate, on Wednesday night in Las Vegas, and has apparently gained approval of a different protocol for the entry of the candidates’ spouses and families into the debate hall.

The new arrangement calls for the candidates’ spouses to enter the hall closer to their seats, rather than crossing the room, and each other’s paths. That would avoid any potential for confrontations, given Mr. Trump’s penchant for dramatic stunts.

On Tuesday, an aide to Mrs. Clinton declined to comment on the change, and aides to Mr. Trump did not respond to an email seeking comment. It is possible, of course, that further negotiations could result in a different arrangement, if both sides agree, by the time the debate begins at 9 p.m. Eastern.

But the unease over how the candidates’ families interact echoes that of the candidates themselves. At the debate in St. Louis, in a striking departure from tradition, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump did not shake hands at the start, though they did at the conclusion of the 90 minutes.

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Hillary Clinton Leading By 5 Points In Arizona

A new poll by the Arizona Republic, Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy and Cronkite News, shows Democrat Hillary Clinton leading in the traditionally red state of Arizona by 5 points.

According to the survey, Clinton is currently at 43% support of the state’s likely voters as Republican Donald Trump trails at 38%.

Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein continue in single digits receiving 7% and 4%, respectively.

In case you’re wondering why Hillary is doing so well in a state that should be Trump territory, take a look at this recent poll of Latino voters and keep in mind Arizona’s large Hispanic population.