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Trans People Go Home For The Holidays In #BeautifuLGBTQ Pantene Ad

Since 1943, the wistful holiday classic “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” has resonated deeply for those who can’t go home for the holidays. While the song was written with World War II soldiers in mind who were separated from their families, LGBTQ people often have their own difficulties in heading home for the holidays. Pantene has partnered with GLAAD and the 42-member Trans Chorus of Los Angeles on an inclusive ad for this Christmas season featuring the song with the hopes of raising awareness of the challenges LGBTQ folks face during returning home at Christmas time. “137 million Americans will travel home this holiday season,” reads an official statement from Pantene for the ad. “But, 44% of LGBTQ+ people feel they can’t come home as their true selves, fearing their identity (including hair, makeup, and personal style) won’t be accepted.” “Let’s make the most wonderful time of year wonderful for all,” the message continues. “Because no matter when you come home, where you call home, or who you come home to—coming home should be #BeautifuLGBTQ.” Procter & Gamble Vice President Ilaria Resta said in a statement, “Inclusion is at the heart of Pantene’s mission to celebrate the beauty of all transformations and of all people.” In addition to the ad, Pantene has also produced several videos with Trans Chorus members who share their personal struggles with family acceptance. “Hearing these LGBTQ individuals speak about the trials and triumphs of going home for the holidays — as well as their irrepressible desire to be their true selves — will inspire others in the community and remind us all what true beauty is about,” said Resta. Earlier this year, Pantene promoted Spirit Day and National Coming Out Day. As part of this collaboration with GLAAD, the hair giant has pledged to donate $100,000 to Family Equality, a group dedicated to making sure LGBTQ people have the same opportunities and parental rights as heterosexual couples.

The campaign also includes videos sharing the personal stories of Chorus members Crystal S., Steven H., MJ and Miliana S.

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Twitter: NY Unicorn Clears Snow From Driveway

Good on this woman in New York for finding a way to make the definitely-unpleasant task of clearing snow from her driveway just a bit more magical 🙂

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Christmas Music: Straight No Chaser “12 Days Of Christmas”

Going way back to almost the beginning of the aca-awesome group, Straight No Chaser performs their unique “12 Days of Christmas” for the first time, on December 7th, 1998, in the Musical Arts Center at Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana. Great arrangement. Clever, funny, and smart. If you don’t know these guys, make sure you check out their many holiday albums as well as their cover versions of pop songs here.

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News Round-Up: December 7, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • Instahunks: Fashion designer Daniel Sheehan calls his white t-shirt the ‘sexiest basic’ you’ll own, but I don’t see anything ‘basic’ in this pic (above). • Newsweek: The Hallmark Channel has yet to produce any gay-themed Christmas movies, but a petition launched by outraged evangelicals is aimed at thwarting any future attempts at making a film with LGBTQ themes or characters. • The Hill: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) – “The President doesn’t give a shit about what’s good for our country, what’s good for Ukraine. It’s all about what’s in it for him personally and for his reelection campaign.” • Advocate: A Republican congressman has introduced a bill he positions as a compromise answer to the Equality Act, but it includes broad religious exemptions. • Twitter: Donald Trump said today that “it is wrong” that “laws allow a baby to be born from his or her mother’s womb in the 9th month.” #WhoWantsToTellHim?

• Instinct Magazine: For the first time since the HIV/AIDS crisis began, 2019 saw more straight men in Western Australia diagnosed with HIV than their gay peers. • CNBC: Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to void a subpoena from the House that seeks the president’s financial records from his accounting firm. #WhatIsHeHiding? • Playbill: Tony and Oscar nominee Adam Driver (Burn This, BlacKKKlansman) sings “Being Alive” from Company in Marriage Story. Driver sings the iconic Stephen Sondheim tune as his character, Charlie, is coming to terms with having to rely on himself, to stay strong, to be alone in the next phase of his life.

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Gay Man Defends Bro’s Coming Out To Dad “It’s Like You Forgot Everything You Learned”

Reid Chandler (photo: Yordan)
Eight years ago, Reid Chandler came out to his family. A process he admits was “tough.” In a recent post on Twitter, Chandler shares that his family has been “amazing” in the time since he came out and “made a lot of progress,” which he straight up (you’ll pardon the pun) appreciates. But over the Thanksgiving holiday, his brother came out as well which Chandler characterizes as “tougher.” As his dad drove Chandler to the airport after the holiday, the father dropped an unsettling comment regarding his second son’s coming out – “Don’t take this the wrong way, but it makes me and your mom feel like we’ve done something terribly wrong as parents.” After processing the comment for a time, Chandler wrote to his father about the remark responding to the steps backward it seemed to represent. In sharing the missive on Twitter, which has now gone viral, he wrote: “So I love my parents and I won’t tolerate mean comments… but understand we are from a really southern, conservative background and me coming out was tough. My brother coming out last week was tougher,” Chandler wrote. “It took me that long to process but my dad needed to hear this.”

Here’s the text of Chandler’s message to his father:

Hey, I want to preface this text by saying I love you and you’ll always be my dad. I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me and I have a lot of respect for you.

But a comment you made on the drive to the airport has kept me up all night every night this week. I don’t expect a text back from you and I don’t even know if I want one. But this needs to be said.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but it makes me and your mom feel like we’ve done something terribly wrong as parents.”

How do I not take that the wrong way? Essentially you are saying that me being gay is a result of terrible parenting. That this is a pestilence we were cursed with. That I am a curse.

The belief system you and mom were raised on are not mine or Layton’s responsibility to tiptoe around or be sensitive to. Whatever you were taught about gay people-it is wrong. Point blank, period. End of story.

Imagine a parent telling their straight son he is a mistake. How wrong does that sound? That’s how you sounded to me in the car.

It is just as likely your child will be straight, bi, gay, trans, etc. You just weren’t raised to believe that and I guess I have to accept that. But I won’t accept feeling the way I’ve felt all week.

Eight years ago I came out to you and it’s been a journey for our whole family. You’ve been amazing all things considered and I thought we’ve made a lot of progress. You even invited my boyfriend at one time on vacation. Yet my brother comes out and it’s like we hit the reset button. It’s like you forgot everything you learned about love and compassion.

Be better and do better. Expand your mind. And if you don’t, fine, I can’t force you to and I certainly won’t bring this up again. But the train has left the station, Dad. My life is on the path it was always meant to be. Get on board or don’t. I will find happiness one way or another. It breaks my heart I have to even ask this of you.

Just because I love men doesn’t make me less of a man. And just because you don’t accept that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

In follow-up posts, Chandler said he didn’t anticipate his message receiving the attention it has “but I guess that’s what happens when you put something on Twitter.” He added that he considered removing the tweet because it felt “too personal” admitting he was “in an emotional space” when he tweeted it. But after the overwhelmingly “warm and moving” responses he received (over 28,000), he decided to leave it up as it seemed to resonate with so many. He also tweeted that many followers had asked if he got a response from his dad. He has but “sharing more of our conversation feels a step too invasive.” Sharing that his father was “kind and loving” in his response, he added that, “Our family is very close and I know I’m privileged in that regard.”

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LA Times Endorses Impeachment Of Trump

Donald Trump (image via Flickr/WhiteHouse – public domain)
The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times officially endorses the impeachment of Donald Trump:

The Times’ editorial board was a reluctant convert to the impeachment cause. We worried that impeaching Trump on essentially a party-line vote would be divisive. It is also highly likely that Trump would be — will be — acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate, and that, rightly or wrongly, he would point to that in his reelection campaign as exoneration.

Then a parade of current and former government officials who testified before the House Intelligence Committee established that Trump’s call was part of a larger effort to condition a White House meeting with Zelensky and the release of the aid on an announcement by Zelensky that he would initiate the specific investigations desired by Trump.

Holding the president accountable for gross abuse of power is the business of Congress. The House should get on with that business by writing articles of impeachment that make it clear to the Senate — and the American people — why the extraordinary remedy of impeachment is necessary. And Republicans who complain that the process is partisan could easily rectify that situation by abandoning their lockstep loyalty to Trump and looking at the facts.

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News Round-Up: December 6, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Celebrating the latest trip around the sun by my hot hubby, Michael, here in Puerto Vallarta. • Advocate: A Florida man is facing felony charges of child abandonment after dropping his underage son off at a closed police station. A police report indicated the man believed his son was gay and told him the police would find him a new home. • CNN: Former Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday he would consider Sen. Kamala Harris as a potential running mate, a day after she dropped out of the presidential race. “Of course I would. Sen. Harris has the capacity to be anything she wants to be. I mean it sincerely. I talked to her yesterday. She’s solid, she can be president someday herself, she can be vice president, she could go on to be a Supreme Court justice, she could be attorney general. I mean she has enormous capability.” • Desert Sun: Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful wall” was easily scaled by two men in Mexicali.

• KIT212: Kenneth rounds up the latest what’s what in gay rags across the country. • Slate: A mother wrote in asking for advice after realizing her son shares the same name as a ‘prolific’ porn star. She wonders if she should change his name worrying possible employers might Google the name and think the adult performer is her son. The son says he’s good, btw. • One more ‘hey’ from Puerto Vallarta: Hope you all have an awesome weekend 🙂

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Aaron Rupar: ‘Shot, Chaser, Oblivion’

Donald Trump tweeted today that any news story that doesn’t have “an actual living name on it” should not be believed. It, of course, must be ‘fake news.’ I always think this is a bit of projection again on Trump’s part because he knows he made up ‘fake news’ sources over the years. So, he assumes everyone else does. Vox reporter Aaron Rupar reminds us of just a few times when Trump himself announced ‘fake news’ with no names attached. #TheresAlwaysATweet

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Coldplay’s Chris Martin Opens Up On Conquering Childhood Homophobia

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin (image via Depositphotos)
During a recent video interview with Rolling Stone, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin opens up for the first time about struggling with his sexuality as a boy, homophobic bullying he experienced as a kid, and realizing he carried some homophobia of his own. “When I went to boarding school, I walked a bit funny and I bounced a bit,” said Martin. “And I was also very homophobic, because I was like, ‘If I’m gay, I’m completely f*cked for eternity’ and I was a kid discovering sexuality.” “‘Maybe I’m gay, maybe I’m this, maybe I’m that, I can’t be this,’ so I was terrified,” the 42-year-old added. He described his classmates at boarding school in the UK as “a bunch of quite hardcore kids” saying “for a few years, they would very much say, ‘You’re definitely gay,’ in quite a full-on manner, quite aggressively telling me that – and it was weird for me for a few years.” That “terrible turmoil” led Martin to discover his personal escape – music – especially “classic soul, British shoegaze rock and cathedral music” which would all ultimately find its way into the sound that is Coldplay. And then, at the age of fifteen and a half, after reading about Elton John’s life and career, the anti-gay mindset “stopped overnight.” “I don’t know what happened,” he told Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner. “I was like, ‘Yeah, so what?’ and then it all just stopped overnight. It was very interesting. Once I was like, ‘Yeah, so what if I’m gay.’” “Just growing up a bit and having a bit more exposure to the world, thinking, ‘A lot of my heroes are gay’ or whatever,” he realized. “Whatever they are, it doesn’t really matter.” Martin says that epiphany led him to consider other conflicting issues in his young life as well, including religion. “[It] made me question, ‘Hey, maybe some of this stuff that I’m learning about God and everything — I’m not sure if I subscribe to all of this particular religion,’” he shares. Describing his personal relationship with religion as “wobbly,” he eventually he settled on his “own relationship” with the concept of God, and realized “it’s not really any one religion for me.’” The Rolling Stone sit-down is one of just a handful of interviews the singer is giving in support of Coldplay’s newly-released album, Everyday Life. Check out the band’s latest music video, “Daddy.” https://youtu.be/OWhiCkEY-Yk (source: Rolling Stone)