Tag: LGBT

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Frontiers LA gets new owner, total reboot

Frontiers LA, the 32-year-old biweekly publication based in Southern California has a new owner and is looking at a reboot as first a digital, and eventually a print publication that promises to “reach a diverse, sophisticated audience.”

Via press release:

Frontiers will still be the nationally respected source for news and opinion about LGBT issues from the most resonant voices in the community. It will also remain the definitive source for nightlife, restaurants, shopping and culture in Hollywood and an expanding circle of other like-minded communities.

Gay life has grown beyond the strict neighborhood boundaries and mindset of Boystown. Expect to see many changes online and in print in the coming months. You’ll also be getting announcements about new talent, major events and innovative programs leading up to a full relaunch in June.

Frontiers LA currently has a readership of approximately 90,000 and over 250,000 unique online visitors a month.

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First Sochi Olympic protest – snowboarder Cheryl Maas of the Netherlands

One of six openly gay athletes at this Olympics, snowboarder Cheryl Maas of the Netherlands delivered the first protest of the games after failing to qualify for the slope style event.

As she walked away from the event, she turns to the camera and holds up her glove, which was covered with a rainbow and unicorn, two distinct icons associated with the LGBT community.

Watch at the 2:00 mark.

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Las Vegas: Tropicana Resort to host LGBTQ Saturday pool party – XPOSED!

The Tropicana Resort in Las Vegas has announced a new weekly event – Xposed! – which will be the only Saturday pool party on the Strip catering specifically to the LGBTQ community. Via press release:

“We are a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community,” said Fred Harmon, chief marketing officer for The New Tropicana Las Vegas. “Xposed! is the next phase in our property’s LGBTQ initiatives and we look forward to providing the ultimate Las Vegas day club for LGBTQ travelers.”

Xposed! will be hosted at the all-new Tropicana Beach Club, where guests will enjoy a breathtaking pool area complete with waterfalls, palm trees and luxury daybeds and cabanas.

This tropical oasis will welcome sun-kissed go-go dancers, celebrity guest performers and DJs spinning all the latest hits.

Other highlights include two Olympic-sized sand volleyball courts, two heated pools, a high-rise stage for live entertainment and an exclusive menu featuring handcrafted cocktails and light bites, making it the ideal location for an afternoon of fun in the sun.

Also coming to the Tropicana in 2014 is a resident company of the hit musical MAMMA MIA this spring.

For more info about Xposed! at The New Tropicana Resort, head over to XposedLV.com.

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Uganda’s Parliament passes anti-gay legislation

Originally known as the ‘Kill The Gays’ bill, Uganda’s anti-gay legislation has passed in parliament.

The original bill included a death penalty for being gay, but that has been removed from the legislation’s language.  However,  people can still get life in prison for homosexuality.

In addition, the bill will make it illegal to ‘promote’ homosexuality and will also jail anyone who does not report homosexual activities to the police.

The president could sign the bill as soon as tomorrow.

The government is aware there will be an international outcry, which may lead to some countries suspending aid to the country.

More at GayStar News

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Pennsylvania: Gov. Corbett supports LGBT protections in the workplace

Gov. Tom Corbett, a conservative Republican who has opposed LGBT rights in the past – most notably marriage equality -says he is ready to support employment protections for gays and lesbians in the workplace, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer Wednesday. 
“I’ve had people come and talk to me about how they were discriminated against,” said Corbett. “The federal government has antidiscrimination laws. I believed they covered it.”
But federal law does not prohibit employers from firing, refusing to hire or promote someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Pennsylvania state law does not currently prohibit discrimination in public accommodation, housing, education, or employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. A bill that would make it illegal to fire someone for being LGBT was introduced in the state House earlier this year, but has since failed to move out of committee. Pennyslvania is also the only state in the Northeastern U.S. that has yet to embrace marriage equality. 
Openly gay state Rep. Brian Sims, released this statement praising the governor’s move toward equality for all:
“I have long believed that equality is not a one-party issue,” said Sims. “We continue to see our elected officials in Pennsylvania coming out on the right side of history, and Governor Corbett is no exception to this trend. Last month, Senator Pat Toomey, also a conservative Republican, voted to advance the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the U.S. Senate, demonstrating to Americans across the country that support for LGBT civil rights and a conservative ideology are not mutually exclusive. To those conservative leaders in our government who have shied away from being vocal about non-discrimination legislation in Pennsylvania, I hope this is a green light to openly support non-discrimination legislation.”
(source)
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Family Ties star Meredith Baxter marries longtime partner

Family Ties actress Meredith Baxter married her longtime partner Nancy Locke in a ceremony over the weekend in L.A., People magazine reports:

Close friends and family – including Baxter’s five children –, looked on as the couple exchanged handwritten vows.  Music played a central theme in the celebration. A friend sang and played guitar during the ceremony and at the reception, Locke’s band took the stage.

The couple has been together for seven years. Baxter came out of the closet in 2009.

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Edith Windsor named to shortlist for TIME’s Person of the Year

TIME managing editor Nancy Gibbs has named the shortlist for the magazine’s annual ‘Person of the Year’ issue, and it includes DOMA plaintiff  and SCOTUS victor Edie Windsor.

Bashar Assad, President of Syria
Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder
Ted Cruz, Texas Senator
Miley Cyrus, Singer
Pope Francis, Leader of the Catholic Church
Barack Obama, President of the United States
Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services
Edward Snowden, N.S.A. Leaker
Edith Windsor, Gay rights activist

Last year, President Obama was named Person of the Year by TIME.

(via Towleroad)
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LGBT Tolerance Spectrum in US

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz has parsed public information to determine a sense of tolerance for LGBT folks across the country.  From the New York Times:

Using surveys, social networks, pornographic searches and dating sites, I recently studied evidence on the number of gay men. The data used in this analysis is available in highly aggregated form only and can be downloaded from publicly accessible sites. While none of these data sources are ideal, they combine to tell a consistent story.

• At least 5 percent of American men, I estimate, are predominantly attracted to men, and millions of gay men still live, to some degree, in the closet.

• Gay men are half as likely as straight men to acknowledge their sexuality on social networks.

• More than one quarter of gay men hide their sexuality from anonymous surveys.

• The evidence also suggests that a large number of gay men are married to women.

There are three sources that can give us estimates of the openly gay population broken down by state: the census, which asks about same-sex households; Gallup, which has fairly large-sample surveys for every state; and Facebook, which asks members what gender they are interested in.

While these data sources all measure different degrees of openness, one result is strikingly similar: All three suggest that the openly gay population is dramatically higher in more tolerant states, defined using an estimate by Nate Silver of support for same-sex marriage. On Facebook, for example, about 1 percent of men in Mississippi who list a gender preference say that they are interested in men; in California, more than 3 percent do.

No real surprises, but interesting to see how it breaks down. Read the full analysis by Seth here.

(h/t JMG)