Tag: LGBT

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Trump Scrubs White House Website Of Civil Rights, Climate Change & Healthcare Sections

Obama White House LGBT webpage

Within minutes of being sworn in as president, civil rights, climate change, and healthcare were all scrubbed from the White House website.

From Esquire:

As part of the presidential transition, Trump’s team assumes control of WhiteHouse.gov. Before today, the “Issues” tab of the website had a section devoted to climate change, the existential threat posed to our species that a scientific consensus holds is caused by human activity. That section is completely gone with the website revamp, along with any mention of climate change whatsoever.

Trump’s new climate change plan: Act like it’s not there until it goes away!

Jackie Kucinich, Washington bureau chief for The Daily Beast noticed the disappearance of the civil rights section of the website:

Here’s what you get if you search for “LGBT” on the new site:

Trump White House LGBT webpage
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Obama On LGBT Progress: “I Could Not Be Prouder Of The Transformation That’s Taken Place In Our Society”

During his final press conference with the White House press corps, President Obama was asked by the Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson on how he looked back on his administration’s accomplishments on behalf of the LGBT community.

In his answer, he gave props to all those who came out and/or live out, and thereby make themselves visible to the world. He also points to the openness and authenticity of folks like Ellen DeGeneres.

I could not be prouder of the transformation that’s taken place in our society just in the last decade. And I’ve said before I think we made some useful contributions to it, but the primary heroes in this stage of our growth as a democracy and a society are all the individual activists and sons and daughters and couples who courageously said this is who I am and I’m proud of it. That opened people’s minds and opened their hearts and eventually laws caught up. But I don’t think any of that would have happened without the activism, in some cases loud and noisy, but in some cases just quiet and very personal.

And I think that what we did as an administration was to help the society to move in a better direction, but to do so in a way that didn’t create an enormous backlash and was systematic and respectful of the fact that in some cases these issues were controversial. I think that the way we handled, for example ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ being methodical about it, working with the Joint Chiefs, making sure that we showed this would not have an impact on the effectiveness of the greatest military on earth. And then to have Defense Secretary Bob Gates, Chairman Mike Mullen and Joint Chiefs who were open to evidence and ultimately worked with me to do the right thing–I am proud of that, but again, none of that would have happened without this incredible transformation that was happening in society.

You know when I gave Ellen the Presidential Medal of Freedom, I meant what I said, somebody that kind and likeable projecting into living rooms around the country, you know, that changed attitudes. And that wasn’t easy to do for her–and that’s just one small example of what was happening in communities all across the country, so I’m proud that in certain places we maybe provided a good block down-field to help the movement advance.

I don’t think it is something that will be reversible because American society has changed–the attitudes of young people in particular have changed. That doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be some fights that are important–legal issues, issues surrounding transgender persons. There are still going to be some battles that need to take place. But if you talk to young people, Malia and Sasha’s generation, even if they’re Republicans, even if they’re conservative, many of them would tell you “I don’t understand how you would discriminate against somebody because of sexual orientation. That’s just sort of burned into them in pretty powerful ways.

Listen to his answer below:

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The Trump Cabinet Is Not Looking Good For The Gays

Newsflash – Donald Trump, who during the presidential campaign said he’d be “so much better for the gays,” is not doing so great for the gays when you realize that all of his administration appointments so far oppose equal rights for LGBTs.

The guy who could barely pronounce “L-G-B-T-Q” at his national convention looks like he’s rounding up every anti-LGBT political personality he can find.

Let’s look at Trump’s choice for Attorney General, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. Sessions voted against marriage equality, repealing DADT, and received a prefect “0” rating from the Human Rights Campaign.

Really makes you feel like America’s next “Top Cop” is really going to be looking out for you, huh?

Secretary of Education nominee, Betsy DeVos, donated $700,000 to various anti-LGBT groups who fought tooth and nail against same-sex marriage. Plus, she basically opposes fixing public schools and would like to see school vouchers become the norm.

Secretary of Health and Human Services choice, Tom Price, is another total zero, at least when it comes to his Human Rights Campaign rating thanks in great part to his co-sponsorship of the First Amendment Defense Act which would legalize LGBT discrimination based on “deeply held religious beliefs. Plus, he called the Obergefell decision “a sad day for marriage.”

Vice President Mike Pence – where to start? He started an international shit storm last year when he signed Indiana’s anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act’ into law, giving businesses the right to discriminate against gay people on the grounds of religion.

Pence would also like to repeal President Obama’s executive protections on LGBT rights, so that “the transgender bathroom issue can be resolved with common sense at the local level”.

Under Reince Priebus’ leadership,  the GOP adopted it’s most into-LGBT platform in years. Priebus has been tagged for the plum role of Chief of Staff in the Trump administration. He also bears the pride of a zero rating from the HRC,

Incoming National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has a long history of opposing gays in the military. Most recently he was very verbal about allowing transgender folks to serve openly in the U.S. armed forces.

Stay tuned for more. I’m sure this is just the tip of the titanic Trump iceberg.

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Out Series: “Feral” on Dekkoo.com

New series set to air on LGBT streaming site Dekkoo.com – “Feral.”

Via press release:

Like HBO’s “Looking” or “Girls,” but set in Memphis, Tennessee. That’s how creator Morgan Jon Fox characterizes “Feral,” a Dekkoo.com original TV series that debuts October 6 exclusively on the subscription streaming service dedicated to gay men.

In “Feral,” Fox (who also serves as the series writer and director), weaves a tale of survival as a group of 20-somethings learn about love, loss and friendship while living in the vibrant, artistic queer community of Memphis.

The storyline revolves around the lives of Billy and Daniel, two best friends sharing a comfortably broken in bungalow in the diverse neighborhood of Midtown. It begins when the two are forced to kick out their third roommate, after discovering his heroin addiction.

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National Gay & Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce Endorses Hillary Clinton For President

The nation’s largest LGBT business association, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, has unanimously endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president.

This is the first time the group has endorsed a candidate for president in it’s 15 year history.

In a statement to Buzzfeed News, Clinton said she welcomed the endorsement:

“The stakes in this election could not be higher for LGBT Americans,” Clinton said. “When Donald Trump says he’ll ‘make America great again,’ that’s code for ‘take America backwards.’ He has said he would appoint judges who would overturn marriage equality.”

The board of the LGBT chamber of commerce — which represents roughly 1.4 million LGBT business owners and has about 150 corporate and government partners — approved its resolution unanimously at a conference this week in Palm Springs, California.

In its resolution, the group praised Clinton for denouncing “LGBT discrimination as not only morally wrong, but fundamentally destructive for business.” The resolution rejected Trump’s policies, saying he has “vowed to revoke LGBT inclusive executive orders on his first day in office.”

Clinton’s opponent, Donald Trump, has famously said in recent months that he would be better for LGBT Americans (“ask the gays!”), while at the same time saying that if elected he would appoint judges to the Supreme Court that would overturn the historic Obergefell decision that brought marriage equality to the entire nation.

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Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi Says CNN Interview Was “Unfair”

Yesterday, I posted the absolutely EPIC take-down by CNN’s Anderson Cooper of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi over her past rocky relationship with her state’s LGBT community.

To recap,  Bondi has spent years – and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars – fighting against LGBT rights. But in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting that left 49 dead and 53 hospitalized, she has suddenly (in front of national news cameras) become our “fervent” ally.

Sarcasm intended.

So, during an interview yesterday, Anderson Cooper shared with the AG that many of her LGBT constituents don’t think she supports them, and in fact, opposes them.

It was terrific, and long overdue.

Today, during an interview with NY’s WOR 710 radio, she complained that she was treated “unfairly.”

Via Politico:

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said her interview Tuesday with CNN’s Anderson Cooper was unfairly edited after it was posted online and served only to “encourage anger and hate.”

In an interview with New York’s WOR 710 radio Wednesday morning, Bondi said her understanding was that her interview with Cooper would focus on donation scams surrounding the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub early Sunday morning. Instead, after one question about scams targeting people seeking to help victims, the CNN anchor grilled the Florida attorney general on her history of opposing marriage equality and other LGBT issues.

Bondi said it was inappropriate for Cooper to press her on her relationship with the LGBT community, especially in front of a hospital where shooting victims were continuing to recover.

“There’s a time and place for everything,” she said. “But yesterday wasn’t the time nor the place in front of a hospital when we could have been helping victims.”

As a reminder, I posted the ENTIRE segment yesterday. Here it is again, in all it’s glory.

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History Made As LGBT Group Marches Behind Their Own Banner In NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade

For the first time in the 255 year history of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade, LGBTs were allowed to walk in the parade behind their own banner.

NBC New York reports:

For years, organizers said gay people could participate but couldn’t carry signs or buttons celebrating their sexual identities. Organizers said they didn’t want to divert focus from honoring Irish heritage.

Mayor de Blasio marched with the Lavender and Green Alliance, marking the first time he had participated in the festivities as mayor. He boycotted the parade his first two years in office because the march excluded gay and lesbian advocacy groups.

“Today everyone is celebrating together,” de Blasio said. “The city is at peace and unified.”

Gov. Cuomo and the entire New York City Council also joined in the parade and were watched by more than 2 million spectators who lined Fifth Avenue from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown to the 79th Street Transverse in Central Park.

Included in the festivities were DOMA plaintiff Edith Windsor and Irish activist Brendan Fay.

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Missouri State Senate Approves “License To Discriminate” Bill

After a historic 39 hour filibuster effort by Democratic state Senators earlier this week, Missouri Republicans have advanced SJR39. The bill would legalize discrimination against LGBTs in the state.

From the Human Rights Campaign:

Similar to so-called “First Amendment Defense Act” legislation introduced in other states, this extreme resolution would lead to a ballot measure that, if approved by voters, would enshrine discrimination against LGBT people and their families into the state constitution. If the House of Representatives passes the resolution, it would go directly to the ballot and the governor would have no opportunity to veto it.

“SJR 39 is an irresponsible and shameful attempt by Missouri lawmakers to put LGBT people and their families in serious danger of even further discrimination,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “The freedom to practice one’s religion is one of the founding principles of our country, but to use it as a means of state-sanctioned discrimination is completely unacceptable. We call on the Missouri House of Representatives to listen to the overwhelming chorus of pro-equality voices outraged by this proposal and reject this attack on LGBT people.”

The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives where Republicans hold a 2-1 majority.

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Study: More LGBTs Living In Red States Than A Decade Ago

ConsumerAffairs.com worked with data from Gallup and the Census Bureau to create this interactive map showing the migration of LGBTs to red states over the past decade.

Surprised? I was. And then, I wasn’t.

Here’s just a bit of what ConsumerAffairs found:

• Salt Lake City saw the biggest increase in the size of its LGBT community as a portion of the total population, moving from 39th place in 1993 to 7th as of 2014 (the most recent available data).

• Of the 20 cities that saw a positive change in their ranking, 11 were in traditionally red states including Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Texas.

• Traditionally LGBT-friendly cities like Minneapolis, San Diego and New York saw a drop in their national rankings.

I’m of a mind to think that as we’ve become more visible, and our families and friends have become more accepting, LGBTs are not feeling the pressure to live in the cities we’ve previously associated with being safe for gay families.

Plus, we’ve seen more and more representation in local governments by LGBTs. Salt Lake City in Utah recently elected it’s first openly lesbian mayor – if that isn’t progress, what is?

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The Man Who Wrote THE Book On Madonna – Matthew Rettenmund

Matthew Rettenmund, author and blogger for the popular LGBT blog Boy Culture chats with me about his two newest books – Encyclopedia Madonnica 2.0 (the ultimate book on the Queen of Pop) and Starf*cker, a memoir chronicling his life into and through the world of pop culture, founding a successful teen magazine and his obsession with celebrities.

The ultimate pop-culture enthusiast, Matthew has been obsessed with celebrities ever since he was born. Starf*cker documents Rettenmund’s affection –in the case of Madonna, it’s pure mania–for movie, television, and music personalities.

From his years as a star-obsessed gayby to his contradictory careers in porn and as a teen-mag editor (names will be named), Matthew details and deconstructs his – and our – passion for celebrity.

Matthew shares stories from behind the scenes during his years working on a teen fan magazine – dealing with teen stars like Zac Efron, Justin Bieber and many boy bands along the way.

Plus, Matthew talks about his approach to writing and editing a successful daily blog.

Really insightful interview for folks who are fans of pop culture (like me).