Tag: Pride Month

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Oscar Nominee Sufjan Stevens Drops New Music For Pride Month

Sufjan Stevens

Singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens has released two new songs for Pride month – “Love Yourself” and “With My Whole Heart.”

Stevens is probably most famous today for his songs he contributed to last year’s queer coming-of-age movie, Call Me By Your Name. The track “Mystery of Love” garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award nod as well.

The new tracks are available now on all digital platforms and will be released in late June as a limited-edition vinyl.

The 43-year-old artist says “Love Yourself,” a euphoric synth-pop bop, is based on a musical sketch he wrote 20 years ago. Stevens plans on including the 1996 demo on the vinyl release as well as a short reprise.

“With My Whole Heart” is an entirely new song that came from a personal challenge: “to write an upbeat and sincere love song without conflict, anxiety, or self-deprecation.” Definitely more bouncy, the track is a retro, lo-fi affair with lots of layered vocals leading to a vibe-y, chill guitar solo.

In addition to the two tracks, Stevens has also designed a limited edition t-shirt for Pride month.

In addition to buying music you enjoy, purchasing the tracks will also aid two organizations that help LGBTQ homeless youth. A portion of the proceeds will go to both the Ali Forney Center in New York City and the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, Michigan.

A post shared by M A R I A N A 🌊 (@marianbuschmann) on May 29, 2019 at 6:40am PDT
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California Town Denies Request To Fly Rainbow Flag At City Hall

You might think the city of Dublin, California, would be pretty inclusive in regard to LGBTQ issues being just 35 miles east of San Francisco.

But at a City Council meeting Tuesday night, a request for flying the LGBTQ rainbow flag at City Hall for Pride month was voted down, according to local Fox affiliate KTVU.

Shawn Kumagi, the first openly gay member of the city council, filed the request for flying the flag as well as issuing a proclamation for Pride month.

The proclamation was unanimously approved by the five-member panel, but the response from some citizens about the rainbow flag surprised many.

One resident attending the council meeting asked, “If you agree to fly the rainbow flag, can we fly the Confederate flag, the Black Lives Matter flag, a Communist flag?”

Another Dublinite, Mike Grant, owns the Guns Unlimited firearms store in town. He brought his NRA flag to the meeting insisting if the rainbow flag gets time at City Hall, so should his flag.

“I’ve been discriminated against for 41 years as a federal firearms dealer by the Democrats,” said Grant. “They don’t like guns. I’m in the same group as they are.”

Mike Grant (screen capture)

One resident opposed the idea because they said they had heard of plans to add a “P” – for ‘pedophile’ – to the LGBTQ acronym. And another objected since LGBTQ doesn’t have an “S” for ‘straight.’

Jeannine Sullivan, a member of the local LGBTQ community for 20 years in Dublin, told the San Francisco Chronicle, “It was ridiculous and unfounded, but it still shows what is being perpetuated by some people in our community.”

And Dublin resident Maria Ceremello said she felt “angry” about the comments.

“I came out of there steaming, swearing,” she told KTVU. “It’s unreal people are against this when it’s just a flag flying for a month. It’s not right.”

Kumagi amended his request to flying the rainbow flag for just one day, but even that was voted down.

“Of course I find it disappointing,” said Kumagi. “But I think it is a testament that, even in the Bay Area, we still need to have this conversation.”

Pride supporters are reportedly organizing a grassroots campaign via social media to encourage citizens fly their own rainbow flags at their homes for Pride month.

(Source: KTVU, SF Chronicle)

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Candidates Offer Rainbow+ Campaign Gear For Pride

With Pride Month just weeks away, some Democratic presidential candidates are serving up LGBTQ-themed Pride campaign swag adorned with rainbow stripes.
(via PeteForAmerica.com)

With Pride Month just weeks away, some Democratic presidential candidates are serving up LGBTQ-themed Pride campaign swag adorned with rainbow stripes.

For the record: yes, I know Donald Trump has a lone rainbow t-shirt on his campaign site. He also openly opposes The Equality Act, so, there you go…

It’s probably not surprising that Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the only openly gay White House contender, is offering the most variety in campaign Pride merchandise – t-shirts, stickers, backpacks, pins – so you can show your support and Pride all at the same time.

The gear comes in not only rainbow stripes, but the familiar pink/white/blue colors of the transgender flag as well.

Interestingly, Buttigieg’s rainbow utilizes the new version of the Pride flag that includes black and brown stripes meant to embrace LGBTQ people of color.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) is getting into the Pride mood as well offering a “Persist” t-shirt with rainbow colors.

Warren’s camp got a little creative with the colors as well since her buzz word “persist” has seven letters, so they added an extra touch of light purple to their rainbow.

On a ‘Pride for the People’ page of her campaign website, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) utilizes the traditional Pride rainbow stripes with her first name (which just happens to have six letters), but adds the newer black/brown stripes to her buzzword t-shirt, “Fearless.”

In the past, I’ll admit I’ve purchased Hillary and Obama t’s during campaign seasons, so I’ll probably snag something from the list here.

But even if you don’t want to get political, you can still get your Pride on in style with merchandise from Target (a whole treasure trove of rainbow items there) or sneakers from Adidas or Converse, who put out their own annual Pride kicks.

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Bud Light Goes Rainbow For Pride Month

CNN reports that Bud Light will sell rainbow-colored aluminum bottles in bars nationwide for Pride Month 2019.

For each case of beer sold, Bud Light will donate $1 to GLAAD.

The rainbow bottles are among Pride Month actions the company is taking this year with GLAAD. It’s also a sponsor of the Governors Ball Music Festival May 31-June 2 in New York and will host an all-LGBT lineup of performers on its own stage.

The company’s support of the LGBT community dates back to the 1980s, said Andy Goeler, vice president of marketing, in a news release.

“The way we see it, our beer is for everyone to enjoy,” Goeler said. “With the release of these new bottles, we hope to create something that everyone can feel proud to hold during Pride month.”

Pride month is celebrated each June. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the riots at New York’s Stonewall Inn that launched the gay rights movement.

“Bud Light stood with the community at a time when many brands did not, and their continued outspoken support sets the bar for other global brands,” Zeke Stokes, GLAAD’s chief programs officer, said in a new release.

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News Round-Up: July 19, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• For a little #TBT – I apologize I don’t know where the photo above came from, but it always makes me stop and smile.

• Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, becomes the latest city to ban the harmful practice of so-called “conversion therapy” on LGBTQ minors.

• Same-sex couples will now be able to marry in their home parish even if their local bishop has moral objections to gay marriage, Episcopal Church leaders decided last Friday.

• California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill into law officially recognizing June as LGBT Pride Month. California is the first state in the U.S. to legislate such a statute.

• Transgender people in Puerto Rico can now change their birth certificates to accurately reflects their gender.

• Russian singer Emin recently trolled the world with his new music video which utilizes lookalikes for Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Hillary Clinton, Stormy Daniels, Mark Zuckerberg, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

You may recall it was Emin’s music publicist, Rob Goldstone, who set up the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between a Russian government attorney and Donald Trump Jr.

You do the math.

The Russian calls his video “a satire on the news of the past 12 months.” It looks to me like the Russians are laughing at the U.S.

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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.

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‘Tired Old Queen At The Movies’ Deconstructs The Boys In The Band

Steve Hayes' popular web series Tired Old Queen at the Movies deconstructs the film adaptation of the Broadway play, The Boys in the Band.
The film adaptation of “The Boys in the Band”

On the occasion of Pride in NYC this week, Steve Hayes’ popular web series Tired Old Queen at the Movies deconstructs the film adaptation of the Broadway play, The Boys in the Band.

From Hayes: “Mart Crowley’s iconic play about the lives of several gay men in the 1970’s comes alive in William Friedkin’s THE BOYS IN THE BAND (1970). Featuring the brilliant original Broadway cast, its alternately hysterical, funny, sensitive, touching, at times lacerating and ultimately unforgettable.”

With all the attention being paid to the current all-star, all-gay Broadway revival of the play, its interesting to see the actors from the original production bring their roles to life on film.

Watch the seven minute clip below.

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‘Pose’ Star Dominque Jackson Speaks Out Against Companies Exploiting Pride Month

(photo: Pari Dukovic)

In an Instagram video, Pose star Dominique Jackson told her fans she is not down with corporate America exploiting Pride and the LGBTQ community in lame attempts to appear “inclusive.”

She had been invited by brand Coach to speak at their Pride Ball — but in communicating with her, the actress was misgendered by the company.

Jackson took her story to Instagram speaking out against the company and their misrepresentation of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

“So, happy Pride, everyone, I hope you guys have been watching and enjoying Pose.

“But, you know, as we’re doing something like this, a lot of stuff comes by, and that is that a lot of companies join in on the Pride celebration to show they’re all-inclusive when they’re really not. They don’t research us. They don’t understand us. They don’t attempt to comprehend us.

“So, Coach, contacted me and asked me to come in and tell my life story. You’re gonna be a part of this, it’s gonna be great, it’s for Coach.

“They offered nothing. Not a car ride. Nothing. Not a pocketbook. Nothing. Then one of their representatives contacts me to invite me to something called their ’Pride Ball’ and misgendered me! Like–you didn’t do your research. You’re not following the true stories of the LGBTQ community, ’cause you would know that a woman like myself should never be misgendered.

“It’s so insulting. And, I don’t even think I want to ever use your products or buy your products ever again! I’m going to Louis (Vuitton).”

Here’s the video:

Coach attempted to apologize on Twitter:

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Pentagon Refuses To Acknowledge Pride Month For First Time Since ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

For the first time in six years, senior Pentagon officials have declined to acknowledge LGBTQ Pride Month.

Ever since the misguided ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy was repealed in 2012, the Pentagon has issued an official memo which served as an official endorsement of Pride Month and effectively encouraged local events.

A former senior Obama administration official, speaking off the record, told The Washington Post, “It makes it known that there’s an authorization, that there’s support.”

But this year, there was no memorandum issued for Pride.

That said, there was an event held at the Pentagon on Monday by DoD Pride, the LGBTQ employee group at the Defense Department. However, unlike previous years no high-level department officials showed up to address the crowd.

According to The Washington Blade, the tension at the DoD event was “palpable” as folks were keenly aware of the elephant in the room – President Trump’s proposed ban on transgender service members.

Even though the policy proposal is held up in four federal courts, LGBTQ military service members are wary.

In another sign of lagging support, the Defense Department’s Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity’s web site lists event-specific posters designed for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Dr. Martin Luther King Day. But nothing for Pride Month.

So, DoD had to create its own poster (see above).

When asked why there was no official declaration this year, Pentagon spokewoman Air Force Maj. Carla Gleason sidestepped the question.

“The Department of Defense supports diversity of all kinds across our military and we encourage everyone to celebrate the diversity of our total force team,” said Gleason. “We value all members of the DOD total force and recognize their immense contributions to the mission.”

This is also the second year that Donald Trump’s White House failed to acknowledge Pride Month.

There were presidential proclamations to recognize June as Great Outdoors Month, National Ocean Month, National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, African-American Music Appreciation Month, and National Homeownership Month, but no presidential proclamation for Pride Month.