Friday, August 21, 2015

Courtney Barnett - Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party

'Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party' is the new single from Courtney Barnett. Shot 48 hours ago and directed by Jon White, amidst an unannounced live set outside Camden Town tube station in the heart of London, it sees Courtney and the CB3 bringing Camden High Street to a stand-still, as the band power through the track underneath a billboard emblazoned simply with the song's humorous title.

Illinois Becomes Fifth Jurisdiction to Protect LGBTQ Kids from Conversion Therapy

Yesterday, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 217 into law, making Illinois the fifth jurisdiction—behind California, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, and Oregon—to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangers of conversion therapy.

House Bill 217, which protects LGBTQ youth from mental health providers attempting to change their sexual orientation or gender identity through these practices, which are linked to substance abuse, extreme depression, and suicide, was overwhelmingly approved by the Illinois House of Representatives and General Assembly. The law will go into effect January 1, 2016.

“We are thrilled that Illinois has joined the rapidly growing number of states leading the way to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy,” said the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) #BornPerfect Campaign Coordinator and Staff Attorney Samantha Ames. “Illinois families can now have confidence that the mental health professional they turn to in times of uncertainty may not use their state license to profit from their children’s pain. Most importantly, Illinois kids can now rest easy in the knowledge that they cannot be forced or coerced to undergo dangerous and discredited treatments to fix who they are. Today brings us one step closer to the day when all LGBTQ youth know they were born perfect.”

"With this tremendous step, LGBT youth in Illinois are now protected from a dangerous and appalling practice based on junk pseudoscience that amounts to nothing less than child abuse," said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin. “Discredited by every major mental health, medical, and child welfare organization, conversion 'therapy' uses fear and shame to tell young people the only way to find love and acceptance is to change the very nature of who they are. We thank Governor Rauner, as well as members of the state legislature on both sides of the aisle, for putting politics aside and the well-being of children first. We will continue to work with our allies to secure these crucial protections in every state across the nation."

NCLR and HRC, in conjunction with the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, Equality Illinois, and other groups, played a key role in organizing the coalition behind the bill. A broad range of groups supported HB 217, including national LGBTQ organizations, mental health organizations, faith leaders, youth advocates, and civil rights organizations.

NCLR and HRC have partnered with state equality groups across the nation to pass state legislation to end this dangerous practice, including laws passed in California, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, and now Illinois.

Last year, NCLR launched its #BornPerfect campaign to stop conversion therapy across the country by 2019 by passing laws, fighting in courtrooms, and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by attempts to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Illinois is the third state to pass such a law in 2015 alone.

For more information about the dangers of conversion therapy and NCLR’s #BornPerfect campaign visit www.NCLRights.org/BornPerfect or HRC's resource page.

Subhi Nahas, Syrian Refugee and ORAM Representative, to Brief U.N. Security Council at August 24th Meeting on LGBT Rights

On Monday, August 24th, the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council will host its first-ever meeting on LGBT rights hosted by the U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power and Chile’s U.N. Ambassador Cristian Barros Melet.

As part of that historic meeting next week, Subhi Nahas, an openly gay Syrian refugee who escaped persecution by ISIL and is now an advocate at the San Francisco-based ORAM - Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration, will brief the Security Council on his experience. Nahas is ORAM’s official representative at the meeting and works with the organization to advocate for and assist other gay refugees, like him, who seek safety and freedom.

ORAM’s founder and executive director, Neil Grungras, will be accompanying Nahas in New York. Grungras is the leading international expert on LGBT refugees. A refugee attorney with over 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors, he has trained dozens of UN, government and NGO offices in LGBT refugee protection and adjudication.

The Lone Bellow - Fake Roses

Brooklyn band The Lone Bellow released their stunning new music video via Entertainment Weekly today. Virginia Madsen stars in the piece for the band's song "Fake Roses" about lead singer Zach Williams mother-in-law Edna. Williams tells EW, " Edna was the first single mother that I ever met. I remember walking up and the lawn was super un-kept and I'm this 15-year-old boy who bush hogged fields, so it was weird to me. Then I walked into their house and a lot of the lights were off and that was even weird, I just thought, 'Man, this is crazy.' And then I med Edna, and she is just this sweet sweet soul. She was a nurse and started working days and nights when she and her husband split." The video was shot in Williams' hometown of Lafayette, Georgia in his mother-in-law's home and other various childhood haunts. Madesen gives a powerful portrayal of the loneliness and pressure a single-mother has to endure.

ICYMI: "Poll: House Incumbents Who Oppose LGBT Rights Lose Support"

New polling released by the Human Rights Campaign this week showed significant support for the new Equality Act in swing House Districts across the country. The Equality Act – which was introduced with a record number of original cosponsors -- would ensure permanent non-discrimination protections for LGBT Americans. View the polling HERE.

“This polling shows that members of Congress – regardless of their party – have every reason to join the rest of the country and support the Equality Act,” said JoDee Winterhof, Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs. “Poll after poll has shown that people believe that everyone should live free from fear of discrimination and have a fair chance to earn a living and provide for their families, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.”

The Equality Act would help address the lack of clear, fully-inclusive non-discrimination protections in 31 states across the country where LGBT Americans can get legally married but remain at risk of losing their job or being denied services for who they are who they love. Since the bill’s introduction a few weeks ago, companies from Amazon, American Airlines, Apple, Facebook, General Electric, General Mills, Google, HP, IBM, Intel Levi Strauss & Co, Microsoft, Nike, Oracle, Orbitz, Symantec Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company all came out in support of federal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people.

Here's how media outlets around the nation are covering the latest Equality Act polling:

Poll: House Incumbents Who Oppose LGBT Rights Lose Support [Roll Call, 8/20/15] The polling, shared first with CQ Roll Call, found that in six districts held by Republicans, voters would be less likely to support the GOP incumbent if they opposed the Equality Act. A seventh poll conducted in a competitive seat held by a Democrat found the same result. The Equality Act is a bill introduced in July that would “extend existing non-discrimination laws to protect [LGBT] people. The polling comes as public opinion has shifted dramatically to support same-sex marriage and LGBT rights. The Human Rights Campaign — which advocates for the LGBT community — is focusing its effort on the Equality Act this cycle, after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage earlier this year.”

Human Rights Campaign Measures Effects of Incumbents' Stance on LGBT Rights Bill [The Hotline, 8/20/15] “A series of polls (Aug. 13) by Clarity Campaign Labs (D) (IVR) conducted for the Human Rights Campaign shows how many of their supporters would be less likely to support them if they oppose the Equality Act extending nondiscrimination laws to the LGBT community, and include head to head matchups in some districts.”

New House polling shows Equality Act popular and some Republicans vulnerable [Daily Kos Elections, 8/20/15] “The Human Rights Campaign has released a batch of polling from Clarity Campaigns on seven different swingy House districts. The surveys are designed to test support for the Equality Act, which would ban job and housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill is broadly popular, with support ranging from 46 percent (WI-01) to 56 percent (IL-03)—notably, the home of anti-gay Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski—and opposition peaking at 31 percent (NV-04).”

Poll: Paul Ryan loses votes if he opposes LGBT civil rights bill [Wisconsin Gazette, 8/20/15] “Ryan, according to the HRC analysis, heads into 2016 with a lead against a generic Democrat in a hypothetical re-election. However, 11 percent of his current supporters said they would be less likely to vote for him if he opposes the Equality Act. And a 27 percent plurality of undecided voters said they would be more likely to oppose a candidate who did not support the Equality Act.”

Human Rights Campaign Releases Polls on Dold, Lipinski [CapitolFax, 8/20/15] “Meanwhile, there’s been a bit of chatter recently from gay rights groups about ginning up a Democratic primary against Congressman Lipinski.”

Poll: Lipinski and Dold Lose Support if they Oppose LGBT rights [Illinois Review, 8/20/15] “The polling, which was paid for by the gay activist organization and shared first with CQ Roll Call, claims to have found that in the districts held by Republican Bob Dold and Democrat Dan Lipinski, voters would be less likely to support the incumbents if they opposed the "Equality Act" - a bill introduced in July that claims to provide LBGT people extraordinary protection from discrimination.”

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David Smith, the owner of Stonewall Fitness, holds a degree in exercise science from Metropolitan State University of Denver, several fitness certifications including ACSM Personal Trainer and Group Fitness.

Smith specializes in exercise, nutrition and wellness programs for the GLBT community and leads a variety of different programs, including group fitness classes, personal training, athletic conditioning programs, educational seminars and workshops.

His passion lies in promoting the physical, mental and social benefits of exercise and healthy diet to the community by breaking down the barriers often associated with a healthy lifestyle to make it accessible for everybody.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

New HRC Polling Shows Strong Support for Equality Act in Swing House Districts

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released new polling to show broad support for the newly introduced Equality Act in swing districts across the country. The Equality Act – which was introduced with a record number of original cosponsors -- would ensure permanent non-discrimination protections for LGBT Americans.

“People across the country have embraced the very simple idea behind the Equality Act that everyone should live free from fear of discrimination and have a fair chance to earn a living and provide for their families, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people,” said JoDee Winterhof, Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs. “Strong support from voters in Republican-held districts is another sign that members of Congress who won’t support the Equality Act risk being left behind next November.”

The polling finds freshman Carlos Curbelo tied and freshmen David Young and Cresent Hardy trail narrowly in a hypothetical re-election matchup with a Democrat. A significant percentage of the members’ current supporters in their districts report that they would be less likely to support their members for opposing the Equality Act, 14 percent of Young’s current supporters, 18 percent of Curbelo’s current supporters and 13 percent of Hardy’s current supporters. Those margins are large enough to put the incumbents behind a challenger by 5 to 8 percent. While Congressman Garrett and Dold start ahead –18 percent of their supporters said they would be less likely to support them -- a margin big enough to reverse their leads and put Dold and Garrett behind a challenger.

Meanwhile, a 55 percent majority of Democrats in Congressman Dan Lipinski’s district say they’d be less likely to support him if he opposed the Equality Act.

Previously, HRC released two rounds of national polling that found bipartisan public support for a federal non-discrimination bill like the Equality Act. In March, HRC’s polling showed that nearly two-thirds of LGBT people have experienced discrimination in their lives. In June, 59 percent said they would be less likely to support a candidate for President who opposed a federal LGBT non-discrimination bill.

The Equality Act would help address the lack of clear, fully-inclusive non-discrimination protections in 31 states across the country where LGBT Americans can get legally married but remain at risk of losing their job or being denied services for who they are who they love.

Highlights from the polls by district:

#IA03 By a margin of 48 to 26, voters support passing the Equality Act

· Freshman David Young trails a hypothetical Democratic challenger by 1 point and with underwater personal favorability ratings. Separately, 14 percent of his current supporters said they would be less likely to vote for him if he opposed the Equality Act.

#IL03 By a margin of 56 to 28, voters support passing the Equality Act

· Incumbent Dan Lipinski leads a hypothetical Republican by a significant margin in his Democratic district. But 55 percent of Democrats said they would be less likely to support Lipinski, who has a history of opposing LGBT equality, if he opposed the Equality Act. Overall, 34 percent of his current supporters said they would be less likely to vote for him if he opposes the Equality Act.

#IL10 By a margin of 49 to 28, voters support passing the Equality Act

· Incumbent Republican Bob Dold leads a hypothetical rematch with Brad Schneider by four points. Overall, 18 percent of his current supporters would be less likely to vote for Dold if he opposed the Equality Act. A plurality of undecided voters – 29 percent – also said they would be less likely to support Dold if he opposes the Equality Act.

#FL26 By a margin of 52 to 24, voters support passing the Equality Act

· Freshman Republican Carlos Curbelo starts out tied in a hypothetical matchup with Democrat Annette Taddeo. Overall, 18 percent of his current supporters would be less likely to vote for Dold if he opposed the Equality Act. A plurality of undecided voters – 29 percent – also said they would be less likely to support Curbelo if he opposes the Equality Act.

#NJ05 By a margin of 55 to 22, voters support passing the Equality Act

· Incumbent Republican Scott Garrett -- who recently made news for his anti-LGBT comments -- starts out with a lead in a hypothetical matchup with Democrat Josh Gottheimer, but is under 50 percent with a slightly negative favorability rating. And 18 percent of his current supporters said they would be less likely to support Garrett if he opposes the Equality Act.

#NV04 By a margin of 47 to 31, voters support passing the Equality Act

· Freshman Republican Cresent Hardy starts out behind a generic Democrat in a hypothetical re-election with mixed favorability ratings and low name ID. Separately, 13 percent of his current supporters said they would be less likely to vote for Hardy if he opposes the Equality Act.

#WI01 By a margin of 46 to 23, voters support passing the Equality Act

· Incumbent Republican Paul Ryan heads into 2016 with a lead against a generic Democrat in a hypothetical re-election. But 11 percent of his current supporters said they would be less likely to vote for Ryan if he opposes the Equality Act. And a 27 percent plurality of undecided voters said they would be more likely to oppose a candidate who did not support the Equality Act.

Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted For Denver's Best Gay Blog!



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Doctor Goddard - Without Love

“Without Love” was written and recorded live by Doctor Goddard over a 2 day session in the summer of 2015 and mixed at The Preatures studio, Doldrums. Lyrically about love and music a modern edge bleeds into Without Love whilst also saluting the ghosts of the west coast blues/rock scene in 1970's America.

Take & Share the 2015 US Trans Survey

Yesterday, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) released the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey, which can be completed at USTransSurvey.org.

If you identify as trans, genderqueer, or non-binary, please set aside time to complete the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey. Be sure to share it with others!

With your help, NCTE can achieve their goal of getting the largest and most diverse sample possible in order to better understand the unique needs of our community.

The National Transgender Discrimination Survey has been the go-to resource for helping the public understand trans people and trans experiences. At places like One Colorado, they use the statistics and personal insights from the survey to guide their work and to educate the media and the public about the issues impacting trans people. The 2015 U.S. Trans Survey will provide them with a clearer picture of our community’s diverse experiences and tell them how they can better meet the needs of trans people in the U.S.

130 Major Organizations Urge Obama Administration to Rescind Discriminatory Bush-Era “Religious Freedom” Memo

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization joined a total of 130 major religious, education, civil rights, labor, LGBT, women’s, and health organizations in a letter to President Obama urging him to review and reconsider a memo from the Office of Legal Counsel that has been used to permit taxpayer funded discrimination. The letter warns that the 2007 memo “reaches the erroneous and dangerous conclusion that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) provides a blanket override of a statutory non-discrimination provision.”

“This Bush-era policy is based on faulty legal assumptions and is being used to put the government in the business of funding discrimination,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “By rescinding this flawed memo, President Obama can make clear that taxpayer money cannot be used for unjust discrimination – period. The President has an unprecedented legacy of advancing fairness and equality for the LGBT community, and with the limited time he has remaining in office, we urge him to solidify that legacy by taking action on this critically important issue.”

A portion of the letter states, “The OLC Memo’s broad and erroneous interpretation of RFRA has far-reaching consequences. For example, although the OLC Memo’s conclusion is focused on one grantee in one Justice Department program, the Department has implemented it as a categorical exemption—that does not even require an individualized inquiry—to all religious hiring discrimination bans, most recently in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Department of Labor has also cited the OLC Memo to adopt a categorical prohibition. Moreover, some have cited the OLC Memo in arguing that RFRA should broadly exempt religiously affiliated contractors from the nondiscrimination requirements in Executive Order 11246, including those you added just last year that bar government contractors from discriminating against LGBT workers. And, some are trying to extend its reach beyond the context of hiring: Several grantees and contractors have cited the OLC Memo to support their arguments that the government should create a blanket exemption that would allow them to refuse to provide services or referrals required under those funding agreements, specifically in the context of medical care for unaccompanied immigrant children who have suffered sexual abuse.”

Included in the HRC 2015 Blueprint for Positive Change, a series of actions the administration can take to change the lives of LGBT Americans for the better, HRC continues to consider the issue a top priority.

In a speech in Zanesville, OH, in July 2008, President Obama said, “Now, make no mistake, as someone who used to teach constitutional law, I believe deeply in the separation of church and state, but I don’t believe this partnership will endanger that idea – so long as we follow a few basic principles.”

He added, “First, if you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against them – or against the people you hire – on the basis of their religion. Second, federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples, and mosques can only be used on secular programs. And we’ll also ensure that taxpayer dollars only go to those programs that actually work.”

In the letter, the 130 organizations led by Americans United For Separation of Church and State urge the President to keep this promise by reviewing and reconsidering the OLC memo.

The full letter can be read here.

‘PEOPLE’ Announces “The Caitlyn Jenner Story” Special Collector's Bookazin

PEOPLE has covered Caitlyn Jenner for 40 years, since before her triumph at the 1976 Olympics as decathlete Bruce Jenner, through her post-Olympic fame and family life, most recently as a parent on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. In an intimate and thoughtful special collector’s edition bookazine, PEOPLE looks back at the star athlete who made history a second time, coming out as a transgender woman in 2015.

Tranifesto: Trans Etiquette for Non-Trans People

By Matt Kailey

Working with, befriending, or otherwise interacting with trans people is not scary or difficult. We are pretty much like everyone else, and we are not a monolithic community. We are men, women, Democrat, Republican, Independent, liberal, moderate, conservative, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, atheist, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, interesting, boring — just about everything.


We have various occupations, from doctor to ditch-digger. You can run into us at parties, at the mall, at the grocery store, or at your local PTA meeting. In many cases, you might not even recognize us as trans. But if you do, or if you are the friend or co-worker of someone who is transitioning, there are some basic points of etiquette that you can keep in mind to help you interact respectfully with a trans person.


1. Treat trans people as you would treat anyone else.

Don’t do things to call attention to a trans person, even if your goal is to let that person know that you accept him or her – no winking, smiling, little innuendos. If you wink at a person, he or she might think you want a date. If you do, then go for it.

2. Use the correct name and pronoun.

The correct name is whatever the person has given you. The correct pronoun is whatever gender the person is presenting. Most cultures have clothing or other appearance markers that designate gender for that culture – that are considered masculine or feminine.

Names also give off clues, because most cultures have names that are considered masculine or feminine. If you ask the person’s name and he or she says “Pat,” then the joke’s on you.

If you are unsure of which pronoun to use, and you really need to know, just ask – most trans people won’t be offended and see this as a sign of respect. But don’t ask if the person is obviously expressing a female or male gender.

3. If you make a mistake with a pronoun or name, move on.

Don’t make a big deal out of it. If you are alone with the person, apologize and drop it. If you are in a crowd, just move on. Don’t draw attention to your slip-up by making a face or groaning, falling all over yourself to apologize, or making excuses to others around you. It will just make things uncomfortable for everyone.

Let it go and make sure that you use the correct name and pronoun the next chance you get. But don’t stick in some hokey, off-topic phrase just so you can use the right name or pronoun – we are wise to that, and other people will just think you’re having a ’60s flashback.

(Keep in mind that, in some work settings where there are laws covering gender identity, intentionally using an incorrect name or pronoun because you don’t “approve” of the trans person or because you want to shame or out that person could be considered harassment and grounds for disciplinary action. Trans people know the difference between an accidental slip-up and intentional misuse.)

4. Don’t say, “I’ll never get that pronoun (or name) right.”

When you say this, you are saying, “I don’t care enough to try.” One thing that helps is to see the person as an entirely new and different individual instead of a man who you now have to call “she” or a woman who you now have to call “he.” Try it – it really works.

5. Don’t say, “You will always be a man (or woman) to me.”

Again, you are saying, “I don’t care enough or respect you enough to see who you really are,” “My feelings are more important than yours,” or “I don’t recognize you as a person.” This isn’t about you. It is about the person with whom you want to stay friends.

6. Don’t touch the person inappropriately or ask personal questions unless you are invited to do so.

Trans people are not public property. Touching something on a person to see if it is “real” or asking personal questions about a person’s body or sex life is inappropriate – unless the person has invited you to “ask me anything.” Otherwise, do not do or say anything that you would not do or say to anyone else.

7. Don’t “out” a trans person.

If you see a person on the street that you know to be trans, it is a private matter and not appropriate to tell your friends that the person is trans. It is also not appropriate to mention anything that would “out” a trans person if you are with that person in a public setting – unless you want that person to tell everyone what you did at the office party last year.

8. Don’t make assumptions.

Don’t assume that the trans person you are talking to is politically liberal (or conservative), straight (or gay), happy (or unhappy), poor (or rich), and so on. We are all very different.

And don’t assume that this person wants to educate you about trans issues or even discuss them. If the person wants to talk about trans issues, he or she will bring them up. For some of us, talking about trans stuff is like being at work all the time. If you’re stuck for conversation, the weather is always a good fallback position. Trans people get hot and cold, too.

Use common sense and respect and you will be fine. 


This post originally appeared on Matt Kailey's award-winning website Tranifesto.com. Republished with permission.  
 

Pet Portraits By Maurice Becnel

Immortalize your furry friends with a pet portrait by Maurice Becnel. Clients admire Becnel's ability to capture the essence of a pet's personality in his work.

Says Becnel, "Painting animal portraits, for me, is more fun than it is work. I began painting them several years ago. The first one I did was for a friend on her birthday. Because it was a gift it never dawned on me that other people would commission me to do more. Word got out and before I knew it more and more of the emails I was receiving from my website were going to the dogs! And cats!"