By Sam Long I'm a 26-year-old transgender man. I came out as transgender in high school, after struggling for years with an intense discomfort in my body. While other kids were dreaming about being doctors or astronauts, I simply dreamed of being comfortable in my own skin.
Accessing hormone therapy and gender-confirming surgeries was absolutely essential to my transition. It eliminated my inner dysphoria and allowed me to focus outward to my calling to become a high school science teacher. Every day, I stand tall and teach my students with confidence and excitement. When I teach, I feel like I am sharing the best of myself with my students. I wouldn't be able to teach without the services that I got because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Over the last ten years, my transition-related medical bills have totaled around $50,000 and I will have ongoing expenses for hormone therapy for the rest of my life.
The new, proposed health care bill waives critical protections, allows insurance companies to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions, and reinstates annual and lifetime caps to coverage. It allows insurance companies to deny me coverage for being transgender. I will accrue massive debt because my lifetime health costs are so high.
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After more than 20 years working devotedly as the General Manager for The Colorado Theatre Guild, Gloria Shanstrom is set to retire on July 31, 2017. Gloria Shanstrom has been involved in Denver Theatre since the 1980s, but not on the stage. She started ushering in 1985 at Boettcher Concert Hall and within a year and a half was moved to the Auditorium Theatre as House Manager. In the summer of 1991, Gloria moved to the “not quite open” Temple Buell Theatre to ready staff for the opening that fall. She also did group sales on a contract basis for the area smaller theatres and from 1996 to 2001 she co-produced the Denver Drama Critics Circle Awards with Melanie Mayner. Gloria remained House Manager of the Buell until November of 1997 when Denver Center Attraction hired her as Marketing Assistant. Working at DCA taught her an entirely new way of putting butts in seats and she found she worked well with the media.
She was invited to join the Colorado Theatre Guild in 1997 and CTG's first elected Board convened in early 1998. Leaving the DCPA in 2000 she maintained her theatre connection as a Board member of the Colorado Theatre Guild and in 2004 started Full Court Press, a company specifically designed to assist small non-profit arts organizations with media relations. In 2006 CTG hired Gloria as its first General Manager and first (and only) paid staff member. She has invested the past 20 years in helping make the Colorado Theatre Guild the source of information on live theatre for both those who work in theatre and the theatre loving public.
A new report released today by the Global Forum on MSM and HIV (MSMGF) and OutRight Action International in collaboration with the Global Platform
to Fast Track the Human Rights and HIV Responses with Gay and Bisexual
Men argues for a global health and development approach that is
inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI)
people. Released ahead of this year’s United Nations (UN) High-Level
Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, the paper calls on
countries to recognize and address the impact of stigma, discrimination,
violence, and criminalization on health.
In its second year, the High-Level Political Forum is where member
states meet to review progress towards “Agenda 2030” – economic, social,
and environmental sustainable development, founded on the principle of
“leave no one behind.” Among the goals to be reviewed this year is Goal
3, “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages,”
which is particularly relevant to LGBTI people. The HLPF will take place
at UN headquarters in New York from July 10-19.
While data regarding LGBTI health needs are inadequate and incomplete
across the globe, the data that is available demonstrate that the
health of LGBTI people is consistently poorer than the general
population. The report highlights:
The disproportionate affect HIV is having on gay and bisexual men and transwomen.
A higher burden of poor mental health among LGBTI people compared to the general population.
A lack of targeted and responsive sexual health information for
LGBTI people, which limits their ability to protect themselves and their
partners from sexually transmitted infections, particularly as young
adults.
The impact of intersecting forms of discrimination faced by LGBTI
people based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, ability, class, migration
status, and other factors that drive exclusion.
The role that criminalization, anti-LGBTI violence, fear of
discrimination, cost, and lack of social support play in impeding access
to health services.
MSMGF Executive Director, Dr. George Ayala, commented:
“Disproportionate rates of depression, anxiety,
homelessness, problem substance use, and suicide among LGBTI people can
each be traced back to the stigma, discrimination, and violence they
face worldwide. Connection to community, safety, and security offset the
devastating effects of social exclusion.”
The report finds that lesbian and bisexual women, transgender people,
and intersex people in particular remain ignored and underserved in
healthcare systems across the world.
OutRight Action International’s Global Research Coordinator, Dr. Felicity Daly, commented:
“LGBTI people are well-aware of the health disparities
taking hold and stealing lives in their communities, but are being
excluded from data collection efforts. As a result, LGBTI communities
are rendered invisible and therefore unable to make a convincing case
for health financing to address their needs.”
The report offers tangible and accessible recommendations on data and
indicators governments can and should collect to monitor LGBTI health
needs, including:
Specific recommendations for including LGBTI health and well-being in the agreed upon SDG 3 indicators.
Disaggregating complete and accurate data by sexual orientation,
gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics, in order to
allow for the formation of evidence-based laws and policies that serve
to promote and protect LGBTI people’s right to health.
Ensuring funding for community-based and LGBTI-led organizations,
which are crucial for collecting data and providing safe, non-judgmental
health care to LGBTI people.
Legally prohibiting non-consensual medical procedures, including
intersex genital mutilation, forced sterilization, and forced anal
examinations enacted upon LGBTI people.
Authors from the report will join representatives from United Nations
Development Programme, a representative from the Permanent Mission of
Argentina to the UN, and global and regional LGBTI civil society
organizations to discuss the necessity of collecting data on LGBTI
people at an official UN event during the HLPF on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at 6:15PM.
Are
you a new or experienced writer or blogger? Do you want to be? Or maybe
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Koelbel Urban Homes (KUH) has
quickly emerged as a leader in creating urban neighborhoods that
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OutServe-SLDN, the nation's leading and largest LGBT military & veterans issued the following statement today, in response to the Pentagon’s statement, first reported by the Washington Post, that there will be a six-month delay in the enactment of policies allowing qualified, transgender individuals to enter military service.
"Under former Secretary Carter's guidance, the services were directed to develop policies which would allow transgender individuals to join the military, a privilege they are currently denied. Over the past several months, our team has worked closely with Pentagon officials and allied organizations to ensure necessary policy changes related to accessions were ready for a timely deployment by July 1st. We remain confident that the services are equipped to support this final piece of transgender military service and there should be no delay in its implementation.
We are disappointed that the Department of Defense has chosen to delay, by six-months, implementation of the recruitment policy, thus denying qualified transgender individuals the opportunity to enlist, attend ROTC or enroll in one of the military academies.
Transgender service members have been serving, openly and authentically, since October 2016 with no impact on readiness. It is time to full lift the ban on transgender service by implementing this final piece by implementing the accessions policy. This delay is a disservice to the transgender community and to our military as a whole.
While we cannot now avoid this six-month delay, we expect the full and unequivocal implementation of this accessions policy for transgender individuals at the end of these six-months. We reiterate that the services are prepared for transgender individuals and assert that delays beyond January 2018 will have a negative impact on military readiness---that we cannot tolerate."
OutServe-SLDN estimates that there are more than 14,000 transgender individuals currently serving in our armed services. Many of them doing so openly as a result of the retention policy, as part of the lifting the ban on transgender service, last year. Transgender individuals are currently serving and this unnecessary postponement of the accessions policy has no impact on them. However, it does affect the many transgender individuals that are standing by, ready to report to duty.
OutServe-SLDN's legal team will continue to provide any and all advocacy and legal assistance required to ensure the transgender community is able to openly serve our country. Individuals seeking assistance may contact the legal department directly, at 800-538-7418 or legal@outserve.org.
For his monumental fight in the landmark case that legalized same-sex marriage across the nation, Obergefell v. Hodges, Jim Obergefell is being awarded the National Education Association’s Virginia Uribe Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights.
Since 1967, NEA has recognized and honored those who have fought — and continue to fight — for human and civil rights. This year, NEA honored the outstanding work of 12 American social justice heroes at its annual Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner on Saturday, July 1, in Boston. The theme of the awards dinner is, “Living the Legacy: After 50 Years, Still We Rise.”
“Jim Obergefell embodies the spirit of Dr. Maya Angelou’s beloved poem ‘Still I rise,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. “Through his deeds and actions, this human and civil rights hero is still rising and carrying the torch forward. Tonight, we renew our commitment to stand for racial and social justice and pledge to continue to shed a light on his work as he guides and inspires us all.”
After Obergefell’s partner of 20 years, John, died from a grave illness, Obergefell fought to legalize same-sex marriage across the nation in a case that was eventually heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor in Obergefell v. Hodges, the case that secured the right of same-sex couples to celebrate their love and commitment to each other.
The impact of Obergefell v. Hodges is being felt nationwide: Same-sex marriages have increased by 33 percent since the ruling. Obergefell’s advocacy has also encouraged LGBTQ students to embrace their identity and affirmed their right to proudly speak out for themselves and love whomever they choose.
Since the landmark decision, Obergefell has written the novel Love Wins with Pulitzer Prize-winner Debbie Cenziper. It tells the story of Obergefell as well as the lawyers, judges and activists behind Obergefell v. Hodges. Obergefell is continuing his advocacy for the LGBTQ community on a national and international level, most recently focusing on the transgender community.
Jim Obergefell is one of many pioneers in the fight for equality within the LGBTQ community. He continues to advocate for change in America and abroad to make the world a safer place for all people.
To read his full bio, please click here. See moving video of Obergefell’s fight for same sex marriage here.
This year, NEA also recognized the anniversary of its merger with the American Teachers Association, which represented black teachers in segregated school systems in the South. ATA originally created the Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner, and, as part of the merger, NEA continues this dinner tradition 50 years later.
It was show time at our house last night. The performance began right after midnight. A storm blew in and with it came thunder and lighting. It was amazing as I had not witnessed thunder and lightning happen exactly in the same instant since I moved from Texas. The typical lighting storm has a flash of lighting, then you can count the seconds until the thunder is heard. Last night was immediate and super loud, meaning the storm was right on top of us, happening right outside the bedroom window. The old statement about tornados being attracted to trailer parks and lightening being attracted to golf courses must be true. Although, since moving into a home next to a golf course I have haven’t seen lighting strike the course, or any of the endless idiots that like to continue to golf and afternoon storms drift in, I believe it a matter of time. Last night the lightening tried its best. The loud booming prompted the dog to have flashbacks to his time in Texas as well, as he quickly army crawled from the foot of the bed to under our pillows and, if his plan would of succeeded spent the remains of the night under my head. The cat however, took the thunder booms to be some sort of a starting pistol and the crazy was on. This culminated in her running in place as she used a stack of paperwork, neatly sorted and stacked upon the dresser, as a treadmill. A flurry of papers quickly covered the floor. The next act was for kitty to salsa dance on the scattered paper. Getting out of bed this morning, I was treated with all of Kitties playtime handiwork. Today I’ll find out whether they have invented dog and cat ear plugs.
Pop duo Superfruit have released the music video for "Imaginary Parties." The track is from Future Friends, their two-part debut studio album.Future Friends - Part One is out TODAY via RCA Records; Future Friends - Part Two will follow on September 15th. Superfruit is comprised of Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying, both founding and current members of the 3x Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum a cappella group Pentatonix.
Chuck Renslow, 87, a longtime pillar of the LGBTQ community in Chicago and around the world, has died after multiple long-term health issues.
Renslow reigned over a seven-decade empire, starting more than two dozen businesses—bars, discos, photo studios, health clubs, bathhouses, gay magazines and newspapers, hotels, restaurants and bookstores. He fostered organizations and dealt with Mafia and police payoffs, the Chicago Machine, anti-gay government policies, and controversy within the gay community.
The founder of International Mr. Leather, owner of Man’s Country and the Gold Coast bar, publisher of the GayLife newspaper in the ‘80s, political activist, and much more was an out business owner since the ‘50s. He was a critical contributor to a wide range of political, social, business, health and other causes.
In the early ‘50s, Renslow founded Kris Studios, one of the earliest and most durable of the physique photography houses. He was an accomplished photographer, including of the ballet. His dance photography is in the Newberry Library dance collection in the Chuck Renslow Dance Photographs collection.
He was the publisher of Triumph, Mars and Rawhide Male magazines, publications mailed and shared across the country as the earliest ways gay men found each other. In 1965, he was a founder of Second City Motorcycle Club.
He opened Gold Coast, believed to be the first leather bar in the U.S., in Chicago in 1958. He was the founder of many bars and sex clubs since the ‘60s including Man’s Country, which is still open in Andersonville.
Renslow had many partners over the years, among them Dom 'Etienne’ Orejudos, who he was with more than 40 years and, and helped encourage Dom’s work as the artist Etienne. He was also involved with Cliff Raven, Chuck Arnett Sam 'Phil Andros' Steward, David Grooms of Wisconsin and Ron Ehemann, and encouraged them in their work too.
In 1979, he founded International Mr. Leather, which grew out of his Mr. Gold Coast contest and the experience he had managing A.A.U. physique competitions. When Dom 'Etienne' died, Renslow combined his collection of Eteinne’s art with his own archives from his business and his life; Renslow and Tony DeBlase co-founded the Leather Archives & Museum in 1991. Renslow served as president for many years.
Renslow was inducted into the the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 1991 and received dozens of awards from the gay and leather communities. He received The Leather Journal’s lifetime achievement award and a Centurion Award as Leatherman of the Century.
He served on the board of directors of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and was a U.S. representative to what was known then as the International Lesbian and Gay Association. Renslow also was involved in newspapers, purchasing GayLife newspaper from its founder, Grant Ford, and publishing it for several years, until it folded in 1986.
Renslow was especially active in politics in the ‘70s and ‘80s, as the gay community gained clout. He was the founder of Prairie State Democratic Club in 1980, and they hosted events with top politicians from Chicago and Cook County, and even presidential candidates coming through the area. He pushed for the gay and lesbian civil-rights ordinance when it was first introduced in the City Council in the early ‘70s, and the initial executive order banning discrimination in Chicago city government, as issued by Mayor Jane Byrne.
He served as a Democratic Party 43rd Ward precinct captain for eight years, as a candidate for delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention (for U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy), and within the 46th and 48th Ward Democratic Organizations.
His other bars and businesses have included the Chicago Eagle, Triumph Health Studios, Sparrows Lounge, Bistro Too, Zolar, The Club Baths, Center Stage and Pyramid. Renslow was born in 1929, raised in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, and graduated from Lane Technical High School.
The Leather Archives & Museum staff and board issued this statement, in part: "As LA&M’s co-founder, Chuck gave deeply and worked with great passion for over 26 years to save the names and faces of Leather, kink, BDSM and fetish people, communities, and history, and he fought to ensure that Leatherfolk were the ones who would ‘tell' their own stories so that they might better understand and bring enhanced visibility to 'Leather history.' As co-founder, longtime President and, most recently, Chairman of the Board, Chuck has left his mark throughout our institution and touched each of us very deeply. He will be missed."
Renslow is survived by many friends and family. More details, and memorial info, will be posted as information becomes available.
Renslow’s life is chronicled in Leatherman: The Legend of Chuck Renslow, by Tracy Baim and Owen Keehnen.
Today, the Texas Supreme Court issued its decision in Pidgeon v. Turner, deciding that a case challenging government-provided spousal benefits to same-sex spouses may continue. On Monday, the National Center for Lesbian Rights won U.S. Supreme Court case Pavan v. Smith, which affirmed that the 2015 marriage equality decision Obergefell v. Hodges requires the equal treatment of same-sex married couples. National Center for Lesbian Rights Deputy Director Cathy Sakimura issued the following statement in response:
“Obergefell and Pavan plainly require equal treatment of married same-sex couples. It is disappointing—and inexplicable—that the Court would allow this case to continue, and that the Texas Supreme Court did not simply resolve this now. There is no need for further litigation on this issue, which will only take up unnecessary time and resources. The law is clear, and the Supreme Court has now removed any possible question or uncertainty by issuing the Pavan decision earlier this week. States must provide married same-sex couples with exactly the protections and benefits as opposite-sex married couples. The Texas Supreme Court merely delayed this inevitable ruling.”
Jim Obergefell is among the 12 human and civil rights heroes the National Education Association will recognize at its 2017 Human and Civil Rights Awards on July 1 in Boston.
Three years ago he was a real estate broker and lived with his partner of twenty years, John. In 2011, when John was diagnosed with ASL the couple decided to go to Maryland and get married. They shortly discovered that in the event of John’s death their marriage would not be recognized by the state of Ohio. Distressed by this reality, they sued the state of Ohio to be legally recognized as spouses. After John’s death, Jim resumed the fight for recognition not only of his love, but also the recognition of love and partnership across the nation. After two years of battling in court, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is legal and protected under the United States constitution. Because of Jim’s relentless commitment to his partnership and to equality, same-sex couples throughout the country are now able to celebrate their love and commitment to one another.
