National LGBTQ Task Force Launches Transgender Mental Health Survey

The National LGBTQ Task Force has partnered with Trans Lifeline to launch the nation’s first transgender mental health survey. The first-of-its-kind research is intended to provide a deep insight into the mental healthcare experiences of transgender people in order to improve advocacy efforts. All people over the age of 18 living in the United States that identify as transgender are encouraged to take the survey. The survey is conducted exclusively online and can be filled out here: www.transmentalhealthsurvey.org.

“Forty-one percent of transgender people have attempted suicide, yet not enough is known about the experiences of transgender people when seeking or receiving mental health care,” said Victoria Rodriguez-Roldan, Trans/Gender Nonconforming and Disability Justice Projects Director, National LGBTQ Task Force. “Thanks to other studies, we have a glimpse into the medical discrimination faced by the transgender community. We wish to expand upon that glimpse. This survey is truly cutting edge as it asks respondents questions that were still a big taboo not too long ago.”

According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 33% of transgender people report negative experiences with health providers, but it is known how this data correlates to mental health care providers. The U.S. Trans Survey was a follow up to the seminal 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), published by the National LGBTQ Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality, which provided insight into lives of transgender people living in the U.S. The transgender mental health survey builds on the work of NTDS by pursuing the subjects that were neglected back then. The data collected will help further advance the Task Force’s lobbying around mental health and disability policy.

Navigate your city, your way this summer with pocketgov.com

…so break out those flip-flops, lather on the sunscreen, and let pocketgov help you take on summertime in the Mile High City! With the My Neighborhood tool from pocketgov.com, you can explore upcoming special events near you, like farmers’ markets and parades, and find the closest B-Cycle to get you there!

Interested in spending the day at your local pool or library instead? Use pocketgov’s Virtual Keychain feature to store your Denver Public Library, Recreation Center and MY Denver cards on any device for easy, on-the-go use.

Create a personalized profile with pocketgov today for direct access to all the Denver services, schedules, and information most important to you!

Darren Aronofsky sits down with Alejandro Jodorowsky on the Talkhouse Podcast

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, two cinematic titans are in conversation as Darren Aronofsky sits down with the legendary Alejandro Jodorowsky, to coincide with the theatrical release of the 88-year- old cult director's new film, Endless Poetry. The two have a fascinating, wide-ranging conversation that takes in the challenge of making art within the Hollywood system, the ability of films to heal, the vulgarity of Trump and life's big questions - death, God, aliens, the universe - and Jodorowsky also fulfills a longheld dream of the Black Swan director's by reading his tarot. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse Film.

Gay of Thrones Season 7 Now Streaming on REVRY

Gay of Thrones, is back for season 7 and is sassier than ever! Gay of Thrones stars Hairstylist extraordinaire Jonathan Van Ness as he recaps each episode of the hit HBO show, Game of Thrones, using his unique brand of panache, flair, and fabulousness. The season 7 premiere episode, Dragonweave, features special guest and creator Erin Gibson.

The show is now streaming for FREE on REVRY, the digital streaming service which brings together specially curated content by and for the LGBTQ and allied communities.

CinemaQ Film Festival at Red Rocks!

Join Film On The Rocks and the CinemaQ Film Festival as it goes outside to present a screening of the Australian drag classic THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT under the stars at Red Rocks Amphitheater on Thursday, July 20th! Gates open at 6:30 pm with the film starting at dusk.

Singapore Voids Marriage of Trans Woman And Her Wife

As The Straits Times has reported on July 18th, the Registry of Marriages (“the Registry”) has voided the marriage of a transgender woman and her partner in an unprecedented case in Singapore condemned by OutRight Action International. Known as FK and BS, the couple were married in October 2015 while FK was still designated as male under Singaporean law. When applying for subsidised housing available only to married couples, Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB) questioned the couple’s marriage because, by then, they were each legally registered as female. The marriage was then voided by the Registry and later the couple was denied marital housing.

While transgender people are entitled to legal gender recognition in Singapore, the Registry used the country’s criminalization of homosexuality and failure to recognize same-sex couples as the basis for annulling their marriage.

“This is blatant discrimination by two government departments that are undermining the rights to family and housing eligible to heterosexual married couples,” said Grace Poore, Regional Program Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific Islands at OutRight. “Furthermore, Singapore’s insistence that transgender people must remain in heterosexual relationships denies transgender people the right to be gay or lesbian, which is completely unacceptable.”

An article by Quartz magazine reports that even before their wedding, the Registry knew that FK had legally changed her name. According to accounts by FK, the Registry asked her to sign a document declaring that she would not undergo any gender-related surgeries before the date of her marriage and requested that she wear masculine attire on her wedding day.

After beginning their lives together, FK and BS put their names on a waiting list for a state-subsidized apartment. In August 2016, FK and BS alerted Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB) of FK’s updated legal gender. The HDB contacted the Registry, leading to a period of bureaucratic confusion.

Jean Chong, Program Field Coordinator for OutRight Action International, said to AFP that, “policies need to catch up with the realities of society,” noting that, “Families come in all shapes and sizes and of course while people get married as man and woman, there are those who transition along the way, so does this mean their marriage is no longer valid?”

On February 10th, FK and BS were informed by the Registry of Marriages that their marriage was void because they “did not intend from the start to live as one man and one woman,” leaving them without a marriage and housing. Eventually, FK and BS found housing through a government program that provides housing only to single people. However, the home they received costs more than it would have for a married couple and is only half the size.

Poore concluded, “On numerous occasions at national and international arenas, the Singapore government has stated that there is no discrimination against LGBT people in Singapore. This proves what we’ve always known: this is a lie. The state can do right by FK and BS by reinstating their marriage and providing them with the housing to which they are entitled.”

AIDS Walk Colorado - Everyone Has Their Why

Whether you are running, walking, or volunteering, everyone has their “Why.” Why do you participate in AIDS Walk Colorado?

Here is one volunteer’s story: “I volunteer for AIDS Walk Colorado every year because I've had a lot of friends who have passed away from AIDS. I also had a partner who passed away from AIDS when he was only 35 years old. I am touched by the opportunity to participate in AIDS Walk Colorado in memory of the people I have loved and lost. I also like seeing all the people who attend. The Walk is just something that I do every year because it makes me feel good, plus raising all that money helps people who are affected by this horrible and deadly disease.”

If you have a story or your own “Why” to share, AIDS Walk Colorado would love to hear it! 

The Gay Vegans: Vegan Delights in San Diego

By Dan Hanley

We just recently returned from another vacation in San Diego and I have decided that it’s time to share my love for this city with all of you.
I love San Diego mainly for the variety of beaches. Note that if you are not a beach person and you do not like to swim, paddle board, surf, kayak or just be on the beach, you might not love it as we do. Yet before you close out this post, San Diego is also a wonderful place for vegan cuisine, romantic places for date night and perfect weather.
This post is all food. We both absolutely love all three restaurants here. Remember that when I write a restaurant review I base it on not only amazing vegan food, but all wonderful service. All three restaurants here excel in both while being part of the intense vegan food scene that is catapulting all over the country.
Donna Jean is a new edition to the vegan food scene. Right next to Evolution and super close to Balboa Park, we went to dinner one evening during the week. We made a reservation. Upon arriving we decided to sit outside, and we began our feast. As we do when going out in southern California, we brought light jackets just in case it got chilly.

All I am thinking while I write this is “go to Donna Jean”. Go now. Impeccable service and dishes that excited us about food and about vegan food. Everything we ordered was a great experience with taste and flavor. If you haven’t been in a little while, they have a new menu that includes pizza. For more information click here.
Next is Civico 1845 in Little Italy. Not a vegan restaurant but has a vast vegan menu with dishes prepared by their vegan chef who is also co-owner. This place was a pleasant surprise. I mean vegan Italian food? So hard to find! We met friends on a Friday night and were greeted by the sweetest staff. We soon were listening about the menu from our Italian waiter.

We started with the calamari which was made with mushrooms. My entree was the lasagna, although our waiter really wanted me to order the ravioli. The lasagna was definitely the right choice for me. Everything was delicious. To top it off, we finished with tiramisu. Oh my. For more information click here.
Bar Kindred in North Park has been a favorite of ours since they opened. It’s a bar, but so much more. We have had dinner and brunch there and if you have just one spot of time to go, I would say go for brunch. Check their site for times as brunch is only served on weekends.

Our two go-to items at Kindred are the pancakes, which are made with butterscotch and bourbon, and the tofu Benedict. The pancakes will blow your mind. I enjoy every single bite. If you drink they have brunch drink specials and their house coffee is a great cup of coffee. We have always had incredible service at Kindred. For more information click here.
San Diego is an amazing place and we try to go as often as possible. These three spots make it an even sweeter destination.

Consumer fraud lawsuit filed against Berkeley therapist for charging tens of thousands of dollars for discredited conversion therapy

Katherine McCobb photographed by Anne Parmeter

Yesterday, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP filed a complaint on behalf of Katherine McCobb, against California-licensed marriage and family therapist Lloyd Willey. Willey told McCobb that being a lesbian is unnatural and pathological and that her sexual orientation could be changed using therapy. The practice of so-called “conversion therapy” has been discredited by the American Psychological Association and other professional counseling organizations as ineffective, unethical, and dangerous. McCobb paid Willey more than $70,000 for eight years of therapy based on fraudulent, harmful lies.

"Therapists who exploit vulnerable people by taking their money based on false claims that being lesbian or gay is unnatural and that counseling can change a person's sexual orientation are engaging in fraud,” said NCLR Legal Director Shannon Price Minter. “Our complaint alleges that our client in this case paid tens of thousands of dollars based on false promises that therapy could change her attraction to women. Charging a person money based on such bald-faced misrepresentations violates California's consumer protection laws."

"Business professionals who are charging fees for services cannot make false and misleading statements about those services to their clients," said Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP Partner Jeremy Kamras. "Our complaint alleges that the defendant did just that by persuading a vulnerable client to pay him for services based on blatant misrepresentations and fraudulent practices."

McCobb began paying Willey for therapy when she was 25 years old. Although she did not seek out therapy because of her sexual orientation, Willey fixated on McCobb’s lesbian identity and began to pressure her to become straight, telling her that being a lesbian was unnatural and that she could “rewire” her brain. He publicly shamed her during group therapy sessions and urged her to change her appearance to be more stereotypically feminine, including losing weight, growing out her hair, changing her wardrobe, and wearing make-up. Willey also pressured her to begin dating a man who was also Willey’s client.

"I trusted my therapist, and I was defrauded of tens of thousands of dollars as a result," said the plaintiff in this case, Katherine McCobb.

NCLR has been working to protect LGBTQ people from efforts to change their sexual orientation or gender identity for more than 20 years. In June 2014, NCLR launched #BornPerfect: The Campaign to End Conversion Therapy, a targeted campaign to end conversion therapy through litigation, public education, and legislation.

To read the complaint, click here: http://bit.ly/McCobbComplaint

*A photograph of the plaintiff in this case, Katherine McCobb, is attached. Photo credit: Anne Parmeter.

"Freak Show" to Close Out Outfest

Director Trudie Styler’s Freak Show will play Outfest Los Angeles as the Closing Night Gala film this Sunday, July 16. The film stars Alex Lawther, Abigail Breslin, Laverne Cox, Ian Nelson, AnnaSophia Robb and Bette Midler.

Based on the award-winning cult novel by James St. James, Freak Show tells the moving, heartbreaking and hilarious story of Billy Bloom, a boldly confident and eccentric teenager who faces intolerance and persecution at his ultra conservative high school, and decides to fight back on behalf of all the misunderstood freaks of the world.


IFC Films recently acquired the film. A theatrical release date will be announced in the near future.

HuffPost Exclusive: Parents of Gender Nonconforming Child Attacked By James Woods Speak Out

On Monday, Oscar-nominated actor James Woods attacked the family of a gender nonconforming child, C.J. Duron, and C.J.'s parents, Lori and Matt, celebrating their city's 2017 Pride celebration. The Durons faced intense and relentless harassment on social media following Woods' tweet, but rather than retreat against the barrage of hate, they have chosen to speak to HuffPost about their experience over the past several days.

In an interview with HuffPost Queer Voices Executive Editor Noah Michelson, Lori said, "Initially, I was inclined to ignore the hate, as I always do. That would have been the easiest thing to do. But the easiest thing to do isn’t always the right thing to do. I have a voice and I’m not just an advocate for my son, I’m an advocate for all the other children like him and their families. LGBTQ youth face this type of bullying every day without someone standing up for them. I couldn’t stay silent, I had to stand up.”

When asked about the affect the events have had on them, Matt said, "I can’t answer that honestly here. It’s hard being the bigger man when someone attacks your family and does it in the way Woods did it. I’ll leave it at that."

Read the full interview with the Durons here.

Superfruit - Worth It

 

Superfruit has debuted the music video for "Worth It." 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. The first part of their two-part debut studio album Future Friends - Part One is out now via RCA Records; Future Friends - Part Two will follow on September 15th.

The Gay Vegans: Living In Gratitude

By Dan Hanley

Although I try to live in gratitude every day, being on vacation and on the beach with my husband, a place I love to be, gives me yet another opportunity to embrace gratitude. By the way, the photo is of one of our favorite beaches, Torrey Pines State Beach, in San Diego.

In the past several months there has been a lot on my plate, a lot on my emotional plate. We moved into our new home which is definitely something to be grateful for, and it came with its own challenges. And although this isn’t a surprise to us, with four senior companion animals, each of them has had their own health issues which have effected us both emotionally and financially.

With so much going on in the world Mike and I try to remember how good we have it. We don’t even worry about the basics, as far as food, water, and a roof over our heads. Regarding the food part, being vegan and being in the vegan capital of the world is something that not only adds to the wonderfulness of our lives but additionally is something we are grateful for.

Living in gratitude for me means to always, or as often as I can, remember all I have in my life. In my recovery program I learned to create gratitude lists, first when life felt tough but later as part of my daily actions. Items that typically make the list are my relationship with my Higher Power, my sobriety, my husband, my activist community/family, etc. I’m not writing about the gratitude list as a suggestion to you, just to say how I incorporate gratitude into my life.

As you read this post, I also want you to know that I am grateful for all of the support and kindness we get from people who read this blog. It means the world to me when a reader says they voted for the first time, tried being vegan for a day, or called one of their elected officials. I have always wanted this blog to be about building bridges and promoting animal rights and human rights, and the feedback I get from you the reader tells me that this is happening.

'Bob the Drag Queen: Suspiciously Large Woman' on Logo This Sunday

Drag Superstar Bob the Drag Queen arrives purse first and ready to take prisoners in her debut comedy special, Suspiciously Large Woman. Fresh off the world premiere at Outfest in Los Angeles, Suspiciously Large Woman is making its televised premiere on Logo on Sunday, July 16. No one is safe when the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8 returns to her hometown of Atlanta after touring the world to hilariously tackle topics such as sex, white people, New York, and the one and only Beyoncé.

Here's a sneak peek.

BREAKING: U.S. House of Representatives Votes Down Amendment Ripping Away Critical Health Care for Transgender Service Members & Military Families

Today, OutServe-SLDN and the American Military Partner Association (AMPA) praised a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives voting down a vicious amendment that would have ripped away medically necessary health care for transgender service members and military dependents. Proposed by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), the amendment would have barred access to transition-related health care — including critically important care such as hormone therapy — for service members and military family members. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 214 to 209.

“Congresswoman Hartzler’s attempt to strip healthcare from service members and their families in a time of war was unpatriotic, unconstitutional, and just plain vile, we are pleased to see that the House of Representatives voted down this amendment” said OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Matt Thorn. “It would have been harmful to trans servicemembers, spouses, and families with trans children; it would have undermined our mission readiness by degrading our capabilities as a fighting force. OutServe-SLDN will continue to support and defend our trans brothers and sisters in any and all legal and advocacy matters.”

“This was a horrifying, vicious attack on service members and military family members, and our families were beside themselves in fear,” said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. “It would have been beyond unconscionable to rip away the critically important health care of transgender military family members and service members — care that their doctors believe is medically necessary — and would have severely harmed thousands of military families and undermine military readiness. We are incredibly grateful to the members of Congress who stood up and stopped this assault on our military families.”

Since October 2016, it has been the policy of the Department of Defense to allow transgender members of the armed forces to serve openly and authentically. Estimates show there are more than 15,500 transgender individuals currently serving in the armed services. In addition to these service members, thousands of service members also have members of their families who are transgender.