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Big news on one of the biggest LGBT equality petitions on the site: earlier today, the UK government announced the “Alan Turing Law,” which will soon extend the pardon that the British code-breaking genius and war hero received posthumously in 2013 to tens of thousands of men who were previously criminalized for being gay or bisexual.
This movement was fueled by a massive Change.org campaign launched during the 2015 Oscar season that was supported by 639,000 signers, as well the cast of the Academy Award-winning film, The Imitation Game, which chronicled the life of Alan Turing -- who died by suicide in 1954 after being convicted under the law. Turing’s family delivered the petition signatures to 10 Downing Street as the campaign gained momentum in early February 2015 (you can check out pics from the delivery here).
The petition also garnered support from men who were convicted under the law. Here are a few of the comments they shared:
Frederick Carson from Barnwood, United Kingdom: “More than twenty years ago I visited a public lavatory for the legitimate purposes it was built for and a very attractive guy about 30yo approached me and asked me in graphic language if I wanted to take part in a sexual act. Because he was so nice, I thought for a moment and said ‘Hmm. Have you got anywhere we can go?’ I would not have done anything with him in the toilet. He replied, ‘you're nicked’ ‘Come with me. I'm arresting you for soliciting or persistently importuning by a man for immoral purposes s.32 SOA 1956 & s4 SOA 1967."”
Eric Gourlay from London, United Kingdom: “In 1952 I was caught in a quiet park with another man and taken to court and put on probation, causing great grief to my family.”
William Bollen from Cardiff, United Kingdom: Born in 1944 I grew up and became a teenager in the 1950s. I realised I was homosexual by about the age of about 14 -15...I have a friend, now quite elderly who was one of those ‘caught’ in the 1950s From a working class background he was one of the few who had managed to get to University and get a good degree. He would have prospered and had a very good future but for the conviction – for next to nothing…”
Today, the National LGBTQ Task Force is joining lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) advocates and allies in standing up against bullying as part of the annual Spirit Day. In 2010, Brittany McMillan pushed forward Spirit Day and asked people to wear purple in order to raise awareness of anti-LGBTQ bullying and the ongoing string of suicides by LGBTQ youth.
“We’re proud to go purple today as we join millions of LGBTQ advocates across the globe in calling for an end to bullying. No one should ever fear for their safety and well being at school, in the workplace, or anywhere for that matter, simply because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ). Yet the reality is that 8 out of 10 LGBTQ students are bullied in school each year. Bullying has serious consequences that can lead to depression, violence, and suicide. We urge everyone to join us in standing up against bullying and end all forms of hate and violence,” said Rea Carey, National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director.
After a much buzzed about season that led Logo to its highest rated Thursday night in network history, "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" season two continues to break viewing records as the best season of a Logo original series ever! This season, which saw Alaska snatch the crown and join the Drag Race Hall of Fame, is up an astonishing 62% from “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” season 1 and up 35% from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 8 which concluded this past May.* Additionally, season 2 of “All Stars” has been sampled by over 15 million people across all platforms.**
Emmy Award-winning host RuPaul will be back on Thursday, October 27th at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Logo and VH1 when the All Star queens reunite to dish about the most shocking, glamorous, and twisted moments of the season.
Mama Ru will also turn up the heat this fall with “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 6 RuVealed,” premiering Thursday, November 3rd at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Logo. The never-before-seen look into the unforgettable season is packed with fresh reads and behind-the-scenes gossip from Ru herself. For a sneak peek of “RuVealed” head to logotv.com/video-clips/jwr0je. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 9 will return this spring to Logo.
“RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars” is produced by World of Wonder Productions with Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Steven Corfe, Mandy Salangsang and RuPaul Charles serving as Executive Producers. Pamela Post and Tim Palazzola are Executive Producers for Logo.
For more information on "RuPaul's Drag Race,” go to LogoTV.com. For up-to-date "RuPaul's Drag Race" news and exclusives, join the "RuPaul's Drag Race" Facebook page or follow #DragRace conversation on Twitter at @RuPaulsDragRace. Follow along with live gifs from the show on Tumblr and additional content on the show's Instagram page.
Kellogg Company is partnering with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as an official sponsor of Spirit Day 2016 and will ‘go purple’ along with millions of Americans on October 20 to show support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth and stand up to bullying.
“At Kellogg, we firmly believe in equality and inclusion in the workplace, marketplace and communities. We have long been allies and supporters of LGBTQ employees, their families and the community,” says Mark King, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Office at Kellogg Company.
As part of its commitment to Spirit Day, Kellogg will host a special Spirit Day breakfast at the Kellogg’s NYC café in Times Square inviting guests to start their day with the “Official Spirit Day Bowl,” which will be available all day at the café. Designed by chefs from Kellogg’s NYC kitchen, the “Official Spirit Day Bowl” will feature Frosted Flakes with fresh blueberries, lemon zest and blueberry jam that turns milk a delicious purple. The event also will feature special guest and America’s Got Talent finalist Brian Justin Crum, who will perform live and share his personal story about how bullying affected his life. Additionally, Kellogg and 10 of their iconic brands will proudly go purple on social media for #SpiritDay engaging with consumers live from the event and throughout the day encouraging them to share their stories. Kellogg invites people to watch a special video from their employees voicing support for GLAAD and Spirit Day’s anti-bullying message.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with Kellogg for Spirit Day to take a stand against bullying,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President & CEO. “When LGBTQ young people see support from a company that has been a staple in their lives for years, it sends a strong message of acceptance that truly resonates.”
Since its inception in 2010, Spirit Day has been observed annually by individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, and public figures all wearing purple to take a united stand against bullying. Founded in a response to the alarming number of young LGBTQ lives lost to suicide, Spirit Day was created to promote awareness, acceptance, and love to prevent any further tragedies. Every year, millions of Americans and individuals across the globe go purple on Spirit Day to show their support for LGBTQ youth. GLAAD has led the charge each year by gathering millions of people to demonstrate their support for LGBTQ youth and ensuring our next generation of leaders that they are supported and loved.
Nathan Sykes has debuted the video for his new track "Famous" off of his eagerly anticipated debut album Unfinished Business, due for release on November 11 via Global / Def Jam. Fans who pre-order the album will receive instant downloads of three previously released songs as well as "Famous."
Outfest, the non-profit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBT stories on the screen, announced today that Jeffrey Tambor (“Transparent”), Amy Landecker (“Transparent”), Dax Shepard (“Parenthood”), Shay Mitchell (“Pretty Little Liars”), Teri Polo (“The Fosters”) and Sherri Saum (“The Fosters”) will be presenting Legacy Awards to Jill Soloway, Sean Hayes and Freeform, respectively. Singer Samuel Larsen (“Glee”) is set to perform.
The 2016 Legacy Awards will take place on Sunday, October 23 at performing arts venue Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles, with head chef Neal Fraser (Redbird). Merrill Lynch will return as the Presenting Sponsor.
As previously announced, Soloway will be honored with the Visionary Award, which recognizes artistic and creative contributions to the LGBT media visibility for a body of work that includes “Transparent.” Hayes is receiving the Trailblazer Award in recognition of his exemplary career as a stage, film, television, and recording artist and for his longtime, passionate support of the LGBT community. Freeform is receiving the Corporate Trailblazer Award in recognition of its groundbreaking programming for young adults -- people in high school, college and the decade that follows -- which includes such LGBT-friendly programs including “Pretty Little Liars,” “The Fosters,” and “Shadowhunters.”
The Legacy Awards serves as a fundraiser to support the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project. Outfest and UCLA Film & Television Archive partnered in 2005 to create the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, the only program in the world exclusively dedicated to saving and preserving LGBT moving images. The Legacy Project is aimed at the crisis in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender moving-image archiving. Many of the landmark LGBT films produced over the last 40-plus years are already in danger of fading away; their original exhibition prints are in tatters, and their negatives are in woeful storage conditions or even lost. For the last 11 years, the Legacy Project is proud to have collected more than 36,000 moving-image items and to have restored 24 historically important film and video projects.
Previous Legacy Award honorees include Tom Hanks (Philadelphia), Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right), Armistead Maupin (“Tales of the City”), Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry), Lee Daniels (“Empire”), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Chicago) Adam Shankman (Hairspray), Roland Emmerich (Stonewall), Alan Poul (“The Newsroom”), Bruce Cohen (Silver Linings Playbook), and Paris Barclay (“Glee”).
The first annual Lambda Literary Festival is a celebration of contemporary voices honoring and expanding on the rich, diverse tradition of LGBTQ writers and letters in the Southland.
Lambda is seeking literary programming proposals (readings, workshops, etc.) for the events that will take place during the week (March 6-10) as well as for the Sunday, March 12 QueerLit Pop-ups. Selected events will be included in the official program guide. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please note the following: • Event Description- Please be as detailed as possible and include names of participating authors, readers, workshop leaders, etc. Participants' commitments and contact information required. • Diversity- Priority will be given to events that reflect the racial, ethnic, gender and geographic diversity of Los Angeles. • Location- Although not required, proposals in *historical locations significant to LA's LGBTQ and literary history as well as locations near public transportation are encouraged. • Time- Events should last approximately 1-1 ½ hours. Submit your Proposal at Submittable
Next week sees the release of Marching Church’s enthralling new album, Telling It Like It Is, the Danish collective’s second full-length and easily their sharpest work.
After releasing debut singles, “Heart of Life” and “Lion’s Den,” they now present the latter’s visual accompaniment. Featuring the core Marching Church band -- Iceage’s Elias Bender Rønnenfelt and Johan S. Weith, Lower’s Kristian Emdal and Anton Rothstein, Jakob Emil Lamdahl and Hand of Dust’s Bo Høyer Hansen -- the “Lion’s Den” video was filmed between Copenhagen, New York and Tokyo.
Rønnenfelt comments, “Directed by a man they thought to be dead, it's a metropolitan video for a metropolitan beat; taking cabs in the middle of the night, driving as if to save your soul. Dancing in slow motion because the air is made of oil, and everyone's a criminal because the world is a crime."
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Casting is now underway for season 2 of Logo's gay dating show, Finding Prince Charming.
They're looking for someone who is charismatic, gorgeous, successful,
and genuinely looking for love. Submit yourself or nominate someone you
know at www.findingprincecharmingcasting.com. All applicants must be 21+
and legal US residents.
Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, released its fifth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), assessing LGBTQ equality in 506 cities across the nation, including eight in Colorado.
The 2016 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law and policy, shows that cities across the country, including in Colorado, continue to take the lead in supporting LGBTQ people and workers, even when states and the federal government have not.
For LGBTQ Americans, legal protections and benefits vary widely depending on location -- states and cities have markedly different laws governing discrimination. 20 states have non-discrimination laws that include protections for LGBTQ people in employment, and 19 states have laws that protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in places of public accommodation. But cities are leading the way: more than 24 million people live in cities that have more comprehensive laws for transgender people than the states do. And that’s an important part of how 135 million Americans -- 42 percent of the population -- are covered under LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination laws. The effort to achieve full equality continues, and the MEI remains a crucial tool in evaluating the patchwork of LGBTQ policies and practices in cities and towns across the nation.
The average score for cities in Colorado is 64 out of 100 points, which falls above the national average of 55.
“This year, dozens of cities across the nation showed they are willing to stand up for LGBTQ people in their communities even when some state governments are not,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “This builds on a trend we have long observed: that local governments are at the forefront of our fight for equality. Unfortunately, our opponents have witnessed this progress too, and in recent years, anti-LGBTQ lawmakers have pushed spiteful legislation aimed at pre-empting local protections. That’s why it’s so important that we continue to not only fight for equality at the state and local levels, but to enact comprehensive federal protections for LGBTQ people under the Equality Act.”
"Despite another year of legislative attacks on LGBTQ equality, we are not merely holding our ground; we also continue to make significant gains across the country,” said Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of the Equality Federation Institute. “The opportunity for further progress is huge, and we are proud to partner with HRC on the Municipal Equality Index, a powerful roadmap for elected officials and community advocates who want to continue down the path to full equality.”
"The Municipal Equality Index demonstrates that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Coloradans and their families face different barriers in their jobs and communities depending on where they live,” said Daniel Ramos, Executive Director of One Colorado. “We will continue our work to advance equality – not only at the state level, but also in cities and towns across Colorado – until every LGBTQ person can live openly and honestly in every corner of the state.”
Since the MEI’s debut in 2012, the number of cities earning perfect scores has more than quintupled, and today at least 24 million people now live in cities that have more comprehensive, transgender-inclusive non-discrimination laws than their state or the federal government. And cities that have been rated all five years of the MEI have improved their scores by about 20 points over that time.
Progress on transgender equality has been particularly noteworthy in cities across America this year, continuing a positive trend that the MEI has tracked -- and encouraged -- since 2012. Transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits are offered to employees of 86 municipalities this year -- up from 66 in 2015 and 5 in 2012 -- and the growth of cities offering those benefits to their employees outpaces the growth in the number of cities rated. The MEI’s Issue Brief on Transgender-Inclusive Health Benefits is available here.
For the first time this year, the MEI deducted points from the scores of cities that have non-discrimination protections containing carve-outs prohibiting individuals from using public facilities consistent with their gender identity. It also created a new category of points to recognize cities that are offering transgender-specific city services.
Two special reports are also included in the 2016 MEI: Power Struggles and Preemption details efforts by anti-equality officials at the state level to pass discriminatory legislation like North Carolina’s HB2 law that strip municipalities of their ability to protect their residents and workers with non-discrimination measures. Inclusive and Innovative Approaches to Citywide Bullying Prevention lays out the serious public health issue of bullying, how it disproportionately affects LGBTQ youth, and innovative ways municipalities can protect its young people from bullying. The 2018 MEI will change the way it assesses anti-bullying issues, as described in this brief.
Today in Quito, Ecuador, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro will lead the United States delegation to the United Nations (UN) Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador. Secretary Castro will represent the U.S. in several key events at the conference, including a conference-wide plenary session and roundtables with global leaders, as well as conduct bilateral meetings with key U.S. partners. Most public events will be webcast (see below for links).
The Conference is intended to renew international commitment to sustainable urban development, address poverty and identify and address emerging global challenges. In preparation for the Conference, HUD recently released The U.S. 20/20 Habitat III Report. The report outlines the agency’s work since the previous Habitat II conference 20 years ago, and reflects on the critical themes that will define the U.S. Habitat agenda for the next 20 years.
The session will feature a series of presentations delivered by international advocates for LGBTI rights and Heads of Delegations for Member States who are committed to ensuring that LGBTI persons are included in the domestic implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Follow @SecretaryCastro, #NewUrbanAgenda, and #Habitat3 for updates during the conference.
Academy Award nominee Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) wrote and
directed La La Land, a song-and-dance romance set in contemporary Los Angeles,
where Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a
dedicated jazz musician and aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) struggle to make ends meet against the backdrop
of a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Meet Chazelle and Stone at Opening Night of the Denver Film Festival!
An award-winning collective of storytellers, educators, and thought leaders are coming together to promote equal representation for people of all backgrounds in media content. Hosted by Neuehouse Hollywood – a private community of leading entrepreneurs and creative teams located in the former CBS Broadcast Building at Columbia Square – the launch of this new salon series, Storytellers United, begins at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, October 27th. ‘Pink’ carpet and celebrity arrivals are at 6:30pm. The general public is invited to request an invitation at www.storytellersunited.com. Facebook and YouTube live broadcasts of the event can be watched on Storytellers United and It Gets Better social pages, and will be available to instructors as educational curriculum resources.
Filmmaker, educator, and executive producer of Storytellers United, Damien S. Navarro explains, “Storytellers United was a movement and event-series I had been conceptualizing for a very long time. It can’t be argued that our country and communities are in desperate need of healing from the defacing and misrepresentation of millions of minorities. I was therefore compelled to implore and empower the entertainment industry to take matters into its own hands.”
Entitled “The New Face of LGBTQ Youth in Entertainment,” the launch event will include an elegant evening of surprise performances, provocative content, cocktails, and conversation with a cause. Celebrating the charitable achievements of It Gets Better and other non-profit organizations, the evening will also feature an enlightening panel discussion about LGBTQ representation in media. Industry leaders Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight,” “Lords of Dogtown”), Academy-Award Winner Dan Jinks (“American Beauty,” “Big Fish, “Milk”), Peter Paige (“The Fosters,” “Queer as Folk”), Dan Bucatinsky (“Scandal”, “Marry Me”), and Scott Peters (“Eyewitness,” “The 4400”) will be joined on the panel by rising talent Carmen Carrera (The Advocate’s 40 Under 40) and Tyler Young (“Eyewitness,” “The Avatars”). Breakthrough gay country artist Brandon Stansell will also perform.
Storytellers United’s October 27th event will also feature renowned non-profit organizations that are relevant to the evening’s focus. It Gets Better will showcase clips from their latest docu-series, “It Got Better”, produced in partnership with L/Studio, created by Lexus. Other content highlighted will include clips from OUTFEST’s 2016 Outset: The Young Filmmakers project – short films produced by the next generation of young filmmakers between the ages of 16 and 24 – as well as – recognition of GLAAD’s work and service to the industry.
Storytellers United events will most importantly premiere ‘Best-in-Show’ content that fits the theme of the evening. The launch evening’s featured case-study will be “Eyewitness,” USA Network’s groundbreaking new anthology series created by Adi Hasak (“Shades of Blue”). Centered on two teenage boys, Philip (Tyler Young) and Lukas (James Paxton), who witness a murder in a small town just moments after they kiss for the first time, “Eyewitness” innovatively delves into issues of sexuality and self-discovery. The show features a critically acclaimed lead performance by Julianne Nicholson as Sheriff Helen Torrance, which The New York Times has called a “perfect” role for her.
“I am thrilled to launch such an innovative, inspiring event that will spark a long-overdue conversation and action,” said Adi Hasak, Creator of “Eyewitness.” “Storytellers United provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate the hard work and social progress I've always wanted to represent – and to promote the type of inclusive, character-driven content that we need more of in Hollywood.”
