Evangelicals and Other Faith Leaders to Convene in Washington to Promote Pro-LGBTQ Policy Agenda

On Friday, December 9th, Rev. Fred Davie, Executive Vice President at Union Theological Seminary in New York, will host a press conference with Evangelical and other faith leaders from around the country to promote a pro-LGBTQ public policy agenda for the Trump Administration and new Congress. Presenters at the event will highlight why they support the LGBTQ community because of their faith, and not in spite of it. The policy agenda will focus on five key areas proposed by faith leaders: LGBTQ basic rights, LGBTQ homeless youth, LGBTQ senior citizens, the transgender community, and global antidiscrimination. 

Support for LGBTQ rights and equality continues to grow among religious Americans - particularly Christians. According to the Pew Research Center, 58% of Catholics and 64% of White Mainline Protestants support marriage equality today, compared to 40% and 38% in 2001, respectively. Support for marriage equality among White Evangelical Christians has more than doubled since 2001, with Black Protestant support increasing by close to one-third during that time. As the culture wars of the past fade away, many faithful Americans - conservative Christians in particular - are increasingly seeing LGBTQ equality as integral to their religious values and their calling to love their neighbors as they do themselves.

The press conference is co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Community of Churches, the Human Rights Campaign, the National LGBTQ Task Force, Auburn Seminary, SAGE, Cathedral of Hope, the Center for African American Religion, Sexual Politics and Social Justice at Columbia University, Covenant Baptist UCC, Evangelicals for Marriage Equality and the Tyler Clementi Foundation.

Hornet Hires Former Frontiers EIC

Hornet, the world’s second largest gay social network, today announced that Stephan Horbelt will join the brand’s growing executive team as executive editor. He is charged with leading the brand’s content development strategy. Horbelt comes to Hornet from Frontiers Media, where he spent the last four years as editor in chief of Frontiers. Horbelt will be based out of Los Angeles and report to Hornet CEO Christof Wittig.

“We’re excited to welcome Stephan to the Hornet team. With his experience and proven track record in engaging audiences, he will shape Hornet content into a leading voice in the ever-evolving and ever-growing LGBTQ community. We value his vision in leading our growing brand's content that will enhance the already exceptional Hornet user experience,” said Hornet President Sean Howell

Adding Horbelt to the Hornet team reinforces the brand’s commitment to strengthening the gay community by providing quality social interactions with award-winning editorial content to both educate and inform. Horbelt will now lead all editorial strategy for the Hornet properties giving users access to exclusive content spanning breaking news, arts & entertainment, travel and science & technology. It also recently introduced its version 3.0 which features an activity feed and the discover platform, which will take gay apps to the next level.

As editor in chief of Frontiers, Horbelt helped lead the brand’s transition from oversized newsprint publication to a glossy lifestyle and culture magazine that became internationally recognized as the voice of Southern California’s LGBT community. He oversaw all content for the brand, including lifestyle, arts & entertainment, nightlife, events and health. He also spearheaded the relaunch of the brand’s website. Prior to becoming editor in chief, Horbelt served as the publication’s associate editor and the co-editor.

“I'm honored to be brought onto the Hornet team, a multifaceted company that I feel is at the forefront of queer media. After this year's elections challenging times await the world's LGBT community, and so the need for smart, subversive queer content is at an all-time high. The opportunity to help shape that voice is an exciting one,” said Horbelt.

Hornet’s free social network app available on iOS, Android, and the web.

Margaret Cho Coming to Comedy Works

Margaret Cho just announced a rare club performance at Comedy Works coming up in April.

Top 10 Destinations for New Year's Eve

Gaytravel.com counts down their favorite destinations where you can count the final seconds of 2016. Will you be surprised by the top pick?

Devastating data in new transgender report

Today the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) published a report on the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, which is a follow up to the 2011 groundbreaking National Transgender Discrimination Survey report published by the National LGBTQ Task Force and NCTE. The report was compiled from data collected from 27,715 transgender people in the United States (U.S.), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and U.S. military bases overseas. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish. The National LGBTQ Task Force's Trans/Gender Non-Conforming Justice Project Director Victoria Rodriguez-Roldan joined transgender advocates at a press conference at the National Press Club as key report findings were announced. 

“The report findings are devastating and unfortunately not surprising. As a transgender Latina,  the findings that 43  percent of transgender Latinos and Latinas living in poverty, and 41 percent of transgender Latinos and Latinas reporting unemployment, hit very close to home. And as a transgender advocate working every day on health policy, I know all too well the barriers transgender people experience when attempting to access basic health and human services," said Rodriguez-Roldan.

“Everyone — including transgender people —  deserves a fighting chance to provide for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, transgender people continue experiencing alarming inequalities in the U.S.,  as this report vividly depicts. Much more needs to be done to protect transgender people against violence and discrimination. Urgent steps include strong federal laws against discrimination in employment, housing, health, education, and public places"

"At the National LGBTQ Task Force, we are working tirelessly to advance civil rights for transgender people with disabilities and to end discrimination in health care. The findings that 40% of transgender people  have attempted suicide, and that a third of respondents have experienced mistreatment when seeking medical care are particularly distressing and underline the need for improving access to health care for trans people." 

The full report is available online. Some of the key report findings include:

Violence & Mistreatment

• At home, 10% of transgender people who were out to their immediate family report that a family member was violent towards them because they are transgender, and 8% were kicked out of their home.
• At school, 54% of transgender people report being verbally harassed, 24% report being physically attacked, and 13% sexually assaulted.
• In places of public accommodation, 31% of transgender people experienced at least one type of mistreatment in the past year, such as being denied equal treatment or service, verbally harassed, or physically attacked.  

Economic Hardship

• One in three transgender people (29%) report living in poverty, compared to 14% of the U.S. population.
• 15% of transgender people report being unemployed, which is 3 times higher than the national average (5%). 

Physical & Mental Health

• 40% of transgender people report attempting suicide in their lifetime—nearly 9 times the attempted suicide rate among the entire U.S. population (4.6%).
• 33% of transgender people who saw a health care provider had at least one negative experience related to being transgender, such as verbal harassment or refusal of treatment.
• 33% report not going to a health care provider when they needed because they could not afford it.

Earlier this year, the National LGBTQ Task Force published a guide for employers on how to create a safe and welcoming workplace for transgender people.

Do You Want To Reach Denver's Gay Community? Advertise With Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Do you want to advertise to Denver’s gay community? Of course you do, it’s the 7th largest in the United States! And the best way to reach them is with MileHighGayGuy – Colorado’s Best Gay Blog.
 
Just click the Advertising page or email sales@milehighgayguy.com to get started today.

Books: Warwick Rowers - Freedom

The coffee table book that everyone will want this holiday season!

Following on from the great success and universally positive feedback of the first limited edition book last year, the Warwick Rowers have decided to produce another. Produced to exactly the same luxurious specification as their first book, and in a similarly limited and numbered edition of only 1000 copies, you can expect it to be even bolder than last year's.

Along with the purchase of the book, customers will receive an exclusive print copy of the first published report from Sport Allies. With funding from Warwick Rowers, Sport Allies has commissioned an authoritative report on the problem of homophobia and gender bias in sporting culture.

OUT on DVD/VOD: Retake

Breaking Glass Pictures will release the LGBT drama-romance RETAKE, the debut feature from writer/director Nick Corporon, on DVD and On Demand this January.

 

In this festival favorite starring Tuc Watkins, (“One Life to Live”, “Desperate Housewives”), and Devon Graye (I Am Michael, “The Flash”), RETAKE follows a handsome businessman who hires a prostitute to role-play as his long-lost love. What follows is a road trip full of manipulation and mystery as both men near their final destination.

Hulu Picks Up 'Please Like Me' Season 4

Hulu has partnered with Participant Media to bring the latest season of critically acclaimed, award-winning comedy series Please Like Me to the U.S. exclusively on Hulu. The series, which previously aired on television network Pivot, will debut its fourth season in the U.S. on Hulu early next year.

After closing a deal for the exclusive SVOD rights to the series earlier this year, Hulu became the streaming home for fans to catch up on Please Like Me in the U.S. Through the new agreement, all six episodes of the latest season of Please Like Me, as well as the complete series to date, will be available to stream, only on Hulu.

“Thank you Hulu for rescuing our lovely little show! I hope you Americans enjoy it as much you enjoy soda,” said Josh Thomas, creator, writer and star.

Inspired by the standup comedy and real-life experiences of Creator and Star Josh Thomas, Please Like Me is a charming, semi-autobiographical award-winning series about a boy, his dog and the parents, friends and lovers who rely on him. Season four of the series returns with its unique blend of honest comedy and bitter sweet drama. Josh has had it up to here with things ending. And now as he faces an empty house, coupled-up friends and a flagging love life that even a threesome can’t seem to fix, maybe his youth is ending and he’ll have to face the idea of growing up.

A fixture on the top ten lists of TV critics around the world, Please Like Me has been described by the Associated Press as “’Seinfeld’ blended with a guy-centric ‘Girls,’” and “the best original Australian TV comedy ever.”

Victory Institute Condemns Trump’s Meeting with Ousted Anti-LGBT Governor Pat McCrory

Victory Institute today condemned the meeting between President-elect Donald Trump and former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory – who lost his re-election because of his unwavering support for discrimination against LGBT people. The latest potential anti-LGBT appointment comes as Victory Institute convenes LGBT elected officials from around the nation to strategize opposition to the anti-equality agenda of the new administration. The meeting – at Victory Institute’s International LGBT Leaders Conference in Washington, DC – is the largest gathering of LGBT elected officials in the world.

Victory Institute President & CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills released the following statement about Trump’s meeting with McCrory:

“Voters ousted Governor McCrory for his relentless attacks on LGBT Americans – and it is unconscionable for the president-elect to now consider him for a cabinet appointment. The gubernatorial race was a referendum on the discriminatory anti-LGBT bill he championed – ensuring that bigotry would be McCrory’s defining legacy. Appointing this man - who damaged his state’s economy and reputation to defend discrimination - is contrary to Donald Trump’s claim he wants to represent all Americans.”

“Unfortunately, McCrory is just another in a long list of potential appointees adamantly opposed to equality for LGBT Americans. Trump’s appointees either have anti-LGBT records or have expressed contempt for LGBT Americans. We have grave concerns about Trump’s appointments, and our community will not stand by as our rights and equality are dismantled. LGBT elected officials, and the entire LGBT community, will unite in opposition to any anti-equality agenda. Tomorrow we gather in Washington, DC to create a roadmap for the next four years.”

Governor McCrory came to national attention when he signed the anti-LGBT bill, Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2), legislating discrimination in government buildings. The so-called “bathroom bill” authorized residents to only use restrooms that correspond to the sex assigned to them on their birth certificate. It also overturned the laws of local jurisdictions protecting LGBT people from discrimination.

Victory Institute’s International LGBT Leaders Conference takes place on Thursday, December 8 through Saturday, December 10. Among the speakers: Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, six openly LGBT members of Congress and many more. For a complete agenda and speakers, visit www.lgbtleaders.org.

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

Are you a new or experienced writer or blogger? Do you want to be? Or maybe you're just some gay guy with something to say? Well, what better forum for you than MileHighGayGuy?

MileHighGayGuy is looking for regular and guest bloggers to write about local news and events, do music and movie reviews, or write opinion or feature pieces from a gay perspective.

These are unpaid positions but offer the opportunity to be published in Colorado's Best Gay Blog (2010, 2011, 2012 OUTstanding Awards, Denver 2012 #WebAwards), expand your audience and gain valuable experience. There's also swag available in the form of free movie and concert tickets, music, books and other cool stuff.

If interested, shoot an email over to Drew Wilson at drew@milehighgayguy.com. And if you've got column or story ideas to pitch, this is the place to do it.

Lawyers’ Committee and Southern Poverty Law Ctr Respond to Nationwide Spike in Hate-Filled Incidents

The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) issued the following statement today in response to nationwide spike in hate-filled incidents nationwide.

“Hate crimes and hate-filled incidents stand as a dark cloud over our democracy,” said Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law President and Executive Director Kristen Clarke. “The recent spike in hate crimes is attributable, in part, to the racially-charged rhetoric that characterized the 2016 election cycle and the rise of “alt-right” white nationalist extremism. This is a moment that calls for federal, state, and local officials to use every tool in their arsenal to fully investigate and prosecute these incidents when they occur.”

“President-elect Trump says he’s surprised his supporters have been responsible for hate incidents across the country and that he has no idea why the white supremacist community has been energized by this victory,” said Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen. “But none of it should come as news to him. Both are the predictable results of the incendiary campaign that he waged for the presidency.”

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law leads the Election Protection program, the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection program. During the course of the 2016 election cycle, the Lawyers’ Committee received reports of racially-charged and hate-filled rhetoric. The Lawyers’ Committee has launched a national effort to mobilize pro bono support to respond to systemic problems of hate-filled incidents when they occur. We encourage victims and witnesses to not slip into the shadows and to not be afraid to report these incidents to law enforcement, school authorities or other relevant officials.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has issued two reports recently chronicling the outbreak of hate since Trump’s victory. The first, “Ten Days After: Harassment and Intimidation in the Aftermath of the Election,” documents the more than 800 hate incidents that occurred between Nov. 9 and Nov. 18 throughout the country. The perpetrators of many of the incidents invoked Trump’s name, his slogan, or his words. The second report, “The Trump Effect: The Impact of the 2016 Presidential Election on Our Nation’s Schools,” documents the devastating effect that Trump’s campaign has had on the climate in schools throughout the country. It is based on the responses of 10,000 teachers to a survey administered since Nov. 9.

Applications now open for Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers

Lambda Literary is now accepting applications for the Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers. The Judith A. Markowitz Award honors LGBTQ-identified writers whose work demonstrates their strong potential for promising careers. Two Emerging LGBTQ Writer prizes will be presented, each with a cash prize of $1000. Applicants to this prize may be self-nominated or nominated by another member of the community.

Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yaz, Erasure) and Jean-Michel Jarre sit down for the Talkhouse Music Podcast

Analog synthesizer music pioneers Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure) and Jean-Michel Jarre (who just got a Grammy nomination today!) sat down for the Talkhouse Music Podcast and went deep on all things synth, gear, their music...and the one question Jean's always wanted to ask Vince about Depeche Mode.

You can listen to the full episode HERE.

Evangelicals and National Faith Leaders Express Support for Pro-LGBTQ Policy Agenda

Rev. Fred Davie, Executive Vice President at Union Theological Seminary in New York, announced that the Seminary will convene a press conference with Evangelical and other faith leaders from around the country to promote a pro-LGBTQ public policy agenda for the Trump Administration and new Congress on Friday.

Presenters at the event will highlight why they support the LGBTQ community because of their faith, and not in spite of it. The policy agenda will focus on five key areas proposed by faith leaders: LGBTQ basic rights, LGBTQ homeless youth, LGBTQ senior citizens, the transgender community, and global antidiscrimination.

Over the past 12 months, Union has worked with a wide array of religious leaders from around the country to express support from the faith community for LGBTQ rights and equality. Many evangelical leaders have joined this effort, including Rev. Adam Phillips, Pastor, Christ Church Portland; Rev. Amy Butler, Senior Minister, The Riverside Church; Brandan Robertson, Founder and Executive Director, NOMAD Partnerships; Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Senior Minister, Middle Collegiate Church; Alan Manning Chambers, Co-Founder of Speak. Love. and former President of Exodus International; Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins, Senior Vice President for Innovation in Public Programs, Union Theological Seminary; Kathy Baldock, Board of Directors, The Reformation Project; Rod Snyder, Board Member, Evangelicals for Marriage Equality; Robert and Susan Cottrell, Founders, FreedHearts; Doug Pagitt, Pastor, Solomon's Porch and National Director, OPEN Networks; Michael Kimpan, Organizer, OPEN Networks; and Josh Dickson, Co-Founder and Board Member, Evangelicals for Marriage Equality.

"It is vital that the Trump Administration and Congress continue to support policies and legislation that preserves and defends the rights of all citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation," said Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary. "We at Union are proud of the historic advances in LGBTQ rights and we remain committed to advocating for the equal protection of all people under the law."

"I am driven by my faith to ensure that the Trump Administration and Congress protect the civil rights and human dignity of the LGBTQ community," said Rev. Fred Davie, Executive Vice President of Union Theological Seminary, who organized the event. "Faith leaders from around the country are determined to raise this critical public discussion to increase respect and tolerance, and tackle the festering and explosive underlying issues of hate, bigotry, and violence targeted at members of the LGBTQ community."

The press conference is co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Community of Churches, the Human Rights Campaign, the National LGBTQ Task Force, Auburn Seminary, SAGE, Cathedral of Hope, The Center for African American Religion, Sexual Politics and Social Justice at Columbia University, Covenant Baptist UCC and the Tyler Clementi Foundation. 


Read more after the jump.