Monday, November 13, 2017
Transgender Day of Remembrance at the Tivoli
UN Member States Maintain Non-Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation in Olympic Truce Resolution
The Truce is negotiated every two years ahead of the Olympics, and promotes “civility among nations” during the Olympics and the one week preceding and one week following the game. This year, a reference to Principle 6 came under attack, with Egypt and Russia trying to remove reference to the Principle in the Truce. These efforts however failed, due to cross regional State support for the inclusion of Principle 6 in the Truce.
Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International, commented on the outcome saying,
“While Egypt and Russia tried to export and sanction discrimination against lesbian, gay, and bisexual Olympians, they failed. States decided to send a clear message that there is no place for discrimination at the Olympics. We're thankful for civil society and for the mobilization that took place to ensure that reference to Principle 6 stayed in the Truce. Today, we were victorious.”In a joint campaign by OutRight Action International and Athlete Ally, professional athletes all around the world came out in support of the inclusion of Principle 6, releasing a letter calling on states to respect non-discrimination based on sexual orientation. In a press release circulated last week US Olympian and WNBA star Breanna Stewart stated,
“Sport and society thrive when we embrace the diversity of our world. The Olympic spirit is grounded in inclusion, fair play and solidarity, and the explicit mention of Principle 6 within the Olympic Truce Resolution sends a clear message that we take these values seriously.”Hudson Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Athlete Ally, commented on the favorable resolution, saying,
“Today, we’re thankful for UN Member States around the world who stood up for universal values such as diversity, respect, inclusion and fair play. The decision to keep an explicit reference of Principle 6 within the Olympic Truce Resolution is an important step for the full dignity and protection of the LGBTQ community around the world. We thank the athletes who spoke out in the lead up to such an important vote.”
New FBI Data Shows Increased Reported Incidents of Anti-LGBTQ Hate Crimes in 2016
In 2016, 6,121 hate crime incidents were reported --an increase of five percent from 2015. Of the 6,121 incidents reported,1,076 were based on sexual orientation bias and 124 were based on gender identity bias. These numbers reflect a two percent and nine percent increase, respectively
Of the 124 incidents based on gender identity, 19 targeted gender non-conforming people, a decrease of 54 percent from 2015. Yet, of those same 124 incidents,105 targeted transgender people, an increase of 44 percent from 2015.
However, these numbers likely represent only a fraction of such cases, given that reporting hate crimes to the FBI is not mandatory. Thousands of law enforcement agencies throughout the country did not submit any data. And while the number of jurisdictions reporting hate crimes data increased to 15,251 in 2016 from 14,997 in 2015, this is still less than the 15,494 agencies that reported in 2014. The lack of mandatory reporting means that the FBI data, while helpful, paints a very incomplete picture of hate crimes against LGBTQ Americans.
Jurisdictions with populations of more than 250,000 were among the thousands of. law enforcement agencies across the country that did not submit hate crimes data, and the vast majority of those -- 88 percent -- simply indicated to the FBI that no hate crimes had occurred. More than 90 cities with more than 100,000 residents either affirmatively reported zero hate crimes or ignored the FBI request for their 2016 hate crime data.
Over the past year, HRC has been calling on the Trump administration to do more to respond to hate crimes. In March, HRC joined 155 other civil and human rights organizations in urging the Trump administration to more strongly respond to bias-motivated acts of violence and intimidation. The letter cited examples of hate incidents, including the murder of seven transgender women of color, the February shooting targeting two Indian Hindu Americans in Kansas, and the numerous bomb threats against Jewish organizations and houses of worship, among others.
In addition, in September, HRC joined more than 80 organizations on a letter to Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore at the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division outlining steps that the DOJ should take in the wake of white supremacist violence in Charlottesville and in response to other bias-motivated crimes across the country. The letter also highlights the coalition’s broader priorities to help inform the DOJ’s plan of action to prevent and respond to hate violence.
Since the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) in 2009, HRC has worked with the FBI to update the agency’s crime reporting, from providing training materials to sharing details on hate crimes when they occur. HRC continues to press for improved reporting, passage of state laws that protect LGBTQ individuals from hate crimes, and expanded education and training initiatives.
The Anti-Defamation League has mapped the hate crime incidents that were reported in cities with populations of more than 100,000 and includes information on reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity biases. You can view this map here. - via HRC
Print all In new window The Leadership Conference Letter on Attorney General Sessions’ House Judiciary Committee Testimony
Today, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee ahead of Attorney General Sessions’ testimony tomorrow, raising serious concerns about the department’s record under President Trump on issues that are critically important to the civil and human rights community
The letter is below:
November 13, 2017
View a PDF of this letter here.
Recipient: House Judiciary Committee
Dear House Judiciary Committee Member,
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, I am writing in advance of tomorrow’s U.S. Department of Justice oversight hearing to raise serious concerns about the department’s record under President Trump on issues that are critically important to the civil and human rights community.
Nine months ago, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly voted to advance the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to be the nation’s 84th Attorney General. This Tuesday marks the first time Sessions will testify before this committee, and he must be held accountable for the actions he has taken since his confirmation in February. Members must take seriously their oversight responsibility and publicly explore his troubling record of rolling back the civil and human rights of our nation’s most vulnerable communities.
Sessions’ hostility to civil rights is longstanding. Over three decades ago, when he was nominated for a federal judgeship in Alabama, Coretta Scott King sent a letter to this committee about the damage Sessions would do if confirmed to the federal bench. “I believe his confirmation would have a devastating effect on not only the judicial system in Alabama, but also on the progress we have made everywhere toward fulfilling my husband’s dream that he envisioned over twenty years ago.” As a senator for two decades, Sessions had a record of consistently opposing civil and human rights legislation, bearing out the concerns expressed by Mrs. King.
Based on his anti-civil rights record, our coalition opposed Sessions’ nomination to be Attorney General. Unfortunately, our concerns have been realized. Since his confirmation in February, Sessions has advanced an anti-civil rights agenda and has failed to be an Attorney General for all people and communities.
Despite testifying during his confirmation hearing that “We must continue to move forward and never back,” Sessions has stood on the wrong side of history and has moved our nation backward on a number of core civil and human rights issues. In particular, we are concerned about his actions to undermine voting rights, sentencing reform, policing, and LGBTQ rights. On these issues, some of the department’s most egregious actions have included:
Voting rights
On February 27, the Department of Justice dropped the federal government’s claim that a Texas voter ID law under legal challenge was intentionally racially discriminatory, despite having successfully advanced that argument in multiple federal courts. The district court subsequently rejected the position of the Sessions Justice Department and concluded the law was passed with discriminatory intent.
On June 28, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to 44 states demanding extensive information on how they maintain their voter rolls. This request was made on the same day that President Trump’s so-called Commission on Election Integrity sent letters to all 50 states demanding intrusive and highly sensitive personal data about all registered voters.
On August 7, the Justice Department filed a brief in the Supreme Court in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute arguing that it should be easier for states to purge registered voters from their rolls – reversing not only its longstanding legal interpretation, but also the position it had taken in the lower courts in that case.
Criminal justice
On February 23, Sessions withdrew an earlier Justice Department memo that set a goal of reducing and ultimately ending the department’s use of private prisons.
In a March 31 memo, Sessions ordered a sweeping review of consent decrees with law enforcement agencies relating to police conduct – a crucial tool in the Justice Department’s efforts to ensure constitutional and accountable policing. The department also tried – unsuccessfully – to block a federal court in Baltimore from approving the department’s own proposed consent decree with the city on police practices, arguing that there were “grave concerns” with an agreement that the department itself had negotiated over a multi-year period.
On May 12, Sessions announced in a two-page memo that the Department of Justice was abandoning its Smart on Crime initiative by overturning the criminal charging policy put in place by the previous administration.
On August 28, Sessions lifted the Obama administration’s ban on the transfer of some military surplus items to domestic law enforcement. The guidelines rescinded by Sessions were created in the wake of Ferguson.
On September 15, the department ended the Community Oriented Policing Services’ Collaborative Reform Initiative, a Justice Department program that aimed to help build trust between police officers and the communities they serve.
LGBTQ rights
On February 22, the Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights jointly rescinded Title IX guidance clarifying protections under the law for transgender students.
On July 26, the Department of Justice filed a legal brief arguing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation – a decision that contravened recent court decisions and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance.
On September 7, the Department of Justice filed a brief with the Supreme Court in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission arguing that businesses have a right to discriminate against LGBTQ customers.
On October 4, the Department of Justice filed a brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asking the court to dismiss a lawsuit against the president’s transgender military ban.
On October 5, Sessions reversed a Justice Department policy which clarified that transgender workers are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On October 6, the Department of Justice issued sweeping religious liberty guidance to federal agencies, which will create a license to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals and others.
In addition to these concrete actions, the department in May published a revised list of priorities for the Civil Rights Division that excluded all mention of the need for constitutional policing, combatting discrimination against the LGBTQ community, or protecting people with disabilities. The same budget document called for cutting 121 positions from the Civil Rights Division. This is especially troubling as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Division, which was created by passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
In August, The New York Times reported that the “Trump administration is preparing to redirect resources of the Justice Department’s civil rights division toward investigating and suing universities over affirmative action admissions policies deemed to discriminate against white applicants.” This investigation and enforcement effort was planned to be run out of the Civil Rights Division’s front office by political appointees, instead of by experienced career staff in the division’s educational opportunities section.
Sessions testified at his confirmation hearing that “The Department of Justice must never falter in its obligation to protect the civil rights of every American, particularly those who are most vulnerable.” The Leadership Conference agrees with that statement but – time and again – Sessions’ actions as Attorney General, as outlined above, have failed to live up to that rhetoric.
Today, nearly three months after horrifying acts of white supremacy, violent extremism, and domestic terrorism in Charlottesville, Va. – at a time when the United States has a leader whose presidency has emboldened and enabled forces of hate and division in this country – our nation deserves an Attorney General who will vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws and stand with our most vulnerable communities. Sessions is failing in that regard, and I urge you to hold him accountable during tomorrow’s Department of Justice oversight hearing.
Thank you for your consideration of our views. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact Mike Zubrensky, Chief Counsel and Legal Director, or Sakira Cook, Senior Counsel, at (202) 466-3311.
Sincerely,
Vanita Gupta
President & CEO
The letter is below:
November 13, 2017
View a PDF of this letter here.
Recipient: House Judiciary Committee
Dear House Judiciary Committee Member,
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, I am writing in advance of tomorrow’s U.S. Department of Justice oversight hearing to raise serious concerns about the department’s record under President Trump on issues that are critically important to the civil and human rights community.
Nine months ago, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly voted to advance the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to be the nation’s 84th Attorney General. This Tuesday marks the first time Sessions will testify before this committee, and he must be held accountable for the actions he has taken since his confirmation in February. Members must take seriously their oversight responsibility and publicly explore his troubling record of rolling back the civil and human rights of our nation’s most vulnerable communities.
Sessions’ hostility to civil rights is longstanding. Over three decades ago, when he was nominated for a federal judgeship in Alabama, Coretta Scott King sent a letter to this committee about the damage Sessions would do if confirmed to the federal bench. “I believe his confirmation would have a devastating effect on not only the judicial system in Alabama, but also on the progress we have made everywhere toward fulfilling my husband’s dream that he envisioned over twenty years ago.” As a senator for two decades, Sessions had a record of consistently opposing civil and human rights legislation, bearing out the concerns expressed by Mrs. King.
Based on his anti-civil rights record, our coalition opposed Sessions’ nomination to be Attorney General. Unfortunately, our concerns have been realized. Since his confirmation in February, Sessions has advanced an anti-civil rights agenda and has failed to be an Attorney General for all people and communities.
Despite testifying during his confirmation hearing that “We must continue to move forward and never back,” Sessions has stood on the wrong side of history and has moved our nation backward on a number of core civil and human rights issues. In particular, we are concerned about his actions to undermine voting rights, sentencing reform, policing, and LGBTQ rights. On these issues, some of the department’s most egregious actions have included:
Voting rights
On February 27, the Department of Justice dropped the federal government’s claim that a Texas voter ID law under legal challenge was intentionally racially discriminatory, despite having successfully advanced that argument in multiple federal courts. The district court subsequently rejected the position of the Sessions Justice Department and concluded the law was passed with discriminatory intent.
On June 28, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to 44 states demanding extensive information on how they maintain their voter rolls. This request was made on the same day that President Trump’s so-called Commission on Election Integrity sent letters to all 50 states demanding intrusive and highly sensitive personal data about all registered voters.
On August 7, the Justice Department filed a brief in the Supreme Court in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute arguing that it should be easier for states to purge registered voters from their rolls – reversing not only its longstanding legal interpretation, but also the position it had taken in the lower courts in that case.
Criminal justice
On February 23, Sessions withdrew an earlier Justice Department memo that set a goal of reducing and ultimately ending the department’s use of private prisons.
In a March 31 memo, Sessions ordered a sweeping review of consent decrees with law enforcement agencies relating to police conduct – a crucial tool in the Justice Department’s efforts to ensure constitutional and accountable policing. The department also tried – unsuccessfully – to block a federal court in Baltimore from approving the department’s own proposed consent decree with the city on police practices, arguing that there were “grave concerns” with an agreement that the department itself had negotiated over a multi-year period.
On May 12, Sessions announced in a two-page memo that the Department of Justice was abandoning its Smart on Crime initiative by overturning the criminal charging policy put in place by the previous administration.
On August 28, Sessions lifted the Obama administration’s ban on the transfer of some military surplus items to domestic law enforcement. The guidelines rescinded by Sessions were created in the wake of Ferguson.
On September 15, the department ended the Community Oriented Policing Services’ Collaborative Reform Initiative, a Justice Department program that aimed to help build trust between police officers and the communities they serve.
LGBTQ rights
On February 22, the Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights jointly rescinded Title IX guidance clarifying protections under the law for transgender students.
On July 26, the Department of Justice filed a legal brief arguing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation – a decision that contravened recent court decisions and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance.
On September 7, the Department of Justice filed a brief with the Supreme Court in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission arguing that businesses have a right to discriminate against LGBTQ customers.
On October 4, the Department of Justice filed a brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asking the court to dismiss a lawsuit against the president’s transgender military ban.
On October 5, Sessions reversed a Justice Department policy which clarified that transgender workers are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On October 6, the Department of Justice issued sweeping religious liberty guidance to federal agencies, which will create a license to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals and others.
In addition to these concrete actions, the department in May published a revised list of priorities for the Civil Rights Division that excluded all mention of the need for constitutional policing, combatting discrimination against the LGBTQ community, or protecting people with disabilities. The same budget document called for cutting 121 positions from the Civil Rights Division. This is especially troubling as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Division, which was created by passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
In August, The New York Times reported that the “Trump administration is preparing to redirect resources of the Justice Department’s civil rights division toward investigating and suing universities over affirmative action admissions policies deemed to discriminate against white applicants.” This investigation and enforcement effort was planned to be run out of the Civil Rights Division’s front office by political appointees, instead of by experienced career staff in the division’s educational opportunities section.
Sessions testified at his confirmation hearing that “The Department of Justice must never falter in its obligation to protect the civil rights of every American, particularly those who are most vulnerable.” The Leadership Conference agrees with that statement but – time and again – Sessions’ actions as Attorney General, as outlined above, have failed to live up to that rhetoric.
Today, nearly three months after horrifying acts of white supremacy, violent extremism, and domestic terrorism in Charlottesville, Va. – at a time when the United States has a leader whose presidency has emboldened and enabled forces of hate and division in this country – our nation deserves an Attorney General who will vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws and stand with our most vulnerable communities. Sessions is failing in that regard, and I urge you to hold him accountable during tomorrow’s Department of Justice oversight hearing.
Thank you for your consideration of our views. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact Mike Zubrensky, Chief Counsel and Legal Director, or Sakira Cook, Senior Counsel, at (202) 466-3311.
Sincerely,
Vanita Gupta
President & CEO
Come Out. Get Fit With Stonewall Fitness.
Nice To See StevieB: Ten Years of StevieB
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the Nice to see StevieB blog. Blogging, remember blogging? A strange fad of the 00's and for me personally a decade-long explosion of keeping a digital diary. Yes, ten years have passed since I began to post my angst and joys, and a lot of stuff has moved my life forward while I blogged away.
My very first entry, ten years ago today, was set in the wild frontier days of online life for humanity. I wrote about ending a relationship; the one I thought was going to last forever. Since that first post about the last of that relationship, I have met that person's forever-forever and danced at their wedding with a guy who is the best thing that has happened to me.
So blogging was just a mere fad of the 00's. And yet, there seems to be a new generation of bloggers. Twenty years needing an outlet which is deeper than Snapchat and Instagram. Like they invented it. Back in my day we had to log into our tower desk top G4 Apples to blog. Not as easy as just telling Siri what to post on an Apple ten.
Happy anniversary to me. Ten years and I am just as cool as the post-Hipster generation sharing life as they begin to explore the world. Me? Yeah I too feel like I'm ready to explore the world. Or continue to explore the world.
Kim Petras - I Don't Want It At All
Check out the new video for “I Don’t Want It At All.” Directed by Charlotte Rutherford, the video depicts Kim’s teen girl fantasy complete with lavish shopping sprees, a “Princess and the Pea” style throne, a miniature Hamptons, and a special guest appearance by Paris Hilton.
Since her childhood in Cologne, Germany, Kim has been in love with pop music. It was a window into the bigger world outside of her little town. Kim notably began transitioning with female hormone therapy following her twelfth birthday before making worldwide headlines as the youngest person to receive gender reassignment surgery at the age of 16. Her experiences and bravery are subtly present in her music and her undeniable debut single perfectly showcases her imaginative artistry and unique brand of escapism.
“Pop was always my biggest obsession,” Kim affirms. “I spend so much time looking for new music online. As a kid, music videos were my escape from the little town I was living in, because nothing happened there. I want to provide that kind of escapism. It’s unapologetically pop.”
Shop Small in Cherry Creek North on November 25
“Of the 260 retailers in Cherry Creek North, 70 percent are small businesses, including art galleries, restaurants, fashion boutiques, spas and salons,” said Julie Underdahl, president and CEO of Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District. “Our community celebrates small businesses year round, and we encourage people to visit the District on Small Business Saturday to shop small.”
In celebration of Small Business Saturday and with proof of purchase, Cherry Creek North will be giving away four CCN gift cards, two valued at $250 and two valued at $500. After making a purchase at a Cherry Creek North business on November 25, visitors can stop by the Small Business Saturday Headquarters at 2nd Avenue and Fillmore Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., show a receipt and be entered for a chance to win.
Visitors can plan their trip on November 25 by viewing the list of participating businesses, which continues to grow, or the online Cherry Creek North directory, which shows the diversity of shops in the district that extends 16 blocks from 1st Avenue to 3rd Avenue, and from University Boulevard to Steele Street.
When visiting Cherry Creek North, it’s easy to park or valet once and walk the 16 blocks to everything Cherry Creek North has to offer. Many public parking garage options include $5 flat rates on weekends and evenings or valet opportunities at numerous locations throughout the area. Visitors also can hail an Eco-Ride USA cart at Moxy Denver Cherry Creek, which is offering free parking for the first 30 cars, and ride for free to their favorite local business in the area.
In 2010, American Express founded Small Business Saturday to help businesses flourish by encouraging people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2016, 112 million people shopped at small businesses around the country on the day and spent an estimated $15.4 billion.
The Greatest Showman - new trailer!
20th Century Fox has released a brand new trailer for the upcoming original musical The Greatest Showman, which hits theaters December 20. Directed by Michael Gracey, The Greatest Showman stars Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya
Print all In new window Key West’s LGBT Visitor Center Moves to ‘Pink Triangle’
The new location is within Key West’s “Pink Triangle,” which includes a cluster of LGBT bars, entertainment clubs and stores around the 700 and 800 blocks of the iconic Duval. The area also is home to four permanent rainbow crosswalks that the city installed in May 2015.
The guild opened its doors in 1978 to support the LGBT community and promote tourism to the all-welcoming subtropical island of Key West. Today the organization and its visitor center provide important services to the destination’s LGBT visitors and their allies.
The island welcomes an estimated 225,000 LGBT visitors each year.
“We estimate 20 percent or more of Key West’s annual visitors self-identify as LGBT, and we are proud to assist thousands of travelers each year,” said the guild’s executive director, Matt Hon.
Services provided by staff members at the visitor center include recommendations for accommodations, dining, entertainment and attractions. The center also offers a wide selection of brochures, an LGBT map of the island and information about special offers and ways to maximize the Key West vacation experience.
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Denver Limo, Inc.: The Hottest Limos In Colorado Now at the Lowest Prices of the Year!
Friday, November 10, 2017
Stonewall Fitness: World Outgames Fraud Investigation Complete. Where Does That Leave Us?
By Dirk Smith
The past few weeks, more news about World Outgames Miami and the shambles that the event and it’s parent organization GLISA left over 2000 athletes, donors as well as the City of Miami and Miami Beach as come to light. The results of the fraud investigation revealed
that on the first scheduled day of the event, which also happened to be
the day the sports program plus the opening and closing ceremonies were
cancelled; Miami Outgames had a total of $7,000 in their bank account.
The report shows a significantly mismanaged and financially irresponsible history of the organization, led by Ivan Cano and Keith Hart. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on “marketing trips” and other promotional fees and hundreds of thousands of dollars more were spent on so called “consulting fees” to various people including CEO Ivan Cano walking away with $109,000 alone. This represented half of the total budget for the event. In contrast, it was revealed that only $60,0000 was spent on the actual sporting events. Only three of which were not cancelled; Aquatics, Soccer and Country Western Dance.
Long story short, of the $1.5 million dollar budget for a “sporting event” less than 4% of that budget went toward the actual sports. There has been no shortage of outrage from this whole debacle with vendors, athletes, sponsors and long time supporters (including former board members of GLISA) all speaking out against Outgames and GLISA as a result.
The Miami-Dade Police Department in conjunction with the City of Miami have decided not to press charges against the organizers, leaving thousands of athletes, hotels, vendors and other sponsors without resolve and without any kind of refund for the hundreds and thousands of dollars they lost to Outgames. Where does that leave all of us?
Cancelled
only a few hours before it was set to begin. GLISA and World Outgames
have been a major embarrassment to the LGBTQ+ community and have done a
lot of damage to our cause.
The
past 2 years, the LGBTQ+ sports community has seen 4 events that have
been significantly mismanaged and leaving the athletes and vendors in a
tight position and at risk, not just of losing money but support and
credibility as well. From the significantly poorly organized 2015 Eurogames to the collapse of the 2016 Asia Pacific Outgames in Auckland, full cancellation of 2016 North American Outgames in St. Louis and finally the mess that was 2017 World Outgames in Miami.
All of which without refund to the thousands of dollars people spent to
take part, many athletes and longtime supporters of LGBTQ+ sports are
left wondering…
How relevant LGBTQ+ are in the future and most importantly and is it worth the investment of time, training and cost of participating?
Without any kind of consequence coming from these very serious missteps and without any kind of accountability or even “lessons learned” what is to stop these organizations from moving forward without changing the fundamental way they organize these events? Not all LGBTQ+ sporting events have been the subject of such fundamental and serious collapse but even those organizations are not immune to the potential fall out. It ultimately comes down to the athlete, and the question of “Is it worth the investment (time, training and cost) for me to participate?”
How relevant LGBTQ+ are in the future and most importantly and is it worth the investment of time, training and cost of participating?
Without any kind of consequence coming from these very serious missteps and without any kind of accountability or even “lessons learned” what is to stop these organizations from moving forward without changing the fundamental way they organize these events? Not all LGBTQ+ sporting events have been the subject of such fundamental and serious collapse but even those organizations are not immune to the potential fall out. It ultimately comes down to the athlete, and the question of “Is it worth the investment (time, training and cost) for me to participate?”
The
Gay Games, which is administered by the Federation of the Gay Games and
is not associated with GLISA or Outgames has their namesake event set
to take place next year in 2018. The track record of Gay Games events
has been more positive and have consistently shown to be worth the
investment of athletes to participate. However even they are not immune
to the consequence of the fallout from the Outgames and Eurogames
collapses. While they may not have any association with the events, they
are still part of the LGBTQ+ sports community and left to pick up the
pieces. Including athletes who are now questioning their involvement in
the 2018 Gay Games.
Following the 2015 Eurogames, the Eurogames parent organization and the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation, were left to scramble what little credibility they had left to recover their reputations and stepped up their efforts to maintain accountability for their brands. As a result they put a lot of pressure on the host committee due to host the 2016 Eurogames in Helsinki to step up their efforts and as a result the Helsinki event turned out to be a much better. This helped to recover the dignity of Eurogames and the EGLSF.
The damage done by GLISA and Outgames however truly has international ramifications from the athletes who traveled halfway around the world to participate. They’ve done more than just damage a brand, they’ve damaged the community. What that means for future “destination” LGBTQ+ sporting events like the 2018 Gay Games in Paris is that Gay Games is left to pick up the pieces.
Following the 2015 Eurogames, the Eurogames parent organization and the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation, were left to scramble what little credibility they had left to recover their reputations and stepped up their efforts to maintain accountability for their brands. As a result they put a lot of pressure on the host committee due to host the 2016 Eurogames in Helsinki to step up their efforts and as a result the Helsinki event turned out to be a much better. This helped to recover the dignity of Eurogames and the EGLSF.
The damage done by GLISA and Outgames however truly has international ramifications from the athletes who traveled halfway around the world to participate. They’ve done more than just damage a brand, they’ve damaged the community. What that means for future “destination” LGBTQ+ sporting events like the 2018 Gay Games in Paris is that Gay Games is left to pick up the pieces.
GLISA
has remained absently silent while their future Outgames bid organizers
including Winnipeg (2020) and Buenos Aires (2021) are dumping GLISA and
distancing themselves from the Outgames brand. This is the legacy of
the Outgames and the Gay and Lesbian International “Sports” Association.
One of mismanagement and fraud, as I and many others have since called
for, it is time for GLISA to respectfully dismantle.
Despite the lack of charges being filed, many athletes had called their banks and successfully disputed the charges of their registration fees. In addition, many of the hotels and vendors who were not paid for their services are also launching lawsuits against Cano, World Outgames Miami and GLISA for unpaid fees. A potential lawsuit from the athletes as well is in the works.
The lack of accountability for these organizations come from a lack of real representation for the athletes. Without an independent body that represents to interest of LGBTQ+ athletes and demands such accountability and transparency from any and every organization. If us athletes demand a high quality, well organized sporting event, it is up to use to unite and expect nothing less from every organization that seeks to host such an event.
It is time for the remaining LGBTQ+ Sports Organizations to reevaluate the relevance of LGBTQ+ sports. Organizations and events like Federation of the Gay Games, EGLSF, IGLA, IGLFA, NGFFL, Frontrunners, Sin City Shootout and others all have the potential to take the lead and rebuild to empower the LGBTQ+ sports community to keep moving forward. It will take a significant step up in quality, organization and reassurance but most of all actions speak louder than words. We will see if these other organizations are worthy of our investment into their events.
Despite the lack of charges being filed, many athletes had called their banks and successfully disputed the charges of their registration fees. In addition, many of the hotels and vendors who were not paid for their services are also launching lawsuits against Cano, World Outgames Miami and GLISA for unpaid fees. A potential lawsuit from the athletes as well is in the works.
The lack of accountability for these organizations come from a lack of real representation for the athletes. Without an independent body that represents to interest of LGBTQ+ athletes and demands such accountability and transparency from any and every organization. If us athletes demand a high quality, well organized sporting event, it is up to use to unite and expect nothing less from every organization that seeks to host such an event.
It is time for the remaining LGBTQ+ Sports Organizations to reevaluate the relevance of LGBTQ+ sports. Organizations and events like Federation of the Gay Games, EGLSF, IGLA, IGLFA, NGFFL, Frontrunners, Sin City Shootout and others all have the potential to take the lead and rebuild to empower the LGBTQ+ sports community to keep moving forward. It will take a significant step up in quality, organization and reassurance but most of all actions speak louder than words. We will see if these other organizations are worthy of our investment into their events.
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LGBTQ Writers Residency Announces 2018 Faculty & Open Applications
Lambda Literary has announced details of the 2018 Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, the nation's premier LGBTQ writer's workshop and residency. The Retreat will be held August 5-12, 2018 on the campus of Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.
Faculty include Chinelo Okparanta (Fiction workshop), emily m. danforth (Young Adult Fiction workshop), Ryka Aoki (Poetry workshop), Benoit Denizet-Lewis (Nonfiction workshop), and Luis Alfaro (Playwriting workshop). Faculty bios are listed below. Applications are now open online.
In 2007, Lambda Literary founded the Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, a residency designed to offer intensive and sophisticated instruction to selected writers over a carefully designed one-week period. The Retreat provides open access to industry professionals and the opportunity to advance in their craft and careers. It is one of Lambda's most dynamic initiatives: it represents the future of LGBTQ literature.
Applicants of the Retreat submit prose, poetry or theatrical manuscript pages that are evaluated for craft, creativity and originality. Twelve students per workshop are accepted into the competitive program where they spend the week working on their manuscripts, attending guest lectures led by publishing industry professionals, and participating in public readings in venues around Los Angeles. Ability to pay is in no way part of the decision-making process and scholarships are available. Lambda Writers Retreat Fellows have gone on to publish an impressive array of works.
Lambda Fellows (Retreat graduates) are invited to return to attend faculty-led workshops or as "Writers in Residence" to work on a book in progress without needing to enroll in a workshop. Lambda Fellows should contact William Johnson, Programs Director, at wjohnson@lambdaliterary.org for more information.
Entering its 12th year, Lambda's Writers Retreat has gained an international reputation for nurturing talented writers and building a highly accomplished community of artists committed to advancing LGBTQ literature.
Luis Alfaro
Luis Alfaro is an Associate Professor at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. He is a Chicano writer/performer known for his work in poetry, theatre, short stories, performance and journalism. He is the first-ever resident playwright of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, courtesy of an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant. Alfaro is also a producer/director who spent 10 years at the Mark Taper Forum as Associate Producer, Director of New Play Development and co-director of the Latino Theatre Initiative.
Ryka Aoki
Ryka Aoki is the author of
Seasonal Velocities, He Mele a Hilo (A Hilo Song) and Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul. Ryka was honored by the California State Senate for "extraordinary commitment to the visibility and well-being of Transgender people." She worked with the American Association of Hiroshima Nagasaki A-Bomb Survivors, and two of her compositions were adopted as the organization's official "songs of peace."
Ryka is a two-time Lambda Award finalist, winner of the Eli Coppola Chapbook Contest and the Corson-Bishop Poetry Prize. She has MFA in Creative Writing from Cornell University, and is the recipient of a University Award from the Academy of American Poets. Ryka is also a former national judo champion, and the founder of the International Transgender Martial Arts Alliance. She is a professor of English at Santa Monica College.
emily m. danforth
emily m. danforth's debut YA novel,
The Miseducation of Cameron Post (a coming-of-GAY-ge story partly about conversion therapy and set in rural Montana in the 1990s), won the Montana Book Award and was a finalist for the American Library Association's William C. Morris Award and a Lambda Literary Award. It was also made into a feature film by queer filmmaker Desiree Akhavan. emily's short fiction has won Chroma Magazine's International Queer Fiction Award and
Willow Springs Magazine's George Garrett Award. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in various publications and has been featured on NPR's program "All Things Considered." emily is an Associate Professor of English-Creative Writing at Rhode Island College in Providence. Her second YA novel, Side Talks With Girls, is forthcoming from HarperCollins Publishers.
emily lives in Rhode Island with her wife Erica and their two semi-terrible dogs, Kevin and Sally O'Malley.
Chinelo Okparanta
Born and raised in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Chinelo Okparanta is the winner of two Lambda Literary Awards, the 2016 Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Award in Fiction, the 2016 Inaugural Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award from the Publishing Triangle, and a 2014 O. Henry Prize. Other honors include shortlisting for the 2017 International DUBLIN Literary Award, a 2017 Amelia Bloomer Project Selection (of the American Library Association), a nomination for the 2016 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, a nomination for the 2016 NAACP Image Award in Fiction, and finalist selections for the 2014 New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award as well as for the Etisalat Prize for Literature. She has published work in
The New Yorker, Granta, Tin House, the Kenyon Review,
AGNI, and other venues, and was named one of Granta's six New Voices for 2012. In 2017, Okparanta was named one of Granta's Best of Young American Novelists.
Benoit Denizet-Lewis
Benoit Denizet-Lewis is a longtime writer with The New York Times Magazine, where he is known for deeply reported cover stories and features about identity,
LGBT life, youth culture, and mental health. Benoit's narrative nonfiction has also appeared in Rolling Stone, Slate, and Out. He is the author of three nonfiction books, including "America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life" and the
New York Times bestselling "Travels With Casey: My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country." Named one of the most fifty most influential LGBT media members by The Advocate, Benoit appears on many radio and television programs, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, and NPR's Here & Now and On Point. He teaches at Emerson College in Boston.
Faculty include Chinelo Okparanta (Fiction workshop), emily m. danforth (Young Adult Fiction workshop), Ryka Aoki (Poetry workshop), Benoit Denizet-Lewis (Nonfiction workshop), and Luis Alfaro (Playwriting workshop). Faculty bios are listed below. Applications are now open online.
In 2007, Lambda Literary founded the Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, a residency designed to offer intensive and sophisticated instruction to selected writers over a carefully designed one-week period. The Retreat provides open access to industry professionals and the opportunity to advance in their craft and careers. It is one of Lambda's most dynamic initiatives: it represents the future of LGBTQ literature.
Applicants of the Retreat submit prose, poetry or theatrical manuscript pages that are evaluated for craft, creativity and originality. Twelve students per workshop are accepted into the competitive program where they spend the week working on their manuscripts, attending guest lectures led by publishing industry professionals, and participating in public readings in venues around Los Angeles. Ability to pay is in no way part of the decision-making process and scholarships are available. Lambda Writers Retreat Fellows have gone on to publish an impressive array of works.
Lambda Fellows (Retreat graduates) are invited to return to attend faculty-led workshops or as "Writers in Residence" to work on a book in progress without needing to enroll in a workshop. Lambda Fellows should contact William Johnson, Programs Director, at wjohnson@lambdaliterary.org for more information.
Entering its 12th year, Lambda's Writers Retreat has gained an international reputation for nurturing talented writers and building a highly accomplished community of artists committed to advancing LGBTQ literature.
Luis Alfaro
Luis Alfaro is an Associate Professor at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. He is a Chicano writer/performer known for his work in poetry, theatre, short stories, performance and journalism. He is the first-ever resident playwright of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, courtesy of an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant. Alfaro is also a producer/director who spent 10 years at the Mark Taper Forum as Associate Producer, Director of New Play Development and co-director of the Latino Theatre Initiative.Ryka Aoki
Ryka Aoki is the author of
Seasonal Velocities, He Mele a Hilo (A Hilo Song) and Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul. Ryka was honored by the California State Senate for "extraordinary commitment to the visibility and well-being of Transgender people." She worked with the American Association of Hiroshima Nagasaki A-Bomb Survivors, and two of her compositions were adopted as the organization's official "songs of peace."
Ryka is a two-time Lambda Award finalist, winner of the Eli Coppola Chapbook Contest and the Corson-Bishop Poetry Prize. She has MFA in Creative Writing from Cornell University, and is the recipient of a University Award from the Academy of American Poets. Ryka is also a former national judo champion, and the founder of the International Transgender Martial Arts Alliance. She is a professor of English at Santa Monica College.
emily m. danforth
emily m. danforth's debut YA novel,
The Miseducation of Cameron Post (a coming-of-GAY-ge story partly about conversion therapy and set in rural Montana in the 1990s), won the Montana Book Award and was a finalist for the American Library Association's William C. Morris Award and a Lambda Literary Award. It was also made into a feature film by queer filmmaker Desiree Akhavan. emily's short fiction has won Chroma Magazine's International Queer Fiction Award and
Willow Springs Magazine's George Garrett Award. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in various publications and has been featured on NPR's program "All Things Considered." emily is an Associate Professor of English-Creative Writing at Rhode Island College in Providence. Her second YA novel, Side Talks With Girls, is forthcoming from HarperCollins Publishers.
emily lives in Rhode Island with her wife Erica and their two semi-terrible dogs, Kevin and Sally O'Malley.
Chinelo Okparanta
Born and raised in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Chinelo Okparanta is the winner of two Lambda Literary Awards, the 2016 Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Award in Fiction, the 2016 Inaugural Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award from the Publishing Triangle, and a 2014 O. Henry Prize. Other honors include shortlisting for the 2017 International DUBLIN Literary Award, a 2017 Amelia Bloomer Project Selection (of the American Library Association), a nomination for the 2016 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, a nomination for the 2016 NAACP Image Award in Fiction, and finalist selections for the 2014 New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award as well as for the Etisalat Prize for Literature. She has published work in
The New Yorker, Granta, Tin House, the Kenyon Review,
AGNI, and other venues, and was named one of Granta's six New Voices for 2012. In 2017, Okparanta was named one of Granta's Best of Young American Novelists.
Benoit Denizet-Lewis
Benoit Denizet-Lewis is a longtime writer with The New York Times Magazine, where he is known for deeply reported cover stories and features about identity,
LGBT life, youth culture, and mental health. Benoit's narrative nonfiction has also appeared in Rolling Stone, Slate, and Out. He is the author of three nonfiction books, including "America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life" and the New York Times bestselling "Travels With Casey: My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country." Named one of the most fifty most influential LGBT media members by The Advocate, Benoit appears on many radio and television programs, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, and NPR's Here & Now and On Point. He teaches at Emerson College in Boston.
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