Towleroad News #gay

A Disgusting History of Transphobia on Fox News: VIDEO

Media Matters for America has released a video compilation of Fox News's greatest anti-transgender hits.

Reads their press release:

Fox News seems to have largely given up in its losing battle against marriage equality for gays and lesbians, but there's still one segment of the LGBT community that it feels comfortable openly mocking and demonizing on air: transgender people.

...

Fox's reliably defamatory coverage has prompted criticism from groups like the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which recently asked of Fox's transphobic coverage "when will it change?"

Another group, Basic Rights Oregon, launched a petition against Fox's transphobia earlier this year in response to a Fox Nation article which used an image from the film Mrs. Doubtfire to trivialize a story about transgender healthcare.

Watch it and weep, AFTER THE JUMP...

Harry Styles Offers Zayn Malik a Bite of His Candy Thong: VIDEO

A bit of sweet flirtation at the One Direction concert.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously...
Harry Styles Kisses Zayn Malik in Promo for One Direction's New Fragrance: VIDEO [tlrd]

Bryan Fischer: Liberals Support Immigration Because They Are Being 'Out-bred' By Conservatives - VIDEO

American Family Association radio host Bryan Fischer weighed in on the ongoing immigration reform debate and explained that liberals are prone to support immigration reform because conservatives are "outbreeding" liberals and so "ten, twenty years down the road, they're just going to be outnumbered." Right Wing Watch reports:

"We are breeding our own voters," Fischer said. "They [liberals] have got to import them...so that's why they're so enamored with illegal aliens and amnesty for them is they've got to find some way to get these people on the voter rolls just to maintain numerical parity with conservatives."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1391

SACRAMENTO PRIDE 2013: Not the largest Pride, but large in spirit.

AVICII: "Wake Me Up".

SCOTT THORSON: Talks to Howard Stern about his relationships with Michael Jackson and Liberace.

STEVE JOBS: On his legacy.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Madonna, Johannesburg, Cindy McCain, Tim Ford, Subway

Ted Cruz smashes Rick Perry in 2016 poll.

Meningitis warning issued ahead of NYC LGBT Pride festival. "People traveling to New York City for Gay Pride events over the June 28-30 weekend are being told to seek advice about vaccination for invasive meningococcal disease, in a report released Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine."

Rolling Stone writer Michael Hastings, who wrote the 2010 Rolling Stone article that brought down General Stanley McChrystal, died Tuesday morning in a car accident in Los Angeles. He was 33.

Melissa Etheridge on Angelina Jolie's double-mastectomy: "I wouldn’t call it the brave choice."

House passes 20-week abortion ban 228-196. "The passing of this bill in the House, and the attendant debate which preceded its passage, was all theater for the benefit of the Republican base. But it also matters, because the war on agency which has seen an unprecedented number of anti-choice pieces of legislation in state houses across the nation has now arrived on the federal level, empowering the anti-choice movement. "

Dolce and Gabbana guilty of tax evasion...get one year and eight months suspended jail sentence.

Indiana BMV renews fight over gay youth group's license plates: "The BMV has asked an administrative law judge to review her order allowing the Indiana Youth Group to continue selling specialty license plates. The agency suspended sale of the group's plates last year at the request of Republican state senators. Lawmakers charged the group was violating a contract provision barring the auctioning of low-number plates."

LISTEN: Backstreet Boys' new single "In a World Like This"

Ed Westwick is working a new mustache.

Deep under NYC...

Under shroud of mystery, Tom Ford unveils "luxury" t-shirts: "It was a trademark move for the brand — along with refusing to release images immediately — and the setting was equally unmistakable: Plush grey furnishings, no natural light, the heady fragrance of Tom Ford candles, and the usual sprinkling of models in suits, handing out drinks and taking coats. With the journalists at my appointment dressed almost exclusively in black, the event had the feel of a designer funeral parlor."

London Gay Men's Chorus member receives MBE in Queen's birthday honours list.

Brad Pitt yodeling from NYC rooftops.

Cindy McCain said gay rights won't be partisan issue in 2016: "You’re going to see a major turn," McCain said. "By the next presidential election I think this will be an issue that will be very much agreed on by both parties."

Symphony in H: Eminem returns.

Matthew Rettenmund hit Madonna's MDNA Tour premiere last night at the Paris theatre.

South Australian parliament passes motion congratulating New Zealand on its marriage equality laws.

Chicago Pride to be subject of French documentary: “I was really impressed with how many people attended your Pride parade last year—800,000. When I heard that number, I was really impressed,” said Aurore Belser, 32, a journalist and producer of the untitled documentary. “I’ve seen video of your past parades on YouTube, but that didn’t really give me an idea of what it was like, so I had to come here and see [for myself] and film it.”

Johannesburg to have two gay pride parades: "This highlighted ingrained divisions within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community that were unlikely to dissipate in the foreseeable future, activists said. Last year, members of the feminist anti-rape 1 in 9 Campaign lay down in the middle of the Joburg Pride route in protest at the annual parade’s move away from political advocacy towards performance."

Bobby Jindal Rips Republicans, Tells Them to Prepare for Revolt Against Obama's 'Leftward March'

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal rips the current state of the Republican party in a new piece in Politico, and says it better be ready for this:

"At some point, the American public is going to revolt against the nanny state and the leftward march of this president. I don’t know when the tipping point will come, but I believe it will come soon. Why? Because the left wants: The government to explode; to pay everyone; to hire everyone; they believe that money grows on trees; the earth is flat; the industrial age, factory-style government is a cool new thing; debts don’t have to be repaid; people of faith are ignorant and uneducated; unborn babies don’t matter; pornography is fine; traditional marriage is discriminatory; 32 oz. sodas are evil; red meat should be rationed; rich people are evil unless they are from Hollywood or are liberal Democrats; the Israelis are unreasonable; trans-fat must be stopped; kids trapped in failing schools should be patient; wild weather is a new thing; moral standards are passé; government run health care is high quality; the IRS should violate our constitutional rights; reporters should be spied on; Benghazi was handled well; the Second Amendment is outdated; and the First one has some problems too. Their philosophy does not work and it got our nation into the mess it’s in."

(via joe.my.god)

Joe Manganiello Offers Himself Up on a Raft

A short time ago we posted some shots of Joe Manganiello from Men's Health UK flaunting his work-out routine. Now, in a couple shots from the stateside version of Men's Health, Manganiello takes that workout to the beach, and the pool for some post-workout relaxation.

Said Manganiello of the point of all this: "I want to look sinewy. I want to look like an animal when the shirt comes off, but I want it to be misleading when I have the shirt on."

Two more shots, AFTER THE JUMP...

Tough Kid Gives His Gay Eighth Grade Teacher a Moment He'll Never Forget: VIDEO

Sometimes kids will surprise you, as they did an eighth grade teacher in Ontario. And it's why Macklemore's "Same Love" should be considered one of the greatest gay rights anthems of all time.

The teacher writes this on Reddit:

Context: I teach Grade 8 (13-14 years old) in Ontario, Canada. I am gay, and my students have known this for about a month or so. I am in my first year of teaching, and I teach the class that is considered the “tough” class – they don’t get along well with some of their other teachers, and they can be rowdy. Not so much for me, though.

In particular, I have one group of boys that can be a bit of a pain in the neck. Never keep their hands to themselves, always talk out of turn, have gotten in fights, etc. There is one boy in this group (he will be known here as Harry) who is a little quieter than the others, but very popular. He’s a bit tough to get close to, and seems like the type to be resistant to new ideas and different people. He hangs out with another tough kid (let’s call him Mark), who is loud and boisterous and often rude.

Now that it’s so close to the end of the year, I do a “YouTube of the Day” with them every morning. Kids can send in a short YouTube video for me to show to the class, I preview it, and if it’s appropriate, I play it. So this morning, Harry comes up to me and says, “I have a video I want to play.”

Now, I preview things for a reason. There are enough horror stories out there of teachers accidentally showing their kids porn for me to be very careful what I show my class. So I tell him to send it to me because, y’know, them’s the rules. “I really want to show it,” he says back. “You’ll like it, I promise. It’s a music video.”

Given what Harry listens to, I’m wary. He listens to a lot of rap and hip-hop, and that’s fine, but I’ve heard some non-school-appropriate language come out of the music he listens to. So I ask him if it’s appropriate for school; he tells me yes. This kid is many things, but he has never lied to me. Not once. So… I take a deep breath and tell him okay. What the heck.

So he goes on over and pulls it on up, and on comes a song I have never heard before. The artist is rapping about growing up gay, about the struggles of being gay, and about standing up in the face of hatred and homophobia. “Same Love,” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The video (linked) was beautiful.

And there’s Harry, proudly watching along with the rest of the class as the artist stands up for those gay kids who struggle, and the video shows a difficult, lonely life culminating in a fabulous wedding. Harry. My “tough kid.”

The video finishes, the kids applaud, and I thank him, and he says to me, “I told you you’d like it.”

And then his loud, rude friend Mark says: “That was for you, Mr. K.”

The whole class applauded again – for me this time – and then I cried. I cried the proudest tears I have ever shed.

Harry and Mark… they might tick off every teacher they ever have, but today they gave this teacher a moment he’ll never forget.

tl;dr: Tough kid in my class showed a music video whose message is to stand up against homophobia, and the class cheered.

(via buzzfeed)

Now Snakes Can (Gasp!) Open Doors: VIDEO

Prepare yourself for Julius, the 16-foot yellow Burmese python. He's coming, and even closed doors can't stop him. As horrifying as the prospect of a lengthy, unwanted visitor is, however, it turns out that Julius may just be a big ole' softy.

Mashable reports:

The video below, which stars a 16-foot albino burmese python, was uploaded two years ago by Vimeo user Jenner. However, the snake, named "Julius," is the latest pet to experience Internet fame.

According to Jenner, when the snake is tired of being in a dark room, "she flips on the light, opens the door and bails."

"This is why we keep doors locked with her around. We don't need her harassing the neighbors," add Jenner in the video description.

Catch this snake's playful antics, AFTER THE JUMP...

Julius Escaping from Jenner on Vimeo.

Visiting with Julius from Jenner on Vimeo.

Julius vs Toddlers from Jenner on Vimeo.

Gay Rights After SCOTUS: Complexities of 'Federal Marriage Law'

By ARI EZRA WALDMAN

The upcoming Supreme Court decisions on DOMA and Prop 8 will not be the last word on marriage, in particular, or gay rights, in general. As we look forward to those words, however, let's take a look ahead and discuss how the legal landscape may be more complicated after the end of June. "Gay Rights After SCOTUS" is Towleroad's series on LGBT legal issues after Perry and Windsor. In today's column, state-to-state marriage recognition.

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) makes things really easy: it mandates that no matter what this or that state says about marriage, gay marriages are never going to be recognized by the federal government. So-called "federal marriage law" -- to the extent that there is such a thing -- will be a lot more complicated when the Supreme Court tosses DOMA into the dust bin of history.

Complication is not always a bad thing. It just takes a little more work.

Normally, marriage law is pretty simple: For 99 percent of heterosexual couples, the hardest thing about marrying in one state and moving to another state is packing the fine china. Sure, there are some states (New York) that allow first cousins to marry and some states (West Virginia) that do not, but for the most part, when a man marries a woman, they are married in all legal respects whether they live on the 65th floor in an Upper West Side hi-rise or in a ranch house in Oklahoma.

The end of DOMA doubles down the complexity faced by legally married same-sex couples. What is the governing law for marriages for federal law: the place of celebration or the place of domicile? What if the choice of law is different from different aspects of federal law? What happens when a legally married couple moves to a state that feels that their marriage violates public policy? What of gay couples that do not have the option of marrying and are in registered domestic partnerships or civil unions that provide all the benefits of marriage?

It's time to start imagining a world where we have to answer these questions. Join me AFTER THE JUMP as we look forward to a brave new world.

CONTINUED, AFTER THE JUMP...

This column is really about an arcane, complex, and salient concept called "choice of law." If you've ever signed or read almost any kind of contract, there is usually a provision that states, "this contract will be interpreted according to the laws of the State of Smith." That's a choice of law provision; the parties have literally chosen a state's law to govern their relationship with one another.

Couples seeking to marry can choose law to the extent that they can go somewhere that recognizes gay marriage. By coming to New York City, for example, a Dallas, Texas, couple is choosing New York law to govern their marital relationship.

So, in a world without DOMA, which makes the choice of law question moot, what will the federal government do? The general rule is the marriages are recognized in the state of celebration, or the state the couple signed the marriage license, even if they reside somewhere else.

Some people argue that all states should recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states because the Constitution, specifically the Full Faith and Credit Clause, requires the states to recognize the "the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings, of every other state." But a marriage license is not a judicial proceeding and although it could be considered a "record," courts have generally not required other states to give binding recognition under the Full Faith and Credit Clause to similar documents, such as a pharmacist's, dentist's, or a lawyer's license.

That means that the Constitution isn't going to be much help coming up with a clear choice of law rule in a post-DOMA world. We could rely on the common law default rule that marriages are recognized by the federal government based on the laws of the state of celebration. But the common law rule has exceptions -- big ones -- that make life impossibly difficult for gay couples to move from one state to another when those state gay marriage laws differ. For some moves -- say, from New York to New Mexico -- there is no problem because whereas New Mexico may not be a freedom to marry state, it will recognize out of state gay marriages. But for other moves -- say, from Massachusetts to Utah -- the public policy exception to out-of-state marriage recognition takes Utah off the map as a viable destination for gay couples.

This raises questions of social justice and fairness, but also constitutional rights. You have a right to move, and states that ban gay marriage and refuse to recognize out-of-state marriages put an effective burden on gay would-be new residents. In Saenz v. Roe (1999), for example, the Supreme Court held, in part, that those who leave one state and become permanent residents of another state have a right to be treated equally to native born citizens of that state. That holding is not cabined by a mover's sexual orientation: a gay person isn't entitled to be treated like any other gay person in his new state, but rather he is entitled to treated equally to any other person in his new state. That could apply to marriage discrimination, as well.

Of course, Congress could step in and solve the complexity problem. The Respect for Marriage Act (ROMA), for example, would codify the following rule:

For the purposes of any Federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual’s marriage is valid in the State where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any State, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a State.

This is a pretty good rule and a good one for the gay community. The rule would make domestic marriages valid for federal purposes if the marriages were valid in the state of celebration. Notably, that's almost always the case: you go to a state to get married specifically because that state would recognize your marriage as valid. What's more, it has the added benefit of being simple, easy to implement, and plain to understand.

Short of this kind of Congressional action -- which, by the way, is unlikely, given the makeup of the House and the long decades that have passed without Congress taking any action to mop up the messy patchwork of choice of law rules when it comes to marriage -- the post-DOMA world will be a tangled web of common law rules that will be subject to future litigation. There are no simple answers to the next questions. The IRS may interpret the tax and bankruptcy codes to define marriage based on state of celebration, but that rule can be challenged. Immigration authorities may interpret the rule differently, based on contradictory case law coming out of the spousal visa context, though, as attorney Lavi Soloway has argued, the celebration rule is the stronger argument.

***

Follow me on Twitter: @ariezrawaldman

Ari Ezra Waldman is the Associate Director of the Institute for Information Law and Policy and a professor at New York Law School and is concurrently getting his PhD at Columbia University in New York City. He is a 2002 graduate of Harvard College and a 2005 graduate of Harvard Law School. Ari writes weekly posts on law and various LGBT issues.

President Obama Gets Big Cheer for Mention of Gay Rights in Berlin: VIDEO

President Obama is in Berlin today and gave a major speech at the Brandenburg Gate. Though the speech was wide-ranging in what it covered, he received huge cheers at the mention of gay and lesbian rights.

Said Obama:

I'd suggest that peace with justice begins with the example we set here at home, for we know from our own histories that intolerance breeds injustice. Whether it's based on race, or religion, gender or sexual orientation, we are stronger when all our people -- no matter who they are or what they look like -- are granted opportunity, and when our wives and our daughters have the same opportunities as our husbands and our sons. (Applause.)

When we respect the faiths practiced in our churches and synagogues, our mosques and our temples, we're more secure. When we welcome the immigrant with his talents or her dreams, we are renewed. (Applause.) When we stand up for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and treat their love and their rights equally under the law, we defend our own liberty as well. We are more free when all people can pursue their own happiness. (Applause.) And as long as walls exist in our hearts to separate us from those who don’t look like us, or think like us, or worship as we do, then we're going to have to work harder, together, to bring those walls of division down.

I've cued it up to the portion transcribed above, AFTER THE JUMP...

Towleroad Interview: Bright Light Bright Light

(Photo: Christa Holka)

BY BOBBY HANKINSON

It’s an exciting month for Bright Light Bright Light. The Welsh-born pop artist (né Rod Thomas) celebrates the release of his latest EP, Moves, tonight at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, and he is playing Pride celebrations later this month in Seattle and San Francisco. His achingly beautiful dance tracks do much more than just get your feet moving; they can stop your heart and bring tears to your eyes. It’s no wonder he’s been drawing comparisons to Erasure, Kylie and Robyn.

We spoke with the openly gay artist about what his hometown has in common with Twin Peaks, what it means to be an out artist and what fans can expect from the next album.

More, AFTER THE JUMP...

What was it like growing up in South Wales?

It was kind of the opposite of what I do now. I grew up next to a coal mine. There was nothing else really around. I was an only child as well, so I started playing lots of instruments. I just kind of listened to the radio a lot as my way of seeing the world outside my little valley. I got really into music and started writing songs. It was a nice, peaceful childhood. One of the reasons I like things like David Lynch is because I grew up with like rolling mountains and fir trees everywhere, so Twin Peaks was like a weirder version of where I grew up.

What are some of the early artists that influenced you?

I really loved Depeche Mode and Erasure on the radio when I was growing up. I love Bjork as well, I think she’s incredible. I remember having this really weird relationship with her, where I didn’t understand it at first, but I kind of liked the fact I didn’t understand it. She’s one of the artists that really inspired me to challenge what I thought was acceptable or what I thought was achievable.

What was it that drew you to pop music?

With pop music I like the energy. I like the color in the videos, and I like the playfulness. Where I grew up is very calm, and I think I really enjoyed the euphoria of some of the production. Being able to dance to something added a very different atmosphere to my immediate surroundings. I really liked dance music just because it had a bit of a pulse and a drive, and where I grew up was so sedate.

What’s been your experience in New York?

There’s something about the city, about the rhythm of it and the pace, and the energy that really works with me. I felt a lot calmer and a lot more who I want to be since I spent a few months here. I’m really in tune with it. I find it a really inspiring place, like the architecture and the people and the nightlife and the daylife. I think everyone presumes that where you grow up is your home, and that’s where you feel most at peace with yourself. But for a lot of people -- particularly for people that travel a lot and people that do something creative -- that’s not ever really the case.

How has being an out artist informed your experience?

It’s an important part of me as a person and as an artist. I don’t define myself as a “gay artist,” because that has lots of loaded implications. I don’t think of myself of like a spokesperson for the gay community. But I am very proud of who I am, and I’m never, ever inclined to be anything other than honest about my sexuality when I’m asked about it or when I’m talking about that. I don’t try to gender rectify songs to make it sound anything more generic. It’s actually quite liberating. There’s a lot of artists that say it’s been a real hindrance to them, and I’ve never felt that. I’ve always felt that it’s been embraced.

What’s next after this EP?

I’ve been writing the next record for the last few months. It’s going really well. I’m really excited about the progression. I’ve been working with some of the same people from the last record, some new people. So I’m tying up this album campaign, and I’m very excited to start with the next one.

How would you describe how the new album is evolving?

Whereas the last full-length was sort of pensive and kind of reflective, the next album is a little more celebratory. It’s kind of a bit more euphoria in there. It sounds a bit bigger, but there’s also a lot more strings and piano in it as well. I wanted it to have a little more of a grown-up feel. It’s not as ‘90s-leaning as people thought the last one was at times, but it’s still very danceable.

And what can people expect from tonight’s show at Le Poisson Rouge?

It’s an amazing venue. There’s going to be new songs, lots of favorites from the album. I’ve got guest singers, and the band is fantastic. We’ve got some visuals. It will be really fun. It’s going to be a really nice rounding up of my time in New York, because I’m back to London very soon after San Francisco. So, it will be a nice thanking everyone for the support, for coming to the shows, celebrating the release, celebrating the city that I love and just having a blast.

A deluxe edition of Bright Light Bright Light's debut full-length album 'Make Me Believe In Hope' is available on iTunes. You can see him perform live tonight at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC, June 27 at Folsom Pride in San Francisco and June 29 at Queer Carnival in Seattle.

LAPD Offers $25K Reward for Information on Suspects in Gang Attack on Trans Woman: VIDEO

The Los Angeles Police Department has released a surveillance tape that shows a gang of men stalking and attacking a transgender woman and is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to their arrest. The victim was hospitalized for a week with severe injuries, NBC Los Angeles reports:

The victim, known as “Vivian,” was assaulted while walking on Hollywood Boulevard about 2:15 a.m. on May 31, police said.The Los Angeles Police Department released security camera footage that shows multiple males chasing a woman in a red dress down a dark Hollywood Boulevard. The group is seen kicking the victim on the ground before running away. One of the suspected attackers was wearing a white tshirt with the letters YSL (Yves Saint Laurent), and black pants.

Watch the video, AFTER THE JUMP...

Lisa Murkowski Becomes Third U.S. Senate Republican to Endorse Marriage Equality

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has come out in support of marriage equality, HRC reports:

Today Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced that she supports marriage equality. Murkowski joins two of her Republican colleagues – Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois – in endorsing the right of committed and loving gay and lesbian couples to marry.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin released the following statement in response to the news:

“Senator Murkowski’s courageous and principled announcement today sends a clear message that marriage equality must come to all 50 states in this country. As the Supreme Court prepares to rule in two landmark marriage cases this month, a growing bipartisan coalition is standing up for the right of all couples to marry—and there is no turning back that tide. We hope other fair-minded conservatives like Senator Murkowski stand up and join her. Alaska may be nicknamed ‘the Last Frontier,’ but we’ve got to make sure that LGBT Alaskans don’t have to wait to find justice.”

Murkowski spoke to Anchorage's KTUU:

“This is a hard issue … because marriage is such a deeply personal issue. There may be some that when they hear the position that I hold that are deeply disappointed. There may be some who embrace the decision that I have made. I recognize that it is an area that, as a Republican, I will be criticized for,” she said in the KTUU interview.

Miss Utah Marissa Powell Mocks Her Disastrous 'Miss USA' Response: VIDEO

Miss Utah Marissa Powell made headlines this week by offering a painful response at the Miss USA pageant to a question from judge Nene Leakes about the income disparity between men and women. Consequently, more people probably recognize Powell than the pageant's winner, Erin Brady of Connecticut.

Last night Powell appeared on Jimmy Kimmel to mock herself over what happened.

Check it out, AFTER THE JUMP...