Opening in September, Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Cafe will be the first restaurant in America to openly allow cannabis consumption. The new West Hollywood cafe will feature a first-of-it’s-kind menu created by its world class head chef, Andrea Drummer, who is renowned for her ability to pair a cannabis strain with dishes to enhance one’s experience. Guests will be introduced to cuisine that represents the flavors of California with seasonal dishes complementary to the effects of THC. As a premium option, Lowell Farms’ Flower Host provide table side Flower Service to explain the variety of strains offered, their effects, and origins…
Author: Jenna Leis
Two star studded duets have recently been added to the new album ‘JUDY’ that features music from the film Judy, staring Academy Award winner Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland. The movie is set to release on September 27th and is based on the true story of Garland’s final concerts in London in the late 1960s. The soundtrack is also set to be released on September 27th. Zellweger will be joined by Sam Smith for a new rendition of ‘Get Happy,’ possibly one of Garland’s most loved numbers. She will also be joined by Rufus Wainwright in a newly recorded version of ‘Have…
Starting in the 2020-2021 school year, public schools in Illinois will be required to teach a new history curriculum that includes the contributions of LGBTQ people across the state and the country. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law last week, which was previously passed in the Illinois House in March and the Senate in May. The new Inclusive Curriculum Law was sponsored by State Representative Anna Moeller and State Senator Heather Steans. It amends the state school code and requires all textbooks to be non-discriminatory and include the roles of LGBTQ people in history. “A lot of the curricular resources…
The Trump Administration is asking the Supreme Court to rule that federal law offers no protection to transgender workers from discrimination because of their gender identity. This would allow employers the right to fire a person for being transgender. According to a brief released by the Justice Department last Friday, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 only protects workers from discrimination based on their “biological sex”. The filing states that “Title VII does not prohibit discrimination against transgender persons based on their transgender status. It simply does not speak to discrimination because of an individual’s gender identity or…
The video streaming site YouTube is being accused by several LGBTQ content creators that the company discriminates against LGBTQ content by hiding videos, removing subscribers, and denying advertising. According to the content creators, platform monitors unfairly targets videos tagged with words like “gay,” “transgender,” or “bisexual,” even when the videos have no mature content. A federal lawsuit is being filed against the site and its parent company, Google. The suit goes further to say that the site enforces its policies unevenly and gives a pass to creators with large audiences. Even when their content is hostile towards the LGBTQ community. According to the…
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in Tennessee is now able to generate enough solar power to meet 100 percent of the airport’s total energy needs. This makes it the first and only airport in the United States to achieve this renewable energy goal. The airport and its partners, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and EPB, recently celebrated the completion of the final phase of its solar farm, including a 2.64-megawatt solar installation. Overall the solar farm is about the size of 16 football fields, eight long and two wide. President and CEO of the Chattanooga Airport, Terry Hart said, “this is a momentous day…
According to Netflix, “our legal department is here, it’s queer, and it’s telling you to steer clear”. This statement was included in a cease-and-desist letter from the Netflix legal department to Super Happy Fun America (SHFA), the organizers of the ‘Straight Pride Parade’ planned in Boston on August 31st. The streaming service gave SHFA 24 hours to remove its logo from their website before legal action would be taken. On the website for the parade Netflix is listed as one of 25 major corporations who are “prospective corporate sponsors” for the upcoming parade. Many of them have already rejected the organization and…
From August 15th through 17th, Greater Fort Lauderdale will be home to the Southern Comfort Transgender Conference for the fourth year in a row. The informational forum is the longest running transgender conference in the United States and welcomes hundreds of attendees each year. The conference features a series of workshops, seminars, and networking events that will be hosted at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With so many different events taking place each year people from all over the country attend, offering a diverse opportunity for education and social interaction. Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of the Greater Fort…
This month, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, the city of Paris has renamed three squares and one street in honor of icons in LGBTQ history. The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, unveiled plaques on June 19th, officially renaming the squares and street in the French capital’s fourth arrondissement, which is located in The Marais. On Higalgo’s Instagram she wrote, “With Wednesday’s inauguration of Harvey Milk square, Ovida Delect square, Stonewall Riots Square and Pierre Seel Street, Paris celebrates all #LGBTQI+ activists. #ParisIsProud and always will be!” One square has been renamed Stonewall Riots Square,…
There is the grim reality that homophobia, brutal hate crimes, “corrective rape,” and other anti-LGBTQ violence persist around the world. But one non-profit organization in Cape Town, South Africa is working to create a safe space to help women survive these crimes. The Luleki Sizwe Womyn’s Project fights against hate crimes, provide shelter and safe housing for victims, provides medical care, and works to change that negative perception about the LGBTQ community. A GoFundMe page has been created to help support their mission. Founder and director Ndumie Funda and her team rely on donations, volunteers, and other contributions to keep the project going. All…
In a landmark decision on Thursday, Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled to classify discrimination and hateful acts against LGBTQ people as crimes under the country’s current anti-racism laws. Eight of 11 justices voted in favor of the ruling. The current anti-racism laws hold a prison sentences of up to five years and the court’s justices have stated that the new addition was to address that fact that the LGBTQ community was left legally unprotected against the growing number of violent crimes against them. This victory for Brazil’s LGBTQ community comes despite an increasingly difficult climate under the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has opening spoken out…
Joining the ever growing list of countries legalizing same-sex marriage, Ecuador’s highest court ruled to overturn the countries laws against it, arguing that its current marriage legislation was discriminatory and unconstitutional, and that same-sex couples should be allowed equal rights. This is a huge moment for LGBTQ rights in a country with a majority population of conservative Catholics. Though the change to the law will officially have to go through Ecuador’s National Assembly, Salim Zaidán, a constitutional lawyer made a statement to CNN saying that the verdict is binding and that same-sex couples will be able to marry as soon as…
The Trevor Project has been working since 1998 to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth across the country. To help combat the growing number of suicides among young people in the United States, they have partnered up with AT&T to launch enhanced services and make it easier for any at-risk LGBTQ youth to seek help. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 in the United States. Statistics also show that LGBTQ youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth. With these statistics…
In a historic decision, Botswana’s High Court overturned a colonial-era law that criminalized consensual same-sex relations. Previously a violation of this law could bring a sentence of up to seven years in prison. The decision was unanimous and the court ruled that the law was “discriminatory, against public interest, and unconstitutional.” The case was brought to the high courts by a young activist whose argument was that times have changed and society has moved past the view of same-sex relations as the “carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature,” which was the language used in the original law. In…
For limited time only the Tony Award winning theater, La MaMa will present the world premiere of the music drama from South Korea, 13 Fruitcakes, written and directed by Byungkoo Ahn and presented as a part of the Stonewall 50 festival in Manhattan. Performances will take place at the Ellen Stewart Theater for all enjoy from June 13th until the 16th. 13 Fruitcakes depicts the fictional story of Orlando, who uses the stories of histories greatest LGBTQ figures to inspire people to fight against social injustices and oppression. Orlando tells the story of 13 noteworthy LGBTQ figures and their impact…
Axel Hotels wants anyone who loves photography, posing, or just having a good time to share their photos. They are looking to create a collection of photographs taken at any of their hotels around the world that show the true ‘Axel essence’. Post your most creative, artistic photo taken at Axel Hotels to Instagram and you’re entered to win any number of prizes provided by the hotel. Make sure to also follow their account, @axelhotels, and tag them in the photo as well as using the hashtags #AxelLifeStyle and #AxelArt. A new winner will be chosen every month from now until…
It was announced on Wednesday that the city of New York will be honoring Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera with a new monument in Greenwich Village. Both Johnson and Rivera were two transgender women of color who were pioneers in advocating for transgender and gay right. The site is just down the street from the famous Stone Wall Inn, the location of the June 1969 Stonewall Uprising in which activists fought back against police who raided the bar. They are both seen as key figures in the uprising and in the movement for gay rights. The monument was announced in commemoration of…
From New York to L.A. there are hundreds of fascinating museums for visitors to explore. If you’re an art, fashion, or photography lover, you’ll certainly appreciate this curated list of some of the best museum in the USA that offer free admission! The Museum at FIT Located right in the heart of New York City, The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) is the only museum in the city dedicated solely to the art of fashion. Exhibits feature innovative and award-winning displays and run special programs year-round, such as exhibition talks and tours, presentations from leading designers, lectures, and book signings.There…
Recently, the small Southeast Asian country of Brunei has sparked global outrage. In April the country imposed punishments, including death by stoning for those convicted of gay sex, adultery and rape as a part of a new interpretation of sharia law. This caused major backlash among the international community. In response, Brunei’s leader, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, announced on Sunday that it would extend its moratorium, or temporary ban, on the death penalty, including the new punishments for gay sex. It was a rare response to criticism towards the small, oil-rich nation, as this was only the latest in Brunei’s steps…