Florida’s bigoted governor, Ron DeSantis, has signed the notorious “Parental Rights in Education” (dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill) into law. The move comes after a month of scandal and media attention…all of which DeSantis loves as he continues to pander to Trump’s base. The bill will ban schools from talking about LGBTQ topics with kids, which makes activists worry the bill could be used to ban something as innocent as a children’s book that features a character with two dads. Republicans claim the bill is needed because LGBTQ topics should be discussed in the home and not at school,…
Author: Keith Langston
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ruled yesterday that Jamaica’s Anti-LGBTQ law, colonial-era ban on same-sex relations, known as the “anti-buggery” law, is incompatible with the American Convention on Human Rights. The Commission recommended that the law be repealed, and instructed the country to pay reparations to the plaintiffs in the case. Same-sex relations have been criminalized in Jamaica since colonial times under the Offences Against the Person Act, which prescribes a prison or hard labor sentence of up to 10 years. While the law has rarely been enforced in recent years, its continued existence has perpetuated pervasively negative…
Canadian nonprofit Rainbow Railroad has a mission: To help save LGBTQ people who are trapped in hostile nations. Earlier this year Brunei reversed its death penalty for gay sex, but still remains very dangerous for the LGBTQ community. And Brunei isn’t the only country with harsh anti-gay laws. According to CBS, same-sex relations are illegal in 70 countries, with 7 of those mandating the death penalty as punishment. Rainbow Railroad aims to provide a way for LGBTQ people to escape these dangerous areas so they can live the free, safe, and happy life they deserve. Rainbow Railroad executive director Kimahli…
James Hormel served an important role in political history as America’s first openly gay diplomat. During his tenure, he served as the US Ambassador to Luxembourg, and before that, he was part of the US delegation to the United Nations. His rise to the position was tumultuous, as Senate Republicans refused to accept him as Bill Clinton’s nomination as Ambassador on the grounds of Hormel being gay and being pro-gay rights. His confirmation process began in 1997, and it wasn’t until Bill Clinton decided to use his executive powers to sidestep Congress in 1999 that Hormel was able to begin…
United Airlines has announced that it’s entering a partnership with CLEAR, the biometrics security company that lets you skip the TSA security line with the swipe of a finger. CLEAR is available at over 60 airports throughout America, including cities like Detroit, Dallas, and Phoenix. To determine how beneficial CLEAR will be to you, look into whether it’s at your home airport, or the airports that you travel to often. If you’re on the fence about buying a yearly subscription to CLEAR, which is $179, then perhaps receiving a discounted price through your airline could help sweeten the deal. Depending…
The espresso martini has been this year’s hottest cocktail. The combined punch of alcohol, the bitter crispness of espresso, and the perky power of caffeine have proven to be a winning combination. And while espresso martinis tend to be popular drinks to order at bars and lounges, many people don’t know how to make them at home, or feel that they require too much work. Luckily, Randy Lauwasser, owner of the Fire Island-based coffee company, BEACHBREAK, is here to share his recipe for the perfect (and incredibly simple) espresso martini. The drink is made using BEACHBREAK’s new PR!DE Roast, a…
Model and transgender advocate, Kataluna Enriquez, was just crowned Miss Nevada USA. After winning her state-level competition, she will now compete in the national Miss USA pageant. Enriquez is breaking barriers, becoming the first openly trans contestant in the competition’s history. Upon hearing the news, GLAAD’s Head of Talent, Anthony Allen Ramos today said, “Kataluna Enriquez being crowned Miss Nevada is a huge win for trans visibility and sends a powerful, but simple message to the world: trans women are women,” said Anthony Allen Ramos, GLAAD’s Head of Talent. “Enriquez’s presence on the Miss USA stage later this year will…
Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, is bringing back a new “reimagined” version of the hit series, Queer as Folk. The series first launched in the UK in 1999 and was groundbreaking for unapologetically portraying life within London’s queer scene. A year later, America got its own version of the series, airing on Showtime from 2000-2005. Now, it’s been announced that a reboot is in the works. However, the series is set to take more influence from the original UK version than its American counterpart. The setting has also changed. No longer will the show take place in London or Pittsburgh, but…
Today, the High Court of Singapore upheld the controversial article 377A of the constitution, which states that same-sex relationships (pertaining mostly to men) are illegal, and can be punished with up to two years in prison. Three separate cases were challenging the law, stating that it was archaic and unnecessary. The law is rarely used and is largely a leftover from Britain’s colonial rule of the small city-state. Unfortunately, Justice See Kee Oon dismissed all three cases, saying the law was constitutional because it was “safeguarding public morality.” Jessica Stern, Director of OutRight International, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting for…
Lewis Freese is the first gender-fluid person to become a finalist for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Sports Illustrated has long been a prominent force in the modeling industry. After all, they gave birth to the careers of Heidi Kulm, Brooklyn Decker, Kate Upton, Chrissy Teigen, and more. Last year, the publication made headlines after including its first trans model, Valentine Sampaio, in their swim issue, and this year is marking another first for the sports magazine. Each year, Sports Illustrated holds an open search for anyone who wants to be considered for the issue. Freese is among 15 finalists who might…
Today, Orbitz has launched their new ad campaign, Travel As You Are, shot by the famed Cass Bird. Bird, a member of the LGBTQ community, has shot for famous brands like Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Nike, Levi’s, and more. Now, Bird is bringing their talents to Orbitz to celebrate pride. The new ad campaign sees LGBTQ couples traveling freely, loving freely, and enjoying all the gorgeous destinations that the world has to offer. The ad campaign is a beautiful array of diversity, inclusion, self-love, and queer pride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_gcF1Hg1oc In a statement, Cass Bird said, “I wanted to work on…
According to NBC News, this year, 77 commercials will air during the Super Bowl, bringing in a whopping $400 million dollars in profit for FOX. The Super Bowl is the most expensive time-slot of the entire year, with each commercial costing companies millions of dollars. But this year, a new trend is taking place in a very unlikely space…Inclusivity at the Super Bowl. That’s right, this year’s commercials are filled with LGBTQ personalities and famous females. Here are eight #superbowl commercials you’ll must see! SABRA HUMMUS Starring Miz Cracker and Kim Chi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ex5xnVm2po RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Miz Cracker…
Today, the Supreme Court delivered two rulings in favor of religious freedom over civil rights, moving America further backward in the quest for human rights. Unfortunately, these decisions shouldn’t come as a surprise. After June’s big Supreme Court wins for civil rights, Republicans have been on a fervent crusade to tarnish the reputation of the Supreme Court justices. The court’s conservative justices (which is most of them) have been under extreme pressure to “be more conservative”, and unfortunately, today’s rulings show that they’ve listened to the pressure coming from republican media. First off, there was the ruling of Our Lady…
December 1st marks World AIDS Day this year. The event was created in 1988 to raise awareness for the AIDS pandemic around the world. This is the event’s 31st year. So, how will people around the planet be commemorating the day? Here’s a list of some of the events taking place to help raise awareness of AIDS/HIV and to encourage HIV testing, treatment, and prevention. By Keith Langston MAUI, HAWAII On December 1st, the Maui AIDS Foundation will gather at the VFW hall to to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and…
The nonprofit SafeHome.org has created a ranking of the best and worst places for LGBTQ people to live. Their rankings took things like population, crime, employment, and marriage/families into consideration when creating the ranking. According to SafeHome, the key takeaways from their findings include: Vermont and California scored the highest for LGBTQ+ safety, while North Dakota scored the lowest. States with higher populations of LGBTQ+ residents also had higher than average rates of hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community, even in states that scored highly on the index regarding protection in the workplace, healthcare, and community. LGBTQ+ focused adoption laws are…
Skeleton is a sport many have seen, but few probably know its name. It’s the sport where athletes glide down bobsledding tracks on nothing but small toboggans, having to use their bodies to steer the sled and race down the track as fast as possible. During a race, the sleds can exceed 80mph. Now, openly gay athlete, Andrew Blaser, has been added to Team USA’s skeleton team for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, becoming the first openly LGBTQ athlete to ever be on the team. When speaking to OutSports, Blaser said, “Making this team is honestly just crazy…I…
UPDATE (March 4, 2020) This just in from the Wahington Blade! U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday released from its custody a Washington Blade contributor from Cuba who won asylum in the U.S. The Board of Immigration Appeals, which is overseen by the Department of Justice, on Feb. 28 dismissed an appeal of Judge Timothy Cole’s ruling that granted Yariel Valdés González asylum last September. Thanks to everyone who worked to secure the release of Yariel Valdés González! ——————————————— Background report published in February 2020. The Washington Blade is renowned as one of America’s leading sources for LGBTQ news.…
In order to help young people discover new books, diverse voices, and topics that might pertain to them, the Brooklyn Public Library has launched a new campaign called ‘Books UnBanned’. Book Riot states that the new program allows “anyone across the country between the ages of 13 and 21 to get a free eCard from BPL, which will give them access to 350,000 ebooks and 200,000 audiobooks, as well as access to databases.” In an interview with the Los Angeles Blade, Nick Higgins, chief librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library said, “Challenges to books and book bans are nothing new,…
CMT and openly gay country musician, Ty Herndon, have teamed up once again to produce another Concert for Love & Acceptance. The show, which will air on CMT’s social media channels at 8 p.m. ET on June 30th, is a celebration of two worlds that have seemingly been at odds in the past…country music and LGBTQ equality. However, in recent years, more and more country artists have come out as LGBTQ, including Ty Herndon, Brooke Eden, and T.J. Osborne of the Brothers Osborne, just to name a few. This has led the country music scene to become more inclusive, granted,…
Adam Berry is having a bit of a moment. His paranormal investigation show Kindred Spirits is one of Travel Channel’s most popular, and is currently filming its fourth season. Adam also participates in Strange Escapes with his Kindred Spirits co-star Amy Bruni, where the two, along with other paranormal professionals, guide participants through ghost hunts at some of America’s most haunted locals. And to top it all off, he’s happily married to his handsome husband, Ben Berry. Seeing as October is here, autumn is in the air, and Halloween in fast approaching, I sat down with Adam to ask him…
Argentina has just made a change to their national identity documents to show support and acceptance to Argentinians who are nonbinary. According to NBC News, during the ceremony unveiling the new document option, Argentinian President, Alberto Fernández, said, “There are other identities besides that of man and woman, and they must be respected…there are a thousand ways to love and be loved and be happy.” https://twitter.com/ZonaFALGBT/status/1417887280719663104 This move is a first in South America. However, as CNN reports, various other countries around the world already allow gender-nonconforming people to change their gender marker. Such countries include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In…
There are so many online travel sites these days it’s hard to know which ones to use. All in all, most travel sites offer the same things (hotel, car, and airline reservations), but, there’s a few that stand out from the pack. Whether it’s an easy-to-use rewards program or the latest travel deals, here are the best online travel sites that you should be using to book your next getaway. Expedia The Best Points Program Expedia offers the best rewards program as a whole. You earn points by shopping on their website, or by using their credit card. Then those…
Florida’s state senate has passed the “Stop WOKE Act”, a bill that would ban schools and companies from discussing topics regarding race, “ethnic heritage”, and sex/gender. Republicans claim that this is done in order to prevent people (white people) from feeling distressed and “blamed” for things like slavery and Jim Crow laws. According to NBC Tampa Bay, the bill would count discrimination as something that “espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels such individual to believe any of the following concepts”: Members of one race, color, sex, or national origin are morally superior to members of another An individual, by virtue…
The 2022 Golden Globes have proven to be groundbreaking for the trans community. MJ Rodriguez, who has shot to fame playing Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista on FX’s hit series POSE, has just won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Drama, marking the first time in history a trans performer has taken home a Golden Globe in the award’s 78-year history. POSE recently concluded over the summer after a successful run of 26 episodes that spanned three seasons. First airing in 2018, POSE was a groundbreaking representation of the Ball scene which was made famous by the documentary, Paris is Burning.…
Previously, we reported that cities and regions around Poland are declaring themselves as “LGBT-Fee” zones, and trying to “rid themselves of LGBTQ people and ideology.” Over 80 regions in Poland have declared themselves to “LGBT-Free.” This hateful movement now includes more than 1/3 of the entire country. These regions claim that LGBTQ people go against “traditional values” and lead to the downfall of society. Many activists are calling on the European Union to take action against the blatant human rights violations that are underway in Poland and other countries in Europe, including Hungary and Croatia. And while it’s understandable that…
According to the Jakarta Post, Indonesia’s government has just drafted a bill demanding “family resilience.” The bill claims that homosexuality is a threat to family values and mankind as a whole. The law, sounding disturbingly similar to Nazi Germany, will also force LGBTQ people to turn themselves in to the government for “rehabilitation.” The bill also says that families of LGBTQ people should turn in their loved ones to the government. To handle the wave of LGBTQ people being surrendered to the government, the bill insists that the government will have to create a new agency that will deal with…
On October 9th, Academy Award-nominated director, Leslie Iwerks, will release her new short documentary, Selling Lies. The film, which was an Official Selection at 11 film festivals, looks at 2016’s rampant spread of fake news through social media and the people of Macedonia who produced the content. The movie is a shocking yet sobering experience. It’s angering to know that people from other countries were directly manipulating America’s election in order to make a profit. However, the film also digs into other aspects that we as Americans need to think about, such as the fact that much of the “information”…
Mike Pence’s trip to Europe hasn’t been going quite as planned. A few days ago, Pence visited Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik and was met with an overflowing sense of diversity and inclusion—two things that Mike Pence hates most. The tech company Advania decided to “celebrate diversity that day,” and flew rainbow flags in front of their office. The headquarters for Efling trade union followed suit, as did many other organizations throughout the city. In fact, flags were even being flown in front of Hofdi House, where Ronald Reagan famously visited in the 80’s. To really top it off, Iceland’s president…
Health Canada, the nation’s official health department, announced last week that it will be ending its ban on LGBTQ people donating blood. According to PBS, Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said that the nation had done extensive research into the legitimacy of claims that say using LGBTQ blood could “taint” the nation’s blood supply. The country spent millions doing research to determine if using LGBTQ blood was safe, and the answer that came back was: yes. ABC News stated that Trudeau wished the ban was lifted “10 to 15 years ago, but research proving it would not affect the safety…
AIDS Walk New York, one of the largest fundraisers of the year, won’t be stopping for the pandemic. This year, on June 7th, at 10 am ET, the event will commence online with AIDS Walk From Home! The event will be star-studded with surprise celebrity guests, special performances, and even a live DJ set so you can dance the day away in your PJs. This year, supporting the AIDS Walk and Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) is more important than ever. GMHC has begun partaking in emergency COVID-19 efforts to help the community, especially those suffering from HIV and AIDS.…