The United Methodist Church is set to be split into multiple denominations over the issue of LGBTQ rights. In recent years, as the world has continued to become more conservative, the United Methodist Church has begun to follow suit. For the past few years, many in the religion have complained about the newfound acceptance of LGBTQ people. Then, earlier this year, the church voted to keep its anti-LGBTQ stance. This left the Methodists anything but united. Since the 2000s, it was looking like the methodist denomination of Christianity was becoming one of the more tolerant denominations, and some of the…
Author: Keith Langston
The Sin City Classic, the world’s largest annual LGBTQ sporting event, will return to Las Vegas on January 16th and will run through the MLK holiday weekend until the 19th. This year, there will be 24 sporting competitions with an estimated 8,000 competitors heading into Las Vegas. The sporting events are varied, including everything from basketball, dodgeball, and hockey, to e-sports, bridge, and billiards. Each of the events will take place in different venues and arenas around town. Aside from sports competitions, there will be nightly social events and parties, including a welcome party and closing celebration at the Brooklyn…
This last decade was a tremendous one for gay rights. The USA became the most populous nation to legalize gay marriage so far, same-sex marriage finally became legal in an Asian country (Taiwan), and now, over one billion people live in countries where same-sex marriage is legal! 2020 is also off to a great start, with one more country being added to the list. Gay marriage is now legal in Northern Ireland, with the first ceremonies expected to take place in February. Social acceptance in the UK has changed drastically in the past 10 years. Some people have been swayed…
A guesthouse in Bali has come under intense scrutiny after people complained that it is marketing itself to the gay community. Villa Angelo (sometimes labeled as Angelo Bali Gay Guesthouse) is the first of now multiple guesthouses that are being questioned for their “gay” status. The story was originally published by the Balinese website Coconuts. Stating, “A villa in Seminyak is taking the spotlight and making headlines in Bali this afternoon after allegations surfaced that it exclusively catered to the gay community. Authorities on the island have since expressed their disapproval based on their belief that homosexuality is against cultural…
Earlier this week Mike Pence attended a homophobic sermon at the Holy City Church of God in Christ in Memphis. Making matters even worse is that the White House officially streamed the sermon and then put it on their YouTube page, giving the republican base a clear expression of where the Trump administration stands. Not only did Pence attend the sermon, but he was invited on stage to give a few words. He, of course, ran the typical dog and pony show, stating how the Trump administration is creating jobs, is good for the economy, especially in the South, as…
Ritchie Torres is currently NYC’s District 15 (The Bronx) councilman. But earlier this year, he launched his campaign to run for congress, hoping to replace his district’s current seat in the US House of Representatives (it’s important to note that in 2020, all 435 House seats are up for reelection, promising to completely alter the landscape of American politics.) Torres made waves in 2014 when he was elected as District 15’s councilman, becoming the youngest elected official in New York City at just 25 years old. He also became the first LGBTQ elected official from the Bronx. Torres is openly…
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…
The South Dakota House of Representatives just passed HB1057, legislation that bars transgender youth and their parents from making decisions about their gender-affirming medical care. Even scarier, the bill states that doctors can be imprisoned for providing care to trans and gender-nonconforming citizens. Dr. Alex Chavez of The Trevor Project wrote a piece for NBC News chastising South Dakota for their blatant discrimination. In fact, in the article, Dr. Chavez even quotes a peer-reviewed medical study that clearly states that providing transgender and nonconforming youth with gender-affirming care dramatically increases their mental and physical wellbeing. https://twitter.com/voxdotcom/status/1222519860267188229 The need for gender-affirming…
The film Hair Love has just won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Though only a little under seven minutes, the movie manages to be funny, joyful, and heartwarming, while sending a powerful message of of acceptance and inclusion. View Hair Love here, and share this wonderful film with your family and friends. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNw8V_Fkw28 During the Oscars, Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver accepted the award and called awareness to an issue many don’t know about: The CROWN Act. CROWN, which is an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlyDdE3mveY The act is…
Back in 2017, California enacted a law, known as Assembly Bill 1887, that bars state-sponsored travel for state employees to any state that discriminates on the basis of sexuality and gender identity. One of the eleven states on that list is Texas, who has decided that it’s wrong and illegal to discriminate against states that discriminate against citizens. According to The Hill, Texas is claiming that California isn’t respecting their “religious beliefs” and (almost hilariously) claiming that California “demonstrates a disregard for the safety and well-being of Texas children.” The irony here is almost too much to handle. Conservatives regularly…
A new wave of controversy has arrived as the town of Saint-Jean-de-Braye in France suspends its Sister City status with Tuchow, Poland over their anti-LGBT sentiments. But to truly understand this story, we have to look at the anti-gay policies that are over-taking Poland and endangering its LGBTQ citizens and visitors. By Keith Langston Poland Becomes More Conservative Poland, along with numerous other countries around the world, has actually regressed in recent years, becoming more and more conservative and nationalistic. One of the main political figures in Poland hyping anti-LGBTQ sentiment is politician Jarosław Kaczyński. He’s said things such as…
Starbucks is in a bit of a predicament at the moment. The company just released an ad in the UK that depicts Starbucks as being welcoming and accepting of everyone. The main character in the commercial is a young trans man who feels safe using his name at a Starbucks store. Soon after the ad was released, the trans community raised their issues with the recent allegations that the company is transphobic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcSP1r9eCWw The company has a history of high-profile instances of discrimination, while also having a history of high-profile efforts for inclusion. Their most recent brush with controversy has…
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…
Pantene, the renowned beauty company known especially for their Pro-V products and their famous advertisements from the ’80s which featured supermodel Kelly LeBrock saying, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful,” is now being known for something else…their inclusivity. Earlier this month, the beauty company launched their Home for the Holidays video series, along with the hashtag #BEAUTIFULGBTQ. The series highlights different members of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles. Watch the opening trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsJWzXtNlgw The trailer begins with “137 million Americans will travel home this holiday season…” Followed by, “44% of LGBTQ people feel they can’t come home as their…
Earlier this year, it was requested that a few crosswalks in the small town of Chilliwack, BC would be painted rainbow in honor of Pride. Sadly, the city council voted it down. According to HuffPost, Councilwoman Sue Knott stated, “When it comes to painting a rainbow on a crosswalk, or baby feet, crosses, anti immigration or anything else, it becomes a political statement…It also becomes a target for vandalism and a canvas for intolerance and hate. You cannot change attitudes by painting crosswalks.” It seems that many people in the community did not agree with the City Council’s views. And…
New alarming information has been released by the Web Integrity Project revealing that the Trump administration is altering and deleting information about LGBTQ people. According to Fast Company, the organization discovered shocking and horrific slashes in the amount of information being released by the Trump administration in regards to LGBT people throughout numerous government agencies. Examples included in the investigation is the switching of “LGBT” to “LGB” on the CDC website, The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity deleted information about rights for LGBT and HIV positive people, and there’s been a 40% decrease in the use of the…
Equaldex is a user-generated “knowledge base,” as founder Dan Leveille put it during our interview. Leveille works for a marketing company by day, and his education background is in web development, but he has a passion for LGBTQ rights and wants to use his skills to help the cause, thus, Equaldex was born. When he founded the website, he had a tall order to fill. He wanted to create an easy-to-use website that informed readers of LGBTQ rights in every country across the globe. As time went on, the website generated traction and has been featured in publications like AirBnb…
We’ve all asked the question: How do I save money while on vacation? The standard responses we get are: “Visit somewhere where the American dollar goes far,” or “Travel during the off-season.” But let’s discuss some other ways to save money when traveling. The suggestions below might just be your ticket to having a fantastic holiday without spending a lot of money. Price match, even if it isn’t technically offered. Sites like Expedia, Orbitz, and Kayak have dramatically changed the world of travel, and they have seriously pissed off hotel chains and airlines. Nowadays, most companies offer price-matching or…
I recently sat down with Patricia Schultz, author of the wildly successful book (turned into more books, calendars, travel journals, and even a Travel Channel TV show…) 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. A new edition of her famous book has just been release as a vivid and stunning pictorial journey around the globe with 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: The World as You’ve Never Seen it Before. We met for tea at the newly opened Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan, which has recently undergone a multi-billion dollar reinvention project. The new Hudson Yards…
A new campaign, “Deutschland fliegt nicht” translated to ‘Germany Doesn’t Fly’ is aiming to curb carbon emissions by encouraging Germans to rethink their domestic and short-haul flights. The first goal is to try get as many people as possible not to fly during the week of February 10 -16, 2020. According to the group, “The nationwide campaign ‘Germany doesn’t fly’ is much more than a normal protest. Simply not flying is more effective than waiting for bans, regulations and laws.” The goal is to get Germany (and the rest of the world) to recognize and understand the immense amount of…
Claudia Lopez was recently elected the mayor of Bogota, Colombia, making her the first female and first LGBTQ mayor in the city’s history. Lopez ran on a platform promising to combat political corruption and promoting civil rights for everyone. Upon hearing the news of her election, Lopez said, “This is the day of the woman, we knew that only by uniting could we win. We did that. We united, we won, and we made history!” Lopez received over 1 million votes, beating her opponent by 2.7 percentage points, electing her as one of the most important political figures in Colombia.…
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced today that Twitter will be banning all political ads, globally. In true twitter form, the announcement came via tweet. In it, Dorsey stated: https://twitter.com/jack/status/1189634360472829952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1189634360472829952&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2019%2F10%2F30%2Ftechnology%2Ftwitter-political-ads-ban.html For anyone out there wondering why this is, here is a great example. Political ads can come in various forms. Political ads can be harmless, such as this ad by Elizabeth Warren: But political ads can also be extremely divisive, offensive, hurtful, and untrue. Here’s an advertisement that has recently popped up on a popular movie website. Many say that allowing ads like this to be spread around the country, simply…
What does flight insurance cover? In general, it covers canceling a flight due to things like illness, a death in the family, job loss, severe weather problems, an extreme accident that makes you unable to fly, and so on…but in general, we’re talking about illness. That’s the most common reason you’d need to cancel a flight. Let me explain what happened to me: Back in early May, I booked a flight home for June. By the time June rolled along, it would be around 4 months since I was sick last, so I purchased flight insurance just in case, because…
The website Apartment Guide just released the new list of America’s most expensive zip codes for renters. They collected data for rental prices for one bedroom apartments throughout the month of October and compiled the rankings. If you’re thinking 90210 is on the list… you’d be wrong. Manhattan isn’t even one of the most expensive places anymore! So, what zip codes did make the list…? 10.) 90292 Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, California Avg. Price: $3,170 Marina Del Rey, one of LA’s beachside neighborhoods, has boomed in popularity recently. And why wouldn’t it? In Marina Del Rey you can…
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has signed into law a new bill to grant benefits for LGBTQ veterans who were discharged because their sexual orientation. The law will help anyone who was discharged under old policies such as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ among others. According to US News, “The new law provides a petition process to have a discharge from service recorded as honorable for veterans who received a general or other than honorable discharge due solely to their sexual orientation. An honorable discharge is the only type that entails full benefits.” Today, the Modern Military Association of America, the…
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…
Flash Pack, the travel and adventure company for solo travelers in their 30’s and 40’s has just released a list of the best places to take a holiday from the holidays. If you’re the kind of person who would rather travel during this festive time of year, then these great destinations may be perfect for you. Pack you bags, tell your family you’ll see them next year, and head out on an epic journey with a group of other solo travelers. By Keith Langston JORDAN Christmas lights are great and make the season festive, but wouldn’t you prefer to…
Today, the onePULSE Foundation, which was created in memory of those who lost their lives in the 2016 shooting, has announced that they have created 49 scholarships – one in honor of each victim – that will be given to students who are looking to pursue higher education. They can be used in universities, in career studies, and technical colleges. Each scholarship is dedicated to the passions and interests of each of the victims. Scholarships are available for a wide range of studies including, nursing, business, cosmetology, journalism, education, and many that are open to any area of study. The…
Lil Nas X, the country-rapper best known for his mega-hit “Old Town Road” has just been nominated for six Grammys, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. This honors Lil Nas X as the first openly gay rapper to be nominated for a top award in rap history. On top of his monumental Grammy nominations, he already made history earlier this month when he won a Country Music Award, becoming the first openly gay man to win a CMA ever. So far, his hit single, “Old Town Road” has gained over 388 million views on…
There are some amazing travel opportunities out there that will give you an epic vacation, while also giving back to the community. If you want to help make a difference in someone’s life this holiday season, check out these wonderful hotels and resorts that are taking charitable donations to a whole new level. ANDAZ HOTELS AND RESORTS Andaz hotels and resorts, by Hyatt, are some of the coolest, freshest, trendiest hotels around the world. They offer upscale luxury with a contemporary sleekness. Making the chain even better is that three of their resorts, The Andaz West Hollywood, Scottsdale, and…