On the state level, 2021 has been a devastating year for the LGBTQ community, with numerous bigoted laws being passed around the nation, many of which specifically target the trans community. However, on the city level, progress has actually been made. In fact, according to the Equality Index, a yearly survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign and The Equality Federation, a record-breaking 110 cities achieved the index’s top score of 100. Cities earning the top marks include Cleveland, Ohio; St. Louis, Missouri; Hoboken, New Jersey; Lexington, Kentucky, and more. The Equality Index looks at municipality-level laws, policies, public services,…
Author: Keith Langston
The popular ABC show What Would You Do? returns with a special episode guest-starring Olympic skater Adam Rippon. The show centers around putting real people in extreme scenarios to see what they do. Do they stand up to bigotry? Do they defend the oppressed? Or do they just stand there and watch? Or partake in the harassment? In the episode with Adam Rippon, a coach is put to the test when a young athlete comes out to her as LGBTQ. The show seeks to find out how she’ll respond, and also aims to help educate the viewer about why inclusivity…
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 The Commission recommended that the law be repealed, and instructed the country to pay reparations to the plaintiffs in the case.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…
A new campaign called Well Beings is aiming to help the mental health crisis amongst America’s youth. To launch the project, the organization assembled celebrities and mental health professionals to hold a virtual town hall to address the issue of youth mental health. The event was hosted by numerous celebrities including Billy Porter, Alanis Morissette, Bill Pullman, Jewel, Kid Cudi, and Demi Moore, among many others. One of the main topics was mental health among LGBTQ youth. Trans actor Ian Alexander, star of Netflix’s The OA, spoke about his experience growing up. He said that when he tried to speak…
Celebrate the end of the pandemic by getting your vaccine and then booking a spot on what’s sure to be one of the best cruise experience of 2022. Setting sail from January 9-16, 2022 will be the inaugural Legends of Drag Cruise, starring drag queen royalty Jackie Beat, Lady Bunny, Varla Jean Merman and Miss Coco Peru. The festivities will be MC’d by Frank DeCaro. The queens will be taking over Holland America’s 5-star luxury liner, The Koningsdam, and embarking on an epic sail around the Mexican Riviera. Ports of call will include Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo, and more. https://vimeo.com/520803197 Each of…
Martin Jenkins used to play professional football for the Seattle Seahawks. After that, he entered into a career of politics and law, serving as a prosecutor and judge. He now serves under California Governor Gavin Newsom as the Judicial Appointments Secretary, and he’s just been nominated to the California Supreme Court, making him the first gay black man to ever be nominated. According to CNN, at a press conference, Jenkins stated, “I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by the Governor to continue serving the people of California on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, I will serve with…
On September 24, the ACLU was presented with the Emmy for Outstanding Short Documentary for their film Trans in America: Texas Strong. The film was made in partnership with Little by Little Films, and was distributed by Conde Nast’s LGBTQ brand, Them. The film centers around 8-year-old transgender child Kai Shappley and her mother Kimberly. At a very young age Kai showed signs that she didn’t identity with her gender at birth. Her mother, Kimberly, struggled with trying to understand and comprehend what was happening. Finally, Kimberly accepted her daughter Kai and embraced her with love and affection. However, with…
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…
Skier Hig Roberts recently revealed that he was gay to the New York Times. Roberts is a two-time national champion skier for the US Ski Team, and was an alternate for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Roberts detailed his struggles with his sexuality, claiming that the mental toll of being in the closest ultimately hindered his performance in the sport, leading him to retire in 2019 at the age of 28. However, according to Attitude, Roberts has a new take on life. He now lives in Norway, working in finance and is much happier. The magazine quoted him saying, “I am…
The House and Senate are currently fighting over some very big issues, including an infrastructure bill and reforming the filibuster. However, Arizonan Democratic senator, Kyrsten Sinema seems to be siding with Republicans on both measures, hurting protections for LGBTQ people. Infrastructure Bill Sinema is avidly opposed to supporting Democrat’s 3.5 trillion spending bill, claiming that she can’t justify anything so expensive. However, the bill would greatly benefit the lives of all Americans. According to CNN, the bill includes tons of much-needed measures for the country, including funds for America to become more sustainable, universal pre-K, and support for America’s…
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,…
At the popular South by Southwest festival (SXSW) over the weekend, singer Lizzo took the mic to condemn Texas officials for their anti-abortion and anti-trans policies. Recently, Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, told Texans to spy on their neighbors and report anyone they believed might be aiding their child with gender-affirming care. Telling people to spy on and report their neighbors is literally something that was happening in Nazi Germany. Over the weekend at the festival, Lizzo stood up for civil rights. According to NBC News, Lizzo said, “I’m proud to rep Houston, but I’m not proud to rep Texas politics…
Just one day after Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States, he’s already enacting numerous executive orders to help heal our nation. Yesterday, Biden signed America back onto the Paris Climate Agreement and put an end to the Keystone Pipeline. Today, Biden is focusing his energy on civil rights. First on his list was demanding the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s historic Bostock v. Clayton County ruling. While the verdict was handed down during the summer of 2020, the Trump administration never enforced it. Now, all federal agencies must protect LGBTQ people’s rights. There are also hopes…
Liquor brand Jägermeister has heralded a campaign throughout the pandemic called the Save the Night Initiative, which has been dedicated to helping keep local bars open during the pandemic. And upon hearing the news that only 15 lesbian bars remain in the US (and that the pandemic is seriously threatening their livelihood), Jägermeister has vowed to extend their campaign by including the Lesbian Bar Project to the lineup. The project is dedicated to educating people about the importance of lesbian bars, preserving their history, and fighting to keep the last remaining ones open for future generations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qW2db4HuqA&feature=emb_logo The campaign released…
In a new lawsuit, Jamii Erway describes the horrific situation she faced at the Raleigh Durham airport back in 2019 when she was the victim of a ‘false positive’ result at the TSA security checkpoint. At the time, Erway, who is transgender, was just 15 years old. Due to the flagging, TSA told her that in order to enter the terminal, she’d have to undergo a strip search and genital search. According to The News and Observer, “A 2019 ProPublica report examined the TSA’s civil rights complaints over a three-year period and found that 5%, or 298 complaints, involved transgender…
English soccer player, Jake Daniels, who is currently 17 and plays for the second division club Blackpool FC, has just announced he’s gay. When speaking to the UK’s Sky News, Daniels said, “I’m ready to tell people about myself, about my story. I want them to know the real me…and lying all the time just isn’t what I want to do, and that has been a struggle, but now I just do feel like I’m ready to be myself, be free, and be confident with it all.” It’s a big moment because openly-gay athletes (especially male athletes) are still rare,…
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…
The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) and Jagermeister are sponsoring a contest to create a LGBTQ ‘Safe Space logo. The contest is to create a logo that public establishments can hang in their doorways or windows to show the LGBTQ+ community that they’re a safe space. According to the official release, “Through a 10-step process, entertainment venues, food and beverage locations, stores, businesses and other public venues, can become certified as a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ members of the community.” Stacy Lentz, CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative said, “Safe Spaces uplift LGBTQ+ people by providing a…
This Black History Month, the National AIDS Memorial will be holding a virtual viewing of the AIDS Quilt to honor Black lives lost to AIDS. The exhibition is set to coincide with National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on February 7th. From now until March 31st, the free-to-the-public online exhibition will be available at AIDSMemorial.org. Pieces of the quilt will be on display that highlights Black stories. Swatches from the quilt that will be on display include: • Panels made as part of the Call My Name program, one of which honors Wandra, made by her hairdresser, who kept Wandra’s secret…
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were two of the world’s first leading LGBTQ pioneers. The two women founded the first lesbian rights group, The Daughters of Bilitis, back in the 50s, and went on to run the lesbian newsletter The Ladder. After Phyllis Lyon’s death earlier this year, their historic San Fransisco home went up for sale. It was then that District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced a resolution to designate the former home a local historic landmark. LGBTQ activists from the country have stood up and demanded that their home be preserved (it sits on a very prime plot…
Opera singer Lucas Bouk used to be a mezzo-soprano before transitioning. He was worried about making the transition because there was a chance the hormones could impact his voice and singing career in the world of opera. However, Lucas decided to follow his truth and now lives openly as a trans man. He’s also continued singing, sharing his talents with the world. However, on August 14th, Bouk will perform for the first time as a baritone instead of a mezzo-soprano. On August 14 and 15, Bouk will take part in the On Site Opera, an opera pop-up taking place in…
Last week was an awful one for Disney. First, they refused to take a stand against Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. Then, Disney’s CEO came out and self-congratulated himself for all the hard work he had put into civil rights…but claimed it was all “behind-the-scenes” so the general public just didn’t know it. He then said that Disney’s best weapon in fighting bigotry is the “inspiring content it creates”…However, Pixar then came out with a statement revealing that they have been trying to add LGBTQ characters into films, but Disney has been actively censoring all of Pixar’s films for years,…
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 Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) has released a massive and in-depth study about the rampant spread of misinformation and lies about conversion therapy online. According to the findings, search engines and social media networks like Facebook and Instagram do a good job of weeding out misinformation when people search the phrase “conversion therapy”. The problem, the study says, is that conversion therapy providers have started changing the phrasing and narratives of their practices. Now, terms like “reintegrative therapy” and “unwanted same-sex attraction” are becoming the norm within conversion therapy networks. Search engines and social media sites have much higher…
Billboard has reported that Hungary has abruptly pulled out of Eurovision 2020, which is set to be held in Rotterdam from May 12-16. While the country hasn’t given any official answer as to why, reporters at The Guardian are citing past issues the extreme-Right government of Hungary has had with homosexuality (among many other things.) For starters, the country’s government regularly uses homophobic rhetoric, earlier this year the speaker of the Hungarian parliament compared same-sex adoption to pedophilia, and a pro-government reporter referred to Eurovision as “a homosexual flotilla” and said not participating would benefit the nation’s mental health… However,…
Earlier this year, famed musician k.d. lang released an album of remixes titled, Makeover. The album soared to #1 on the electronic charts and even spawned two #1 singles on the dance music charts. it was an impressive record that even led NPR to call lang “an immortal voice” in the music world. Now, k.d. lang is back with another remix, this time with the help of DJ and producer, Tracy Young. The song, Constant Craving – Fashionably Late Remix, is a remixed version of her 1992 hit single, Constant Craving. Upon its original release, the single peaked at #2…
One of the most anticipated films of the holiday season is West Side Story. The Disney-backed, Spielberg-directed powerhouse is already getting massive Oscar buzz. However, in the Arab world, the movie has caused intense backlash and has since been banned in numerous countries. The nations of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait have all banned the new adaptation of West Side Story from screening due to its portrayal of a transgender character. The character in question is Anybodys. In the original film, Anybodys was a tomboy who often hung around the Jets. In more recent years, as…
Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, has long been an ally to the LGBTQ community. Reynolds grew up in a devout Mormon community and says that he saw the traumatic impact it had on his LGBTQ friends and neighbors. Since then, he’s made it his goal to be an ally to the community. Throughout his career, Reynolds has done many things for the LGBTQ community, including speaking at TrevorLive, an event for The Trevor Project; writing songs for the LGBTQ community, calling out other artists who use homophobic slurs, and he even put together the LoveLoud Fest, a…
Earlier this week, Elizabeth Warren shared a powerful moment on her social media. During a rally in Iowa, a 17-year-old high schooler named Raelyn asked Warren a question. Raelyn said, “I was wondering if there was ever a time in your life where somebody you really looked up to… um” then Raelyn slightly paused, seemingly nervous, “maybe didn’t accept you as much? And how you dealt with that?” See Warrens answer below: https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1201523273202327552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1201523273202327552&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcrooksandliars.com%2F2019%2F12%2Felizabeth-warren-shares-emotional-moment According to CNN, who briefly interviewed Raelyn after the exchange, Raelyn identifies as part of the LGBTQ community and had extended family visiting for the holidays. She…
According to the South China Morning Post, a Judge in Hong Kong just deemed it unconstitutional for the government to deny public housing to same-sex couples. Previously, the government had barred same-sex couples from getting public housing because it wanted to “protect traditional family formations.” The government used the excuse that the parameters for public housing units larger than single-person dwellings are for “husband and wife, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild.” The government also claimed that by allowing same-sex couples to apply for public housing would hurt the chances of “traditional families” from receiving housing by adding more names…