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…
Author: Keith Langston
The groundbreaking documentary Gay Chorus Deep South, which followed the San Fransisco Gay Men’s Chorus as they toured through the American South, is set to get a TV premiere on December 20th. The chorus director, Tim Seelig, along with numerous others in the ensemble, all had very personal, deeply moving reasons for partaking in the tour, and without giving anything away…the film proves to be one of the most poignant LGBTQ documentaries ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nc_VZr3Vdk Gay Chorus Deep South won an Audience Award at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And with the…
On December 10th, 2019, Sanna Marin, who previously served as the Transport and Communications Minister, was elected as Prime Minister of Finland with a 99-70 vote. She is now the world’s youngest sitting head of government at 34 years old. Marin is known for her liberal policies and down-to-earth demeanor, which many people relate to and want in their Prime Minister. Furthermore, Marin grew up in what she calls a “rainbow household,” and was raised by two women. Earlier this year, Finland made huge strides in its government. A new female-powered government took control over the summer, promising to lead…
In yet another blow to civil rights during the Trump era, members of the Supreme Court are now declaring that gay marriage is an attack on “religious liberty” and is “hurting people’s lives”. The anti-gay opinions came from justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. after the court declined to hear the case of Kentucky clerk Kim Davis (who was famously jailed for refusing to do her job after gay marriage was legalized.) While the two supported not hearing Davis’ case, they followed up by stating, “Davis may have been one of the first victims of this court’s cavalier…
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…
Molly Solomon, the president of NBC Olympics Production, raised a few eyebrow recently when she hinted that NBC would have an obligation to address China’s current human rights violations, especially its treatment of the Uyghur Muslims. According to Deadline, Solomon said: “Our coverage will provide perspective on China’s place in the world and the geopolitical context in which these Games are being held. But the athletes do remain the centerpiece of our coverage.” Naturally, none of this sounds too inflammatory. But it’s important to remember the context in which China views the world. Any slight misstep can be seen as…
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,…
Reddit, the internet’s most infamous and scandalous social networking platform has banned the site’s largest pro-trump group that had over 790,000 users. The New York Times reports that Reddit is strengthening its commitments to anti-harassment and anti-hate guidelines. As a response, the site will now be banning over 2,000 subreddits (group message boards), the largest being “The_Donald”. For years, The_Donald subreddit group was responsible for creating the foulest and most disgusting alt-right memes, GIFS, and videos. Some of which have even been retweeted by Trump himself. According to CNN, Reddit moderators state that the group has consistently broken Reddit rules…
At this year’s Brit Awards, Elton John teamed up with singer Olly Alexander, who performs under the name Years and Years. The duo recreated the controversial and highly popular song “It’s a Sin” which was originally released by the Pet Shop Boys in 1987. The song was written by Pet Shop Boy’s lead singer Neil Tennent and tells of his time growing up in a Catholic school, being told that the way he was is a sin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk4eMIswunQ The video uploaded to YouTube doesn’t show what happened before the performance, but according to Vulture, Elton John’s husband, David Furnish, came…
NYC Pride announced today that tickets are on sale for the opening ceremony of this summer’s epic WordPride. The opening ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, from 7-10 P.M. NYC Pride says the ceremony will be formatted as a benefit concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Proceeds from the ticket sales to this historic concert event will support the Ali Forney Center, Immigration Equality, and SAGE. The event is set to be a star-studded who’s-who of New York. EGOT-winning actress, Whoopi Goldberg, is primed to host the event. Goldberg stated, “I’ve been a longtime advocate of the…
To celebrate Pride month (June 1 -30), United Airlines is teaming up with their credit card partners, Visa and Chase, to help reward those who donate to LGBTQ+ nonprofits. Eligible United Visa Cardmembers can receive five miles for every dollar donated to select nonprofits (up to $1,000 per card). The eligible nonprofits are The Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign, and StartOut. In a statement, Suzi Cabo, United’s managing director of global community engagement, said, “This Pride Month, United is celebrating our year-round mission of advocating and supporting our LGBTQ+ employees and customers by spotlighting organizations that share our commitment…
Ultra-conservative Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, is clearly doing everything he can to send a message to the LGBTQ community. Previously, he’s gained notoriety for spreading Trump’s lies about election fraud and making it illegal for companies to request vaccine verification (Florida also has one of the highest numbers of COVID deaths in the country) Now, DeSantis is continuing his mission to disenfranchise the people of his state. On June 1st, the first day of Pride month, DeSantis signed into law a ban on transgender girls playing sports in schools. The Miami Herald even revealed that in the last six years,…
On Friday, December 18th, Switzerland passed a bill in favor of allowing same-sex marriage, an initiative that’s been seven long years in the making. Registered partnerships have been legal in the country since 2007, but now the Swiss House and Senate have passed a bill in favor of allowing same-sex marriage as well. Along with allowing marriage, the bill also made it legal for transgender people to legally change their names. Activists are saying this is a huge milestone for LGBTQ rights and is one step closer to making the entire continent of Europe a welcoming place for diversity and…
On Monday, a new ad campaign from Cathay Pacific titled “Move Beyond” was meant to showcase the airline’s dedication and commitment to its customers. Part of this campaign includes diversity. Cathay Pacific, being one of Asia’s earliest global carriers, knows the importance of diversity as it has been flying passengers of all genders, races, and sexualities for decades. The new ad (image featured above) was swiftly banned from appearing on Hong Kong’s various forms of mass transit for being “immoral, and offending the generally accepted standards of public decency and the social or cultural standards of the society,” said a…
Released in 2019, the book Gender Queer has become a lightning rod for controversy in America. The illustrated novel by Maia Kobabe talks about their experiences wrestling with and discovering their true self, while questioning gender and not fitting into the binary of gender. Recently, however, the book has gained ample amounts of controversy. The debate began because a few of the book’s illustrations depict teenagers engaging in sexual acts (the book is written for teenagers) and others make references to sexual fantasies. Confusingly, a page discussing the author struggling with their first period also became part of the debate,…
Billy Porter has just added director to his growing list of talents, which already includes singing, dancing, and acting. Next month, on July 22nd, Porter’s debut film, Anything’s Possible, will premiere globally on Amazon Prime. Anything’s Possible is a coming-of-age film that follows Kelsa, a high school senior who is trans. One of her classmates, Khal, falls in love with her and decides to ask her out. The duo then must deal with the pressure put on them by their classmates, teachers, and family for embarking on a relationship that some still find to be taboo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20WlagB4vFU The trailer reveals…
Idaho Governor Brad Little signed two anti-transgender bills into law yesterday, despite the global pandemic. The first, House Bill 500, bans transgender women from playing on girls and women’s sports teams at public schools and colleges. The law deems that to qualify as a woman you’d have to be examined for “reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously 19 produced testosterone levels.” The Idaho Attorney General, however, cautioned forcing genetic testing on athletes likely violates the constitution. The second, House Bill 509, bans people from changing their gender on Idaho birth certificates. Back in 2018, Idaho tried passing a similar…
Jack Petocz, the student activist who organized Florida’s statewide school walkout over the state’s “don’t say gay” bill has been suspended indefinitely from his high school, Flagler Palm Coast. After the suspension, Petocz took to Twitter to share his story. https://twitter.com/Jack_Petocz/status/1499517610077085701 According to Petocz, the school initially supported his idea for a walkout (which ultimately saw thousands from across the state walk out in protest, including over 400 from his own school). However, shortly before the protest, the school’s principal decided he wanted to call off the walkout and school officials even began confiscating pride flags from students and around…
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…
A new rule from the Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking to allow federally-funded homeless shelters to decide a person’s sex based on a “good faith belief.” The rule states that employees of homeless shelters are not allowed to turn someone away for being transgender, but are allowed to decide whether they go in a men’s or women’s shelter. Making the measure even crueler, is the process by which how an employee can decide. The rule says that someone’s sex can be determined by their physical characteristics, such as height, the presence of facial hair, or having an…
Savvy travelers love the hilarious and irreverent comedian, Pam Ann. She’s known for her hot takes on airlines, the lives of cabin crew, and all the biggest news in the travel industry. However, like everyone else, she’s been out of the skies since the pandemic began. On January 28th, Pam Ann returns for her first new live show, PAMDEMIC! premiering at Hunters Nightclub Wilton Manors in Fort Lauderdale. I was lucky enough to chat with the seasoned comedian to ask about life during the pandemic, and to learn what she has planned for her triumphant return. Before we get to…
Singer, actor, activist, and living legend, Lady Gaga, has just launched a new video on YouTube to help inspire everyone around the country to vote this year. As she makes clear in the video, 2020 is a pivotal election that will change the course of this country forever. Where you stand on issues right now will define how this country continues, not only for you and your loved ones, but for generations to come. And, in natural Lady Gaga style, she does the entire video while making countless wardrobe changes. She dons her pink hat from the Joanne album, the…
According to NBC News, a man who had recovered from the COVID-19 infection was in the perfect position to donate antibodies for a new experimental immunotherapy treatment. However, since the man was gay, he was turned away from donating, despite a doctor saying he had a “robust” number of antibodies in his system. This all goes back to the AIDS epidemic when many feared that by receiving blood from a gay man, they’d be at risk of contracting HIV. However, in 2015, that rule was slightly modified by saying gay men could donate blood as long as they had been…
According to AlterNet, The Trevor Project, a resource and crisis service for LGBTQ youth, has seen a 150% increase in crisis calls coming in from Texas. All throughout the state, school districts have started discriminating against the LGBTQ community and people of color, and a modern-day witch hunt has begun to “purify” schools, libraries, and even the internet of any content that offers support to the LGBTQ community and people of color. Most notable has been the rampant rise in “banned books” within the last two years, in which school districts, cities, and counties are being driven to demand that…
Richard Branson has gone from the air to the sea with his new venture, Virgin Voyages. Virgin’s maiden ship The Scarlet Lady will set sail from Miami to the Caribbean starting in the spring of 2020. The ship, which is an astonishing 17 stories tall, will include an outdoor yoga studio, fitness bootcamp, VIP sundeck, spa, nightclub, karaoke bar, theater, and much much more. One thing that the Scarlet Lady will have that no other cruise ship does is her very own craft beer. The still unnamed beer will be an Extra Pale Ale that mixes American and English brewing…
The Trevor Project has long been known as a group that’s dedicated to helping LGBTQ youth and young adults. To help raise awareness of acceptance and diversity during September’s Suicide Prevention Month, the organization has created fun outfits in their signature orange color, accented by the rainbow flag design for Animal Crossing players. According to Mashable, The Trevor Project’s lead designer, Jonathan Silberman, stated, “Our research has found that LGBTQ young people who have a space where they feel affirmed in their identity are significantly less likely to attempt suicide. All of these factors contributed to our decision to design…
The adult entertainment website Mr. Man collects the hottest images and clips of male celebrities from movies and TV. Each year, the site also puts out a ranking of the most searched celebrities, based on page-clicks on their site. And now, as the decade came to a close, Mr. Man is releasing the top-searched steamy, dreamy male celebs of the decade. Can you guess who made the list? 5.) Michele Morrone ~ 147,797 searches Steamy Projects: 365 Days The movie 365 Days, which was released last year, was bashed by critics as being…quite bad. Variety even called it, “Thoroughly…
DIVA media group, along with The Advocate, and Kantar, have released the findings from a new survey of LGBTQ+ women. The answers were received prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, so they give a good indication of what women were feeling during relative “normal” times. In all, they managed to get over 1,400 responses to the survey, proving to be the largest piece of research of LGBTQ+ women to date. Now, as Lesbian Visibility Week begins, DIVA has released the survey results, and some might surprise you. The results from the survey revealed that 43% suffer from stress and anxiety and…
After the passing of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, New York City has come out swinging with a new ad campaign that will see billboards go up around Florida throughout the months of April and May. In a press conference, New York City’s newly-elected mayor, Eric Adams, stated, “I am the mayor of New York City, but I have a message for Florida’s LGBTQ+ community — come to a city where you can say and be whoever you want. Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is the latest shameful, extremist culture war targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Today, we say to the…
On Friday, July 30th, New Zealand’s ruling party introduced a bill that would make conversion therapy (the process of trying to change one’s sexual orientation because it’s believed to be “wrong”) illegal. The nation is going a step further and is even aiming to make the practice punishable by up to five years in prison. According to The Washington Post, Kris Faafoi, New Zealand’s justice minister, stated, “Conversion practices have no place in modern New Zealand. They are based on the false belief that any person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression is broken and in need of fixing.”…