GLAAD: Stand Up for Ellen

Last week, retail giant J.C. Penney announced a new partnership with America's favorite talk-show host, Ellen DeGeneres.

“We share the same fundamental values as Ellen,” noted the company's President, Michael Francis. “At jcpenney, we couldn't think of a better partner to help us put the fun back into the retail experience.”

Now, however, the anti-gay group "One Million Moms.com, a project of the American Family Association" – an organization designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) – has launched a campaign demanding that the retailer fire Ellen simply because she's gay. According to SPLC, "hate groups have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics."

“DeGeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store,” says the group. (via LGBT news site JoeMyGod)

But a majority of Americans disagree. Today, more people than ever celebrate the love of every family – gay or straight – and know that no person should be ridiculed, much less fired, simply for being who they are. Even today, Americans can be fired in 29 states for being gay and in 34 states for being transgender.

Support for the gay and lesbian community has been demonstrated in many polls. A 2011 Gallup poll showed that 53% of Americans support marriage equality, and data continues to reflect an American public that wants to ensure that all loving couples are able to marry, regardless of sexual orientation.

Among her many accolades, Ellen received the People's Choice Award for Favorite Daytime TV Host earlier this month. She has also served as a spokesperson for American Express and Cover Girl, among others. Sites including Joe My God, Think Progress, Lez Get Real and Towleroad broke the news and are also calling on readers to voice suphttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifport for J.C. Penney.
TAKE ACTION:

The American Family Association – an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as a “hate group” -- is spreading anti-gay attitudes and bias by asking its supporters to contact J.C. Penney and tell the company to fire Ellen simply because of who she is.

First, add your name to the list of supporters for J.C. Penney's decision: Add your name now!

"Think Before You Speak" PSA to air during Super Bowl

GLSEN's "Think Before You Speak" anti-bullying campaign PSA will air during the Super Bowl!

“GLSEN is thrilled to share the Think Before You Speak campaign’s message of respect with tens of thousands of football fans attending the Super Bowl this year,” said GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard. “The PSA campaign featuring Hilary Duff, Wanda Sykes and the NBA’s Grant Hill has already reached millions of Americans across the country and we are truly grateful for this opportunity to increase awareness among a new kind of audience about the negative impact of anti-gay slurs.”

Human Planes Fly Around NYC

Three human shaped RC planes were flown around New York City to create the illusion of people flying. I'm sure this puts a lot of New Yorkers at easy.....NOT!

Gay Occupy to Protest HRC Gala

Queer Occupy Wall Street, a caucus of the NYC based Occupy Wall Street movement, announced today that it will protest a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Gala honoring Goldman Sachs on Saturday February 4, 2012 at the Waldorf Astoria.

In contrast to the $650 a plate Gala, the Queer Caucus will host a “Guerrilla Potluck” on the sidewalk outside of the prestigious hotel at 50th Street & Park Avenue from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Queer Caucus:

1. The Queer Caucus condemns HRC’s decision to honor Goldman Sachs in a time of financial collapse caused by their unethical business practices and greed, and deplores the use of our cause and suffering for corporate public relations. HRC honoring Goldman Sachs at this time reveals all one needs to know about the corporate LGBT lobby, and its disconnect from the 99% and the LGBT people it purports to represent.

2. The Queer Caucus calls upon HRC to embrace the grassroots demand for Full Federal Equality by 2014 – the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

After 60 years of struggle, there is still not a single federal non-discrimination law protecting LGBT Americans from discrimination. More incredibly, HRC, the corporate entity that controls our strategy, is not even seeking equal protection for our community.

To address this, the Queer Caucus calls on HRC to take The Pledge for Full LGBT Equality to seek and secure full non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identify for all people.

The right to be protected from discrimination secures a core liberty interest. And it is the duty of government to protect LGBT Americans from the harm caused by discrimination as a matter of public welfare, law and conscience, as it has for decades for all other oppressed groups.

As HRC restrains the demand for equality, discrimination takes its insidious toll on LGBT Americans who suffer vast psychological harm rejected by their families and society, driven to suicide at 5 times the heterosexual norm by tormenting, minority stress afflictions, and lost hope.

A whopping 40% of homeless youth identity as LGBT, 66% of Transgender people have been fired or not hired for a job, 60% of our youth are taunted and feel unsafe at school, and LGBT people are 6x more likely to have multiple mental stress disorders due to societal discrimination.

“Homo/transphobia in America is a public health and economic emergency for our community” said Michael Tikile, an occupier and Duke University graduate. “We are not safe in school, work or housing. How are we supposed to live, pursue happiness or achieve economic equality?”

3. The Queer Caucus also demand that HRC open the process with transparency and grassroots inclusion.

Currently, HRC operates under a closed, hierarchical system, controlled by a financial elite, insulated from grassroots input. Likewise, in Congress, Democrat House members Barney Frank, Jared Polis and Tammy Baldwin, keep the grassroots out of the conversation, protecting the DNC strategy from movement agitation and impact.

With this structure in place, queer occupiers know that only a handful of privileged voices are setting the national queer agenda and strategy, defining what “LGBT equality” means and who our friends are.

For example, HRC's key sponsors includes a long list of big businesses that contributed to recent economic and environmental distress, including Citi Bank, Bank of America, Chevron, BP, Shell, Morgan Stanley, MetLife, Deloitte, Lexus, Prudential, and Ernst & Young.

“With all of these companies, you’d expect the power to be on our side! But instead, our community is simply a tool and pawn in the political system” said Tanya Walker, an original occupier and tireless transgender activist.

Simply put, the Queer Caucus demands equal non-discrimination protections under the 1964 Civil Rights Act because equality is the only true antidote to LGBT abuse - like it has proven to be for race, sex, national origin, religion, age and disability – long protected from discrimination by law.

“Equality and non-discrimination are universal values that define basic human dignity” said Todd (Tif) Fernandez, a human rights lawyer and grassroots activist. “It is our civic duty as Americans to protect and respect the LGBT community immediately.”

To Take the Pledge for Full LGBT Equality (by 2014) click here.

To join the Guerrilla Potluck click here . Bring flashlights.

Boy Scout deal to buy Philadelphia Building Dies

Looks like the deal for the City of Philadelphia to sell the building that houses the Philadelphia chapter of the Boy Scouts to the scouts will not go through.

The Scouts' attorney, Jason Gosselin, filed federal court papers on Friday, and said: "The parties concluded that the settlement agreement would never be approved by City Council."

The sale of the building was to pay the Boy Scouts' the court ordered legal fees - close to $1,000,000 - by the City of Philadelphia. However, the Philadelphia City Council had to approve the deal and it was doubtful that would happen since gay-rights advocates complained about the national Boy Scouts policy of not allowing membership by homosexuals and even offered to buy the building.

Instinct's Swimwear Edition

Pablo Hernandez is this year's cover model for Instinct Magazine's annual swimwear edition. In the February cover story, “The Role Of A Lifetime,” this actor/model explains how youth advocacy is his true passion and how he turned his life around after some troubling times as a teen.

"Rain" opens tonight at the Academy of Music

RAIN – A Tribute To The Beatles - opens tonight in Philadelphia at the Academy http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifof Music for eight shows only Jan. 31 to Feb. 5 as part of the Broadway Season. RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles' songs live onstage, including: I Want To Hold Your Hand, Hard Day’s Night, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Let It Be, Come Together, and Hey Jude.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-731-3333 or online at kimmelcenter.org/broadway.

David Guetta's "Turn Me On"

Below is the official video for David Guetta's new hit single “Turn Me On” featuring Nicki Minaj.



David Guetta On Tour:
Feb. 2 Albany, NY The Washington Ave Armory
Feb. 3 Syracuse, NY The Oncenter-Exhibition Hall
Feb. 4 Atlantic City, NJ The Borgata
Feb. 8 Durham, NH Whittemore Center
Feb. 9 NYC, NY Roseland Ballroom (F*** ME I’M FAMOUS)
March 25 Miami, FL UMF 2012 – Bayfront Park
April 14 Indio, CA Coachella – Empire Polo Club
April 21 Indio, CA Coachella – Empire Polo Club

"It's Time To Think Different"

Filmmaker Ryan James Yezak released another video in association for his "Second Class Citizens" documentary which will cover the gay rights movement. This documentary will encompass all areas in which the LGBT community is discriminated against. This includes: discrimination towards the gay community revolving around marriage rights, gays getting denied admission to private schools, private organizations and religious institutions.

In this video Ryan looks those people who lay it on the line or "Think Differently" than many and in the process they may be called crazy, rebels, outcast or heroes. Check it out.

Undercover Princes: Prince Manvendra visits Gay Cabaret

TLC's Undercover Princes follows three single princes which go undercover as locals in the UK in hopes of finding their true love to take back to their kingdom. Crown Prince Manvendra, the first Indian royal to come out of the closet, gets ready for his first night out on the town at a gay cabaret in the series premier tonight. Check out this teaser.

Madonna's MDNA Album Cover

Madonna, Madonna, Madonna...the media blitz is on....

Madonna Reveals "Give Me All Your Luvin" Artwork

Madonna will be releasing her new single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A. on February 3rd, three days before her highly anticipated Bridgestone Super Bowl halftime performance, it was officially confirmed by Interscope Records. “Give Me All Your Luvin’” is the first single from Madonna’s upcoming album MDNA , her 12th studio album and follow up to 2008’s Hard Candy which debuted at No. 1 in 37 countries. The song was written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Nicki Minaj and M.I.A, composed by Martin Solveig and Michael Tordjman and produced by Madonna and Martin Solveig.

Tennesse Bistro kicks homophobic Senator out

The Bistro at the Bijou in Tennessee gave their homophobic state Senator Stacey Campfield the boot from their bistro yesterday. Campfield has been trying to pass the "don't say gay" bill in Tennessee and told Sirius/XM's Michelangelo Signorile that bullying gay kids "is a lark".

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz1kxBh4Fxohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Photos: Sapphire Ball

Philadelphia's Sapphire Fund produced it's 1st Sapphire Ball on Saturday night at the Franklin Institute. The event replaces Sapphire's the long running annual event - Blue Ball











Photos by Chris Doc

WorldOut Games Teaser - Antwerp - August 2013

Manila Luzon - "Hot Couture"

New bill could allow Philly bars to operate till 3am

Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, the New Majority Whip, is introducing a bill that would allow bars in Philadelphia to be open until 3 a.m. with the liquor tax revenue aiding the city's schools.

"The impetus for me was to look to see where we could find new dollars separate from property tax," Reynolds Brown said.

State Representative Vanessa Lowery Brown has plans to introduce such a bill in the State House of Representatives in order to give Philadelphia the power to decide operating hours. Currently the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has that authority. The bill must pass in the State General Assembly in Harrisburg for approval.

Barney Frank to wed long-time partner

Massachusetts' US Representative Barney Frank, one of the first openly gay politicians in national office, is planning to wed his long-time partner, Jim Ready.

Frank’s spokesman said the marriage will take place in Frank’s home state of Massachusetts, the first in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2003 that same-sex marriage is a right under the state’s Constitution.

Frank plans to leave Congress when his term expires in January.

Snickers loves a good Diva

Joan Collins and Stephanie Beacham, the diva stars of Dynasty, recently reunited to shoot two new Snicker's commercials.



Check out Joan's finished commercial:

February is about couples in Philadelphia

Check out the new "With Love" ads from the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation geared to the LGBT market in February.....now, plan a date and spend the night in Philadelphia! xoxo

Maryland's Governor introduces marriage equality bill

Maryland's Governor Martin O'Malley introduced marriage equality legislation yesterday. The Governor's bill protects religious freedom while promoting marriage equality for all committed couples and their families.

Starbucks supports gay marriage in Washington

Starbucks is supporting the gay marriage legislation in the Washington state House and Senate. Karen Holmes, executive vice president of Partner Resources, released the below letter to the group.

To: U.S. partners
Date: January 24, 2012
Re: A Message from Kalen Holmes: Starbucks Supports Marriage Equality

Dear partners,

Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Starbucks strives to create a company culture that puts our partners first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion.

This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employees in the U.S., helping to raise awareness about issues in the communities where we live and work.

For the last 20 years, our benefits program has offered domestic partner benefits in the U.S. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs and alternative health care coverage. All partners (part-time and full-time) in all work locations, whether in a store, a roasting plant or a corporate office, adhere to the same eligibility requirements for health coverage and have access to the same comprehensive health plans.

We are deeply dedicated to embracing diversity and treating one another with respect and dignity, and remain committed to providing an inclusive, supportive and safe work environment for all of our partners.

We look forward to seeing this legislation enacted into law.

Regards,

Kalen Holmes
executive vice president, Partner Resources

W.E. Premiers in NYC

Below are photos from the New York City premiere of Madonna's W.E., which took place last night at the Ziegfeld Theatre. Madonna, who directed the film, was in attendance alongside stars Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy, Oscar Isaac, David Harbour and other special guests.


Andrea Riseborough, Madonna, and James D'Arcy:


Oscar Isaac, Andrea Riseborough, Madonna, James D'Arcy, and David Harbour:
Carson Kressley:
Lady Bunny:
Photos courtesy of The Weinstein Company. Photographers were Marion Curtis and Amanda Schwab

Madonna's W.E. is a beautifully crafted, passionate tale about the search for true love in the modern world, viewed through the prism of one of history's most fabled romances. The year is 1998, and Manhattan is abuzz with anticipation about the upcoming auction of the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. But the auction is far more than a diversion for Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a transplanted Southerner trapped in an unhappy and abusive marriage. Transfixed by the exquisite artifacts of the Windsors' lives, Wally becomes obsessed with the love story of Wallis Simspon (Andrea Riseborough), the chic, charismatic American who captured the heart of King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy). As she learns more about the sacrifices Wallis made in choosing to be with Edward, Wally finds the courage to follow her own heart and create her own happiness.

Christie thinks voters should decide gay marriage's fate in NJ

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie wants the issue of gay marriage in his state to be decided by the people of New Jersey in November - not by the state legislature or himself.

"Let's put the question of same sex marriage on the ballot," Christie said. "It shouldn't be decided by 121 people in Trenton.

Facebook Global Blackout Coming January 28th

Someone wants to take down Facebook and you could help....



Hello. People of the world. We are anonymous. The time has come. An online War has begun between anonymous, the people, and the government of the united states. While SOPA and PIPA may be postponed from congress, this does not guarantee that our internet rights will be upheld. For those unaware, there is still ACTA or the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. You. The public. I have a proposal. Would you like to become part of the greatest internet protest and first official cyber war? Anonymous is in the hands of us all. It is time to take action. Operation global blackout is ongoing and everyone can be a part of it. In the description I have provided everything you will need. Our first target... Facebook... While it is true that facebook has at least 60,000 servers... It is still possible to bring it down... Anonymous needs the help of the people... The people who want to take a stand against the government... The people who want to make a difference... This is what we must do... But first... you must ask yourself, are you truly apart of the anonymous consciousness? Do you fully grasp our ideas and understand what we are. If you do... Then one thing is clear... Together... We the people... We anonymous... Can make a change... We've already crashed CBS... Warner Brothers... And FBI sites... Facebook is our next aim... This will be enough to show them indeed that we are not, playing. Now I will give some general instructions on what to do in order to help crash facebook... First... you will need to download the L-O-I-C or, Low Orbit Ion Cannon from the link provided in the description... Once downloaded... Open the program and type in the URL space http://www.facebook.com and hit lock on... It will tell you facebooks ip address. Because there are different servers, there will be more than one ip address that will pop up on different instances, but they will all be similar. Next you will go to the box that says attack options. Change the threads to 1000. Then you will hit the button that says IMMA CHARGIN MAH LAZER... tHIS WILL NOT WORK if everyone does it at random times... This is why... I would like to conduct this operation at exactly 12 A M on January 28th 2012. A five day preparation... That way... We will have a stronger army built up to fight for our rights... Do not fear... There is no way you can get caught... Hundreds of thousands of us citizens and those of the anonymous idea will all be participating... They cannot take down that large of a group... This is your chance... Our chance... The fate of the internet... Rests in your hands... In owr, hands... Government Of The United States... Leaders of the new world order... You have been warned... Operation Global Blackout Part 2, Facebook. Engaged... We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. They should of Expected us...

Washington State has enough votes to pass gay marriage

A bill to legalize gay marriage in Washington now has enough votes to pass the state legislature, a lawmaker who sponsored the measure said on Monday, as the state moved closer to becoming the nation's seventh to legalize same-sex unions.

Democratic Sen. Ed Murray said supporters had secured the 25 votes needed in the state Senate to pass the bipartisan measure, which is being debated in a legislative committee and will likely come to a final vote next month.

Christie nominates openly gay person to the New Jersey Supreme Court

NJ Governor Chris Christie is nominating Bruce Harris to the New Jersey Supreme Court. Bruce will become the first openly LGBT person in history, and the third African-American person in history, to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Dear What's Going on in Philly,

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Steps Down from Congress

Miss Sabel Scities Crowned Miss'd America

The Miss’d America Pageant rolled into Atlantic City on Saturday night. When the smoked cleared Miss Sabel Scities was crowned Miss'd America 2012.