From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Favorite Pics of the Day for June 30th
Besides being incredibly hot, doesn't Michael Phelps devilish grin turn you on? Hot and very cool! Michael turns 31 today.
From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things
From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things
Laverne Cox Discusses Trans Incarceration, “OINTB” And “Rocky Horror” On “The Daily Show”
"You are a trailblazer in every sense of the word."From: NewNowNext
Laverne Cox made her Daily Show debut this week to speak out about the sad reality of trans people being kept in solitary confinement while incarcerated-like her character, Sophia on this season of Orange is the New Black.
Cox also talks about her involvement with the LGBT Data Inclusion Act, which would require governmental agencies to include questions about gender identity and sexual orientation in surveys like the U.S. Census.
Watch the interview below to hear Cox talk about those issues and her upcoming role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Fox’s Rocky Horror remake.
Justin Bieber Just Made Jasmine Masters A Viral Star
The "Drag Race" season 7 queen just reached 7.1 million followers in a matter of hours.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Justin Bieber is officially down with the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and it appears one of his favorites is Jasmine Masters.
The pop star posted a video of the season 7 powerhouse on his Instagram last night, blasting her out to his more than 73.1 million followers and instantly launching her into viral fame.
In the video, originally posted to Masters’ YouTube page with the title “fix ur breath,” Jasmine rants about people who have smelly breath and don’t realize it.
“I don’t understand why people’s breath be mother fuckin’ stinky and they don’t taste it,” she says with her signature sass. “You gotta taste it cause I smell a hot boiled ass porta potty mess coming out your mouth.”
A banner above the video reads, “This is my favorite video rn.” Justin captioned it, “Haha.”
The video has been watched over 2.4 million times and liked 560,000 times in the 10 hours since it was posted.
And people on Twitter are rightfully excited:
Violet may have snatched the crown, but Justin Bieber posted a video of queen meme herself Jasmine Masters, so who is the real winner— winnifred (@damnitwinnie) June 30, 2016
Justin Bieber sharing a video of Jasmine Masters is the only thing I care about today.— Kristian (@kristian517) June 30, 2016
jasmine masters, the original winner.— queen oomf; (@gagasspace) June 30, 2016
If he thought that was funny, just wait until someone tells him about the cocoon!
Drag Queen Gets 10 Years In Prison For Mowing Down Lesbian Couple
Miss "Queen of Karaoke" Krystle Caress was twice the legal limit at the time.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
A Welsh drag queen known to her nightclub regulars as “Queen of Karaoke” Krystle Caress will serve 10 years in prison for mowing down a lesbian couple with his car in April.
The UK Metro reports 38-year-old Caress (real name Kristian Churchill), was drunk and twice the legal limit when he purposely ran into the couple, 22-year-old Nikita Price and 20-year-old Lucy Gregory. The women had allegedly reported Churchill to the authorities for his “inappropriate relationships with boys under 16.”
Before he trapped both women under his car, Churchill reportedly told his passengers, “Now watch this.”
This week a judge heard how the women were “screaming in agony” as a result of the life-changing injuries they sustained.
According to testimony, Price suffered two broken ankles and required a skin graft on her left leg — a large tattoo she had was completely stripped off. Her partner Gregory suffered a fractured spine and two leg fractures, and will walk with a permanent limp for the rest of her life.
“I have nightmares that I’m still stuck under the car,” Gregory told the court. “I can’t work full time and I’m being treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.”
In a victim impact statement, Price added: “The doctors managed to save my leg but I am in extreme pain every day. It may be years of operations and physiotherapy before I can walk again properly.”
“He has acknowledged the enormity of the offenses and is devastated by the effect it has had on his victims,” said Andrew Davies, an attorney for Churchill.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court Judge Michael Burr judge ordered Churchill a prison sentence of 10 years and four months, as well as a nine-year ban from driving to begin upon his release.
“You used your car as a weapon with devastating consequences which the women will have to live with for years,” Judge Burr told Churchill during sentencing. “Cars can be used as deadly weapons and this is what happened that night, it was used in a devastating way.”
Department Of Defense Lifts Ban On Transgender Troops In The U.S. Military
“This is the right thing to do for our people and for the force."From: NewNowNext
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced today that the military will no longer discriminate against transgender troops, allowing them to serve in the armed forces openly.
“This is the right thing to do for our people and for the force,” said Carter. “We’re talking about talented Americans who are serving with distinction or who want the opportunity to serve. We can’t allow barriers unrelated to a person’s qualifications prevent us from recruiting and retaining those who can best accomplish the mission.”
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter says the Pentagon is dropping the ban on transgender troops https://t.co/uoyMDUrKJy https://t.co/br5rlJfgFv— CNN (@CNN) June 30, 2016
A study by the RAND Corporation, commissioned by the Pentagon, “found that out of the approximately 1.3 million active-duty service members, an estimated 2,450 were transgender, and that every year about 65 service members would seek to make a gender transition.,” reports The New York Times.
#SecDef: New policy will allow us to access talent of transgender servicemembers to strengthen success of mission pic.twitter.com/2C7r8Cxbcs— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) June 30, 2016
Most of these transgender troops were forced into staying silent about transitioning and their gender identity, much like the private lives of gay, lesbian and bisexual service members before “don’t ask, don’t tell” was lifted in 2011.
Sue Fulton, the President of SPARTA, the largest organization of actively-serving transgender military members today responded to the Pentagon’s decision:
“Secretary Carter today fulfills his promise that every American who is qualified to serve will be allowed to serve. The thousands of transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen – and their commanders – have one less burden on their shoulders today. We are grateful to the military and civilian leaders in the Department of Defense who worked so hard to get this right.”
By October 1, the Pentagon will have a training handbook that deals with medical protocol and “guidance for changing a service member’s gender in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment System (DEERS),” Carter said in his announcement. “At this point, the services will be required to provide medically necessary care and treatment to transgender service members according to the medical protocol and guidance, and may begin changing gender markers in DEERS.”
#SecDef: This is a matter of principle. Americans who want to serve and can meet our standards should be given chance to compete to do so— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) June 30, 2016
There were last minute concerns from high-ranking military officials that the “open inclusion of transgender troops could potentially harm the military’s readiness and effectiveness in combat,” but according to The New York Times, “several studies have reached the opposite conclusion, however, finding that lifting the ban is unlikely to have any appreciable effect on the readiness of the armed forces.”
June 30th is National HandShake Day
The last Thursday of each June, people across the nation observe National Handshake Day.
Of all the various forms of greeting, the handshake is perhaps one of the most ancient.
The origin of the handshake is hard to pinpoint. As it is a non-verbal mode of communication, it may have existed before written records. Theories suggest it was a way for medieval knights, Roman soldiers and other weapon carrying men to check for hidden daggers by grasping each other’s forearms in greeting.
Archaeological ruins in ancient Greece support this theory. The funerary stele depicts two soldiers shaking hands and dates back to 5th century BC.
An even older record in Egypt suggests the handshake held a different sort of power, the power of giving. According to Babylonian custom, kings would grasp the hand of the statue of the god Marduk before taking the throne. This act was repeated annually during the festival of Zagmuk to carry his power over into the next year. Even conquering Assyria continued the tradition.
As during ancient times, modern day handshakes have different customs around the world. Women didn’t usually didn’t carry weapons, and therefore didn’t shake hands as a form of greeting. In the United States, Russia, Australia, Brazil and the United Kingdom handshakes tend to be firm, but even those with firm greetings have lingering differences. However, in most Asian countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea the grip is light, and there should be no direct eye contact. However, in the Philippines make the eye contact while keeping the hold light.
Then there are the secret handshakes, those elaborate greetings signaling membership in a group, club or society. One of the more famous societies known to use secret handshakes is fremasons.
#TBT: The First Drag Queen On Network Television
From: NewNowNext
Men have been wearing dresses on television since the days of Milton Berle and Flip Wilson. But it wasn’t until 1975 that America got to see an actual drag queen on the small-screen. That’s when Beverly LaSalle (Lori Shannon) first appeared on an episode of All in the Family.
In the episode, “Archie the Hero,” Archie Bunker performs CPR on Beverly after she passes out in his cab.
The character proved so popular that Beverly was brought back for another episode, “Beverly Rides Again”, where she invites Archie and Edith out to dinner.
While the story line was played for laughs—Archie decided to fool his friend Pinky Peterson into thinking Beverly was his “date”—the character was never the butt of the joke.
Beverly’s third and final appearance was her most poignant: In “Edith’s Crisis Of Faith” she visits the family to invite them to her Carnegie Hall debut. After leaving, Beverly (dressed as a man) and Mike are gay-bashed while walking together to the subway. Mike escapes, but Beverly’s injuries are fatal.
The senseless death of her friend causes Edith to (temporarily) lose her faith in God. A groundbreaking story line in 1975—and even in 2016.
Sadly Lori Shannon (also known as Don McLean) died in 1984. Describing herself as “a stand-up comic in a dress,” Shannon was a popular San Francisco entertainer and the star of a cabaret show at Finocchio’s nightclub.
She also wrote an entertainment column for the Bay Area Reporter.
Watch Beverly LaSalle’s debut in the “Archie the Hero” episode of All in the Family, this Friday, July 1, at 6/7c on Logo.
Abs olutely!
From: Speed o Rex
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London Commuters Slam Homophobe Abusing A Gay Couple On The Tube
"Get off the train...or I'm going to knock you out!"
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
A new social experiment conducted by YouTuber Julius Dein exposes how average commuters would react in the face of blatant homophobia on the subway.
For the experiment, Dein took to the London tube with his friends Adam and Josh. “They’re going to be a couple, I’m going to be homophobic, and we’re going to test people’s reactions,” he explains at the beginning of the video.
Once they’re on the tube, Dein hurls homophobic abuse at the couple as they hold hands and cuddle.
Fortunately, the reactions from random bystanders are largely positive and in favor of the couple. An impressive majority actually stand up to defend the couple and one man — bless his soul — gets so wound up that he threatens to “knock [Dein] out.”
However one man agrees with Dein, and joins in the homophobic abuse as he ridicules the couple while they’re seated at a bench minding their own business.
“If you’re gonna do that, do it somewhere else,” the man yells at the couple, referring to their hand holding. He turns to Dein and yells, “They got more rights than we have nowadays!”
At the very least, it’s good to know he’s in the minority.
Check it out below:
Let RuPaul Take You On A Magic Trip In New “Cha Cha Bitch” Music Video
Ain't no party like a Cha Cha party!
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Sound the alarm! There’s a music video for the remix of RuPaul’s “Cha Cha Bitch” featuring AB Soto!
Well, Ru is shrunk down to a hot pink pair of lips for the video, but if you came for Mama Ru you’ll stay for AB Soto, who shakes his goods all over the green screen desert.
The psychedelic video has everything from shirtless boys wearing sombreros, Pinatas falling from the sky, neon Mariachi outfits and even a cameo from Drag Race Pit Crew member Bryce Eilenberg!
And no, you’re not hallucinating, Bryce does grow wings and fly around the desert in his underwear.
Buckle up and watch the video below:
Justin Trudeau Will Be The First Canadian Prime Minister To March In A Pride Parade
He also plans to address the age of consent difference between anal and vaginal sex.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Justin Trudeau is continuing his trend of groundbreaking acts since taking power by becoming the first serving Canadian Prime Minster to march in a Pride parade.
Trudeau has been a part of the Toronto Pride parade many times before, but this will mark his first as Prime Minister.
“I think we recognize that it’s not just me going to the parade yet again,” he said. “This is a position that the community and Canadians put in place — a Prime Minister who understood how important it was to attend Pride, and that’s worth celebrating.”
Trudeau has also vowed to to equalize the difference in the age of consent between vaginal and anal sex, and to work on eliminating the blood donation ban for gay men.
The Prime Minister sat down with Canada’s Daily Xtra to discuss these issues, and you can watch the interview below.
India’s Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Challenge To Law Against Homosexuality
The challenge sought to reclaim “the right to sexuality, sexual autonomy and freedom to choose a sexual partner."
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
A petition filed by a high-profile group of LGBT activists calling for the repeal of section 377 of India’s Penal Code, which criminalizes gay sex, was quashed by India’s Supreme Court yesterday.
The petition, which was backed by five LGBT celebrities, including acclaimed chef Ritu Dalmia and award-winning classical dancer Navtej Singh Johar, sought to overturn a 2013 ruling that revived a Colonial-era ban on gay sex. Among other things, the petition claimed that “the right to sexuality, sexual autonomy and freedom to choose a sexual partner forms the cornerstone of human dignity.”
When the group of activists brought this new legal challenge to the court, it was meant to give momentum to a curative petition that has been pending before a five-judge bench on the supreme court for months now. Like the aforementioned petition, it seeks to question the constitutionality of the antiquated anti-sodomy law.
When the most recent petition was originally brought to the court, judges had the choice to hear the petition as it was, tag the petition onto the curative one or dismiss the matter all together. Unfortunately for India’s LGBT community, the court decided to dismiss the petition.
Arvind Dattar, a lawyer for one of the petitioners, said “The supreme court refused to hear the matter and asked the petitioners to approach the chief justice of India.” Their rationale was that only parliament could make a decision on the inclusion of section 377 in the country’s penal code.
The news was met with frustration and sadness by members of India’s LGBT community who are viewing this as a major setback in their fight for equality. Though the court had previously decriminalized homosexuality nationwide in 2009, the reinstated ban on gay sex in 2013 all but put an end to the community’s visibility and inclusion in Indian society.
How Do You Respond When Someone Says Orlando Was A Hoax?
"Truthers" are anything but.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Even before all the details were released about the shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub, there were those claiming the attack was a conspiracy—either ordered by the government or completely fabricated.
These “truthers” emerge in the wake of every tragedy—9/11, Sandy Hook, even the AIDS epidemic. But with Orlando, the wound was so personal, and is still so fresh.
Why are they doing it? Some, presumably, have a political agenda—either to remove sympathy for the LGBT community or support for gun control laws. But for many, it’s a psychological need to find order in chaos: As scary as the prospect that nebulous forces are at work staging complicated ruses may be, it’s still preferable to accepting the carnage and death as real.
So they claim the Pulse nightclub attack was a “false flag operation”, conducted by the CIA or some other group. A search of “False Flag Orlando” on YouTube turns up 120,000 hits, some with tens of thousands of views.
And then they start coming for the victims.
“Be prepared that when you speak out you will be harassed,” says Eric Milgram, whose daughter evaded the shooter at Sandy Hook by hiding in the bathroom. “These gun nuts, these extremists, these hoaxers, these nasty people… you’ve gone through a horrible trauma, be prepared that you’re going to be harassed on social media. People are going to call your house, they’re going to get your work phone number, they’re going to threaten you, they’re going to tell you that you’re part of a conspiracy.”
He added, “You’re going to be victimized all over again.”
Lenny Pozner, who lost his young son Noah at Sandy Hook, says his family has received death threats from truthers who insist a gunman never opened fire, killing 20 schoolchildren and six adults.
They claim it was all made up to fuel tougher gun laws.
“One [theory] is that Noah is an actor and he’s never really died, and that we’re all actors,” Pozner, who founded the HONR network to urge the prosecution of those who harass, abuse and defame the victims of high-profile tragedies, told Foreign Correspondent. “[The conspiracies] don’t fade away—and the more time they spend online, the more accepted they become.”
Conspiracy theories, says Pozner “erase history, they erase our memories.”
Patience Carter knows that all to well: She was shot in the leg during the Pulse nightclub massacre and spoke to the press about it. But “truthers” harped on the fact that she was an intern for a Fox News affiliate in Philadelphia as “proof” she was part of some massive conspiracy.
“They have pulled this out too many times. There has to be change,” wrote a commenter on one video. “This is faked. This is staged. They are using actors…. This is 100% bullshit.”
“We lost track of how many hoaxes have been running in USA since September 11” wrote another. “Welcome to The Matrix.”
One conspiracy theorist even called Angel Colon’s hospital room to quiz him about the night’s events. (Colon was the young man reunited with the police officer who saved his life.)
Are these people just a harmless minority of nut jobs? Or has the uptick in senseless mass violence bred an entire demographic that refuses to believe it’s happening?
Should we we engage these “truthers,” hoping to show them the pain and suffering they’re causing? Or just ignore them, lest we spread their inane theories? And what if there’s a truther in your family or your extended circle?
Sadly, the issue isn’t going away any time soon.
Have you had an experience with an Orlando “truther”? Share it in the comments below.
Going To A Gay Bar: The First Time Vs. The 101st Time
When the student becomes the master.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Your first time at a gay bar is a frightening, but freeing experience. A place you can finally be yourself, but over the years the number of times you have been in a gay bar quickly become countless, and things that once felt fresh are now just annoying.
Buzzfeed depicts these feelings in the new video, “Gay Bar: 1st Time Vs. 101st Time.” The short stars Lindsay Hicks and James Maple as friends who enter their local gay bar as shy newcomers, and leave as regulars who stay until the lights come on at the end of the night.
We have NO idea what that feels like.
Watch the video below:
Gay Men In Ivory Coast Attacked For Signing Condolence Book For Orlando Victims
Some even had to flee their homes after the photo outed them to their families and friends.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
A group of gay men in Ivory Coast have reportedly been attacked and forced to flee their homes after a photo of them signing a condolence book for the victims of the Orlando massacre was published by the U.S. Embassy.
The photo of six men with the caption “LGBTI community signing the condolence book” has been widely shared on social media since it was published on the Embassy’s website, and now two of the men are saying it caused them to be attacked by an angry mob shouting anti-gay slurs.
Both of those men, and two others from the photo, said they’ve now had to leave their own homes because of family and friends who didn’t know about their sexuality.
Although the men said they were never contacted about the photo before it was published, it was approved by three Ivory Coast organizations that advocate for LGBT rights.
Press officer Elizabeth Ategou says the embassy “deeply regrets that any individuals were attacked based on any kind of orientation they might have,” and that the Embassy encourages the men to report the attacks to the police.
Homosexuality is not illegal in Ivory Coast, but there are no legal protections for LGBT minorities who experience any sort of hate crime.
The photo has now been removed from the Embassy’s website.
Gay Man Stuns “America’s Got Talent” With Queen’s “Somebody To Love”
Get ready to see a lot of Brian Justin Crum this cycle!
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Out singer and Broadway performer Brian Justin Crum wowed the judges and earned a standing ovation last night on America’s Got Talent, where he moved on to the next round of auditions after belting a heartbreaking rendition of Queen’s “Somebody To Love.”
In an introduction video before he took the stage, Crum talked about being bullied when he was younger for being overweight and gay, and how it helped forge a strong relationship with his mother.
“My mom being here is everything to me,” Crum told the judges, with tears in his eyes. “I had a lot of hard times when I was a kid and she’s been a huge supporter for me.”
He added: “I hope that this is my moment to say thank you to my mom, and that I love you so much.”
After his beautiful performance, which even stirred a positive reaction from the oft-critical Simon Cowell, Crum received rave reviews from all four judges.
“I’m guessing that’s probably one of the biggest performances you’ve ever given — every ounce of you came out,” said Cowell. The truth is you are a fantastic singer. This is why these shows exist, is to give people like you with huge talent an opportunity.”
Check it out below: