Gay Marriage + LGBT General News and Discussion Thread - Part 2

[Alfie]

Great news! I'm not fully on board with putting minority rights to a referendum, but I suppose that's how everything's determined over there and we should just accept our victories as they come

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Re: Gay Marriage News and Discussion Thread - Part 2

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03/11/ontario-ndper-wants-to-block-taxpayer-funding-for-therapies-trying-to-turn-queer-kids-straight/

A Toronto MPP (Member of Provincial Parliment) is tabling a private members bill which would deny funding for any hospitals, mental health centres or therapists who practice conversion therapy. This is awesome and long overdue.

This passed, btw. Very proud of everybody in Parliment for putting party lines aside and doing the right thing.

 

[Damaramu]

So yesterday I was talking to Mamaramu about signing up for the diversity action committee at work. I told her how they created an LGBT pride group out of it too.
She tells me that's good. Mamaramu supports gay rights, but she still can't do it in a non-redneck backwards way.

I tell her I'm going to sign up to help at the pride parade and she's like "those people, the flamers. It's okay to be gay. But why do they have to be so in your face about it? They don't have to be so flamboyant!"

*headdesk*

If you replaced gay with the n-word and flamboyant/in your face with thuggish you have an old person trying to tell you they aren't racist.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Find her the Louis C.K skit about gay dudes touching dicks over your cereal. It'll shut her up.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

MEANWHILE...

North Carolina's House of Representatives on Thursday pushed through legislation permitting government officials to refuse to perform same-sex marriages by citing religious objections, overriding the governor's veto.

AND...

Gov. Rick Snyder signed a package of bills Thursday that will allow faith-based adoption groups in Michigan to refuse to serve prospective parents, like same-sex or unmarried couples, if doing so would violate the groups' religious beliefs.

 

[vivisectvi]

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/google-just-made-one-most-compelling-ads-yet-about-gender-transition-165368

https://youtu.be/ElUK53sf-kc

 

[hyperchord24]

I don't think a compelling article/argument/etc is necessary. Some people just won't accept certain things. I honestly think that detractors think that being unhappy is part of life and they lump LGBT issues, mental illness and things of that nature into being unhappy and rather than force change upon society, they think these people should just shut up and conform like everyone else, while hiding what ever "feelings" you might have.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Judge Strikes Down Mississippi Ban on Adoption by Gay Couples as Unconstitutional

This finally makes all 50 States allowing adoption for gay couples.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-lgbt-poll-idUSKCN0XI11M?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link

Transgender Americans may find greater acceptance in the future, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll that shows young adults and women more open to people using public bathrooms matching their gender identity.

The issue is polarizing much of the United States, notably in North Carolina, where big businesses and rock stars are boycotting the state over a new law requiring people to use the public restroom matching their birth certificate.

Americans aged 18 to 29 favor letting transgender people use the restroom of their identity by a 2-to-1 ratio. Among Americans aged 60 or more, the ratio was 2-to-1 in reverse with people saying restroom use should be mandated by the gender on one's birth certificate.

Forty-four percent of women favor letting a man who is in transition from male to female into their public toilets, compared to 39 percent who say they must use the facilities matching their gender assigned at birth.

It seems to be changing fast because even 5 years ago I think the numbers would have been more opposed.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Not surprised. The 18-35 demographic has been spearheading these social changes since 2000 really with older demographics reluctantly going with it after the fact.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Some state news and random stuff...

Sioux Falls may ban discrimination of LGBT

The City Council is expected to vote May 3 on the proposal, which is currently making its way through the city’s Human Relations and Human Resources offices.

Officials say the changes are designed to reflect President Barack Obama’s executive order prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, as well as laws such as Title XII and Title IX, which have been interpreted by courts to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The proposal comes on the heels of a vote by Sioux Falls residents earlier this month to add sexual orientation to the city’s hiring policy.

Montel Williams joined Fox News & Megyn Kelly and ripped the North Carolina Repubs

Judge Rules Sex Stings in Long Beach Targeted at Gays is Discriminatory

Dhanidina said Long Beach's vice tactics are discriminatory because the squad uses only male officers as undercover decoys in lewd conduct stings. Several officers who testified at an evidentiary hearing this month all said they had arrested only male suspects for lewd conduct while working as vice officers, the judge said.

Colombia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

House Panel Trying to Pass Religious Freedom Measure For LGBT Discrimination Among Federal Contractors

The amendment, introduced by freshman Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla., pictured), would require the federal government when contracting with religious organizations to afford them exemptions consistent with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the American with Disabilities Act. Since neither of those laws prohibit anti-LGBT bias, the amendment would enable religious organizations doing business with the U.S. government to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Because the measure would have the force of law, it would overrule the executive order signed by President Obama in 2014 prohibiting contractors doing more than $10,000 a year in business with the U.S. government from engaging in anti-LGBT discrimination against employees.

 

[Laz]

House Panel Trying to Pass Religious Freedom Measure For LGBT Discrimination Among Federal Contractors

The amendment, introduced by freshman Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla., pictured), would require the federal government when contracting with religious organizations to afford them exemptions consistent with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the American with Disabilities Act. Since neither of those laws prohibit anti-LGBT bias, the amendment would enable religious organizations doing business with the U.S. government to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Because the measure would have the force of law, it would overrule the executive order signed by President Obama in 2014 prohibiting contractors doing more than $10,000 a year in business with the U.S. government from engaging in anti-LGBT discrimination against employees.

This seems fucky. You're allowing government contracts to go to organizations that use discriminatory business practices. How the shit does that work?

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Eric Fanning, who's gay, being blocked by GOP Senator for Army Secretary Nom Even John McClain wants this guy approved/confirmed!

Wyoming Judge Faces Dismissal For Refusing to Preside over Same-Sex Marriage

The Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics has asked the state Supreme Court to dismiss a judge who has refused to preside over same-sex marriages because of her religious beliefs.

Italy Approves Gay Civil Unions

In order to speed up the bill’s passage, Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, called a confidence vote in Italy’s lower house on Wednesday saying it was “unacceptable to have any more delays after years of failed attempts."

Renzi’s cabinet survived confidence vote with 369 voting in favour of the bill compared to 193 against.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Rene Martinez, leader of LGBT Community in Honduras Kidnapped & Murdered

Martinez…was a city employee working in anti-violence outreach programs and a rising member of the National Party.

The attorney general’s office said in a statement that his body showed signs of having been strangled. No motive for his murder was given.

Martinez’s family said in a statement that assailants kidnapped him on Wednesday after he arrived home, forcing him into a vehicle. Family members alerted police but his body was found two days later in another neighborhood. He was buried on Saturday.

Gay Couple in Morocco Thrown In Jail For 6 Months, Dared to Have Sex In Car

Prosecutors sped through a trial, before an investigation had even been completed and they weren’t able to get proper legal representation.

The couple, who GSN will not name to protect their safety, had gone to a deserted area in the outskirts of Guelmim, a southern city of the north African country, on 26 May.

Police reportedly caught the two young men having sex in their car and arrested them under article 489 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes ‘lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex’.

Chrisitian Rock Artist Trey Pearson Shares Story of Coming Out on The View

Gay Corrections Officer Sues Texas County For Ignoring Radio Calls

After Boyd told the nurses he was gay and offended by their remarks, one of them stopped but the other did not. When Boyd filed a complaint with his supervisor, the retaliation began.

“Despite his complaints, he has still been in the same pod with the nurse who continues to make those comments,” said Boyd’s attorney, Kasey Krummel (above left). “An investigation is being conducted against Officer Boyd based on the nurse’s complaints that his allegations are untrue. Yet no investigation has been conducted on behalf of Mr. Boyd’s complaints that the nurses are acting discriminatorily.”

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Quick bit of positive LGBT news: Miss Missouri becomes the first openly gay contestant in Miss America beauty pageant

'My focus of my year isn't going to be that I'm gay,' said O'Flaherty, who owns a clothing store in suburban St. Louis.

'It's certainly a big part of who I am, and I will be promoting it and raising awareness for the LGBT community. But also there will be many appearances that I do that have nothing to do with that.

'And so I'm hoping that I can strike a really nice balance of staying true to the values of Miss Missouri and also being able to exercise my personal views.'

Instead, she said, she will make suicide prevention her platform of interest for the competition.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/29/ontario-to-introduce-gender-neutral-drivers-licences-health-cards-in-2017.html

Cue the Conservative outrage.

 

[devo]

Nice gesture, but maybe next time don't use the two most uncomfortable officers in the precinct.

 

[Laz]

Possibly a case of "we have to get to fucking work, stop taking 200 pictures of the same thing."

 

[Mickey Massuco]

http://shanghaiist.com/2017/03/06/comprehensive-sexuality-education.php

never thought I'd see the day when China was ahead of the US on these issues. Trump is dragging the country so far backwards.

 

[tekcop]

The LGBT positive stuff in the book seems odd since it's against the law to show same-sex couples on Chinese TV.

 

[vivisectvi]

Barry Manilow comes out: http://jezebel.com/are-you-sitting-down-barry-manilow-has-come-out-as-gay-1794034696

 

[Lord of The Curry]

Nitpicking but at the very best it's a public acknowledgement. He's been married to a guy since 2015. That's coming out, informally maybe but coming out none the less.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Also kind of tired of the LOLZ everybody KNEW he/she were gay! attitude. It's kind of insulting (we all knew, you idiot) on one hand and dismissive of their actual coming out on the other.

 

[vivisectvi]

Well, I don't exactly follow Barry Manilow news feeds, so this is the first I've heard of him being gay. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Damaramu]

Well, I don't exactly follow Barry Manilow news feeds, so this is the first I've heard of him being gay. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I had no idea either.

I said something to my wife and she said "oh yeah. I thought that was already known" but she didn't say it in a snarky way or anything.

 

[tekcop]

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/over-100-people-allegedly-sent-to-concentration-camps-for-gay-men-in-chechnya-35610969.html

 

[BruiserBrody]

A Republican lawmaker has claimed that there is a “distinction” between human beings and homosexuals.
Rick Brattin, a Republican lawmaker in the Missouri House of Representatives, made the shocking claim during a debate over a bill amendment to protect LGBT people from discrimination.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/05/11/republican-lawmaker-theres-a-distinction-between-gays-and-human-beings/

 

[HarleyQuinn]

12 Year Old Girl Comes Out at Mormon Church

Texas Law: Adoption Agencies Can Now Reject LGBT Who Want to Adopt Over Religious Reasons

 

[AA484]

Two of my cousins came out as lesbian, I think. One may be bi. Don't know because my family is mostly religious conservatives so they definitely won't be promoting that shit. I haven't seem either one in years but good for them.

 

[bigolsmitty]

We had a trans woman win the D primary for State Assembly in a district near where I live. The Republican incumbent is the guy who introduced the failed anti-trans bathroom bill here. I plan on donating / volunteering for the challenger.

edit: she would be the first openly trans state legislator in the U.S.