Five killed, 18 wounded in Colorado LGBTQ nightclub shooting

WASHINGTON, United States - At least five people were killed and 18 wounded, police said Sunday, in a mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in the US city of Colorado Springs.

The attack came as partygoers appeared to gather for an event marking the Transgender Day of Remembrance, held annually on November 20 to honor the memory of trans people who were killed in acts of transphobic violence.

The shooting is the latest in a long history of attacks on LGBTQ venues in the United States, the deadliest of them in Orlando, Florida, in 2016.

"It's with a heavy heart I have to tell you that we had a shooting at a local club this evening," said Colorado Springs Police Department spokesperson Pamela Castro.

"We have 18 injured and five deceased. That number is subject to change as the investigation continues," she said. "The FBI is already on the scene and assisting."

Castro said police received an emergency call just before midnight on Saturday (0657 GMT Sunday) saying that there was an active shooting at a local club known as Club Q. 

She said medical teams and officers responded and "they did locate one individual who we believe to be the suspect inside," adding that the suspect was in custody and being treated at a local hospital. 

Club Q responded by saying it "is devastated by the senseless attack on our community." 

"We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack," it posted on Facebook Sunday.

The club had posted earlier on Saturday about an LGBTQ event starting at 8:00 pm. 

"We're celebrating Transgender Day of Remembrance with a variety of gender identities and performance styles," the post read.

An emergency medical team including 34 firefighters and 11 ambulances was dispatched to the scene of the shooting, according to Colorado Springs Fire Department spokesperson Mike Smaldino. 

"Unfortunately these are events we do train for, as far as what we call a 'mass casualty,' so that is why we had such a big response," Smaldino said.

Smaldino added that some ambulances had to carry two or three victims to multiple nearby hospitals.

The Colorado Springs Police Department said there would be an 8:00 am news conference on the shooting.

600 MASS SHOOTINGS IN 2022

The US Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as a single incident in which at least four people are wounded or killed.

On June 12, 2016, a gunman opened fire inside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people and wounding more than 50 in what was then the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. 

US President Joe Biden marked the fifth anniversary of the Orlando shooting last year, taking the rare step of saying he would designate the club as a national memorial.

Gun violence is a major problem in the United States, where more than 600 mass shootings have occurred so far in 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive website.

Mass shootings have repeatedly reignited debate on gun control, a hot-button issue in the country, though little headway has been made in Congress on calls for reform.

Agence France Presse

Adolfo Alix’s ‘Unlocked’ among nominees in Content Asia Awards

Angeli Bayani up for top acting prize

MANILA — Adolfo Alix’s queer drama anthology “Unlocked,” and actress Angeli Bayani are among the nominees in the inaugural Content Asia Awards, the filmmaker announced on Wednesday.

“Unlocked,” which has been releasing weekly episodes on the LGBTQ streaming service GagaOOLala, is nominated in the category Best Quarantine-themed Drama/Feature/Programme, Alix said in a statement.

The official list of nominees has yet to be released by Content Asia.

Alix also congratulated fellow Filipino talent, Angeli Bayani, who is nominated for her role in “Folklore” in the category Best Female Lead in a TV Programme.

The winners will be announced on August 28, Friday.

Content Asia Awards is being held for the first time this year, and is organized by Content Asia, described as “a 14-year-old information platform curated to offer insights into Asia’s content environment” on its website.

news.abs-cbn.com

Markki Stroem stars in new BL series 'Unlocked'

MANILA – Actor Markki Stroem is starring in a new boys' love (BL) series titled “Unlocked,” he 
announced via Instagram on Tuesday.

“Cats out of the bag! Something a little more risqué than your typical ‘BL.’ Thank you direk (Adolfo Alix Jr.) for the opportunity! Watch out for it on the Asian LGBTQ streaming site GagaOOLala,” he wrote.

According to Stroem, “Unlocked” is a 6-episode anthology series about gay relationships under the lockdown.

Stroem is part of the first episode opposite Mike Liwanag which will premiere on July 9. New episodes will be unveiled every week.

According to his post, “GagaOOLala will also partner up with #ExtendtheLove, a fundraising project to help film workers in the Philippines during the quarantine.”

news.abs-cbn.com

Utah bans LGBTQ conversion therapy for children

Utah is now the 19th U.S. state to ban conversion therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity in lesbian, gay, transsexual, bisexual and queer children.

The ban in the Republican-dominated state, which took effect on Wednesday, exempts members of the clergy, lay pastors, and spiritual counselors not licensed by the state from the ban.

Despite those limits, "this is still a big victory in a very conservative state," said Mathew Shurka, 31, of Long Island, New York.

He describes himself as a "survivor" of such therapy and is co-founder of Born Perfect, a nonprofit group pushing for conversion therapy bans across the United States.

Conversion therapy involves a variety of psychological and spiritual practices aimed at changing sexual orientation and gender identity in the belief that homosexuality and transgender identity are mental illnesses.

The American Psychological Association has called the treatment harmful to young people. The American Medical Association has said that conversion therapy does not work and can trigger depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide attempts.

Virginia's state senate approved a ban on Tuesday, and the bill is now being sent to the Democratic-controlled House of Delegates, where it is expected to pass, said Shannon Minter, a San Francisco gay activist working with Born Perfect.

In Utah, the ban takes the form of a regulation. Craig Hall, a Republican state representative, championed legislation that would have banned the therapy, but it failed to pass last year.

He credited support from the influential Mormon Church, to which 62 percent of Utah's 3.1 million residents belong, for the governor's decision to enact the new regulation. The church, opposes same-sex marriage and its doctrine teaches that same-sex relationships are sinful.

Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church's formal name, had previously opposed the legislation because it did not explicitly exempt clergy.

"We worked very closely with them on the (new) language," Hall said.

"The administrative rule has the same effect as law, and it governs all licensed therapists and doctors," he said.

A church representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hall noted that the state does not license pastors and ministers.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert, a Republican, had no comment on the issue on Wednesday, said spokeswoman Brook Scheffler.

In a press release in November, Herbert said the rule change was needed "to end the harmful practice of conversion therapy on minors."

“The stories of youth who have endured these so-called therapies are heart rending, and I’m grateful that we have found a way forward that will ban conversion therapy forever in our state,” he said.

Troy Williams, executive director of the activist group Equality Utah, said that while the rule does not affect unlicensed counselors, he hopes it sends a message.

"There are a lot of therapists and life coaches still out there who run these camps, and they're dangerous," Williams said. "But hopefully with Utah taking a strong stand, this will get the word out." (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LGBTQ altarpiece of original sin removed from church

MALMÖ, SWEDEN - Two Eves on one side of the tree, two Adams on the other, each couple openly flirting: a Swedish diocese said Wednesday it would remove a gay depiction of original sin that hung briefly as an altarpiece.

Created by Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin, the photo illustration was offered to the Saint Paul Church in Malmo where it was placed to the right of the main altarpiece on the first Sunday of Advent, December 1.

On Wednesday the diocese said it would remove it from the altar -- but not because the Lutheran Church of Sweden had a problem with the gay couples.

Perched in the tree, a transsexual woman is dressed as a serpent, dangling a snake from her hand.

"The fact that there are two homosexual couples in the artwork is completely uncontroversial," the diocese wrote in a statement.

"But the fact that there is a snake, which traditionally symbolizes evil, and that it turns into a transperson could lead to the interpretation that a transperson is evil or the devil."

"The Swedish Church can absolutely not stand for that."

The pastor of Saint Paul, Sofia Tunebro, regretted the decision.

"We've been marrying gay couples for 10 years, and with this artwork, it was a bit like hanging up a wedding photo in the church," she told AFP.

"Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin has done so much for the integration and representation of (LGBTQ people) in the Christian world," said Tunebro, who was ordained 12 years ago.

The 58-year-old artist -- who made headlines 20 years ago with her controversial Ecce Homo exhibit, featuring among other things Jesus in stilettos surrounded by 12 transvestite apostles -- said she too was disappointed.

"My calling has been to create Christian works which LGBTQ people can identify with," she told AFP.

The Church of Sweden, headed by a female archbishop since 2014, was among the first in the world to ordain female priests in 1958, and to marry homosexuals, in 2009.

Also in 2009, Eva Brunne was elected the first openly lesbian bishop in the world, according to Swedish media.

"The Church of Sweden wants to be a modern church and follow changes in society," Magdalena Nordin, a professor of religion at the University of Gothenburg, told AFP.

cbw/po/har

Agence France-Presse

Tolerance towards LGBT+ people seen rising globally

LONDON - LGBT+ people have seen a rise in tolerance in almost every region of the world over the last decade, according to an index released on Monday.

Iceland was named as the most tolerant country towards LGBT+ people in a survey of 167 countries by British think-tank the Legatum Institute, while central Asian country Tajikistan was in last place.

"It is encouraging to see that our 2019 Prosperity Index shows a rise in tolerance towards the LGBT community globally over the past decade," Shaun Flanagan of the institute's Center for Metrics told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"However, the LGBT community, as well as other often marginalized groups, such as immigrants, ethnic minorities and religious groups, still face considerable persecution across certain parts of the world today."

The data is part of the 2019 Legatum Prosperity Index, which measures a host of factors affecting countries' ability to create wealth and wellbeing, ranging from investment environment to health and personal freedom.

Social tolerance towards minority groups increased in 111 of 167 countries over the last decade, and across every region except for Eastern Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa, it found.

The rise in acceptance of LGBT+ people was particularly marked, rising from about one in four people expressing acceptance a decade ago to almost a third in the latest report.

Tolerance towards LGBT+ people was measured according to responses to a Gallup poll that asked more than 130,000 people around the world whether their city or area was a good place for gay and lesbian people to live.

Top-ranking Iceland was followed by The Netherlands and Norway in the 2019 index, while Canada and Denmark took fourth and fifth place respectively.

Several of the least tolerant countries criminalize homosexuality, with penalties including a potential death sentence for men in Mauritania and Somalia, both in the bottom five.

However, legality did not always equal acceptance - lowest-ranked Tajikistan decriminalized gay sex in 1998 but LGBT+ people still face widespread discrimination.

It was followed by Somalia, Azerbaijan, Senegal and Mauritania in second to fourth last place respectively. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Ex-US vice president wants foreign aid withheld from LGBTQ-discriminating countries

Joe Biden said on Thursday he would withhold foreign aid from countries that persecute lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, as he joined eight other Democratic presidential candidates at a televised forum on LGBTQ issues.

The Los Angeles event was the second major presidential forum dedicated to LGBTQ issues during the Democratic nominating campaign, following an event in Iowa last month that drew 10 of the 19 candidates vying to take on US President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election.

Biden, the front-runner in the Democratic race, struggled during the previous forum to articulate his positions, particularly his vote as a US senator for a military funding bill that included the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, which banned harassment of closeted gay soldiers but barred those who were out from military service..

Biden later backed repeal of that policy and while he voted for a law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, he backed same-sex marriage before President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president.

On Thursday night, he defended his record and assailed efforts to curb LGBTQ rights.

"I would curtail foreign assistance to countries who engage in this kind of behavior," said Biden, adding he would establish an office in the State Department with the job of promoting LGBTQ rights around the world.

Biden was followed by South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who if elected would be the first openly gay US president.

Buttigieg was able to speak in the first person about his experience as a gay man. He recounted serving in Afghanistan in the military while he was still closeted and realizing he might die without being able to know what it was like to fall in love and marry.

On the subject of public health rules that bar gay men from giving blood dating from the HIV epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, Buttigieg's personal experience colored his answer.

"My blood is not welcome in this country and it's not based on science," Buttigieg said. "It's based on prejudice."

As president, he said, he would move to change the policy.

CRITICISM OF TRUMP RECORD

US Senator Cory Booker opened the forum, stressing inclusion and acceptance.

"You can’t lead the people if you can’t love the people – all the people," he said.

US Senator Bernie Sanders, a top Democratic contender, missed the event while he recovers from a heart attack.

Gay rights advocates have expressed dismay at the Trump administration's record on LGBTQ issues, including a ban on transgender individuals serving in the US military.

Lawyers for the Department of Justice argued at the US Supreme Court this week that federal civil rights law does not prohibit employers from firing workers based on their transgender identity or sexual orientation.

Ahead of the forum, Buttigieg and US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris released plans to secure equality for LGBTQ people.

All 3 support the Equality Act, like most other Democrats, which would explicitly add LGBTQ protections to federal anti-discrimination law.

They also vowed to make pre-exposure prophylaxis, a drug that helps lower the risk of contracting the human immunodeficiency virus, accessible and affordable to all who want it.

Buttigieg said he would eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030, in part by restoring the White House Office of National AIDS Policy that has gone dormant under Trump.

All 3 candidates promised to elevate LGBTQ concerns as president. Warren said she would appoint a special envoy at the State Department, while Harris said she would create a White House position, chief advocate for LGBTQ+ Affairs, to coordinate efforts across the entire federal government.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Gay marriage legal in 28 countries

PARIS - The first-ever gay civil unions in Denmark 30 years ago paved the way for full same-sex marriages that are today allowed in 28 countries, even though homosexuality remains illegal in some parts of the world.

Here is an overview.

Europe, gay marriage pioneers

On October 1, 1989, for the first time in the world, several gay couples in Denmark tied the knot in legal civil unions.

Danish homosexual couples would however have to wait until 2012 to be allowed to marry in church.

The right to a religious marriage ceremony was first allowed in The Netherlands in 2001.

Thirteen European countries followed: Belgium, Britain (although not Northern Ireland), Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

Austria allowed gay marriage from 2019.

Some countries allow only gay civil partnerships including Croatia, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland.

The Czech government has backed draft legislation that would make the country the first post-communist member of the European Union to legalize same-sex marriage, but its fate is uncertain.

Slovenia also allows civil partnerships but in 2015 rejected in a referendum a proposal to legalize gay marriage.

In 2014 Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to authorize same-sex civil unions.

In Romania a referendum aimed at enshrining a ban on gay marriage in the constitution failed in 2018 because of a low turnout.

Progress in the Americas

Canada was the first American country to authorize same-sex marriage in 2005.

In 2015 the US Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide at a time it was banned in 14 out of 50 states.

The United States' first gay marriage had actually taken place in 1971, when a Minnesota couple obtained a marriage licence thanks to an overlooked legal loophole. The marriage was officially recognized in March 2019, after a five-decade legal battle.

In Latin America five countries allow same-sex marriages: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, joined by Ecuador in June 2019.

Mexico's federal capital authorized gay civil unions in 2007 and marriages in 2009. Half of its 32 states have followed.

Chile legalized gay civil unions in 2015.

Costa Rica's Supreme Court in 2018 ruled that a ban on same-sex marriages was unconstitutional and gave parliament 18 months to amend the laws.

Cuba left out of its new constitution adopted in February 2019 changes that would have paved the way for legal same-sex marriage. The definition of marriage will be left to a new Family Code which will be put to a referendum.

Taiwan, first in Asia

While much of Asia is tolerant of homosexuality, Taiwan became in May 2019 the first in the region to allow gay marriage.

In the Middle East, where homosexuality is repressed, Israel leads the way in terms of gay rights, recognizing same-sex marriages that are performed elsewhere although not allowing such unions in the country itself.

Several countries in the conservative region still have the death penalty for homosexuality, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Australia (2017) and New Zealand (2013) are the only places in the wider Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws.

Africa: marriage in one country

South Africa is the sole nation on the African continent to allow gay marriage, which it legalized in 2006.

Around 30 African countries ban homosexuality, with Mauritania, Somalia and Sudan having the death penalty for same-sex relations.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Lady Gaga fires up LGBTQ rally for Stonewall anniversary

NEW YORK - Lady Gaga electrified thousands of revelers who gathered in New York on Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the LGBTQ rights movement, exhorting the crowd to honor the past by using its "power" to extend and defend a half-century of progress.

Her warm-up speech and a subsequent rally, part of a series of World Pride events in New York this week, commemorated the so-called Stonewall uprising of June 28, 1969.

Early that morning, patrons of a Greenwich Village gay bar called the Stonewall Inn rose up in defiance of police harassment, triggering days of rioting. Their resistance gave birth to the national and global movement for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other queer people.

Lady Gaga, a Grammy Award-winner whose signature song "Born This Way" has become an LGBTQ anthem, fired up the crowd, which began gathering in the park and public square outside the Stonewall hours earlier.

Appearing with a rainbow-colored jacket and thigh-high boots, she declared that Stonewall was the moment when LGBTQ people said "enough is enough."

"I may not, to some people, be considered a part of this community, even though I like girls sometimes. I would never degrade the fight you have endured," she told the cheering crowd. "You have the power. You are so, so powerful, and I hope you feel that power today."

Later the rally alternated between political speeches and block-party gaiety. Musical performances and rhythmic dancing rattled windows in the low-slung neighborhood. Drag queens sang '80s hits like "I'm So Excited" in between speeches by activists from countries such as Uganda and Chechnya.

US politicians including presidential hopefuls Kirsten Gillibrand, one of New York state's 2 US senators, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also took the stage ahead of what organizers are calling the largest gay pride parade in history set for Sunday, when some 150,000 marchers and 4 million spectators are expected.

In between featured speakers, impromptu rallies formed and dispersed outside the bar, with people waving homemade signs such as "Closets are for Clothes!" and "Gay Liberation Front," paying homage to the radical group that formed immediately after Stonewall.

"Get laid, get drunk, and have a party," said Martha Shelley, one of the Gay Liberation Front founders. "And then go home, roll up your sleeves, and fight."

While the anniversary has a celebratory air, activists see the occasion as a way to protest US President Donald Trump's record, which many consider hostile to LGBTQ people. They also want to highlight the still-precarious position of LGBTQ people in many parts of the world.

Police raided the Stonewall, a Mafia-owned gay bar, ostensibly to crack down on organized crime. But their mistreatment of the patrons, part of a pattern of abuse against LGBTQ people, touched off the uprising.

While celebrating 50 years of progress, many LGBTQ activists are sounding the alarm about Trump administration initiatives, including a ban on transgender people in the military, cuts in HIV/AIDS research and support for so-called religious freedom initiatives that eliminate LGBTQ protections.

The White House claims Trump has long advocated LGBTQ equality, noting that he has backed a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality.

"President Trump has never considered LGBT Americans second-class citizens," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.

The message has been lost on many LGBTQ people, as the Trump administration opposes extending anti-discrimination protection to gay or transgender workers under federal employment law, a legal issue currently before the US Supreme Court, with a ruling due within a year.

In nearby Washington Square Park, some 500 pro-transgender activists staged a Trans Day of Action, where some held up "Black trans lives matter" signs, lamenting that 10 transgender people have been murdered in the United States in 2019 after 26 were killed in 2018 and 29 in 2017, according to the LGBTQ advocacy right Human Rights Campaign.

"Trump has really proliferated this hate towards us," said Qweenb. Amor, 30, a trans Latina. "It's something we're going to have to face every single day for the next 20 years, despite who wins the next election because these people who put Trump in power are people we have to work with every day of our lives."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pride at 50: what the LGBTQ community continues to fight for

Half a century since Stonewall, a lot of people continue to be confused about the supposed “gay agenda.” Here’s a simple explanation. 

Thank you for your interest in the LGBTQ moveme...  wait, wait, wait… do not close that browser just yet! By reading further, we promise you that we are not here to convert you into becoming one of us. Gay people aren’t into conversion; you might have mistaken us for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Also, we are not here to sell you life insurance. While it is true that a number of us have reinvented ourselves as financial advisors, I’m afraid that that isn’t the gay agenda.

The true gay agenda is simply asking other people to empathize with our community. God knows we need all the empathy and support we can get. So, please read on to learn more about our plight.

The modern LGBTQ rights movement arguably began during the early morning of June 28, 1969 when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons rioted following a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York. The subsequent protests over a number of nights were a watershed moment for the community. This was the birth of Pride.

This year, the global Pride movement is celebrating its 50th. It is already as old as Jennifer Lopez, and just as fabulous. (Have you seen her lately?) For the past five decades, people who identify as part of the rainbow spectrum have used Pride as an avenue. This is where we, as individuals and as a community, can assert and affirm ourselves, and promote our dignity as human beings. In the Philippines, Metro Manila Pride was established in 1994 to provide an avenue for the LGBTQ community—as well as our awesome allies—to celebrate who we are and stage protests about relevant issues that concern us.



Rallying cry

Protest. It is easy to forget amidst all that glitter, sequins, and rainbows that Pride is actually a protest. “But what the hell are you protesting about? LGBTQ people are very much accepted in Philippine society!” I hear you say. Okay, first unclutch your pearls and then unclench your buttcheeks. Think about it: Is the LGBTQ community really accepted in Philippine society? 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1948, enumerates the fundamental human rights that everyone needs to protect. Enforced in 1976, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, an iteration on the UDHR added the following as universal human rights: the right to work in just and favorable conditions; the right to social protection; to an adequate standard of living; and to the highest attainable standards of physical and mental well-being, among others. 

Unfortunately, LGBTQ people in our islands do not enjoy these rights simply because, oh I don’t know, society thinks we have limp wrists and talk with a lisp? Or that lesbians like plaid? If you know the answer, please share it in the comments section below. No need to @ me.

In the Philippines, LGBTQ people have been openly discriminated against because of who we are. 

A United Nations (UN) study revealed that 30 percent of Filipinos who identify as LGBTQ reported being harassed, bullied, or discriminated against by others while at work because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, and sex characteristics.

I should know because I have experienced it myself. I did not get a job that I was being considered for because the company, a multinational one at that, emailed me that “while (I) am very qualified for the job, (they) are a family-oriented organization and (I) would definitely not fit the company culture.” Apparently, as a gay man, the concept of family is foreign to me nor am I currently part of one.



Pride and prejudice

Unfortunately, there is no legislation that protects our basic human right to work without being discriminated against for who we are. The SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression) Equality Bill, or simply, the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB), is yet to be passed in Congress. The bill aims to prevent various economic and public accommodation-related acts of discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.

We have detractors on all fronts. In March 2018, a small group of Christians protested at the Senate against the SOGIE bill by calling the proposed legislation an “abomination,” adding that homosexuality is allegedly a “sin” citing that their “hate” is allegedly credible because it is supposedly written in the Bible, and that the LGBT community is supposedly a “lifestyle.” The group also falsely claimed that the bill relates to same-sex marriage, which is not found anywhere within the bill.  Two months after, Senator Tito Sotto, who opposes the SOGIE bill, became the new Senate President. In an interview, Sotto was asked on the bill’s passage, to which he responded, “Not in this congress.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg the LGBTQ community is trying to thaw with the little arsenal that we have, chief among them is the Pride March. That is why every June, we as a community stage events, talks, parties, shows and everything else we can find in our kikay kits to remind the world that we exist—and not merely to entertain you, to do your hair and makeup, to design your clothes. 

We are your lawyers, your doctors, your scientists, your teachers, your security guards, your helpers, your flight attendants, your officemates, your friends, your family. And we deserve the same basic human rights as you. We take pride in who we are and in celebrating who we were born to be.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taylor Swift releases song and petition calling for LGBTQ equality

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer and songwriter Taylor Swift on Monday released a star-studded music video that scolded social media trolls and urged fans to sign a petition demanding U.S. legal protections for gays, lesbians and transgender people.

The video for Swift’s new single “You Need to Calm Down” featured a surprise cameo by former rival Katy Perry plus a host of other celebrities. Perry’s appearance signaled an end to a spat between the two musicians which began in 2013 over backup singers in their shows.

Set in a pastel-colored trailer park, the video featured Swift, 29, relaxing in a pool while she called out her critics and those who attack LGBTQ people. “Shade never made anybody less gay,” she sang.

Celebrities in the video who identify as LGBTQ include Ellen DeGeneres, Billy Porter, RuPaul, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Adam Lambert, Hannah Hart and Tan France.

Swift, all smiles and outfitted as French fries, hugged Perry, 34, dressed as a hamburger, a costume she wore to last month’s Met Gala fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Social media posts in 2018 suggested an end to their spat, which had played out in their songs. On Tuesday, Perry posted a photo on her Instagram account, with Swift being tagged, showing a plate of cookies with the words “Peace at last” appearing to be written in icing.

At the end of the new video, two sentences on screen urged fans to sign a petition urging the U.S Senate to pass legislation that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination. The measure has already cleared the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally,” it said.

The petition had collected more than 222,000 signatures within a few hours.

Swift, who has more than 118 million Instagram followers, has been stepped into politics in 2018 by supporting two Democrats running in U.S. congressional elections in Tennessee. Voter registrations spiked in the state, but Swift’s preferred candidate for Senate lost the election.

Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Richard Chang

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nielsen now measures a lucrative audience: same-sex households

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” and its behind-the-scenes spinoff, “Untucked,” are cultural touchstones that have launched catchphrases and minted stars. But neither series has ever lit up the ratings. Recent episodes of each series garnered only a few hundred thousand viewers and were the 285th and 359th most-viewed shows in the cable ratings for the week of April 15.

But both series performed extremely well in another ranking.

The “Drag Race” and “Untucked” episodes were the No. 3 and No. 9 most watched among same-sex households that same week.

This is according to Nielsen’s same-sex spouse or partner household rating, a new statistic that, for the first time, provides a snapshot into the viewing habits of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

For some show creators, the inclusion of LGBT households as a viewing demographic is a long overdue step, and could provide an additional data point to help keep a show on the air. It could also open up a wellspring of information for advertisers that can use it to tailor pitches to viewers most likely to be watching a particular show.

“From our clients’ perspective, this is incredibly valuable,” said Rachel Lowenstein, an associate director of Invention Plus, a unit of the media agency Mindshare. “Look at how much LGBTQ couples make in terms of their household income. From a disposable-income and consumer-spending standpoint, they are a lucrative audience.”

Some shows have little or no difference between how they rank among general viewers and same-sex households. “Game of Thrones,” for instance, was the No. 1 cable show for both.

But for others, the disparity is stark. An episode of the Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America” ranked 22nd in same-sex households versus its overall rank of 82nd. HBO’s “Veep” was the 21st most-viewed cable series in same-sex households versus 134th overall. ABC’s “The Conners” — sans Roseanne Barr — is the No. 1 watched network show this season in same-sex households, versus an overall rank of 31st.

All editions of Sean Hannity’s Fox News program were among the 12 most-watched shows in cable the week of April 15. Among same-sex households, “Hannity” had an average finish of 247th place, according to Nielsen. Another news commentary show, MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” had a higher ranking among gay households than it did among general viewers.

The same-sex rating — which, for now, includes only same-sex couples — came about partly because of criticism from producers involved in making original programming centered on gay, lesbian and transgender themes who feared that the ratings for their series did not reflect their impact.

When ABC aired a four-part miniseries on the history of gay rights called “When We Rise” in 2017, the show’s creator noticed that the low Nielsen ratings were in marked contrast to the enthusiastic response on social media.

“It just didn’t feel right,” said Dustin Lance Black, the creator of the series and the Oscar-winning writer of “Milk.” “I’m not saying it would have translated to a smash success, but something just felt off in the ratings versus the experience we were having.”

It led Black and another producer of the series, Bruce Cohen, to ask GLAAD, the organization that tracks representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, if Nielsen surveyed same-sex households. The answer was no.

At the time, several series with gay and transgender characters were in danger of cancellation, including ABC’s “The Real O’Neals” and CBS’ “Doubt.” The year before, “Eyewitness,” a USA Network show centered on two gay teenagers, was canceled after one season.

“It was a thriller, it was a remake of a Norwegian show, but it had a strong LGBT component,” said Adi Hasak, the “Eyewitness” creator. “To realize that that demo wasn’t part of the Nielsens was devastating.”

This is where Nielsen disagrees. Executives at the 96-year-old research firm, which has become a punching bag for frustrated producers and executives amid declining ratings and the rise of streaming, said that its total viewership figures were accurate and left no one out.

The one thing it did not do until recently, however, was break out a separate measurement for same-sex households. Nielsen already measures ratings for African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American households, giving networks, studios and advertisers more data on who is watching what.

After GLAAD reached out to Nielsen, the company got to work on finding a solution.

“There are things that are good for the business, and there are things that are just the right thing to do,” said Brian Fuhrer, Nielsen’s senior vice president for product leadership. “This is an unusual situation where both came into alignment.”

Some television executives have cautioned that the numbers could be subject to the whims of a small sample size. Nielsen has based the new rating on a survey of 500 same-sex households; the company tracks 47,000 households to project its full viewership figures. And Nielsen does not currently track single gay, lesbian or transgender people, but the company said it would do so in the future.

Still, the new statistic could be a boon to advertisers. Same-sex couples earn significantly more money than their straight counterparts, according to the Treasury Department, making them appealing to advertisers.

“Our brands will be interested in this not just in terms of being more inclusive, but also to reach a more affluent audience,” said Lowenstein, who works at the media agency. “This is something that’ll be extremely valuable once it’s tradable in the marketplace.”

Who could some of those advertisers be? Top advertisers for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” include MillerCoors and pharmaceutical company Gilead, according to a VH1 spokeswoman. Leading advertisers for gay-themed cable channel Logo include Subaru and Hershey.

Even without the same-sex rating point, gay inclusion on TV series has improved. GLAAD reported that a record number of gay, lesbian and transgender people appeared as regular characters on broadcast television series last year.

One could question the utility of a new Nielsen rating at a time when people are cutting their cable subscriptions and people watch shows on their own schedules — and on streaming services, which Nielsen has made efforts to track. But GLAAD has emphasized that Nielsen’s examining viewership data from the group is an important step.

“I would not discount being counted,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, chief executive of GLAAD. “I think it’s more important than ever that, as part of LGBTQ community, we are being counted and in whatever way that is.”

Black, the “When We Rise” creator, underscored the point.

“The more visible we can make ourselves in film and television, the greater ability we have to introduce ourselves,” he said. “That erases misconceptions. Let our numbers and eyes be counted. I believe when they are, you’ll see even greater numbers for LGBT-themed shows. That means a better chance of a renewal for a new season and being canceled a little bit less.”

—

How These Shows Stacked Up

A breakdown of popular TV network shows ranked by total viewers in the same-sex category and their overall standing, according to Nielsen, from the start of the current season to date.

THE CONNERS — Same-sex: 1st; Overall: 31st

WILL & GRACE — Same-sex: 2nd; Overall: 82nd

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL — Same-sex: 5th; Overall: 1st

BIG BANG THEORY — Same-sex: 6th; Overall: 2nd

MURPHY BROWN — Same-sex: 8th; Overall: 34th

SURVIVOR — Same-sex: 16th; Overall: 29th

NCIS — Same-sex: 28th; Overall: 3rd

2019 New York Times News Service

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Japan gay couples seek marriage rights in Valentine's lawsuit

TOKYO - Chizuka Oe and Yoko Ogawa have been together for 25 years, but when they submitted their marriage registration at a Tokyo town hall, they knew it would be rejected.

"We were told that they cannot accept our registration because we are both women," said Ogawa, standing in the winter sun outside the building in Nakano in western Tokyo.

"There were several heterosexual couples next to us who submitted marriage registrations without any problem," she added.

The couple is now planning to take action: Along with 12 other same-sex couples, they will file lawsuits on Valentine's Day seeking to force the government to recognize gay marriage.

"Why don't we even have the simple choice of whether or not to get married?" asked Ogawa, who said she and Oe were forced to wait a long time before ultimately being turned down.

The 5 lesbian and 8 gay couples involved will file lawsuits across the country seeking damages of one million yen ($9000) a person for being denied the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.

Japan's constitution stipulates that "marriage shall be only with the mutual consent of both sexes" and the government says this means same-sex marriage is "not foreseen" in the constitution or civil law.

But lawyers for the plaintiffs and other legal experts counter that there is nothing in the constitution that would prohibit same-sex marriage.

They argue the language of the 1947 post-war constitution is only meant to ensure equality between prospective spouses and prevent forced marriages.

The government's failure to enact a law allowing same-sex marriage violates the constitutional principle that "all people are equal under the law," said Akiyoshi Miwa, who is representing some of the plaintiffs.

'AGONIZING' SITUATIONS 


A survey in January found nearly 80 percent of Japanese aged 20 to 59 support legalizing gay marriage.

Japan is the only nation from the Group of Seven countries that does not recognize same-sex unions.

Historically, Japan was broadly tolerant of homosexuality, with documented cases of samurai warriors during feudal times having male lovers.

Same-sex relationships were even depicted in traditional art, such as ukiyoe, or wood block prints.

But as Japan industrialized and modernized from the late 19th century, Western prejudices against homosexuality were increasingly adopted.

Last year, the ruling party came under fire after one of its lawmakers claimed the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community was "unproductive" because they "cannot have children."

And Oe and Ogawa say they have struggled with confusion and prejudice stemming in part from Japan's lack of marriage equality.

When the couple attended the funeral for Ogawa's mother, relatives treated Oe with suspicion, particularly when she handled condolence money.

Ogawa said many relatives quizzed her on who Oe was.

She explained: "I was tired, sad, and in such an extreme situation it was agonising to explain that we are a lesbian couple, that we are the same as a regular heterosexual couple."

"If there was a legal system of same-sex marriage, it would have been easier," she added. 

'A KEY GOAL'


In a landmark advance in 2015, Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district started issuing symbolic "partnership" certificates to same-sex couples.

Some other local governments -- including in the area where Oe and Ogawa live -- have followed suit, and corporate Japan is also showing signs of moving toward recognizing same-sex couples.

The certificate confers some rights: when Oe was hospitalized last year and needed a family member's signature, Ogawa was able to sign.

But not all gay couples in Japan live in areas with such certificates, meaning they can be prevented from visiting loved ones in hospitals or refused tenancy because their relationship is not legally recognized.

And the certificates "fail to give various legal rights and benefits that a marriage gives, such as inheritance and joint custody," said Takako Uesugi, another lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Only one partner in a same-sex couple is considered the legal parent of any children they share because gay marriages are not recognized so joint custody is considered impossible.

And a foreigner in a same-sex relationship with a Japanese partner cannot apply for spousal visas like their counterparts in heterosexual marriages.

The Valentine's Day lawsuits will seek damages, but the couples and their lawyers say they are ultimately hoping to force a change in the law.

"What we really want is a court ruling that says the failure to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional," said Miwa.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kevin Hart quits 2019 Oscars host job over 'insensitive' tweets

Comedian Kevin Hart on Thursday stepped down from hosting the 2019 Oscar ceremony after "insensitive words" about the LGBTQ community he tweeted in the past appeared online.

The 39-year-old comedian and "Ride Along" actor had announced on Tuesday that he would host the Academy Awards, the film industry's highest honors.

"I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's ... this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists," Hart said in a tweet late on Thursday.

"I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past," he tweeted.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, was not immediately available for comment.

Hart, who also starred in the 2017 film "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle", would have followed talk show host Jimmy Kimmel who hosted the Oscars in 2018 and 2017.

Hart, writing on his Instagram page this week, called the gig "the opportunity of a lifetime."

"I am so happy to say that the day has finally come for me to host the Oscars," he said.

The Academy responded on Twitter: "Welcome to the family."

Hosting the Oscars is one of the most prestigious and difficult jobs in show business, navigating the expectations of the A-list audience in the theater and millions of people watching on television, with a combination of topical and insider jokes.

Hart, who is African-American, would have been one of just a handful of black Oscar hosts over the past 90 years, including Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg and Sammy Davis Jr.

Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 22, with the 2019 televised ceremony taking place in Hollywood on Feb. 24. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taiwan to enact separate law on gay marriage

TAIPEI - Taiwan will enact a separate law for same-sex unions after conservative groups won a recent referendum battle, the premier said, as LGBT activists Friday urged the government to abide by a landmark ruling to offer equal marriage rights. 

Gay rights campaigners want the existing marriage law to be amended and have said separate regulations would make them second-class citizens.

But conservative groups argue that gay marriages should not come under the current Civil Code, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. 

Taiwan's top court last year voted to legalize gay marriage, the first place in Asia to do so. It ruled that the change should be implemented in two years but did not specify how it wanted gay marriage to be brought in. 

Premier William Lai of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced the plan for a separate law during a meeting with lawmakers Thursday to review the party's local election defeat last weekend. 

Some observers have said the gay marriage issue played into the results and hit a nerve in conservative southern Taiwan, the DPP's traditional stronghold, where it lost control of Kaohsiung City for the first time in 20 years.

Tsai had championed gay marriage before she was elected but has since said there needs to be more consensus in society. 

Rival referendums on same-sex unions that went alongside the local elections Saturday saw "pro-family" groups defeat pro-gay campaigners in what Amnesty International called a "bitter blow and a step backwards for human rights in Taiwan". 

A referendum on whether marriage should only be recognized as between a man and a woman in Taiwan's Civil Code won more than seven million votes, as did another calling for same-sex unions to be regulated under a separate law. 

Gay rights activists had proposed that the Civil Code should give same-sex couples equal marriage rights, but only garnered three million votes. 

"We have to respect public opinion and abide by the referendum outcome. We have to revise a law other than the Civil Code, which is (to enact) a separate law," cabinet spokesperson Kolas Yotaka told reporters, quoting the premier. 

She said the government would abide by the Constitutional Court ruling when drafting the new law. 

"As for the characteristic of the separate law and what it will be called... we will propose a bill that reflects and meets public consensus," she said. 

LGBT activists in Taiwan now fear their newly won rights under the court ruling are under threat. 

"We hope the social turmoil can come to an end soon and cause no more division and harm to any more families," rights group Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan said in a statement. 

According to the group, three gay people committed suicide after the referendum result while over a dozen have attempted suicide or self-harmed. 

It urged the cabinet to abide by the top court ruling as well as consulting gay rights group when drafting the bill. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US gay student Matthew Shepard laid to rest 20 years after murder

WASHINGTON - More than 2 decades after his savage murder shocked America and launched a reckoning about homophobic violence, Matthew Shepard was finally laid to rest Friday at Washington National Cathedral.

There were plenty of tears but also a few laughs -- and a few political jabs -- as hundreds of people including Shepard's parents Judy and Dennis gathered to say a final farewell to the Wyoming man, who became a symbol for the gay rights movement.

"It's so important that we now have a home for Matt, a home that's safe, a home that others can visit, a home that is safe from haters, a home that he loved dearly," Dennis Shepard said at the towering Episcopal church.

"Matt loved the church, he loved the ceremony, he loved the fact that it was a safe place for anyone who wanted to enter," he added, thanking the cathedral for "showing acceptance and inclusiveness."

Shepard, a 21-year-old political science and foreign languages student at the University of Wyoming who wanted to become a diplomat, was lured away from a bar in Laramie in October 1998 by 2 young men pretending to be gay.

They stripped him, violently beat him, and left him to die, bound to a fence in a field in the bitter cold. 

Shepard was found 18 hours later by passers-by, who initially mistook him for a scarecrow. He died in hospital a few days later of head injuries.

The two men, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, were convicted of murder. Each received 2 consecutive life sentences.

At his funeral, extremist Baptist protesters picketed, brandishing signs that read: "God hates fags." 

Fearing that any final resting place would be vandalized, Shepard's parents held on to his ashes -- until Friday.

They were laid to rest in the cathedral's crypt -- a rare honor -- in a private ceremony after the public service. 

Shepard is now one of around 200 people interred at the Cathedral, including deaf-blind activist Helen Keller and former US president Woodrow Wilson.

'WELCOME HOME'

The remembrance ceremony was presided over by Gene Robinson, the first openly gay US bishop in the Episcopal Church, who is close with Shepard's parents.

Robinson, struggling to contain his own emotion, paid tribute to Shepard in an emotional homily that had congregants laughing and crying. 

"Matt was luckier than most young gay men in 1998. He had parents and a brother who loved him," Robinson said, hailing Judy and Dennis Shepard for turning "this horrendous event into something good."

The reverend then turned political, making a plea to those gathered to vote in the country's midterm elections on November 6.

In 2009, 10 years after Shepard's death, then president Barack Obama signed a law bearing his name, expanding existing federal hate crimes law to include crimes sparked by sexual orientation and gender identity.

But Robinson warned that the rights of LBGTQ Americans were once again at risk of being curbed.

"Right now, the transgender community is the target," Robinson said, referring to reports that the administration of President Donald Trump is mulling whether to narrowly define gender as purely biological.

"There are forces about who would erase them from America, deny the right they have to define themselves -- and they need us to stand with them," he added, earning applause.

Robinson finished with a heartfelt message for the slain student.

"There are three things I want to say to Matt: Gently rest in this place. You are safe now. Oh yeah, and Matt? Welcome home," he said.

Greg Fuller, a resident of the US capital, said he came to Friday's ceremony to celebrate Shepard's life, and appreciated Robinson's call to action.

"There's too much divisiveness -- we need to learn from history," Fuller told AFP. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

With books and jewels, drag queens teach children tolerance

LONDON - Dressed in a yellow gown and rainbow cape, drag queen Topsie Redfern reads a story to a group of young British children about a little girl who likes herself - even when she develops "stinky toes" and "purple polka-dotted lips".

"It is really important to remember we are all different and it is good to like ourselves for what makes us different from each other," Redfern told about 20 children aged one to five at a central London pre-school.

Redfern is one 30 cross-dressing male performers touring British schools as part of Drag Queen Story Time, telling stories that spread a message of self-acceptance to promote diversity in early education.

The idea originated in the United States in 2015 when writer and LGBT+ parent Michelle Tea was looking for ways to introduce her young son to "queer culture".

"Drag queens are a no-brainer for kids' events," Tea told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Los Angeles.

"They are larger than life, fantastical, beautiful and take everything kids like about princess culture out of the box (and) make it kind of radical, feminist and more fun."

Used to the limelight of nightclubs and bars, they also know how to handle a raucous crowd, she added.

In a few years the format has spread all over the world.

Also known as Drag Queen Story Hour, the group has opened more than 25 chapters worldwide, holding readings at hundreds of nurseries, schools, libraries and other venues across the Americas, Asia and Europe, Tea said.

KIDS AND ADULTS

Tea said the reception had been overwhelmingly positive, particularly in big cities.

But story hours have also drawn controversy in some corners of America, where conservative groups have criticized the initiative as amoral and inappropriate for children.

A US group named Common Sense Campaign Tea Party organized a small protest outside a library in Mobile, Alabama, where a story time was held earlier in September - but it was outnumbered by a counter-demonstration, local media reported.

In Lafayette, Louisiana, plans to hold a reading at a public library have sparked controversy. The city's Republican mayor has said he would look to cancel or move the October event.

Tea said drag queens, like any artists, were capable of adapting their act and making it appropriate for young audiences. "Drag isn't by definition adult entertainment," she said.

Teaching children about diversity made them better citizens, she added - a view echoed by LGBT+ activists in Britain.

Young LGBT+ people are less likely to experience bullying in schools that create inclusive environments and celebrate difference, said Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton, head of education at British rights group Stonewall.

"Bringing in LGBT role models like drag queens and teaching about diversity means children from all families feel welcome and helps every young person understand that LGBT people are part of everyday life," she said.

Almost half all British teenagers who are LGBT+ or questioning their sexuality have self-harmed, according to a study released in August that found homophobic bullying and "highly gendered" environments were partially to blame.

ROLE MODELS

At the London nursery, Redfern's gender appeared of little concern to the children, who were much more interested in the flashy jewellery worn by the performer.

At one point, a heavily made-up Redfern acted out an adapted version of the "The Three Little Pigs" - replacing the pigs of the fairytale with "little misses", who outsmart the wolf.

"Generally in fiction and children's fiction, the boy is the hero. The boy saves the girl, (while) the girls are submissive characters, whereas that story is empowering," said the cabaret artist and actor trained in musical theater.

Nursery manager Gregory Lane said there were educational benefits to Drag Queen Story Time.

"Drag queens happen to be very good at telling a story and making that story come alive for young children so that it's not just words on the page and it's a story that they can stretch their imagination," he said.

For Redfern, who spoke of the difficulty of not being allowed to wear girls' clothes outside home when growing up, the focus was on showing children it is okay to be different.

Almost a third of those aged between 18 and 21 in the United States and 17 percent of 16- to 18-year-olds in Britain identify as LGBT, according to separate surveys.

"In every class there's going to be a girl who's a tomboy (or) a boy who likes running about in a Princess Elsa dress," Redfern said, referring to the Disney movie "Frozen".

"It is about giving them different role models and showing that's fine. Not everyone has to fit into a black and white mold."

source: news.abs-cbn.com