Perspectives

/ /

Religion is the Biggest Bully of Them All

Superlatives are hazardous. The biggest, best, or worst are declarations just begging to be shot down. Superlatives almost always lead to a great big heap of smoking one-upmanship. There’s always something bigger or better and always something worse. That’s the way it is in a universe of infinite variables; suck it up. mortals. This is our lot. No one will ever agree on the best athlete. Imagine that conversation in a sports bar at midnight after shots and a losing game. Or imagine getting multiple generations to agree on the best music. Kanye West? Taylor Swift? The Beatles? Elvis? Let […]

/

This Brazilian Gold Medal Winning Olympic Judo Champion Just Came Out as Gay

  A gold medal-winning Brazilian judo champion has come out publicly as gay in an interview during the Rio Olympics. Rafaela Silva, who won the country’s first gold medal at Rio 2016, came out publicly in the interview with Globo Sports after winning her medal. She hit the headlines when winning the first medal for Brazil at the 2016 games, after failing to secure a medal at London 2012, but none mentioned her sexual orientation. Outsports reports that two journalists have confirmed that Silva is in a relationship with Thamara Cezar, and that Silva had not spoken about her relationship in […]

/

How Do We De-stigmatize HIV But Still Persuade Gay Men to Protect Themselves?

  UK-based gay men’s health charity GMFA yesterday released statistics regarding condom use and attitudes towards HIV among gay and bisexual men. To me, the figures – for a country were PrEP treatment is not widely available – were shocking. Four out of ten said that the majority of sex that they had was unprotected. Some of those who answered said that they had decided to do away with condoms because they were in long-term, monogamous relationships (or presumably what they hoped was monogamous). Forty-two per cent said they are not worried about HIV Of the single, HIV-negative men who […]

/ /

NBA will Consider New All-Star Game Host City’s Record on LGBT Rights

  The NCAA is sending a questionnaire about potential discrimination laws to organizers in cities that will be or are hoping to host sanctioned college sports events. The NCAA board of governors’ decision comes a day after the NBA announced it would pull its All-Star Game from Charlotte, North Carolina, because of its objections to a state law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people. NCAA leaders had expressed opposition to the law known as HB2 since it was enacted in March. The association’s announcement Friday came less than a month after state legislators revisited the law […]

/ /

Making the Case for Youth in Out-Of-Home Care

Last year, Lambda Legal client Catherine, a transgender young woman in the California foster care system, faced eviction from her group home because of her HIV status. After Catherine learned of her diagnosis, she informed the group home staff. Administrators informed her they didn’t work with HIV positive youth and weren’t “medically equipped” to care for her, even though her treatment consisted of only one pill a day. Even though administrators wanted her out, Catherine did not want to leave the group home as it would have forced her to leave an affirming school she loved and move to her […]

/

World OutGames Miami launches early registration for 2017 games

  MIAMI, Fla. – World OutGames Miami, the 10-day event that will bring to life 34 sports and more than 450 events across the areas of Sport, Culture and Human Rights, has launched advanced registration. Thousands of athletes, participants, spectators and thought leaders from around the globe will converge on Miami for World OutGames IV to be held Friday, May 26 through Sunday, June 4, 2017. “We’re excited to bring World OutGames to the United States for the first time as a global expression of inclusiveness and healthy competition,” said Ivan Cano, chief executive officer of World OutGames Miami. “We […]

/ /

Call the Orlando Massacre a Hate Crime: This Was an Attack on the LGBT Community—and that Matters

  On June 24, 1973, 32 people died in what was then the most gruesome mass murder of LGBT people in U.S. history. That Sunday marked the end of the city’s Pride weekend; 60 people gathered at UpStairs Lounge to listen to pianist David Gary perform, while others discussed an upcoming fundraiser for children with disabilities. UpStairs was a gay bar located at the corner of Chartres and Iberville in the French Quarter—where regulars came together to sing songs around the piano and put on “nellydramas,” campy melodramas performed in drag. Just four years after the Stonewall riots kickstarted the […]

/

Beaten by a Girl: Hillary’s Victory and Bernie’s Refusal to Back Down

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is the first woman to win a majority of delegates and the popular vote, capping it off with four primary victories this week, signifying the will of American Democrats that she be the party’s nominee in November’s election. However, despite this victory, Democratic rival Bernie Sanders who has thus far been the most populist candidate, has refused to bow out. He will run in the nation’s final Democratic primary, next Tuesday in the District of Columbia, and has vowed to take his fight to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia where he will try to win […]

/

Why LGBT Youth Are Susceptible to Sexual Abuse

It’s June and you can’t escape the rainbow. As an openly gay man, I am proud to wave my rainbow flag. And so do countless corporations, media outlets, and politicians bringing an increased amount of attention to the LGBTQ community this time of year. For a long time, the issue to rally behind was same-sex marriage. This meant a lot to me and my husband. Last year, a divided Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples can marry nationwide. After much celebration, the LGBTQ community collectively asked, “What’s next?” While youth homelessness and violence in our community are among the most […]

/

The Child I Love

  When Maddy Ralston came into this world almost 21 years ago, it was love at first sight. I cradled her in my arms, my adopted miracle, and couldn’t stop crying. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. As she grew up, Maddy eschewed the traditional girly girl stuff. “If you get me a doll for Christmas, I’ll cut its head off,” she once admonished me. She refused to wear the skirts in the school uniform catalogue, preferring the khaki pants. She became a full-fledged tomboy before high school. She was a stunning, blonde-blue-eyed kid, but she […]

«‹ 66 67 68 69›»