Wedding Dinner Reservation Cancelled By Homophobic Restaurant

Kendall Brown (L) and Mindy Rackley (R)

A same-sex couple in Missouri were surprised when the restaurant they had booked for their wedding rehearsal dinner cancelled the reservation upon learning their sexual orientation.

Kendall Brown and Mindy Rackley are getting married on June 15, and had planned on holding their rehearsal dinner on June 13 at Madison’s Café.

Newsweek reports that the couple chose the restaurant because it had been Rackley’s father’s favorite place to dine before he passed away two-and-a-half years ago. Holding the dinner there prior to their union was meant as a way to honor his memory.

Brown’s mother made the reservation on Monday evening, but the next day Brown received a call from the cafe asking for more information.

“Her first question was, ‘what is your groom’s name?’” explained Brown. “I said, ‘I’m marrying a woman actually and her name is Mindy.’”

From the other end of the call came the question: “Your spouse is another woman?”

Brown told the woman ‘yes.’

And with that, the woman at the restaurant told Brown, “We’re gonna have to refer you to someone else for your dinner because we don’t condone that kind of relationship.”

“Out of love for you, we’re going to have to decline your business because we believe you’re in an unhealthy relationship,” added the woman.

Brown immediately called her fiancée in tears.

Rackley told Newsweek the conversation “saddened” her.

"I just can't believe that this is still happening and that we get treated differently because of who we love," she said. "Who we love doesn't change who we are and, I don't know, it just saddens me."

Note: Missouri does not prohibit discrimination in public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It's legal to discriminate against LGBTQ people in the Show Me state.

Local news station KMOV reached out to Madison’s Café for their side of the story.

According to the news station, “A woman at the restaurant acknowledged the couple’s situation but did not want to comment.”

KMOV reports in front of Madison's Cafe (screen capture)

After their story went viral on social media, several local restaurants reached out, and the couple has booked another establishment for their dinner.

Brown told Newsweek she understands that the owner’s of Madison’s Café are entitled to their beliefs, but they shared their story on social media because they want other people to be “aware so that they don’t have to feel the way we felt.”

“In this day and age, this is just not okay,” she added.

Government Of Lebanon Blocks Gay Dating App Grindr

The government of Lebanon has apparently ordered the gay dating app Grindr blocked for most users in the Arab country.

The Independent reports the Arab nation’s state-owned internet service provider, Ogero, blocked access to the app on the orders of the public prosecutor’s office, and that all internet providers will soon follow suit.

No explanation has been given for the ban, but the court order responsible for the action specifically stated that the app “secures romantic sexual liaisons for homosexuals and bisexuals.”

A similar ban of the app occurred in January, but that was short-lived as access was restored. At the time, the government denied any involvement.

Tarek Zeidan, executive director of Helem, one of the oldest LGBTQ advocacy groups in the region, explains the absence of public spaces for gays to openly meet underscores the importance of the dating app for Lebanese LGBTQs.

“Digital forms of communication like Grindr break the isolation that members of the community feel as many still live with family,” he told The Independent.

“Grindr has also become an effective way to disseminate life-saving information on sexual health and safety – this move will set these efforts back significantly, especially when it comes to contacting difficult-to-reach populations such as individuals living in rural areas, closeted or discreet individuals, and refugees which constitute a sizeable portion of the community,” he added.

Even though Lebanon has been traditionally viewed as one of the more liberal countries in the Middle East in regard to LGBTQ rights, some activists believe this is just the beginning of a series of attacks on the community.

Georges Azzi, executive director of the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality, told The Independent, “This is not an independent incident, this is part of a bigger campaign and strategy to limit the spaces of the LGBT community.”

“The groups behind this campaign operate in an atmosphere where the government and security apparatuses are encouraging attacks on freedom of expression,” added Azzi. “We are being controlled by medieval forces.”

Some activists are advising users to use VPN service to bypass the ban.

Recent news reports show a mixed bag when it comes to LGBTQ rights and status.

Last year, judges ruled Article 534 of Lebanon’s penal code could not be applied to consensual sex between adults of the same sex. The early 20th century law had been used to persecute gays calling for punishment for “any sexual intercourse contrary to the order of nature.”

But last October, authorities raided an LGBTQ conference, and in May 2018 police arrested the organizer of Beirut Pride which resulted in the event being cancelled.

Lebanon joins Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the list of Middle East countries that ban Grindr.

Roseanne: "I Put The 'Q' In Queer"

Roseanne Barr muses on the word 'fag' in her car

Roseanne Barr took to her YouTube channel to share some odd musings on the use of the word 'fag,' and how she herself put the 'Q' in LGBTQ.

The comedienne began in a pensive mood, complaining about the use of the 'F' word.

“Man, the word ‘fag’ is a really hateful word, isn’t it?," begins the comedian while apparently sitting in her car. "Especially when it’s when it’s like one gay calling another gay guy that? Hoo! Have you ever been in the middle of one of them hate marriages? Hoo! It’s like, wait a minute, we’re not supposed to say that word. How come you’resaying that word? What?"

She then complains that while some members of the LGBTQ community use the word, she as a straight woman is not allowed to use the slur.

“Oh, Ijust can’t say that word," she says. "Well, I can when I’m in the house, but I can’t say it outside the house. Okay, I get your rules."

"But it is a hateful word and we should get rid of it," she decides, but then clarifies, "Get rid of it being spoken."

Ok, so folks should stop saying the word but they can write it? No. Paint it on a wall? No.

The 66-year-old then appears to take partial ownership of the slur by declaring she, herself, is 'queer.'

“All that LGBTQ stuff, let me just be real, I put the Q in the LGBTQ," announces the dethroned sitcom queen. "Okay, because I am queer as two motherf**kers."

Now, we're off in the underbrush on the way to Poughkeepsie, but we gotta see where this goes, right?

"I’m queer, I’m alien, I don’t belong here with all these people," she adds although it appears she's alone, but, you know. "They makes no sense. Theyare very queer."

"That makes me queer, I guess," she declares in summation as she starts her car. "But I did put the Q in it. Bye!”

And, exit stage right.

Podcast: Buttigieg Surges, Schock Shocks Nobody, Gay Cult Movies Get Blu-Ray Treatment, Harry's Shave Company Gets Trans Inclusive

In this week's podcast:

• Mayor Pete Buttigieg continues moving up in the polls among Democratic presidential contenders

• 'Totally-not-gay' former congressman Aaron Schock photographed hanging with the gays at Coachella

• Converse offers new Pride sneakers in gay pride rainbow themes and transgender pink/blue/white themes - Click here to check them out

• Three LGBTQ cult classic movies - Jeffrey, Can't Stop The Music and To Wong Foo - get the Blu-Ray treatment in time for Pride with lots of bonus features

• And Harry’s shave company goes transgender inclusive with its latest ad spot

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

New Harry's Shaving Ad Features Trans Man

(screen capture)

Harry’s shaving company just released a new ad that causally includes a transgender man in the spot with narration that tells them, “You can shave to feel like you.”

The one-minute spot by the men’s grooming brand, titled ‘Shave, or Don’t,’ makes it clear Harry’s has your back whether you shave or not.

The narration reads:

“Back in the day, men couldn’t always shave. Back in another day, men had to shave. Somewhere in between is a very nice thing: a choice. Now you can shave just a little. You can shave a lot. You can shave to stand out. You can shave to blend in. You can shave when you have a second. You can shave to save a few seconds. You can shave to feel like you. You can shave to feel like another you. You can shave because you’re finally, finally home. Or you can shave – maybe later.”

You’ll notice the “You can shave to feel like you” line falls on the shot of a trans man about to shave.

The comments on the YouTube page are overwhelmingly positive:

“Thank you for including a trans man in your commercial Harry’s will be switching over to support your business.”

“I got chills when I saw the trans guy thanks, highly doubt the company will see this but I recommend added woman because girls shave too.”

“Why did I get teary? Classic me Hahaha… *sobs* Thanks for including the LGBT community.”

Last year, the shaving giant announced their Shave with Pride campaign celebrating Pride Month.

The rainbow-hued shave set featured an iridescent shave handle plus cartridges and shave gel with 100% of the profits going to LGBTQ causes. 

Additionally, Harry’s is a proud sponsor of London Pride.

“Harry’s has a proud history of working with organizations that help challenge out-dated stereotypes and who aim to shift attitudes and behaviors that devalue marginalized groups,” said Harry’s co-founder Jeff Raider.

“Our support for Pride is a natural extension of that. As a company, we embrace individuality and celebrate diversity, so we’re extremely proud to be an LGBTQ+ ally.”

The men’s grooming brand also produced an acclaimed three-minute short film on the meaning of ‘masculinity’ featuring a young boy explaining how to be a man to an alien.

Israel's Netanyahu Says No To LGBTQ Leaders Ahead Of Elections

(photo: 24x7photo.com/Flickr - CC license)

LGBTQ activists in Israel are angry after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his residence Sunday where he reportedly told them he could not promise to promote LGBTQ equality after the upcoming elections on Tuesday.

It was Netanyahu’s first meeting with LGBTQ leaders in ten years.

According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu said “opposition from religious and ultra-Orthodox parties blocked him from meeting their demands.”

In a statement from the group following the meeting, the representatives said, "The prime minister refused to commit himself to promoting equality of rights as a condition for the establishment of the coalition and expressed concern about the opposition of the religious factions in any coalition that will be established.”

Netanyahu meets with LGBT leaders for first time in 10 years https://t.co/DHJtkkD4Mp

— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) April 7, 2019

With the final polls showing Netanyahu’s Likud party neck and neck with his opponent’s Blue and White party, some political pundits say the Prime Minister took the meeting for the photo op knowing he wouldn't act on behalf of Israel’s LGBTQ community.

With that in mind, it’s no wonder the estimated 500,000 LGBTQ voters in Israel aren’t leaning in Netanyahu’s direction.

A recent poll showed only 6% of LGBTQ voters in Israel plan to cast their ballot for Likud, in the upcoming election on April 9, while 31% say they favor the Blue and White party.

LGBTQ leaders in Israel are concerned as anti-gay rhetoric has grown more intense in recent years.

In February, the Association for LGBTQ Equality sent a report to Israel’s President Rivlin which documented a 54% jump from 2017 to 2018 in homophobic incidents.

(h/t Times of Israel)

Pennsylvania Wedding Venue Refuses To Host Same-Sex Weddings

(image via Depositphotos)

Another day, another wedding vendor refusing to serve same-sex couples.

This time, it's Star Barn Village, located near Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.

Steven Dinnocenti, a retired educator who has attended Star Barn events in the past, recently shared on his social mediahis outrage upon discovering the venue has a ‘no same-gender weddings’ policy.

“Never again will I step on (their) grounds,” wrote the openly gay married man.

“What one does not know is the blatant discrimination they have towards the LGBTQ community and other individuals that they have written in their Core Values statement,” added Dinnocenti.

He also posted a link to Star Barn’s ‘Core Values’ statement which reads, in part, “We provide marriage-related services as ordained by God’s Word, the Holy Bible, that are consistent with the written truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.”

At this writing, Dinnocenti’s Facebook post has been shared over 360 times and garnered over 560 comments.

PennLive spoke with the owner of the venue, David Abel, who says he “does not tolerate discrimination against anyone, not in his business or in a public setting.”

“No persons will be discriminated against,” he insisted to PennLive. “However, we ask people to respect that we have core tenants in our faith and our beliefs and we cannot participate in any event that would be in contradiction to those core tenants - one of them being marriage, which has been biblically based for thousands of years as being between a man and a woman.”

He also asserts that religious freedoms are one of the principles under which the United States was founded. “It was also founded as one nation under God not over God,” he said.

(photo via Depositphotos)

But Dinnocenti told PennLive he flips that script. “The bottom line is go back to the Constitution,” he says. “The Bible should not be dictating the rule of the land.”

It’s important to note that Pennsylvania does not have any LGBTQ protections on the books. So, it would seem Mr. Abel is legally allowed to discriminate against same-sex couples.

This highlights, yet again, the need for The Equality Act to be passed in Congress and signed into law. The federal legislation would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and erase any confusion about refusing services to people based only on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

For now, however, PennLive does point out that another wedding venue, Riverdale Manor and Thyme and Seasons Catering in nearby Lancaster, has seen its same-sex wedding business thrive since marriage equality became the law of the land in 2015.

Maureen Raezer, owner and president of the venue, told PennLive she subscribes to “the principles of inclusive economics.”

In fact, Raezer says she’s stopped doing business with vendors who don’t appreciate her inclusive wedding industry approach.

“I think they see it as they are somehow condoning gay marriage by participating in it,” Raezer said. “I‘m not sure how selling somebody a wedding cake does that. If I sold cookies to someone, why would I care what their sexual orientation was?”

She also believes that diversity is the future of economics. For her, a business model of excluding people “financially makes no sense.”

(h/t PennLive)

Billy Porter Delivers The LGBTQ State Of The Union Address

Billy Porter delivers Logo's State of the Union address for the LGBTQ community

In advance of President Trump’s annual State of the Union address tonight, actor/activist Billy Porter delivered Logo’s “LGBTQ State of our Union” address regarding issues facing the LGBTQ community - triumphs, setbacks and looking ahead to 2019 as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

Porter begins with a statement of fortitude: “While our rights are under threat and the sanctity of identities is in peril, let me be clear: the state of our union is strong.”

Addressing some of the challenges the LGBTQ people face today, Porter points out:

• 29 transgender people (mostly trans women of color) ‘lost their light’ to violence in 2018

• Anti-LGBTQ violence is on the rise as 40% of LGBTQ survivors of hate violence sustained an injury in 2017 compared to the 31% in 2016.

• 42% reported seeking medical attention in 2017 compared to the 23% in 2016.

• 27% reported weapons were used their assaults compared to 13% in 2016.

While that does sound bleak, the Golden Globe nominee calls for a more positive approach to addressing these ills.

“How do we fight this hate? With love,” says the Pose star. “Continue to demonstrate out love for each other. Love is strength - strength we must have to fight for our integrity and for our very lives. We will fight hate with solidarity by standing for our siblings around the world.”

Porter calls on the LGBTQ community to declare, “We are here through the banning of transgender service members. We are here through the violence enacted by hate speech. We are here. And if the victories of the last year prove anything, we ain’t going no damn where.”

The 49-year-old also noted the results of the midterms elections delivering the most diverse Congress in history.

He mentions the successes of openly gay politicians - Jared Polis’ election to governor in Colorado; and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay Democratic presidential candidate, joining “a strong crop of Democrats ready, willing and able to throw down with 45.”

“And you better believe we’re coming for that White House and we’re gonna paint it rainbow,” adds Porter.

When it comes to pop culture there’s more good news.

 “On TV, on film and in music we are ‘showing up and showing out,” boasts the Tony Award winner. “We are in front of, and behind the cameras; we are increasingly the authors of our own stories.”

Recognizing 2019 as the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and New York City hosting this year’s World Pride event, Porter says, “We will continue to come together to acknowledge and embrace our intersectional community, and to push for equality and justice - for ALL.”

He closes the address by saying, “Make no mistake - our best days are ahead of us. Onward and upward. God bless our LGBT community and God bless the United States of America.”

Definitely worth the watching.

Out actor and LGBTQ activist Billy Porter

My Recap Of The 2018 Midterm Elections - Who Won? Who Made History?

With the 2018 midterm elections in the rearview mirror - and the 2020 election cycle set to begin at any moment - here’s my big recap of what happened last night and how it will affect LGBTQ Americans going forward.

While a “blue wave” was anticipated, to different degrees, over the past few months, we’re more inclined to describe last night’s elections as a “blue splash,” as there was a big shift for the country and several important ‘ripples’ that followed.

First up, and most important for the entire country, Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives.

At this writing, according to The New York Times, Democrats flipped 27 seats (more than the necessary 23) to blue and there are still several contests looking good for Dems that haven’t been called.

What this means is, for the first time, a lever of Congress will be holding Trump and Republicans accountable.

All committee chair positions will be assumed by Democrats including the Ways and Means Committee (which determines spending for the House), the House Oversight Committee (expect subpoenas to be issued and investigations to be launched) and more.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi is expected to return as Speaker of the House, and she’s already announced The Equality Act, which would expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 giving LGBTQ people federal protection from discrimination in terms of employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service. 

While no one expects the legislation to pass with a Republican-controlled Senate and White House, Democrats will certainly give the bill energy and momentum so it could be signed by a pro-LGBTQ president, hopefully after 2020.

Even more important perhaps, though, is oversight of the Trump administration’s anti-LGBT policies including “religious freedom” laws, the transgender military ban, and efforts to define laws against sex discrimination to exclude LGBT people.

A huge win for LGBTQ folks last night was Jared Polis’ win in Colorado as the first openly gay man to be elected governor of a state.

Also, Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon clinched her bid for reelection. She became the nation’s first openly bisexual governor in 2015.

Unfortunately, transgender Vermonter Christine Hallquist and Texas’ openly lesbian Lupe Valdez lost their races for the governorship.

Joshua Tenorio became Guam’s Lt. Governor making him the first openly gay elected to territory-wide office. Guam also elected its first female governor, Lou Leon Guerrero.

Governorships are extremely important because they can set the policies and agenda for states in opposition to the White House. And, governors will oversee the 10-year redistricting efforts to come in 2020 after the census. That will allow a course correction from the gerrymandering Republicans enacted in 2010 which helped to hamper Democratic efforts in the years since.

Also, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maine, Kansas, Nevada and New Mexico flipped their governorships to Democrat which will have a huge impact on the 2020 elections.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, the only openly lesbian in the Senate, coasted to reelection.

Sharice Davids becomes the first gay Native American elected to Congress winning Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District.

View this post on Instagram

Thank you, #KS03.

A post shared by Sharice For Congress (@shariceforcongress) on Nov 7, 2018 at 12:19am PST

Angie Craig beat Republican Jason Lewis to become the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Minnesota, and the first LGBTQ mother in Congress.

New York’s 18th Congressional District reelected gay father of three Sean Patrick Maloney to his fourth term in the House.

With his victory over Republican Eddie Edwards, Chris Pappas becomes the first openly gay member of Congress from New Hampshire.

Openly bisexual Katie Hill currently leads by 2.5% in her California race to unseat anti-LGBTQ Republican Steve Knight in the 25th District.

Openly gay Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin easily won his reelection bid, as did David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Mark Takano of California.

J.D. Ford unseated one of Indiana’s most conservative state senators becoming the Hoosier state’s first out state legislator.

Pennsylvania elected Malcolm Kenyatta to its state House becoming the first out gay black man to be elected to the PA legislature. Read more about his win here.

Also in Pennsylvania, woofy Brian Sims easily won reelection to the state House. Go Team Bear!

MALCOLM KENYATTA: This is a special announcement in so many ways! My friend @malcolmforpa has been elected to the Pa House and is the first ever African-American gay man elected to the legislature and only the second Out person ever elected to the House!!! #RainbowWave pic.twitter.com/YL43gsCx0Y

— Brian Sims (@BrianSimsPA) November 7, 2018

Gay former Marine Neil Rafferty won his bid to the Alabama state House where he’ll replace retiring Patricia Todd, the state’s first openly gay legislator.

Maryland State Delegate Mary Washington makes history as the first openly LGBTQ person of color to be elected to the Maryland Senate.

Also in Maryland, Gabriel Acevero is the first openly gay black man elected to the Maryland Assembly.

Jennifer Webb becomes the first openly LGBTQ woman to be elected to the Florida legislature.

Two transgender women, Gerri Cannon and Lisa Bunker, were elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. They join Virginia state Delegate Danica Roem as the only openly transgender members of any state legislature.

Massachusetts sent a strong message of support to the transgender community as Proposition 3, asking if Bay Staters wanted to keep protections for trans people in place, sailed to victory with over 68%.

VICTORY: #Massachusetts votes #YesOn3 to uphold dignity and respect for our #transgender neighbors! Together, we've secured the first-ever statewide victory for transgender protections at the ballot box. pic.twitter.com/wPTwaWuGQj

— Vote Yes on 3 (@Freedom_Mass) November 7, 2018

Florida voters passed Amendment 4 which will restore voting rights to felons (other than for murder or rape) who have served their time in prison and paid their debt to society.

And there were wins for prominent LGBTQ allies as well.

Zach Wahls, who famously defended his two moms speaking to Iowa lawmakers about same-sex marriage in 2011, will now become part of that very body after winning his contest to Iowa’s state Senate.

Nevada elected pro-LGBTQ Jacky Rosen to the U.S. Senate, the one Senate pickup for the Dems last night.

Also of note, Kim Davis, the infamous Kentucky County Clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the U.S. Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land, lost her reelection bid.

There were some heartbreaking losses last night as well.

Andrew Gillum of Florida and Beto O’Rourke in Texas lost their high profile bids to win seats in the U.S. Senate.

In addition, losses in Missouri and North Dakota mean the Republicans expand their majority in the Senate by two.

(h/t The New York Times)

First Latino LGBTQ Talkshow To Debut This Fall On LATV

Patrick Gomez, Enrique Sapene and Alexander Rodriguez of LATV's 'Glitterbomb'

LATV Network - the original national, bicultural television network - is making history as it launches its new, groundbreaking weekly talkshow, Glitterbomb, set to premiere this fall.

According to press materials, Glitterbomb is “an explosive pop-culture talk show hosted by an entirely gay, Latino, Hollywood-insider panel featuring "Entertainment Weekly" senior editor Patrick Gomez, actor Enrique Sapene and iHeartRadio personality Alexander Rodriguez."

Combining experience from the worlds of radio, acting and journalism, the English-language show will offer insight into A-lister life from a decidedly queer Latino perspective.

With a festive and unique flavor, the show promises no subject will be too hot to handle and no scandal too spicy to dig into.

Produced at LATV’s state-of-the-art HD studios in Los Angeles, Glitterbomb plans to offer the latest in pop culture news and trends; insider looks at the latest celebrity hot spots and events; as well as some of the biggest names in entertainment.

“We could not be happier that LATV has given three gay Latinos a platform as big as Glitterbomb,” co-hosts Gomez, Rodriguez, and Sapene say in a joint statement. “But we hope that people of all races, genders, and orientations will see a bit of themselves in our show — or, at the very least, have a good time watching it!”

LATV is the only remaining Latino-owned TV network in the Hispanic television space. Its programming primarily targets U.S.-born Latinos and the coveted bicultural 18-49 Latino demographic, with content that features originally-produced shows in Los Angeles, as well as licensed content that has never before been seen in the U.S.

For more go to www.LATV.com.

Poll: Guess Who In The LGBTQ Community Is Having More Sex

Pride Month is the perfect time to raise our voices.

With that in mind, Buzzfeed News thought this would be a good time to ask some questions about the LGBTQ community.

And so, they did.

From the survey of 880 LGBTQ folks:

• 55% of the respondents were women, 41% were men, and 4-5% identified as queer/nonbinary

• Twice as many identify as gay than lesbian - 32% to 16%

• Here’s news - almost half (46%) identified as bisexual

• Only 51 of the 880 respondents identified as transgender

• Correlating with recent reports, most who say they are LGBTQ are under 40 with 57% being between 18-39 as younger people are coming out more and more these days

• When it comes to sex, bisexual folks are leading the pack with 29% saying they have sex once or twice a week and 15% reporting even more. (Insert funny about having twice as many chances here)

That compares to 18% of gay people having sex once a week and 14% several times.

Lesbians indicated the least sex with 35% abstaining last year, 19% several times a year, 25% once or twice a month, and 4% several times a week.

The survey also shows that LGBTQ voters overwhelmingly identify as Democrats and ideologically center-left with the partisan gap at an astounding 53%:

Party Affiliation:
• 65% identify as Democrats
• 21% identify as Independents
• 12% identify as Republicans
Partisan Gap: 53%

Ideology:
• 59% identify as somewhat or very liberal
• 25% identify as moderate
• 11% identify as somewhat or very conservative
Ideological Gap: 48%

Political Engagement:
• 88% are registered to vote
• 67% vote in state and federal elections


Lucas Acosta, DNC LGBTQ Media Director, responded to those numbers saying, “LGBTQ voters know that Democrats have stood by their side in the fight for equal rights and equal opportunity.”

“The Republican strategy of ignoring the LGBTQ community and erasing us from mentions on websites, all while trying to strip us of access to quality and affordable health care--has long lasting impacts on our community.”

“With more LGBTQ Democratic candidates running up and down the ticket than ever before, LGBTQ voters will be an integral part of sending Democrats to victory this November,” Acosta added.

Head over to Buzzfeed for more results.

Adam Rippon To Mike Pence: "Are You Still For Me? Are You Still For Other LGBTQ Americans?"

Out Olympian Adam Rippon on CNN's New Day this morning said now that the Winter Olympics are over, he'd be willing to meet with Vice President Mike Pence about LGBTQ issues.

“Now is the right time,” Rippon said. “The Olympics are over. You don’t get to make any sort of change if you don’t try to at least try to reach across and have the opportunity to speak.”

Rippon said he himself doesn’t have anything personal to address with Pence, but he'd like to see LGBTQ folks who have been affected by Pence's anti-gay policies have a chance to speak with the veep.

“He tweeted at me and he said I want you to know that I’m for you and I’m for all the Olympians, which I think that’s great, but I don’t believe it, because when I go home, are you still for me? Are you still for other LGBTQ Americans? That’s where I feel like the tweet is almost disingenuous.”

Watch below.

Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon says he is now willing to meet with Vice President Mike Pence: “Now is the right time… He tweeted at me and he said I want you to know that I’m for you and I’m for all the Olympians, which I think that’s great, but I don’t believe it.” pic.twitter.com/CcEGLyZMjO

— CNN (@CNN) March 7, 2018

I Feel Personally Desecrated Looking At This Photo

Campaigning in Colorado for two days, Republican Donald Trump took to the stage at a rally carrying an upside-down LGBT flag with the poorly written type, "LGBTs for TRUMP."

While he has often said on the campaign trail he would be better for "the gays" than Hillary Clinton, he has also made it clear he would nominate Supreme Court justices who would overturn the right of same-sex couples to marry.

He would also legalize the right of businesses to discriminate against LGBTs.

The look on his face says it all.

Trump Supporter: "Put The Camera On Us, Queer!"

The charming crowd at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas today.

Note the one man (with possibly his son at his side) who screams at the media, "Put the camera on us, queer!"

#TrumpNation

Trump supporter in Vegas screams at camera operators to show him, then flips them off. pic.twitter.com/2ZSVWsTsl7

— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) October 30, 2016

Meanwhile, Democrat Hillary Clinton was speaking to a huge LGBTQ crowd in Wilton Manors, Florida:

"LGBT kids don’t need to be cured of anything. They just need to be accepted and loved and embraced.” —Hillary

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 30, 2016

You do the math, kids.

News Round-Up: October 28, 2016

Some news stories you may have missed.:

• NBC is considering a Will & Grace revival!

• Talk about dying on the Vine! Twitter is pulling the plug on it's six-second cousin.

• GLAAD says it's time we adopt the acronym LGBTQ versus the current LGBT when referring to the community.

• The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case of a Virginia transgender student over the right to use bathrooms that align with his gender identity.

• Jennifer Lopez will star in a live TV production of BYE BYE BIRDIE for NBC.

• Raven-Symoné leaving ‘The View’ for ‘That’s So Raven’ spinoff

Toronto: LGBTQ Posters Cool Transformation When Photographed With Flash

This is pretty cool. God knows the younger crowd likes tech-y, new things.

Via Adweek:

New posters have gone up in Toronto District School Board schools, which include 76,000 middle school and high school students. Launched by LGBTQ advocacy group Toronto Pflag, the posters depict a rainbow that spells out the LGBTQ acronym: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Straight, Queer and 2-Spirited.

When students use the flash on their camera phones to take a picture of the poster, the words are suddenly accompanied by nouns that illustrate LGBTQ folks are people they know, respect and love.

"We wanted to send a positive message to students that we are all more than just our gender identity and sexual orientation," says Toronto Pflag president Anne Creighton. "Our mission is to get students talking about these things, so the novel and shareable nature of this poster was a perfect fit for our message."