LGBTQ related news and issues

[CellarDweller115]

Fact or Fiction: New pride flag being used for inclusivity?


An image you may have seen on social media claims to be the new pride flag being used as a more inclusive symbol by the LGBTQ+ community.

The flag includes the colors of the trans flag, black and brown stripes to represent people of color and those living with HIV, a purple circle for the intersex community, an umbrella to represent sex workers and many other symbols.

https://www.10news.com/news/fact-or-fiction/fact-or-fiction-new-pride-flag-being-used-for-inclusivity

[Lyle (Mooska)]

My belief: None of the pride flags that came after the rainbow flag are more inclusive than just the rainbow flag that was designed and meant as all inclusive. If anything all the reiterations are driving everyone apart further.

[Jeff Wrangler]

My belief: None of the pride flags that came after the rainbow flag are more inclusive than just the rainbow flag that was designed and meant as all inclusive. If anything all the reiterations are driving everyone apart further.

I agree. If you add stripes to specifically represent certain groups, you're not including them; they're still set apart.

I understand (at least, I hope I do) how adding stripes can be important to groups who have felt, and were, unjustly excluded, but I'm sticking to my position on adding stripes.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Have you had your test?

[CellarDweller115]

I don't need one. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

I don't need one. 

BTW, have you still got your mariconera? 

[Jeff Wrangler]

I understand from today's NBC network news that a museum has been opened next to the Stonewall Inn. The exhibits were curated by Mark Segal, the publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, who, as an 18-year-old, was present at the revolt.

Sad to say but I have to admit, my first thought was, How long till someone firebombs it, or something? 

[lislis]

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-pop-culture/triple-sec-one-romances-1st-polyamorous-rom-coms-author-hopes-s-not-la-rcna160758

[Lyle (Mooska)]

During one of the MLB play-off games yesterday, there was a Republican campaign ad against Harris using hate against trans people as their ploy for votes. Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhnHt1NB0M0
(39 secs.)

After you watch it, read my response that I wrote to it:

Trans people are 0.6% of the total U.S. population and 1 in 5 of trans people are aged 13-17. The 13-17 group often realizes they're gay or lesbian later on, before any surgeries would've taken place. The amount of these 0.6% of people who actually go through with any kind of surgery is 25-35%. 35% of 0.6% is 0.0021%.  What I think is atrocious is to use a campaign ad to attack and demean 0.0021% of the population. It's such a small amount of people for the general population to be worried about something that statistically won't ever affect them, or anyone they know, at all. Republicans should be ashamed for ads like these. Kamala Harris states that she'll be a President for ALL Americans. All.  If she can unapologetically show her support for 0.0021% of the population, she'll do the same for you. Harris for President for all the people. Trump is running for one person: himself. So here's the choice: It's ALL or one.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Donald Trump just admitted what the GOP’s anti-trans agenda is all about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCmqDJixx94
(5:07)

This from a year ago, but pertinent as ever.

[ingmarnicebbmt]

I just heard that gay writer Felice Picano has passed away, yesterday. A true legend. I read almost all of his books, very important to me.

[Jeff Wrangler]

This afternoon I saw a TV commercial for one of those outfits where you can get a loan through your phone. The characters in the commercial were getting married and wanted to buy a house, so one used the phone to get a loan.

The couple were two guys. 

 

[Jeff Wrangler]

Bad news: SCOTUS has allowed Pumpkinhead's ban on transgender people serving in the military to go into effect, pending appeal.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

From Liza Minnelli:

Earlier this week, my dearest friend in the world, Michael Feinstein, sounded a clarion call about what may only be defined as a bigoted attack on the arts. As an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, a human rights advocate, the daughter of two iconic, amazing artists, a career of my own that without contributions from LGBTQ+ geniuses, would have rendered me a singer with few songs, a dancer with few collaborators, mostly naked ON STAGE, acting without scripts and I could go on! My lifetime friend Elizabeth Taylor once said… “without gay people there is no entertainment industry.” Long before Elizabeth said it, My Mama and Papa taught me, from my earliest memory to embrace everyone. This year I made new friends when I received a beautiful honor from RuPaul's Drag Race and produced Drag The Musical. Guess what kids? Those beautiful, valued, artistic experiences made a few enemies too. Michael’s message of truth shatters my heart into so many pieces. I’m damn mad about what’s going on. Please read “Fear of Queer? by Michael Feinstein” carefully. Become active in solution. Together, we will stop censorship and hate.
God, I love each and every one of you. I also thank the LGBTQ+ community for always supporting me, my family and my career.
Always,
Liza

—

From Michael Feinstein:

Fear of Queer?

The genesis of art is essential to our need to enlighten, entertain, educate and help ​each of us, as human beings​, connect to ​one another. Art, especially during the 20th century in America, offered every soul an opportunity to express or experience the diversity of culture. ​Recently, I was invited to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as perform and speak at a program entitled "A Peacock Among Pigeons:
Celebrating 50 Years of Pride" at The Kennedy Center, which championed the​ rainbow of influence​s ​upon art, music and ​our entire culture. ​This program was abruptly and unceremoniously canceled. These recent Kennedy Center losses may well be defined in the years ahead, with 21st century government-sanctioned censorship and silencing of creativity - regardless of value, and based strictly on sexual orientation. Art, in its purest form, is where we suspend our differences to illuminate elements of the human condition. ​

The Kennedy Center crisis removes the light and plunges our country into despair.​ ​Indeed, the latest attempts to strip PBS and NPR of critical funds, highlight the fact that any government-supported access to the arts is no longer safe. Since the current administration has banned, cancelled or forbidden, in an effort to erase any concert or program at the Kennedy Center, that in any way allows art to acknowledge of existence of Homosexuality (and these “cancellations” do not acknowledge the disturbing, racist, misogynistic and other bigoted forms of censorship, which I find equally distressing, infuriating and indeed, despicable), the next logical step is to ban all works written by Homosexual, Bisexual, Omnisexual, Transsexual people, friends of Gay people or people suspected of being queer. It worked for the Nazis right? ​Many of the following artists have innumerable timeless songs - these are a few of my personal favorites. So here’s just a little starter list of deceased songwriters, so as to save the DC bureaucrats some time!​

Fredd​ie Mercury - We Are The Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody
Billy Preston - You Are So Beautiful, With You I’m Born Again, Nothing From Nothing
Aaron Copland - Appalachian Spring, Fanfare For The Common Man
Donny Hathaway - This Christmas, Where Is The Love?
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, Good Golly Miss Molly
Laura Nyro - Save The Country, Wedding Bell Blues, Stoned Soul Picnic
Billie Holiday - God Bless The Child, Don’t Explain
Peter Allen – Don’t Cry Out Loud, I Honestly Love You
Howard Ashman – Beauty And The Beast
Marshall Barer – “Once Upon A Mattress” (Show)
Billy Barnes – (Have I Stayed) Too Long At The Fair, Something Cool
Lionel Bart – As Long As He Needs Me , “Oliver” (Show)
Leonard Bernstein – Somewhere, Tonight, New York, New York, “West Side Story” (Show)
Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, The Trolley Song
Marc Blitzstein – Mack The Knife, “The Threepenny Opera”(Show)
Earl Brent – Angel Eyes (for Sinatra)
Walter Bullock – When Did You Leave Heaven?
Earl Brown – If I Can Dream (for Elvis)
Ralph Burns – Early Autumn
Cory and Cross – I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Noel Coward – I’ll See You Again​ (and countless other classic songs)
Bob Crewe – Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You, Walk Like A Man, Sherry
Roger Edens – Our Love Affair, It’s A Great Day For The Irish

Francis Faye – Well Alright!
Kermit Goell – Near You
Murray Grand – Guess Who I Saw Today
Hal Hackady – Let’s Go Mets
Nancy Hamilton – How High The Moon
Lorenz Hart – My Funny Valentine, Where Or When, The Lady Is A Tramp, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered​ (and countless other classic songs)
Jerry Herman – Hello Dolly, Mame, The Best Of Times Is Now (sung at the Republican National Convention)
Edward Heyman – Body and Soul, When I Fall In Love
Bart Howard – Fly Me To The Moon
Alberta Hunter – My Castle's Rockin’
Herman Hupfeld – As Time Goes By, “Casablanca”
Paul Jabara – Last Dance
Fred Ebb – Theme from “New York, New York”, Cabaret, Maybe This Time
John La Touche – Taking A Chance On Love, Lazy Afternoon
Jack Lawrence – All Or Nothing At All, Tenderly, Linda
Rod McKuen – Jean, If You Go Away, Love’s Been Good To Me
Ivor Novello - Keep The Home Fires Burning
Buddy Pepper – Vaya Con Dios, Pillow Talk
Cole Porter – Night And Day, I Concentrate On You, Just One Of Those Things​, Let's Misbehave, Anything Goes, I Get A Kick Out Of You (and countless other classic songs)

James Rado – Hair
Johnnie Ray – The Little White Cloud That Cried
Harry Revel – Did You Ever See A Dream Walking, When I’m With You, There’s A Lull In My Life
Harvey Schmidt – Try To Remember
Howard Greenfield – Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Where The Boys Are
Stephen Sondheim – Send In The Clowns, Everything’s Coming Up Roses, Tonight (and a list of ​iconic shows probably unknown to the censors)
Billy Strayhorn - Lush life
Luther Vandross – Never Too Much
Alec Wilder – I’ll Be Around
George Wright And Chet Forrest – Stranger In Paradise, “Kismet” (Show)

​Where will this end? W​here will this music and these artists be seen ​and heard in the future?​ We must rally against the forces that conspire to deny, erase and eradicate our culture. If you too find yourself in opposition to the current "values" of our country and government, please take action. Each of us has the power to make a change. Write a letter to your Senator, Congressman or the White House. Send an email. Make a call. Passivity is not progress. Artists and art need our support now more than at any other moment in our lifetimes - regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or any other arbitrary "qualification" designed to divide us.

​If you can, please donate to The Trevor Project and visit http://thetrevorproject.org​. No amount is too small, and if your personal situation currently prevents a monetary contribution, raising awareness and sharing information is equally vital.

​... Oh, and ​I hope they don’t forget to ban my upcoming show, “The Gay American Songbook”!

[Jeff Wrangler]

(Shakes head. ...)