ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

Archives for 2015

USA Rugby and International Gay Rugby sign Memorandum of Understanding to eliminate homophobia in Rugby

By Leave a Comment

Rugby
 
 

Via press release

USA Rugby signed a memorandum of understanding with International Gay Rugby (IGR) Thursday, September 10, setting forth a partnership that will see the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States promote a diverse and inclusive environment in all levels of Rugby, working to end homophobia in all areas of the game.
In March 2015, IGR recently signed an agreement with World Rugby to collaborate on the promotion of equality and inclusivity in rugby around the world, actively seeking to globally remove homophobia from the game. The agreement with USA Rugby focuses mainly on the domestic side of the game in the United States to ensure registered members of USA Rugby are provided with the tools and education necessary to combat discrimination, be it based on sexual orientation, perceived sexual orientation, or identification.
USA Rugby recognizes the right of any player, official, coach, and spectator to be involved in rugby without bullying, discrimination, or exclusion of any kind, and celebrates the differences that make its members unique.
Nigel Melville, CEO of USA Rugby said “USA Rugby is thrilled to be joining IGR in the advancement of diversity and inclusion throughout the sport of rugby, as well to eliminate homophobia from the game. Following in World Rugby’s footsteps, we are steadfast in ensuring that rugby remains and continues to grow as a sport for individuals from all walks of life.”
USA Rugby will work with its own member associations, clubs, and unions to improve acceptance of LGBT members, provide educational tools to support in the elimination of perceived and institutionalized homophobia in the game, and help support IGR events.
“IGR is very proud of the leadership that USA Rugby continues to show around equality, diversity and inclusion in Rugby. The signing of this agreement is a great example of the commitment of USA Rugby to eliminating homophobia from the sport at all levels. We look forward to our continued partnership in creating a safe and homophobia free environment for all players, proving that rugby is the most inclusive sport in the United States and in the World.” Jeff Wilson, Chairman of International Gay Rugby (IGR) said.
IGR provides its 56 member clubs in fifteen countries developmental support and resources in several aspects of club organization through leadership and community engagement . Also, IGR member clubs host global, continental and regional tournaments and events celebrating the diversity and inclusion rugby community. The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament is the flagship global event for IGR Member Clubs. Named after a gay American rugby player who died on United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, the Bingham Cup is IGR’s World Cup of gay and inclusive rugby.
The Nashville Grizzlies RFC will host the 2016 Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament in the “Music City” of Nashville, Tennessee from Monday, May 22 through Sunday, May 29. This will be the first since 2010 that the tournament has been held in the USA and is the first time it has ever been held in the mid-south.
“The Organizing Committee is excited to partner with USA Rugby” said Jon Glassmeyer, the president of the Mark Kendall Bingham Cup 2016 Organizing Committee. “This agreement demonstrates USA Rugby’s commitment to inclusiveness and sets an example for other national unions around the world.”

Our Libraries

By

NI LibrariesI am a passionate believer in education and the access to information; and an article published in the New Orleans Advocate (When we build, improve libraries, we invest in the young, the poor, our overall quality of life) indicates that communities across Louisiana have realised the potential of libraries to develop people and provide a resource to everyone.

I also am a realist, in that we all have to work within budgets, but the short sightedness of the current government’s policies regarding provision of monies for libraries and its resources can clearly be seen in the table below.

Effectively the budget has been decreased by 3.9% per head in Northern Ireland for a resource which enables education, mobility and provides the population with a means of developing and red-developing its ability to meet the needs of the workplace.

Some would believe that this is short-sightedness – I do!

 

Public spending per head for Northern Ireland, 2009/10 to 2013/14 £ per head in real terms (2013/14 prices)

        

 

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14
Northern Ireland 11,408 11,173 11,051 11,059

10,961

 

But, we also have a school library service, and details regarding its expenditure has been impossible to ascertain in terms of expenditure comparison, however a report from CILIP did have some very telling information, and in particular the Table B5: Adequacy of Current Stock and Resources, which indicates that 7 of the 9 authorities who had responded felt it was poor or adequate for its needs.  The question must be asked is that sufficient for our children?

Snap 2015-09-24 at 11.46.43

 

Research information:

  1. House of Commons Library – BRIEFING PAPER Number 04033, 19 May 2015
  2. The economic value of public libraries
  3. The impact of austerity on schools and children’s education and well-being
  4. CILIP – School libraries in the UK A worthwhile past, a difficult present – and a transformed future? 

Adam Lambert

By Leave a Comment

Adam Lambert is an openly gay singer, who came from the American Idol stable; however, according to the Daily Express Adam  2009 run on American Idol his clearly extraordinary vocals led to controversy when it was discovered that he had appeared professionally on stage in several musicals.
Most notably, he played Joshua opposite Val Kilmer in the short-lived L.A. production of The Ten Commandments: The Musical.
This led to further roles, including playing Fiyero in the American national touring production of Wicked.
Currently acting as the front man with Queen on their tour, and a video of his performing “Ghost Town” has been given air time.
Here is Adam with Queen with Ghost Town

Further reading:
Express: Who Is Adam Lambert?
http://bcove.me/plt34uga

LGBT History

By Leave a Comment

LGBT HistoryHistory for the LGBT community has largely remained hidden, due to the persecution and homophobia enacted by society in the main, and in particular by those in power, whether it be government, police, the judiciary etc.
As the LGBT community has slowly fought and achieved its rights, so the need for its history to be written down and incorporated into mainstream history has become a necessity.  There is still a resistance within corridors of power, and indeed the history books still do not reflect LGBT characters and their contribution to the development of society, or the fight against tyranny,
Stonewall in the USA, has recognised the lack of visibility and acceptance of LGBT history, and that is why a  broad coalition of elected officials, community members, advocates and Stonewall witnesses are urging President Obama to designate a national monument at the Stonewall site before the end of his term.
The article can be read here: Stonewall Site to Honor LGBT History, America’s Struggle for Equality.
I also believe that our history should be written down now, before those who have been involved in the past leave us and take their memories and knowledge with them.
I urge the LGBT community in Northern Ireland, and indeed in Ireland to consider forming an online repository for our history.
Why not let us know what you think about this idea?
 

¿Qué tal? LGBT community, Latino “Magayzine” offers news in Spanish

By Leave a Comment

The United States now has the next biggest number of Spanish speaking population after Mexico. There are an estimated 1.4 million (4.3 percent), LGBT Latinos living in America.

Photo credit: Magayzine

Photo credit: Magayzine, which offers LGBT news in Spanish


 
A new Spanish gay and lesbian news source called “Magayzine” launches in September and it focuses on the LGBT Spanish speaking population. Non-Spanish speakers can hit the “Google translate” button and enjoy the site in English.
However, most of the videos are broadcast in Spanish.
The media source has its roots in Spain, but will cover international news and entertainment.
In September they will begin to stream near-daily exclusive programs, and hope to make these a regular offering in the future. Here are some examples of what the channel produces:
Tuesdays: “A Pie de Calle”. Programs recorded at the street, getting responses from the public about current topics.
Wednesdays: “Ambigú”. Recorded on a set, it focuses on scenarios: theater, cinema and cabaret.
Thursdays: “Café”. Recorded on a set, it focuses on interviews with culture and politics protagonists.
As the channel becomes more established it will begin to deliver more shows such as “Magayzine Hot,” featuring adult movie star interviews. They would also like to create a show focused on lesbian community.
Magayzine also has a sister site called www.universogay.com which also focuses on the LGBT community.
As the Latino LGBT population continues to grow, Magayzine hopes to provide not only timely news and features, but provide an outlet for the community in their own terms.
Timothy Rawles is Community Editor of SDGLN. He can be reached at editor@sdgln.com, @reporter66 on Twitter, or by calling toll-free to 888-442-9639, ext. 713.
– See more at: http://www.sdgln.com/social/2015/08/29/qu-tal-lgbt-community-latino-magayzine-offers-news-spanish#sthash.U145BBSL.dpuf

Gay Photographer Michael Stokes Repeatedly Banned by Facebook Over Photos of Wounded Soldiers

By Leave a Comment

 

Why has Facebook repeatedly targeted photographer Michael Stokes for his photos of wounded soldiers and gay themed art?Site execs won’t say.

 M Stokes Photography
advocate_logoBY BIL BROWNING
SEPTEMBER 18 2015 10:09 AM EDT
 
Photographer Michael Stokes has found himself in Facebook’s crosshairs multiple times for posting pictures of wounded soldiers. Stokes has had several photos removed from his fan page and earlier this week found himself locked out of his account for posting “things that aren’t allowed.”
As The Advocate reported in January, Stokes is best known for his portraits of soldiers wounded in combat and the graceful way he highlights their beauty. While many of his subjects are amputees and no longer considered perfect by ableist standards, Stokes brings out their humanity and inner beauty in his art. Subjects pose either entirely or nearly naked to show their scars, amputated limbs, and other war wounds.
The photo that got Stokes banned this week shows a nude veteran photographed from the side lighting a cigarette. In the email telling him he wasn’t allowed access to the site for 30 days, Facebook also said he would not be allowed to post further photos to his page because he had “repeatedly posted things that aren’t allowed.”
In July, a photo of a topless female veteran who lost both of her arms in Iraq and was diagnosed with breast cancer after returning home to the United States was the source of Facebook’s ire. The site has an exception to its nudity policy specifically meant to protect breast cancer survivors and transgender men who show breast scarring. The photo was not removed from Stokes’s page, but fans who shared the photo also felt the wrath of Facebook and were banned by the social media site.
Stokes was warned by Facebook after the photo went viral that his page had been reported because “one or more photos” violated the site’s terms of service. He removed the photo as a precaution, knowing how often he had been targeted by the site.
Many users have taken up Stokes’s cause over the past year as the social media giant has repeatedly targeted the photographer. Many of the photos with which the site has taken issue have been gay-themed and did not violate any terms of service rules. Fans allege that Stokes’s photography has been flagged for its gay eroticism and provocative themes.
“I think it opposes a convention where seeing women as objects is acceptable and the assumption is that the viewer is male, and they are in a position of power,” Stokes told The Independent. “I know some men get furious if they see a man posing in a sensual way. It’s threatening to some men, not all men, to have a woman as the voyeur.”
After The Independent contacted Facebook seeking comment on why it has repeatedly targeted Stokes, the photo of the male veteran was reinstated. Stokes received an apology but no explanation as to why it was removed or reinstated. The site has refused to allow Stokes to repost other “offensive” photos even after officials decided they didn’t violate the terms of service.
“This is the third time this has happened to me where a media inquiry caused them to revisit it or change their mind,” Stokes told the U.K. newspaper.
Facebook executives continue to refuse to say why the site has targeted Stokes, but claim someone at Facebook is investigating. “In order to treat people fairly and respond to reports quickly, it is essential that we have policies in place that our global teams can apply uniformly and easily when reviewing content,” the site’s guidelines say. “As a result, our policies can sometimes be more blunt than we would like and restrict content shared for legitimate purposes. We are always working to get better at evaluating this content and enforcing our standards.”
The Advocate reached out to Facebook for comment but at press time has not yet received a response.
You can see examples of Michael Stokes’s work on his Facebook page by clicking here.

‘Gay Vegas’ reputation has global reach

By Leave a Comment

NZ Herald Logo
 
 
 
Lincoln Tan 5:00 AM Saturday Sep 19, 2015

Same-sex couples fighting laws in own countries flock to Auckland to get married and have or adopt children.

My Kitchen Rules stars Tresne Middleton and Carly Saunders couldn't marry in Australia so had their ceremony on Waiheke Island. Photo / Supplied
My Kitchen Rules stars Tresne Middleton and Carly Saunders couldn’t marry in Australia so had their ceremony on Waiheke Island. Photo / Supplied

Auckland is being seen as the “gay Vegas” and homosexual couples from around the world are coming here to get married and have children.
Many come from countries where a same-sex relationship is considered illegal – including Singapore, Malaysia and China – or nations such as Australia, where “commitment ceremonies” are popular but do not satisfy everyone.
Australians top the list of same-sex couples coming here to tie the knot, as their country does not recognise marriage between male or female couples.
Two stars of the television show My Kitchen Rules, Carly Saunders and Tresne Middleton, got married in secret on Waiheke Island last year. They were among the 500 Australians who have married here since August 2013, when the law changed.
Couples from China, the United Kingdom and Singapore have also made the journey.
Over the same period, seven children were registered to foreign male couples through adoption and one, by birth, to a female couple from Singapore.
Gay bartender Stanley Chan, 29, who spoke to the Herald in Singapore, said Auckland was considered the “Las Vegas for gay, lesbians and transgenders”.
Las Vegas is a popular marriage destination because of the ease of registering marriages there.
Like 28 Singaporean couples already, Chan and his British-born partner will be coming to Auckland in December to wed.
“I see New Zealand as a gay paradise and on what I hope will be the happiest day of my life, I want to be able to go to a place where I can celebrate our love in the open,” he said.
“In Singapore, we have to live in a secret underground world because the silly laws make it impossible for me to even openly disclose that I’m gay.”
Under section 377a of the penal code of Singapore, a man who has sex with another man can be imprisoned for up to two years.
Last year, two Singaporeans became the first female couple to have their child born in New Zealand and registered to both of them as parents.
The couple also met the Herald in Singapore but changed their minds about being interviewed because they felt it could hurt their business and land them in trouble with the law.
However, they said the main reason they chose to have their child in New Zealand was so they could have a birth certificate that listed both of them as parents.
“In Singapore, he would have been registered as a son of a single parent and it would not have correctly reflected our situation,” the birth mother of the child said.
Social worker Yangfa Leow, 40, the executive director of Oogachaga, which counsels and supports LGBTs (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people) in Singapore, said legal adoption there was usually allowed only for married, opposite-sex couples and single women.
This has resulted in same-sex couples finding alternative ways to include children in their lives and commit to each other, such as going to countries such as New Zealand where these are legally recognised.

The ease of exchanging vows in NZ has the LGBT community comparing it to Las Vegas.
The ease of exchanging vows in NZ has the LGBT community comparing it to Las Vegas.

“I understand that New Zealand has legalised marriage for same-sex couples, which of course is the right thing to do in terms of ensuring equality for all,” Leow said.
Last year, Lonely Planet named New Zealand the second most gay-friendly place in the world, behind Copenhagen in Denmark.
Tourism New Zealand said it did not specifically target the gay and lesbian community, but promoted the country as a great destination for weddings and honeymoons for all travellers.
Between 30,000 and 45,000 honeymooners from overseas came to New Zealand each year, spending an estimated $160 million.
After the passing of the Marriage Amendment Act, Tourism NZ ran a campaign to show how easy it is for same-sex couples from Australia to marry in New Zealand.
“There was a very positive response from same-sex couples in Australia,” said Tourism NZ spokeswoman Deborah Gray.
She said visitors were not asked to identify their sexual orientation, so there was “no robust data” to gauge the value of gay tourists.
Brett O’Riley, Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development chief executive, said the organisation was supporting several gay-friendly tourism operators who directly target the gay market.
“We understand after the gay marriage legislation passed that a number of couples did see New Zealand as a destination to say ‘I do’ and gain legal marriage status, where their home countries may not allow them similar rights.”

Gay marriages in NZ

(since August 2013)
Female-Female
• From Australia: 264
• From China: 32
• From the UK: 22
• From Singapore: 17
• From the US: 8
• From Malaysia: 8
• From the entire world: 411
Male-Male
• From Australia: 236
• From China: 34
• From the UK: 13
• From the US: 13
• From Singapore: 11
• From Hong Kong: 11
• From Thailand: 10
• From the entire world: 401
(source: Dept of Internal Affairs)
Lincoln Tan travelled to Singapore with the help of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

– NZ Herald

Same Sex Marriage

By Leave a Comment

Editorial:

Last week we published the wedding of two Spanish policemen in full uniform with full honour guard.  You have to admit that they did look very handsome and happy at their wedding.

Today we carry on the theme, but publishing information on the Spanish Conservative ruling party whose leaders attended the same-sex marriage of their deputy secretary-general, giving tacit approval to a law they once bitterly opposed.

Life is changing all over the world, and when our local politicians in Northern Ireland resolve their differences, bigotry and stupidity maybe we to will move forward.

 

LGBT_flag_map_of_SpainSpain’s conservative ruling party leaders attend gay wedding

By HAROLD HECKLE | Associated Press – 12 hours ago

MADRID (AP) — The top brass of Spain’s ruling conservative Popular Party including Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy have attended the same-sex marriage of their deputy secretary-general, giving tacit approval to a law they once bitterly opposed.

Javier Maroto exchanged vows with Josema Rodriguez late Friday at a ceremony in the northern city of Vitoria attended by Rajoy, secretary-general Maria Dolores Cospedal and other party dignitaries, the party said in a statement.
“In Spain, the right to marriage is for everyone and we all share that message today,” Maroto said afterward.
“Parties evolve,” he added. “Now my party and the government join in backing that right.”
Maroto and Rodriguez have been partners in a same-sex relationship for 19 years. Apart from being a senior leader in the Popular Party, Maroto is a former mayor of Vitoria.
Parliament legalized gay marriage in 2005 under a Socialist government, angering conservatives in once-staunchly Roman Catholic Spain. The Popular Party then challenged the law but Spain’s Constitutional Court — the highest in the land — upheld its legality.

Now, a decade after voicing strong opposition to gay marriage, photographs at the ceremony that ended early Saturday showed Rajoy with other party leaders smiling broadly as they posed beside the two grooms

Greg Louganis – 30 Years Later: The Same Cereal Box, a New Perspective

By Leave a Comment


This article was written by Greg Louganis for WhoSay.
Hi, my name is Greg Louganis and I’m a four-time gold medal Olympic diver. I’m also HIV-positive and about to celebrate my second wedding anniversary with the love of my life, my husband Johnny.
I never thought I’d see this day when I could say any of this, much less say it publicly in front of all of you — the entire world. When I first came out to my mom years ago, she cried. She said she was sad for me because she knew that I would always be treated as a second-class citizen. She thought I would never be able to get married, and she was afraid I would die alone.
Oh my, how things have changed. Not only am I married, but also I am out to the world. For an openly gay athlete? I didn’t think that would ever happen. Even though I was out to my friends, family, and some people in the USA diving world, I just didn’t discuss my personal life in the media. That was my policy – and understandably so.
Take the Wheaties box, for example. Being on the cover of the Wheaties box is so iconic for Olympians. It’s almost a given for big gold medalists, and even some obscure Olympians, too. Back in 1984 after my first gold medal win at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, a reporter asked Wheaties why I wasn’t featured on the cover of the box. The rep told him that they were never in talks with me because I allegedly didn’t share the same family values.
greg
They didn’t come out and say it, but the message was loud and clear. They knew I was rumored to be gay and homosexuality wasn’t going to fly on a wholesome Wheaties box. Ouch.
People are kind of surprised when I say that I have no hard feelings about being denied a cover. After all, it wasn’t anything personal – it was a sign of the times of Corporate America. It’s also funny because many people assumed all of these years that I was on the Wheaties box. It wasn’t until I mentioned it in my book, that people started showing up at signings holding Wheaties boxes with my picture glued on them. They wanted redemption.
About a month ago, I got a note from a fan of mine, Julie Sondgerath in Chicago, Ill., who started a petition on Change.org to finally secure my Wheaties cover more than 30 years after my first gold medal win. People in the diving community, people in the dog agility community (my profession now)… they are all sharing it. With nearly 40,000 signatures, this petition has taken on, a life of its own. It’s incredible.
People tell me that they want to see this major brand right its wrong. My fans are up in arms that I was denied something because I was gay or perceived gay. Interestingly enough, Wheaties’ parent company, General Mills, has been making an honest effort in supporting the LGBT community for several years now. Not only does it have an internal diversity program for employees called Betty’s Family LGBT, the company also publicly supports the Equality Act, which seeks to expand existing civil rights protections to include safeguards against sexual orientation and gender identity. Plus, remember its beautiful Cheerios commercial featuring same-sex families?
Many people don’t realize, or simply forget, how far we’ve come. I’m hoping that if and when my Wheaties cover happens, I can raise awareness about all of the positive work General Mills has been doing for the gay community. I want people to think, “Now, that’s a company I can get behind.”
Do I need the Wheaties box to feel fulfilled? Absolutely not! To simply be here, living my life as my true self is rewarding enough. However, I feel like I owe this box to my friends, family, and fans that have been cheering me on for decades. Sure, the Wheaties cover would have been cool in 1984… but after all we’ve been through, it would be even more iconic now.
 
HI book ‘Breaking The Surface‘ is available on Amazon: Breaking The Surface