Stonewall Gazette

Written by Arwa Mahdawi


Heard the hilarious joke about the vice-president of the United States wanting to hang all gay people? Ah, no, my mistake. It wasn’t a joke – it was just another day in the increasingly regressive states of Trumpinistan. Trump, you see, does have a fanbase among the LGBT community. While only 14% of gay Americans voted for him (it’s hard to get data on trans voters), he’s galvanized very vocal support among an influential group of gay, white, and financially well-off men.


In February, for example, Chadwick Moore, a 33-year-old gay journalist who controversially profiled the deeply odious Milo Yiannopoulos in Out magazine, “came out” as sympathetic to Trump in a New York Post piece. Moore is just one example of a wider trend of gay people, emboldened by the likes of self-described “dangerous faggot” Yiannopoulos, to publicly and vociferously air their prejudices or pledge their allegiance to the racist, sexist and increasingly homophobic Trump administration. READ MORE

Written by Out and About Nashville


The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released a new report, Tipping the Scales: The Coordinated Attack on LGBT People, Women, Parents, Children, and Health Care, detailing the alarming and widespread push to pass a variety of religious exemptions laws that would give businesses, government agencies and individuals a right to discriminate on religious or moral grounds.

UNPRECEDENTED

 “The sheer volume and variety of these efforts to write religious exemptions into all areas of American life and law is incredibly disturbing,” said Ineke Mushovic, executive director of the Movement Advancement Project (MAP). “Freedom of religion is a core American value, but religious freedom doesn't give anyone the right to discriminate, to harm, or to impose their religion on others. This is a coordinated effort to say that, as long as you have a religious objection, you shouldn't have to follow the law when it comes to hiring and firing employees, discrimination protections for customers and clients, providing health care, administering government services and issuing documentation, serving children and families in child welfare agencies, and the list just goes on.” READ MORE

Written by Michael Hamar

As a former Republican who was raised in a predominantly Republican family I am increasingly shocked by the ugliness of the agenda of today's GOP which seemingly puts little effort into the pretense that it is a political party that gives a damn about average American much less their families. My late parents and grandparents would be shocked at the willingness of today's congressional Republicans - and they are no better at the state level - to throw millions of Americans into the gutter while lavishing huge tax breaks on the disgustingly wealthy. As for the Gospel message, in today's GOP, that is something that receives lip service in order to prostitute party elected officials to Christofascists (who in truth only cling to certain Old Testament passages to justify their hatred of others) while the core of the Gospel message is tossed in the trash or utterly ignored. READ MORE

While major news networks have struggled to figure out the right way to cover the Trump administration, political satirists like Samantha Bee, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers have demonstrated why comedy can be such a powerful antidote to bullshit.

Watch this funny and informative video below!

Written by Stephen Peters


The Human Rights Campaign aims a bright spotlight on five federal judicial nominees — Jeff Mateer, Damien Schiff, Leonard Steven Grasz, Mark Norris, and Stephen Schwartz. If confirmed by the Senate, the nominees could seriously threaten the future of LGBTQ equality in America.

“In their crusade against the LGBTQ community, Donald Trump and Mike Pence are doing everything they can to stack our federal courts and all agencies of the government with anti-LGBTQ nominees and appointments,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “This is a deliberate attempt to undermine the progress we’ve made and weave discrimination into every part of our government. There are scores of under-qualified nominees with terrible anti-equality records, and Jeff Mateer, Damien Schiff, Leonard Steven Grasz, Mark Norris, and Stephen Schwartz are among the worst of the worst. The Senate must reject their nominations to lifetime appointments to the federal bench.”

In less than one year, the Trump-Pence Administration has unleashed a torrent of attacks on the LGBTQ community and undermined the rights of millions of Americans. Through rollbacks, rescissions, and re-interpretations, Donald Trump and Mike Pence have systematically and meticulously eroded years of progress and protections. What’s more, Trump and Pence have appointed and nominated scores of extreme and unqualified anti-LGBTQ officials to crucial agencies and court benches — some of whom will serve lifetime appointments. READ MORE

Written by Edward Siddons


Khalid Abdel-Hadi [pictured above], founder of the Middle East's leading LGBT magazine My.Kali, has carved a new space for queer culture in the Arabic world. Founded in 2008, the magazine was published exclusively in English. "We didn't want to speak the language of the public," he explains, in part for fear of reprisal, the likes of which recently saw Xulhaz Mannan, a prominent Bangladeshi LGBT blogger, beheaded by radical Islamist militants. Last year heralded a brave new move in My.Kali'sud history with the publication of its first edition in Arabic. "We thought it was time. Regardless of whether it's smart or completely safe, it is needed."

Forging an identity free of Western dominance that avoids casting queer Arabs as a monolithic bloc poses a struggle. Khalid expresses particular frustration at the Western media's obsession with casting Arab queers as victims. For all the stories of rejection, alienation and oppression are others of acceptance and triumph, but the complexity of queer Arab life is lost in Western representation. As but one example, while nearby Iran imposes the death penalty for sodomy, it is home to the second highest number of gender reassignent surgeries in the world. The unevenness of LGBT rights throughout the region gains minimal attention. READ MORE

Written by Susan Dicklitch-Nelson, Berwood Yost and Scottie Thompson


Our research gives most countries in the world a failing grade in LGBTQ rights, reflecting widespread persecution of sexual minorities. Only one country in 10 actively protects the human rights of sexual minorities.

The Extremes Are Stunning

In 2017, 23 countries have legalized same-sex marriage, yet 71 countries still criminalize same-sex acts. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria and Yemen score lowest on our scale, with an overall GBGR score of 3 out of a possible score of 100, while Luxembourg, Malta and New Zealand score highest, with 100 percent. A score of 100 percent doesn’t mean a country is perfect in its treatment of LGBT individuals, but it does mean they protect LGBTQ rights. Our initial findings suggest that higher income, lower rates of religiosity, higher life expectancy, a higher freedom rating by nonprofit Freedom House and having a democratic political system are the best predictors of how much a country respects or abuses the rights of sexual minorities. This suggests that a country’s attitude toward gay rights is strongly related to its level of socioeconomic development, political development and religiosity. That makes the U.S.‘ low score an even greater anomaly. READ MORE

Written by Chris Coons and Nicole Austin-Hillery


Over the past several months, we’ve heard a lot about the Russian government’s interference in our 2016 election, and rightly so. But we’ve heard less about another threat that has nothing to do with Vladimir Putin but is just as destructive and just as effective at undermining the integrity of our democracy: a decades-long assault on voting rights. This campaign is nothing less than a sustained attack on American democracy from within. We have no doubt that voter suppression laws have been “passed with racially discriminatory intent,” as federal courts have recognized. We also know that others were passed with an unacceptable tolerance of discriminatory effects. In 2013, those who seek to discriminate were empowered by the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark law that was one of the greatest achievements of the modern civil rights movement. These days, discriminatory barriers to the ballot box often hide behind seemingly benign objectives of “fighting voter fraud” and “protecting election integrity.” READ MORE

Written by Ken Janssens and Selisse Berry

Nikki Haley, America's ambassador to the United Nations, issued a statement reaffirming U.S. commitment to non-discrimination and calling for accountability for Chechen authorities who, according to reports, have arbitrarily detained, tortured and killed gay men in concentration camps, thus evoking Nazi Germany's persecution of LGBT people.

Those shocking reports are a reminder of the complex and often dangerous landscape LGBT people face across the globe. In 23 countries same-sex couples can get married, but in 76 countries we can be arrested just for being who we are. Given this paradox of progress and backlash, it's more important than ever to consider the role business leaders can play to shift culture and advance LGBT equality around the world. New research shows how far we've come—though we still have much to do. READ MORE

Written by Shane Smith, Editor, Stonewall Gazette


Political journalism tends to treat every story like the ones that came before it. So what happens when politics in the Trump era goes off the rails? Carlos Maza has an excellent report on the normalization of Donald Trump. Watch the video below.

Written by Beatrice Hazlehurst


In a story that becomes increasingly horrific by the minute, Chechnya are still very much carrying out their "gay purge", but due to global backlash and pressure from the Russian media they're having to do so more covertly. When an investigation team from Novaya Gazeta arrived at the camp as described by former inmates, they found the location completely abandoned and covered in debris. The group then headed to another rumored prison, a Special Police Force training base in Terek (60km North) but were turned away from the areas by authorities because "training was taking place."

Human Rights Watch has affirmed Novaya Gazeta's findings, saying they were "consistent" with reports they themselves had received. "The information published by Novaya Gazeta is consistent with the reports Human Rights Watch recently received from numerous trusted sources, including sources on the ground." They said in a statement. "The number of sources and the consistency of the stories leaves us with no doubt that these devastating developments have indeed occurred."
READ MORE

"Amid the sea of bad news and negativity there’s always a bright light somewhere. With the media under constant attack, I think it’s important to recognize the gay journalists who are good at their jobs, and report the news in a civil and straightforward way. They serve the public interest with integrity. They’re honest and factual and tell the truth, and they’re outstanding representatives of the LGBT community," writes Roy Steele. "This is my subjective list of the top ten most influential gay male journalists and role models, working in the media today (in alphabetical order)."

Frank Bruni, The New York Times
Jonathan Capehart, The Washington Post
Anderson Cooper, CNN Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept
Steve Kornacki, MSNBC
Don Lemon, CNN
Richard Quest, CNN
Thomas Roberts, MSNBC
Shepard Smith, Fox
Pete Williams, NBC News

Continue reading... 10 Most Influential Gay Male Journalists And Role Models

Written by Letitia Stein


When Mike Lujano and George Lenz hoisted a rainbow flag outside their business in a Victorian brownstone on Market Street two decades ago, they found that few neighbors in socially conservative Wheeling, West Virginia, knew it was a symbol of gay pride. The married owners of Edna's hair salon in this faded industrial city of 28,000 at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains never dreamed that one day they would be at a packed city council meeting, cheering the passage of an ordinance barring discrimination over sexual orientation and gender identity. Defying stereotypes in the U.S. culture wars over lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, Wheeling is among a recent wave of small cities, many in parts of the country that voted for Republican President Donald Trump, to embrace these protections. "We told people this wasn't a bad place," said Lujano, 53, who was in the audience when the ordinance passed in late December. "Finally, this confirmed it."

About 50 U.S. municipalities in 15 states have added LGBTQ nondiscrimination measures since 2015, when same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide. More than half of those cities and towns are located in counties that backed Trump in November's election, and all are in states he won. Local leaders say accepting diversity is not just the right thing to do, but needed to attract jobs and investment. They concede the measures alone may not land a Fortune 500 employer but argue the protections are necessary for smaller markets to appeal to many corporations with LGBTQ-friendly policies.

While the verdict remains out in Wheeling and other places with recently adopted protections, the cost of opposing LGBTQ advancement has run in the hundreds of millions of dollars in North Carolina. Last year the state lost major entertainment events and planned jobs expansions by PayPal and Deutsche Bank in the protests over a state law restricting bathroom access for transgender people.

In Indiana, Vice President Mike Pence's hometown of Columbus saw an all-Republican city council unanimously pass LGBTQ protections after he signed as governor a religion law in 2015 that was widely decried as discriminatory and prompted some conventions to go elsewhere. "Republicans don't speak with one voice on this issue," said Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop. "In a small town, you really do live with the laws that you create. It makes it all a little bit more real that we see some people - we actually know them - who might be affected."

Across the United States, 19 states have LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections that typically guard against being fired from jobs, kicked out of housing or denied services in places like restaurants or hotels. Reuters found that about four out of five cities with populations greater than 250,000 are covered with at least some protections. READ MORE

Written by Shane Smith , Editor of Stonewall Gazette

Donald Trump (L) and Harvey Levin (R)

Harvey Levin, founder of the popular gossip site TMZ, recently visited Donald Trump at The White House and some of Levin's staff are NOT happy about it. "A number of TMZ staffers are reportedly frustrated with the openly gay Levin’s ties to the new Republican administration," reports Greg Hernandez. The revelation about the relationship between these two high profile men explains the recent favorable coverage by TMZ of Donald Trump and family. Hernandez adds that "Levin’s roughly one-hour Oval Office visit was not noted on Trump’s public schedule and came a day after the president’s first address to a joint session of the US Congress. Trump’s chuminess with Levin comes at a time that he has declared war against most mainstream news organizations including CNN, The New York Times and the Washington Post." Looks like Harvey Levin, an openly gay Jewish man, is a full-fledged quisling now. Shame on him.

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Written by Barry Rubin

By appointing Phillip Miscimarra, an anti-union lawyer, as chair of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Donald Trump is taking another step in assembling his shock troops for destroying unions. What’s more, by appointing Miscimarra, Trump is taking another step toward packing the NLRB with members who would rule in favor of the companies he owns. In the past, the NLRB has cited Trump companies for breaking labor laws. National Public Radio (NPR) reports that “Like other business owners, President-elect Donald Trump has often had a strained relationship with labor unions, sometimes resulting in regulatory disputes and legal battles. Unlike the others, Trump will soon get to appoint the people who run the agency that hears many of those disputes, the National Labor Relations Board.” READ MORE

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Thomas Countryman was the Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, a position he held after serving the United States for 35 years. In that role, he was "tasked with keeping WMDs from reaching terrorists, and restricting the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons." Below are the profound words Countryman said, last month, on the day of his forced retirement:

Our work is little understood by our fellow Americans, a fact that is sometimes exploited for political purpose. When I have the opportunity to speak to audiences across this amazing land, I explain “We do not have a Department of State – we do not have a foreign policy – because we love foreigners. We do it because we love Americans.”

We want Americans to sleep the sleep of the righteous, knowing that the smallest fraction of their tax dollar goes to ease poverty and reduce injustice. We want them to know that our consular officers are the first of many lines of defense against those who would come to the US with evil purpose. We want the families of America’s heroes – our servicemen – to know that their loved ones are not put into danger simply because of a failure to pursue non-military solutions.

Business made America great, as it always has been, and business leaders are among our most important partners. But let’s be clear, despite the similarities. A dog is not a cat. Baseball is not football. And diplomacy is not a business. Human rights are not a business. And democracy is, most assuredly, not a business.

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Written by Aaron Rupar

A Department of Homeland Security memo authored by Secretary John Kelly asserts that “criminal aliens routinely victimize Americans and other legal residents.” The memo, entitled “Enforcement of the Immigration Laws to Serve the National Interest,” creates a new federal office meant to work with those victims. “Accordingly, I am establishing the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office within the Office of the Director of ICE, which will create a programmatic liaison between ICE and the known victims of crimes committed by removable aliens,” Kelly writes. “To that end, I direct the Director of ICE to immediately reallocate any and all resources that are currently used to advocate on behalf of illegal aliens to the new VOICE Office, and to immediately terminate the provision of such outreach or advocacy services to illegal aliens.” But Homeland Security’s new VOICE office is based on a false premise. Data indicates undocumented immigrants are no more likely to commit crimes than American citizens, and are actually less likely to be criminals in some cases. READ MORE

Arizona Senate Votes to Seize Assets of Those Who Plan or Participate in Protests That 'Turn Violent'
Claiming people are being paid to riot, Republican state senators voted Wednesday to give police new power to arrest anyone who is involved in a peaceful demonstration that may turn bad — even before anything actually happened. SB1142 expands the state’s racketeering laws, now aimed at organized crime, to also include rioting. And it redefines what constitutes rioting to include actions that result in damage to the property of others. But the real heart of the legislation is what Democrats say is the guilt by association — and giving the government the right to criminally prosecute and seize the assets of everyone who planned a protest and everyone who participated. And what’s worse, said Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, is that the person who may have broken a window, triggering the claim there was a riot, might actually not be a member of the group but someone from the other side. Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Phoenix, acknowledged that sometimes what’s planned as a peaceful demonstration can go south. “When people want to express themselves as a group during a time of turmoil, during a time of controversy, during a time of high emotions, that’s exactly when people gather as a community,’’ he said. “Sometimes they yell, sometimes they scream, sometimes they do go too far.’’ Quezada said, though, that everything that constitutes rioting already is a crime, ranging from assault to criminal damage, and those responsible can be individually prosecuted. He said the purpose of this bill appears to be designed to chill the First Amendment rights of people to decide to demonstrate in the first place for fear something could wrong. But Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said that chilling effect is aimed at a very specific group of protesters.

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Written by German Lopez

Milo Yiannopoulos Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The story of Milo Yiannopoulos’s fall from conservative grace ended when a conservative blog posted video footage of him making comments that seemed to rationalize pedophilia. But it started when a 16-year-old high school student in Canada decided Yiannopoulos was embraced much too closely by mainstream conservatives. The teen was moved to dig up footage on Yiannopoulos when she heard that he’d been invited to speak at the highest profile gathering of conservatives each year in America, the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). She defines herself as “very socially liberal,” but leans right on economics and foreign policy. Yiannopoulos, who has built his personal brand on anti-Muslim, anti-feminism, and general bigotry, exemplifies the place where she doesn’t believe the conservative movement should go. “I see Milo as this embodiment of the awfulness you see over the past few years with the general tilt of millennial conservatism,” said the teen. “It’s diverged from this traditional conservatism so much. You’ve seen it essentially become full of awfulness and all about attacking the left and not about actual principles. It has nothing to do with conservative ideology so much as it has with opposing the leftists, SJWs, and so on and so forth.” Within days of his old statements coming to light, Yiannopoulos lost his spot at CPAC, his book deal, and his job at the ultra-conservative website Breitbart. READ MORE

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Written by David Kaiser


During the 1990s, two amateur historians, Neil Howe and the late William Strauss, developed a new theory of American history in two books, Generations: the History of America’s Future (1991), and The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy (1997). They identified an 80-year cycle in American history, punctuated by great crises that destroyed an old order and created a new one. Though their theory is not widely taught in colleges or discussed in the media, Strauss and Howe may well play a major role in Donald Trump's administration. Stephen Bannon, the former head of [anti-LGBT rights] Breitbart News who has been appointed Trump’s chief strategist in the White House, is very familiar with Strauss and Howe’s theory of crisis, and has been thinking about how to use it to achieve particular goals for quite a while. READ MORE