#Your chaos is now lgbtq+ ally

[highly-opinionated-ramblings]

"Bruce, my man," Oliver said loudly as he entered the Watchtower's cafeteria, "today would be a good day to delete your social media apps for a little while. Take a break, come back in a few months or so."

Bruce sighed. "What is it now?"

"Nnnnnnothing. Don't worry about it."

"Really," Barry added, seeing that Bruce was unconvinced, "it's nothing important. Just some random person stirring up drama."

"Hang on, you don't have a guy who handles that stuff for you, do you?" Hal asked. "Like a secretary, or something?"

"Wayne Enterprises has a social media team. Personally, I have Tim, who makes it his business to intervene on my behalf more often than not."

"Well, tell him to delete his socials for a while, too."

"It's just drama, right? Nothing either of us haven't seen before, I'm sure."

"Uhhh," Barry said, exchanging a nervous glance with Oliver, "well, this one's going kinda viral. Any kind of statement on your part would probably make it worse rather than better."

"Barry, I promise, I've been 'viral' lots of times in my life. You're probably worrying too much."

"Look, I'll tell you if you want to know," Oliver said. "I'll do it. Are you really sure you want to know? Are you really, really-"

"Oliver."

"Alright, fine. Have it your way. Earlier today, somebody posted, and I quote: 'billionaire playboy' is just a nice way of saying that Bruce Wayne is a SLUT."

Bruce snorted. "Is that all?"

"It's going viral," Barry repeated carefully.

"That's fine. It's no big deal."

"No big deal?!" Hal asked incredulously.

"Wayne Enterprises just put out a Transparency of Operations report last week, I was worried it would be something about that."

"Still, the comments.... the comments..."

"Highly entertaining, I'm sure," Bruce rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, they really are." Oliver grinned. "Some great memes in there."

"It's split about half and half between people slut-shaming you, and people saying we shouldn't be slut-shaming anyone."

"My favorite part is that there's a bunch of people defending you who claim to have actually slept with you during the height of your slut era. And they're all making a point to mention how nice you were about the whole thing!"

Oliver threw back his head and positively cackled. Hal laughed, too. Barry attempted valiantly to remain merely concerned, but even he had to bite his lip to stop from laughing. Bruce merely shrugged.

"Well, I like to think I kept it respectful with all my past partners from that era. Never saw any point in not being considerate."

"Yeah, you're a real gentleman."

"There's some men in there, as well, saying the same stuff," Hal said. "Does that count as a big deal?"

"Why would it? I've been publicly out as bisexual for almost three years now."

"You WHAT?!"

"Missed that one, did you? That also went viral for a little bit."

"You were in space when that happened, Hal," Barry said. "Remember that time you were gone for a while, and then as soon as you got back, Lobo was running around causing all that chaos? It was then."

"That's- you should have remembered to tell me about that, Barry! That's a pretty big deal!"

"No, it's really not."

"Shut up, Bruce. What the fuck does it mean to be 'publicly out', anyway? How did that even happen?!"

"Someone approached Wayne Enterprises about sponsoring the Gotham pride parade, and a couple of associated LGBTQ+ focused charities. So we gave them some money, and they invited me to give a speech as part of the event. I thought it would have been inappropriate to do so just as an ally."

By this point, Oliver was bent double, laughing so hard that there were tears in his eyes, and even Barry was snickering at the the look of mixed disbelief and confusion on Hal's face.

"That's... that's... I can't... you're not normal! I need you to recognize that you are not a normal person!"

"Noted."

"I'm sure it was actually inspiring for a lot of Gothamites," Barry said. "They looooooove their Bruce Wayne out there, after all."

"Sure. I'm not ignorant of the influence my standing affords me."

"Well, I still think you should stay out of this one. And Tim, too, definitely don't let him intervene on your behalf here. But it's good to know that it doesn't bother you."

"Yeah, I aspire to have skin as thick as yours. Any tips?"

"Maybe being a slut has something to do with it."

"BRUCE!"

[spn-season-16-chronicles]

SPNews

29th June 2021

Ackles' Chaos Machine posts a message on instagram wishing everyone happy pride on anniversary of Stonewall riots. The post says "At Chaos Machine, we believe in inclusivity and celebrating love. We love all of our LGBTQ+ family. We stand with you and we're excited to portray diverse intersectional stories". Fans become little tiny bit more hopeful when it comes to the prequels.

Seb Roche's tweet using words "gutted" and "bravo" is speculated about. Given his very... Specific... Sence of humor, it can be not entierly coincidental

What will happen tomorrow?

And now weather

[therestorer]

Extreme shippers still targeting Jensen in 2022? 

Death threats are not OK, wishing someone illness or death is not OK, body shaming is not OK, making manips and fake quotes/articles to incite hatred of someone is not OK, spreading lies and misinformation to defame someone is not OK, calling someone slurs is not OK.

All this extreme targeted hate just because he had a different opinion about the sexuality of the character he played and because a DECADE ago there was a misunderstanding at a convention when he didn’t answer a question about it. 

The convention incident was debunked as a misunderstanding by the fan at the time and even if it wasn’t 10 years of backlash is obsessive when he’s proved many times since he’s a decent guy and an ally.

Claims he’s homophobic because he’s “uncomfortable with the idea of playing a gay character” is debunked since he played a bisexual character in Blonde and an old article surfaced quoting him as being fine if his character Eric Brady came out as gay on Days of Our Lives.

Actors don’t control stories so blaming him or any actor for a ship not being canon is dumb in the first place, Jensen couldn’t even control Dean’s ending. Castiel being in love with Dean was allowed to happen because angels are “indifferent to sexual orientation” while Dean was perceived by the majority to be straight both behind the scenes and with viewers. You really think Robert Singer would say yes to Dean coming out?

STOP USING JENSEN AS A SCAPEGOAT

Jensen and Danneel have hired Renee Reiff to head their production company. Renee is a founding member of ‘Out In Hollywood’ which is an organization committed to advocating for inclusive queer stories. Chaos Machine Productions have a deal with WB and they want to increase representation.

Lack of representation is what you claim all this anger and hate is about right? Your excuse for making all these sick jokes, slandering Jensen and targeted harassment of him is because you think HE denied you YOUR representation after you felt queerbaited by the show yet Jensen is the only one who didn’t queerbait and as an actor he did not control whether Dean was allowed to come out as bisexual or not.

You’re being problematic, it’s gone way beyond calling Jensen out, it’s gone too far and it’s not a good way to advocate for better representation it just makes you look like bullies throwing homophobia around like it’s a trendy buzzword. Ironically unlike you Jensen is actively taking positive steps towards creating better representation in the media now he is free to do it while you’re still sitting behind your laptops making gross jokes about him to gain notes for a tumblr blog. Don’t claim you’re advocates for LGBTQ representation because you’re just embarrassing immature brats and no one needs your kind of negative energy promoting a good cause.

[pleasantspark]

More That Meets The Multiverse Roleplay Discord Server!

The Lost Light was no strangers to chaos, every once and awhile something marvelous happened on the Starship that left it's inhabits traumatized or fascinated, one day a scientist by the name of Perceptor introduced a machine that can bring allies from various worlds to aid them.

This was met with skepticism on Ultra Magnus's Part, as what would happen if the machine were to fail? Perceptor assures the commander that nothing bad will happen if he uses the machine.

It took awhile for Ultra Magnus to agree, once the machine was set, the machine brought various versions of themselves! Perceptor has to fix the machine, for now their various versions are here.

What would your characters do now that they aren't in a world of their own? It's up to you to decide! This is More That Meets The Multiverse

What we offer:

A Template for OCs and Canons!

Optional NSFW Roleplay!

Requests to ship OC X Canons and Canon x Canons!

Easy Submissions!

LGBTQ+ Relationships!

New Storylines!

Community ideas

https://discord.gg/nR8BcGCQy8

[blaringloudandproud]

I showed my friend @gaym83 who knows nothing about AEW or wrestling pictures of AEW wrestlers and these are his thoughts

Tony Khan-“Nervous gay office worker”

Kenny Omega-“He looks like a movie director from marvel but also an actor in a marvel movie”

Cody Rhodes-“gay (homophobic)”

Sammy Guevara-“gay (homophobic) 2. Alternatively, masc Adam Lambert”

Penta El Zero M-“Joker if he was unhinged in a way that’s to the right of the way he’s currently unhinged if that makes sense”

Adam Page-“Country himbo in the best way”

Tay Conti-“Lesbian?”

The Young Bucks-“Gay Geminis”

FTR-“Gay geminis 2:electeic boogaloo”

Jungle Boy-“Pansexual recently turned werewolf”

Luchasaurus-“Sea man”

The Acclaimed-“DJs at a rave nightclub”

MJF-“Scottish Henry”

Chuck and Trent-“Gay tiktok couple”

Matt Hardy-“Severely bigoted evangelist pastor in a covid central mega church. Just some really bad vibes here.”

Miro-“Mood,I think”

Orange Cassidy-“Someone you’d see in a Ford truck commercial”

Darby Allin-“Actor at a haunted attraction”

Chris Jericho-“Isn’t that Brent Buckle?”

Jon Moxley-“*sends shocked pikachu meme*•

Eddie Kingston-“Disappointed dad”

Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford-“Gay twins (non Gemini form)”

Sting-“Dracula if he was in KISS”

Proud n Powerful-“Table cat meme”

Frankie Kazarian-“John Barrowman????????”

Christian Cage-“Spider man villain”

Nyla Rose-“Character in a 90’s witchy movie”

Jake Hager-“Real estate agent named Ryan”

Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky-“Sam and Bucky in a different universe”

Brian Cage-“The type of guy that people think is just a brooding asshole but is secretly a big softie that loves small animals”

Powerhouse Hobbs-“Actor in 80s sci fi movie”

Marko Stunt-“Straight guy that went to warped tour with his gay best friend”

Wardlow-“Aquaman”

PAC-“Aquaman turned villain”

Lance Archer-“Biker with some vibes I can’t place”

Michael Nakazawa-“Cool dad”

Shawn Spears-“Reaction photo energy”

The Dark Order-“People i want to be friends with”

Private Party-“90s movie characters”

Christopher Daniels-“Former marvel character”

Dustin Rhodes-“What’s that skeleton n@$i guy from the first captain America? Cause that’s what I think of when I see this guy. I feel kinda bad saying that but like”

Abadon the Monster-“Goth tiktoker”

Kris Statlander-“Poison Ivy as a wrestler”

Rey Fenix-“Trans posion ivy as a wrestler”

Joey Janela-“Another DJ at a rave nightclub”

QT Marshall-“Owner of an Italian-American restaurant”

Varsity Blondes-“gay best friend duo”

Aaron Solow-“Chill college professor, Probably teaches in the humanities department”

Nick Comoroto-“Rob Zombie stunt double”

Riho-“Chill bisexual”

Brandon Cutler-“Marvel villain”

Sereena Deeb-“Cool lesbian that used to be married to a man”

Leva Bates-“Chill youth group leader that aggressively validates your gender and sexuality and gets mad when people are transphobic/homophobic to you”

Matt Sydal-“Super chill lgbtq+ ally”

TH2-“Twenty One Pilots from another universe”

Andrade El Idolo-“Gay capitalist son of some greedy ceo”

Sonny Kiss-“Femme twink”

Jade Cargill-“Instagram influencer”

Britt Baker-“Bisexual icon”

Hikaru Shida-“Bisexual again”

Anthony Ogogo-“Superhero actor”

Layla Hirsch-“Cool lesbian that defends her trans best friend”

Red Velvet-“Cool mom”

Rebel-“She looks like she’d sic her severely homophobic boyfriend or male family member on me”

The Butcher and the Blade-“Gay leather dads”

The Bunny-“Jenna Marbles turned goth”

Bear Country-“Chaotic best friends hanging out”

Chaos Project-“Unhinged gay anarchists”

Big Swole-“She looks like a super fun person to be friends with”

The Gunn Club-“My three braincells”

The Wingmen-“friend group of gay men”

Fuego del sol-“Idk why but I immediately thought of barnacle boy from spongebob”

Paul Wight and Mark Henry-“Need anchors on the same news thing that have a close friendship”

Ref Aubrey-“Either a lesbian or a severely homophobic evangelist” *i tell him shes bi* “Good for her!”

AEW broadcast team-“Podcasters”

Justin Roberts-“Why do so many of these people look like homophobic evangelist pastors?”

Taz-“Former homophobe that turned into a very enthusiastic ally after his daughter came out”

Vicki Guerrero-“Chill lesbian mom on a 2000s Disney show”

Jake “the Snake” Roberts-“He’d call me a slur on the street”

Don Callis-“Now this guy looks like he’d give me a conversion therapy pamphlet”

[shxxtingstxxs]

The Lost Light was no strangers to chaos, every once and awhile something marvelous happened on the Starship that left it's inhabits traumatized or fascinated, one day a scientist by the name of Perceptor introduced a machine that can bring allies from various worlds to aid them.

This was met with skepticism on Ultra Magnus's Part, as what would happen if the machine were to fail? Perceptor assures the commander that nothing bad will happen if he uses the machine.

It took awhile for Ultra Magnus to agree, once the machine was set, the machine brought various versions of themselves! Perceptor has to fix the machine, for now their various versions are here.

What would your characters do now that they aren't in a world of their own? It's up to you to decide! This is More That Meets The Multiverse

What we offer:

- A Template for OCs and Canons!

- Optional NSFW Roleplay!

- Requests to ship OC X Canons and Canon x Canons!

- Easy Submissions!

- LGBTQ+ Relationships!

- New Storylines!

- Community ideas

https://discord.gg/nR8BcGCQy8

[askmalal]

Questions for the God Who Does Not Exist. Some questions I am asked frequently, some of them not published here before.

PLEASE contribute your own. No, really. It's been a while since new questions have arrived, especially those I haven't already answered. Hopefully this will get your little mortal minds thinking of new ones, now I've answered these short ones.

("Classics" Edition)

"Who did you influence in the Horus Heresy, and why?"

A: Yes.

2. "Where are you in the Age of Sigmar? No, really. I wanna know."

There are a few clues in Warcry, for starters...

3. "Are the Sons of Malice yours?"

Yes. I don't claim to approve of all of their actions.

4. "Are the Alpha Legion yours?"

Hmm.. I wonder.

5. (Utterly Unrelated to Warhammer) "You a Doctor who fan? Saw a Whovian reference in an early post. Who's your doctor?"

Absolutely. Multiples of 3. 3,6,9,12.

6. "Are you in the Judge Dredd universe? There's some crossover there."

Yes.

7. "Is Trump one of yours?"

Your death with be slow and painful.

Long form" Absolutely not. I have told you, repeatedly, foul primate, that I am an entity who encourages HATE WITH PURPOSE. Your abuser, your rapist, your oppressor, the asshole who makes every day that much harder for you but perhaps not to any of those extremes.

I have no place for racism or, indeed, most "isms" in general.

You want somebody who loves your mango shit gibbon, consider looking into the agents of the Ecclesiarchy. I hear some of them are taking life advice from his ghost.

8. "Favorite color?"

I can't see colors/colours, you insensitive ass.

9. "Wait, not being able to see colors is a real thing?"

Yes.

10. "Who is Mun?"

Yes.

11. "Are you gay?" No.

12. "Are you LGBTQ+?"

I'm an Ally. And I'm happy to be that. Both in and out of "serious" mode.

13. "Why are you bothered by Primarchs having sex with each other?" Because they are brothers. And incest is a line I don't cross, step bro.

14. "Does Malal have any pets?"

As I have said before, I am fond of black dogs and dogs who are predominantly black. Everything from the Cu-Sith to the Boston Terrier. I -love- Boston Terriers. I can see their colors, for one.

15. "Are you the Eleventh Primarch?"

Some of me.

16. "Is Malal male?"

In my native form, I have no gender. However, I identify as a male. I do have female forms, as has been documented, but I am male, even if not technically anything at all gender wise.

17. "Is Malal married?"

Yes.

18. "Why is Malal?"

Why indeed, dear heart. Why indeed.

19. "Does Malal's... ermm... 'scribe' play any WH miniatures games?"

I have asked the Scribe. The Scribe informs me that the Scribe has played one form or another since college, but has collected books, often in secret, since childhood. Scribe's parents did not approve of miniatures games, roleplaying, or anything like that. Oddly, they were fine with Scribe having toy guns, so go figure.

20. "Is Malal in the Mythos?"

Does Tzeentch have a Bird Fetish? Do Bears shit in the woods? Are Ultramarines underrated and overrepresented? Are Chaos Dwarves and Squats criminally and historically neglected?

Bonus:

"Can I still ask questions of the other gods through this account?"

Sure.

I'll try to dig up more later, Little Mortal. In the meanwhile... *waves shadowy tendrils* off you go to your stylus and clay or... whatever the devil it is you young hipsters are using to write to your deities these days.

[bardicfool]

🔥 FAIL-SAFE IS OFFICIALLY LIVE! 🔥

It’s now available from these retailers.

I'm so grateful to everyone who's preordered, left ARC reviews, commented on social posts, and generally just made me feel like a ~real author~ whose work is capable of entertaining folks. I hope you enjoy this book. 💖

Here’s the blurb:

---

The Compound Network nearly killed them.

Now they’re the only ones who can save it.

The rules have changed. 1. The compound can’t be saved . . . unless it can. (Major Henry Mortimer is determined to fix the organization that almost destroyed him and everyone he cares about—even if his “supporters” seem to be working against him.) 2. Empaths are doomed to self-destruct . . . unless they aren’t. (Bastian Lucas thinks he’s accepted that his power is killing him—until a questionable ally offers him a dangerous way out.) 3. Failed experiments get buried . . . unless they don’t. (Laurel was done looking back, but when a presumed-dead asset turns up at the compound very much alive, she has the opportunity to right past wrongs—or to make everything worse.) With their fledgling new compound sinking into chaos, Henry, Bastian, and Laurel must come together to unravel a conspiracy that starts where their pasts inexplicably meet . . . before everything they've been trying to rebuild goes up in flames.

---

Some FAQs:

Why should I read this?

Do you like cranky empaths, magical conspiracies, political intrigue, platonic m/f friendships, adorkable m/m romance, and snarky dialogue? If so, you’re the kind of person I wrote this for.

Is this book a standalone?

Not really. While you can start here, you’ll probably have a more robust experience if you read Dark Empathy first.

Are there any LGBTQ+ characters?

Yes! There’s a significant m/m romance subplot with one partner coded as bi/pan and the other as demi.

Any trigger warnings to be aware of?

Emotional abuse, PTSD, murder, memory loss, sexual situations. I wouldn’t say any of these things are particularly graphic, but YMMV.

Didn’t you say something about a celebration?

Yes! I’ll be going live on Instagram (@bardicfool) at 5:30 PM PST TODAY with special guest @solia-dreams​,  author of The Elm Stone Saga! We're talking about empaths, magic, and everything writing/publishing. Come hang out, ask questions, and tell us about your own projects!

[Image description: Mockups of the Fail-Safe cover on a tablet, phone, and as a paperback. on a black background with fiery tendrils. Orange text above the books reads "return to the compound." Orange text below reads "now available in e-book & paperback"]

[thepatricktreestump]

pride month asks!

some questions and answers about my experience with LGBTQ+

1.       What do you identify as and what are your pronouns? 

I identify as bisexual and genderfluid, so my pronouns regularly change from she/her to he/him.

2.      How did you discover your sexuality, tell your story?

I have always been a huge ally to the LGBTQ+ community, but one day I was stepping out of the shower, and kind of thinking to myself what the difference between having sex with a guy and having sex with a girl was. After contemplation, I thought to myself that they really weren’t all that different to me, and I’d probably enjoy having sex with a girl just as much as having sex with a guy. I researched online a little bit, and I figured out that yeah, I’m probably bi. Especially after I fell in love with both Brendon Urie and his wife Sarah, I was pretty damn sure I was bi.

3.      Have you experienced being misgendered? What happened and how did you overcome it?

Sometimes I do, but it honestly doesn’t bother me too much because I come from a very conservative, religious, small town background. I grew up in a private Catholic school where everyone is Republican and nobody even knows what being gay is, much less a different gender. So I’m kind of used to putting up a façade for others. As I graduated and moved away from my hometown, things have been much better, and by politely correcting others, I’m able to be confident in who I am as well as educate the people around me.

4.      Who was the first person you told, how did they react?

Oh god, haha. I distinctly remember that night when I knew I was going to tell my best friend I was genderfluid. I was so nervous and scared, I just sort of blurted it out over text, in all caps, like “I’M GENDERFLUID” and then I kind of panicked, so I proceeded to send her about a hundred Hamilton gifs to cover up what I had typed out and sent. Although it was awkward in the moment, we both laugh about it to this day, and she’s been so accepting and kind to me ever since that moment.

5.      Describe what it was like coming out, what did you feel?

For my friends, it was a lot of anxiety and doubt. For my parents, fear and chaos. My friends didn’t understand, they thought it was a disease of some sort, and actually a lot of them stopped talking to me. Again, conservative religious background, but still, no excuse. I grew up in a very abusive household, and it wasn’t my choice to come out. My therapist had forced me to tell my parents in a session and it was an absolute mess. Coming out wasn’t the best experience, especially as a freshman in high school.

6.      If you’re out, how did your parents/guardians/friends react?

I kind of explained above, but basically not so well. My dad went absolutely off on me, and said some of the most horrible things I have ever been told in my life. He said that I was dragging everyone I knew towards hell, that what I was is unmoral, unnatural, and unnormal, acted like I was some sort of monster, said it was extremely difficult to even be related to me, and that I was corrupting his family and disrespecting his household. It was a miserable time for me, but through music, I was able to write a song about it that helped me cope.

7.      What is one question you hate people asking about your sexuality?

A lot of people assume that because I’m bisexual, I’m some sort of fetish they can use to fulfill their dirty fantasies. I’m always asked to be a part of a couple’s threesome. I am told that the only reason I’m bi is because I want double the opportunities to have sex. It’s ridiculous and disgusting. I’m bi because I like people. Not because I like sex.

8.     Describe the style of clothing that you most often wear.

I really fucking love beanies! Most of the time I read that’s the essential clothing item for all genderfluid people, which makes me laugh, because it’s true. Combat boots or converse, black jeans, a band t-shirt, a sports bra or binder, a jean jacket, and a beanie is always my go-to outfit. So much so, to the point my sister told me that every time I go out in public I’m always wearing the same thing, which kind of makes me laugh.

9.      Who are your favourite lgbt+ ships?

I don’t know if you’ve ever read the magna, Tamen de Gushi, but I absolutely love it! That lesbian couple is everything! I also really love Shane Dawson and Ryland Adams, of course. Captain Holt from Brooklyn Nine Nine and his husband is amazing. Elijah Daniels and Sam also make me super fucking happy.

10.  What does makeup mean to you? Do you wear any?

Growing up as a theater kid, I’ve always seen makeup as accentuated and over the top. I only ever wore makeup on stage, and even then, it was special effects type stuff, zombies and clowns and shit. Once I hit puberty though, my mom would force me to wear makeup because she said it would make me beautiful. I hated it. She would force me to put on makeup before I left the door and it made me have horrible self image issues. As I grew older, I found a love for makeup through beauty gurus and drag queens, and I sometimes dabble in it either for fun or for special events like prom or fancy dinners. I always prefer no makeup though, I feel like to me, wearing it is just hiding behind a mask.

11.   Do you experience dysphoria? If so, how does that affect you?

ALL THE GODDAMN FUCKING TIME. Since I’ve gotten my haircut, a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Wearing a binder also helps so much! However, I still really want to start T and I think that will help a lot. Dysphoria affects me in so many ways, whether my self confidence or my body image, my anxiety and my mood, etc., a lot of it depends on how comfortable I am in my own skin.

12.  What is the stupidest thing you’ve heard said about the lgbt+ community?

Homophobic people are probably the stupidest people I’ve ever met in my life, to be honest. I’ve heard thousands of dumb things come from their mouths. I think the most outrageous myth I’ve heard is probably that being gay is a disease, and that simply being around another gay person will make you gay. Like who the fuck comes up with this shit? Smh.

13.  What’s your favourite thing about the lgbt+ community?

How creative we are. We’re resilient and outspoken and passionate, but most of all, so talented. The queer community is full of inventors, politicians, emperors, artists, directors, actors, musicians, and more. It’s gorgeous just how much we are capable of.

14.  What’s your least favourite thing about the lgbt+ community?

The discrimination breaks my heart. The fact that we are terrified to so much as hold hands with the one we love in public. To be beaten, tortured, and killed simply for who we are. That is what hurts me the most.

15.  Have you ever been to your cities pride event? Why or why not?

No, I find it sort of ironic every time there is a pride event I happen to have a concert on that day. Once, a Panic! concert, which honestly is sort of the equivalent of Pride. We went and there were so many LGTBQ+ flags and people and it was so gorgeous. I have attended pride prom once though, and it was probably the most fun I had ever had in a really long time.

16.  Who is your favourite lgbt+ Icon/Advocate/Celebrity?

I absolutely adore Miles McKenna. He has helped me so much in finding myself and accepting who I am. He’s such a huge spokesperson for the community and I am so grateful to have him in my life.

17.   Have you been in a relationship and how did you meet?

I’ve been in several relationships, surprisingly, through parties and discussions and friends. My s.o. right now I met through high school, which was crazy in itself, but we’ve been dating for almost two years now and I love them to death.

18.  What is your favourite lgbt+ book?

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children is one of my favorite books ever and it’s about being FTM trans and I love it so much wow.

19.  Have you ever faced discrimination? What happened?

So very much. After coming out to one of my best friends, she stared at me, disgusted and went “well don’t try to have sex with me or anything” and then proceeded to never talk to me again. I’ve received dirty looks and glares, been misgendered on purpose, and even received death threats. It’s horrible.

20. Your Favorite lgbt+ movie or show?

I love American Horror Story so much because of just how much representation it gives our community and how natural they make it seem! And of course, “Love, Simon” was an amazing movie that made me cry like a baby.

21.  Who are some of your favourite lgbt+ bloggers?

I don’t really know about bloggers, but definitely Youtubers! Shane Dawson, Miles Chronicles, Thomas Sanders, Ally Hills, Anthony Amorim, Elijah Daniels, Elle Mills, Garrett Watts, Sam Collins, Todrick Hall, and Trevor Moran are a couple of my favorites.

22. Which lgbt+ slur do you want to reclaim?

I don’t think queer should be a slur. I think queer is a form of self expression and an umbrella term for the community, and I believe many other LGBTQ+ members agree. It’s a word that we take great pride in rather than shame or discrimination.

23. Have you ever gone to a gay bar, or a drag show, how was it?

No, but god I would love to.

24. How do you self-identify your gender, and what does that mean to you?

For me, it’s simply just a part of who I am. Just like the weather, my gender simply changes and I adapt to it. It makes me comfortable in my own skin and proud of who I am. I wouldn’t change being genderfluid for the world.

25. Are you interested in having children? Why or why not?

I fucking hate the idea of pushing a human being out of my vagina, and I would probably want anything else in the entire world other than giving birth. Being pregnant for nine months sounds absolutely miserable and dysphoric, and I cannot even imagine going through labor. However, I would like to have kids, just simply through foster care or adoption, never like my own biological children. There are more than enough kids who need good homes who already exist and I’m more than happy to give it to them.

26. What identity advice would you give your younger self?

You aren’t alone and there are so many people just like you. Your parents do not own you and cannot tell you who you are supposed to be. You are you.

27.  What do you think of gender roles in relationships?

Gender roles are complete bullshit. Let a guy be a stay at home dad. Let a woman be the working one. Everyone should have responsibilities regardless of their gender. If there’s dirty dishes, do the fucking dishes, don’t wait for your spouse to get home to do them. It’s absolutely ridiculous, really. Just do your part in the relationship.

28. Anything else you want to share about your experience with gender?

It breaks my heart how much pain and suffering one has to go through just to be themselves, especially for women and trans people. It’s horrible.

29. What is something you wish people know about being lgbt+?

It’s natural! It’s comfortable! And it’s normal! Being oneself is just part of life, there’s no need to have shame or guilt about it. Respect someone the way you wish you would be accepted and loved.

30. Why are proud to be lgbt+?

We have worked so fucking hard to be recognized for who we are. There’s still so much we need to do though, and we aren’t ever going to stop until every single one of our siblings gain the love and respect they deserve.

[signals-over-the-air]

Hello! I just started following you, and I seriously adore all of your content. That’s not what this ask is about tho. Recently, for pride, I’ve been seeing all those flag color thingies with all of the gender and sexuality flags being used as decor for something. As a cishet, I thought “where are the ally flags?” before hating that thought. Do you have any tips for being a good ally? I have LGBTQ+ friends and I want to learn how to stop making everything about me. I feel like I’m doing it now.

hi! welcome to the chaos that is my blog, feel free to ask if you ever need anything!!💕💕

and it’s totally okay to want to be an ally! I believe there are flags, but you may have to do a bit of research first.

and I recently realized I was part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I can try my best to give some ally tips.

I want to say, asking someone who’s queer is an amazing way to start!

be willing to listen— it’s not always easy being LGBTQ+, and a willing ear of someone willing to sympathize can be really useful.

don’t try and talk over us— raise our voices! try to help us be heard in a world where our voices are constantly drowned out.

be clear that you don’t tolerate transphobia/homophobia— whether it’s in a DNI or you denounce it in some way, actively try and fight against it

educate yourself on our history— a lot of cishets don’t know any of the history behind how we got where we are today, and that’s a crucial part of who we are. do some research! ask questions!

don’t be afraid to ask for someone’s pronouns! a lot of the time, it’s more respectful to ask than assume

that’s i’ve got for now, anyone feel free to add on.

have a nice day, hun!

[redhanded-jill]

My 2018 Reading Challenge Results

Well, I’m almost a month later than planned because my computer broke. But it’s back in service now, so here goes.

I read 74 total books in 2018 (!!), though I didn’t fit one to each category of my challenge.

A book with an alliterative title - N/A

A book with a cool title - Exit Pursued by a Bear by EK Johnston

A book with a 5-word title - It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

A book with a one-word title - Deity by Jennifer L Armentrout

A book with a pun in its title - On the Fence by Kasie West

A book with a number in its title - The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

A book named after its main character - The Exorcism of Sofia Flores by Danielle Vega

A book with an & in the title - N/A

A book written by a trans author - N/A

A book written by an immigrant author - N/A

A book written by a favorite author in 2017 - Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather

A book written by an author from Texas - Hawthorn by Carol Goodman

A book written by a South American author - N/A

A book inspired by Native American history - N/A

An Own Voices novel - Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

A book written by an author using a pen name - Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

A book you intended to read in 2017 - Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

A book written the year you were born - N/A

A book with the moon and/or stars in the cover - North of Happy by Adi Alsaid

A book with something from nature in the cover - Revel by Maurissa Guibord

A book with a cool cover - The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding

A book with a purple cover - The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

A book with an LGBTQ+ person in the cover - Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

A book with fewer than 3 colors in the cover - You by Caroline Kepnes

A book with an animal in the cover - Ravencliffe by Carol Goodman

A book with a POC in the cover - Allegedly by Tiffany D Jackson 

A book that begins a series - Heist Society by Ally Carter

A book written in verse - Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes by Cory O’Brien

An epistolary novel - Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

A translated book - N/A

A debut novel - All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

A book set in a country you have never visited - The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer (Ireland)

A book inspired by true events - Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

A banned book - Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

A book recommended by a librarian - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz 

A book published independently - Losing It by Cora Carmack 

An LBGTQ+ romance - Noteworthy by Riley Redgate 

A graphic novel memoir - N/A

A short story - N/A

A book with less than 200 pages - Paper Girls Volume 1 by Brian K Vaughan

A book with more than 500 pages - The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan 

A book about mental health - By Your Side by Kasie West

A book inspired by Asian culture - Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee

A book about beauty - All the Rage by Courtney Summers

A book about intersectional feminism - Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls by Jes Baker

A book in honor of Black History Month - Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older 

A book in honor of Women’s History Month - Easy by Tammara Webber

A book in honor of Arab heritage - The Boyfriend by Abigail Barnette

A book in honor of Latino History Month - The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

A book featuring religious minorities - American Panda by Gloria Chao

[recoveryoutloud]

black lives matter, always.

TRIGGER WARNING | Covered in this post:

police brutality

murder, abuse, assault

racism

Hi.

I haven’t been writing recently, but I’ve found myself drawn to the keyboard recently with a duty to use my platform, no matter how small, to speak up about what has been happening in the world.

I will forever stand by the side of the black community.

I will forever condemn the police and the judiciary system for the incessant and atrocious racism that runs through its very core.

I will never let anyone tell me, or anyone else, that Derek Chauvin was not a murderer.

Before I really get into this, I need to preface: I am an asian woman. I recognise that even as a person of colour, I benefit from privileges that aren’t afforded to black people purely because of my skin colour (I am not black). I am far from perfect and have definitely caught myself unintentionally feeding into racist biases that our society has cultivated over centuries. But I keep learning and correcting my mistakes, and that is what we have to keep doing within ourselves, our homes and our communities.

Now, I would like to again acknowledge that I still have a lot to learn about the injustices that black people face and I am in no way educated enough to be telling anyone what is and isn’t right (other than the blatant racism that has not ceased to plague our world), so please do not take my words as hard facts and do your own research. I also do not want to speak over black voices, but I do want to amplify them. Please share your experiences and call me out if I have made any errors.

For those of you who are sat quietly behind your screens, reluctant to comment on the issue at hand, shame on you. Silence is compliance. Silence in violence. The black community does not need you to sit complacently and watch as their friends and family be consistently targeted and assaulted by police. They need you to speak up, to stand up and to fight. If you are not using your platform, no matter how big or small, then what are you really doing? I understand that one does not need to share what they are doing in order to prove that they are helping, but right now (and always) there is strength in numbers. Let’s call out systematic racism and hold cops accountable. Let’s use our voices and this real estate on social media to actively seek change.

George Floyd did not resist arrest, he did not do anything even remotely violent or suggestive of violence. George Floyd was an innocent man, a father, suffocated and murdered by a white police officer while his three colleagues watched George die. When someone puts their knee on top of your neck and directs all their weight onto that knee, pinning you down onto the ground for eight minutes and 46 seconds, that is murder. That is a restraint and technique that shows the intent of murder. No matter what a preliminary autopsy says, no matter if they are trying to blame George for his own murder, his death was no accident. Derek Chauvin worked alongside George Floyd for 17 years, yet felt no remorse when he suffocated an innocent man. Derek Chauvin has been accused on numerous accounts (12) of police brutality. He shot Leroy Martinez in 2011, Ira Latrell Toles in 2008, Wayne Reyes, and three other people while chasing a car in 2005. In no way is this man worthy of a third degree charge. Raise the degree. This was not manslaughter, this was pure, intentional, brutal murder committed by a heartless, racist white man. There are no ways to excuse Chauvin’s actions. Give him a life sentence.

It does not stop there. George Floyd’s murder was the tipping point in the Black Lives Matter movement over the past couple of years. With dozens more killed and wrongfully arrested purely on the basis of their dark skin colour, and we must not forget their names. What is evident here is how White America has disguised the old-fashioned discrimination they claimed to have fixed (or at least improved) after the Civil Rights movement has just morphed into a sneaky form of discrete discrimination that is simply swept under the rug by government officials and society. No longer can I, as an ally, stand down. 

In the recent protests, the media has spun the story to make it appear as if looting and chaos was the result of the BLM movement, was the result of the actions of black people. NO. I do not understand how you can turn a blind eye to the hundreds of videos from the protests showing the instigation of violence by police officers, but beat and shoot a man to death while he was jogging (Ahmaud Arbery). Jared Campbell pepper sprayed a 10 year old girl. Another cop forcefully took off a woman’s hijab during the protest. Countless other cops were caught on tape telling each other to illegally turn off their cameras so they could get away with violence. Videos circulated of peaceful protestors sitting on the road before a swarm of police in protective gear fired tear gas into their faces and beat them down onto the ground, shooting rubber bullets when necessary. Live streams captured many, predominantly black people being assaulted by police officers both verbally and physically while they walked the march. NYPD ran into a group of protestors with their vehicle. And still, you say not all cops are bad?

All cops benefit from the same racist system, and if 100 cops are bystanders while 10 abuse their power to reflect their racist prejudices, you have 110 bad cops. All cops are bastards.

Please, if you are a citizen of the United States over the age of 18, vote Trump out. Trump’s tweet announcing that he authorised the military to shoot down protestors was a direct quote from a lynching campaign in 1968, proving that genocide is being cultivated within the walls of the White House. Do not let this bigoted, fascist, KKK supporter rule your country for another 4 years. Enough is enough.

Black Lives Matter.

On another note, with Pride month starting today, it is important that we continue to spread the message of the BLM movement. Don’t ignore the pleads of the black community, a community who built the gay rights movement and led the stonewall riots, just so you can party. Marsha P. Johnson and Storme Delarverie, a trans woman and a lesbian respectively, gave us (the LGBTQ+ community) our rights. So pay some respect and keep the memory of those brutally murdered by the racist justice system going.

Say their names: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Samuel Dubose, Sandra Bland, Walter Scott, Terrence Crutcher, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Samuel Dubose, Sean Reed, Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, Dante Parker, Anthony Baez AND SO MANY MORE.

Black Lives Matter.

[faceebook]

On Tonight's Survivor:

I am a transgender woman, only out to a couple family members and all of you online. I’m pre-transition but about to start, which is to say that I have not yet begun to know the struggles I will likely go through in life to be myself.

On tonight’s episode of Survivor: Game Changers (Season 34!), a closeted trans-man named Zeke was outed, both publicly and on the show, by a fellow contestant at Tribal Council. This contestant, Jeff Varner, was likely to be eliminated from the game and announced to the tribe that Zeke was trans, ostensibly as a ploy to make people distrust Zeke.

The initial response by both Zeke’s fellow tribemates and the host Jeff Probst was stunned silence followed by intense anger and sadness directed at Varner. All five tribemates lambasted Varner as Zeke sat in shock.

My reaction was the same as Zeke’s. I couldn’t believe that someone I had watched on my local news for years, someone who I had loved on two previous seasons, someone who was an openly gay man, could do something so mindlessly cruel to another person. I expect those type of comments from ignorant assholes and spineless politicians, but certainly not from someone like Jeff Varner. I also realize that Varner surely regretted saying it once the words actually came out, but that doesn’t undo his actions. I know I have said stupid things in my life, but I can’t say I’ve ever stooped that low as an adult.

Despite all of this, somehow the overall feeling I have tonight is joy. Something so tragic could’ve left me feeling shaken and sad, but the way Zeke turned the moment into a beautiful one amazes me the more I think about it.

After regaining his composure at Tribal Council, Zeke found the strength to say this:

“Being trans and transitioning, it’s a long process, it’s a very difficult process, and there are people who know. But then I sort of got to the point where I stopped telling people, because when people know that about you, that’s sort of who you are. There are questions people ask, people who want to know about your life, they want to know about this and that, and it sort of overwhelms everything else that they know about you. You’re no longer Zeke, you’re ‘the trans person’.

I think I’ve been fortunate to play Survivor as long as I’ve been playing it and not have that label, and one of the reasons I didn’t want to lead with that is that I didn’t want to be 'the Trans Survivor Player’, I wanted to be Zeke, the Survivor player. And I feel like I am! So I’m okay. I knew someone might pick up on it or it might be revealed, so I am prepared to talk about it, to have it be a part of my Survivor experience. It’s kind of crappy the way it’s happened, but, you know.

'Metamorphosis’ is the word of the episode, and I feel like I’ve seen such a metamorphosis of myself over the past 52 days I’ve played Survivor. I don’t know if the scared kid who hit the mat in the marooning of (Season) 33 would be as calm as I am right now, but I’ve started two fires with just bamboo, I’ve won challenges, I’ve been part of blindsides, I’ve done all kinds of crazy stuff and I am a changed, stronger, better man today than I was then. So you know what Varner, it was really not cool, but you know, I’m fine.

You know Jeff, I’m certainly not anyone who should be a role model for anybody else, but maybe there’s someone who’s a Survivor fan, and me being out on the show helps him, or helps her, or helps someone else, and so maybe this will lead to a greater good.”

As incredible as it was to hear these words delivered so eloquently by Zeke, and on national television no less, it was the words from another tribemate that amazed me the most.

Sarah, a conservative cop on the tribe, was the most reserved person at Tribal Council while the chaos caused by Varner’s words unfolded behind her, sitting deep in contemplation. What she finally said blew me away.

“I’m just thankful that I got to know Zeke for who Zeke is. I’ve been with him for the last eighteen days, and he’s, like, super kick-ass. I’m from the Midwest and I come from a very conservative background, so it’s not very diverse when it comes to a lot of gay and lesbian and transgender things like that. So I’m not as exposed to it as much as most of these people are, and the fact that I can love this guy so much, and it doesn’t change anything for me, it makes me realize that I’ve grown huge as a person.

Of course we want to come away with the million dollars, but the metamorphosis that I’ve even made as a person that I didn’t realize until this minute is invaluable. I’m sorry it came out that way, but I’m glad it did. I’m so glad I got to know you for Zeke, and not for what you were afraid of us knowing you as, and I’ll never look at you that way.”

Seeing someone who has obviously never had to confront feelings like this so directly, and quickly realizing that she still loved Zeke for Zeke, with his being transgender not changing anything, gives me hope. It makes me realize that most people, when given the opportunity, will treat you with kindness and compassion. And maybe what they need to explore these feelings is to have a personal moment of realization like Sarah did. Zeke, and Varner I suppose, gave millions of people the opportunity that Sarah had tonight.

Some people will hold onto their prejudices regardless and demonize Zeke to fit their worldview. Perhaps they’ll never become accepting of LGBTQ people, or maybe it will take someone directly in their life coming out to change. But I know that some people watching tonight, who rooted for Zeke every week not knowing he was trans, are spending tonight reconsidering their values. That’s progress. And what a beautiful thing it is.

On a personal level, the handling of this moment by both Jeff Probst and the producers/editors involved in it make me proud to be a “superfan” of this show. It could have gone haywire and turned into a purely rotten situation, but instead became a truly important focus on what it means to be true to yourself in this world. I have always wanted to be on this show, roughing it in the rain with people scheming against me, trying miserably to untie knots underwater because I want to be treated to Adam Sandler’s latest film, feeling the euphoria of making it onto the jury, and even the slim possibility of winning a million dollars. I had never truly thought I could make it onto the show, and coming out as transgender initially made me think that I had even less of a chance.

Zeke changed that for me.

I want to make an audition tape now. I feel like if he can do it, and do it so well, then why the hell cant I? I know millions of people have had that same thought, but I’ve never once felt this sense of drive in my young life. I owe that to Survivor first and foremost, but also to Zeke and the, dare I say it, heroism he showed on tonight’s episode.

Maybe you’ll see me on a future season of Survivor, maybe not. But I know that I got something life-changing out of the show tonight, and I’m sure I’m not alone. If eight year old me, sitting there enthralled by the very first season of Survivor, could know just how big an effect this show would have on her, she wouldn’t believe it. Mostly because she was eight and didn’t know anything about anything, but still.

Tonight, send your love to Zeke Smith for bravely confronting what could have been ruinous and transforming it into something worth celebrating. Send your love to Sarah Lacina, Ozzy Lusth, Tai Trang, Andrea Boehlke, and Debbie Wanner for speaking up on Zeke’s behalf, being true allies to trans people everywhere, and showing that there will always be people in this world who will have your back when the bullies try to knock you down. And send your love to Jeff Varner, who made a terrible mistake, and has by all accounts suffered ten times over for it. Allow him to learn from this and become a better person as a result. He will be most capable of doing this with your love and support. Do not excuse his actions and similar actions of others worldwide, but fight to turn the negatives into positives whenever possible.

We can do this.

Love always, Claire.

[morganbelarus]

Trumps Budget Cut for HIV/AIDS Would Kill 300,000 People Per Year, Report Says

Three-hundred thousand deaths per year.

Thats the human cost of President Donald Trumps proposal to cut $1 billion cut from global HIV funding in 2019, a 20% reduction from current levels, according to a report by the ONE campaign. And it comes just when American-led efforts are paying off, and the global tide of the epidemic appears to be turning.

Ironically, the proposed cut lands mostly on the program responsible for Americas success in this area, PEPFAR (the Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief), initiated by George W. Bush and beloved of Trump-voting evangelical Christians today, many leading HIV relief organizations are religiously affiliated.

There has been bipartisan support for PEPFAR over the years, but Trumps budget cuts it by $800 million, in addition to $225 million to be cut from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Both would be unprecedented cuts for the agencies.

And yet, PEPFAR is working. Based on epidemiological research, PEPFAR alone is credited with saving 11 million lives over the past 15 years. PEPFAR was also a catalyst for other countries, and private actors, to invest more and to combat other diseases at the same time as HIV.

These efforts have yielded significant results. There has been a 47 percent decrease in AIDS-related deaths since 2003, and new, inexpensive anti-retroviral medications have turned the tide in several countries.

Meanwhile, USAID, PEPFAR, and the United Nations have committed to the goals of, by the year 2020, diagnosing and treating 90% of people with HIV and reducing new infections to 500,000 per year. Globally, it is estimated that 36.7 million people are living with HIV. At present, 17 million of them are not receiving any form of treatment.

These are not only humanitarian successes but strategic ones as well. At its worst, the HIV epidemic has destabilized U.S. allies; controlling the epidemic means reducing chaos. And from a purely self-interested point of view, HIV relief is part of the United States soft power, which maintains its leadership position relative to adversaries like Russia and China.

The reaction of LGBTQ and HIV advocates has been predictable: a consortium of HIV organizations wrote to congressional leaders last fall, when the cuts were first rumored, worrying that the U.S. commitment to ending AIDS is waning.

Now that the cuts are actually in the proposed budget similar cuts were rejected by Congress last year, and most likely will be again the response has been swift.

The United States has been a leader in the fight to end the AIDS epidemic around the world and these programs are vital to the health of millions around the world, David Stacy, Government Affairs Director at the Human Rights Campaign, told the Daily Beast. The Trump-Pence Administration is abandoning a bipartisan effort that Presidents Bush and Obama championed. Cutting essential funding for these life-saving services jeopardizes not only LGTBQ people but significantly undermines the overall health infrastructure in these countries.

Former president Bush himself took to the Washington Post last year, when Trump proposed a smaller cut to PEPFAR in the 2018 budget. When we confront suffering when we save lives we breathe hope into devastated populations, strengthen and stabilize society, and make our country and the world safer, Bush wrote. We shouldnt spend money on programs that dont work, whether at home or abroad. But [the government] should fully fund programs that have proven to be efficient, effective and results-oriented.

The question, then, is why. Why now? Why cut a program that is working, that is supported by people across the political spectrum, and that is tiny in comparison to other government programs? (Trumps budget adds about $12 billion to military spending, bringing the total to $686 billion.)

Why bother making friends when you can defeat your enemies?

The Trump administration is saying nothing. U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Deborah Birx said during the last round of proposed cuts that Translating that money into the most effective programs that we can, that reaches the most lives in the most impactful way thats our job. In other words, well make do with what weve got and Im not going to say anything bad about my boss.

Presumably, some of the impetus from the cuts comes from an America First philosophy that American strength is defined solely by how big the button is on Trumps desk, rather than by how America leads worldwide in issues like global health. Thats why the State Department is in tatters, with empty offices throughout the Truman Building, while the Pentagon is going back on steroids. Why bother making friends when you can defeat your enemies?

Or perhaps the administration believes that others will step in to fill the void America leaves behind: private foundations, other governments, the tooth fairy. Let someone else foot the bill for a change, right?

Or maybe no one in the White House really cares how many Africans die of AIDS.

Or it may be that the cut to global HIV funding is part of the administrations overall abandonment of people with HIV. Domestic HIV spending is also being slashed in the new budget. And recall, Trump recentlyfired the entire Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS apparently over their refusal to endorse ineffective abstinence only programs and has closed theWhite House Office of National AIDS Policy.

If HIV is being singled out, that, too, begs the question of why. For almost two decades, national Christian organizations have moved beyond the stigmatization of HIV/AIDS that marked the 1980s and 1990s. As Bushs op-ed pointed out, 2 million babies have been born to HIV-positive mothers without passing on the infection. WorldVision, a Christian global relief organization, is running HIV prevention programs in Africa.

Are we really going back to the Eighties, when HIV/AIDS was a gay disease and Reagan White House officials joked about it? Trump himself seems trapped in the decade making comments about Haitians having AIDS, for example. Is that what this is all about? Is that the reason for the slashing of effective health programs here and abroad?

And if not, then what is it?

More From this publisher : HERE ; This post was curated using : TrendingTraffic

=> *********************************************** Article Source Here: Trumps Budget Cut for HIV/AIDS Would Kill 300,000 People Per Year, Report Says ************************************ =>

Trumps Budget Cut for HIV/AIDS Would Kill 300,000 People Per Year, Report Says was originally posted by 16 MP Just news

[theconservativebrief]

Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the Vox Sentences newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the Vox Sentences archive for past editions.

Trump starts off the NATO summit with fists swinging; India’s highest court is hearing a challenge to its ban on gay sex.

Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP/Getty Images

A two-day North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit is off to the races. And it’s not really had a diplomatic start, to say the least. [NYT]

This will likely be “the most divisive” NATO summit in its 69-year history. [The Guardian / Ewen MacAskill]

Leading up to the summit, Trump allegedly told members of the G-7 that “NATO is as bad as NAFTA.” [Axios / Jonathan Swan]

President Trump publicly told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that the US’s defense spending for the organization was too high. Though certainly brazen to bring it up in this manner, Trump’s not exactly wrong (he’s not exactly right either). [Vox / Alex Ward]

Trump wants to take credit for increasing other countries’ defense spending. European officials “would love nothing more” than for Trump to take the credit too. [Axios / Jonathan Swan]

Trump isn’t wrong that the US shouldn’t be spending more on defense than other members of NATO. But the US shouldn’t be spending more on defense in general. [The Atlantic / Peter Beinart]

Trump criticized Germany for a slew of reasons. In particular, he said that Germany was “a captive of the Russians” for their dependence on Russian energy supplies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel quickly debunked those claims. [Reuters / Jeff Mason, Robin Emmott, and Alissa de Carbonnel]

Trump’s shot at Germany was considered a “‘No puppet, you’re the puppet’ routine.” Trump’s words highlight his insecurity about his close relationship with Russia. [Twitter / David Frum]

Neither Democrats nor Republicans are pleased with Trump’s behavior. [NPR / Brian Naylor]

But there is an obvious strategy behind Trump’s chaos. [Washington Post / Aaron Blake]

The news, but shorter, delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy. For more newsletters, check out our newsletters page.

India’s Supreme Court is hearing arguments for a challenge to the country’s ban on gay sex. [Reuters / Suchitra Mohanty and Sai Sachin Ravikumar]

Section 377, which criminalizes “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal,” has been in place for 157 years. [CNN / Swati Gupta]

Activists argue that the law is unconstitutional and leads to the blackmailing, intimidation, and monetary extortion of India’s LGBTQ. [Al Jazeera / Zeenat Saberin]

Chief Justice Dipak Misra indicated the apex court would likely decriminalize the law. Misra said “discrimination will vanish” and members of the LGBTQ community will be able to “live life to the fullest.” [The Times of India / Dhananjay Mahapatra]

Same-sex intercourse was previously decriminalized in 2009; however, the Supreme Court reinstated the ban in 2013. [Pink News / Nick Duffy]

A representative from Staten Island has introduced an “Unmasking Antifa” act to the US House of Representatives. There are concerns that the act is “pro-fascist” as it targets anarchists and members of anti-fascist organizations who wear masks while they protest the alt-right. [Vice / Allie Conti]

A five-month-old baby was found face down under sticks and debris in the mountains of Montana. The infant is alive, safe, and in good condition. [Facebook / Missoula County Sheriff’s Office]

Forbes anticipates that within the next year, Kylie Jenner — of the Kardashian clan — will be the “youngest self-made billionaire” ever at 21 years old. [Forbes / Natalie Robehmed]

Zsa Zsa, the 9-year-old bulldog who snatched the crown for World’s Ugliest Dog last month, died in her sleep last night. [Today / Scott Stump and Gina Vivinetto]

“England hovers this week between national euphoria, in celebration of last Saturday’s victory, and national pandemonium, as the Prime Minister faces the possible collapse of her government.” [Rebecca Mead on the duality of celebrating the national cup and the madness of Brexit deals and a Trump visit / New Yorker]

Do we overuse exclamation points!? Linguists and copy editors look at how the punctuation has adapted across history, literature, and internetspeak in this week’s episode of Explained, now on Netflix. [Netflix]

Nearly 2 years into the Trump presidency, Fox News is still obsessed with Hillary Clinton

Trump just intensified his trade war with China

Twitter’s wiping tens of millions of accounts from its platform

“Empathetic hedonism”: why we were so glued to the Thai cave drama

What Brett Kavanaugh’s past decisions on religious liberty mean for the future of SCOTUS

Original Source -> Vox Sentences: NATOhhh no…

via The Conservative Brief

[tragicbooks]

When a terrorist attack happens, keep these 12 helpful points in mind.

Terrorists want to divide and conquer. Don't let them.

Terrorist attacks are horrifying.

In the wake of each one, we see the faces of victims on our screens. We hear interviews from witnesses breathlessly describing the terrors they endured. We feel a lot of conflicting, disorienting things — fear, sadness, anger, confusion, hopelessness, and despair — sometimes all at once.

We're often left wondering why?

It's easy to feel utterly helpless when terrorism takes lives. But there are ways you can defy the people and ideologies that inflict so much tragedy.

1. First, if you can, be the helper.

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers,'" Mr. Rogers once said. "You will always find people who are helping."

It's a quote that often circulates in the wake of terror attacks. But it's not just because it's reassuring; it also rings true. Anyone can be a helper if they're in a position to do so.

Helpers opened up their homes for victims and survivors in the wake of the May 22, 2017, bombing in Manchester, U.K.

#RoomForManchester 10 mins taxi from city centre, can provide a safe place to stay, a cup of tea, charge your phone, please message me

— #votelabour (@saveuglyanimals) May 22, 2017

Helpers also drove hundreds of miles to take home stranded travelers from the airport after the 2016 terrorist attack in Brussels. Small-business workers helped to protect their patrons in Paris last year after gunfire and blasts killed over 100 people.

Let compassion, not fear, inspire you to act in the hours and days following an attack. (Helping others doesn't just benefit victims; it helps us cope with tragedy, too.)

2. Then, remember terrorism seeks to divide, and don't let it.

Whether it's right-wing extremists targeting Planned Parenthood or jihadists targeting a French music venue, remember that terrorists are often hell-bent on creating the divisiveness that allows their message to thrive.

The vast, vast majority of Muslims, for instance, vehemently reject the messages behind groups like ISIS or al-Qaida. In fact, Muslims — not Christians or Jews — are by far the biggest victims of Islamic extremism. In the same way Westboro Baptist Church doesn't represent Christianity, radical Islamic groups don't represent Muslims.

3. Now, turn off the TV.

When tragedy strikes, we tend to stay glued to cable news for hours, hungry for more details, even when watching makes us more scared and more anxious. Our 24/7 news model is the perfect, sensationalized medium to disperse terror near and far, and extremists understand this well.

Vox's Carlos Maza breaks down how damaging this sort of news coverage is for our brains:

News outlets are already replaying footage of the Manchester incident. Be wary of what that's doing to your brain: http://pic.twitter.com/KWX9ns3W9j

— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) May 23, 2017

Listen to the American Psychological Association: After a terrorist attack, it's best to watch cable news sparingly (if at all).

4. When you do watch or read about what happened, especially as the news is still breaking, don't fall for or share fake news.

Terrorism seeks to breed chaos. There's usually a rush of contradicting news reports in the hours following an attack (all the more reason to turn off cable TV). Your social media feeds will be inundated with images, requests for donations, questionable quotes from supposed eyewitnesses, and photos purporting to show the immediate and gory aftermath of the attack.

News outlets or pundits sometimes jump to conclusions about the attackers' race or religion — a knee-jerk reaction rooted in xenophobia — and irresponsibly spread false or unconfirmed information. And some people, incredibly, exploit the tragedy for clicks and attention.

Reporting can often be wrong in rush to report. Check out @onthemedia's Breaking News Consumer's Handbook. #ManchesterExplosion http://pic.twitter.com/IovZudYfVH

— Rick Trilsch (@ricktrilsch) May 23, 2017

Don't add to the chaos. Vet what you're reading and sharing to make sure it's accurate. If you're not sure, don't share it. If you see people spreading false news, let them know.

If you choose to donate to an organization, make sure it's a credible one — like the many doing lifesaving work in support of refugees.

5. Donate to the people and causes affected by terror.

No one better understands the destruction Islamist terrorism can bring like refugees in countries like Syria and Iraq. Whether they've been affected directly or were uprooted due to the political ramifications of terror groups, refugees desperately need our help. Learn more and support organizations like UNICEF, Save the Children, and Islamic Relief USA.

Photo by Kutluhan Cucel/Getty Images.

In the U.S., domestic terrorists often target groups based on factors like race, politics, or religion. A Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado, a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, the streets of Dallas, where five police officers were shot and killed, an LGBTQ nightclub in Florida — they've all been ground zero in recent atrocities. When terrorists attack these groups and causes, we can fight back by supporting the groups' missions, helping them rebuild and reopen, and building bridges to boost understanding.

6. Put the real threats of terrorism into perspective.

In the U.S., you're far more likely to die in a parachuting accident or be buried alive than to be killed by a radical jihadist. You're also more likely to die at the hands of right-wing American terrorists — which, of course, isn't a comforting thought, but it does say a lot about how differently we see and react to radical Islamic extremism and domestic threats.

Now that you know the facts...

7. Don't cancel your plans; go to a concert, the movies, or your favorite restaurants.

After all, the fears we typically experience after a terrorist attack are pretty irrational, as psychiatrist Richard Friedman expressed in The New York Times in 2015.

"[The president] has to help us all realize that when we are in the grip of so-called emergency emotion — extreme fear and anxiety — we privilege our feeling over our thinking," he wrote. "And our estimation of the danger we face is exaggerated by our fear."

Go live life as you normally would — free of fear. That's exactly what most terrorists don't want.

8. Support leaders who want to fight all forms of terrorism with facts and level-headedness — not with fear-mongering.

Banning Muslims from entering the U.S. won't make us any safer, according to national security experts. But it will help bolster recruitment for extremist groups.

Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images.

Many times, American right-wing extremists who carry out heinous acts of terror are excused as "lone wolfs," and their atrocities are overlooked or minimized by our politicians. If a terrorist's skin is white, reaction to their crimes will be much different than if they're from, say, Syria.

Support leaders who understand the nuances of both global and domestic terrorism and know how to fight it.

9. Talk about the damage of toxic masculinity.

Terrorists and extremists from all walks of life and religious beliefs usually have one thing in common: They're almost all men. Mass shooters, Christian extremists, jihadists, and others around the globe often find purpose in ideologies that give them a (false) sense of power and control.

We need to talk about how our collective inability to stomp out toxic masculinity — the attitudes that confine males to being violent, aggressive, and unemotional — is swaying men to find their purpose within extremist sects of all sorts.

10. Share news stories that help counter negative stereotypes about Muslims.

In the case of a terror attack that ISIS or another Islamist extremist group takes credit for, it's especially important we acknowledge how most Muslims are reacting after terror strikes.

They're as scared and horrified as anyone else.

"Oh Allah give us peace" the head Imam says in his prayers #ManchesterArena http://pic.twitter.com/an9CeB1L1S

— Aisha S Gani (@aishagani) May 23, 2017

After an attack near the U.K. Parliament building in March 2017, Muslims United for London raised thousands of dollars for victims and their families. Muslim groups in Florida rushed to get blood donations for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando last year. In the wake of the Manchester, U.K., bombing, Muslim charity Human Appeal created a campaign to aid those affected by the atrocity.

These stories don't reflect the few. They reflect the feelings and attitudes of most Muslims.

11. Reach out to Muslims in your own community.

Needless to say, anti-white hate crimes don't spike in the U.S. after a right-wing extremist goes on a shooting rampage. Islamophobic hate crimes after a jihadist attack on the other hand? That's a different story.

This can leave American Muslims feeling isolated and targeted while fueling the type of division that acts as a recruiting tool for terrorist networks.

As an ally, this is when you're needed most.

Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images.

Leave a friendly note for the Muslim family nearby (or, better yet, knock on their door and say hello). Get lunch with the Muslim student who lives down the hall in your dorm building. Offer to walk with Muslims to and from mosques, like New Yorkers did last year, so they're more protected from violence on the street.

Do what you can to let our Muslim neighbors know they're welcome here.

12. Whatever you do, don't succumb to fear.

Do just the opposite.

As former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said in 2011 after a horrific attack by a right wing extremist resulted in the deadliest incident in Norway since World War II (emphasis added): "We are still shocked by what has happened. But we will never give up our values. Our response is more democracy, more openness, and more humanity."

Remember: Compassion and empathy do far more in fighting terrorism than divisiveness and fear.

"Fight or flight" is real, and it makes sense that those instincts tell us to build walls or turn away from our neighbors in the face of senseless violence. It's in those moments especially that we have to remind ourselves that that's what extremists want us to do.

When terror strikes, turn off the TV, parse through the fake news, and do what you can to help those who need it most. Live your life exactly how terrorists hope you don't.