In New Jersey the LGBT RAIN Foundation broke ground on its first affordable & inclusive LGBTQ housing development. The building will house eleven homeless LGBTQ young adults & those with disabilities. The project is being consulted by Monarch Housing a non-profit pioneer in housing development for marginalized communities making this their first project related to LGBTQ young adults. The units will provide safe, affordable & supportive housing allowing residents to become independent & self-sufficient. Elaine Helms, Founder & Executive Director of LGBT RAIN stated, “This much needed supportive housing project has been a personal vision of mine for a long time & it’s incredible to see how it has become a community mission. The leaders & warriors of our communities have come together to help make RAIN what it is today; eleven one bedroom units is a huge step for RAIN & a huge step towards our goal of making sure chronically homeless LGBTQ young adults know & feel that they belong.” Each resident will additionally receive supportive services from the LGBT RAIN Foundation & its partners to address their health, financial & psychosocial needs. These services include case management, social services & programming designed to best support sustainable & healthy futures for LGBTQ young adults. Upon completion of this project the apartment building will be addressing a tremendous need within the current Continuum of Care which is the need for permanent affordable housing. As the project is the first of its kind in the New Jersey area it is a necessary effort to show LGBTQ individuals that their lives are valued & celebrated. It is a space for people to live without the fear of discrimination that too frequently occurs in housing. For More Info…
About Me
Provincetown Film Festival Winners
Black Pride & Achieving LGBTQ Equality
The 7th Annual Los Angeles Black Pride celebration takes place from Thursday July 1st to Monday July 5th curated & produced by BBE Group Founder & CEO Brandon Anthony & his team. The Black Pride movement serves as a way for Black LGBTQ people to discuss specific issues that are more unique to the Black LGBTQ community & celebrate each other. Brandon stated, “This year's focus is on intersection of community & entertainment with award winning LGBTQ+ talent/allies & impactful conversations post-pandemic on topics necessary for the Black community. As we move into years to come we will continue to communicate the LABP mission of celebrating the past, while building the future. We will activate in historically Gay celebrated Los Angeles spaces like the Legendary Catch One & The Abbey. As a Black Man, we want to work on eradicating issues surrounding Homophobia & racism in America.” The fact is that within the larger LGBTQ Community people of color continue to experience higher rates of discrimination. A new Center for American Progress survey shows that 43 percent of LGBTQ people of color reported experiencing discrimination last year from a doctor or health care provider with nearly half reporting that discrimination has affected their ability to rent or purchase a home to some degree & 1 in 3 reported staying away from public spaces to avoid facing discrimination. Policymakers must wake up & respond to the diverse & complex needs of LGBTQ individuals with intersecting identities & pass the Equality Act. LA Black Pride includes a 5-day COVID-safe series of both daytime & nighttime events that will feature discussion, dancing & celebrating. For More Info….
Celebrating Marriage Equality (AUDIO)
Stern New U.S. Special LGBTQ Envoy
Loud & Proud Virtual Pride Bands Event
San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Event
Celebrities To Celebrate Pride Prom
Marc Smolowitz 13TH GEN Films (Audio)
Supreme Court Rains On LGBTQ Pride
In the midst of celebrating LGBTQ Pride the U.S. Supreme Court rained on our virtual parade by ruling in favor of the Catholic Social Services in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. Just another wake-up call that without the passage of the Equality Act which would finally prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation & gender identity, the U.S. Supreme Court was able to issued a narrow ruling against our LGBTQ community on a technicality. Erin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates stated, “This decision is painful because the discrimination at the heart of this case is being allowed to stand. At the same time, the Court is saying that there is no broad right to discriminate, that the government can enforce nondiscrimination laws.” Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force concluded, “The court’s ruling on Fulton is a narrow one, limited in both nature & scope. The most important take-away is that the Supreme Court unanimously refused to allow a religious entity to have a license to discriminate. We stand in solidarity with the community in Philadelphia that is working for the fair & equitable treatment of those who want to provide safe & loving homes to children & hold in our hearts the many children who will be impacted by this decision. The work ahead for our community is clear – we must continue to advocate for local & state non-discrimination laws, apply the ones that exist & most importantly, fight for the Equality Act, which would provide long overdue Federal protections to the LGBTQ community & many others.” For More Info…
Title IX Protections For LGBTQ Students
AMA Supports Transgender Medical Care
National LGBTQ Wall Of Honor 2021
Concert For Love & Acceptance Online
Pulse Survivor Speaks OUT (AUDIO)
Boston Gay Men Chorus Pride Concert
Pride & Joy Trans Youth Virtual Event
The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) will host “Pride & Joy” its first-ever virtual storytelling event for transgender & non-binary young people along with their families & friends on June 16th at 7P EST. The event features transgender storytellers & leaders & aims to provide family-friendly opportunities to celebrate Pride month particularly as lawmakers in legislatures across the country consider more than 100 anti-trans bills that would have significant negative impacts on young transgender people. Andy Marra Executive Director of TLDEF stated, “In this moment when transgender & non-binary young people are under attack in legislatures across the country, we felt it was important to show them & their families some extra love. We are incredibly grateful to the inspiring & talented trans leaders, authors & storytellers who will be taking part in Pride & Joy & hope that the event will reinforce for young trans people that they too have bright futures ahead of them.” Storytellers will include: Jackson Bird a YouTube creator & LGBTQ+ advocate, Precious Brady-Davis the author of “I Have Always Been Me”, Senator Sarah McBride who was officially sworn into the Delaware Senate in January 2021 & Meredith Talusan the author of the critically-acclaimed memoir “Fairest” from Viking/Penguin Random House. In addition the audience will hear from Vanessa Ford author of “Calvin”, Andrea Jenkins Vice President of the Minneapolis City Council & Gia Parr Champion of “The Gender Cool Project”. TLDEF is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity & expression & to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services & public policy efforts. For More Info & Tix…
New Teen Gender Questioning Study
LGBTQ Small Business Recovery Survey
CNBC announced the results of the first LGBTQ Small Business Owner Financial Health Survey that was conducted in partnership with Acorns & the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. The survey took the financial pulse of LGBTQ entrepreneurs to learn more about how they manage their personal & business finances & the specific obstacles they face based on their sexual & gender identity. The survey also addressed topics from emergency savings to business succession plans to post-COVID small business confidence. Not only did the pandemic take a significant toll on many of those in the small business community, nearly one-third of LGBTQ small business owners say they lost 50% of their business as a result of COVID. However nearly 80% of those surveyed say they expect to make a full recovery next year. Justin Nelson & Chance Mitchell NGLCC Co-Founders stated, “The LGBT business community is thriving, despite both the economic impacts of the pandemic & the forces of inequality & discrimination that are still far too prevalent in America. As the business voice & certifying body for LGBT-owned companies throughout the country, we are so proud to partner with CNBC to highlight the resilience of LGBT entrepreneurs from coast to coast. The confidence in the economic recovery ahead demonstrated in this survey by our network of LGBT business owners should give us all hope for better days ahead. This groundbreaking survey further proves our NGLCC philosophy that economic visibility, just like social visibility, is essential in building a diverse and inclusive society.” The survey results will also be highlighted during a LinkedIn Live event, Invest in Pride: Ready. Set. Grow.. hosted by Invest in You on Thursday, June 17th at 1P ET moderated by CNBC Small Business Reporter Kate Rogers & featuring personal finance expert & bestselling author Suze Orman. For More Info…
Provincetown Film Festival (AUDIO)
This week I talked with Lisa Viola, Artistic Director for the Provincetown International Film Festival that takes place June 16th to 25th both virtually & in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The newly re-envisioned hybrid festival came together with the ingenuity & sheer determination of a world-class team of programmers including Andrew Peterson, Heidi Zwicker & ValĂ©rie DĂ©us. Celebrating its 23rd year Richard Linklater will be this year’s Filmmaker on the Edge recipient in conversation with resident artist John Waters. Riz Ahmed, Academy Award Best Actor nominee for “Sound Of Metal” will receive this year’s Excellence in Acting Award in conversation with Vanity Fair Chief Critic Richard Lawson & queer actor/filmmaker Natalie Morales PIFF will receive the Next Wave Award in conversation with musician Holly Miranda. The hybrid festival will open with Jon M. Chu’s “In The Heights” at the Wellfleet Drive-In on June 16th & the festival will close with Emily Branham’s BeBe Zahara Benet documentary “Being BeBe” with guests of honor including director Emily Branham, producer Marc Smolowitz & the film’s subject & star BeBe Zahara Benet the winner of the very first RuPaul’s Drag Race. Some other highlights will include a Filmmaker Celebration at Truro Vineyards with Christine Vachon who co-founded the impactful independent film & television production company Killer Films joined by director & writer Daniel Minahan on June 19th from 6P to 7:30. The Provincetown International Film Festival will be closely monitoring federal, state & local COVID-19 safety guidelines & will continue to adjust safety policies accordingly throughout the festival. I talked to Lisa about what she hopes to accomplish at this year’s Ptown Film Festival & her spin on our LGBTQ issues. LISTEN
For Info & Tix: ptownfilmfest.org
Featured Post
10th Annual Drag Queen Christmas Tour
After this disappointing election cycle & before Trump’s second term begins, I think our LGBTQ community needs to really celebrate the u...
Popular Posts
-
Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) will hold its 27th annual Against the Tide Athletic Fundraising Event at DCR's Hopkinton ...
-
The annual LGBTQ holiday themed Holly Folly Festival takes place from December 2nd to the 4th in Provincetown, MA. Since 1997 Holly Folly ha...
-
California's economy is so bad that for 2 nights ABC World News w/ Charles Gibson broadcast was from Los Angeles. Of course it was neve...