Boston Pride Week Political Forum

Boston Pride & Freedom for All Massachusetts will host a public forum on Defending Transgender Equality in Massachusetts – A Public Discussion on the Repeal of the Public Accommodations Law during Pride Week on Monday June 4th from 6P to 8P at District Hall 75 Northern Avenue in Boston, MA. The event will feature keynote remarks from Sarah McBride, National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign & the author of Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss & The Fight For Trans Equality as well as a panel discussion about the upcoming ballot question that if passed would repeal critical protections in public places, such as restaurants, shops & medical facilities for transgender people in Massachusetts. Sylvain Bruni Boston Pride President stated, “The repeal of the Public Accommodations ballot question poses an imminent threat to our community. The purpose of this panel discussion is to address the local & national consequences this repeal could have & what the LGBTQ community & its allies can do to mobilize & defend fairness & dignity for all at the ballot in November. As a matter of social justice for our community, we felt it was of the utmost importance to heighten trans visibility & to amplify trans voices through direct interactions at a community-based panel.” Boston Pride annually holds a public issues & advocacy forum during Pride Week to educate members of the LGBTQ community on the social, cultural & political issues they face. Following the forum there will be a complimentary reception at District Hall sponsored by the Seaport by WS Development. The event is free & open to the public however space is limited & registration is recommended.
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Trans Woman Dies In ICE Custody

Transgender Law Center (TLC), Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement (Familia:TQLM) & Organización Latina de Trans en Texas (OLTT) mourn the death of a transgender asylum seeker who died while in ICE custody at the Cibola Correctional Facility. Roxana Hernández a transgender woman from Honduras was only 33 years-old when she died while incarcerated in immigration detention. Although she was processed into the United States on May 13th 2018 it is unclear where & in what conditions Ms. Hernández was held for the five days she was in custody until she was transferred to ICE. It has been repeatedly reported that asylum seekers at the border are held in freezing holding cells often referred to as “hieleras” for days. Ms. Hernández died from medical complications with pneumonia. Isa Noyola, Deputy Director at Transgender Law Center stated, "Paired with the abuse we know transgender people regularly suffer in ICE detention, the death of Ms. Hernández sends the message that transgender people are disposable & do not deserve dignity, safety, or even life.” Flor Bermudez, Legal Director at Transgender Law Center added, “It is alarming that transgender communities continue to face transphobic violence outside & inside of detention walls. This is why TLC’s Trans Immigrant Defense Effort (TIDE) has organized to demand the liberation of transgender women from detention & the end of all detention & deportations. ICE has shown time & again it is incapable of protecting transgender women in detention. Transgender people should not be detained by ICE at all.”
For More Info: transgenderlawcenter.org
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Mark Gilbert To Be Honored

SAVE is is celebrating 25 years as Florida's largest local LGBTQ advocacy organization & their  25th Annual Champions of Equality Gala takes place on Friday June 8th at The Penthouse at Riverside Wharf at 125 Southwest North River Drive in Miami, Florida. This year Mark Gilbert Board Chair of the OUTshine Film Festival will receive the Equality Icon Award at this fabulous gala event. Mark has helped grow & steer the newly branded OUTshine Film Festival that was originally known as the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival & then in 2008 it combined with Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in 2008 becoming MiFo LGBT Film Festival. Gilbert fell in love with the organization & the LGBTQ films he saw & has served on the Board of Directors, Co-Chair & then Chair for the last 18 years. Tony Lima, SAVE Executive Director stated, “We are so excited to honor local hero, Mark Gilbert as our 2018 Equality Icon Award Recipient at the Champions of Equality Gala. As the Board Chair of the OUTshine Film Festival, Mark has helped grow & steer this important event for nearly 18 years. He is an incredible leader in our community & we are proud to honor him and his legacy.” Mark Gilbert OUTshine Film Festival Board Chair conluded, “I hope you can join me for this wonderful event as I am being honored by the incredibly prestigious organization, SAVE, as this year's Champion Of Equality Icon. The event is a lot of fun, a great cause with open bar, plenty of food & great friends.” Tickets are $150 Use Code: OUTSHINE to get a $25 discount.
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Hawaii Bans Conversion Therapy

Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a bill sponsored by Hawaii Senator Stanley Chang into law Friday that will protect Hawaii LGBTQ youth from the horrendous practice of conversion therapy by health professionals. Conversion therapy, sometimes called “ex-gay therapy” attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity & has been discredited by every major medical & mental health organization as an ineffective & harmful practice. The practice of conversion therapy by licensed professionals against minors has now been prohibited by 12 states & the District of Columbia & there is a growing movement across the country to end conversion therapy nationally. Mathew Shurka stated, “As a survivor, I know how harmful conversion therapy can be & I could not be happier that Hawaii has taken this important step to protect the health & safety of its LGBTQ youth from this terrible practice. There are currently more than 700,000 survivors nationally & an estimated 77,000 teenagers across the country will be subjected to conversion therapy over the next five years.” Conversion Therapy has been banned in Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, Maryland & now Hawaii all have laws or regulations protecting youth from this abusive practice. A growing number of municipalities have also enacted similar protections, including cities & counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida, New York, Arizona & Wisconsin. The Hawaii bill signing was the result of targeted grassroots advocacy efforts by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), local advocacy group the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai’I & the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). For More Info: nclrights.org
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Tanya Tucker Performs For Equality

GLAAD + Ty Herndon Concert for Love & Acceptance announced that country music icon Tanya Tucker will take the stage for a very special performance June 7th at the Wildhorse Saloon during CMA Fest in Nashville. Ty Herndon stated, “I am thrilled to welcome my wonderful & dear friend Tanya Tucker to the show. All her kids call me Uncle Ty. I have known Tanya’s heart for many years. She is truly one of the most talented, kind & generous souls on the planet. She is adored by all of us in country music, & we’ll all be watching to learn a little something about how it’s done.” Zeke Stokes, GLAAD’s Vice President of Programs & Executive Producer of the 2018 Concert for Love & Acceptance added, “My first ‘forty-five’ growing up in South Carolina was Tanya Tucker’s ‘Delta Dawn,’ so I have been a fan for a long time. I’m so excited that we have reached a time when the country music community is standing up for love & acceptance for LGBTQ people & young children everywhere who feel different can know that we’re all on their side.” GLAAD & Herndon also announced performances by Billy Dean, Cale Dodds, Parson James, Temecula Road & Thompson Square. Previous announced special guests & performers include Terri Clark, Cam, Shelly Fairchild, Cassadee Pope, Michael Ray, Calum Scott & Brandon Stansell. Anita Cochran will perform & serve as musical director for the show. The 2018 Concert for Love & Acceptance corporate partners include presenting partners CMT, Ketel One Family-Made Vodka and community partners Nissan & The Weissmann Group.
For Info & TIX: glaad.org
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BGMC Celebrates Boston Pride Week

In advance of their South Africa Tour the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) will present Together a concert to celebrate Boston Pride with a blend of Broadway classics, Hollywood hits, spirituals & pop culture crowd pleasers. Performances will take place Saturday June 2nd at 8P & Sunday June 3rd at 3P at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall 30 Gainsborough Street in Boston. Reuben M. Reynolds, III, BGMC’s Music Director stated, “Together reflects the reality that we’re all citizens of the world who must get to know each other better, listen to one another, learn about our differences & share our cultural gifts with the world. We do these things through music. This show will blend American & South African music that reflects our countries’ respective struggles against racial oppression & injustice, pay tribute to our resilience in the face of those struggles & celebrate love—in all its forms—which always trumps injustice.” Craig Coogan BGMC Executive Director concluded, “As we celebrate both LGBT Pride & our South Africa Tour this June, Together showcases music’s power to inspire change, to soothe & heal the wounds of injustice & empower people to overcome oppression & adversity. Your feet will be tapping, your heart will be thumping & your spirit will soar.” Founded in 1982, the BGMC is a 200-voice ensemble known for its outstanding musicianship, creative programming & groundbreaking community outreach. The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus also serves as Cultural Ambassadors being the first LGBT chorus to perform in Poland in 2005, the Middle East in 2015 & now in South Africa in June 2018.
For Info & Tix: bgmc.org/together
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LGBTQ Golf Fore Good Event

The Horizons Foundation’s 9th Annual LGBTQ Golf Fore Good Tournament will take place on Friday, June 8th at the gorgeous Chardonnay Golf Club in the Napa Valley. This is the Bay Area’s premier all-women’s charity golf tournament. Since 2010 the event has drawn hundreds of women from across the Bay Area for a great day of golf & fun & has raised well over $100,000 in support of the LGBT community. LGBTQ Golf Fore Good welcomes golfers of all levels & features unique contests & prize holes to give everyone a chance to be a winner. After play, golfers, volunteers & revelers meet in the clubhouse for dinner, trophies & dancing. Most importantly, LGBTQ Golf Fore Good event supports Horizons’ mission to help meet the needs, secure the rights & celebrate the lives of LGBTQ people. Founded in 1988 the Horizons Foundation believes that justice for LGBTQ people is inextricably tied to a larger movement for social justice for all marginalized communities. They are fiercely dedicated to securing equality, dignity & justice in the daily lives of all LGBTQ people, especially the most vulnerable & disadvantaged. Today, Horizons remains true to its commitment to find & fund our LGBTQ community’s social entrepreneurs & start-up organizations that meet new needs, or meet ongoing needs in new & promising ways. Their evolving grants list continues to reflect & shape the community. Horizons Foundation is today what its founders envisioned: a community philanthropic institution that is of, by & for the LGBTQ community, both today & tomorrow & for future generations.
For More Info: horizonsfoundation.org
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