LGBT Refugees Seek US Asylum

A caravan of 16 LGBT Central American migrants including 11 transgender women arrived at the US-Mexico border in Arizona to request asylum Thursday. They were joined by hundreds of supporters rallying to urge officials to end trans detention. A transgender asylum-seeker who fled Nicaragua stated, “Where I come from physical, psychological & verbal abuse is the norm for indigenous transwomen like me. I had to leave my tribal community by the age of 12 or face the dangerous consequences at the hands of my own tribal government & that was just the beginning.” Keren Zwick, Associate Director of litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center added “These individuals are fleeing persecution at home & are crossing today with hope that the United States will uphold its obligation to give each of them a full & fair opportunity to seek protection through our country’s asylum system. We call on the U.S. government to allow them to pursue their legal cases in the safety of the communities that are rallying around them today.” As they crossed into the United States & made their way into the port they were taken into custody around noon. Though ICE could not say where any of the 16 gay & transgender migrants might be sent Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, Immigration & Customs Enforcement spokeswoman stated, “The decision to detain or release an individual under the agency’s alternative to detention (ATD) program is made based upon the individual facts & circumstances of the case.”
For More Info: immigrantjustice.org
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Trump Atomic War Warning

First we have Trump cautioning North Korea that their threats “will be met with fire & fury like the world has never seen” & then we have confirmed reports that North Korea has successfully produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead designed to fit inside its missiles. In reaction to this unfolding crisis Derek Johnson, Executive Director of Global Zero, the international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons stated, “Kim Jong-un’s nuclear capabilities are coming into alignment with his rhetoric. The situation on the Korean peninsula has evolved into a full-blown crisis & the Trump administration needs to immediately come to grips with that. That means putting an end to the President’s escalatory bravado & immediately opening a direct line of communication with Pyongyang, without preconditions. Talking risks nothing; not talking risks everything. The public must come to grips with the gravity of this crisis, too. We’ve got two nuclear-armed megalomaniacs facing off & no reason to expect cooler heads will prevail. When Trump promises ‘fire and fury,’ remember he has unfettered authority to make good on that threat. The nuclear briefcase follows him everywhere. At any moment he can pick up the phone & order a nuclear strike. The system designed to execute that order was built for blind deference & speed; we shouldn’t pin any hopes on having ‘an adult in the room.’ Neither his subordinates nor Congress can stop him.”
For More Info: globalzero.org
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Oklahoma Gay Racist Hate Crime

An Oklahoma gay man filed a federal civil rights lawsuit after his home was burned to the ground following months of racist & homophobic attacks. Randy Gamel-Medler an Oklahoma gay man filed a federal equal protection lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma against nine defendants from Blaine County, Oklahoma including Mayor of Hitchcock Rick Edsall, Sheriff of Blaine County Tony Almaguer & Undersheriff of Blaine County David Robertson. Plaintiff Randy Gamel-Medler stated, "When our family moved to the town of Hitchcock in rural Oklahoma we thought we were buying our last house, we wanted to know our neighbors by their first names & grow old together, but we were soon met with hatred, suspicion & discrimination. We were terrorized, murder threats were made against our seven year-old African-American son. Town officials conspired to run us out of office, all while local law enforcement ignored our pleas for help. We are now left with the last 27 years of our life literally erased. What do we do now?" In early May 2017 Gamel-Medler was performing his duties as town clerk by clearing an obstruction from the road when he was assaulted by defendant Jonita Pauls Jacks, who tried to enter Gamel-Medler’s truck & then after realizing it was locked began shaking the truck, called him a “f***ing queer,” & stated, “I’m going to grab your little boy, rip his n***er head off, & sh** down his throat.” When Gamel-Medler attempted to file a police report the Deputy Sheriff refused saying that this is just how these folks are & characterized the incident as free speech. Shannon Price Minter, Legal Director at NCLR added, “No family should live in fear or have to endure harassment & threats based on racism & homophobia. We must hold those government officials, members of law enforcement & others accountable.”
For More Info: freedomoklahoma.org
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Huge Protest At Texas Capitol

Hundreds of LGBTQ people of color & immigrants are heading to the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Friday August 4th to protest the obscene bills SB 3 & SB 4 that target our transgender & immigrant communities. The #HereToSlay action, organized by local groups Aquí Estamos RGV & Organización Latina de Trans in Texas (OLTT) & national organizations Transgender Law Center and Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, will feature a rally, press conference & march into the capitol building to send the message that our communities are united for a safer, more just Texas. Dani Marrero of Aquí Estamos RGV stated, “Nobody should have to live in fear just because of who they are. We are going to the capitol to demand that our legislators stop singling us out for discrimination & harassment. Whether we are immigrants, transgender people, people of color or all of the above, we are part of families & communities across the state & we deserve a fair chance.” The event takes place Friday, August 4th from 10A to 3P. The rally starts at 10A, press conference starts at 11A & action on capitol begins at high noon at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, TX. Immigrants & LGBTQ people of color from across Texas will rally organized by: Aquí Estamos RGV, Organización Latina de Trans in Texas (OLTT), Transgender Law Center & Familia:TQLM. Speakers will include Dani Marrero, Monica Roberts, Jennicet Gutierrez, Anandrea Molina, Polly Ann Rocha & Isa Noyola.
For More Info: transgenderlawcenter.org
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Generals & Admirals Speak OUT

Fifty-six retired Generals & Admirals warn Trump that if his anti-transgender tweets are implemented it would degrade military readiness stating, “President Trump seeks to ban transgender service members because of the financial cost & disruption associated with transgender military service. We respectfully disagree & consider these claims to be without merit. The RAND Corporation, as well as research in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that the financial cost of providing health care to transgender troops would be, at most, $8.4 million per year. This amounts to one one-hundredth of one percent of the military's annual health care budget. As for ostensible disruptions, transgender troops have been serving honorably & openly for the past year & have been widely praised by commanders. Eighteen foreign nations, including the UK & Israel, allow transgender troops to serve & none has reported any detriment to readiness.” Admiral Mike Mullen stated, “I led our armed forces under the flawed 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' policy & saw firsthand the harm to readiness & morale when we fail to treat all service members according to the same standards. Thousands of transgender Americans are currently serving in uniform & there is no reason to single out these brave men & women & deny them the medical care that they require. The military conducted a thorough research process on this issue & concluded that inclusive policy for transgender troops promotes readiness.” Again this is all part of Trump’s agenda to weaken America by attempting to divide our nation.
Generals & Admirals List…
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Diana Ross Rocks Foxwoods

The legendary Diana Ross brought her ”In the Name of Love Tour” to Foxwoods Grand Theater on Sunday July 30th to a thrilled sold-out audience. Her band took the stage for several minutes before the iconic diva Diana entered the stage with her 80s hit "I'm Coming Out." The 4000+ capacity crowd rose to their feet in pure pleasure as Ross went into a medley of her Supremes faves. From there she covered six decades of chart busting hits including “Touch Me in the Morning,” “Endless Love” among many others. Over the course of her career Ross has received numerous awards. Ms. Ross is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee & a recipient of the Grammy Awards’ highest honor the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2016 she accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. However Diana has always said that her five children are her greatest legacy including her eldest daughter Rhonda Ross Kendrick who opened for her mother’s show. Rhonda’s 12 year-old son was also featured during both his mother’s & grandmother’s performance with his Michael Jackson-esque dance moves. This was last stop for her ”In the Name of Love Tour” but if you missed it you can still catch her when she performs at Tanglewood in Lenox Massachusetts on Wednesday August 30th. In the fall the fierce LGBTQ ally Ms. Ross will be performing At Wynn’s Encore Theatre in Las Vegas from October 11th through October 28th.
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LGBT 2017 Business Conference

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce conference takes place August 1st through August 4th in Las Vegas, Nevada. There will be over 1,100 attendees for the largest LGBT Business Event on the Planet. Keynote speakers will include fashion icon & best-selling author Tim Gunn; entrepreneur & LGBT advocate Lisa Vanderpump; CEO & author of "Predictable Success" Les McKeown; investment experts Heidi Lehmann & David Beatty; & out CEO & philanthropist Mitchell Gold. Also attending will be global LGBT leaders, including India's Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, fighting to make our world more inclusive for our communities. There will also be the opportunity to change the destiny of one of NGLCC LGBT BIZ PITCH finalists as they compete for $50,000 in cash & prizes in their largest & most exciting competition to date, all while celebrating 15 years of NGLCC. The conference is a great place to meet other certified business owners, chamber leaders, corporate partners & connect through a number of strategically crafted networking, social events & learn how to maximize your LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) certification. NGLCC is a U.S. not-for-profit advocacy group that aims to expand the economic opportunities & advancement of the LGBT business community. The Washington, D.C. based group acts both as a national certification body for LGBT-owned businesses and as advocates for LGBT supplier diversity.
For More Info: nglcc.org
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