Bryce Cook | Understanding the History: Homosexuality and the LDS Church

Jul 10, 2019 • If you’re a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and navigating a journey to understand the intersection of religion and sexual orientation, we invite you to join us for this Latter Gay Stories episode.

Bryce Cook is an active Latter-day Saint, father of two gay sons and the author of “What Do We Know of God’s Will For His LGBT Children? An Examination of the LDS Church’s Position on Homosexuality.”

In this episode, Bryce Cook and Kyle Ashworth fairly and candidly breakdown the history of LGBT discussion within the Church, changes within the policies and doctrines, social impacts and what the future might look like for the LDS and LGBT communities.




I have absolutely no connection with the Mormon Church, but I must commend Kyle Ashworth on his series of discussions on LGBT issues in the LDS Church, because he always takes a deep dive into the topic being discussed and makes the discussions so very interesting. Further, through listening to many of these discussions, I have learnt more about the Church of Latter-day Saints than I ever knew before. Kudos! – © Mark

Chinese Censors Cut Gay References from Friends

THE TIMES: Outcry over ‘defiled’ version of hit American sitcom

Chinese censors removed scenes that referred to Ross’s ex-wife being gay | PAUL DRINKWATER/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY
Chinese censors have removed lesbian scenes and sanitised references to sex in Friends as the show is re-released on streaming sites, to the anger of the sitcom’s many Chinese fans.

The cuts have been so comprehensive that fans have complained that plots and some jokes now no longer make sense. They have called for a boycott and slammed the censorship as “defiling” the first season of the show, originally broadcast in 1994.

On Friday when several entertainment platforms, including Tencent Video, reprised the show, some fans were quick to notice the absence of several scenes, including those relating to the character Ross explaining that his ex-wife, Carol, is gay. Viewers also reported cuts or mistranslations of lines by LGBT+ characters or scenes that included mildly … » | Didi Tang, Beijing | Monday, February 14, 2022

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'Don't Say Gay': White House Denounces New Florida Bill

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BBC: The White House has said a new bill in Florida that would ban discussion of sexual orientation in primary schools is "designed to attack" LGBT students.

Governor Ron DeSantis has signalled his backing for the measure and it appears to have enough support to pass through the state's Republican-led legislature.

Activists have dubbed it the "Don't Say Gay" bill and warn it will stigmatise LGBT people and issues.

But its proponents say the legislation is about protecting parental rights.

The proposal was introduced in the state House of Representatives last month. An identical version advanced in the state Senate on Tuesday.

At a news conference, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "Every parent hopes that our leaders will ensure their children's safety, protection, and freedom."

"Today, conservative politicians in Florida rejected those basic values by advancing legislation that is designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most." With video » | BBC | Wednesday, February 9, 2022

The Silencing of Black & Queer Voices: George M. Johnson on 15-State Ban of “All Boys Aren’t Blue”

Rabbi Steven Greenberg - JFS Lecture - Inclusion Gay Jews (2015)

Jan 12, 2015 • Rabbi Steven Greenberg (CLAL) discusses the commandment of "Hachnassat Orchim" ("Welcoming Guests"), and how it needs to extend to the Gay Community as well. From the Third Annual JFS - Saul Cohen Lecture, at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT.

WIKIPEDIA: Rambam (Maimonides).

WIKIPEDIA: Rugelach.

The more I learn about Judaism, the more impressed I become! – © Mark

Abdellah Taia - African, Muslim, and Gay

Jul 1, 2015 • Abdellah Taia's speech at the 2015 Oslo Freedom Forum. See more talks like this at oslofreedomforum.com and follow @OsloFF for updates.

A Denver Man from Jordan Opens Up about His Struggles as a Gay Man in the Middle East

Jun 25, 2021 • The thought of holding another man’s hand in public was once a far-fetched dream for Luai Qubain, a man raised in the Middle East; but those days are behind him as he gives his husband a kiss while sitting on a bench in Cheesman Park.

Being Gay in Warsaw, Poland

Apr 28, 2019 • In Poland, roughly 50% of the population does not believe that homosexuality is normal. As an openly gay man living in Warsaw, Tom Shay'an is reminded of this everyday.

Japans LGBT-Szene erreicht einen Meilenstein – Tokio will gleichgeschlechtliche Partnerschaften anerkennen

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Auf lokaler Ebene in Japan schwindet der Widerstand gegen die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe. Wird Japan das zweite Land Asiens, das die Ehe für alle beschliesst?

Tokio will den Weg ebnen für gleichgeschlechtliche Ehen. Bald könnte das ganze Land folgen. Auf dem Bild: Pride-Parade in Tokio 2019. | Alessandro Di Ciommo / Imago
Tokios konservative Bürgermeisterin Yuriko Koike gehört bei der Förderung von Lesben- und Schwulenrechten zu Japans Avantgarde. Anfang dieser Woche kündigte sie an, in der 14-Millionen-Einwohner-Metropole umzusetzen, was es auf Landesebene noch nicht gibt: eine Gleichstellung gleichgeschlechtlicher Partnerschaften.

«Um das Verständnis für sexuelle Vielfalt zu fördern und die Probleme der Betroffenen zu verringern, werden wir die Grundprinzipien für die Einführung eines Systems gleichgeschlechtlicher Partnerschaften im bis März 2022 laufenden Haushaltsjahr vorlegen», versprach Koike.

Damit wäre zwar nur eine gleiche Behandlung bei administrativen Akten wie Sozialleistungen oder im öffentlichen Wohnungsbau gewährleistet und keine volle legale Anerkennung homosexueller Ehen. Aber für die Organisatoren der japanischen Bewegung von Lesben, Schwulen, bisexuellen und transsexuellen Menschen (LGBT) ist Koikes Ankündigung ein wichtiger Meilenstein auf dem Weg, Japan zum zweiten Land Asiens zu machen, das die Ehe für alle ermöglicht. » | Martin Kölling, Tokio | Donnerstag, 9. Dezember 2021

La ville de Tokyo va reconnaître les unions homosexuelles : La gouverneure de la capitale japonaise a annoncé que des certificats pour les personnes de même sexe pourraient être prêts d’ici à début 2023. Le Japon est le dernier pays du G7 à ne pas autoriser le mariage pour tous. »

Many Older Queer Adults Face Abuse Yet Rarely Report It, Study Says

Via Shutterstock
ADVOCATE: Research into Oregon's LGB older adult population also found a majority of them have experienced discrimination in the last year.

A survey conducted by Oregon’s Human Services Department has found that most older lesbian, gay, or bisexual people in the state have reported experiencing discrimination and many also reported experiencing elder abuse.

The agency found that LGB older adults experienced higher rates of poverty, suicidal thoughts, and overall economic instability. Respondents described issues getting appropriate health care and social services, such as food or transport assistance, partly because of their identity. Older LGB people in the state also reported feeling isolated from others.

“We still fall under all the things that happen to older adults,” said Mary Rita Hurley, the 62-year-old lesbian cofounder of the advocacy organization LGBTQ Aging Coalition, told The Salem Reporter. “Then on top of that, particularly depending on how old the older LGBTQ person is, there is still an amazing amount of stigma out there. We still have people in the closet.” » | Alex Cooper | Friday, November 26, 2021

One in Five Teachers Are Still Uncomfortable Discussing LGBT Topics with Children

METRO: One in five school teachers are still uncomfortable talking about LGBT+ topics with pupils, a new poll has revealed.

Independent research by Just Like Us, the LGBT+ charity for young people, found that only a third of teachers are ‘completely comfortable’ talking in the classroom about things related to being lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Over 6,000 primary and secondary teachers were surveyed, and 3% of them even said they were ‘completely uncomfortable’ discussing these with pupils.

This comes despite the regulator Ofsted requiring primary schools to include different types of families – such as lesbian mums or gay dads – in lessons. » | Gergana Krasteva | Thursday, November 18, 2021

Harvey Milk: US Navy Launches Ship Named for Gay Rights Leader

The USNS Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego on Saturday | GETTY IMAGES
BBC: The US Navy has launched a ship named after a gay rights activist forced to resign from the service because of his sexuality in the 1950s.

The USNS Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego on Saturday in a service attended by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Milk's nephew, Stuart.

It is one of six new ships to be named after famed US civil rights leaders.

Others include former Chief Justice Earl Warren and slain presidential candidate Robert Kennedy.

Milk served as a diving officer and Lieutenant aboard the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake during the Korean War. But he was forced out of the service following two weeks of interrogation about his sexuality in 1955.

He later became one of America's first openly gay politicians, elected in 1977 to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

But a year later he was shot and killed by Dan White, a former city supervisor with whom he had frequently clashed. » | BBC | Sunday, November 7, 2021

Schwul und glücklich - Landwirt Thomas Reitmaier | Unser Land | BR Fernsehen

Dec 22, 2019 • Thomas Reitmaier, 35 Jahre alt, lebt im Weiler Niesgau im Chiemgau. Landwirt ist er mit Leib und Seele: Er hält Rinder, Ziegen und Schweine und bietet Urlaub auf dem Bauernhof an. Dazu kommt noch ein Teilzeitjob beim Veterinäramt, er bedient auf dem Münchner Oktoberfest und ist in zahlreichen Vereinen aktiv. Und er ist verheiratet - mit einem Mann. Autor: Christoph Schuster

A Gay Man's Journey: Marrying a Woman. | I'm from Irving, TX by Todd Howard

Todd takes us through his journey of having no success with men, falling in love with and marrying a woman, and ultimately his divorce.

Can a Gay Man Love a Woman? What Are the LGBT Rules on Love?

Nov 3, 2011 • Topic This Week (selected by Syd): "What are your thoughts on a gay person falling in love with someone of the opposite sex? Can that person call him/herself gay? What would you do if your preference before you met a certain person was only homosexual and everybody knew that, and this changes everything?"

Suspected Iranian Hack Hits Israeli LGBT Site; Users Fear Leak of Personal Info

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Black Shadow hacking group threatens to release data after targeting numerous websites through hack of internet hosting company in Israel

A person speaks on their phone during an annual Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem, on June 3, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
An Israeli LGBT-focused dating service was one of the many websites targeted by a hack on an internet hosting company, worrying users of a potential data leak that could expose those still in the closet.

“Atraf,” a geo-located dating service as well as a nightlife index, is a popular app and website in the Israeli LGBT community, especially in the Tel Aviv area.

Hackers, apparently linked to Iran, said Friday they had broken into the servers of Israeli internet hosting company Cyberserve, bringing down a number of widely used websites.

The Black Shadow group, which Hebrew-language media reports said was Iranian, warned the Israeli company that it was in possession of data that could be leaked. The group has not confirmed that it is backed by Tehran.

“Hello Again! We have news for you,” the hackers wrote in a message circulated on social media Friday evening. “You probably could not connect to many websites today. ‘Cyberserve’ company and their customers [were] hit by us. You may ask what about Data? As always, we have lots of it. If you don’t want your Data leaked by us, contact us soon.” » | TOI Staff | Saturday, October 30, 2021

First Group of LGBT+ Afghans Fleeing Taliban Arrive in the UK

THE GUARDIAN: Students and activists in group that British foreign ministry hopes will be ‘the first of many’ in coming months

Activists around the world have been campaigning to raise awareness of LGBT Afghans and women’s dire situation under the Taliban's rule. Photograph: Alain Pitton/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
A group of LGBT+ Afghans has arrived in Britain, the first since the Taliban’s return to power in August caused panic among gay and transgender Afghans, who feared persecution and even death under the Islamists’ rule.

The evacuation of the 29 Afghans is “hoped to be the first of many” in the coming months, Britain’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday, hours after a Taliban spokesman said LGBT+ rights would not be respected.

Thousands of Afghans including LGBT+ people, women and officials linked to the previous administration rushed to flee the country after the Taliban’s swift return to power on 15 August, but many were unable to board foreign evacuation flights.

“We played a key role getting these people out and will continue to do all we can to help at-risk Afghans leave the country,” British foreign secretary Liz Truss said in a statement, adding Britain would continue to defend “the right of all people to be themselves and love who they want”.

Among the group are students and activists who had repeatedly stood up for equality for the LGBT community in Afghanistan, the Foreign, Common and Development Office (FCDO) said. » | Agencies | Saturday, October 30, 2021

Machtwechsel in Afghanistan: Grossbritannien nimmt LGBTQ-Personen auf, US-Aussenministerium und Pentagon halten angeblich Informationen zurück: In Afghanistan haben die Taliban die Macht übernommen. Viele Staaten haben ihre Landsleute und lokalen Mitarbeiter unter teilweise dramatischen Umständen evakuiert. Die Lage im Land ist unübersichtlich. »

LGBT-Bewegung in Polens Parlament mit Nazis verglichen

GEPLANTES DEMONTRATIONSVERBOT
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Vor dem Parlament in Warschau protestierten Menschen, weil Veranstaltungen wie Pride-Umzüge verboten werden könnten. Drinnen redeten Konservative von „Terror“ der LGBT-Bewegung.

Hunderte Menschen haben in Polens Hauptstadt Warschau gegen ein geplantes Verbot von Demonstrationen für Lesben und Schwule protestiert. Vor dem Parlament versammelten sich am Donnerstagabend mindestens 300 Menschen, berichtete die Tageszeitung Gazeta Wyborcz. Viele Teilnehmer schwenkten Regenbogenfahnen. Auf Transparenten stand etwa „Liebe kennt kein Geschlecht“. Am späten Abend beriet das Parlament in erster Lesung über den Gesetzesvorschlag. Vor dem Gebäude waren auch Unterstützer des Entwurfs. Die Polizei trennte beide Seiten.

Konkret soll das Gesetz künftig verbieten, dass Demonstranten etwa die Ehe zwischen Mann und Frau infrage stellen und ihre Ausweitung auf Menschen des gleichen Geschlechts fordern. … Zudem soll dem Entwurf … » | Quelle: dpa | Freitag, 29. Oktober 2021

Finding a Retirement Home If You’re LGBT

Apr 20, 2015 • Ageing gays and lesbians should have the choice of specialised retirement homes, according to a new association aiming to fill a gap in the market.

Retired gardener Sigi Strickenberger is partly paralysed. Seven years ago he discovered a gay and lesbian home care service. Having a gay nurse looking after him is important. He feels he can only really be himself in front of someone who can also relate to him.

In Zurich an association has been set up with a view to building retirement homes and apartments for LGBT people as well as to installing other services for old age. It’s generating interest, even among younger people, some of whom also hope to find a place in an LGBT home for themselves one day.

As long as Strickenberger is healthy enough, he would like to stay at home with the aid of the gay home care service. But should the time come, he could well imagine moving to an LGBT old people’s home.

Being surrounded by people with the same interests is important. In an LGBT home, entertainment might be a drag show rather than an afternoon ballroom dancing. Plans are to have the first LGBT home up and running in five years. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

LGBT Documentary: Gay, Old and Out

Feb 27, 2018 • Meet the people who paved the way for LGBT rights. It has been a long hard fight to secure acceptance for the LGBT community, and the older people who fought the fight often get overlooked and forgotten.

For LGBT history month this documentary follows the astonishing and moving stories of the members of the Opening Doors London project - whose personal struggles and successes paved the way.