Extreme Christian sect probed over anti-vaxx Facebook messages and homophobic slurs

IRVINE, Calif. — Russell Turner was on top of the world three years ago when he eased into a chair in front of a microphone. Sure, the men’s basketball team he was coaching, U.C.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer civil rights organization, said today it will not accept any funding from the Walt Disney Co. without a greater commitment to the LGBTQ+ agenda.

Tevin Campbell

Guatemalan lawmakers have passed a sweeping new bill mandating up to 10 years of jail time for women who obtain abortions, explicitly banning same-sex marriage and preventing schools from teaching about sexual diversity. The measure, which was approved Tuesday and is expected to be signed into law by Guatemala’s conservative president within weeks, would impose the harshest punishment for abortion of almost any country in Latin America. It bucks the trend toward broadening access to the procedure throughout the region in recent years.

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday (Mar 9) requiring the government to assess the risks and benefits of creating a central bank digital dollar, as well as other cryptocurrency issues, the White House said.

The Idaho House approved legislation Tuesday to make it a felony for a doctor to provide age-appropriate, medically-necessary, best practice gender-affirming care for transgender children.

Newsweek reached out to Superintendent Eggleston and a spokesperson for the school district.According to LGBTMap, Kansas' Gender Identity Policy Tally is low, which is defined as "Laws that explicitly mention "gender identity" or "gender identity and expression" primarily protect or harm transgender people.

KSBW. “It can be so infuriating and really scary all at the same time.”Some of the speakers at the flag-raising said it was important to show that members of the college community aren’t afraid of the vandals and will stand strong together.“Very frankly, I was told, ‘Oh, Steve, you’re not going to run openly gay are you? You haven’t been here long enough. You’re not going to get elected.’ Well, guess what? I’m here,” Cabrillo College trustee Steve Trujillo said.

Agence France-Presse reports.The decision came in a case brought by Dani Garcia, a Colombian who was assigned male at birth, went through a gender transition, and in 2019 sought an official ID listing their gender as “indeterminate.” The government agency in charge of issuing such documents initially denied the request. All Colombian citizens who are 18 or older are issued an ID card by the National Civil Agency, and it serves as their identification in voting, travel, applying for jobs, and a host of other activities.The court ordered the agency to provide Garcia with the document and offer the nonbinary option to others.

Bachelor star Colton Underwood says coming out was a very hard decision for him, and that he even used the popular reality show as a way to make himself straight.Underwood spoke about his time in the closet on the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen After-Show. The conversation was spurred by a fan question to fellow guest, Summer House's Danielle Olivera, about her opinions on whether castmate Craig Conover was "boyfriend material."Following the question, host Andy Cohen asked Underwood if he was familiar with the "oeuvre of Craig." Underwood said he "saw Craig on Instagram once or twice," and the two segue into a conversation about being closeted."Instagram was my way to, like, look without being caught.

Kangaroo at Indianapolis Zoo Animal lovers should head to the Indianapolis Zoo, home to the Indianapolis Prize, the most prestigious preservation and conservation award in the world. This May, the new Kangaroo Crossing exhibit will open in the current MISTery Park area, which has been home to the Zoo’s sloths since 2019.

A memorial will be held Saturday, March 12, at 11 a.m. for Robert Scot Webster, who died March 13, 2020 right before the COVID lockdown.

A celebration of life for former state legislative aide Anna Damiani will be held Saturday, March 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. All are welcome in-person, stated Alice B.

It was his Damascus Road conversion moment: March 24, 1987. A 26-year-old stockbroker for Morgan Guaranty in New York City, who was closeted about both being gay and having been diagnosed with AIDS-related complex a year and a half earlier, was on his way to work when he was handed a flyer announcing a MASSIVE AIDS DEMONSTRATION that morning in front of Trinity Church in the West Village, a block from his trading floor.One week later that stockbroker, Peter Staley, would attend his first ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) meeting and a year later "would leave my job on disability and devote what time I had left to the activism I had watched on TV that night," he writes in his new memoir, "Never Silent: ACT UP and My Life in Activism" (Chicago Review Press, $26.99).It gave him a reason to hope during a very dire time.

April 16, 1943 — February 5, 2022Jim Painter passed away peacefully on February 5, 2022, at his home in Palm Springs. Jim was born on April 16, 1943 in Warren, Ohio.

Years ago Kristen Iosco had tended the bar at Tap 25, a taproom in downtown Livermore showcasing more than two-dozen beers on tap. She then was hired as the general manager at Almanac Beer Co., a taproom and brewery in Alameda.She stayed in touch, though, with her former bosses during the COVID-19 pandemic and inquired in November 2020 if they would be interested in selling the business.

The memorial for retired Bay Area Reporter journalist Bruce Pettit will be held Saturday, March 19, at 2 p.m. at Bethany United Methodist Church — A Reconciling Congregation, 1270 Sanchez Street (at Clipper) in San Francisco.

I haven't been sleeping well lately, and it is largely Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott's fault.For some time, Abbott and his cronies in the Legislature have been trying to pass laws against transgender people. He's not had an easy time of it, even calling a total of three special sessions in 2021 to, among other things, bar transgender students from participating in sports programs with their peers and halt health care for trans youth.Without the support of lawmakers, Abbott, as well as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), took the matter into their own hands.

With at least 18 out candidates seeking California legislative seats in 2022, LGBTQ leaders are on the cusp of reaching their goal to have 10% of state lawmakers be from the community. In order to do so, the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus needs to grow from its current eight members to 12."I think there is a good chance of getting there," said gay state Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), now in his second year of a four-year term.All 80 Assembly seats are up for grabs as are the 20 even-numbered Senate seats.

Becoming a judge in California is not easy, as most jurists are appointed by the governor after applying and waiting a year or more. The number of LGBTQ judges in the state increased in 2021, according to data released by Governor Gavin Newsom's office, and there are now at least 83 out members in the judicial branch, according to data from the state and the Bay Area Reporter.Three of Santa Clara County's six out judges recently participated in a panel discussion and talked about their career paths and what it means to create welcoming courtrooms.

deployment of tear gas against protesters, the shoving of a kneeling protester, the shooting of a woman with a rubber bullet, and controversies stemming from the use of facial recognition technology to identify protestors — which critics have said has difficulty making accurate identifications of people of color.At the time, Scirotto said he wanted to ensure the department fostered better relations with people in the community who have historically been suspicious of, or had fraught relations with, police — a goal that many felt was a positive step. But in the fall, Scirotto promoted a list of minority employees, which led three white officers and one Hispanic officer to file complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that he was promoting people in a biased manner.The subsequent investigation into Scirotto’s actions found that “almost every witness,” out of 21 interviewed, “was dissatisfied” with Scirotto’s approach to promotions and “most believed that Chief Scirotto made clear his intention to promote based on race, gender or sexual orientation.”“Some believed it was about time changes were made, but stated if promotions were based on things such as race it would even hurt or undermine the people promoted,” the report said.The investigation report accused Scirotto of saying that photos on a conference room wall were “too white” and vowing: “I’m gonna change that.” It also alleged that, in a separate incident, Scirotto passed over a white man with 20 years tenure with the department for a promotion, instead narrowing the field down to two candidates of color, saying: “Which one is blacker?”Lagerbloom defended his decision to fire Scirotto, telling The Associated Press: “There’s everything we

The November 21, 2019 issue contained big news: the National AIDS Memorial Grove announced that the San Francisco-based nonprofit would become the steward of the massive AIDS Memorial Quilt, which started in San Francisco in 1987 when Cleve Jones, Mike Smith, and Gert McMullin opened a Castro storefront. (Jones had initially urged people to write the names of people who had died of AIDS on placards during a march to the federal building in 1985).

Dennis Cunningham, a longtime civil rights lawyer whose work also included representing gay men who were attacked by police in the infamous "Castro Sweep," died March 5. He was 86.The New York Times reported that Mr.

Four Bay Area college students are among the latest group awarded Pedro Zamora Young Leaders scholarships from the National AIDS Memorial Grove.The $5,000 scholarships provide financial support for the academic aspirations of young activists working to advance health and social justice in their communities, according to a news release from the AIDS grove, which is located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.The scholarship is named in the honor of Zamora, the late AIDS educator, activist, and reality television pioneer who died in 1994 from AIDS-related illness.Two students are from UC Berkeley — Olivia Freidenreich and Peter Pham. Freidenreich is a first year student at Cal and is exploring the intersection between literature, art, and social justice in the College of Letters and Science, according to a news release.

After a chilly weekend, it was a beautiful, warm Monday morning in the Castro. A promising start to the week, unless you happen to own Mudpuppy's.The night before, March 6, someone smashed the large plate glass windows of the 10-year-old dog grooming shop, which hung over the holding pens where their canine clients await their turn with their groomers.

It's likely that Florida is about to become the first state in the U.S. to have a Russian-style anti-LGBTQ propaganda law. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who's up for reelection this year, has indicated he will sign the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, which passed in the Florida House and state Senate.

It’s been a tough week for Dua Lipa, who is now facing two copyright lawsuits over her smash hit “Levitating”. This isn’t the first time the song has landed the 26-year-old singer in hot water. Back in 2021, rapper DaBaby, who features on a remix of the song, made some controversial comments about HIV and AIDS at a July concert.

“Great to see you, dude!”Jonathan Del Arco sits grinning over a cup of French coffee when we first see him sitting in the sun outside a Burbank cafe.He has good reason to smile. The handsome, hunky, openly-gay actor, known for his roles on Major Crimes, The Closer, and in the Star Trek franchise makes his bid for leading man status in the new erotic thriller, Borrowed. The movie debuts at the Miami Film Festival March 9.In Borrowed, Del Arco plays David, a painter who solicits Justin (Héctor Medina, in his first English-language role) to model for him on a gay dating app.

“don’t say gay” bill and continuing to donate money to the bill’s sponsors, Disney CEO Bob Chapek, in his first public statement on the subject, shared that the company would be donating $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations protecting LGBTQ rights.Chapek also intends to meet with Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis — who is set to sign the bill into law — to discuss the company’s concerns about the legislation. The two already spoke over the phone, according to Chapek.“The governor heard our concerns and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss the ways to address them,” Chapek said during Disney’s board meeting today, in which he officially confirmed the company’s opposition to the bill.

th Academy Awards ceremony this month, all eyes are on the best actress nominee Jessica Chastain, who is a frontrunner in the category due to her recent critically-acclaimed performance as Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. And in the spirit of the woman she portrayed, Chastain has shown true allyship when choosing her date to the Oscars pre-ceremony luncheon: prominent HIV activist, Reverend Steve Pieters.Pieters was famously interviewed by Bakker in 1985 in a conversation around the AIDS epidemic that was devasting the country at the time.

Via MrMan:

[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

Andy Warhol returns from the grave to narrate this Netflix docuseries from producer Ryan Murphy. Warhol speaks from beyond the veil thanks to a new artificial intelligence program… and a little help from actor Bill Irwin, who narrates passages from Warhol’s journals.

“don’t say gay” bill, similar legislation was filed in the Georgia State Assembly.A bill (SB 613) filed by Georgia state Sen. Carden Summers tackles both the teaching of "critical race theory" and the treatment of LGBTQ+ issues in the classroom.  In a single bill, the legislation places restrictions on a wide variety of topics that Republican lawmakers have targeted in legislatures across the country.Regarding LGBTQ+ issues, the bill suggests educators have “inappropriately discussed gender identity with children who have not yet reached the age of discretion."“Such a focus on racial and gender identity and its resulting discrimination on the basis of color, race, ethnicity, and national origin is destructive to the fabric of American society,” the bill reads.Should the bill pass, it would restrict how such topics can be addressed by teachers.“No private or nonpublic school or program to which this chapter applies shall promote, compel, or encourage classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the student,” the bill states.That’s the language that appeared in early drafts of Florida’s “don’t say gay” bill.

The Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Scholars organization sent the following response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s order for Child Protective Services to investigate families accused of providing life-saving care to their transgender children.

Jonathan Bailey is opening up about his time in the entertainment industry.

Former Trump spokesperson Stephanie Grisham continued her book/rehabilitation tour this week by appearing as a co-host on The View.During a conversation yesterday about Florida’s homophobic “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which is currently on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, Grisham mentioned that her teenage son recently came out as gay and that he once told her he was “ashamed” that she worked for Donald Trump.Related: Melania didn’t give AF when staffer was fired and escorted out of White House for being on Grindr“This one is personal to me,” she said during the roundtable discussion.

The ultimate woman crush! Dolly Parton’s career has spanned music, movies, multiple business ventures and more — and she’s shown no sign of slowing down.

an opinion labeling certain types of gender-affirming medical care for transgender children as child abuse. As a result, Amber Briggle, who shared dinner with Paxton and her son in 2016, is one of the people Child Protective Services is investigating, KHOU-TV reported.The situation adds to growing controversy surrounding whether children should receive gender-affirming care such as social transition support, providing puberty blockers, or, in rare cases, more advanced medical procedures like hormone therapy.

Disney's silence on Florida Legislature's "Don't Say Gay" bill, CEO Bob Chapek announced that the company is taking a public stance on the matter and that he has personally called Governor Ron DeSantis to oppose the measure.During Disney's annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Chapek took time to address the controversy before the question-and-answer period, saying, "While [the company has] been strong supporters of the community for decades, I know that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill.""I called Governor DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender kids and families," the CEO said. "The governor heard our concerns and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss ways to address them."Disney has faced widespread criticisms since Chapek declined to condemn the bill, which would ban discussion of "sexual orientation or gender identity" in Florida public schools, earlier this week.On Wednesday, Chapek said that the company had chose not to publicly address the bill in favor of working "behind the scenes" with lawmakers with whom the company has long-standing ties."We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle," the CEO said during the meeting.

A young Black transwoman was reportedly abducted Monday, March 7, near her last known address at a hotel in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. She was last heard from almost 16 hours later in what friends described as "multiple calls, each lasting less than 30 seconds..."According to media releases sent out by friends via Twitter, Isa Dessalines, 20, a recent arrival to the Bay Area, was on the phone with a friend around 11:30 p.m. Monday when she was allegedly abducted not far from the Hotel Caza at 1300 Columbus Avenue, where it is believed she had been staying.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterDisney CEO Bob Chapek said Wednesday the company is pledging $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations protecting LGBTQ rights following backlash to the company’s initial quiet response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, as well as a report that the company has given money to all of the bill’s sponsors. Chapek, who is taking his first public stance against the bill, says he will also be meeting with Republican Gov.

NEW YORK: US authorities on Tuesday (Mar 8) filed criminal charges against a cryptocurrency executive and civil charges against him and his sister, accusing them of defrauding retail investors out of millions of dollars with a digital token known as Ormeus Coin.

The 31-year-old has been detained in the country on drug charges — which has been heavily sanctioned by the U.S. and other countries over its invasion of Ukraine — after customs agents at the Sheremetyevo International Airport found vape cartridges containing liquid with hashish oil in February.Russian authorities told CNN that Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

investigate all parents who allow their kids to receive such care, asserting that this is a form of child abuse. He based his order on a nonbinding opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Alex Walker, a gay Democrat who hopes to take Boebert on in this year’s election, has made a splash with a campaign video that shows fecal matter falling from the skies and ends with him declaring, “Colorado needs a bull, not a bullshitter.”The video has racked up hundreds of thousands of views across various social media platforms since Walker released it in late February, but there’s more to his campaign than that. He has serious views on serious issues, and he’s confident he can defeat Boebert, who he considers an embodiment of everything that’s wrong with the Republican Party, even in the GOP-dominated Third Congressional District of Colorado.“I feel great about our chances,” he tells The Advocate.

Bridgerton heartthrob Jonathan Bailey has opened up about the long road to his coming out.Bailey, who currently stars in the West End play C*ck, came out publicly in 2020. Now, the 33-year-old has shared further details about his journey and how pressures within the showbiz world almost kept him in the closet.In an interview with GQ, Bailey recalls a moment early in his career where a fellow actor was told, “There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay.”For Bailey, the off-hand comment had profound effects.“All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through,” he said.

ABOVE: Seasons of lust.