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New Poll Of Religious Reveals White Evangelicals Are The Least Christ-Like By Michael Bradford Analysis Finds That Discrimination Hurts LGBT+ Health By Gabriel Arana Facebook Responds to Pressure and Pulls Some Misleading Ads on PrEP By Taylor Massengill
Media Lessons Learned In 2019 By Joe Concha
West End Performance Filmed By Lady & Bianca Del Rio Let’s Her Have It By Christian Davenport Astrological Sign Says You Should Travel To In 2020 By David Vandygriff 10 Of The Most Heartwarming Queer News Stories Of 2019 By David Vandygriff The Netflix Decade That Changed How We Watch TV By Jennifer Davis 9 LGBTQ Legal Moments That Shaped 2019 By John Wiles
The 25 Queerest TV Moments of 2019 By Deborah Massengill
Person Of The Year Pete Buttigieg By David Vandygriff
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‘New Poll Of Religious Reveals White Evangelicals Are The Least Christ-Like By Michael Bradford
When it comes to emulating the Christian savior, one group of religious people are decidedly less Christ-like than others. White evangelicals are the most likely to reject the teaching most fundamental to their professed faith according to a new poll by the Associated Press.
liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
56 percent of white evangelicals thought the wealthy should pay more to Compared to Catholics and benefit the wider society, but mainstream protestants, white only 50 percent thought evangelicals oppose helping assistance to the poor should the poor, protecting minority be increased despite the groups, supporting children, Proverbs commandment, and reject Biblical admonitions “Whoever is kind to the poor to avoid hoarding wealth. lends to the Lord, and he will Non-religious people scored reward them for what they have the highest when it came to done.” supporting the basic tenants of More than a quarter of Christianity actually. respondents support the Trump Only a third of white administration policy of evangelicals thought LGBTQ separating immigrant children people should be protected from their families and placing from discrimination despite the them in cages to await New Testament verse warning, deportation. Christ may have “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ cherished children, but white and hates his brother, he is a evangelicals don’t feel the
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same apparently. While the Christian New Testament is the basis of their faith, white evangelicals categorically reject most of the scripture’s teachings, instead choosing to throw their favor behind immoral politicians and faith leaders who make the accumulation of wealth the backbone of their “ministry.” Standing in stark contrast, large majorities of Catholics, white mainstream protestants, nonbelievers, and non-white protestants all support the teachings of their faith – assisting the poor and immigrants, taxing the wealthy, and supporting civil rights for all citizens.
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Analysis Finds That Discrimination Hurts LGBT+ Health By Michael Bennett
A new meta-analysis of scientific studies has found overwhelming evidence that anti-LGBTQ discrimination harms LGBTQ people’s health. Cornell University’s Center for the Study of Inequality reviewed thousands of studies in peer-reviewed journals, looking for studies that evaluate the link between discrimination and health outcomes. They narrowed their scope to 300 studies that took place in the U.S. and focused on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. They found that 95% of the studies showed a connection between discrimination and negative health outcomes, and 82% showed “unambiguous evidence that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is associated with harms to the health.” And the effects weren’t minor. Discrimination was found to put LGBTQ people at risk of
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depression, anxiety, suicide, PTSD, and other mental health disorders. Discrimination also increased the risk of physical conditions, including substance use. Several studies found increased levels of cortisol – a stress hormone – in LGBTQ people who had encountered discrimination, which is associated with heart disease and high blood pressure. The effects of discrimination weren’t limited to its direct victims – people who are exposed to discrimination also experience minority stress and increased expectations of rejection, worsened their self-image, and can create internalized stigma. One study of transgender people found that trans people who had had trouble in the past accessing bathrooms had higher levels of cortisol.
Another study looked at states the implemented “license to discriminate” laws – laws that allow organizations and businesses to discriminate if they claim that their religion requires them to discriminate – and found that “the proportion of sexual minority adults reporting mental distress increased by 10.1 percentage points.” “That’s powerful evidence that policies or practices that deny a gay couple a wedding cake are not mere expressions of religious freedom — they inflict genuine psychological harm,” wrote researchers Nathaniel Frank and Kellan Baker in a Washington Post column. Frank said in a press release that the effects of discrimination are “compounded” for LGBTQ people of color, queer youth, and transgender people.
Facebook Responds to Pressure and Pulls Some Misleading Ads on PrEP By Taylor Massengill
Facebook has pulled a series of ads from its platform that had potentially misinformed millions on the health risks of HIV prevention medication Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), also known by the brand name Truvada. The ads, which were connected to personal-injury attorneys, falsely linked the medication to severe bone and kidney damage, despite research showing it is safe and its potential side effects are far outweighed by its benefits among at-risk groups, such as men who have sex with men. Fifty-plus LGBTQ organizations, including GLAAD, HRC, and The Trevor Project, signed onto an open letter to Facebook earlier this month urging the company to take action. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bob Menendez, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo all expressed support for the calls to pull the ads, putting further pressure on the tech giant.
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Despite initially declining to do so, on Friday the company began labeling some of the ads as in violation of its policies, The Washington Post reports.
CEO. “Dozens of organizations have told Facebook that the safety and effectiveness of PrEP to prevent HIV transmission is “After a review, our unequivocal. The independent fact-checking pervasiveness of these ads partners have determined and the subsequent real world some of the ads in question harm should be catalysts for mislead people about the Facebook to further review effects of Truvada,” Facebook how misleading and spokeswoman Devon Kearns inaccurate ads are allowed to said. “As a result we have be targeted at LGBTQ and othrejected these ads and they er marginalized can no longer run on communities.” Facebook.” It’s gratifying to see one of FaWhile the announcement has cebook’s fact-checkers back been met with some up the overwhelming consencelebration, advocates are call- sus of AIDS, LGBTQ, and HIV ing for Facebook to do more. medical groups that these ads are misleading,” said veteran “Removing select ads is a strong first step, but the time is HIV/AIDS activist Peter Staley. now for Facebook to take “But Facebook has put a warnaction on other very similar ads ing on only one ad thus far, which target at-risk with many more community members with unaffected…If this is their misleading and inaccurate official response, after claims about PrEP and HIV ignoring us for months, then it’s prevention,” said Sarah Kate a mess.” Ellis, GLAAD President and
Media Lessons Learned In 2019 By Joe Concha
The two biggest media misses of 2019 serve as perfect examples of what is plaguing the industry from a public trust and confidence perspective. First, there is the rush to be first instead of accurate, allowing social media to dictate the narrative without anything resembling a meticulous vetting process. The Jussie Smollett fiasco is a prime example. Remember what was presented as absolute fact after the story broke: Smollett decided to go outdoors, into a polar vortex, and walk to a Subway fast-food restaurant for a sandwich — at 2 a.m. He says he was then spotted by two men wearing MAGA baseball caps — in subfreezing temperatures, mind you — and recognized by them as an actor on a show that most Trump supporters are unlikely to watch. The two men, he said, screamed “This is MAGA country!” Missing from much of the breathless initial reports was a very key word: Alleged. As in, “the alleged attack.” "Celebrities, lawmakers rally behind Jussie Smollett in wake of brutal attack" — ABC News 12 www.cityxtramagazine.com
"Analysis: The Jussie Smollett attack highlights the hate black gay Americans face" — The Washington Post " 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett attacked in possible hate crime" — CNN "Empire star Jussie Smollett attacked in Chicago by men hurling homophobic and racial slurs" — NBC News "Celebrities rally behind Jussie Smollett after brutal attack in Chicago" — Buzzfeed Without that word, "alleged," the supposed attack — and its context — is presented to the reader or viewer as gospel. And, given the obvious questions that emerged around the actor's tale and utter lack of evidence, the story absolutely warranted the disclaimer of "alleged" until a foundation of facts could be gathered. Fortunately, thanks to local reporters and law enforcement in Chicago, the story fell apart. Smollett still somehow got off, but his career is in tatters — as it should be for wasting everyone’s time, particularly an already-overwhelmed department like the Chicago Police Department (more than 530 murders in the city last year).
The Covington Catholic catastrophe also was a classic example of newsrooms allowing loud, partisan voices on social media to dictate their vetting process, or lack thereof. To review what happened back on that cold January day, social media video of the March for Life rally in Washington appeared to show Covington, Ky., students, some of them wearing "Make America Great Again" hats, taunting a Native American man attending an Indigenous Peoples March. One young man became the focus of media attention after staring at the Native American — who approached the Covington student, not the other way around, as first described — for more than two minutes in what the student later described as an effort to calm things down. The student was widely portrayed at first as, essentially, the face of racism. Many outlets initially ran with that angle of the story. After all, it contained the perfect ingredients for media outrage because it involved young white men, it involved the Catholic Church, and it
involved President Trump, since the kids were wearing MAGA hats. A trifecta for titillation. "Boys in ‘Make America Great Again’ Hats Mob Native Elder at Indigenous Peoples March” — The New York Times “The Catholic Church’s Shameful History of Native American Abuses” — The Washington Post “The Covington Students Might as Well Have Just Spit on the Cross" — National Review The student subsequently sued several outlets, including the Post, for hundreds of millions of dollars. What we witnessed with Smollett & the Covington Catholic kids is similar to what we saw with the Trump-Russia collusion tale that finally was dismissed after the Mueller report's release in April, with results that shocked many in the press who had pushed an opposite narrative for 2 years by working from the premise that Trump had to be guilty. It is a media that works under this premise: guilty until proven innocent, particularly on cable news, where anti-Trump stories are gobbled up like seagulls eating at the beach. Throw anything negative about this president or his supporters up in the air, and it will be swallowed whole. United Press International used to have a saying: "Get it first. But first, get it right." The 4th needs to embrace this more today than ever before, for both sides.
West End Performance Filmed By Lady & Bianca Del Rio Let’s Her Have It By Christian Davenport
Hurricane Bianca warning! Bianca Del Rio was “thrilled and excited” to return to the cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie earlier this month… but less thrilled and excited to see one theatergoer videotaping one of her recent performances in the West End musical. “Dear blonde bitch with glasses, Thanks for distracting the ENTIRE CAST and SEVERAL PEOPLE AROUND YOU as you filmed during all of ACT ONE with your phone in your hand,” the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 winner tweeted on December
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28. “This is not a concert, theme park or even a cruise ship…… it’s THE THEATRE! RESPECT IT !”
small English town who wants to attend his school prom in drag. (Drag Race judge Michelle Visage recently played Then, after one Twitter user deemed it “acceptable” to film a Jamie’s teacher in the show.) “comedy” show, Bianca set the Bianca, a.k.a. Roy Haylock, misguided fellow straight, returned to London’s Apollo writing, “It’s a musical in the Theatre on December 9 to start WEST END. The equivalent to a 12-week reprise. “I had such BROADAWAY…….you a blast playing Hugo/Loco F*CKTART.” Chanelle earlier this year,” she In the musical — based on the said in a statement, per 2011 BBC documentary Jamie: NewNowNext. “I’m honored and beyond grateful to have Drag Queen at 16 — Bianca the opportunity to work with plays Hugo a.k.a. Loco Chanelle, a retired drag queen such an incredibly talented cast and crew once again.” who mentors a teen from a
Astrological Sign Says You Should Travel To In 2020 By David Vandygriff
We don’t claim to be horoscope experts, tarot card readers, or mystics with the power to predict where wanderlust will take you in 2020—but we can surely offer our suggestions based on our knowledge of each sign’s personality traits. Read on to unveil where we think Inspirato members should travel next year based on their astrological sign.
Aquarius (January 20– February 18) Aquarians are the nonconformists of the Zodiac. Friendly and sociable but staunchly individualistic, Aquarians are eager to make their mark on the world for the good of humanity. Because they love exploration and walking to the beat of their own Don’t see your sign in this drum, Aquarians should make post? Don’t worry—the next Amsterdam a top destination round is coming soon. for their 2020 travels, where they can discover world-class Capricorn (December 22– museums and duck into quaint January 19) coffee shops to chat with Ambitious Capricorns have to locals. be pried away from their Travel tip: An Aquarius is work—self-disciplined, they always on the lookout for the thrive when achieving their goals. Because Capricorns are betterment of humanity—they’d always “go, go, go,” a laid-back love a stay at the Conservatorium Hotel, the only retreat from the monotony of their daily tasks is needed. To hotel in the city belonging to relax to the utmost, Capricorns the Green Globe Program for minimizing waste. can find respite with a stay at the Ritz-Carlton in Dorado Pisces (February 19–March Beach, Puerto Rico. The 20) resort’s award-winning Spa Dreamy Pisces loves to be by Botánico will provide some water—and that tends to be much-needed R&R. their main objective on Travel tip: Capricorns love vacation. Seeking out places following guidelines and should that inspire and elevate their take full advantage of their inherent creativity, the best pre-trip destination planner to place for soulful Pisces to relax craft an itinerary. is a beachy, tropical locale. All-inclusive Casa de Campo in 16 www.cityxtramagazine.com
the Dominican Republic provides the perfect respite for Pisces’ overactive minds. They’d love a day on nearby Isla Catalina, swimming and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters. Travel tip: Cruises may also be a great fit for this water-loving sign, who sometimes has trouble nailing down travel plans. Set itineraries and a constant connection to an ocean or river can do wonders for Pisces. Aries (March 21–April 19) Fiery and adventurous Aries is always on the move. They love trying new foods, exploring offthe-beaten-path spots, and cramming as much as they can into their vacations—and nothing can slow them down. Barcelona is a great fit for this active sign. There’s plenty to take in, from beautiful historic architecture to a festive nightlife scene that’s known around the world, allowing feisty Aries to dance the night away. Travel tip: Because Aries are so eager to see and do it all,
we recommend they schedule some much-needed down time to make sure they really immerse themselves in their destination. Carving out time to just be mindful can be beneficially grounding for Aries. Taurus (April 20–May 20)
Hole would provide the perfect playground for Tauruses. Amangani offers plenty of pampering after an active day, from spa treatments to private yoga sessions.
Travel tip: Stubborn Tauruses want the best of everything and should explore the Bespoke benefit of The bull sign is all about the good things in life—Tauruses the club to design their perfect vacation from the ground up. loves luxury, comfort, and pleasure. They’re often at their Gemini (May 21–June 20) best when surrounded by For indecisive and impulsive nature, and thrive when they Geminis, deciding where to go feel a close connection to their on vacation can sometimes be physical bodies through a struggle. Mountains or exercise. Outdoorsy Jackson ocean? Close to home or far
away? Geminis can get the best of both of worlds with a trip to Greece; island hop from Santorini to Mykonos to the mainland. Plus, this inquisitive sign loves taking in history. They’ll thrive among the myriad ruins and museums of Athens. Travel tip: This impulsive sign likes going with the flow, which can sometimes cause a few hiccups along the way. Geminis should make the most of their Destination Concierges to help them set up reservations and plan activities.
10 Of The Most Heartwarming Queer News Stories Of 2019 By David Vandygriff
All too frequently in 2019, as part of our news-gathering, cityXtra had to report on bad news. But for all of the horrible things that happened, glimpses of sunshine peeked through. Some of our most popular stories of 2019 were heartwarming pieces – and only one of them is about an actual member of the community. The rest of the articles are about allies doing what they do best – standing in solidarity with LGBTQ people. Here are the top ten posts published on LGBTQ Nation last year that will make you want to cheer and cry at the same time. Straight Man’s Pickup Truck Goes Viral For Supporting Pride In Rural Oklahoma Hulbert, Oklahoma is a small town with a population of 590 located in the northeastern county of Cherokee, a region where over 60 percent of voters chose Donald Trump. In short, it’s not the sort of place you’d expect to welcome LGBTQ people. Cody Barlow would like to prove you wrong. And he did. This Teen’s Performance In The Passenger Seat Of His 18 www.cityxtramagazine.com
Mom’s Car Is Worthy Of Broadway Colin O’Leary took to the passenger seat of his mother’s car to lip-synch along with more than two dozen Broadway hits, from Hamilton to Rocky Horror, and a total of eight clips from Phantom of the Opera alone. This incredibly funny video was the most popular article of the year. Technically, it published in late December of 2018, but it definitely deserves to make the list. As an extra bonus, catch a glimpse at his mom’s stone-faced reactions to both O’Leary and everyone else on the road.
Video About ‘Straight Pride’ Is So Funny Even Straight People Are Sharing It After the city of Boston issued a permit for a “straight pride” parade, the web went wild with condemnation and comedy. Twitter user Eva Victor won the internet. In her satirical take on the ridiculous “parade,” Victor explains to her boyfriend why she’s so excited to go to Straight Pride and why it’s so important to her as a straight woman. A Baseball Player Refuses To Visit The White House. He She Attends Gay Weddings Wants To Be An Ally To His As A “Stand-In Mom.” Now Wife’s Two Moms. They’re Making A Movie Washington Nationals pitcher About Her. Sean Doolittle refused to visit Sara Cunningham gained the White House after his team national attention in 2018 when won the World Series, in part she posted on Facebook that because he wants to be an ally she would attend weddings as to LGBTQ people. His wife has a stand-in mom since so many two mothers. LGBTQ people have been “People say you should go rejected by their parents. But because it’s about respecting when Jamie Lee Curtis the office of the president,” he purchased the rights to her life said. “And I think over the story, the internet exploded in course of his time in office he’s anticipation and applause. done a lot of things that maybe This Woman’s Hilarious don’t respect the office.”
Entire Methodist Confirmation Class Declines To Become Members Over AntiLGBTQ Policies The teenage would-be members read an open letter in front of the congregation to explain why they couldn’t support discrimination despite the church’s recent controversial decision to crackdown on LGBTQ clergy and marriage equality. The eight teenagers received a standing ovation from the congregation for their decision to stand up for Christian values in the face of systemic discrimination. NBA Star Dwyane Wade Says It’s “My Job As A Father” To Support His Son At Pride This April, Zion Wade, the 12year-old son of NBA star Dwyane Wade, went to the Miami Beach Pride parade with their stepmother, Gabrielle Union, and siblings Zaire and Kaavia. Though the elder Wade couldn’t be there due to a basketball game against the Toronto Raptors, he cheered
his family on via Instagram.
outposts worldwide got a little… creative. They didn’t break the The photographs of Zion and family at Pride went viral. Most rules, but they definitely bent people celebrated the love and them. support Zion’s family gave “This is a category one them. Sadly, there was also insurrection,” one diplomat told homophobic backlash. the media. My Cajun Lyft Driver Methodist Churches Shocked Me When I Told Him Nationwide Are Publicly I’m Gay. Now He’s Going Rebelling Against The Viral Denomination’s Anti-LGBTQ Stance When a good-ole-boy picked our editor-in-chief up in a After the General Conference pickup at the New Orleans of the United Methodist Church airport, he thought Lyft might voted to reaffirm their teaching have paired him with a that homosexuality is Trump-loving redneck. The “incompatible” with Christianity story of the trip went viral after and to punish individual it was posted on social media churches that perform and, probably not marriages for same-sex coincidentally, the two men couples and allow LGBTQ have become friends. clergy, American churches pushed back. Embassies Worldwide Are Defying Trump & Flying The The churches used their signs, Pride Flag Without buildings, and lawns to Permission apologize for the denomination’s decision to Who doesn’t love a good double down on anti-LGBTQ rebellion story? When the teachings worldwide and Trump administration forbade LGBTQ Nation brought readers embassies from flying pride some amazing photos from flags on government-owned around the nation. flagpoles, the staff at several
The Netflix Decade That Changed How We Watch TV By Jennifer Davis
In the not-so-distant past, TV viewers were forced to wait a week for the next installment of their favorite shows, parceled out by networks in half-hour or hour-long increments. Fast forward to 2019, when media and tech companies are subverting that schedule and the majority of viewers using U.S. TV streaming services watch an average of four hours of content in one sitting, according to Deloitte. To understand how we got here, look at Netflix (NFLX.O). At the start of the decade, binge watching involved VHS tapes, DVD box sets or long nights glued to a DVR. TV cable hits included “Homeland” and “The Wire” - hour-long dramas with complicated plot lines that needed to be watched sequentially.
Around the same time that the broadcast TV schedule was losing its hold on viewers, Netflix was beginning to invest in original content. In 2011, it struck a deal for its first original show, the political thriller “House of Cards.” It released all 13 episodes of the show’s first season on Feb. 1, 2013. That July it followed with the entire first season of “Orange is the New Black.” Viewers were hooked, and the cultural shift accelerated. “Binge-watch” was a runner-up to “selfie” for the Oxford Dictionary’s 2013 word of the year. Netflix championed this new kind of consumption, commissioning a survey to determine how many people Watching “Saturday Night Live” binge-watch, and why. on a Sunday became normal, “Our viewing data shows that and viewers started to lose the majority of streamers would track of the broadcast actually prefer to have a whole schedule. season of a show available to In November 2010, Hulu, which watch at their own pace,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer debuted in 2008 as an ad-supported streaming video Ted Sarandos at the time. site, launched its subscription While some say the decade service, including full seasons technically ends a year from of certain shows. now, the end of this year will be marked by many as the conclusion of the second 20 www.cityxtramagazine.com
decade of the 21st century. And as the new decade begins, the trend may start to reverse. AT&T’s (T.N) forthcoming HBO Max streaming service will debut one new episode of its original series per week. Walt Disney Co’s (DIS.N) Disney+ is releasing episodes weekly for new series including the Star Wars-related “The Mandalorian.” Apple (AAPL.O) released three episodes at the same time for dramas “The Morning Show” and “See” - and is doing so for most other Apple series - followed by one episode per week. Media companies are hoping a longer release schedule will generate buzz and create more of a shared experience among viewers. Just like the old days.
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9 LGBTQ Legal Moments That Shaped 2019 By John Wiles
2019 saw some of the biggest legal advances and setbacks for LGBTQ people in history— from blockbuster Supreme Court cases finally having their day, to favorable findings in smaller but deeply meaningful state cases. Here are some of the moments that shaped the law in 2019 and will shape the legal landscape for generations to come.
people use bathrooms, they failed to focus on legal arguments. They are expected to rule next year (on sex discrimination, not bathrooms—we hope). Judge Throws out Trump’s Discriminatory Health Care Rule
Trump tried so hard to roll back LGBTQ healthcare protections in 2019. In May, the SCOTUS Hears Blockbuster Department of Health and LGBTQ Workplace Human Service proposed Discrimination Cases redefining the Affordable Care Act to gut anti-discrimination Time practically stood still for protections for trans people. LGBTQ Americans this October as the Supreme Court The Department was also heard three blockbuster poised to roll out “conscience LGBTQ workplace protections” that would have let discrimination cases widely doctors turn away trans people considered to be the most and those with HIV/AIDS. Two substantial for queer people judges looked at the new rule since the court granted and kicked it to the curb. The marriage equality nationwide in Trump administration is 2015. expected to appeal the rulings. The court could not keep Trans Military Ban Takes Effect themselves from talking crap, Donald Trump finally however. While the cases succeeded in the largest layoff hinge on whether or not sex of transgender people in history discrimination law protects with the purging of thousands LGBTQ people, justices were from military duty after his so fixated on whether or not transgender military ban was their ruling would let trans finally allowed to go into effect. The ban impacts an estimated 22 www.cityxtramagazine.com
13,700 transgender troops. Trump’s Dangerous Judicial Confirmations Change the Nation Donald Trump finally succeeded in the largest layoff of transgender people in history with the purging of thousands from military duty after his transgender military ban was finally allowed to go into effect. The ban impacts an estimated 13,700 transgender troops. Trump’s Dangerous Judicial Confirmations Change the Nation Charles Rhines was sentenced to die and the Supreme Court declined to hear his case in a deeply sobering turn of events this June. The 61-year-old confessed to killing Donnivan Schaeffer during a South Dakota robbery in 1992. The case took a particularly troubling turn when prosecutors argued that Rhines would enjoy prison because he’s gay. Advocates argue those homophobic arguments have led to the decision to end his life. State Department for Refuses Recognize Gay Couple’s
Daughter as a Citizen
wedding flowers. Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed filed A gay married couple living in Atlanta sued the State Depart- suit against Arlene’s Flowers and won. After the Supreme ment in July for refusing to Court refused to hear the recognize their daughter as a U.S. citizen. James Derek Mize flower shop’s appeal and and Jonathan Gregg found that kicked the case back to the lower court, following the even though they legally married in 2015 and are both U.S. Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling, citizens, the law requires them the couple won again. to be biologically related to California Barber Ordered to their daughter, which Pay $80,000 to HIV+ Man for advocates say directly targets Denying Him a Haircut LGBTQ families. The nation saw the costly consequences of discrimination Gay Couple Prevails in when a California barbershop Florist Discrimination Case was hit with an $80,000 fine for After a two year back and forth, refusing to cut the hair a man the Washington Supreme Court with HIV. In 2017, Nikko declared case-closed on a Briteramos went to King of Kuts highly anticipated for a trim and instead wound up discrimination case involving a with a discrimination lawsuit, same same-couple denied which he won in June with the
help of Lambda Legal. Federal Government Has to Issue Nonbinary Passports 2019 was notably not the year that nonbinary passports made their way into the hands of travelers, but legal advancements have set the stage for just that going into next year. In February, a judge denied a State Department request to stay his order denying nonbinary intersex person Dana Zzyym a gender-neutral passport. Without any movement from the Trump administration to issue the passports, Lambda Legal filed a brief at the U.S. Court of Appeals asking the court to uphold the lower court’s ruling in May.
The 25 Queerest TV Moments of 2019 By Deborah Massengill
This year, you could easily add the letters “TV” to “LGBTQIA+.” There was that much queer television streaming at you, as well as some lip-smacking gossip surrounding its stars. Here, the TV highs and lows of 2019, starting with an unfortunate scandal stirred up by a certain unruly name who fell from grace…
charges were dropped in what seemed like a giant organizational blunder. So much for that raise he wanted—he didn’t even return for the show’s final season. Postscript: He might actually pop up in Empire’s finale, and he is now suing Chicago over what he feels was a malicious prosecution that humiliated him. Can we all sue Smollett for the same?
followed that appearance, and the Oscars aired with no host at all. No host at all was boring, but at least we didn’t have to suffer through offensive jokes. SNL Wins And Loses.
There was also turmoil on the set of Saturday Night Live, where they actually have hosts, though that wasn’t the problem. Jussie Smollett Takes A The issue was comic Shane Beating—Or At Least His Gillis, who was cast as an Kevin Hart ditches the OsEgo Does. ensemble player and then cars. dropped when a podcast In January, gay Empire actor Meanwhile, who tweeted in surfaced on which he had Jussie Smollett said he was support of Smollett? Kevin made homophobic and racist attacked by two people yelling Hart! But that wasn’t the jokes (shades of Kevin Hart). “Die, black fag” and “This is scandal he had to deal with. But another new cast member, MAGA country” in Chicago. Instead, when an old joke in gay Asian American Bowen They punched him, poured an which Hart said he’d clobber Yang, stayed, so… Shane unknown chemical on him, and his son with a dollhouse if he who? tied a rope around his neck. found him playing with it Make America hate again? But Pose Strikes Again. resurfaced (along with some when the two brothers who gross tweets), he claimed he’d The voguing epic went into its were questioned later, they second season, in which the adequately apologized for it revealed that Smollett had community was titillated by actually paid them to stage the when he actually hadn’t. Madonna’s “Vogue,” while incident, apparently in an The rotten joke called Hart’s scene stealer Billy Porter made attempt to evoke sympathy scheduled role as the Oscars history, copping an Emmy for from the press and get himself host into question, so he Best Lead Actor in a Drama for a raise. Make America fake withdrew from the telecast its first season. again? amidst the controversy, then Schitt Gets Real. The result was a big step back appeared on TV with host Ellen for real hate crime victims, who DeGeneres (you know, the one With its pansexual character, who was later seen cozying up David (Dan Levy), Schitt’s desperately need to be beto George Dubya Bush), where Creek came back with a lieved—though after all the vengeance thanks to its new condemnation of Smollett, the he seemed to be angling for the job again. But backlash Netflix following. It’s now 24 www.cityxtramagazine.com
gearing up for one final season, which premieres January 7. Euphoria Makes Us Very Happy.
School Musical: The Musical: The Series with an out gay choreographer played by the out gay Frankie Rodriguez. Queer Eye goes global.
On the hit HBO series, transgender character Jules (Hunter Schafer) continued to make serious waves. Her relationship with Rue (Zendaya) was both groundbreaking and heartwarming. Some Of Our Favorite New TV Characters Come Out— And Some Old Faves Come Back. On Hulu, the three-part series Butterfly focused on the awakening of a trans girl, Max, played by Callum Booth-Ford.
Queer Eye went into its third and fourth season, and aired a special four-episode miniseason, Queer Eye: We’re in Japan!. We’re already ready for the fifth go-round of these do-gooders making the world just a little bit prettier. Will & Grace says goodbye (again)… The Will & Grace reboot wrapped up its last batch of episodes, with Megan Mullally missing from two of them— some say because of a feud with Debra Messing. I refuse to take sides on this, but I am definitely Team Debra. I mean Team Megan. I mean Team Debra… …But We Make Some New Friends. Special, a Netflix web series about a gay man with cerebral palsy who sets out to fulfill his dreams, starred Ryan O’Connell, who wrote and exec produced it. It was co-produced by Jim Parsons, among others, and was just renewed for a second season.
Eleven-year-old Sadie (Isaiah Stannard) came out to his mom as trans on the NBC’s Good Girls. Lachlan Watson shined as the nonbinary character Susie in Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The L Word: Generation Q premiered on Showtime, with lots of lusty Latinx additions. Original cast members Gabrielle Carteris and Christine Elise returned for the mockumentary-style reboot of Beverly Hills, 90210 (which has not been renewed), but this time they were both decidedly into other women. High School Musical Does The Unthinkable—It Gets Even Gayer. Yet another beloved franchise got gay-ified when High School Musical fueled Disney+’s High
HBO’s Los Espookys, a mostly Spanish comedy (with subtitles), was created by queer comics Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega, along with Fred Armisen. Some of the characters, naturally, are los queers, and the show also got a season-two pickup. Some TV Is Fleeting…
Now Apocalypse, a Starz show set in the L.A. fast lane and co-written by queer filmmaker Gregg Araki, sadly met its own apocalypse after one season. Abby’s, a San Diego–set NBC sitcom with queer actress Natalie Morales as the bi lead character, also ran just a single season. …While Some Of It Will Stay With Us Forever. Still lingering in our minds, the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland featured Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two of Michael Jackson’s accusers, talking in great detail and with obvious pain about the superstar singer’s alleged sexual offenses, which were complicated by their admiration for the icon. Combined with the very strong Oprah Winfrey– hosted interview that followed the doc, this was definitely the conversation starter of the year—though it’s not stopping an MJ-themed jukebox show from coming to Broadway. Manager Lou Pearlman was similarly dissected in Lance Bass’ doc The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story, and the whole world wanted to shower afterwards. We Show Up For The Cutest Wedding Ever—Well, Not All Of Us. Meanwhile, when happy gay stories came along, some people simply didn’t want to hear them. An Arthur episode featuring a gay wedding between Mr. Ratburn and an aardvark was hatefully banned by Alabama Public Television.
That’s right, two talking animals, who are purely handdrawn, somehow caused this big of a shitstorm. Shangela’s Star Continues To Rise. More good news came with the fact that Katy Keene, CW’s Riverdale spinoff, will have queer storylines, including one with a character played by Drag Race favorite Shangela. Drag Race Crosses The Pond (And Maybe The Kinsey Scale?). RuPaul’s Drag Race UK launched, with talented queen and newlywed the Vivienne snagging the first-season crown. What’s more, RuPaul announced a new Drag Race show, Celebrity Drag Race, in which famous folks will be the contestants. I can already think of a million stars who’d be perfect—and some of them are straight. RuPaul Plants A Heel In Netflix. Hardly pausing for breath, Ru also tried out a talk show, aptly titled RuPaul, and is starring in the upcoming Netflix series, AJ and the Queen. With this news I am reduced to yelps of, “We used to hang out in the ’80s, I swear!” And now, on to the 2020s!
26 www.cityxtramagazine.com
Person Of The Year Pete Buttigieg By David Vandygriff
When same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts in 2004, Mark LeMiere came to Provincetown, a storied gay mecca at the tip of Cape Cod, to tie the knot with his partner of 20 years. The pair were there again Friday, amazed to be attending a rally for the first serious gay presidential candidate. “I never in a million years thought we’d be allowed to be married, let alone see an openly gay man run for president,” said LeMiere, 56, who splits his time between Provincetown and Boston. Win or lose in the 2020 presidential race, Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Ind., is energizing LGBTQ Americans. With his surprisingly strong run for the Democratic presidential nomination, he is helping a long-marginalized community advance in political stature and pride in a way some compare to the effect Barack Obama’s presidency had on African Americans. “Mayor Pete Buttigieg is transforming America’s perception of LGBTQ people,” said Annise Parker, president 28 www.cityxtramagazine.com
of the Victory Fund, an LGBTQ political group that endorsed Buttigieg in June, the first time it had endorsed a presidential candidate. Buttigieg does not put his sexual orientation at the center of his campaign, but he is not hiding it either. In recent weeks, as his campaign gained prominence, he has made high -profile appearances before predominantly gay audiences. When he traveled to Provincetown for a campaign event and fundraiser Friday, Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, received a hero’s welcome from a town that, after the 2010 census, had the highest proportion of same-sex couples in the country.
youths. Throngs gathered during a morning stroll through town. “It felt like our own little parade,” Buttigieg said at an afternoon event where hundreds in the hall — and hundreds more in the overflow crowd outside — waved “PETETOWN’’ signs. “It reminds me of what it is to be in a place that celebrates inclusion, that celebrates belonging.” Buttigieg and his husband have become the most high-profile gay male couple in America. Images of the pair kissing at campaign events have been It was a long way from Iowa, where Buttigieg was heckled by broadcast across the country. They have appeared together antigay activists this year. In P-town, as the city is known, a on the cover of Time magazine. popular eatery painted a Asked about potential welcome message to the backlash, Buttigieg cites his Buttigiegs in its window. An art experience coming out as gay gallery displayed an enormous in the conservative state of portrait of Buttigieg. He met Indiana in 2015 just before with students attending a local running for reelection as South summer camp for LGBTQ Bend mayor.
“I came out not knowing what the consequences would be and, in the end, got reelected with 80% of the vote,” he told reporters in Provincetown. “You have to give people a chance to show they can move beyond prejudice.” But that could be a risky political bet in a campaign against President Trump. Many of Trump’s supporters are among the 31% of Americans who oppose gay marriage, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center poll, and even some of Buttigieg’s admirers question whether the country will accept a gay man as president. “Homophobia is a very real thing; however, it is not as visible as racism,” said Damian Archer, a gay African American man at Buttigieg’s Friday rally who is undecided about which candidate to support in 2020. Rufus Gifford, a gay former Obama administration official, who admires Buttigieg but has not committed to him or any other candidate, says: “I do worry with the stakes as high as they are, I ask myself every day: Is the U.S. ready to elect an openly gay president? I still question it. I’m scared to death we’ll reelect Donald Trump.” Still, the response to Buttigieg’s candidacy is a remarkable sign of one of the fastest shifts in public attitudes ever measured in the U.S.: the growth in acceptance of homosexuality to the point that, at least among Democratic primary voters, Buttigieg’s orientation has ended up a political asset, not
a liability. Some 61% of Americans support same-sex marriage — double the share in 2004, when only 31% did, according to the Pew Research Center. Even within the Democratic Party, in 2008, none of the leading presidential candidates supported gay marriage. The ban on gays serving openly in the military ended only in 2011. It was just four years ago, 2015, that the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage could not be banned by states. “I heard a woman from Alabama call Pete Buttigieg wholesome,” said Richard Holt, a board member of the Victory Fund. “I never thought I’d hear a Bible Belt mother refer to a gay guy as wholesome.”
Buttigieg returned to South Bend to cope with the crisis.
It was rescheduled to a propitious day — the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a landmark in the history of the LGBTQ rights movement that occurred after police raided a gay bar in New York City. “We haven’t seen equality come to the land, not by a long shot, but think about what it means that 50 years after Stonewall, we could be gathered in a room with a top-tier candidate for the American presidency and be in a room with his husband,” Buttigieg said to cheers. When Fred Karger sought the 2012 Republican nomination as an openly gay candidate, even Buttigieg often appears with his he conceded victory wasn’t in husband. With an active social sight. By contrast, Buttigieg rose implausibly fast in the media presence, Chasten party’s big 2020 presidential Buttigieg has gained outsize field in part because he is gay. celebrity and embraced the “candidate’s spouse” role with That fact helped him stand out humor and style. from the pack and garner When the pair emerged from a media attention, and drew a big infusion of early campaign black SUV for a June Victory donations from the LGBTQ Fund event in Brooklyn, community. He went on to raise attendees seemed almost as an impressive $24.8 million in excited to see the spouse as the second quarter, more than the candidate. any of his rivals have The event, like the announced so far. Provincetown visit, was a Los Angeles political consultant respite for Buttigieg, who has David Wolf said Buttigieg has been battered by criticism for received significant fundraising his handling of racial tensions support from Hollywood’s in South Bend after a black LGBTQ community, including man was shot by a white TV producer Ryan Murphy and policeman. The fund’s prominent agents Bryan Lourd endorsement had been and Kevin Huvane. scheduled for earlier in June but was postponed when Buttigieg added to his coffers
Friday at the Provincetown fundraiser organized by Bryan Rafanelli, a major Democratic donor who also hosted a Buttigieg event this year at Fenway Park in Boston. For many Democrats — gay & straight — Buttigieg’s biggest liability is not his sexuality, but that he is too young, too inexperienced or not liberal enough. “I’m still concerned about his ability to beat Trump,” said Mitchell Katine, a Houston lawyer who helped win a landmark 2003 Supreme Court ruling that decriminalized gay sex. “I want him to be in the running and continue this education process. But he’ll have to convince me he can beat Trump.” Antigay sentiment is still a powerful force. There are only 20 states where LGBTQ people are protected against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Nor does Buttigieg have a monopoly on LGBTQ voters. Former Vice President Joe Biden earned the allegiance of many with his 2012 endorsement of gay marriage — getting out in front of Obama on the issue. Sen. Harris of California enjoys strong support in San Francisco’s gay community. A group of 47 LGBTQ activists and elected officials announced their endorsements of Harris last weekend ahead of her participation in the city’s Pride parade. 30 www.cityxtramagazine.com
A June poll of LGBTQ voters by Whitman Insight Strategies and BuzzFeed News found a noteworthy gender gap. Buttigieg was the top choice among Democratic gay men, with 27% saying they were likely to support him. Among lesbians, however, Buttigieg was fifth choice, with just 13% saying they’d likely support him, behind Harris, Biden and Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of MA. Some lesbians are torn between their interest in Buttigieg and a desire to elect a female president. But Kate Wise, a gay woman from Cleveland who was in New York for the World Pride celebration, said she was all in for Buttigieg from the minute he announced. “We landed a bro on the top of the pile,” Wise said. But she added, “He would be my guy even if he was not gay.” Whether he wins the party nomination and goes on to the White House, gay activists hope Buttigieg will help inspire other LGBTQ candidates running up and down the ballot. “He can have coattails,” Holt said. “We have to have representatives at all levels.” Thus with Pete being a viable openly-gay role model and presidential candidate we have chosen him as Person of the Year for cityXtra Magazine.com