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Will I Go To Hell For Being Gay?
Publisher/Executive Editor: David Vandygriff dvandygriff@cityxtramagazine.com
By Drew Williams
CDC Undetectable Equals Non-Transmittal
Editor In Chief: Harvey Carr editor@cityxtramagazine.com
By James Johnson
Creative Designer: Jason Smith designer@cityxtramagazine.com
Disney Channel 1st Gay Coming-Out By Drew Williams
Hate Groups Using Race To Divide LGBTA By Jane Massengill
Sales Department: Adam Plante, Esq. aplante@cityxtramagazine.com cityXtra Magazine is published by cityXtra Inc . 2941 Plum Street Jacksonville, FL 32205 (904) 300-3320 www.cityxtramagazine.com Like us on Facebook/cityxtra Twitter/cityxtra
RuPaul’s AllStars Season 3 By Alice Smith
Funding Your Gay Business By David Vandygriff
Philippines Is A Gay Paradise
Contributing Writers
By Chase Jenkins
Trump Supports Anti-Gay Baker’s Case By David Vandygriff
‘Pose’ Largest Transgender Cast By Jennifer Davis
Laura Riggs, Dr. Harvey Carr, Meredith O’Malley Johnson, Tina Vaughn, Jake Moore, Joey Amato Tyler Curry Editor HIV Equal Online, Sebastian Fortino, David Vandygriff, Jesse Childers, Rachel Davis, Samantha Allen, Dr. Dan Bowers, Debi Perry
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God would have put you here to be a good person, to make a positive difference to the lives of Will I Go To Hell For Being Gay? By Drew Williams others, and to be measured When you imagine Hell you by your actions. I think he'd want probably think of a terrifyingly you to enjoy both your life and dark place where the souls of the afterlife, along with everyone bad people get sent after their else. bodies die. Once there, they are eternally punished for the sins Don't be frightened about going they committed in life. It's pretty to Hell. Nobody even knows if scary to think about eternal there is an afterlife, let alone a suffering, fiery caverns and Heaven or Hell. Don't be bullied Satan. That's why so many into behaving the way other books, horror films and video people want you to by their grim games use imagery like this, and forecast for the hereafter. Live why it's so frightening to be told your life well by your own you might go there. judgement, and do your best in all the things you do. You know if Who do you think deserves to go you're a good person or not, and to a place like Hell? By what it's got nothing to do with who measure would you decide? Perhaps Hell seems too cruel and awful for anyone. Maybe you imagine only truly evil people going to Hell; people who wilfully hurt and killed others. Do you think all gay people should be sent to hell, even if they've lead a good life? Do you think that you deserve to go to Hell for being attracted to the same sex? I don't think God created gay people so that he could condemn them for doing what comes naturally to them, and then pack them off to Hell at the end of their lives. That would mean God was cruel. Surely
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you fall in love with. If there is a judgement at the end of your life it won't be based on whether you've loved a man or a woman, because neither is inherently sinful. Being gay isn't sinful. Sex and love are not sinful. These are completely natural and wonderful parts of life that our bodies and minds were designed to experience. Professionals outside of the church generally agree that being gay is a natural form of sexuality. It’s the moral values that some groups apply to homosexuality that determines whether it is perceived as bad or good within the community. If a child was raised in an environment where nobody told him or her that homosexuality was wrong, would they become a homophobic adult?
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CDC Undetectable Equals Non-Transmittal Dr. James Johnson
saying that an HIV positive person who seek treatment and
memo, is good news. The CDC admits that there is still a long way to go, however, to get where we want to be, and both prevention and treatment efforts play a key role.
The CDC noted that some of the successful efforts to slow The Centers for Disease eventually control the virus to the spread of HIV/AIDS have Control (CDC) has officially the point of not being detectable included better funding for stated that those living with HIV in tests cannot pass on the health departments and who are undetectable cannot virus, even if no protection is community-based transmit the virus to others. used. organizations, supporting PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and Yesterday was National Gay While the memo noted that PEP (post-exposure Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness 26,000 gay and bisexual men prophylaxis), supporting Day, and in a memo noting received an HIV diagnosis in projects to identify prevention some discouraging statistics, 2015, making up two-thirds of strategies, as well as funding its there was a moment of light, as all diagnoses, with diagnoses own information campaigns. for the first time ever the CDC increasing in the Hispanic/ said what organizations and Latino gay and bisexual “This is the moment we have experts in the field have been community, efforts to stop the been waiting for! The CDC saying for years. spread do seem to be having agreed today there is some effects. ‘effectively no risk’ of sexually “When [antiretroviral treatment] transmitting HIV when on results in viral suppression, The fact that those who are treatment and undetectable,” defined as less than 200 copundetectable cannot pass on Bruce Richman, executive ies/ml or undetectable levels, it the virus is a big part of the director of UequalsU.org and prevents sexual HIV equation, so the statistics that the Prevention Access transmission,” the memo stated. 61 percent of gay and bi men Campaign, told Plus. have achieved viral That is the scientific way of suppression, as stated in the
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“‘Andi Mack’ is a story about ‘tweens’ figuring out who they are,” Disney Channel said in a statement earliDisney Channel 1st Gay Coming-Out er this week. By Drew Williams “Everyone involved in the Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack” is show takes great care in making history with the network’s ensuring that it’s appropriate for first story line about a gay all audiences and sends a powcharacter coming out. erful message about inclusion and respect for humanity.” The comedic drama from “Lizzie McGuire” creator Terri Minsky The upcoming story line has follows 13-year-old Andi (Petyon earned praise from the media Elizabeth Lee) as she navigates advocacy group GLAAD. her early teens. In the Season 2 premiere, airing at 8 p.m. Friday “With more and more young night, Andi’s friend Cyrus people coming out as LGBTQ, (Joshua Rush) will begin his Andi Mack is reflecting the lives coming-out journey. and lived experiences of so many LGBTQ youth around the Disney has introduced gay country,” the organization’s characters before — “Beauty president and CEO, Sarah Kate and the Beast” made headlines Ellis, said in a statement. earlier this year for featuring an openly gay LeFou, and Disney XD’s animated series “Star vs. the Forces of Evil” made history in its second season with Disney’s first same-sex kiss. Other Disney franchises, such as “High School Musical,” have alluded to gay characters. But “Andi Mack,” which became a network hit after its April debut, is the first Disney franchise to center a story line around a major character coming out as gay. Cyrus’s story isn’t the first groundbreaking move for “Andi Mack.” In the pilot episode, Andi learns that her big sister, Bex, is actually her biological mother — a decidedly mature story line for a tween-focused show. 10 www.cityxtramagazine.com
“Television reflects the real life world and today that includes LGBTQ youth who deserve to see their lives depicted on their favorite shows. Disney has been a leader in LGBTQ inclusion and there are so many young people who will be excited to see Cyrus’ story unfold.” Rush, who plays Cyrus, also addressed the story line in an Instagram post this week. “Starting conversations about trust, love, relationships and family dynamics is easier when you have a show that you can relate to. ‘Andi Mack’ gives young people and their parents, mentors, and champions a meaningful way to talk about these topics and the power to decide their futures,” the actor wrote. “I’m so proud to bring Cyrus’ groundbreaking story line to life and for you to see what we’ve been working on.”
way they did it, by repeatedly saying that the fight for LGBTQ civil rights Hate Groups Using Race To Divide LGBTQ doesn’t By Jane Massengill measure up to the battle for The right wing loves to condemn racial equality. Saul Alinsky’s transformative progressive organizing book, “Tired of hearing the LGBT Rules for Radicals, but the community compare its Family Research Council and experience to the real suffering other hate groups‘ latest stunt of the civil rights movement, employs a strategy straight from church and civic leaders Alinsky himself. The groups are decided to speak out…” the using African-American ministers Perkins said in a press release. to argue in favor of allowing “FRC’s Dean Nelson and FRC businesses to refuse service to Action’s Patrina Mosley spoke, LGBTQ people. sharing deeply personal stories about the pain and prejudice Rule #12: “Pick the target, freeze their families experienced over it, personalize it, and polarize it.” the color of their skin. Patrina Cut off the support network and talked about how insulting it is to isolate the target from sympathy. hear LGBT activists equate their ‘persecution’ to generations of FRC leader Tony Perkins is African Americans.” crowing after holding a joint press conference with According to Religion News conservative African-American Service, “ex-lesbian” Janet ministers who condemned the Boynes, who runs an ex-gay LGBTQ community for daring to “ministry,” was one of the say we want civil rights. But the speakers trying to separate the
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two communities with false equivalencies. “I resent having my race compared to what other people do in bed,” she said. “There is no comparison. It only trivializes racial discrimination.” There are, of course, radical differences between the history of the struggle for both LGBTQ and black civil rights. The fight for equality, however, remains the same and, for LGBT people of color, the struggle is even harder – even without right wing hate groups trying to cause division. If you had any lingering doubts about the importance of doing intersectional work to tie various progressive communities and causes further together, this should be a red flag. “Divide and conquer” is a successful strategy when successful. Our job is to make sure it doesn’t by coming closer together instead of drifting apart.
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the Creole queen who is telling you she is not going Chi Chi RuPaul’s AllStars Season 3 DeVayne By Alice Smith (season eight); Faster than you can say “She the gutted-and-set-on-fire-butalready done had herses,” she-didn’t-die-bitch-sheRuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is crystallized Kennedy Davenback with a third season. In a port (season seven); male preview episode, RuPaul model Milk (season six); the revealed (excuse us, two-hearted Morgan Ru-vealed) the lineup of nine McMichaels (season two); contestants who’ll be competing postmodern pimp-ho Shangela for a place in the Drag Race (seasons two and three); Hall of Fame next to previous violinist Thorgy Thor (season winners Chad Michaels and eight); and, oh Alaska. They include Brooklyn hooooooooooney, it’s Trixie disastah artist Aja (season Mattel (season seven). Loosen nine); Seattle camp queen up your tucks though, because BenDeLaCreme (season six); the new season doesn’t start
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until sometime in the winter. Hold on to your rose-petal-filled middle parts, it’s time for another season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars! The returning queens are an interesting bunch, and unlike in seasons past, there’s no clear favorite among them. All Stars season three is almost anyone’s game to win, so let’s figure out who has what it takes to enter the Drag Race hall of fame — not counting the mysterious tenth competitor who has yet to be revealed, of course. Will Shangela death-drop her way to the top? Will Aja finally give us the Crystal LaBeija Snatch Game we’ve been waiting for? Will Rebecca Glasscock show up in a fuzzy pink box only to slay the competition in the greatest redemption arc Drag Race has ever seen? Probably not, but who knows!
There’s lots of different types of lending products available in the market, so it’s important to do some research Funding Your Gay Business so that you By David Vandygriff know the type of loan that If you’re looking to start your own you need. You might need business, one of the key something as simple as a credit milestones is securing the card, an overdraft, or a line of finance or funding that you need. credit. As your business grows, you might be able to look at While you will no doubt be using more sophisticated products your personal savings to invest such as invoice financing. in the future of your business, it’s highly likely that you’ll need What sort of financial institusome additional small business tion is best for your business? financing in order to get your dream business up and running. Not all banks are the same – there are some financial But when you’re just starting out, institutions that specialize in start getting credit approval from -up businesses or micro-lending. financial institutions is not easy. The important thing is to do your research, shop around, and Here’s a few steps to consider make sure you compare the fees before you embark on that process.
and charges of the various packages available to you. Are you a good credit risk? Even though you are looking to borrow funds for your business, ultimately the financial institution is going to be looking at whether they consider you to be a good credit risk. What is your personal credit score? Have you been declined for credit recently? What are your personal assets and liabilities. Are you ready to begin the application process? Any financial institution that you’re applying to will need a lot of information from you – make sure that you’ve got your documentation ready, everything from tax returns, to bank statements, and all the legal documents relating to the set-up of your business.
Why does your business need funding? Before you start working out how much funding your business needs, it’s really important to have a clear understanding of why you need finance for your business. Do you need cover for your day-to-day expenses? Do you need to invest in equipment or skills in order to grow your business? Do you need to have a cash buffer in order to smooth out some of the peaks and troughs in your cash-flow? What is the right type of loan for you? www.cityxtramagazine.com 21
Philippines Is A Gay Paradise By Chase Jenkins
destination featuring a wide diversity of activities that you can do with your family.
Fun Fact: The local LGBT community has even created its own slang that derives from Taglish and it’s called Swardspeak, aka ‘gay lingo.’
The Philippines is the most gay-friendly country in Asia, whose gay community has developed its own culture. ‘Bakla’ means homosexual in the Filipino language, while gay Best period to visit: November people are often considered a to April. 3rd gender. Travel costs in the The LGBT community of the Philippines: 60.66 Philippine Philippines enjoys the majority of Peso equals $1.17. The prices the human rights, especially are quite affordable, however, compared to other Asian moving from one island to countries. Same-sex marriage another tends to cost a bare isn’t legal there yet unfortunately, minimum of $20. but it has been discussed several times by the Congress. LGBT level of acceptance: The level of gay acceptance in the In addition to the good living Philippines is very high, and the standards of the country’s gay local gay community has community, Philippines is an developed its own culture. The excellent destination for gay locals are very positive, vacations. You could take your especially with the travelers, friends or your other half. Gay while the gay scene is thriving. families are also welcome. The Nonetheless, discreet resorts are capable of giving you behavior is always a full experience of the recommended in public places!
Our three suggested vacation hot spots:
1. Boracay | A Paradise on Earth Boracay is by far the most popular beach destination in the Philippines, standing out for its sandy and crystal-clear beaches, as well as its gay-friendly vibe. It’s a recommended destination for either gay couples and single gay travelers.
2. Makati, Metro Manila | Urban & Chic Makati town is part of the bigger complex of Metro Manila. The gay scene in the town is very limited, however, you may find several gay venues in the nearby towns, located only 30 to 40 minutes away from the town. 3. Cebu | Taste the Exotic Cebu is a Filipino province that consists of the main island, Cebu, and 167 surrounding islands and islets. It’s not an island that you would visit for its gay night scene, but mainly for its natural beauty.
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Trump Supports Anti-Gay Baker’s Case By David Vandygriff
The Trump administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to allow it to argue against anti-discrimination laws in a case involving an anti-gay baker, the Washington Times is reporting. In 2012, Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips refused to bake a cake for a gay couple’s wedding reception. The couple sued under Colorado‘s anti-discrimination law and won the case at the state-level, but the Supreme Court recently agreed to hear the case earlier this year. Last month, the Department of Justice filed a brief that sided with Phillips and argued that states do not have the same interest in fighting anti-gay discrimination that they have
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fighting racial discrimination. Now the Solicitor General has petitioned for time to argue the case in front of the Supreme Court.
“As a general matter, the United States has a substantial interest in the preservation of federal constitutional rights of free expression,” solicitor general Noel Francisco wrote in a motion.
this week that argued that Colorado’s anti-discrimination law does not threaten free expression rights. “This case involves the straightforward application of a standard public accommodation law,” the ACLU wrote. The ACLU said that Phillips had no objection to the cake that the couple was requesting; he just refused to sell them any product that would be used to celebrate their marriage.
“If a business needs to know who the product is for in order to decide whether or not to sell it, The Supreme Court is expected the business is discriminating on to grant the Trump the basis of identity, not making administration’s request to argue a decision about any ‘message’ the case. If it does, then inherent in the product itself.” Francisco will get ten minutes before the court on December 5, and Phillips’s attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom will still be allotted their twenty minutes. The Alliance Defending Freedom is recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. The couple’s side will be argued by the ACLU, which filed a brief
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brought in to be mentored Murphy’s Directing Mentorship Program.
“We are thrilled that ‘Pose’ pushes the narrative forward by centering on the unique and under-told experiences of trans women and gay people of color,” says Canals. “Ryan has assem‘Pose’ Largest Transgender Cast Canals has bled a strong team of storytellers By Jennifer Davis been working and innovators to collaborate on on scripts with telling this important narrative. Ryan Murphy‘s latest television musician and Transparent writer As a Bronx-bred queer writer of drama, “Pose,” is set to make and producer Our Lady J, and color, I’m honored to aid in television history for FX, with the trans activist, host and writer ushering this groundbreaking largest cast of transgender Janet Mock. show into homes.” actors in series regular roles. In addition, emerging Production is set for November MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, transgender directors will be in New York City. Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross will all play transgender characters in the show, co-created with Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals. Silas Howard, who is also trans, will serve as co-executive producer, Deadline reports. The series is set in the 1980s, and centers around the “juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in
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