Send a card, Send Love to Orlando!

Orlando Meme

FINAL DAYS! Thru tomorrow Proudly Yours is donating 50% of all card sales to the Support Victims of Pulse Shooting GoFundMe.com page. The page has already raised over $6 million for victims of the June 12 massacre at Pulse nightclub but needs so much more. Equality Florida, “is collecting contributions via this GoFundMe page to support every single victim of the horrific shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. This includes victims’ families, survivors, and those in the club who may not have suffered physical injury but in need of support. ”

And you can do your part by purchasing a Proudly Yours greeting card! Buy a card here or here and we’ll give half of the proceeds to Equality Florida. But hurry as the offer ends tomorrow!

Monday Meme: Reduce

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Is there a better time than now during Pride month to celebrate LGBT leaders and activists? We think not! Today’s Monday Meme celebrates a true pioneer in not just the civil rights movement but in the gay rights movement too. Bayard Rustin is best remembered as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, one of the largest nonviolent protests ever held in the United States. Rustin was inspired by Gandhi’s protest techniques and brought them to the American civil rights movement, while helping Martin Luther King, Jr. become an international symbol of peace and nonviolence.Being an openly gay man in an incredibly homophobic era, Rustin was beaten, imprisoned and cast out of huge leadership positions. His behind the scenes work during the civil rights movement in the 1960’s gave way for a role as a public advocate of LGBT causes in the 1980’s. Rustin was honored posthumously with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Obama.

Celebrate Pride and do something good for the community! Now thru June 30, Proudly Yours will donate 50% of the proceeds of all card sales to the Pulse Victims Fund. 

Skittles Gives Its Rainbow to London Pride Goers

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Skittles, the candy famous for inviting us to “taste the rainbow”, has temporarily lost its color. This weekend, the brand is handing out black and white packages of its formerly Technicolor candy. In a clever online commercial, the company says, “You have the rainbow … we have the rainbow … and usually that’s just hunky-dory. But this Pride, only one rainbow deserves to be the centre of attention – yours. And we’re not going to be the ones to steal your rainbow thunder, no siree. That’s why this weekend, we’re giving up our rainbow.” In the spirit of letting Pride’s rainbow shine, a colourless Skittles float will “join in the Pride in London parade on Saturday and Skittles will be giving out monochrome packets along the route,” according to Creative Review. “Ads will also be displayed on outdoor sites along the parade route and a social media campaign will run online using the hashtag #onerainbow, with an animated version of the ad created for Facebook and Twitter.”

What a delicious and inventive way for a brand to celebrate Pride!

 

WATCH: President Obama Announces Stonewall National Monument

Yesterday, the White House released a video and press release announcing the Stonewall National Monument. From the press release:

Today, President Obama will designate a new national monument at the historic site of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City to honor the broad movement for LGBT equality. The new Stonewall National Monument will protect the area where, on June 28, 1969, a community’s uprising in response to a police raid sparked the modern LGBT civil rights movement in the United States.

The designation will create the first official National Park Service unit dedicated to telling the story of LGBT Americans, just days before the one year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision guaranteeing marriage equality in all 50 states. Additionally, in celebration of the designation and New York City’s Pride festival, the White House, in coordination with the National Park Foundation and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, is releasing a video that will be played on the billboards in Times Square on Saturday, June 25, beginning at 12:00pm ET.

The new Stonewall National Monument will permanently protect Christopher Park, a historic community park at the intersection of Christopher Street, West 4th Street and Grove Street directly across from the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. The monument’s boundary encompasses approximately 7.7 acres of land, including Christopher Park, the Stonewall Inn, and the surrounding streets and sidewalks that were the site of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising.

Today’s designation follows years of strong support from local officials, organizations, members of Congress and citizens in New York City and across the country, as demonstrated recently at a public meeting held in New York City in May. The National Park Foundation is also today announcing that it will support the establishment of a local Friends Group to support the monument and that it will work with local and national organizations and the community to raise funding for dedicated National Park Service personnel, a temporary ranger station and visitor center, research and materials, exhibits, community outreach, and public education.

Put Stonewall on your must-visit places the next time you’re in New York!

Through June 30, Proudly Yours is donating 50% of card sales to victims of the Orlando tragedy. Buy them here!

Rainbow Flag Flies at Houses of Parliament for First Time

house of parliament rainbowOn Tuesday, the rainbow flag flew high above the UK’s Houses of Parliament for the very first time in celebration for London’s upcoming Pride weekend.  Per Pink News David Geary, Head of Political Engagement for Pride in London, said:

“It was in the Houses of Parliament that homosexuality was decriminalised, equal consent laws were introduced, the bigoted Section 28 was repealed, where civil partnership and ultimately equal marriage were adopted. This powerful institution, right at the heart of British democracy has become a powerful tool for equality in recent times.The rainbow flag flying above serves as a testament to this legacy and a reflection of how far we have come as a community – with more LGBT+ politicians than any other country in the world.”

The flag was gifted to Parliament from LGBT group ParliOUT and will fly through June 26. ParliOut will also be marching in the Pride Parade this weekend. Some 75+ Parliamentary staff members have signed up to march in the parade. They will be wearing Houses of Parliament t-shirts along with white roses in memory Member of Parliament Jo Cox, who was killed earlier this month. Rob Truelove and Jenny Radcliffe, Co-Chairs of ParliOUT said: “On behalf of all ParliOUT members, we would like to thank Mr Speaker and the Lord Speaker for their full support, as well as all ParliOUT members who generously donated money to buy the LGBT+ rainbow flag as a gift to Parliament. While we recognise that there is still more to do, this is a very positive symbol of how far we have come in becoming a more inclusive workplace.”

 

Monday Meme: Victory

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As part of Pride month, we’d like to give a shout out to gay trailblazer Magnus Hirschfeld in today’s Monday Meme. As a homosexual and a Jew, Hirschfeld was advocating gay rights back in the late 1800’s. Hirschfeld spoke out against the German government and pushed for the legalization of homosexuality long before it was even a conversation in most parts of the world. As a sexologist and researcher, he published volumes on homosexuality, gay rights and equality for women, many of which were later burned by the Nazis. Hirschfeld died in Nice, France in 1935 but the groundwork he set down as an early LGBT pioneer won’t ever be forgotten.

Buy a Proudly Yours card now until June 30 and we will donate 50% of the proceeds to Equality Now to help the victims of the Orlando attack. 

WATCH: Short Film Golden Embraces Growing Up Gay

Here’s a little something to put a smile on your face. Golden, beautiful short film by German director Kai Stänicke, debuted this week on YouTube. After months of winning short film competitions around the globe, the heartwarming tale finally came to the internet. And just in time! Stänicke posted the film online in response to the Pulse massacre. Festival audiences have responded to the film’s literal depiction of growing up different, finding yourself and finding your people. Take a few minutes and celebrate the beauty in being different with Golden.

Utah GOPer Spencer Cox Apologizes to LGBT Community

imagesUtah’s Republican lieutenant governor Spencer Cox might have been the last person anyone expected to speak at a vigil for victims of the Orlando shooting. But he did just that on Monday and even apologized for his past behavior. Cox acknowledged that as a straight white, Republican man he was not the most obvious choice to speak at the vigil. But he said he was incredibly moved and felt the need to apologize. Here’s a portion of his speech courtesy of KSL.com

 

I grew up in a small town and went to a small rural high school. There were some kids in my class that were different. Sometimes I wasn’t kind to them. I didn’t know it at the time, but I know now that they were gay. I will forever regret not treating them with the kindness, dignity and respect — the love — that they deserved. For that, I sincerely and humbly apologize.

Over the intervening years, my heart has changed. It has changed because of you. It has changed because I have gotten to know many of you. You have been patient with me. You helped me learn the right letters of the alphabet in the right order even though you keep adding new ones. You have been kind to me. Jim Dabakis even told me I dressed nice once, even though I know he was lying. You have treated me with the kindness, dignity, and respect — the love — that I very often did NOT deserve. And it has made me love you.

Now, you know a little something about hate. And you know a little something about persecution. But you also know something about loving, blessing and doing good. What our country needs more than ever is less politics and more kindness. If nothing else, as we can see here tonight, this tragedy has the potential to bring us closer than ever before.

And so may we leave today, with a resolve to be a little kinder. May we try to listen more and talk less. May we forgive someone that has wronged us. And perhaps, most importantly, try to love someone that is different than us. For my straight friends, might I suggest starting with someone who is gay.

To watch a video of Cox’s full speech go here. To buy a Proudly Yours Card to help relief efforts in Orlando, go here!

Buy a Card, Help Orlando Shooting Victims

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Now thru June 30, Proudly Yours will give 50% of the proceeds from all online card sales to Equality Florida to help victims of the Orlando shooting. According to the GoFundMe page,

“We are beyond moved by the support from all corners of the world and all walks of life. From average Americans, large corporations, celebrities, musicians, artists, and political figures, over 65,000 donations have been made towards Equality Florida’s Pulse Victim Fund, totaling to $2.8 million dollars. We do not know the total costs for the victims of this horrific hate crime, therefore are working to raise as much as possible and disperse the funds as fast as possible.”

Proudly Yours wants to help too. By donating a portion of our online card sales, everybody wins. This way, you get a beautiful greeting card guaranteed to make someone feel better and you get to feel good to helping out in a time of need. Sounds pretty terrific, right? All of our greeting cards feature gorgeous black and white photography with the perfect quote about love on the inside. Our cards are perfect for summer weddings, engagements or anniversaries. Or maybe just pick up a card to tell someone you love that you’re thinking of them and who doesn’t need that right now?  From counselling and travel assistance for the victims loved ones to legal services and memorials, Equality Florida has hopped into action to help the LGBTQ community in the wake of this staggering tragedy. So let’s help them do all they can. All of our cards can be bought online here & here! And do it before June 30th.

3 Ways to Help Orlando Shooting Victims

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There has never been a tragedy to hit the LGBTQ community like Sunday’s shooting in Orlando, FL. The worst mass shooting in American history, many are left feeling heartbroken and hopeless. We here at Proudly Yours are as sad and bewildered as everyone else and the healing process certainly won’t happen overnight. President Obama said in his address on Sunday morning,“In the face of hate and violence, we will love one another,” rather than giving in to fear, “we will stand united, as Americans, to protect our people, and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten us.” He also said that “to actively do nothing is a decision, as well.” Instead of feeling hopeless and doing nothing, we came up with a list of three easy things every person can do to help.

1.) Donate Set up by Equality Florida on Sunday morning, a GoFundMe page for the victims of the attack has already raised over $1 million. But Florida needs so much more. According to the page, “Equality Florida is collecting contributions via this GoFundMe page to support the victims of the horrific shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. Regarding distribution of funds, we are working with a team of attorneys and experts, including the National Center for Victims of Crime, which deployed funds in both Chattanooga and Aurora, to ensure funds are distributed correctly.” Anything will help and it’s something you can do from your laptop.

2.) Call Fed with up local and national gun laws? Let your mayor, congressperson and senator know. It’s their job to listen to unhappy voters, so put them to work! Here’s a great website with contact information of state, local and federal politicians.

3.) Vote The most powerful way to change LGBTQ laws, fight hateful legislation and help change gun laws is voting. Get educated by reading sites like On the Issues and vote for local officials as well as president this November.