NBA Releases Pride Themed T-Shirts

Untitled-designThanks to the NBA, LGBTQ sports fans can now celebrate Pride and their love of basketball at the same time! Per OutSports,

“The League, in conjunction with Teespring, has created T-shirts of every one of the NBA’s 30 teams that feature each team’s logo in rainbows. The shirts will be available exclusively on Teespring, and proceeds from the sales of the shirts will benefit GLSEN, which has had a multiyear partnership with the NBA dating back to PSAs the league cut with GLSEN in 2011.”

“Professional sports showing up for LGBT people is one of the biggest cultural developments of the last decade, and really the last five years,” GLSEN executive director Eliza Byard told Outsports. “The NBA has been showing up for LGBT youth and for GLSEN for a number of years. Having this be a league-wide initiative, knowing any LGBT fan in the country can choose to celebrate their team and themselves with one of those shirts, that’s a whole new thing.”

Major League Baseball and the NHL saw some of their teams get the rainbow-logo treatment last year when 47 Brand created a limited Pride line. The NBA’s new Pride series with Teespring is the first time one of the Big Four sports leagues has painted each of its teams logos in rainbow.

For Teespring, a social-commerce platform, this is their second partnership with the NBA, the first being with a handful of musicians.

“Our first collaboration with the NBA was a success, so we truly are excited to partner with the League again, this time for a great cause,” said Morrie Eisenberg, Teespring VP of Business Development & Partnerships. “We’re thrilled to work with the NBA and GLSEN to bring life this collection to life and help fans around the country celebrate PRIDE month in a unique and creative way.”

American Apparrel Wants To Make America Gay Again

https://youtu.be/Xzzx5Xuzw3s

 

Clothing company American Apparel has joined forces with Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and The Ally Coalition to launch “Make America Gay Again” in support of LGBT equality. According to Towleroad, “The campaign will also include video content and in-store events. A “Make America Gay Again” mixtape, curated by musician Jack Antonoff and inspired by songs that stand for equality, will be available on Pandora.com June 14. Thirty percent of sales will be donated in support of the Equality Act and the fight to end LGBTQ discrimination.”

Via PR Newswire, Antonoff, who co-founded The Ally Coalition with his sister, fashion designer Rachel Antonoff, said:

“Rachel and I founded The Ally Coalition to inspire fans to take action for LGBTQ Equality. During a year where LGBTQ rights are being threatened all over the states, everyone is responsible for coming together and challenging these injustices. I’m proud that The Ally Coalition is joining with American Apparel and The Human Rights Campaign to #MakeAmericaGayAgain.”

https://youtu.be/vgRFZTjhkSE

Human Rights Campaign Vice President of Communication and Marketing Olivia Alair Dalton said, “Today, LGBTQ people remain at risk of being fired, evicted or denied services in a majority of states simply because of who they are. That’s why we are fighting to pass the Equality Act – legislation that will protect LGBTQ people under our federal civil rights laws. We are excited about our partnership with the Ally Coalition and American Apparel, which empowers people to subvert the politics of hate and division by creatively speaking out for the equal rights and dignity of LGBTQ people.”

Watch both the videos here and buy your own ‘Make America Gay Again’ t-shirt here!

 

Monday Meme: Shocking

Sandra Bernhard. For TV.

Still sassy, still shocking and still Sandra! Happy birthday to actress, singer comedian and world-renowned smack-talker Sandra Bernhard. Although first thrust into the spotlight thanks to a knockout performance in Martin Scorsese’s King of Comedy and later becoming tabloid fodder because of a dramatic relationship with Madonna, Bernhard has persevered because of her no-nonsense style and biting humor. Through a series of now-legendary one woman shows, Sandra Bernhard single-handedly invented a stream of consciousness stand up style now copied by performers everywhere. Never one to shy away from honest discussion, Bernhard has been in a relationship with Sara Switzer for years but refuses to define herself as a lesbian or bisexual. Bernhard can still be seen on talk shows speaking her mind on everything from Caitlyn Jenner to Lady Gaga and beyond. Bernhard is currently committed to raising awareness for LGBTQ teen suicide. “Kids, straight gay and otherwise now, are more susceptible than ever to suicide, because of social media and peer pressure and the ability for people in the far reaches of society to bully people and troll people,” she recently told IndyStar.com.” We’ve all been victims of that. It’s a terrible byproduct of social media. It’s easier and easier for kids to fall into that isolation and desolation.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The White House Proclaims June LGBT Pride Month

white house rainbow

It’s that time of year–Pride Month! And even the White House says so. In his annual proclamation, President Barack Obama declared June 2016 LGBT Pride month. “NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2016 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people,” the president wrote in an official White House Proclamation. In this proclamation, the president spoke passionately about his administration’s commitment to LGBT rights.

Despite the extraordinary progress of the past few years, LGBT Americans still face discrimination simply for being who they are. I signed an Executive Order in 2014 that prohibits discrimination against Federal employees and contractors on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. I urge the Congress to enact legislation that builds upon the progress we have made, because no one should live in fear of losing their job simply because of who they are or who they love. And our commitment to combatting discrimination against the LGBT community does not stop at our borders: Advancing the fair treatment of all people has long been a cornerstone of American diplomacy, and we have made defending and promoting the human rights of LGBT individuals a priority in our engagement across the globe. In line with America’s commitment to the notion that all people should be treated fairly and with respect, champions of this cause at home and abroad are upholding the simple truth that LGBT rights are human rights.

There remains much work to do to extend the promise of our country to every American, but because of the acts of courage of the millions who came out and spoke out to demand justice and of those who quietly toiled and pushed for progress, our Nation has made great strides in recognizing what these brave individuals long knew to be true in their hearts — that love is love and that no person should be judged by anything but the content of their character. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, as Americans wave their flags of pride high and march boldly forward in parades and demonstrations, let us celebrate how far we have come and reaffirm our steadfast belief in the equal dignity of all Americans.

Read the entire proclamation here.

And Happy Pride Month!

 

WATCH: Netflix Brazil Celebrates Pride With Amazing Video

Netflix Brazil is going all out to celebrate Pride month. Over the weekend, the stars of the network’s  Sense8 were spotted at Sao Paulo’s gay pride parade, which is currently filming in the country. And Netflix Brazil has also released a stunning video which spotlights LGBT characters on its hit shows and how real-life Brazilians have responded to those characters. Per NewNowNext:

The video features individuals and couples posing in front of a screen upon which scenes from their favorite Netflix shows are playing. As shots from LGBT-inclusive shows like Sense8, Orange is the New Black and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt flicker by, the participants discuss the importance of seeing people like themselves represented on TV.

“When you have a complete character who happens to be trans or happens to be gay, it reminds everyone that these people are human beings,” reflects Gabi, a Brazilian trans woman.

The positive message of the video is one Brazil can certainly use. The country is “still home to 44% of the entire globe’s anti-LGBT violence.” Watch the incredible video here!

 

Monday Meme: Memorial Meme Madness!

cullen meme

So many LGBTQ folks with May birthdays, so little meme time. This month is so jam-packed with pioneers, icons and trailblazers we hardly know where to begin in our Monday Meme endeavors!  But to start we’re honoring poet Countee Cullen who was born on May 30, 1903. Although overshadowed by some of his contemporaries like Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, Cullen is still a major player in Harlem Renaissance story and considered a member of that era’s “gay elite.” Cullen’s impressive catalog of poems chronicles everything from race to politics to religion to relationships, like in “Song In Spite of Myself”
used in today’s meme.

Laverne Cox Meme

Next, we give a Monday Meme shout out to trans-activist and award-nominated actress Laverne Cox! Cox turned 32 yesterday and at a young age she has already changed the way Hollywood thinks about and casts trans performers. Cox recently became the first trans actor to be cast in a leading role in a network television show, this fall’s Doubt on CBS, and will also be seen in a much-buzzed about reboot of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

melissa meme

Lastly, we celebrate Melissa Etheridge! The songwriter and singer turned 55 yesterday. Etheridge’s activism for the LGBT community, marriage equality and cancer survivors is almost as rich as her near 30 year legacy in the music industry. A dynamic performer, an outspoken advocate and a passionate mother Melissa Etheridge is truly deserving of icon status!

But why stop the meme madness here? Go follow us on Instagram for more memes, quotes and images from our fantastic cards!

Peruvians March For Marriage Equality

peru story The global fight for marriage equality continues. Political activism is alive and well in Peru and over the weekend thousands of LGBT activists took the streets of Lima. The protest was organized to help shine a light on the country’s backward LGBT policies.  More per On Top Magazine:

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Lima – the capital and largest city of Peru – for LGBT rights on Saturday.

Marchers carrying rainbow flags and posters called for marriage equality. Organizers said that they wanted to send a message to Peru’s next president.

“We want to push for full rights on recognition, marriage equality, gender laws and hate crime laws,” Gabriela Zavaleta, a spokesperson for Matrimonio Igualitario Peru, told reporters at the march.

Out lawmaker Carlos Bruce told demonstrators that those opposed to homosexuality don’t have to sleep with a gay man or lesbian “but they cannot discriminate, cannot reject humans.”

Currently, Peru does not recognize the relationships of gay couples. Gay couples can marry in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and parts of Mexico.

Monday Meme: Harvey Milk

milk meme

Had he lived, politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk would have been 86 on May 22nd. We celebrate Harvey and his trailblazing efforts for the LGBT community with a Monday Meme! But it seems we’re not alone in celebrating this incredible man. As we told you last week, Salt Lake City has renamed a city street after him while The Human Rights Campaign, The Advocate, Queerty and SF Gate, respectively, put together amazing birthday tributes to Harvey Milk. Plus Levi’s annual gay pride collection pays homage to Milk and gay life in the 70’s.  A portion of the proceeds from the Levi’s collection benefits the Harvey Milk Foundation and is available online. havery-milk-pride

So happy belated birthday, Harvey and thank you.

Celebrate someone you love with one of our cards, perfect for any occasion! 

 

 

Salt Lake City Puts Harvey Milk Blvd on the Map

milk blvd

Despite being one of the most conservative states in the union, Utah,and in particular Salt Lake City, has made some pretty huge strides for the LGBT community. Just last year, Salt Lake welcome its first openly gay mayor, Jackie Biskupski and a 2015 Gallup polled deemed it the seventh gayest city in the U.S. The progress continued last week when the city christened a city street, Harvey Milk Blvd. Named after the legendary gay rights activist Harvey Milk, the street is part of what the town’s 900 South Street. The Salt Lake City Council recently voted unanimously to rename 900 South after Milk, who was one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials until his assassination in 1978. Mayor Biskupski, who was photographed hanging a new street sign last week said, ““I am where I am because of people like Harvey.” A massive celebration took place last weekend to celebrate Harvey Milk Blvd in Salt Lake City’s 9th District. “Harvey is an icon to the LGBTQ community. He taught us to come out of the closets and into the streets,”  LGBT activist and Utah resident Jeanetta Williams told City Weekly in an email. “We know that Harvey Milk Boulevard on a prominent downtown street will be a beacon of hope to LGBTQ youth, as well as any marginalized teen. Over time, we hope Harvey will become a hero to all Utahns.”

Senate Confirms Eric Fanning, First Openly Gay Leader Of Military Service

fanningOn Tuesday, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Eric Fanning for the position of Army secretary. This historic move makes Fanning the first openly gay leader of the military service. President Obama nominated Fanning for the position nearly 8 months ago. The Associated Press reports,

“The voice vote approval Tuesday came after Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., dropped his opposition to Fanning after a senior Pentagon official told him that no detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, would be sent to the Army prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, or other facilities in the United States.”

Prior to Army secretary, Fanning held numerous military positions during the Obama administration including special assistant to Secretary Defense Ash Carter, acting secretary of the Air Force and deputy undersecretary of the Navy. When he nominated Fanning, Obama said,”Eric brings many years of proven experience and exceptional leadership to this new role. I am grateful for his commitment to our men and women in uniform, and I am confident he will help lead America’s Soldiers with distinction. I look forward to working with Eric to keep our Army the very best in the world.” NPR reported on Fanning’s experience working for the Pentagon as an openly gay man.

“In a Defense Department statement in July, Fanning said he came out as gay in 1993 and talked about how attitudes at the DOD have changed in recent decades.
” ‘There is a much larger community out there that is looking for opportunities to show its support of us — that’s certainly been my experience as I’ve come out in my professional network, and it’s picking up steam,’ Fanning said. ‘It’s gone from tolerance to acceptance to embrace.’
“The nomination is the latest in a series of policy changes and appointments the Obama administration has made that advance the rights of LGBT people in the government. In addition to extending federal benefits to same-sex couples and repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which allowed gays to serve openly in the military, last month, Obama announced the hiring of the first openly transgender White House staffer.”