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!