Community loses ally
Beverly A. McIntyre, an ally community member, died on July 29. She was formerly owner of Pink Lady Travels that catered to the gay and lesbian community. McIntyre was also active with PFLAG, the Metrolina AIDS Project and served on the boards of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association and the Charlotte Business Guild. She also sang with One Voice Chorus of Charlotte and was honored by the LGBTQ community through Pride Charlotte as the inaugural Champion of Pride’s Outstanding Ally award which she shared with her husband Bill.
info: legcy.co/2ZwTYKP.
Emmy nominations include LGBTQ individuals, shows
The 71st annual Emmy Award nominations were announced and include a plethora of LGBTQ series and performers. Among the list of nominations are: “Pose,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race,”, Laverne Cox, “Shitt’s Creek,”, Kate McKinnon, “Hannah Gadsby: Nanette,”, Ellen DeGeneres, Cherry Jones, Jane Lynch and Wanda Sykes (one each), “Will & Grace,” “Queer Eye,” “RENT,” “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown,” “Grace and Frankie” and Billy Porter.
info: emmys.com.
Pride honors champions, names grand marshals
Charlotte Pride has released the names of their annual Champions of Pride awards. Those recognized are: Time Out Youth Center staffer James Rice III (Harvey Milk Award for leadership), former PFLAG Charlotte President Ashley Nurkin (Outstanding Ally), and youth advocate Audrey Ansel (Young Catalyst Award). Each are honored for their commitment and dedication to the LGBTQ community and will be recognized on the Wells Fargo Stage on Aug.17. Grand marshals for the Bank of America Charlotte Pride Parade are Charlotte Black Pride and The Hon. John S. Arrowood (North Carolina Court of Appeals). Arrowood is the first openly LGBTQ person to win a statewide election in the South. All will ride in and be honored in the parade on Aug. 18.
info: charlottepride.org.
‘Bathroom’ legislation settled
A federal judge approved a settlement in late July stating that HB142 cannot be used to ban transgender individuals from using public restrooms and other facilities in state government buildings under the purview of Gov. Roy Cooper, Equality North Carolina shared. The settlement, stemming from Gov. Cooper and the ACLU, applies only to public restrooms and similar facilities in state government buildings that are under Gov. Cooper’s control. The legislation still needs to be repealed in order to secure protections at the local governmental level. Additionally, the settlement does not do anything to address state agencies’ and local municipalities’ inability to protect LGBTQ North Carolinians in private employment and in public accommodations.
info: equalitync.org.
Couple tops marriage record
Michael McConnell and Jack Baker were featured in a story on Queerty. The two share the distinction of being the longest-married same-sex couple in the U.S. The tied the knot in 1970 during a time when the American Psychiatric Association still considered being gay a “mental disorder.” Three years after they wed, the association removed the black mark from its list of disorders. The couple published “The Wedding Heard ’Round The World” in 2016.
info: bit.ly/2YEasPV.
Fundraiser date announced
The Second Annual Stonewall Rainbow 5K Run will be held on Sept. 28 in Charlotte, N.C. It is produced by Stonewall Sports of Charlotte. The organization has completed its sign-up for runners and has completed the application process from local charities to be a beneficiary from monies raised. Three recipients will be selected to receive funds. The event is comparable to The Spartan Race, Tough Muddler and Susan G. Komen Walk/Run and is open to all age groups.
info: stonewallrainbowrun.org.
Same-sex couple share Stonewall story
Paul Glass and Charles Evans, an African-American gay couple, were two individuals who were participants in the historic Stonewall Riots in 1969. They had met the previous year and had dated long distance. After not having seen each other in a number of years, they reconnected and both discovered that they were at the same place in New York but had not known that the other person was too. Now the couple is married and shared their experience in an interview with PBS affiliate WBUR in Boston, Mass.
info: wbur.fm/2GNHeIx.
Series features first lez superhero
Nafessa Williams, Anissa Pierce aka Thunder on The CW’s “Black Lightening,” is TV’s first African-American female lesbian superhero. Now she is set to co-star in the upcoming Sony Screen Gems feature film “Black and Blue” opposite Naomie Harris and Mike Colter, slated for a wide theatrical release on Oct. 25.
info: blackandblue.movie.
Woman fights for trans prisoner rights
The Associate Press reported that transgender Deon “Strawberry” Hampton of Chicago, Ill. was recently released from prison and will continue to fight for the rights of transgender inmates. Hampton underwent abuses, sexual assault, taunting and beating while incarcerated in a men’s prison. She was later moved to a women’s prison to avoid these actions.
info: bit.ly/2YDz6Ah.
GBO Pride fest upcoming
Greensboro Pride will take place on Sept. 15, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., along S. Elm St. in Downtown Greensboro between E. Market St and Smothers Place. Presenting sponsor is Ralph Lauren. Leading up to the event will be a volunteer social on Aug. 25 and a Dinner With the Queens on Sept. 9. The organization is currently accepting applications for entertainers, vendors, sponsors and volunteers. Additionally, Green Queen Bingo will have its quarterly event on Sept. 13 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex to benefit both Greensboro Pride and the Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center.
info: guilfordgreenfoundation.org.
Republican officiates same-sex wedding
Virginia Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman has officiated a same-sex wedding despite his party’s platform, RVA reported. The party vote to censure him failed in getting the necessary backing. Riggleman has maintained a hands-off approach to marriage equality. After the wedding, he shared with the Washington Post, “My real belief is that government shouldn’t be involved in marriage at all, but if it is, everybody has to be treated equally before the law.”
info: bit.ly/2YMeYME.
Women’s grants, fellowships available
The American Association of University Women fellowship and grant applications have opened. The association offers several grants and fellowships for women ranging from $2,000-30,000, with opportunities both for Ph.D. candidates and students who are re-entering higher education after five or more years away. Last year, five of these grants/ fellowships were awarded to women in the Triangle area, and the association hopes to continue that this year.
info: bit.ly/2GHeD7F.
Research data released on YOC
Existing research finds that LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Structural racism and LGBTQ stigma likely increase the risk that LGBTQ youth of color will enter these systems, and once in the system, they tend to remain longer and face an elevated risk of discrimination and violence compared to other groups of youth. More research is needed to fully understand the experiences and needs of LGBTQ youth of color in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and to prevent harm and promote positive outcomes for youth in the systems.
info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu.
ENC set for 40th anniversary
Equality North Carolina will welcome LGBTQ leaders from across the state when the organization celebrates its 40th anniversary with a gala at The Cookery in Durham, N.C. Founders will be honored during the festivities. Starting in 1979 at the NC Human Rights Fund, it provided legal assistance to gays and lesbians facings discriminatory enforcement of the Crime Against Nature Law. The gala will be catered by James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in America’s Ashley Christensen. The chef is from Raleigh, N.C. and is a member of the LGBTQ community. She has been a staunch advocate for equality. Tickets for the gala are available online.
info: equalitync.org.
Page speaks out for LGBTQ protections
LGBTQ community member Bob Page, founder and CEO of Replacements, Ltd., shared in a guest commentary in the Winston-Salem Journal that companies are stronger when they protect LGBTQ workers from discrimination. He has spent years defending LGBTQ individuals’ rights. “As I built my company from the ground up, I wanted to be sure that we were always committed to creating a great workplace environment, supporting our community, and leading with fairness,” Page stated.
info: bit.ly/2GNrbu4.
AFFA unveils new logo
The Alliance for Full Acceptance has unveiled its new logo, designed by Blue Ion.
info: affa-sc.org.
NCAAP votes thumbs up for resolutions
On July 23, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) voted unanimously on three pro-LGBTQ resolutions with far reaching impact on their 2,000+ units/chapters across the country. The NAACP was a champion for marriage equality and remains a strong advocate for the Equality Act and is now taking action to do deeper work with their units and chapters to invoke change locally. The resolutions marked the next chapter in the NAACP’s support for the LGBTQ community and are: ending murders and violence against transgender women and supporting the transgender community, prevention and earlier detection of HIV virus, and inclusion of LGBTQ diversity and sensitivity training for units/chapters.
info: naacp.org.
Network acquires comedy specials
OUTtv will be welcoming to the stage this fall four new live, stand-up comedy specials in partnership with Producer Entertainment Group (PEG). Included in these comedy specials will be “Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend,” “Katya Zamolodchikova: Help Me, I’m Dying,” “Bob the Drag Queen: Crazy Black Lady” and a new Alaska Thunderf*ck comedy special. In addition to this, OUTtv has also acquired the feature-length documentary “The Queens from PEG.”
info: outtv.ca.
Upstate gets first youth center
Spartanburg PFLAG and Fernwood Baptist Church are establishing their LGBTQ Uplift Outreach Youth Center at the church. The space will serve as a safe, judgment-free zone. It opens on Aug. 27 on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 3:30-6:30 p.m. PFLAG is now searching for volunteers to serve as supervisors for the youth participants. They must pass a SLED check, WSPA reported. Now funds are being raised to build a facility in the next five years.
info: bit.ly/2YG8sH1. pflagspartanburg.org. fernwoodchurch.org.