Lesbians In The News

[*Anya*]

Rush Limbaugh on the Attack of the Lesbian Farmers

The far-right radio host thinks the Agriculture Department's outreach to rural LGBT people is a conspiracy to destroy conservative communities.

BY TRUDY RING

http://www.advocate.com/media/2016/8...esbian-farmers

[Kobi]

The first openly lesbian bishop in the United Methodist Church can stay on the job for now, but she is subject to a disciplinary review that could lead to her removal, the top church court ruled Friday.

Bishop Karen Oliveto's civil marriage to another woman violates church law that bars clergy who are "self-avowed practicing homosexuals," the Judicial Council said. However, a decision over whether she can remain in the position must come from a separate disciplinary process, the court ruled.

Oliveto was elected last year to lead a Denver-area church region that is part of the Methodist Western Jurisdiction, which has rejected the denomination's position that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching." Within minutes of her election, a challenge was filed by the Oklahoma-based South Central Jurisdiction, leading to Friday's ruling.

The case is the latest chapter in an intensifying fight over LGBTQ recognition that is fracturing the 12.8 million-member denomination — the third-largest faith group in the U.S. Earlier this week, bishops announced a special 2019 meeting of its top legislative body, or General Conference, expressly to address church law on sexuality and find ways the denomination can avoid schism.

LGBTQ advocates in the church have stepped up pressure to lift prohibitions on gay clergy. Bishops have conducted same-sex weddings in defiance of church policy and dozens of LGBTQ clergy have come out, risking being defrocked. Evangelical Methodists, who have gained strength in the denomination in part through growth of Methodist churches overseas, have responded by pushing to enforce church policies. The court said Friday that bishops who consecrate an openly gay bishop were considered in violation of Methodist law and also subject to church discipline.

The Methodist policy making body has upheld the church's stand on same-sex relationships since 1972, even as other mainline Protestant groups, including the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), have approved same-sex marriage.

The ruling Friday was made on a 6-3 vote. Oliveto said she felt "grateful" for the chance to remain as bishop as she and other church leaders study what the decision means for her future. Bruce Ough, president of the Methodist Council of Bishops, said the decision would not ease "the disagreements, impatience and anxiety" in the church, but he appealed to church members to stay unified.

http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-o...m_npd_nn_fb_ma

[*Anya*]

Leon high-schoolers crowned a gay couple prom king and queen last month, a first in the school’s 185-year-old history.

To the two girls — Lindsey Creel and Brie Grimes, seniors who have been dating for three years — winning prom king and queen was not about the titles, but about helping others and raising awareness about LGBTQ issues.

“It feels good to know some of the things we’ve been a part of can help others going through tough experiences, in a positive way,” Brie said. “I needed someone in my life to show me that it would work out — when I was first going through this years ago. But I didn’t have that.”

“I hope that people will look at this and more will begin to think that it’s okay to be supportive of the LBTQ community,” Lindsey added. “Leon often talks about change… This is a good example for younger students there.”

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/new...ueen/83799032/

[*Anya*]

LGBT
The Story Behind This "Long Live The Lesbians" Brick That's All Over The Internet

"You never really know the impact that your life has on the world until you hear about things like this."

Posted on May 19, 2017, at 10:16 a.m.

Sarah Karlan

BuzzFeed News Reporter
At Russell Sage College, a women's college in Troy, New York, students often have the opportunity to purchase and engrave a brick which will become a physical part of the campus for years to come.

According to the school's website, bricks can showcase "names, memorable dates, class years, small graphics and more."

Thanks to the internet, one brick in particular has taken on a life of its own. Its message is simple and direct: "Long live the lesbians!"

"I go to a women’s college," the caption of the photo reads. The image was taken and posted to Tumblr by a former student.

"We have a walkway where bricks can be purchased by alumnae. Most just say names or class years/mascots. But this one. This one is special. It speaks to me."

Clearly, the brick spoke to a lot of people. The original photo has now been shared over 300,000 times and has been re-shared in various forms since the first photo of it was posted three years ago.



Thanks to the internet (and alumni Facebook pages) the original bricklayer herself, a Russell Sage '00 alum named Rebecca Borello, came forward.

[*Anya*]

[A. Spectre]

Meet Crystal Griner, one of the Capitol police officers who stopped the gunman yesterday.


5 facts about Crystal:

1. The 2 Capitol Officers Are Being Hailed as Heroes by President Trump & Others for Stopping the Gunman.

2. Griner Graduated From Hood College, Where She Was a ‘Ferocious Athlete.'

3. Griner Was a National Honor Society Member in High School & a Biology Major in College.

4. The President & First Lady Visited Griner & Griner’s Wife in the Hospital & Brought a Bouquet of Flowers.

5. Griner & Bailey Reacted Rapidly, Confronting the Shooter & Likely Saving Countless Lives.


Here she is in her basketball days. She was doing her job of protecting men who see her as second class, maybe even a third class.

[Kobi]

Niners assistant coach Katie Sowers publicly came out Tuesday, making her the first openly LGBT coach not only in the NFL but all of men's professional sports.

The 31-year-old is also just the second woman to become a full-time coach in the league, after Kathryn Smith was on the Bills' staff last season.

“No matter what you do in life, one of the most important things is to be true to who you are,” Sowers, a lesbian, told Outsports. “There are so many people who identify as LGBT in the NFL, as in any business, that do not feel comfortable being public about their sexual orientation.

“The more we can create an environment that welcomes all types of people, no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, the more we can help ease the pain and burden that many carry every day.”

Sowers, who played in the Women's Football Alliance, started as a scouting intern for the Falcons in 2016 and built a rapport with then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. When Shanahan was hired to become San Francisco's head coach this season, he added Sowers as an intern over the summer and then brought her on full time.

"She did a really good job for us in Atlanta,” Shanahan told the San Jose Mercury News earlier this month. “She’s done a real good job here. She helps [wide receivers coach/passing game specialist] Mike LaFleur out just with some rotations. She helps our quality controls with all the stuff they have to do. She’s a hard worker. You don’t even notice her because she just goes to work and does what’s asked and because of that she’s someone we would like to keep around.”

Sowers also thanked Falcons assistant GM and mentor Scott Pioli on Facebook for giving her a chance last season, for his "passion for equal opportunity" and "opening doors and for breaking down walls in the NFL."

She said she will serve as an offensive assistant this season.

"The most fulfilling aspect is having the ability to impact the lives of these young men chasing their dream of playing in the NFL, as well as serve as a role model for young girls who might happen to see me following my passion," she wrote in an e-mail to Outsports. "I am a strong believer that the more we can expose children to a variety of different opportunities in life, the better chance they have of finding their true calling."