Gay & Lesbian

 In his latest novel, Gardens of Hope, published by Chances Press, author Michael Holloway Perronne considered it timely to not just explore a World War II era forbidden gay, interracial love story, but also a controversial, and often overlooked period of US history, the forced internment of over 100,000 Japanese-Americans at sites such as Manzanar in California . "After personally visiting the historic Manzanar site, I felt profoundly moved and, frankly, horrified when I learned more about the struggles and indignities of Japanese-Americans, who had committed no crimes, being forced to leave their homes for years and live in what many would call a concentration camp," Perronne said. In addition, Perronne doesn't recall being taught in school about President Roosevelt's Order 9066, which will mark its 75th anniversary on February 17, 2017 .  The order essentially jailed Japanese-Americans after the panic that ensued following the bombing of Pearl ...

CHICAGO , Feb. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cohabitating couples are splitting up with the help of lawyers in a growing number of relationships.  According to 45% of members in a recent survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), legal disputes between unmarried couples who had previously lived together are on the rise during the past three years.  A significant 70% of the attorneys also noted a decrease in cohabitation agreements being drawn up between same-sex partners since same-sex marriage has been legalized.  "Even without an engagement ring or marriage license, a live-in relationship can often produce a number of legal complexities and tangled disputes that could require the involvement of legal counsel," said Joslin Davis , president of the AAML.  "While cohabitation agreements might represent an effective option for a variety of partners with finances and assets to protect, we are also finding a substantial decrease in t...

NEW YORK , Feb. 9, 2016 -- The New York City Gay Men's Chorus today announced that tickets are now on sale for Big Gay Sing ® , its annual sing-along extravaganza being held from March 18 - 20 at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. This year's production is Big Gay Sing : Mind the Gap! celebrating some of the most legendary British artists and pop songs from the past five decades. "This year's Big Gay Sing will be the most fabulous musical love-fest for British pop music that this city has ever seen," said Charlie Beale , Artistic Director of the NYCGMC and an ex-pat Brit. " Big Gay Sing : Mind the Gap! will be both sensational and surprising—what better way to salute David Bowie , a pop culture genius who has been a huge influence on us over the years," Beale added. Big Gay Sing : Mind the Gap! will feature a tribute to Bowie along with arrangements of British chart-toppers by Adele, Spice Girls, Jessie J, Dusty Springfield , Queen,...

NOMINATED FOR FOUR ACADEMY AWARDS® INCLUDING BEST ACTOR, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, AND BEST COSTUME DESIGN AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ON FEBRUARY 16, 2016 AND ON BLU-RAY™ AND DVD ON MARCH 1, 2016 "A BRAVE, BOLD, BEAUTIFUL FILM!" - Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood     UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. , Jan. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With love comes the courage to be yourself in The Danish Girl ,   coming to Digital HD on February 16, 2016 , and Blu-ray ™ , DVD and On Demand on March 1, 2016 , from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Inspired by the lives of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener , the remarkable love story is "a cinematic landmark," according to Variety 's Peter Debruge . The Danish Girl on Blu-ray ™ and DVD comes with an exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette about the making of the film. The Focus Features release is nominated for four Academy Awards ® including Best Actor ( Eddie Redmayne ), Best Supporting Actress ( Alicia Vikander ), Best Costum...

    "Day Without Art is an opportunity to remember the many lives cut short by AIDS and to reflect on the impact of this cultural loss. But it's also a day to celebrate humanity's shared artistic legacy. Although the AIDS pandemic has claimed hundreds of artists, our continued interest and appreciation for art keeps their work alive. That is something loss will never destroy." Eric Bruehl, Getty   BOSTON , Nov. 19, 2015   San Francisco storefront to document the lives they feared history would forget. This action served as the beginning of The Names Project, also known as the AIDS Memorial Quilt. On December 1, 1998 A Day Without Art began as a National day of mourning in response to the AIDS crisis.  In 1987 a small group gathered in a   "I recently ran into the Theater Offensive's Artistic Director, Abe Rybeck; he was be...

NEW YORK , Oct. 21, 2015 $4.4 million to support organizations fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in critical and innovative ways. The Foundation is renewing 16 grants and funding nine new organizations to scale up programs that address societal trends driving the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This is one of EJAF's largest grant cycles to date. / -- The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), a leader in the global effort to end AIDS, today announced a new series of grants totaling "For more than 20 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has been committed to confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic where it exists," said EJAF Founder Elton John . "Our newest round of grants supports exciting and innovative projects addressing transgender health, homeless LGBT youth, the continued criminalization of HIV-positive people, and the syringe services for people who inject drugs. ...

Free event for lesbians on mommy-making options to be held at the Beresford Recreation Center, Presented by Path2Parenthood and California Cryobank NEW YORK , Sept.1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Path2Parenthood (P2P), formerly known as The American Fertility Association, and California Cryobank announced today that their Gay Women's Gathering: An Evening on Lesbian Pregnancy series is coming to San Mateo . The free event will be held at the Beresford Recreation Center on Tuesday, September 8 th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The highly acclaimed series focuses on educating gay women with critical information they need when considering pregnancy. A core focus on family-building safety for LGBT families from legal and medical perspectives is stressed. Issues include choosing between known and unknown sperm donors, conceiving at home or in a doctor's office, fertility health and understanding the legal rights of LGBT families. The relaxed and conversational event wi...

  WILTON MANORS, Fla. Jan. 8, 2015   -- On Saturday, February 14 , Valentine's Day , the City of Wilton Manors and Broward 100 - Celebrating the Art of Community, in honor of the County's centennial, will hold FREE marriage ceremonies for 100 people (50 couples) at Wilton Manors City Hall.   The 50 couples are being invited to commemorate both this historic occasion and Broward 100, the County's 100th anniversary. Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick will oversee the event, Wilton Manors Commissioner Justin Flippen will serve as officiant and members of the Wilton Manors City Commission and city staff will be there to offer support and serve as witnesses. Marriage ceremonies will be conducted in the Wilton Manors City Commission Chambers, 2020 Wilton Drive, for groups of couples every 30 minutes beginning at 4:30 p.m. with the last ceremony at 6 p.m. Following each ceremony, an elegant reception with light refreshments for newlyweds and up t...

  WILTON MANORS, Fla. , Aug. 29, 2014 /  -- With a large portion of its population unable to enjoy the legal rights and privileges that millions of married Floridians take for granted, the City of Wilton Manors applauds the recent court rulings in our state which find that the ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. The most recent came from U.S District Court Judge Robert L. Hinkle of Tallahassee on August 21 . "Those who enter opposite-sex marriages are harmed not at all when others are given the liberty to choose their own life partners and are shown the respect that comes with formal marriage. Tolerating views with which one disagrees is a hallmark of civilized society," Judge Hinkle wrote. The Judge stayed his decision pending appeal to a higher court, but he predicts future Floridians and Americans will look back on the ban on same sex marriage with curiosity and contempt. "When observers look back 50 years from now, the arguments suppor...

  The United Nations (UN) has begun to recognize same-sex marriages of all its staff members worldwide, regardless of whether the employee`s home country recognizes such unions, the world body announced on Monday, though some UN agencies are not covered by the new policy. UN spokesman Farhan Haq said the policy change was communicated in an internal bulletin to staff last Thursday, but it was not made public until Monday afternoon. UN-GLOBE - a group representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and inter-sex (LGBTI) UN staff members - hailed the announcement as a "historic achievement." In the July 3 bulletin, the world body said it would now determine the personal status of an employee by the law of the competent authority under which the personal status was established. Previously, a staff member`s personal status was determined by the laws applicable in their country of nationality. As such, employees who are citizen of a country that ...

WASHINGTON , July 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, President Obama issued an Executive Order mandating that all federal contractors and subcontractors grant special treatment to the politically-charged categories of "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in the workplace. Peter Sprigg , Family Research Council's Senior Fellow for Policy Studies, released the following statement: "President Obama has ordered employers to put aside their principles, and practices in the name of political correctness. This level of coercion is nothing less than viewpoint blackmail that bullies into silence every contractor and subcontractor who has moral objections to homosexual behavior. This order gives activists a license to challenge their employers and, expose those employers to threats of costly legal proceedings and the potential of jeopardizing future contracts. "Religious faith is not simply a matter of intellectual affirmation ...

  On Tuesday July 1st 2014 , the new Danzza ( http://www.danzza.nl ) website went live internationally. After months of development we have introduced a unique website for people who are searching for an ovum donor, sperm donor or surrogate mother.  You can create a personal profile and then use the available search engine for searches with criteria including hair and eye colour, background, etc.  For many, the often near-impossible search for a donor or surrogate mother will become a more viable option through our website. Because this site is now available in various languages, we can also help people in Spain , Germany and the UK.  Commercial donorship laws in these countries are different to those in the Netherlands.  This will bring with it a level of commotion, given that commercial donorship is not allowed in the Netherlands but is legal in countries such as Spain and Russia . Danzza ' s aim   Danzza's goal is to responsib...

NEW YORK , July 2, 2014 /  Please attribute the following statement to Bill White & Bryan Eure:  "We've just passed the three-year mark since marriage equality was approved on our home state of New York - which means our own three-year anniversary is right around the corner," said veteran and military advocate, entrepreneur and CEO of Constellations Group  Bill White  and his husband, Bryan Eure , SVP at Willis, a leading commercial insurance broker.  "On the day of our wedding, David Boies joined us for life in a gesture of love and commitment. These same values formed his commitment to men and women in California and all over the US on whose behalf he fought selflessly two years later to successfully battle Proposition 8 at the Supreme Court. We can't wait to read the book which details the behind-the-scenes take of the Prop 8 case this summer. "For the rest of our lives, when we think of our wedding and the forces that join us,...

TORONTO , June 25, 2014   - Although exploring one's sexual identity can be an ongoing process, it can be particularly complex for LGBTQ youth – young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer or questioning – as they realize they may have to cope with stigma, discrimination, and social intolerance. LGBTQ youth often face many challenges that contribute to putting them at greater risk for violence, abuse, isolation, mental illness, homelessness, and suicide. As a frequent first-point of contact for these young people, Kids Help Phone is enhancing its support for LGBTQ youth with the launch of new information, tips and tools at kidshelpphone.ca. This initiative was generously funded jointly by TD Bank Group and Ecclesiastical Insurance Office. For teens, Kids Help Phone's newly updated Sexual Orientation content includes practical information that can also be helpful to LGBTQ youth and their parents, teachers, and peers. Visitors c...