Don’t Be Dumb at Brunch: Pride Is Year-Round and This Gay Soccer Player Got a Standing Ovation
Happy Sunday! It’s brunch time. Don’t be Dumb. We live in Los Angeles where the massive heatwave makes us feel like we’re typing this on the sun. Anyway, our stories this week include a Pride month wrap-up, Dustin Lance Black (but not the Daddy news), sex toys for the disabled and a dearly needed feel-good story from the world of professional soccer. Of course, we have our Whack Job of the Week; see who it is below.
Here are the week’s 5 news stories that’ll keep you looking well-informed at brunch:
1. Pride Beyond June
We’ve been praising so many organizations and brands that have stepped up and made positive impressions of LGBTQ+ Pride through June. But it doesn’t have to end there. It’s important to continue your support of these brands throughout the year. Partly as a thank you, but also to remind them that our community has a strong and powerful economic voice. And hey — it’s after June so you can probably grab some Pride 2018 swag on sale!
2. A Crowd Fund Sex Toys for the Disabled
Sometimes we take things for granted. Like masturbation. What? Yeah. That. Imagine for a second you could’t because of a physical disability. So Andrew Gurza, gay disability awareness consultant and host of the podcast Disability After Dark, is crowdfunding research to develop a line of sex toys for the disabled. This research would allow people with disabilities some solo quality time without restriction. Kudos to Andrew — and why don’t you go kick in a few bucks in the name of self-love?
3. An Active Pro Athlete Who’s Out? We’ll Stand For That.
Recently Collin Martin, a professional soccer player for the Minnesota United, came out just before his team played on Pride night. But it’s what happened on July 4th when he first stepped onto the field that should give you pause. And chills. The crowd jumped to their feet and gave him a rousing ovation. What makes this truly inspiring is that until Martin came out there were no openly gay professional athletes actively playing on American teams. In this day and age, we need more of these positive and affirming reactions from our allies.
4. Black-listed
Is one of America’s most visible LGBTQ activists now blacklisted from every stepping foot in Russia? Out screenwriter (and new Daddy) Lance Black is apparently no longer welcome in Russia according to his husband, Tom Daley. “My husband is blacklisted from Russia. He did a big protest there with a massive rainbow flag, and after he screened his film Milk, he started getting threats and attacks. So he’s not allowed back.”
There has been no official statement from Russia regarding Black’s appearance and subsequent ban. In 2013, after Russia passed its law banning “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships,” Black, along with director Gus Van Sant, unfurled a rainbow flag banner after the screening that stated “Support Russian Gays.” We guess the only way to tell if Black has been truly banned from the country would be to go back.
5. Whack Job of the Week: Megyn Kelly
Oh Megyn. You try to do the right thing but you have to know the right thing to do. As you may have heard there is yet another casting scandal regarding a cisgender actor playing a trans character. This time it’s Scarlett Johansson playing a trans man. Well MSNBC and Megan decided to cover the scandal with the hook of trans voices being invisible — and they were… on the panel. Not one trans person was on the panel to discuss the issue. It’s not that hard to be inclusive in a piece on inclusivity.
