THIS BLACK GAY COUPLE ARE FIGHTING STEREOTYPES ABOUT RACE & SEXUALITY

A gay black couple has opened up about how they fight back against stereotypes about their race and sexuality.

Dominic and Nick are a gay couple who have been together for over seven years and have known each other since they were teenagers.

The pair recently shared their heartwarming story on The Way We Met, an Instagram account which documents “real, beautiful love stories”.

The pair met during high school. They did not go to the same school but were nearby to each other and were friendly.

Nick explained: “Dominic and I met as teenagers. We went to different high schools but they were close in proximity, so we had a lot of mutual friends.

“High school was also the time period in which we both came out to our families, although at separate times and unknowingly of each other’s personal journeys.”

However, education drew them both to different parts of the country.

“After graduating high school, life took me and Dominic in different directions,” Nick explained. “He went on to attend UFC in Orlando while I went to college in Kentucky.”

The pair reconnected when Nick was in Orlando visiting a friend and Dominic asked to meet and have dinner. The two hit it off, and they have been together ever since.

However, they were still long distance for a number seven years before finally being reunited and living with each other in Brooklyn and getting engaged.

“That night we talked for 4 hours and shut down the restaurant. Shortly after, Dominic asked if we could make it official and so our long distance relationship began. But the distance wouldn’t be ending anytime soon. After college, I moved to New York for work and Dominic moved to D.C. to go to law school at Georgetown University.

“Finally, after 7 years of the back and forth, we are finally living together in Brooklyn… and engaged! Dominic and I feel lucky to have found love at such a young age,” Nick added.

However, the pair have had to fight a lot of stereotypes about their race and sexuality throughout their relationship.

They said: “Falling in love with another black man was scary in ways neither of us could have ever imagined,” Nick said. “It forced us to face the very real resistance from society for being not only homosexuals but black men as well.

“We had to confront the stereotypes of being largely defined as uneducated, disloyal, untrustworthy, and unreliable individuals. But together we chose to rise above those prejudices and rewrite our own story- one of inspiration.”

The pair explained that they want others to see that their partnership “is marked by achievement, love, friendship, respect, and unconditional support.”

“We hope to encourage other black and brown men and boys everywhere to be true to who they are. And when they find love in each other’s eyes, to know that their love is just as strong and beautiful as anyone else’s.”

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

PULSE NIGHTCLUB OWNER ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR A MEMORIAL

The owner of Pulse, the gay nightclub where 49 people were killed in a terror attack last year, has announced plans for a memorial on the site.

The attack on the Orlando venue last June also saw 53 people injured at the hands of gunman Omar Mateen, who was killed in a shootout with police.

The massacre was the worst shooting in modern US history.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer suggested in August that the club should be taken into public ownership by the city in order to convert the entire site into a permanent public memorial.

But despite a bid of $2.25 million from the city, owner Barbara Poma refused to sell.

Ms Poma, who originally opened the club in memory of her late brother, said she was unable to part with the property.

She told local press at the time that she would create a “permanent memorial at the existing site of Pulse.

“This decision truly came just from my heart and my passion for Pulse, and everything it’s meant to me and my family for the last 12 years since its inception.

“So I think the struggle was you know, letting it go, and it’s just something I could not come to grips with.”

Poma’s onePULSE Foundation, which she created soon after the terror attack, will supply the funds necessary for the memorial, it is understood.

Ms Poma said she will announce the details of the memorial next week.

Last month, the US government gave the state of Florida $8.5 million to fund grief counselling for victims, witnesses and first responders to the Pulse massacre.

The grant from the Department of Justice will also reimburse the family assistance centre which was set up just after the shooting.

Speaking to local TV station News13 at the time, Ricardo Negron – who was in Pulse during the attack – said: “It’s something so needed to ensure that the services are being given.”

Negron realised he needed counselling a month after the massacre.

“It was the difference between basically being able to function.

“I was holding it in, saying: ‘Oh, you can get through this by yourself,’” he said.

“And it got to a point where anything would trigger a reaction, a flashback. The counselling has helped a lot.

“I was fortunate enough to make it out physically unharmed.”

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

THIS AD WAS APPARENTLY 'TOO GAY FOR TV'

A lubricant brand has claimed that its ad was banned from being shown opposite RuPaul’s Drag Race on its new channel.

For its current tenth season, reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race has made the jump from LGBT channel Logo to ‘mainstream’ cable channel VH1.

However, not all the show’s advertisers survived the jump – and one gay-themed brand has claimed that it has been stopped from running its ads against the show in its new homes.

In a blog, an exec from lubricant brand Boy Butter alleged that their ad was rejected by Comcast in Chicago.

Eyal Feldman, the founder of the lube brand, wrote: “[Comcast] did not think viewers could handle the level of gayness in this ad starring sexy ginger, Seth Fornea, who is showing us all how to properly use a butter churn.

“One would think that in the Mid West the sight of a butter churn would bring back nostalgic feelings of nearby dairy farms, but alas if a gay man is churning that butter, not so much.”

He added: “One of the best things about owning a personal lubricant company is the marketing, creating fun tongue in cheek ads that push my products as well as my own gay point of view.

“Our intention with this commercial was to make a gay version of the sexy Super Bowl ads and tame it down to be as ‘PG’ as possible, so as to avoid this type of ban… a sexy busty woman being suggestive and showing a lot of skin is fine but if you just replace that woman with a gay man, it is a much different story.

Daniel Robinson, the director of the ad, said: “I think it’s Chicago’s loss and a clear representation of how shamed and stigmatized our sexuality is.”

Check out the ad below:

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

WALKING DEAD ACTOR COMES OUT AS GAY IN EMOTION REVEAL

In an emotional YouTube video (below), he said a chance meeting with a girl at a homeless youth centre he was volunteering at had changed his mind about hiding his sexuality.

The actor, who has also starred in Vampire Diaries, Homeland and Sex and the City, said the girl had thanked him profusely for helping the LGBT community.

After he had questioned why she was thanking him, she said: “Because you’re straight.”

“I’m not straight,” the actor, who plays Daniel in the show, had responded, and the girl’s answer floored him.

        “Why have you never said that publicly before? You could help change our lives.”

“It hit me like a gut-punch,” Newman said. “It felt like someone knocked the wind out from me.

“And I realised how important it is in this day and age to be visible – to let people who know you are.”

He added that there was no excuse to hide your sexuality when, as the girl pointed out, revealing it could help so many people.

In the video posted later in this article, he said: “When you’re accomplishing incredible things and you’re hiding who you are, you are hurting hundreds of millions of people.”

The Emmy Award-winning show, which is now in its seventh season, has featured six LGBT characters throughout its run.

Last year, Walking Dead star Norman Reedus said that fans of the show “get mad” at him for weighing in on his character’s romantic life.

Fans of the zombie drama – which routinely features graphic violence and gore – last year were up in arms after the show included a gay kiss.

See Daniel’s coming out video here: 

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

TWO MEN WERE ARRESTED, FORCED TO POSE NAKED & PUBLICLY HUMILIATED BECAUSE THEY HAD GAY SEX

Two men were arrested and forced to pose naked after they were caught having sex in a Ghana hotel.

According to reports in local media, two men aged 18 and 28 were arrested over the incident in a Accra hotel.

The pair were discovered by a receptionist who reportedly barged into their private hotel room after growing “suspicious” of the two men.

The police were subsequently called over the incident, according to GhanaWeb, and the the pair were arrested.

It appears that the men were forced to pose naked together in a bid to publicly humiliate them, with photos of the incident spreading across social media in the country.

A local newspaper, the Daily Guide, published a picture of the pair.

In one photo, the pair appear to have been ordered to simulate sexual activity.

A video was also shared on Facebook in the which the naked men are yelled at. It is unclear who filmed the clip.

The Daily Guide’s article reported the incident with the headline “Man bonks [high school] boy in hotel”, claiming the older man had “lured” him for sex, despite the incident being consensual and both participants being over 18.

The article claimed: “The man is a known gay activist, who lures young boys with money. He reportedly met the boy on Facebook and managed to lure him by offering juicy gifts to him.”

Male same-sex sexual acts are illegal in Ghana, and can lead to up to 3 years in prison. There is also a strong social taboo against gay people.

Last year a cleric in Ghana claimed that gay sex “causes earthquakes”.

Mallam Abass Mahmud claimed God “gets annoyed when males engage in sexual encounters, and such disgusting encounters causes earthquakes.”

A leading spiritualist in the country also claimed tattoos can influence people to become gay prostitutes. 

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

THIS PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER JUST CAME OUT AS BISEXUAL, INTRODUCING HIS BOYFRIEND

A professional wrestler has revealed he’s bisexual, and has a boyfriend.

Sports pro Anthony Bowens appeared in a video to YouTube, hanging out with his other half, who just so happens to be a guy.

He didn’t think all that much when he was filming – until he realised nobody actually knew he liked guys.

Despite being nervous someone from his wrestling world would find it, he decided to let his boyfriend post the video.

“It was this past fall and I was three months into a relationship with my boyfriend, Michael Pavano”, he told OutSports.

“Mike and I had uploaded a video to YouTube on his channel called ‘The Laughing Challenge,’ where he described me as his boyfriend.

“The video was a blast to do, but I worried that someone from the wrestling world would stumble across it and learn my secret. I decided to let it be posted anyway.”

A few weeks later one of his racing pals spotted the video, and he came out to them.

They were most annoyed he hadn’t told him he has a boyfriend already, but didn’t care he was gay.

He then came out to everyone on Facebook, writing: “I’m not going to make this a long winded post but I think it’s time,” he wrote.

“Just wanted to let everyone know I’m bisexual. I look forward to changing perceptions and breaking stereotypes as I continue on my journey.

“I have zero patience for negativity so if this bothers you please delete me. Thanks!”

“After hitting send, I immediately turned off my phone.

“I didn’t want to think about what people would write. After about 30 minutes I told Mike to check his phone,” Bowens said.

“He had the biggest smile on his face, our friends in the room cheered, and I made the decision to turn on my phone. The response was overwhelming positive.”

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

RUPAUL REVEALS HIS SECRET MARRIAGE TO PARTNER OF 23 YEARS

Drag icon RuPaul has revealed he is married to his partner of more than two decades – after a secret wedding in January.

Last week the first pictures emerged of the ‘Supermodel’ singer and RuPaul’s Drag Race host with his long-term partner, Georges LeBar.

Mr LeBar, a Wyoming rancher, had managed to stay out of the public eye for 23 years before the pair were snapped by paparazzi together.

Most of the press coverage identified Mr LeBar as RuPaul’s “boyfriend”, but in an appearance on Hollywood Today this afternoon, RuPaul dropped a bombshell by revealing they had gotten married in secret earlier this year.

When host and drag race judge Ross Matthews asked if they had any wedding plans, RuPaul volunteered: “You know what? I’ve never said this on television before, but we are married. I’ve never said it before!”

He explained: “We got married, actually, on our 23rd anniversary. I met him on the dancefloor at Limelight in 1994 on his birthday, so we got married on his birthday, the anniversary of when we met, this year in January.

“We wanted to do it… we were looking into it for tax breaks and financial things.”

Of his husband, RuPaul explained: “He’s a great guy, he doesn’t care about showbiz at all. He couldn’t care less. When [the paparazzi] caught us, we were in New York

“Most of the time he’s on the ranch in Wyoming. He has a 6,000 acre ranch, but when we have a chance to do anything, we want to go somewhere fabulous like Maui or New York because… god bless you Wyoming, but it’s very boring and the most isolated place on Earth.

“When I go there, I dress up in Western wear but nobody cares! I dress up in the most gorgeous Western outfits.”

Drag Race returns later this month – but not where you might expect it.

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

THIS IS HOW LADY GAGA WILL SHOCK EVERYONE ON RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE

It has been revealed how Lady Gaga will surprise contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race during her debut on the show.

Logo TV teased fans last month with the announcement that Gaga’s appearance would feature “a shocking opening that will go down as one of the most jaw-dropping moments in ‘Drag Race’ history.”

And now a preview of the season nine premiere of the drag reality contest has unveiled the hilarious details of what the Super Bowl halftime show star will do.

The pop star will pretend to be a contestant in the March 24 episode, wowing the true competitors with her fantastic appearance.

“I’m Ronnie and I’m from New Jersey,” Lady Gaga says in a clip filmed in the same mock interview format the show uses for all contestants.

“What I’m really excited about is how long it takes for these punks to figure out that it’s really me,” she adds.

Taking off her backwards-facing cap and replacing it with sunglasses, she lets out an evil laugh to punctuate her devious scheme.

Gaga made the surprise announcement that she was coming on the show in February, just after her flawless Super Bowl performance.

That halftime show was made even more impressive in retrospect after her incredible isolated vocals were leaked.

She confirmed the long-time rumour with a tweet saying: “The time has come! I’m joining the girls on the season premiere of @RuPaulsDragRace! #DontBeADrag #JustBeAQueen”.

You can see the preview of Gaga’s hilarious appearance here

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

MOONLIGHT'S WRITERS USED THEIR BIG OSCARS MOMENT TO SPEAK UP FOR THE MARGINALISED

The director and writer of Oscar-winning Moonlight used their big moment to put Donald Trump on notice.

Moonlight became the first ever LGBT-themed film to win the coveted Best Picture award at the Oscars last night, despite a confusion which initially saw La La Land announced as the winner.

But away from the mix-up, another poignant moment came earlier in the evening, when the film’s director Barry Jenkins and writer Tarell Alvin McCraney also picked up the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Taking to the stage, the pair paid tribute to the film’s subject matter, addressing their speeches to people who feel marginalised. Jenkins wore a blue American Civil Liberties Union ribbon, whereas McCaraney wore a red HIV ribbon.

Director Barry Jenkins said: “I tell my students to be in love with the process, not the result… but I really wanted this result because a bajillion people were watching.

“And for all you people out there who feel there is no mirror for you, that you feel your life is not reflected, the Academy has your back, the ACLU  has your back, we have your back, and for the next four years we will not leave you alone, we will not forget you.”

Tarell Alvin McCraney, the playwright who penned the original script, added: “This goes out to all those black and brown boys and girls and non-gender conforming who don’t see themselves, we are trying to show you, you and us, so thank you, thank you, this is for you.”

It was one of a number of statements of equality throughout the evening, with many guests wearing pins in support of ACLU or LGBT charities.

Snger and songwriter Sting, ‘Moonlight’ actor Jaden Piner, costume designer Colleen Atwood, and E!’s Brad Goreski all wore a“&” symbol as part of a GLAAD campaign to express solidarity against hateful and non-inclusive legislation, policy, and rhetoric.

Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President & CEO said: “When celebrities use their platforms to speak out against discrimination it sends a message that reaches millions.

“By wearing these pins at the Academy Awards and becoming part of the Together movement these actors and influencers are letting the country know that they won’t back down from this administration’s hateful policies.

“Congratulations to Moonlight on its well-deserved win for Best Picture. Film is our largest cultural export and must represent the full diversity of the people who make up this country.

“This sends a strong message to the film industry that it needs to embrace inclusive stories if it wants to remain competitive and relevant.”

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

MOTHER 'STABBER HER SON TO DEATH' BECAUSE HE WAS GAY

A mother has been arrested for allegedly stabbing her gay son to death after a Christmas family row.

32-year-old Tatiana Lozano Pereira was arrested last month over the killing of her 17-year-old son Itaberli Lozano in their house in Cravinhos, Brazil.

According to reports in local Portuguese-language media outlets, Lozano Pereira has long rejected his son because he is gay.

However a row between the pair worsened over Christmas, and escalated when Lozano Pereira hired two thugs to “teach a lesson” to her son.

The killing took place on December 29.  According to authorities, after watching the thugs beat her son, Lozano Pereira took a kitchen knife and stabbed him to death.

His charred remains were eventually found on January 7, in a nearby field where his mother is believed to have attempted to dispose of his body.

Authorities say the mother confessed to the killing during a police interrogation.

The boy’s uncle Dario Rosa told authorities that the teen had faced issues with his mother because of his sexuality.

She remains in custody, and three men have also been arrested in connection with the attack.

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

PRESIDENT OBAMA CELEBRATES HIS LGBT LEGACY AHEAD OF FAREWELL ADDRESS

President Obama will deliver a farewell address next week, as he prepares to leave the office of the Presidency.

The Democrat, elected President in 2008 and re-elected in 2012, has been a proud supporter of LGBT rights, leading a quiet revolution on equality in the US and around the world.

He is set to leave power on January 20, as Republican President-elect Donald Trump assumes the office.

Ahead of the date, the outgoing leader will address the nation one last time on January 10, from his hometown of Chicago.

Ahead of the event, he teased the speech by taking to Twitter to set out his legacy on a number of issues.

He wrote: “As we look ahead to the future, I wanted to take a moment to look back on the remarkable progress that you made possible these past 8 years.”

Noting progress on LGBT rights, he said: “From realizing marriage equality to removing barriers to opportunity, we’ve made history in our work to reaffirm that all are created equal.”

He also reflected on the address in a post on the White House website.

President Obama wrote: “In 1796, as George Washington set the precedent for a peaceful, democratic transfer of power, he also set a precedent by penning a farewell address to the American people. And over the 220 years since, many American presidents have followed his lead.

“On Tuesday, January 10, I’ll go home to Chicago to say my grateful farewell to you, even if you can’t be there in person.

“I’m just beginning to write my remarks. But I’m thinking about them as a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways you’ve changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here.

“Since 2009, we’ve faced our fair share of challenges, and come through them stronger. That’s because we have never let go of a belief that has guided us ever since our founding—our conviction that, together, we can change this country for the better.

“So I hope you’ll join me one last time.

“Because, for me, it’s always been about you.”

The leader is inviting public contributions ahead of the speech, which will take place next Tuesday.

President Obama is by far the most progressive President on LGBT issues in US history.

Despite facing a hostile Congress for most of his Presidency, he signed a federal hate crime law, filed legal briefs that helped bring about equal marriage, overturned Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, helped bring down the Defence of Marriage Act,  banned homophobic discrimination for federal contractors, appointed an LGBT rights envoy, appointed a string of openly gay ambassadors and officials, oversaw a State Department that defends equality around the world, challenged anti-gay world leaders to their face, lit up the White House as a symbol of Pride, held a number of LGBT rights receptions, enshrined protections for LGBT people in healthcare law under Obamacare, issued a directive urging schools to protect LGBT students, helped block a number of homophobic Republican bills, recognised Ellen DeGeneres with a Congressional Medal of Freedom, made the Stonewall Inn a national monument, and led a nation in mourning after the Pulse tragedy.

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

ORLANDO CRUZ HAS BEEN CROWNED MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR BY OUTSPORTS

“Pride. That’s the word that comes to mind when we think of Orlando Cruz”, stated Outsportsupon making the announcement.

“That he continues to perform at such a high level in the uber-macho sport of boxing, wrapping himself in rainbow flags … makes his selection as 2016 Male Athlete of the Year that much sweeter”, the publication added.

Cruz follows in the footsteps of Canadian figure skater Eric Radford and American soccer player Robbie Rogers who picked up the gong in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Last month the lightweight lost out on becoming the first gay world boxing champion. The boxer lost in a fight against Terry Flanagan, who threw a powerful right-hand punch which brought Cruz to the floor in the eighth round of the match.

He had been hoping to inspire millions around the world by taking the title.

Cruz came out in 2012 and married his long-term boyfriend José Manuel in 2013. Earlier this year the boxer dedicated fights he had won to the victims of the Orlando massacre.

He previously spoke about being a role model for anyone who wants to take up boxing as a professional career. “I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport.”

SOURCE: PINK NEWS

HIV 'PATIENT ZERO' CLEARED AFTER YEARS OF BLAME FOR AIDS CRISIS

A man frequently blamed for spreading HIV to the US was not responsible for the initial outbreak, a study has confirmed.

During the early AIDS crisis, gay French-Canadian airline steward Gaëtan Dugas was frequently named-and-shamed in the press as ‘Patient Zero’, blamed for spreading an HIV outbreak in the Caribbean to New York.

However, a study this week concluded that he was not responsible – and a simple misunderstanding was responsible for years of blame.

Mr Dugas was originally designated as ‘Patient O’ in 1984 Los Angeles research, denoting ‘Outside of California’.

This was misinterpreted as ‘Patient 0’ – incorrectly identifying him as the source of the AIDS epidemic – and widely disseminated in the press alongside reports of his promiscuity.

Analysis from a blood sample confirmed the air steward was definitively not responsible for the transmission of HIV from the Caribbean, due to the HIV strain present.

Richard McKay, author of the new study, said: “The current study provides further evidence that patient 57, the individual identified both by the letter O and the number 0, was not patient zero of the North American epidemic.

“Gaétan Dugas is one of the most demonised patients in history, and one of a long line of individuals and groups vilified in the belief that they somehow fuelled epidemics with malicious intent.

“In many ways the historical evidence has been pointing to the fallacy of this particular notion of patient zero for decades.

“This individual was simply one of thousands infected before HIV/Aids was recognised.

The study notes: “Media coverage insinuated that this individual was the source of the North American epidemic and an exemplar of dangerous disease transmission — ideas which found a global audience.

“However, we found that the HIV-1 genome from this individual appeared typical of US strains of the time [and not linked to] the deeper Caribbean subtype B diversity, in a manner that might be suggestive of a special role.

“In short, we found no evidence that Patient 0 was the first person infected by this lineage of HIV-1.”

Dugas died in March 1984 aged 31, as a result of AIDS-related kidney failure.

SOURCE: PINK NEWS