Pete Buttigieg said his marriage to a man ‘moved me closer to God’ | From LGBT NATION

Original post: LINK

LGBTQ NATION REPORTS:

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said that marrying his husband Chasten brought him closer to God.

Speaking at the LGBTQ Victory Fund’s annual brunch yesterday, Buttigieg addressed Mike Pence’s longstanding opposition to marriage equality.

Pence, like others who oppose equal rights for LGBTQ people, often frames his political opinions are religious ones. Buttigieg is Christian and said that his marriage is good on those terms.

“It has made me more compassionate, more understanding, more self-aware, more decent,” Buttigieg said. “My marriage to Chasten has made me a better man.”

“And yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God.”

The Hill

✔@thehill

Mayor Pete Buttigieg: "My marriage to Chasten has made me a better man, and yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God." http://hill.cm/lsw1D0L 

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Related: Pete Buttigieg called Mike Pence ‘The cheerleader of the porn star presidency’

The mayor went on to say that homophobes have a problem with how the world works, not a “disagreement” with a “choice” that LGBTQ people.

“That’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand, that if you have a problem with who I am, your quarrel is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator,” he said.

“Speaking only for myself, I can tell you that if me being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far, far above my pay grade.”

The mayor spoke about several topics important to LGBTQ voters, including the transgender military ban. He brought up the fact that Donald Trump avoided the draft multiple times during the Vietnam War.

“The struggle is not over when transgender troops, ready to put their lives on the line for this country, have their careers threatened with ruin one tweet at a time by a Commander-in-Chief who himself pretended to be disabled in order to get out of serving,” Buttigieg, a Navy veteran, said.

The Hill

✔@thehill

Pete Buttigieg: "The struggle is not over when transgender troops, ready to put their lives on the line for this country, have their careers threatened with ruin one tweet at a time by a Commander-in-Chief who himself pretended to be disabled in order to get out of serving."

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Supporters were living for his speech on Twitter.

The Hill

✔@thehill

 · 22h

Mayor Pete Buttigieg: "My marriage to Chasten has made me a better man, and yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God." http://hill.cm/lsw1D0L 

SALUD@Seb_Cremer

Who’s chopping onions?

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The Hill

✔@thehill

 · 22h

Mayor Pete Buttigieg: "My marriage to Chasten has made me a better man, and yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God." http://hill.cm/lsw1D0L 

Donna Porter@dlee195

It really makes me feel so good to know you're out and proud. One of my daughters, one of my sons, and my nephew are open and proudly gay. I am so thrilled there is someone out there willing to speak up for them! Good luck with the campaign and don't forget Pennsylvania!

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addie@addieeegrace

Pete Buttigieg is quickly rising in the ranks to become my favorite human being

Kyle Griffin

✔@kylegriffin1

Pete Buttigieg on his sexuality: "That's the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand: That if you have a problem with who I am, your quarrel is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator."https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/kind-war-buttigieg-describes-struggle-sexual-orientation-emotional-speech-n991871 …

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8:47 AM - Apr 8, 2019

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Eric Wolfson@EricWolfson

**sees “Mike Pences” trending**

**braces self**

**sees WHY “Mike Pences” is trending**

**has faith in world restored by Pete Buttigieg**

Kyle Griffin

✔@kylegriffin1

Pete Buttigieg on his sexuality: "That's the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand: That if you have a problem with who I am, your quarrel is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator."https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/kind-war-buttigieg-describes-struggle-sexual-orientation-emotional-speech-n991871 …

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George Clooney calls for hotel boycott over Brunei LGBT death penalty

Original post: link
Written by: Ben Westcott, CNN

(CNN)Film star George Clooney has called for a boycott of nine hotels because of their links to Brunei, where homosexual acts will from next week be punishable by death.

In an opinion piece written for Deadline, Clooney decried Brunei's announcement that from April 3 the country will stone or whip to death citizens caught committing adultery or having gay sex.

"Let that sink in. In the onslaught of news where we see the world backsliding into authoritarianism this stands alone," Clooney said.

He called for the public to join him in immediately boycotting nine hotels -- three in the UK, two in the US, two in France and two in Italy.

They include the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Bel-Air in Los Angeles, the Dorchester in London and Le Meurice in Paris.

Brunei to punish gay sex and adultery with death by stoning

Clooney said the Brunei Investment Agency owns the hotels, which he described as some of the "most exclusive" in the world. He even admitted he had stayed in some, until he found out who owned them.

"Every single time we stay at, or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery," he said.

"Are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations? Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens?"

Many of the hotels have refrained from commenting directly on Clooney's call for a boycott.

"Dorchester Collection's Code emphasises equality, respect and integrity in all areas of our operation, and strongly values people and cultural diversity amongst our guests and employees. Inclusion and diversity remain core beliefs as we do not tolerate any form of discrimination," the company said in a statement.

Le Meurice in Paris, did not have a comment but said they wanted to "stress that we do value LGBTQ rights," according to the hotel's press manager, Alexandra Chlopek.

But other international figures have aligned against the law.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called the law "cruel and inhumane."

"I call on the Sultanate of Brunei to withdraw the death penalty by stoning f homosexual acts between consenting adults," he said on Twitter. 
"The same goes for other countries which have the same cruel & inhuman laws. No one should be criminalized based on their sexual orientation or gender identity."

Australian Sen. Penny Wong also tweeted that "Labor is deeply concerned by the Brunei government's plans to implement new laws that would see adultery and homosexual acts between consenting adults punishable by death."

Former US Vice President Joe Biden said stoning "people to death for homosexuality or adultery is appalling and immoral."

"Every single person on earth is entitled to be treated with dignity and to live without fear. There is no excuse -- not culture, not tradition -- for this kind of hate and inhumanity."

A penal code based on Sharia law

Brunei is a small oil-rich kingdom of just over 450,000 people on the island of Borneo, close to the more moderate Islamic nations of Indonesia and Malaysia.

In May 2014, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced he would be imposing a new penal code based on Sharia law, an Islamic legal system which outlines strict corporal punishments.

At the time, the government's website quoted the Sultan as saying that his government "does not expect other people to accept and agree with it, but that it would suffice if they just respect the nation in the same way that it also respects them."

A new statement from the Office of Brunei's Prime Minister says the country has "always been practicing a dual legal system, one that is based on the Syariah (Shariah) Law and the other on Common Law."

The two systems will run in parallel starting April 3, the statement said, and will "maintain peace and order and preserve religion, life, family and individuals regardless of gender, nationality, race and faith."

"The Syariah Law, apart from criminalizing and deterring acts that are against the teachings of Islam, it also aims to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals, society or nationality of any faiths and race."

The roll out of the new laws was at the Sultan's discretion and on December 29 it was quietly announced that capital punishment for homosexual sex would be imposed in April. Theft will be punished by amputation under the new laws.

"Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments, and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei's move to put these cruel penalties into practice," Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei Researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement.

CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report.

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Ambridge student organizes LGBTQ youth event, offers message of inclusion

Original Post: LINK
Written by: Rachel Wagoner, rwagoner@timesonline.com

AMBRIDGE — More than 60 students from across Beaver County were welcomed to Ambridge Area High School on Friday for an event connecting students to LGBTQ resources and to one another.

Dylan Irvin, a senior at Ambridge, organized the LGBTQ+ Youth Inclusion event as his senior project with the help of Karen Brecht, the school’s social worker, to empower students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer to connect them with local resources they might not have known existed.

“I want this generation to grow up with help and resources when they need it,” Irvin said, “to be able to get questions answered, to have a safe zone.”

Irvin, who is now 18, came out as gay when he was 15. While his friends at school and his mother were supportive, Irvin said it was still hard to take that step.

He wished he’d had a way to connect with other LGBTQ kids who could relate to his experience and struggles with coming out.

The event began in the morning with a panel of speakers that included members of the LGBTQ community, allies, parents, and representatives from the local support agencies and organizations. The event was paid for through a grant from THRIVE of Southwest Pennsylvania, an LGBTQ support group.

The speakers talked about their varied experiences with coming out and the resources they could provide to students and their families.

Brecht said this group of students sometimes feels overlooked or believes they are not supported, and it can be difficult to know where to turn for help. The event sought to show LGBTQ students that they are welcome and cared for in Beaver County.

“These students matter,” Brecht said. “We should take any opportunity we can to lift up students that identify this way.”

According to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, students who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual are at greater risk of being bullied, being threatened of feeling unsafe at school, and experiencing dating violence than their heterosexual peers.

Additionally, LGB students are also at greater risk for experiencing mental health issues like feeling persistent sad or hopeless feelings, seriously considering attempting suicide or attempting suicide as a result of social stigma, discrimination and other factors, the report showed.

Students had time to visit tables for the various available resources, did team-building activities and listened to a featured speaker Ted Hoover of the Persad Center, an LGBTQ human-resource center in Pittsburgh. Hoover talked about trailblazers of the LGBTQ human-rights movement and how the efforts paved the way for youth today.

Groups and agencies in attendance included PFLAG, the Women’s Center of Beaver County, PRISM, Western Pennsylvania Psychiatric Care, Family Services of Beaver County, Delta Foundation, Center for Victims, Youth Ambassadors Program, Beaver County Rehabilitation Center, Keystone Wellness Programs, Beaver County System of Care, Persad Center and Sewickley Library.

Liz DeJesus and Moira Myers of PFLAG, a national advocacy group in support of the LGBTQ community, spoke during the morning panel about its services offered locally, as well as their own experiences in the LGBTQ community.

DeJesus, of Enon Valley, talked about her experience as a mother who had a child come out. A parent goes through a range of emotions, especially because they know the difficulties and the discrimination their children could face.

“But we love our kids. We want to be there for them,” she said.

PFLAG is a nonprofit organization that aims to educate, advocate and support families and the LGBTQ community. The group has 400 chapters nationwide, including a Pittsburgh chapter that covers Beaver County, and offers a variety of support meetings for LGBTQ individuals, family members, friends and allies.

Myers said the support groups are anonymous and confidential. Myers, who is a transgender woman, talked about her experience coming out in her 30s and the risks LGBTQ people face when coming out, especially in Pennsylvania, where there are no laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Myers, who graduated from New Brighton High School, said that when she was in high school in the ’90s, unlike today, information and resources were not easily accessible on the internet. Such information is readily available now, Myers said, and groups such as PFLAG are there to support students.

DeJesus said children are coming out at younger ages, often first to friends or others at school. That’s why it’s important for schools to be able to point them in the right direction of resources.

In addition to Ambridge Area, students from the New Brighton Area, Hopewell Area, Freedom Area and Beaver Area school districts attended Friday’s event. Irvin said he was amazed and surprised at the turnout, but was glad to reach those who needed it.

“I didn’t expect to touch so many kids’ lives here,” he said.

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DEPRESSION: WE DON’T NEED TO BE ASHAMED

Depression: We Don’t Need To Be Ashamed
Written by: Blurt Team | Original Post

Depression often comes with feelings of embarrassment and shame. Sometimes these feelings come from ourselves; sometimes they’re put on us by other people.

Unfortunately, some stigma surrounding mental illness remains. But we shouldn’t have to feel ashamed. Depression is an illness, not an embarrassing habit.

Depression - We Don't Need to be Ashamed 

We Are Not Alone

Depression affects more than 300 million people worldwide. We are definitely not alone in feeling the way we do. It’s nothing to feel embarrassed or ashamed about, it’s an illness that many people experience.

We Didn’t Choose It

Contrary to what we might tell ourselves, we didn’t choose to have depression. We didn’t wake up one morning and decide that being depressed would be a good idea.  Depression is an illness, not a lifestyle choice. If we’re unwell, it’s not our fault.

Everyone Has Something

Nobody is perfect, and nobody’s life is perfect. Every single person has something going on in their life that they’re unhappy with. Everyone has something in their life that they would rather people didn’t know about.

Depression might be something that we want to hide from others, but we don’t need to out of shame. Depression is not our fault, we didn’t cause it or do anything to deserve it. It’s an illness.

It’s Not Our Fault

Depression is not our fault. It affects people from all backgrounds and all walks of life. With help and support, once we feel able to, we can begin to do things to try and help our depression. But it’s not our fault we got depressed.

Out Best Is Good Enough

Often we feel shame because we feel like we ‘should’ be doing better. That we ‘should’ be trying harder, or that we ‘should’ be able to fix it. This can lead to us feeling ashamed about the fact that we’re not recovered.

We need to let go of those shoulds. We can only do the best that we can do right now. And our best is more than enough.

Have Self Compassion

We often speak to ourselves in a way that we would never speak to one of our friends. If a friend told us that they had depression, we would treat them with kindness. We wouldn’t tell them off or have a go at them for not feeling better. And we certainly wouldn’t try and make them feel bad about the fact that they are unwell.

However, we often treat ourselves differently. We are our own worst critics, and judge ourselves for being unwell. To get through, we need to practice self-compassion. We need to learn to be a friend to ourselves.

Getting Help Isn’t A Sign Of Weakness

Often, we view reaching out for help and support as a sign of weakness. We tell ourselves that we should be able to power on alone. We think that needing the help and support from others means that we’re not as strong as we should be.

In fact, knowing when to reach out for help, and then doing so, is incredibly strong. It’s so difficult to tell others that things aren’t great. Finding the words can feel impossible.

Needing medication, or therapy, for depression is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s no different from needing help for any other condition. We have an illness and illnesses require medical help.

We Should Be Proud, not ashamed

Living with depression is hard work. Every single day we get up and do our best to live our lives alongside an illness which is determined to drag us down.

Regardless of what our brains may tell us, we’re achieving so much simply by carrying on. We should be proud of ourselves, rather than being ashamed.

It’s Not All Bad

Depression can affect our lives in so many different ways. It can seep into every aspect of our life and cause us to feel completely hopeless and ashamed.

However, sometimes it can have surprising benefits. It could introduce us to people who understand who end up being our closest friends. It could steer our career in a direction we’ve never considered, or help us open up in our relationships. It teaches us about the importance of self-care, and helps us see how strong we truly are.

Depression is horrible and cruel and we wouldn’t wish it on anyone.  But by getting through it we grow, in resilience and resolve. And that’s something to be proud of.

We Are Not Broken

Depression can cause us to feel broken. The shame can swallow us whole and we want nothing more than to hide away from everyone and everything.

But we are not broken. We are not damaged. We are so much more than our than the stigma, than what our heads to say to us.

Yes, we have an an illness – but there is help for that illness. Recovery is possible. Truly: it’s possible. And in the meantime, we should be proud: of how hard we work to keep going, and of how far we’ve come.

We have depression and we are not ashamed.

Please help us to help others and share this post, you never know who might need it.

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LGBTQ Teen advocacy nonprofit finds permanent home

Originally posted: LINK
Written by: KENS5.com Staff

After utilizing space at a local church from time to time, Fiesta Youth now has its own office on the west side.

Fiesta Youth, a youth group for LGBTQ teens in San Antonio, now has a new home. 

Until now, the nonprofit – which holds weekly meetings for teenagers and offers support for families – has held its events inside a local church. But their new location will serve as a permanent office in an area of town where staff say they can do some good.   

"We needed a larger space and we also wanted to be in a different part of San Antonio," said Fiesta Youth Co-founder Darrell Parsons. "Now we're on the west side kind of with Woodlawn Pointe, and that's the kind of community we wanted to extend our services to."

The new location will officially start holding meetings, organizing events and offering services on April 2. 

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