DIY dresses, rainbow-themed make up, and metallic bomber jackets took over Egmore at the 16th edition of the Chennai’s Self-Respect Rainbow Pride March, taking the fashion game up a notch

'I want to let him know what a wonderful thing he did,' Young says. 'Him standing up and saying, "I wouldn't mind if my child was gay" is just incredible,' the 40-year-old singer enthuses.

Circus of Books storefront.; Credit: Netflix/Circus Of Books (2020)

Rachel Mason had, to a certain extent, the normal upbringing you’d imagine a family of five with small business owner parents would have. But in her documentary, ‘Circus of Books’, she pulls the curtain on the double-life her parents led as modest business owners and pillars of the LGBTQ community.

Karen and Barry Mason established West Hollywood’s Circus of Books on Santa Monica Boulevard in the 1980s. What seemed like an unassuming bookstore was actually a gay porn shop that became an institution in the LGBTQ community during a time when homosexuality was still largely unaccepted. The store was far from being a “bookstore with a circus theme”. The Los Angeles-based shop was the central hub for gay pornography around the country, once one of the main distributors for adult films. 

While the store was becoming a home for gay culture and pride, the Masons largely kept their business a secret from colleagues, friends, family, even their own children. It’s a central conflict that Rachel Mason explores throughout the film as the daughter of two shop owners caught between the pressures of maintaining a traditional family image and making a living as gay pornography distributors.

Today on FilmWeek, we’re joined by ‘Circus of Books’ director Rachel Mason for a conversation on her documentary and the experience of creating a film with her parents and their secret as the subject.

‘Circus Of Books’ is currently streaming on Netflix. For more on the film from LAist’s Mike Roe, click here.

Guest:

Rachel Mason, director of the Netflix documentary ‘Circus of Books’ and daughter of Circus of Books owners Karen and Barry Mason; she tweets @RachelMasonArt

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

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Jessie Sage is a sex worker who writes and speaks publicly on issues related to sex work, feminism, and social justice. James Tison is a stand-up comedian in New York who uses humor to fight stigma against his LGBTQ identity and life with HIV. Sage and Tison recently spoke at an event at Penn State called “Facts not Fear: A Night to Fight Stigma,” and talked with WPSU about fighting the sigma their communities face. This Take Note interview talks about sex work and might not be suitable for children to hear.

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Re: “King County Executive Dow Constantine proposes additional $57 million for coronavirus response” [April 23, Northwest]: While this proposal, expected to be voted on by the Metropolitan King County Council Tuesday, distributes $16 million among small businesses; tourism promotion; homeless-youth programs; and arts and culture groups, it designates no allocation for queer bars and nightclubs. […]

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The post Race, Gender, and LGBTQ+ wage gaps are real – and they end up costing us all appeared first on DiversityJobs.com.

Lesbian and Gay Foundation:- Policy Briefings

City Council Member Debi Rose (D - Staten Island) said city students shouldn’t feel obligated to march with their schools or bands in the parade while event organizers refuse to let the Staten Island Pride Center march.

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16 January 2020

16 January 2020

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Recent years have seen political and social progress for people who identify as LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender; the “+” indicating inclusion of other minority sexual and gender identities). Yet international evidence shows ongoing health and social inequalities in this group, many of which emerge during adolescence and represent...

As lawmakers weigh expansion of the state’s voucher and tax-credit scholarship programs, some renew a push for anti-discrimination protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students.

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"I’m proud to say that – today, when it comes to protecting and empowering LGBT citizens – our nation is on a path of progress. And in the months and years to come, let us strive to build upon the hard-fought victories of so many leaders and allies – both in our Department, through the critical work of organizations like DOJ Pride, and beyond – and to honor the promise of “equal justice under law.”

"This morning, I’m proud to join you in affirming a simple truth, and renewing this Administration’s commitment – as well as my own – to an essential idea: that no one deserves to be bullied, harassed, or victimized because of who they are, how they worship, or who they love," said Attorney General Holder.

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..."the velocity of the change should not blind us to the fact that if other civil rights struggles in America are any lesson, we have decades to go and we may need to fight as hard to preserve the gains we’ve won as to achieve new ones."

(Left to right) Vidhi Legal members Namrata Mukherjee, Nitika Khaitan and Nivedita Saksena. Pic/Ajay Gautam

The legal framework in India has often posed many a problem for members of the LGBTQ community. Some regulations are being changed, and certain implementations are underway. But, taking into account the slow pace of change, a new manual helps members of the queer community navigate the lacking legal regime, as it exists currently.

The manual deals with identity documents, violence, education, health and personal finances. It is the brainchild of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, a Delhi-based think-tank conducting legal research assisting the government to make better laws. Namrata Mukherjee, a core member of the team explains, "Legal change will only come slowly; meanwhile, it is important to spread awareness on how queer community can access its rights, working around the law that's already in place." Pallav Patankar, former director of programmes at Mumbai's The Humsafar Trust, India's oldest LGBTQ organisation, scrutinised the 112-page manual. While he's appreciative of the initiative, he outlined certain critical insights to us which we got Vidhi Legal to respond to.

Pallav Patankar. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Trans women having two PAN cards - male and female - which is illegal
"This is because of the (hitherto) missing option of transgender, on the PAN card application," says Nitika Khaitan, another core member. "As of three weeks ago, that option has been introduced. Now you can reapply with the gender of your choice."

The manual seems to be critical about the concept of Aadhaar...
"Aadhaar has been at the centre of controversy mainly due to privacy concerns. Because privacy is intrinsic to this community, it's important to flag this. We are in no way influencing the debate," says Mukherjee. The manual states clearly that Aadhaar does not require people to verify their gender. "You are supposed to be able to put the gender of your choice. The implementation of this, of course, depends on the concerned on-ground officer," she adds.

Discrimination in school addresses the transgender issue and not sexuality
"There's very little by way of government policies that addresses the issue of discrimination at the school level. While UGC guidelines for trans students are there, there is no such thing with regards to sexuality," says Khaitan. The manual is addressed entirely to those above 18 years of age. "Underage boys and girls often face problems related to violence, healthcare, emotional abuse and discrimination in educational institutions. This is one area where we have not been able to find a solution," she adds.

The listed steps while procuring a voter ID are not followed by officials
Mukherjee says, "We have heard several complaints related to this. One tactic could be to take a copy of the NALSA judgment (National Legal Services Authority vs Union of India) that recognises the fundamental and civil rights of transgender persons, and present your case to the officials on ground. Another option is to approach your local MP and get him to write a letter on your behalf which you can take to the electoral photo ID centre and then mark the gender of your choice. You must also carry the gazette notification that says you've changed your name and gender. But, the success of these tactics depends entirely on the attitude of on-ground officials."

The chapter on health is from an academic perspective on health, gender dysphoria and gender affirmative therapy. What is the legal connect with India?
"There isn't a connect. There is nothing in our legal framework that regulates gender dysphoria or gender therapy. Because the queer community always encounters discrimination or harassment when they approach healthcare service providers, we have outlined general remedies that would be available to them under medical negligence laws, HIV Act; specific provisions that address discrimination that not many know of," says Khaitan.

Some suggestions in the manual seem to apply only to the digitally literate
Mukherjee says, "We are cognisant of the fact that access is determined by class. The idea of the manual is to reach grassroot LGBTQ organisations that will be able to disseminate the manual more effectively. This could be a tool that they can hopefully rely on while trying to access justice. We are also getting the manual translated into five regional languages." Add to this, the first chapter on identity documents is being recorded as a Hindi podcast. "We hope to publish it on social media, so that people can easily access it on WhatsApp etc."

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Most parents force youngsters of LGBT community to undergo conversion therapy (back to normal), they even tend to involve therapists, and religious leaders