Lighthouse LGBT

"Citing discrimination fears, more than half wish they had access to a q***r health center."

Report: Only 13% of Q***r People Have Gone to an LGBTQ Health Clinic Despite Overwhelming Need Citing discrimination fears, more than half wish they had access to a q***r health center.

“I am a gay male. I give blood because there’s a need for it in our current situation, but I have to lie in order to donate. Just by having s*x with another male, I’m automatically eliminated from donating blood,” says Jason Kindt, MD, medical director at The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts.

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stipulates that “a man who has had s*x with another man during the past 12 months” is not eligible to donate blood. Dr Kindt has seen the repercussions of the FDA’s rules in his own practice. “A lot of my gay male patients are angry that that rule exists. They follow the law and they don’t donate even though it could be helping a lot of people,” he says.

“The technology for screening blood has changed dramatically in recent years; current direct HIV/RNA testing can pick up on a new infection with over 99.9 percent sensitivity in only 9 to 14 days,” says Dr Cueno of Brigham & Women’s Hospital. “This makes the 12-month deferral as currently written into the FDA rules appear completely arbitrary and punitive, as it has no logical basis in scientific fact.”

There’s a blood shortage in hospitals around the world—so why are gay men still barred from donating blood? "Just by having s*x with another male, I'm automatically eliminated from donating blood."

"I hate that in 2019, visibility is still so crucial, because in my mind, visibility is only the first step to ending discrimination. It’s just saying, “Look, I exist,” or “Look, you’re not alone.” It doesn’t go further. It doesn’t say 'You should treat us with respect' or 'We deserve equality.' Sadly, we still live in an era where we’re fighting for our existence and other basic rights, so visibility is as important now as it was 55-years ago when Title VII was passed."

Coming Out Is Hard. SCOTUS Is Making It Harder. But being your authentic self is now more important than ever.

“These are all difficult subjects to talk about on a makeover show about hair and makeup,” says Jonathan Van Ness of Q***r Eye, who shared with the New York Times last month that he is HIV-positive and a survivor of s*xual assault. “That doesn’t mean ‘Q***r Eye’ is less valid, but I want people to realize you’re never too broken to be fixed,” he says.

Jonathan Van Ness of ‘Q***r Eye’ Comes Out The reality-show star says he’s living with H.I.V., and speaks about being an addict and a s*xual abuse survivor.

Billy Porter became the first gay black man to win an Emmy, saying,“I have the right, you have the right ― we all have the right!”

Billy Porter makes history as first openly gay black man to win acting Emmy Billy Porter has made LGBT+ history by becoming the first openly gay black man to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

“I hope that people watch this show and see black, q***r gay men who are HIV-positive, thriving and who will live long lives,” says actor Dimitri Moise, who is bringing greater visibility to and humanity to the HIV crisis among q***r black men.

How This HIV+ Actor Is Using His Diagnosis to Tell Overlooked Stories Dimitri Moise performs in As Much As I Can, a play created to humanize the HIV crisis among gay and bis*xual black men.

Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese advocates for greater visibility of bigger gay men in the world of entertainment:

Mean Girls star wants more s*xy plus-size gay men on screen In a world of tiled torsos and plastic biceps, Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese has called for more s*xier plus-size gay men on screens.

Becca McCarren-Tran’s brand Chromat showed its 10th anniversary collection at New York Fashion Week, featuring a cast of q***r models:

These Rising LGBTQ+ Designers Are Rewriting the Rules of Fashion The industry's next generation is recasting it in their own image — and getting results.

A year after anti-trans feminists protested London’s annual Pride parade, the city hosted the world’s first Trans+ Liberation March this month.

London hosts city's first Trans+ Liberation March “We were able to exist and not have the loneliness or isolation that we often do when we walk the streets alone,” one participant said.

S*x educator Ruby Rare believes everyone can feel their best in the bedroom by embracing physical differences between you and your partner, appreciating your imperfections, and exchanging genuine compliments during s*xual encounters:

How to be body positive in the bedroom We spoke to Ruby Rare, a s*x educator, non-monogamist and self-described “happy naked lady.”

At LA LGBT Center’s Anita May Rosenstein Campus, q***r student chefs ranging in age from their 20s to late 70s prepare gourmet meals to serve to LA’s homeless LGBT youth and low-income seniors:

LA's New Intergenerational Q***r Culinary School Teaches More Than Cooking "It’s all meant to make you feel like, ‘Okay, I have value, I’m respected, I’m a person.’”