Quickies: Ex-Gay or Not, Trans Anthem for Realz, Gift Ideas

• “Ex-Gay” Poster Boy Still Gay After All – Christian Schizzel describes psychological abuse and isolation similar to those used by cults that he was subjected to as part of his gay conversion therapy.
• Literal “Ex-Gay” Poster Boy is Gay and not Twins – Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays erected a billboard in VA claiming that a twin study showed that “nobody is born gay.” Problem: the “identical twins” featured in the billboard are actually stock photos of one model who is not twins, but he is gay.
• 37 Songs by Trans Musicians About Being Trans – Because, while we don’t need cis artists like Kate Pierson to tell us what it’s like to be trans, we do need trans artists to tell (sing) it like it is.
• “It Shouldn’t Have to Be So Hard to Be a Queer Atheist” – Heina Dadabhoy laments how LGBT groups often privilege religious belief even though LGBT hate is often tied to religion, and half of all LGBTs are nonreligious.
• “Meet Trans Fashion Designer Auston Björkman Of Sir New York” – “Sir New York is the brainchild of designer Auston Björkman, the first openly transgender designer to emerge on the high-end fashion scene.”
• Google+ Implements Custom Gender Option – “Now, the gender field on your profile will contain four entries, ‘Male,’ ‘Female,’ ‘Decline to state,’ and ‘Custom,’” explains Bennett. “When ‘Custom’ is selected, a freeform text field and a pronoun field will appear. You can still limit who can see your gender, just like you can now.”
• Holiday Gift Giving for Gender Nonconforming Kids – Give them what they want, and if their parents are uncomfortable with that, give them something gender neutral. Gender neutral gifts are also great choices for gender conforming kids.
• The Ali Forney Center’s New PSA – “This video is a portrayal of the horrific reality many of our clients experience upon coming out to their parents. Tragically many report being met with physical violence and even more abusive scenarios. Statistically, more than half of homeless youth are propositioned for sex within 72 hours of being on the streets; for many of them this is their primary form of survival. At the Ali Forney Center we help young people overcome the trauma of being rejected by their families and the subsequent trauma of having to fend for themselves on the streets.” Stuck on finding a gift for someone who has everything? Consider making a donation in their name.

Update (12:38pm):

• Another gift idea: Trans Lifeline, the suicide hotline run by and for transgender people we featured 2 weeks ago, is selling t-shirts to help pay for their operating costs. Buy some!

Featured image via Mediaite.com