Quickies: Asylum for LGBT Refugees, Queer Youth Homelessness, Kink and Conscent

• Obama Administration to Prioritize Asylum for LGBT Refugees – “There are no quotas that are set aside, but the process that we have implemented does prioritize the cases of those who have been subjected to torture… or might have been singled out for their status as a minority, whether that’s a racial minority or an ethnic minority or a religious minority, or even somebody — an LGBT person.”
• Empire State Pride Agenda to Close Down – “Citing its success in winning new state regulations protecting transgender New Yorkers from discrimination, the Empire State Pride Agenda has announced it will close down major operations in early 2016.” This announcement has shocked and dismayed many, as NY state has failed to pass comprehensive, trans-inclusive protections. Trans residents of NY are currently protected by a directive issued by the governor, which could easily be rescinded by a future governor.
• “The Washington Post Style Guide Now Accepts Singular ‘They’” – “Post copy editor Bill Walsh explains that he personally accepted singular they many years ago, but had stopped short of allowing it in the paper. He finally decided to endorse it in house style after coming to the conclusion that it is ‘the only sensible solution to English’s lack of a gender-neutral third-person singular personal pronoun.'”
• Cincinnati to Ban LGBT Conversion “Therapy” for Children – “‘This is about saving the lives of LGBT people,’ said Councilman Chris Seelbach, who led the effort to bring the ban to the city. He spoke of Leelah Alcorn, a transgender teenager who killed herself last December; her suicide note cited the controversial therapy to which she had been subjected. ‘She challenged us to make her death matter, and we’re doing just that,’ Seelbach said.”
• “Queer Homeless Youth, Queer Activism in Transition” – “The homelessness crisis demands that queer activists, along with social workers and other youth and homeless advocates, work to broaden the possibilities for social services—not only to meet immediate material needs, but to expand models for adulthood and to revitalize our expectations for family, community, and belonging. “
• “Talking About Kink and Consent” – [CN descriptions of sexual abuse] This article works to dispel the fantasy that in an ideal kink relationship, the dom/top will automatically know what to do and exactly how far to push the sub. Communicating and respecting boundaries is paramount in creating a healthy BDSM relationship, should that last a scene or a lifetime.
• 5 Myths About Aromanticism – Everyday Feminism sets the record straight on the differences between being aromantic and asexual, between friendship and love, and other aspects of the aromantic experience.
• How to Foster Trans-Inclusive Work Environments – Everyday Feminism lays out 11 ways in which managers and employers can make the work environment more trans-inclusive.

Featured image via Slate.com