Advancing LGBT Equality Nationally & Globally (AUDIO)

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International that specializes in gender, sexuality and human rights globally, about how the Trump presidency could effect our LGBT civil rights. OutRight Action International, the only US based LGBTIQ organization with consultative status at the United Nations has called on the upcoming Trump administration to maintain important policies and programs introduced by the Obama administration to safeguard the human rights of LGBTIQ people everywhere. Over the last eight years the United States has initiated unprecedented commitment to promote the human rights of LGBTIQ people by issuing a presidential memorandum to advance LGBT human rights, appointing a Special Envoy for LGBTI Rights, banning USAID contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and financing support of the Global Equality Fund among other initiatives. This is not a time to become complacent when dealing with the threat of a homophobic Trump administration. This is a time for our LGBT community and allies to organize and maintain the progress we have worked so hard to achieve. We talked to Jessica about how other countries dealing with an anti-LGBT agenda have worked to move their countries forward and give us her spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked how she sees our LGBT community moving forward in a Trump administration Stern stated, “We as a queer community and as a human rights community have to move forward with extraordinary caution because so far it seems that Trump himself is not particularly ideological about LGBTIQ rights and actually has in various incidents acknowledged the power of the LGBTIQ movement in a way that makes me think he’s not as likely to come for us the way he’s been coming for immigrants and Muslims and women, but my fear is almost that LGBTIQ people will be left off easily relative to all of the other vulnerable groups that he is targeting for attack. So I can’t say what will happen but I know that the only way the LGBTIQ community can move forward under a Trump administration is by working together with other communities. In the domestic context it means working with immigrants; it means working with Muslims; it means working with women’s rights advocates and in an international context it means we have to have an anti-war agenda. So I think there’s a lot that is very fluid right now and we’re still trying to figure out which way is up.”

OutRight Action International formerly known as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, has a twenty-five year history partnering with activists to produce hundreds of groundbreaking reports that expose discrimination and violence in both the public and private spheres globally. This December OutRight is sponsoring its 3rd annual UN Advocacy Week. During this time hundreds of international LGBTIQ activists come to New York for advocacy meetings with member states and agencies at the United Nations, including some governments that may not be receptive to human rights for LGBTIQ people at home. The week culminates on December 10th with OutSummit a one-day conference bringing together international and US-based activists for a day of panels and workshops on human rights relating to sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex issues that takes place at the City University of New York School of Law. They have created a special OUTTAKE VOICES discount code for our listeners. Just enter OutTakes into the promo code box and you can purchase a ticket for only $25 dollars as opposed to the normal price of $70.
For More Info: outsummit.org

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Dr. Lauren Costine Addresses LGBT Election Blues (AUDIO)

 In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Dr. Lauren Costine a leading clinical psychologist, author, educator and activist whose practice focuses on LGBT affirmative psychotherapy about coping with the aftermath of the presidential election. Developed in the 1970’s, Lesbian and Gay-Affirmative Psychotherapy (Bisexuality and Transgender were added later) was created as homosexuality was removed from the DSM-II as a mental disorder in 1973. For the last ten years Dr. Costine has worked within the framework of an affirmative approach where she creates a safe, warm, and empathic environment that aims to heal the trauma of growing up LGBT in a heterosexist world. Studies show that growing up LGBT in a world that negates, devalues and demonizes our LGBT community is very traumatizing to the budding sense of self. In her practice, Lauren addresses and deconstructs any and all negative myths and messages about LGBT people that you were taught. Her passion is to debunk these damaging lies so that we can begin to feel an authentic sense of self-love, confidence, empowerment and joy. She has proven this form of psychotherapy works. Now with a pending Trump administration, we have experienced the traumatizing effects over the last week of the prospect of losing hard fought rights for women, people of color, our LGBT community and beyond. We talked to Dr. Lauren Costine about how we need to address our shock, disappointment, grief and anger as we more forward to continue our fight for full equality.

When asked what advise she can offer our community dealing with the aftermath of the election Dr. Costine stated, “Upon review of the most recent fight for the White House it is obvious that our patriarchal-oriented world is still out of balance, in part due to the split between masculine and feminine values in which the masculine is deemed untouchable while the feminine is demonized. When people in a place of unearned privilege, white, heterosexual, cisgender, demonize the feminine, consciously or unconsciously, hate and aggression, misogyny, racism, heterosexism, LGBTQ phobias, oppression and inequality flourish. Learning how to deal with painful feelings so they can morph into something beyond our initial understanding heals our wounds so that we can move onto the next right action. If you are grieving, give yourself the space to grieve. Grief is a process that runs its course if it is given the chance. If you are angry, stay with it without taking it out on others; it will shift and change into something else sooner than you think. If you are sad, don't run from it; it will also dissipate if you give it room to be. These mindfulness practices will heal those painful states so that you can then channel your energy in ways that feel good to you so that we can move onto the next right action.”

Dr. Lauren Costine received her MA in Psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles in 2001 and her PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2007. Her focus is on addiction and codependence issues, co-occurring disorders, depth psychology, LGBT-affirmative psychotherapy, lesbian-centered psychotherapy, psychodynamic and family systems modalities. She works with both individuals and couples. Her office is located in Beverly Hills, California.
For More Info: drlaurencostine.com

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Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution On HBO

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with director and fierce LGBT ally Jon Alpert about his new HBO documentary “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution” which follows the crusade of Mariela Castro, Raul Castro’s daughter and Fidel Castro’s niece, to establish LGBT equality in Cuba. This must-see documentary also examines the cultural and institutional homophobia that gay men faced throughout much of the Cuban Revolution when they were often put into work camps. Mariela Castro is the director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education in Havana and a fierce activist for LGBT rights in Cuba. The documentary chronicles her travels across the country bringing her message of diversity to a new more progressive Cuba. The film introduces a variety of gay, lesbian and transgender Cubans who tell their moving stories in the weeks leading up to a celebratory Gala Against Homophobia and Transphobia. We talked to Jon about what inspired him to take on this crucial fight and what he hopes to accomplish with “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution” as well as his spin on our LGBT issues.

In the USA LGBTQ teens are still four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers after facing bullying incidents. When asked what advise he has for these kids Alpert stated, “I’d like to point out that one of the reasons why Mariela Castro began her involvement in the LGBT rights movement in Cuba was because a number of her friends committed suicide. Their parents had basically told these kids that they’d rather have a dead son than a gay son and it was very personal to Mariela at that point and is one of the reasons why she undertook the campaign she’s working on. We see these difficulties every day here in New York City. We do a lot of work with high school kids. We have 200 high school kids in a program that teaches them filmmaking skills and helps them tell their stories. In many cases it’s kids that are dealing with difficulties in their own families, difficulties with acceptance in schools and community and when we put cameras in their hands and give them the power to tell their own stories it makes them stronger, makes them resilient, helps educate people, so we’re dealing every single day in New York City and we’re using filmmaking to empower people and make their lives better.”

Jon Alpert has produced and directed dozens of acclaimed documentaries winning 16 Emmy Awards. Over a hundred of his reports and documentaries from across the United States and around the world have been broadcast on HBO, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, ESPN, Canadian and Japanese networks. Alpert is the Co-Founder/Co-Executive Director of the Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV), the oldest and most honored non-profit community media arts center in the country that’s located in a landmark Tribeca firehouse in New York City. “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution” was directed and produced by Alpert with producer Saul Landau, associate producer Rosalino Ramos, Cuban producer and additional camera Roberto Chile, editor David Meneses and consulting producer Matthew O’Neill. For HBO senior producer Sara Bernstein and executive producer Sheila Nevins. “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution” premiers on HBO on Monday November 28th at 9P.
For More Info: docnyc.net

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