Sources: Trump executive order allowing anti-LGBTQ discrimination is coming soon / LGBTQ Nation

Sources: Trump executive order allowing anti-LGBTQ discrimination is coming soon / LGBTQ Nation:

“An executive order from President Donald Trump opening up discrimination against the LGBTQ community on the basis of religious belief is expected sometime this week, possibly as soon as today.

Several sources spoke with LGBTQ Nation on the condition of anonymity who have told us that the order will allow for discrimination in a number of areas, including employment, social services, business, and adoption.”

5 things Trump did in his first week to make us fear for LGBT rights / LGBTQ Nation

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5 things Trump did in his first week to make us fear for LGBT rights / LGBTQ Nation:

“Trump might not sound like a typical religious wingnut. He might have (actual) gay friends. But he showed this week that he will attempt to dismantle as many LGBT rights and protections as he can.

If it wasn’t totally obvious from his history of homophobic and transphobic remarks and his promises on policy during the campaign, he’s sending as strong of a signal as he can that he will do whatever he can to roll back LGBT rights now that he’s president.

Here are five things that happened in his first week in office that show that he opposes LGBT rights.”

Advice for Gay and Transgender Travelers – The New York Times

Advice for Gay and Transgender Travelers – The New York Times:

“If you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, traveling has the potential to be a challenge, said David Rubin, the chief executive of the California travel company DavidTravel. He said L.G.B.T. travelers ‘may have to contend with discrimination or inadvertent uncomfortable situations when there’re on the road.’

Here, Mr. Rubin shares his advice on planning a seamless and satisfying getaway for those who might face some of those challenges.”

I should be asleep right now

I’m writing this after working all night… as the title says, I should be in bed falling asleep but my mind just won’t let things go. All night my thoughts kept jumping around from one subject to the next as it fought to keep me from concentrating on what should be my real concerns; my health and sanity.

From half forgotten songs to Facebook posts to news stories, my thoughts just wouldn’t stop. I know anxiety and depression are fueling these feelings… the hopelessness, the worthlessness. It warps my image in my heart and mind, twisting it into a monster who will never be what I see when I close my eyes.

The scary part is I know I am not doing well, no matter what I tell myself. I can feel it. mentally, physically, and emotionally even with the shield the antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications give me… I don’t want to think of where I would be if not for them…

I was going to write about this blog, how what I have shared and written has often been as much about distraction has it has been about sharing but even in this I am not sure how to go about saying anything which would make sense. So many times I have found myself afraid to share something personal because I have said those words over and over and at some point it just seems to be little more than looking for someone to tell me I’m really okay, that I am worthy of happiness, that I am… I don’t know, maybe simply worth something…

Wow, this sounds really pathetic when I read it back to myself… but I have been having so much trouble convincing myself this is real, that I’m not crazy… or maybe that I am… I want to believe there is a point to all of this, that there will be a time when I will be… myself… my true self… that I will wake up one day and be able to do what I wish for others to do so dearly… to look beyond the exterior… beyond the flesh and bone, down to the very essence of whatever it is that makes me, me.

I look in the mirror and all I see is a thing. My body calls me a liar and with every breath my soul is broken a little more.

The Orwellian nightmare of LGBT rights under Trump: How the new Department of Justice may promote discrimination – Salon.com

The Orwellian nightmare of LGBT rights under Trump: How the new Department of Justice may promote discrimination – Salon.com:

“The Orwellian nightmare that is the Trump administration just tapped a new recruit. John M. Gore will lead the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Justice, as the legal blog Above the Law reported late last week. Gore is a litigator at Jones Day, a Washington-based firm that has been aiding the 45th president’s transition effort. Gore is the second attorney from the firm to make the move to the DOJ. He follows Noel Francisco, an appellate litigator at Jones Day, who will serve as the department’s principal deputy solicitor general.

Putting Gore, who has little experience in defending individuals’ rights in a position where he will be expected to do just that, isn’t just rank cronyism (the kind Trump promised to fight if elected president). It is also a significant affront to the LGBT community.”

The Critical Thinking Skills Cheatsheet [Infographic]

The Critical Thinking Skills Cheatsheet [Infographic]:

Critical thinking skills truly matter in learning. Why? Because they are life skills we use every day of our lives. Everything from our work to our recreational pursuits, and all that’s in between, employs these unique and valuable abilities. Consciously developing them takes thought-provoking discussion and equally thought-provoking questions to get it going. Begin right here with the Critical Thinking Skills Cheatsheet.

It’s a simple infographic offering questions that work to develop critical thinking on any given topic. Whenever your students discover or talk about new information, encourage them to use these questions for sparking debate and the sharing of opinions and insights among each other. Together they can work at building critical thinking skills in a collaborative and supportive atmosphere.

(Via. Global Digital Citizen)

Me and Myself

There have been times… oh so many times when I have wished to step back in time. Not to relive the past or try to live life over, knowing then what I know now. I know there is no going back, no do overs and besides, there are too many memories, too much pain and scars to want to tread that path a second time. Maybe, more than anything, I have no wish to see, alive and unaware, those who have passed. I don’t believe my heart could survive such encounters.

Yet, I cannot escape the desire to sit down with my younger self. To see what others had seen, to simply listen and maybe to even learn something I missed in my rush to get from there to here. To have the conversation I never gave myself the chance to have.

Examining the top contenders on Trump’s Supreme Court list – CNNPolitics.com

Examining the top contenders on Trump’s Supreme Court list – CNNPolitics.com:

“President Donald Trump has made clear he’s winnowed down his list of potential Supreme Court nominees — and may be days away from making the announcement.

Trump himself said on the campaign trail that he would look at judges William Pryor and Diane Sykes as top contenders, and has touted his list of 20 possible choices from conservative legal circles. Sources close to the search say as things stand now, Judge Neil Gorsuch has emerged on top of the list as well as Judge Thomas Hardiman.

The President will discuss the Supreme Court vacancy Tuesday afternoon with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and the leaders of the Judiciary Committee, McConnell announced.”