The Pride LA November 20, 2020

the pride

ISSUE NUMBER 45, VOLUME 16 | NOVEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 03, 2020 11.20.2020 – 12.03.2020

WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM

LOS ANGELES

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THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER

Transgender Day Of Remembrance

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

350 transgender people were killed in 2020 By timothy miChael The International Transgender Day Of Remembrance will be held on Nov. 20th, 2020.

Trans Day Of Remembrance (TDoR) is a day which remembers those trans and

gender-diverse people who have been victims of homicide.

Though the event began in the US, TDoR now happens in many parts of the world.

Vigils are usually held in person all around the world, but due to the pandemic and varying levels of lockdowns and restrictions, the community is expected to take to social media to join together in grief and remembrance.

The City of West Hollywood will host an

online Transgender Day of Remembrance Ceremony on Friday, November 20, 2020 at 6 p.m. featuring speakers and a reading of names to memorialize people who have been murdered as a result of antitransgender violence.

“Every year, we host a Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony as an opportunity to look forward and recommit to ending discrimination and transphobia by amplifying the visibility and voices of

the transgender community” the City of WeHo says.

The event will feature the traditional Reading of the Names wherein community members will recite the name of at least one person and brief biographical details of the person being memorialized. The reading is pre-recorded and has been made part of a video presentation, which will be

Trans Day, see page 8

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11.20.2020 – 12.03.2020

LOS ANGELES

First Openly Gay LGBTQ Candidate Vying for Spot on Culver City Council Less than 20 votes seprating third and fourth place candidates

By Sam Catanzaro Nearly two weeks after the election, in the race for a seat on Culver City City Council, less than 20 votes separate two candidates–the current mayor and a challenger who, if elected, would be the first openly LGBTQ candidate elected to the council.

In this election, three seats are up for grabs for Culver City City Council. Newcomers Albert Vera and Yasmine-Imani McMorrin comfortably remain in the lead for first and second place, respectively collecting 10,596 and 10,431. These results are as a November 17 vote tally.

Vera, the owner of Culver’s beloved Sorrento Italian Market and Vera Ranches, served as a city commissioner and is a lifelong Culver City resident. He ran on a “neighborhoods first” agenda focused on “protecting the things that make our city special and solving everyday problems for Culver City residents.”

“We need to be smart about our city’s finances, but we also have to focus on important issues like attainable housing for working professionals, public safety for all of our residents and intelligent ways of dealing with traffic, transportation and mobility,” Vera

said.

Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, an attorney, equity advocate and self-described Culver City mom, is the Interim Dean of Students and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at USC Gould School of Law. She also serves as the Vice-Chair of the Culver City General Plan Advisory Committee.

“My vision is for Culver City to become a model of responsive government that genuinely strives to meet the needs of everyone in our city.” McMorrin wrote. “I am ready to help transform Culver City into a truly inclusive city. I understand the consequences of systemic racism on Black, Indigenous, and people of color. As a strong leader and problem-solver, I am committed to working together with the community to reimagine public safety and community well-being in Culver City.

Trailing McMorrin by 1,781 votes is current mayor Göran Eriksson. Eriksson, born and raised in Sweden, has been a Culver City resident since 1987. Prior to becoming a Councilmember, Eriksson served as President of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce and as the Chair of the Culver City Finance Advisory Committee.

“As Mayor of Culver City during this unprecedented time, I have worked hard to effectively communicate Culver City’s policies to the public and responsibly navigate both COVID-19’s public health and economic impacts. For the past several months I have taken the initiative to regularly produce video public service announcements regarding the

Clockwise from top left: Albert Vera,Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Freddy Puza, Göran Eriksson.

city’s COVID-19 response,” Eriksson writes.

Eriksson’s hold on the third and final seat for Culver City City Council, however, is not yet set in stone. Trailing him by 18 votes– with at least three vote tallies remaining–is challenger Freddy Puza, a Culver City resident who, if elected, would be the first openly LGBTQ candidate elected to the council.

Puza, a nine-year resident of the city, works at Loyola Marymount University leading the university’s Community Relations efforts.

“I have a passionate interest in the city’s

future development and the welfare of all residents. Throughout my career and public service, I’ve taken on leadership positions to build bridges across differences, create solutions to complex problems, and advocate for the needs of all members of society,” Puza writes.

According to the County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, vote count updates will be released on November 20, November 24, November 27 and if needed November 30.

Campus Pride Celebrates #GivingTuesday Campaign

Give back on December 1

By Timothy Michael GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world. GivingTuesday will kick off the generosity season this year by inspiring people to give back on December 1, 2020, and throughout the year.

Campus Pride represents the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBTQ students. The organization is a volunteerdriven network “for” and “by” student leaders.

The primary objective of Campus Pride is to develop necessary resources, programs and services to support LGBTQ and ally students on college campuses across the United States.

In honor of GivingTuesday, Campus Pride will inspire generosity by raising critical funds to support LGBTQ college students who are facing unique challenges as a result of COVID-19.

Campus Pride is participating in GivingTuesday to continue providing necessary services to LGBTQ young people, who are at an increased risk of experiencing isolation, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues during the Corona-virus pandemic. This GivingTuesday, Campus Pride hopes to raise $20,000 in individual donations to help offset the more than $100,000 in losses we incurred during this past year due to cancelled in-person events and programming.

“GivingTuesday is a critical fundraising campaign for Campus Pride,” said Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride. “The money we raise in the month leading up to GivingTuesday helps to fund our organization and offer LGBTQ young people leadership skills through a community of their peers. With COVID-19 having a significant impact on Campus Pride’s operations, this year’s GivingTuesday campaign is more important than ever.”

GivingTuesday was launched in 2012 as a simple idea: to create a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past nine years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

People demonstrate generosity in many ways on GivingTuesday. Whether it’s helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing

up for an issue or people we care about, or giving to causes we care about, every act of generosity counts. GivingTuesday has raised billions of dollars for critical causes around the world and gets 21 billion impressions on social media from people and organizations speaking up for the causes that matter to them and encouraging others to get involved in their communities.

Those who are interested in joining Campus Pride’s GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.campuspride.org/donate.

11.20.2020 – 12.03.2020

LOS ANGELES

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28% Of LGBTQ People Voted For Trump

Percentage up 8 percent from 2016

a record turnout. The surveys, by Edison Research for the National Election Pool, interviewed voters outside of polling places or early voting sites, or by phone. (The survey asked people to identify if they were

By T imothy Michael gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender only.)

The turnout means that LGBTQ voters After a tense 2020 election exit polls are now showing that 28% of LGBTQ people were over-represented at the ballot box, voted for Republican President Donald since an estimated 4.5% of the U.S. population is LGBTQ. In 2016, LGBTQ Trump.

This news has shocked the LGBTQ voters represented 5% of the electorate; community due to the ongoing policies the in the 2018 midterm election, the LGBTQ Trump administration has set in place and turnout was 6%.

However some LGBTQ advocates attempted to set in place to make the lives of cautioned against reading too much into the LGBTQ individuals more difficult. data from preliminary exit polls.

According to the exit polls, 61% of “We are highly skeptical of the ability LGBTQ-identifying people overwhelmingly voted for President-elect Joe Biden who to get fast and reliable exit poll data, campaigned on supporting the LGBTQ especially for a diverse community like ISO The 12647-7 Digital Control 2009in an election year with unprecedented community telling Human RightsStripours, 100 60 100 70 100 60 and 100 70 30 100 60 100vote-by-mail 70 30 ballots 100 40 levels of 30absentee Campaign, LGBTQ Americans deserve “a cast,” Zeke Stokes, a consultant who partner in the White House”.

Despite President Trump’s anti- served as advisor to the LGBTQ advocacy LGBTQ past, including opposing LGBTQ organization GLAAD on 2020 voter engagement initiatives, said70in a statement.

100 100 60 100 100 70he 70 was 30 30 100to 100attain 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 100 100 70 30 30 100 40 workplace protections, able “As additional data becomes available 28% of the LGBTQ vote improving on his 2016 showing, when he ran against Hillary we are confident that the early reports of Clinton, and only won 13% of the LGBTQ increased LGBTQ support for an antiequality President will prove inaccurate.” vote.

While the numbers don’t capture the full Exit polling that canvassed nearly 16,000 3%

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28% Of LGBTQ People Voted T:10" For Trump, see page 4 Gays for Trump members in March Against Sharia in Raleigh, June 10, 2017.

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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11.20.2020 – 12.03.2020

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UCLA Study Looks at if Labor Unions Are Providing Necessary Layer of Protection for LGBTQ Workers Study conducted by UCLA Labor Center with United Food and Commercial Workers OUTreach A UCLA report published today found that advocacy efforts by rank-and-file members of the United Food and Commercial Workers broadly support union organizing for safer and more equitable workplaces for LGBTQ workers in the U.S. and Canada, but the fight toward ending workplace discrimination is far from over.

The researchers hope that the findings can inform discussions and strengthen union organizing related to equity for LGBTQ workers across industries. The report was a collaboration between the UCLA Labor Center and the United Food and Commercial Workers OUTreach, an LGBTQ advocacy group within the union.

The researchers surveyed 1,004 United Food and Commercial Workers members, one-third of whom identified as LGBTQ, in regions across the U.S. and Canada.

UFCW members work in a variety of industries, including grocery, retail, health care, meatpacking and food processing, and cannabis.

Three-quarters of survey participants said their local union takes concrete actions to support LGBTQ workers and 70% said LGBTQ workers are protected by their union contracts. In addition, 68% said it should be a top priority for unions to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation on the job.

The authors write that collective bargaining agreements are one of the tools unions can, and do, use to increase equity for marginalized workers. UFCW OUTreach organizers, for example, have negotiated for policies that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in the workplace, measures that have effectively filled existing legislative gaps.

More than two-thirds of the respondents said their current union contract protects LGBTQ workers, and more than half of LGBTQ workers said they felt protected at work because of their collective bargaining

28% Of LGBTQ People Voted For Trump, from page 3 queer electorate — there are approximately 9 million registered LGBTQ+ voters in the U.S. — they are relatively surprising since

Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers at the 2019 LA Pride parade in West Hollywood, Calif.

Photo: Courtesy of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770

agreements.

The report offers a timely analysis of issues surrounding workplace issues for LGBTQ people and identity politics in North American labor movements.

Its publication occurs just days before National Coming Out Day (which is Oct. 11 in both the U.S. and Canada), and just four months after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming that LGBTQ and transgender workers are protected from discrimination at the workplace under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. “The union has the power to advocate to address systemic inequities that affect LGBTQ workers by utilizing collective bargaining agreements as well as educational training that increases awareness of the urgency to improve the workplace for LGBTQ members,” said Michelle Kessler, the chairperson of UFCW OUTreach.

Among the survey’s other findings: 87% of union members said LGBTQ workers should be protected by their union contracts.

83% said LGBTQ issues should be supported by union leaders.

“When direct actions are taken by union leaders, workplaces are safer for LGBTQ members,” said Jean Tong, the union representative for UFCW Local 770 in Los Angeles. “Equally important is the thoughtful work our union has done to expand leadership opportunities for LGBTQ workers to participate in the decision-making process.”

While the survey respondents generally support LGBTQ workers’ rights and contract protections, the study also explores the ongoing on-the-job challenges LGBTQ workers face. The UFCW represents workers on the front lines serving customers and providing essential services to the community, where they are often exposed to overt discrimination, negative cultural attitudes and everyday indignities that are frequently minimized or go unnoticed.

“Nearly a quarter of LGBTQ workers reported being harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and 43% had heard negative comments or stereotypes in their current workplace,” said Sid Jordan, a co-author of the report and a researcher at the UCLA Labor Center.

“This points to the cultural and structural

changes that will be needed to give meaning to nondiscrimination policies.”

The report outlines four main recommendations that would improve the workplace experience for LGBTQ people: • D evelop proactive union agendas and policies that recognize and protect the rights and identities of LGBTQ workers.

• C reate visible, clear and concrete organizational structures for LGBTQ leadership and participation at every level of the union.

• D evelop organizing and labor education programs that focus on lifting up and affirming LGBTQ workers’ rights and identities.

• C reate spaces within unions and affiliated community centers where LGBTQ workers can work with their allies to eradicate workplace violence, discrimination and harassment.

• The UCLA Labor Center is a unit of the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment.

Trump’s presidency has been a disaster for the LGBTQ+ community.

Given the size of the Edison polling sample, the results surveyed nearly 1,100 LGBTQ voters. Such a large sample size means the results are more accurate of the

population as a whole. (It’s possible the turnout number is actually a little larger, as some respondents may be reluctant to identify as LGBT to someone they don’t know.)

Many liberals who identify as LGBTQ

took to social media to voice their opinions on those exit polls while LGBTQ conservatives took a victory lap, stating the end of identity politics and the Democratic Party’s weakening hold on minority voters in general.

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LOS ANGELES

Trump Administration’s Attack On LGBTQ People Even in Biden Administration, judicial attacks will continue

By Timothy Michael The Trump administration has put in place several policies that have undermined and eliminated rights protecting LGBTQ people.

Despite support from almost every segment of the U.S. population and a majority of Republicans, President Trump opposed the Equality Act. In May, the House passed the Equality Act, voting to guarantee critical nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people among other crucial rights.

Trump has appointed anti-LGBTQ judges with alarming anti-LGBTQ records to appointments at every level of the judicial system, including anti-equality Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh and federal nominees Kacsmaryk, Mateer, Bounds, Vitter.

Menashi and others.

The Trump administration submitted amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting discrimination against LGBTQ people.

Against the expert advice of military leadership, medical authorities, budget analysts, 70% of Americans and the armed forces of allied countries, Trump and Pence banned transgender people from serving in the military.

Trump’s Department of Justice upended previous DOJ interpretations of the Civil Rights Act that protect transgender and non-binary workers from employment discrimination and ceased enforcing non-discrimination protections as well as taking a hostile stance to LGBTQ workers in court.

The Department of Defense instituted a “Deploy or Get Out” policy, which would remove military personnel living with HIV from service solely because of their status.

Trump’s Department of Labor issued a regulation designed to allow federal contractors to claim a religious exemption to fire LGBTQ workers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed major change to the administrative rule interpreting Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to remove explicit protections for LGBTQ people in healthcare programs and activities by excluding LGBTQ people from protections from discrimination based on sex stereotyping and gender identity.

HHS also created a new office whose sole purpose would be to defend physicians and other medical professionals who decide to refuse care, including to LGBTQ patients.

The Justice Department issued a legal filing arguing that the entirety of the Affordable Care Act should be overturned. This move would jeopardize health care for over 130 million

people with preexisting conditions like HIV and eliminate non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people.

The Departments of Education and Justice eliminated Obama-era guidance clarifying that schools must treat transgender students consistent with their gender identity. This encourages schools officials to permit harassment of transgender students, deny access to facilities consistent with gender identity, and refuse to use correct names and pronouns — all inflicting untold emotional harm.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has refused to rule out federal funding for schools that discriminate against LGBTQ students and has declined to state she would otherwise intervene should discrimination occur.

DeVos also rescinded Title IX rules related to schools’ obligations to address sexual harassment, including sexual violence. By eliminating the Obama-era rules, DeVos increased the standard of proof from “preponderance of the evidence” to “clear and convincing evidence” making it more difficult for survivors of sexual assault to obtain justice.

LGBTQ people are disproportionately affected by sexual assault and harassment, and the stigma that many LGBTQ people face can make it more difficult for survivors to report.

Despite the fact that LGBTQ people are significantly more likely to experience homelessness in their lives, HUD Secretary Ben Carson has proposed a rule to permit emergency shelters to deny access or otherwise discriminate against transgender and gender nonconforming peoplewho are homeless. HUD also canceled a scheduled survey on LGBTQ homelessness.

Trump-Pence White House has proposed a federal regulation that would strip away nondiscrimination requirements and permit all Department of Health and Human Services grant recipients, notably adoption and foster care agencies, to discriminate against LGBTQ people, and in many circumstances religious minorities and women, and still receive federal funding.

These are just a few of the policies the Trump administration has used to take away LGBTQ rights. This election is more than just politics it is about equality and basic human rights.

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11.20.2020 – 12.03.2020

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WeHo Sounds Virtual Concert Series

Eclectic lineup of artists lined up November through December

By Timothy Michael

The City of West Hollywood is launching its 2020-21 WeHo Sounds Free Virtual Concert Series, which will take place on Friday evenings at 6 p.m. WeHo Sounds will help kick-off your weekend with a musicfilled ‘happy hour’ of sounds.

The virtual series begins on Friday, Nov. 20th, 2020 at 6 p.m. with Murphy’s Flaw.

Featuring dazzling instrumental solos — fiddle, mandolin, dobro, guitar — and tight vocal harmonies, the Flaw’s repertoire includes bluegrass standards as well as tunes of The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, and Patsy Cline.

They also performed with Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus in the music video for the Grammy Award-winning song Old Town Road.

The second performer in the series will be Pasadena-based R&B singer-songwriter Astyn Turr on Friday, Dec. 4th, 2020 at 6 p.m. Turr is the featured background vocalist on Emmy nominated and Grammy and Tony

Photos: Facebook

Murphy’s Flaws

award-winner singer/actor Leslie Odom’s latest album Mr. On Friday, Dec. 18th, 2020 at 6 p.m.

Brazilian and World Music band Farofa delivers an electrifying, passion-filled

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performance of traditional rhythms blended with modern stylings and influences.

Bronsen Vidas takes the virtual new year stage on Friday, Jan. 1st, 2021 at 6 p.m.

Caught somewhere between quirky and

catchy, Bronsen Vidas makes jazzy pop music. He released his independent album

Got No Service last year, and produces music

WeHo music, see page 7

11.20.2020 – 12.03.2020

LOS ANGELES

WeHo music, From page 6 for various artists throughout Los Angeles.

Friday, Jan. 15th, 2021 at 6 p.m. will feature Steve Thachuk & Sarah Wass.

Thachuk is a classical guitarist who in recent years has returned to his roots as an electric guitarist, transcribing and arranging shows for rock bands touring with orchestras. Wass is a flutist, educator, and musical omnivore who performs with orchestras, new music groups, and other singer-songwriters. Their concert will feature a blend of Chamber and Classical, as well as World and Rock music.

Friday, Jan. 29th, 2021 at 6 p.m. will feature KATALYST. Katalyst is much more than a Soul Jazz band – it is a collective of producers, composers, musicians, and writers that represent a veritable Who’s Who of the Los Angeles jazz community. Katalyst has played in various venues such as the Disney Concert Hall and with artists such as Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek. Katalyst is also the creator of #inglewoodstock, a mini-festival featuring local bands and vocalists.

Chris Hutton will perform on Friday, Feb. 12th, 2021 at 6 p.m. Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Chris Hutton’s music is a sophisticated blend of raw emotion and meticulous musicianship. Deeply personal lyrics and performances are set against a buoyant pop aesthetic to create a sound that A&R Factory describes as “tangibly magnetic.” Chris Hutton is all passion, musicality and infectious energy.

The series finale on Friday, Feb. 26th, 2021 at 6 p.m. will feature Satin Ragdoll and The Misfit Toys. Influenced by Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzgerald, Satin Ragdoll and The Misfit Toys is a pre-1920s through 1960s jazz band led by vocalist Loren Marie Story. Always dressing the part in vintage splendor, they bring modern instrumentation to classic songs while honoring their original mood and style.

The City of West Hollywood’s 2020-21 WeHo Sounds series is organized by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division and hopes to lift the spirits and atmosphere during this overwhelming time.

To tune in to the concerts visit www.weho. org/wehosounds at the specific times listed above.

Bronsen Vidas

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8

Trans Day, from page 1

played during the virtual event. The City encourages community members to take part and to honor these lives and memories as well as to take the opportunity to reflect on the work that remains to be done.

350 transgender people were killed this year around the world, a figure that has risen since last year’s total of 331. In the United States alone at least 33 transgender or gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other violent means. A disproportionately high number of these victims are black and latinwx transgender women.

The annual list, released for Transgender Day of Remembrance, found the average age of those killed was 31, with the youngest just 15.

The Pride LA mourns those we have lost in the transgender community and works toward justice and equality for transgender and gender non-conforming people.

A list of the transgender lives that have been lost in the United States has been listed in memoriam: • Dustin Parker, 25

• Neulisa Luciano Ruiz • Yampi Méndez Arocho, 19 • Monika Diamond, 34 • Lexi, 33 • Johanna Metzger • Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, 32 • Layla Pelaez Sánchez, 21 • Penélope Díaz Ramírez • Nina Pop • Helle Jae O’Regan, 20 • Tony McDade • Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells

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• • • • • • • • • • •

Riah Milton, 25 Jayne Thompson, 33 Selena Reyes-Hernandez, 37 Brian “Egypt’ Powers, 43 Brayla Stone, 17 Merci Mack, 22 Shaki Peters, 32 Bree Black, 27 Summer Taylor Marilyn Cazares Dior H Ova (aka Tiffany Harris)

• Queasha D Hardy, 22 • Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears (aka Rocky Rhone) Kee Sam, • Aerrion Burnett • Mia Green, 29 • Michelle Michellyn • Ramos Vargas, 30s • Felycya Harris, 33 • Brooklyn Deshuna, 20 • Sara Blackwood • Angel Unique, 25

11.20.2020 – 12.03.2020

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The Right Size Condom For You

Meta-analysis done by the British Journal of Urology International

By Timothy Michael

Condoms and sex seem to be a taboo subject for discussion. Health class 101 points out the male and female anatomy and answers basic questions yet fails to answer more thought provoking questions such as what size condom should one be using?

A meta-analysis done by the British Journal of Urology International, which found that globally, the average erect penis size is 5.16 inches. A new piece on Playboy. com dives into how you can determine the right condom size for your needs. “The ideal measuring device is probably already in your house. Find a roll of toilet paper. I know this would have been a difficult task earlier this year (#COVID), but I’m confident you have one to spare,” says Megan Stubbs, writer of the piece “The Myth Of Magnum Condoms”.

Stubbs continues, “Make your penis hard and then insert it into the cardboard tube. If it fits in there comfortably, chances are you will do well with most standard-sized condoms out there. If it is a little roomy, you might want to explore the slimmer fitting condoms on the market. If it’s tight or you can’t even put your erect penis into the tube, you should consider exploring the Magnums and other brands on the market.”

The piece points out that finding the right size condom is important so that the condom can work in the way that it’s intended to which is to prevent pregnancy and sexually

transmitted diseases.

According to the LA County Public health website, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have increased significantly in recent years. Based on data recently released by the California STD Control Branch, LA County reported over 85,500 STD cases in 2016, including approximately 59,000 cases of chlamydia, 22,300 cases of gonorrhea, over 4,000 cases of early syphilis, and 37 cases of congenital syphilis. From 2015 and 2016, there was a 4% increase in chlamydia cases, a 27% increase in gonorrhea cases, and a 16% increase in early syphilis cases in LA County. This is consistent with an upward trend in STD incidence observed over the past 5 years across the nation.

A disproportionate number of STD cases occur among men who have sex with men, African American women, and transgender persons. Increasing rates of STDs are also occurring among young people, with youth of color disproportionately affected all the more reason to use the proper condom.

A properly fitted condom is one that fits the penis well, is not too tight, doesn’t cause the user discomfort and more importantly that it doesn’t break. Stubbs says, “If your condom looks like a sandwich bag on your penis, that isn’t a good fit.”

“Knowing the right size and dimension of the condom is great, but you have to take in consideration the variations of your own penis. This is your permission slip to really inspect and get specifics on your penis. Is the head particularly large? Is the shaft slim all the way up and down? Does it have a wider base? These factors can all impact how a condom is both going to fit and feel.”

For a more in depth look visit: https:// www.playboy.com/read/the-myth-ofmagnum-condoms.

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Britney Spears Loses Conservatorship Battle

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Legendary pop princess Britney Spears loses long court battle By timothy miChael

Legendary pop princess Britney Spears has been in a long and drawn out court battle to remove her father, James Spears, from conservatorship of her estate and the Los Angeles court has denied the application.

After a very public breakdown in 2007, Spears’ father became her co-conservator however in 2019 he became sole conservator after attorney Andrew Wallet resigned from his co-conservatorship.

In a hearing on Tuesday, Los Angeles superior court judge Brenda Penny declined to suspend James Spears from his conservatorship, though she did not rule out future petitions for his removal or suspension.

Britney Spears’ attorney Samuel D. Ingham III told the judge, “My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father.” further adding, “She will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career.”

James Spears’ attorney Vivian Thoreen argued that under her client’s conservatorship, Britney Spears’ net worth has come out of debt to reach $60 million.

Meanwhile, financial company Bessemer Trust has been appointed as a co-conservator.

This all comes after the #FreeBritney campaign which took social media by storm and claims that the singer is being controlled by James against her will. The most recent development, last month, allows Britney to expand her legal team.

James has since criticized the #FreeBritney movement, likening its supporters to conspiracy theorists.

The singer reportedly requested that he be removed from the role earlier this year,

Commercial and Residential Servicing Southern California since 1996 but his conservator was subsequently extended until February 2021.

Last year Spears’ left her Las Vegas Residency and announced that her new show “Britney: Domination”, which was set to run at the Park MGM resort beginning in February 2019 would not be happening in lieu of her fathers health after he had “almost died” two months prior.

Spears took to social media to announce the news stating “I don’t even know where to start with this, because this is so tough for me to say. I will not be performing my new show Domination.

I’ve been looking forward to this show and seeing all of you this year, so doing this breaks my heart.”

Fans have been waiting with baited breath for the pop star to return to the stage but it seems since her father has made a full recovery and will maintain his role as co-conservator Britney will not be performing any time soon as a protest to that conservatorship.

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