Posts tagged with "lgbtq"

GLAM LGBTQ+ EVENT AT GHOSTBAR in Vegas via 360 MAGAZINE.

LGBTQ+ GLAM AT PALMS

Palms proudly announces a fresh LGBTQ+ inclusive event to kick off the new year. Palms launched their PRIDE initiative during Las Vegas Pride Month last October with a pool party and HalloQween at Ghostbar, where they presented a $50,000 check to the local LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada. 

GLAM: The Fabulous Las Vegas Rooftop Party, is the newest event added to the Palms Pride initiative. GLAM is an evening soirée where the LGBTQ+ community, allies, and the curious experience a night of striking performances, breathtaking views, craft cocktails, fabulous fashion, good vibes, and whimsical surprises. The event welcomes all people who wish to celebrate the vibrant LGBTQ+ community. 

The first GLAM event will take place at the legendary rooftop venue, Ghostbar on Sunday, January 22nd. Featuring dazzling entertainers such as glamazon and supermodel from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5 and Vh1’s Vegas Revue, Nebraska Thunderf*ck, as well as drag celebrity female impersonators including Nadia M. Luis as Adele, Devin Baker as Fergie, and Esani Tsunami as Tina Turner. The night is also proud to have male, female, and gender non-conforming GoGo dancers. There will also be one-of-a-kind unique “Vegas-style” performances and sounds by DJ J Bray.

Attendees are encouraged to wear attire that is fashion-forward and unique. There isn’t a dress code like traditional clubs, but the more chic, fierce, or outrageous, the better.

Palms has partnered with Las Vegas LGBTQ+ expert Garrett Pattiani to co-market the initiatives. His experience will incorporate the local community and beyond. 

“I am so excited to continue working with the Palms to create these amazing events. It’s something I have dreamed of for a very long time,” says Pattiani. “It makes a huge impact for our community to be seen and celebrated in such a big way. Locals and tourists have another mainstream hotel embracing and celebrating with us. This is a huge win for the entire city of Las Vegas. There’s nothing else like this here, so we are excited to bring something new to the scene. This is a chance for everyone to show off their creativity. This is also a great opportunity to build a stronger relationship with our allies, especially ones that are authentic in their desire to champion equality.”

Please visit www.Palms.com/LGBTQ to purchase tickets, VIP bottle service with tables starting at $300, or to get more information. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.

About Garrett Pattiani

Garrett Pattiani is a Nevada native and an expert in LGBTQ events, media, nightlife, and hospitality. He is an activist for social justice, mainly focusing on advocating for the rights and equal treatment of marginalized communities. As co-owner of QVegas Magazine, he serves a vital role in the Las Vegas LGBTQ+ community and supports multiple LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS charities. He uses his voice and influence to help create a better, more equal environment for all. 

About Palms Casino Resort

Palms Casino Resort is making history as the first resort in Las Vegas fully owned and operated by a Native American Tribe. Palms Casino Resort features two distinct towers with 766 hotel rooms and suites, a diverse mix of bars, restaurants, live entertainment venues and immersive lifestyle experiences across a 95,000-square-foot reimagined casino. The resort also includes over 190,000 square feet of meeting, convention and event space; the Pearl, a 2,500-seat theater; an expansive pool and spa area; wedding chapel; the Brenden Theaters 14-screen cinema and nearly 600 units at Palms Place condominiums. Palms is located just west of the center of the Las Vegas Strip off I-15 on Flamingo Road. Palms Casino Resort is owned by The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (“SMGHA”) an affiliate of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. For more information visit http://www.palms.com/ or the Palms Press Room. Follow Palms on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram.

About San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority 

The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority is a governmental instrumentality of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized Indian tribe, created for the purpose of independently carrying out the investment in, and ownership and management of, gaming and hospitality businesses outside of the San Manuel Reservation.  

GLAM LGBTQ+ EVENT AT GHOSTBAR in Vegas via 360 MAGAZINE.
GLAM LGBTQ+ EVENT AT GHOSTBAR in Vegas via 360 MAGAZINE.
Kellie Parkin is new executive director of the nglccNY via 360 MAGAZINE.

Executive Director of nglccNY

Executive Director of nglccNY, and continue supporting LGBTQ entrepreneurs on an even larger scale,” said Kellie Parkin.

Under her transformative leadership, The Pride Chamber was honored as Chamber of the Year in 2017 by the NGLCC. Kellie was honored during the 2020 pride month by U.S. Congressman Darren Soto as a distinguished leader in Central Florida. Most recently, she was recognized as a 2021 Social Justice Game Changer by the Orlando Magic.

“Kellie received the inaugural Affiliate Chamber Leader of the Year Award by the NGLCC, and continues to be a mentor and role model for chamber leaders throughout the nation,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and CEO Chance Mitchell. “We are thrilled to have Kellie in the expanded and important role helping New York’s vast and diverse LGBTQ business community thrive.”

nglccNY serves the LGBTQ and allied business community across all five boroughs of New York City, as well as across the entire Empire State through a network of outposts and specialized partnerships. The organization produces over 30 programs a year to educate, grow, and connect LGBTQ entrepreneurs and the corporate and community partners seeking to work with them. Learn more at nglccNY.org

QUEER|ART AWARDS THIRD ANNUAL ILLUMINATIONS GRANT FOR BLACK TRANS WOMEN VISUAL ARTISTS Via 360 MAGAZINE.

QUEER|ART AWARDS

QUEER|ART AWARDS THIRD ANNUAL ILLUMINATIONS GRANT FOR BLACK TRANS WOMEN VISUAL ARTISTS

UTĒ PETIT HONORED AS WINNER; FOUR FINALISTS RECOGNIZED

Queer|Art, New York City’s home for the creative and professional development of LGBTQ+ artists, is pleased to announce the winner of the third annual Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists, Utē Petit. The New Orleans-based visual artist will receive a $10,000 cash grant, professional development support, and individual studio visits with members of the judges panel to support her practice. 

2022 Illuminations Grant Judge and visual artist, Jonathan Lyndon Chase writes: “Utē’s work is multi-layered, sensory touching on physical and metaphysical energies. Hungry and visually generous in the different modes of expression that are generously inviting the viewer to enter an ever growing world. The attention to poetic detail in the drawings are filled with vigor and show subjects I can relate to. Honest and Raw unapologetic gestures. The colors are very striking and bold throughout the 2d works’ sculptural moments and space vibrant spiritual landscapes and nature installations.”

2022 Illuminations Grant Judge and legendary performer and fashion icon, Connie (Girl) Fleming continues: “Petit’s work spoke to me with a deeply connective scoop, rooted in our connection to mother earth, & our responsibility as her steward. Illustrating our symbiotic existence that we so often forget at our very peril.”

Interdisciplinary artist and farmer, Utē Petit narrates Black-Indigenous land traditions across visual and embodied mediums. Petit’s visual language convenes figurative drawing, woven and quilted textile practices, and installation to render Afro-Indigenous sovereignty across the Americas. Across her layered work, Petit pulls from inherited familial textile traditions to chronicle legacies of interdependence and sovereignty among Black-Indigenous peoples: the artist learned quilting from her maternal grandmothers who were quilters in Misi-Ziibi. For Petit, cooking and gardening are somatic vehicles for historicizing and imagining speculative futures. Her current body of work builds off these familial legacies, worldbuilding practices, and aesthetic traditions to imagine a new nation called Ailanthaland—“nation of heavenly beings.” Petit’s Ailanthaland strives “to be an ecological paradise tenable to all beings, following the stewardship of Afro-Indigenous peoples of the Americas.”

As the third annual winner of the Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists, Utē Petit was selected from a pool of 66 applicants. The judges, who were chosen by Queer|Art to review applications for the national grant include visual artists, performers, and curators from around the country: Connie (Girl) Fleming, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, and Kimberly Drew. Developed and named in partnership with Mariette Pathy Allen, Aaryn Lang, and Serena Jara, this annual grant draws attention to an existing body of work, sheds light on the under-recognized contributions of Black trans women visual artists, and provides critical support to their continuing work. 

About Utē Petit, Winner 

Utē Petit works as a visual artist, and farmer. Her current work aspires toward a new nation called Ailanthaland: nation of heavenly beings. Ailantha aspires to be an ecological paradise tenable to all beings, following the stewardship of Afro-Indigenous peoples of the Americas. She also loves to cook, and is a big transit nerd. She is often found daydreaming about persimmons, airplanes, and hugging cypress trees.

On receiving the 2022 Illuminations Grant, Utē Petit writes: “This award has brought the possibility of having a professional studio into reality for me. I plan to find a new space to create larger work, while also making time to further devote to my practice. This is a blessing that will allow me to consider personal and career moves that were previously beyond my means.”

In addition to Utē Petit, four other visual artists were acknowledged as finalists for this year—Courtney Washington, Tia Jackson, Av Tuitt, and z tye.

About Courtney Washington, Finalist 

A legend within the ballroom community and founder of the Kiki House of Juicy Couture, leader of The House of Balenciaga, Black trans femme Creative Director of Masterz at Work Dance Family Courtney ToPanga Washington creates visual work fusing street dance, street jazz, ballroom, and hip-hop. Informed by her own experience being teased as a queer teenage person who found refuge in dance, her visual conveys how her gender transition spurred transformative emotional, creative, and physical liberation. The dances she creates are a representation of resiliency, and through company outreach foster community and family in under-resourced areas of Brooklyn.

About Tia Jackson, Finalist

Tia Blake Jackson aka Miss He, born in Athens, GA and currently thriving in Atlanta, GA, is a full-time drag performer who explores ideas of black femininity through fashion aesthetics of the 80’s and 90’s while also focusing on social justice in the communities she occupies. Miss He existed before Tia did as exploring the world of drag was the catalyst of her transition. Before Miss He, the idea of being trans was considered by her as an intrusive thought because of her religious upbringing. Finding drag was her saving grace. She is one of the newest cast members of the awarded Atlanta drag show, The Other Show as well as the host of her own show with a cast of all black trans performers called Chapel Beauty. She also co-hosts her own podcast, Bird Behavior. When you see a Miss He show, expect a good ass time!

About Ava Tuitt, Finalist 

Born and raised in New York City, Ava Tuitt is a visual artist and writer based in Brooklyn, New York. A graduate from Purchase College with her B.F.A in Painting + Drawing her work focuses on the intersections of race, gender, religion and pop culture. Constructing what she calls “gender creation stories” her practice inserts and asserts the black trans body as a perpetual entity and explores the formation of both personal and collective identity. 

About z tye, Finalist 

z tye is a Brooklyn-based artist who explores concepts through ancestral praise. She is intrigued with somatic relations and how they associate with emotional connectivity. These works are intended to serve as queer offerings to LGBTQIA+/POC communities. z continues to research the kinesthetic body with instinctual energy to fulfill their curiosity. She has been included in exhibitions with Bronx Museum of Arts, Volta/Armory Art Fair, The Living Gallery, Long Gallery Harlem, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, Postmasters Gallery, Fridman Gallery, Art in Buildings, and Participant INC. Choreographic work has been commissioned by The Shed, BMW, BOFFO, Jack, Gibney, Movement Research, and Dance Canvas ATL.

About Mariette Pathy Allen

Mariette Pathy Allen is a photographer of transgender, genderfluid, and intersex communities. Moving from painting, a solitary activity, to photography, Allen has been documenting the transgender community for over four decades. In 1978, on the last day of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Allen met Vicky West, a trans woman she befriended and through whom she was first invited to Fantasia Fair, a transgender conference where she would serve as official photographer. She went on to author several books that have brought visibility to transgender communities across the world including Transformations: Cross-dressers and Those Who Love Them (1989), Masked Culture: The Greenwich Village Halloween Parade (1994), The Gender Frontier (2004), TransCuba (2014), and Transcendents: Spirit Mediums in Burma and Thailand (2017). Mariette’s photographs have been exhibited internationally and are in private and public collections. She is represented by Clamp gallery in New York City. 

Learn more about Mariette Pathy Allen and the creation of the Illuminations Grant here.

About Aaryn Lang

Aaryn Lang is a Black, Ohio-born consultant, writer, public speaker, and media personality. Miss Lang’s primary focus is in championing the social, economic, and political well being of the transgender community, specifically the needs of Black transgender women. 

About Serena Jara

Serena Jara is an artist making work about the effects of family dysfunction and the process of rebuilding herself as an adult. Through photography and painting, Jara focuses on how apathy and love can become intertwined in the long-term. After receiving love during childhood in the form of mixed messages, she looks at herself and her family in relation to this narrative, exploring home as a contradiction of comfort and emptiness that follows her regardless of physical location. She depicts similar tensions between love and neglect in her paintings, using the medium to process childhood memories and find new ways to care for and accept herself. The artist shows her struggle with seeking love as external validation, and the realization that she has to foster this from within to move on from the past.

About the 2022 Judges 

Connie (Girl) Fleming is a performer, model, stylist, fashion illustrator, and undeniable New York City legend. As a renowned stage performer, she has graced iconic nightlife venues like the Palladium, the Tunnel, and the Pyramid; performed in various videos for George Michael, Chic, and Jody Watley; and appeared in the opening montages for Saturday Night Live and MTV News. Connie’s status as a fashion icon and cultural muse has led her to model for Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, and Andre Walker across New York and Paris. A charter member of the House of Field and a Mistress of Ceremonies at Jackie 60, Connie began her reign as one of New York’s most sought-after gate-keepers when she worked the door at Eric Conrad’s Poop at the Supper Club. Her inimitable fashion drawings have been used to illustrate costumes for Beyoncé, Anastasia, Swarovski, and “The Devil Wears Prada,” among others. Today, Connie splits her time between various artistic endeavors, and works as a runway coach, producer, and casting director for several fashion brands in New York and abroad.

Jonathan Lyndon Chase is an interdisciplinary artist who works in painting,  video, sound and sculpture to depict queer black love and community amidst the back drop of urban and domestic spaces. Chase’s figures hang in various forms of articulation – intertwined with domestic markers of a kitchen or a bedroom, they are then tethered by pop and street signage to blend emotional and physical, internal and external  states of being. Rendered through layers of bright, visceral paint, make- up, foam and  glitter these compositions challenge and subvert canonical misrepresentation and exclusion of the black body. Recent exhibitions include WHAT DO YOU SEE, YOU PEOPLE, GAZING AT ME at  Sadie Coles HQ, London. Chase’s work has been previously featured in Art Basel,  Switzerland; Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia; Philadelphia Museum of  Art, Pond Society (solo), Shanghai; Company Gallery, New York; LSU Museum of Art  (solo), Baton Rouge; the Rubell Foundation, Miami; Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke;  California African American Museum, Los Angeles; Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia; The Bunker, Collection of Beth Rudin De-Woody, Palm Beach and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art, Philadelphia. Their work is included in numerous private  and public collections such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, Walker Art Center, ICA Miami, High Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Bronx Museum, Rubell Family Collection, Buxton Contemporary Art Museum, The Wedge Collection, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and Woodmere Museum of Art. Chase was  born in 1989 in Philadelphia, PA where they currently live and work.

Kimberly Drew is a writer, curator, and activist. Drew received her B.A. from Smith College in Art History and African-American Studies. She first experienced the art world as an intern in the Director’s Office of The Studio Museum in Harlem. Her time at the Studio Museum inspired her to start the Tumblr blog Black Contemporary Art, sparking her interest in social media. Drew’s writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Glamour, Playboy, and Teen Vogue and she has executed Instagram takeovers for Prada, The White House, and Instagram. Drew served as the Social Media Manager at The Met. She is the co-editor of Black Futures which she published in 2020 with Jenna Wortham. Drew recently joined Pace Gallery as Associate Director. You can follow her at @museummammy on Instagram and Twitter.

About Queer|Art

Queer|Art was born out of the recognition of a generation of artists and audiences lost to the ongoing AIDS Crisis, and in a profound understanding that one of the many repercussions of that loss has been a lack of mentors and role models for a new generation of LGBTQ+ artists. Founded in 2009 by filmmaker Ira Sachs, Queer|Art serves as a ballast against this loss and seeks to highlight and address a continuing fundamental lack of both economic and institutional support for LGBTQ+ artists. Our mission is to provide individuals within our community with the tools, resources, and guidance they need to achieve success and visibility for their work at the highest levels of their field. 

The current programs of Queer|Art include: the year-long Queer|Art|Mentorship program; the long-running Queer|Art|Film series, held monthly at the IFC Center in lower Manhattan; and Queer|Art|Awards, an initiative of grants, prizes, and awards that provides various kinds of direct support—monetary and otherwise—to LGBTQ+ artists.

A list of the intergenerational community of artists supported and brought together by Queer|Art includes: Silas Howard, Jennie Livingston, Matt Wolf, Hilton Als, Sarah Schulman, Pamela Sneed, Justin Vivian Bond, Jibz Cameron, Trajal Harrell, John Kelly, Geoffrey Chadsey, Everett Quinton, Geo Wyeth, Angela Dufresne, Nicole Eisenman, Avram Finkelstein, Chitra Ganesh, Pati Hertling, Jonathan Katz, Tourmaline & Sasha Wortzel, Jess Barbagallo, Morgan Bassichis, Monstah Black, Yve Laris Cohen, Troy Michie, Tommy Pico, Justin Sayre, Colin Self, Jacolby Satterwhite, Rick Herron, and Hugh Ryan, among many others.

Website: www.queer-art.org
Twitter: @queerartnyc
Instagram: @queerart
Facebook: @queerartnyc

Artwork: Marshland Restoration Program, Utē Petit

Sam Smith released news song Gloria via 360 MAGAZINE.

SAM SMITH – GLORIA

Multi-Platinum, GRAMMY®, BRIT, Golden Globe and Oscar winning artist/songwriter Sam Smith will release Gloria, their fourth studio album, on January 27, 2023 via Capitol Records. Made with longtime collaborators Jimmy Napes, Stargate and Max Martin stablemate ILYA, Gloria is not only a creative revelation but something of a personal revolution for the celebrated artist. Lyrically, the subjects dive deep and wide, into contemporary narratives around sex, lies, passion, self-expression and imperfection.

Sam Smith says, “It feels like emotional, sexual and spiritual liberation. It was beautiful, with this album, to sing freely again. Oddly, it feels like my first-ever record. And it feels like a coming of age.”

Recorded in Jamaica, Los Angeles and London, Gloria is the dazzling, sumptuous, sophisticated, unexpected and at times thrilling, edgy sound of Sam’s creative heart today. The sound of constricting shackles crashing to the floor, of boundaries joyfully breached, of a still-searching talent discovering what it means to be truly free.

The album is now available for pre-order HERE. Fans who pre-order the digital edition of Gloria will instantly receive the chart-topping lead single, “Unholy” ft. Kim Petras plus “Love Me More.”

Since its release last month, “Unholy” has become a global smash, amassing over 300 million combined global streams. The single has already captured the No. 1 spot on three Billboard charts – Global 200, Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales – and topped the U.S. Shazam chart. “Unholy” has spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart, marking Sam’s eighth song to top the tally. The track also hit No. 1 worldwide on Apple Music and Spotify. Within the first 24 hours of release, the song ranked among the Top 10 Spotify debuts of all time. “Unholy” gave Universal Music Group its biggest streaming debut of 2022. TikTok creations are averaging 100,000 daily.

The official video for “Unholy” follows a john who ducks out on his wife and sneaks off to his favorite sex club cabaret, only to find his guilty pleasures revealed in a very public manner. It was directed by Floria Sigismondi (The Runaways film, David Bowie, Christina Aguilera) and choreographed by French dance collective (LA)HORDE. Look for cameos by Gottmik and Violet Chachki from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and porn star Paddy O’Brian. Watch “Unholy” HERE.

Billboard observed, “‘Unholy’…not only unites two of the most prominent artists in the past decade of queer pop music, but does so without sonic reservation…a grinding, amorous new single.” Rolling Stone said, “Girls, gays, theys: this one is for you.” V Magazine praised the track as “blazing, wild, feral.” NYLON noted, “Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ hedonistic club banger is finally here – and it is criminally catchy.”

Gloria builds on the 35 million adjusted album sales, 250 million single sales and the 45 billion career streams Sam has amassed with the global success of their previous three studio albums, In the Lonely Hour, The Thrill of It All and Love Goes.

A four-time GRAMMY® winner, Sam also holds two Guinness World Records – for the most consecutive weeks in the U.K .Top 10 Album Chart (for their 2014 debut, In The Lonely Hour) and for having the first James Bond Theme to reach No.1 on the U.K. charts (for the Oscar and Golden Globe winning “Writing’s on the Wall”). With the release of Gloria in January and an exciting live plot in motion, it’s going to be an undeniable 2023 for Sam.

FOLLOW SAM SMITH

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

Photo: Michael Bailey Gates

DOLCE&GABBANA POINT SCHOLARSHIP

DOLCE&GABBANA ANNOUNCES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW SCHOLARSHIP

Applications for the Scholarship opens on October 26th 2022, and can be accessed HERE.

Continuing in its commitment to support young talents and promote their education, Dolce&Gabbana, on the occasion of International Coming Out Day 2022, announces the establishment of the “Dolce&Gabbana Point Scholarship.”

Dolce&Gabbana will collaborate with Point Foundation – the largest LGBTQ+ scholarship granting organization in the US that aims to empower promising students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – by sponsoring a four-year scholarship in fashion or related fields in an accredited college or university in the US.

The recipient will be announced in June 2023 and the Scholarship will start in September 2023, for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The establishment of the “Dolce&Gabbana Point Scholarship” follows the brand’s longstanding support of educational initiatives including collaborations with Humanitas University in Milan, Italy, which supports selected MedTech students, an innovative degree program in Medicine.

Eight Steps to Improving Diversity and Inclusion in Your Company

Do you still consider “diversity” or “inclusion” to be buzzwords? In that case, it’s time to recognize the importance of embracing these values for your business and the consequences of failing to do so. It runs far beyond getting in trouble with the law. Fully 82% of consumers surveyed in a recent Harris Poll indicated that they prefer to buy from companies that mirror what matters to them – and they’re willing to pay more for the privilege.

Furthermore, research suggests that the most diverse teams produce more in terms of profit. They also create a less hostile, more accepting work environment, which is critical in today’s world of labor shortages and supply chain issues. The best staff members want to clock in where they feel appreciated and welcomed, and teams that fail to adapt could see star talent depart for kinder shores.

What can you do if you haven’t yet addressed ways to ensure people from all walks of life, including various ethnic backgrounds, sexual and gender orientations, and ability levels, find your team welcoming and inviting? Here are eight steps to improving diversity and inclusion in your company.

1. Include It in Your Growth Plan

Please schedule a time to complete this important task if you haven’t yet created a corporate growth plan. What is it? This document sets out your goals and targets, listing the specific strategies you plan to use to achieve them. Best of all, it starts by considering the current state of your business, evaluating your strengths and weaknesses and your opportunities for improvement.

For example, some firms prefer to take time and care with each new hire instead of outsourcing particular tasks to remote call centers or partnering with independent contractors who may not keep the team’s mission foremost in their minds. They could be worrying about how to pay their bills or juggle this client with multiple others, resulting in falling short of fully embracing the corporate mission.

Of course, this approach might not work for every business. Some creative enterprises, for example, might do better with independent freelancers who work alternative schedules and need customized environments to do their best. That’s why the growth plan is so vital – you evaluate your business’s unique needs and decide how to best meet your diversity and inclusion goals in conjunction with them.

2. Regularly Solicit Input and Feedback From Staff

Social media abounds with tales of people complaining about their workplaces. With all the bellyaching, it can seem like no one is ever satisfied. However, a shift in perspective could help business owners recognize the obvious: Staff members concerned about their paychecks aren’t likely to raise concerns in the office unless they feel secure enough in their position that giving feedback won’t lead to a pink slip. Many organizations lack such a supportive atmosphere.

How can you coax reluctant employees to give honest and genuine feedback on how you could improve diversity and inclusion in your company? One method is to send out regular and anonymous surveys using an online site such as SurveyMonkey to protect identities. Include open-ended questions with plenty of room to write meaningful comments along with true-or-false and multiple-choice queries.

3. Offer Flextime and Telecommuting Arrangements

Each human being is only one person. You might have felt this crunch as a business owner if you ever had to attend two of your children’s events on the same day out-of-town clients come in for a face-to-face meeting. You can only do so much and be in one place at a time.

Flextime and telecommuting arrangements allow staff members the same flexibility you have to take off for a few hours in the afternoon to attend a recital, returning to work in the evening after the children have gone to bed. However, these programs are inclusive to more than the parents on your roster.

Such arrangements are often invaluable to workers with disabilities. Many need to attend multiple specialist appointments and most doctors don’t offer evening or Saturday hours. Many specialists may only have one or two days of availability per week, and a flexible schedule enables staff members to attend appointments while making up work later or doing it in advance. Telecommuting benefits those who can’t drive but otherwise have no problem handling their workload.

4. Be Transparent About Salaries and Progression

Here’s the pesky thing about U.S. employment law: At-will employment laws often conflict with protective measures on the books. For example, according to the National Labor Relations Act, it’s legal for workers to discuss their wages with each other. However, states with at-will employment laws allow either employer or employee to terminate their relationship at any time for any reason – meaning many still fear that speaking up will cost them their job.

However, you can circumvent controversy by creating a clear salary progression path. There are several methods to do so:

  • Years of service: This method is the simplest. For each subsequent year of employment, workers receive a specified percentage raise.
  • Years of experience: This method evaluates how many total years of experience each staff member brings to their role.
  • Educational attainment: Some companies pay higher compensation packages to those who complete advanced degrees.
  • Merit-based: Workers who perform tasks at certain speeds, amass a required number of clients, or hit other milestones earn a raise.

Many businesses use a mixed approach. For example, many school districts base their salary schedule on a combination of total years of experience and educational attainment levels. Whatever you choose, broadcast your schedule in your employee handbook, discuss it during orientation and ongoing training, and refer to it when performing annual evaluations.

5. Provide a Meaningful Benefits Package

The U.S. lags behind the rest of the world regarding health care coverage and other employee benefits that folks in Europe and much of Asia take for granted. For example, many countries mandate a specified number of paid and parental leave days. Overseas employers have fewer expenses regarding benefits packages because health coverage is paid for through tax revenue instead of corporations.

However, you must follow the rules of the country where you conduct commerce. That means you don’t have to extend a single day of vacation time, sick leave, maternity leave, or paternity leave. While the Affordable Care Act mandates that companies with 50 or more employees offer health coverage to at least 95% of their full-time staff or face a penalty, it gives them considerable leeway in picking plans.

However, please note that adequate benefits packages are among the best ways to retain top talent. A parent of a child with a health condition will jump ship, even with a competitive salary, if they can get better coverage elsewhere.

Furthermore, a lack of adequate downtime in the form of paid leave destroys productivity and encourages behaviors like “quiet quitting.” Multiple studies confirm that people work better when given a break – but they must realistically be able to afford to take one.

6. Create a Supportive Mentorship Program

Mentorship programs can go far in promoting diversity and inclusion. They introduce new staff members to the rest of the team when they may otherwise flounder when trying to fit into your organization. Many people feel more secure talking to a colleague than an HR representative. 

Your mentorship program can be as structured or loose as you like:

  • Highly structured: In this arrangement, you assign each new staff member to an experienced colleague upon completing their intake paperwork.
  • Medium structured: Such arrangements provide new staff members with a list of qualified colleagues to serve as mentors, letting them choose within a specified time, such as the end of their first two weeks.
  • Loosely structured: This arrangement requires the least participation from the employer. New staff members may choose any mentor they like at any time.

7. Conduct Routine Diversity and Inclusion Training

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, companies must conduct diversity training that addresses sex bias. Many go beyond this by including all aspects of diversity and inclusion in their training. Why not follow suit?

Such training can help smooth interoffice relationships and prevent a few toxic individuals from creating a hostile work environment. All staff should know the penalties for discriminatory behavior – it deserves a prominent spot in your employee handbook.

8. Hold Team Leaders Accountable

All the diversity training in the world isn’t worth much if your team leaders don’t embrace it. They should enforce the rules equally across the board, immediately taking action to stop discriminatory behavior.

Include the responsibilities of team leaders when it comes to diversity and inclusion in your employee handbook. Implement an anonymous reporting system that any employee can use to share instances of discrimination so you can hold leaders accountable for enforcing the rules.

headphones Illustration via 360Magazine

FLETCHER – Becky’s So Hot

Today, critically acclaimed queer icon FLETCHER premieres the ferverish video for her new single “Becky’s So Hot” — a thrillingly intimate portrait of lusting after her ex’s new girlfriend and the latest single from her forthcoming debut album Girl Of My Dreams — due out via Capitol Records on September 16. 

Directed by Millicent Hailes (an artist/filmmaker who’s also worked with Billie Eilish, Tinashe, and Pussy Riot), the video for “Becky’s So Hot” co-stars Bella Thorne as the recipient of FLETCHER’s fascination. In a series of dreamscape-like vignettes (including FLETCHER blissfully alone in bed, then tearing through the city on a speeding motorcycle), the visual fully immerses its viewer in the hyper-saturated eroticism of FLETCHER’s interior life. Partly inspired by the moody futurism of Blade Runner 2049“Becky’s So Hot” ultimately blurs the edges of fantasy and reality to glorious effect. 

Watch the video HERE 

 “Becky’s So Hot” sets FLETCHER’s expression of desire to an intense sonic backdrop (scorching guitar work, trembling rhythms, fiercely pounding drums) with production by long-time collaborator One Love and newcomer Pink Slip. With its dizzying collision of longing and frustration, jealousy and pleasure, the track affirms FLETCHER’s gift for bringing the most nuanced emotions to wildly dazzling life (from the chorus: “Are you in love like we were?/If I were you I’d probably keep her/Makes me wanna hit her when I see her/’Cause Becky’s so hot in your vintage T-shirt”).  

The single hit #3 on the iTunes chart across all genres, trended on Genius and Twitter and has already amassed over 5 million global streams.  V Magazine said, “Backed by soaring guitars and intense drums, “Becky’s So Hot” is a dizzying expression of heartbreak, longing, and moving on.” Billboard declares, “with an undeniably catchy hook and head bang-worthy bridge, Fletcher’s petty era is already proving to be as iconic as one would hope.” Teen Vogue included the track in their “5 Best New Singles of the Week,” and Euphoria raved, “the punk-inspired bop is definitely one of the best songs of the summer and it will be sung by thousands because, let’s be honest, we all have an ex dating a Becky who’s so hot it makes you wanna know how she tastes.” 

“Becky’s So Hot” arrives as the follow-up to the June track Her Body Is Bible. Executive-produced by Malay (Frank Ocean, Lorde) — who also helmed FLETCHER’s you ruined new york city for me and THE S(EX) TAPES, a 2020 EP that hit No. 1 on iTunes across all genres — Girl Of My Dreams reveals her inner world more fearlessly than ever before, documenting the deeply transformative experiences on her way to self-discovery. Fans can pre-order the album HERE and watch the album trailer HERE.

Fresh off her Lollapalooza performance of which Rolling Stone declared, “FLETCHER can sing…she earned her spot son the main stage…letting her voice soar in strength and tenor,” FLETCHER has become known for her magnetic live show, with nearly 100,000 tickets sold globally this year. She will hit the road this fall for the Girl Of My Dreams Tour, a 25-date headlining run of North America. Kicking off on October 10 at House of Blues Orlando, the tour will continue through November 18 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, with sold-out stops at legendary venues like the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. All tickets are on sale now; go HERE for more info, and check out the tour trailer HERE.

About FLETCHER

Praised by leading outlets like TIME, Wonderland, Harper’s Bazaar, Interview Magazine, GQ, NME, The Guardian, and more, acclaimed singer/songwriter FLETCHER hails from Asbury Park, New Jersey, where she cultivated her passion for music and her unforgettably candid storytelling. In 2019 she released her debut EP you ruined new york city for me. The widely lauded EP features her breakthrough hit “Undrunk,” a track that spent several weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, scored the #1 spot on Spotify’s Viral Chart, and emerged as the fastest-rising song at pop radio from a new artist in the past five years. Released in September 2020, FLETCHER’s EP THE S(EX) TAPES hit No. 1 on iTunes across all genres and drew praise from outlets like Teen Vogue, SPIN, PAPER, GQ, and more, with the EP’s gold-certified lead single “Bitter” fast approaching 200 million global streams. FLETCHER continued her triumphant run with recent singles “girls girls girls —  a bold reimagining of Katy Perry’s iconic “I Kissed a Girl” (released with Perry’s early stamp of approval) — and “Cherry” featuring trailblazing pop star Hayley Kiyoko. FLETCHER was also nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist and landed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for 2022. FLETCHER’s music as amassed over one billion combined streams worldwide. She will release her debut album Girl Of My Dreams via Capitol Records on September 16 and her new single “Becky’s So Hot” is out now.  

GEORGE MICHAEL FREEDOM UNCUT

GLAAD × GEORGE MICHAEL

GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Trafalgar Releasing, presented a new clip from the upcoming autobiographical feature documentary GEORGE MICHAEL FREEDOM UNCUTAdditionally, GLAAD.org has posted an in-depth interview with the co-director and producer of the film, George Michael’s songwriting partner and long-time collaborator, David Austin. View the clip and the interview HERE.

David Austin said, “We are very proud to Partner with GLAAD – George was proud of his sexuality and campaigned throughout his life for everyone to have the freedom to be who they wanted to be and love who they wanted to love.”

Anthony Allen Ramos, Vice President of Communications & Talent of GLAAD, said, “Pride Month is a perfect opportunity to remember the trailblazing legacy of George Michael within the music industry and beyond. The release of GEORGE MICHAEL FREEDOM UNCUT will help audiences learn so much about the performer’s extraordinary life. It is truly special to see the film’s never before seen footage and personal stories about his touching love story with Anselmo Feleppa, who unfortunately left us far too early.”

A poignant and moving tribute to the legacy of one of Britain’s greatest performers, in his final work George Michael reclaims the narrative of his career, personal life, and controversies. Throughout the film, Michael reveals openly and honestly the two distinct sides of his life: his very public music career and his private personal life that cameras never truly saw. Michael was heavily involved in and dedicated to the making of this documentary before his tragic passing in 2016, making GEORGE MICHAEL FREEDOM UNCUT an incredibly special posthumous release and a poignant and moving tribute to his legacy.

Narrated by the late Grammy® Award winner himself, GEORGE MICHAEL FREEDOM UNCUT delves into the turbulent period after “Faith” leading up to, during, and after the making of Michael’s “Listen Without Prejudice: Vol 1” album in 1990. At this pivotal time, Michael can fight for his artistic freedom and lead the way for others. As the film clip posted at GLAAD beautifully illustrates, it was at this period of his life when Michael meets his first real love, Anselmo Feleppa, and nothing is ever the same for him. The moving film later explores how the legendary singer navigates both the heartbreak of Anselmo’s early tragic passing and the devastating loss of his mother.

The documentary features numerous celebrities, with contributors including Stevie Wonder, Sir Elton John, Ricky Gervais, Nile Rogers, Mark Ronson, Tracey Emin, Liam Gallagher, Mary J. Blige, Jean-Paul Gaultier, James Corden, Tony Bennett, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Tatjana Patitz.

GEORGE MICHAEL FREEDOM UNCUT is produced by Big Geoff Overseas Limited in conjunction with Sony Music Entertainment and distributed theatrically worldwide by Trafalgar Releasing.

In celebration of George Michael’s iconic album Older, Sony Music will release a deluxe, limited-edition box set in July. The set will also be available in digital/CD/2LP formats. Older was George’s third album as a solo artist and would see him experimenting with new musical styles and expanding his artistic horizons. Hailed by critics as a triumph, it told the story of an extraordinary period in the life of the man who wrote, recorded, and produced it, as he journeyed through one of the most turbulent periods of his professional and personal life.

Tickets on Sale for June 22 Worldwide Cinema Event at HERE.

Madonna shot by Ricardo Gomes for pride and nft nyc via 360 MAGAZINE

Madonna’s Pride

On the night of June 23, Madonna, who is known for her Pride Month activations and championing LGBTQ rights throughout her career, once again outdid herself with an LGBTQ celebration at Terminal 5 in New York. The show was also in celebration of FINALLY ENOUGH LOVE, Madonna’s 16-track career-spanning remix compilation album, released on streaming today.  

Madonna was joined by renowned drag queens Violet Chachki, Bob the Drag Queen, Pixie Aventura, and Laganja Estranja who arrived at the event on the Gaultier double-decker Pride bus. 

Bob the Drag Queen served as MC of the show, with tongue-in-cheek skits featuring audio soundbites of Madonna supporting the LBGTQ community throughout the years. Laganja performed an epic rendition of “Vogue,” where she was joined by Jose Xtravaganza, one of Madonna’s dancers on the Blond Ambition tour. Saucy Santana fired up the audience with a performance of his hit song “Walk.”

Madonna thrilled the crowd when she joined Tokischa on stage to perform “Hung Up on Tokischa.” She then gave an electrifying performance alongside Saucy Santana to a remixed version of his song “Material Gwerll” with new lyrics. David Banda, Madonna’s son, joined the show on multiple occasions as a dancer, delivering added energy and excitement. Madonna, joined by all of the performers, ended the night with a show-stopping performance of “Celebration.”

For the “Material Gwerll” remix debut, Madonna wore a custom-made Versace suit dress complete with custom hand-painted Versace pins in pride colors. The look was a nod to her original “Material Girl” music video where the dancers were dressed in tuxedos, with Madonna wearing the iconic pink dress, which Saucy’s look paid homage to. 

Madonna’s 16-track career-spanning remix compilation album, Finally Enough Love, is available to stream NOW. The icon’s 50-track, complete remix compilation Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones will be released on August 19th in digital and physical format (CD and Vinyl). The upcoming remix album celebrates Madonna’s 50 #1 hits on Billboard’s Dance Music Charts, the first and only recording artist to reach this feat. 

Madonna, who has been a leader in the NFT space, partnered for another time with WoW (World of Women) a thriving community celebrating representation, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for all. The event was sponsored by The Sandbox who has partnered with WoW to create the WoW Foundation, which will invest $25 million over five years in education and mentorship. Programs will include via a virtual academy for artists and building inclusive spaces across the metaverse. In addition, there will be an incubator, offering advice, funding, and access across The Sandbox ecosystem.

Madonna, who has been a leader in the NFT space, partnered for another time with WoW (World of Women) a thriving community celebrating representation, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for all. The event was sponsored by The Sandbox who has partnered with WoW to create the WoW Foundation, which will invest $25 million over five years in education and mentorship. Programs will include via a virtual academy for artists and building inclusive spaces across the metaverse. In addition, there will be an incubator, offering advice, funding, and access across The Sandbox ecosystem.

M·A·C Cosmetics VIVA Glam provided Madonna-inspired touch-ups to amp up all beauty looks for guests. Madonna said of the partnership, “Pride and M·A·C Cosmetics go hand-in-hand. In 27 years, the M·A·C Viva Glam Fund has raised over half a billion dollars and partnered with NGO’s all over the world to end HIV/AIDs. Together, we have made much progress and will not give up.  This year M·A·C partnered with my dear late friend Keith Haring, known for his activism artwork, which M·A·C used to create a special edition of the VIVA GLAM lipstick. Tonight, we are here to celebrate HIS life, YOUR life, and stand by the LGBTQIA+ community to protect their rights for the same equality we ALL are owed. Don’t ever be afraid to EXPRESS YOURSELF! VIVA GLAM.”

Guests sipped on Madonna-inspired cocktails by Belvedere Vodka, including The Material Girl and Into The Groove. Food was served from Made in NY Pizza and Big Gay Ice Cream. Support partners also included Linktree, WoW, and The Sandbox. 

Judy Garland 100th Birthday Gala and Fragrance Reveal via She Grown Media for use by 360 Magazine

JUDY – A Garland Fragrance

To commemorate one of the greatest Hollywood icons, Vince Spinnato held the legendary Judy Garland 100th Birthday Gala and Fragrance Reveal. Known as a perfume developer and cosmetic chemist, Vince held the event to celebrate the upcoming unisex scent: JUDY – A Garland Fragrance.

The aroma was created in honor of Judy’s rich history and legacy. Her children, Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft, attended the gala to further memorialize their mother’s impact on the industry and world.

A custom-made design was invented for Judy’s bottle that showcases a passionate, dreamy theme. The exclusive 100th birthday collector’s bottle was revealed on the night and even up for grabs. The official release of the fragrance is slated for this autumn.

Throughout the evening, the venue exuded elegance. From the “Get Happy! Exhibit” to the House of Racanelli fashion show, attendees were immersed in chunks of Judy history. Her renowned Oscar was exhibited to further showcase the star that Judy truly was and forever will be.

Judy was not only an icon in the entertainment industry, but, too, as an activist for the queer community. With the celebration being held on June 10, it was perfectly aligned with LA Pride weekend. Additionally, the soiree served as a special commemoration for LGBTQ+ cohorts. Lastly, Garland was born during Pride month; and ironically, she passed on the same day as the Stonewall riots in NYC.

In short, the evening served to pay tribute to the work that Judy has accomplished in her career, but also to defend a broader mission.

Article by: McKinley Franklin x Vaughn Lowery

Judy Garland 100th Birthday Gala and Fragrance Reveal Dresses via She Grown Media for use by 360 Magazine
Judy Garland 100th Birthday Gala and Fragrance Reveal via She Grown Media for use by 360 Magazine
Judy Garland 100th Birthday Gala and Fragrance Reveal Dresses via She Grown Media for use by 360 Magazine