+
upworthy
More

Out magazine just put Obama on its cover. It's a historic moment.

President Obama has, yet again, made history.

Every year, iconic LGBT publication Out magazine honors 100 people who've helped fight for progress.

The list is called the Out100, and lots of people pay attention to who makes the cut.


Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Out magazine.

While each year brings its own unique batch of change-makers from various walks of life, 2015 was one of truly historic proportion.

For the first time ever, a U.S. president was photographed for an LGBT publication.

President Obama, named Ally of the Year, graces the cover of this year's Out100 issue.

The magazine explained its decision to honor the president by highlighting a range of his accomplishments — from repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to becoming the first American president to publicly push for marriage equality.

"Yes, there's work to be done — we are still waiting for Congress to pass comprehensive federal LGBT protections, for a start — but whichever way you look at it, this president and his administration have ushered extraordinary change into the lives of LGBT Americans. For someone who at first seemed coy, even awkward, on the subject, President Obama's evolution on marriage equality has been something to behold."
— Out magazine


In the issue, Obama touches on several points regarding his administration's push for equality.

But one of the most compelling? He speaks on how his daughters have influenced his own views.

"The next generation is spurring change not just for future generations, but for my generation, too," the president says when asked about older Americans' reluctance to embrace LGBT equality.

"To Malia and Sasha and their friends, discrimination in any form against anyone doesn't make sense. It doesn't dawn on them that friends who are gay or friends' parents who are same-sex couples should be treated differently than anyone else. That's powerful. My sense is that a lot of parents across the country aren't going to want to sit around the dinner table and try to justify to their kids why a gay teacher or a transgender best friend isn't quite as equal as someone else."
— President Obama

Although the president's inclusion in the Out100 made this year's list particularly historic, many other trailblazers are certainly worth mentioning.

Like Carrie Brownstein, star and co-creator of the TV series "Portlandia," who was named Artist of the Year.


And athlete and reality star Caitlyn Jenner, who was crowned Newsmaker of the Year.


There were several lesser-known but equally instrumental folks who made the list, too.

Like model, YouTuber, and trans activist Aydian Ethan Dowling, whose efforts to grace the cover a men's health magazine became an inspiration to many. He's also a vocal advocate for prioritizing transgender-related health care.


“It's important that we get doctors and mental health workers educated on the transgender experience," Dowling says. “I hope the visibility of my story impacts that in a positive way."

Two of the leading activists behind Black Lives Matter, Deray Mckesson and Alicia Garza, also made the Out100, showing just how consequential the movement against racial injustice has been thus far.

Mckesson speaks at the GLAAD Gala in San Francisco. Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for GLAAD.

“The best moments are when black people stop me in the street and share with me the impact that [Black Lives Matter] has had on their lives and on their faith that another world is actually possible," Garza told Out.

And British pop sensation Olly Alexander, whose music doesn't shy away from featuring his sexuality, was honored as Breakout of the Year.


“I love performing music," he told Out. “You get to construct your own personal slice of reality, be whoever you want to be. You don't have to worry about whether you're saying or doing the right thing."

If one thing's clear about 2015's Out100 list, it's that LGBT equality has gone mainstream.

Like, the White House is lit up like a rainbow mainstream.

Whether you're talking about Washington, D.C., your television screen, or the streets of St. Louis where protests for justice unfold, this year's Out100 list proves that LGBT people — and those who support them — are making a profound difference in this world.

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

Most historians have credited the Greeks with creating the study of triangles' sides and angles, but this tablet presents indisputable evidence that the Babylonians were using the technique 1,500 years before the Greeks ever were.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Mom’s blistering rant on how men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies is on the nose

“ALL unwanted pregnancies are caused by the irresponsible ejaculations of men. Period. Don't believe me? Let me walk you through it."

Mom has something to say... strongly say.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, are a conservative group who aren't known for being vocal about sex.

But best selling author, blogger, and mother of six, Gabrielle Blair, has kicked that stereotype to the curb with a pointed thread on reducing unwanted pregnancies. And her sights are set directly at men.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Dad takes 7-week paternity leave after his second child is born and is stunned by the results

"These past seven weeks really opened up my eyes on how the household has actually ran, and 110% of that is because of my wife."

@ustheremingtons/TikTok

There's a lot to be gleaned from this.

Participating in paternity leave offers fathers so much more than an opportunity to bond with their new kids. It also allows them to help around the house and take on domestic responsibilities that many new mothers have to face alone…while also tending to a newborn.

All in all, it enables couples to handle the daunting new chapter as a team, making it less stressful on both parties. Or at least equally stressful on both parties. Democracy!

TikTok creator and dad Caleb Remington, from the popular account @ustheremingtons, confesses that for baby number one, he wasn’t able to take a “single day of paternity leave.”

This time around, for baby number two, Remington had the privilege of taking seven weeks off (to be clear—his employer offered four weeks, and he used an additional three weeks of PTO).

The time off changed Remington’s entire outlook on parenting, and his insights are something all parents could probably use.

Keep ReadingShow less
Science

She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

This incredible medical tattoo technology is giving renewed hope to burn victims.

All images via the CBS/YouTube

Basma Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts...


Meet Samira Omar.

The 17-year-old was the victim of a horrific bullying incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

Updating the kitchen.


Remember those beloved Richard Scarry books?

Books from when you were a kid?

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

Voice recordings of people who were enslaved offer incredible first-person accounts of U.S. history

"The results of these digitally enhanced recordings are arresting, almost unbelievable. The idea of hearing the voices of actual slaves from the plantations of the Old South is as powerful—as startling, really—as if you could hear Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee speak." - Ted Koppel

Library of Congress

When we think about the era of American slavery, many of us tend to think of it as the far distant past. While slavery doesn't exist as a formal institution today, there are people living who knew formerly enslaved black Americans first-hand. In the wide arc of history, the legal enslavement of people on U.S. soil is a recent occurrence—so recent, in fact, that we have voice recordings of interviews with people who lived it.

Keep ReadingShow less