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By Daniel Gomez

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by percy

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By: Camari Stevenson

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LGBTQ+ Rights Taken Along With Mistreatment

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LGBTQ+ Rights Taken Along With Mistreatment

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Devan Daniel - No ASL Interpreters at White House!!!

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Devan Daniel - No ASL Interpreters at White House!!!

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Devan Newstory in ASL (no voiceover).mp4

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Looks like actor Sofia Wylie has found a unique and safe way to get into the holiday spirit this year with a solo dance party in the desert.

The 16-year-old star of " High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" gave HuffPost a sneak peek at her performance from the show's forthcoming holiday special via the above clip. In it, the Arizona native croons a sterling version of Donny Hathaway's 1970 classic, " This Christmas (Hang All the Mistletoe)," while showcasing her fancy footwork amid some festively decorated cacti.

"I've never really had white Christmases with all the snow, so seeing a cactus decorated in lights and decorations, I was like, 'OK, yeah, this is so normal,'" Wylie, who grew up in Scottsdale and spent much of 2020 hunkered down in her home state, told HuffPost. "The holiday special is so lighthearted, so much fun and just a really wonderful Christmas dream. I think it will allow people to take a break and have a smile because this year has definitely been a lot."

Debuting on the Disney+ streaming service next month, " High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special" is a celebratory affair, featuring 11 Christmas classics and two original songs performed by Wylie and her castmates. Still, the special is a bit of a consolation prize, given that production on the second season of "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" was delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

By comparison, the 45-minute holiday special is comprised of musical segments featuring one or two cast members and shot with a minimal crew. In addition to Wylie's performance, highlights include Joshua Bassett and Matt Cornett's rendition of the Beach Boys' "Little St. Nick," and an emotional take on Joni Mitchell's "River," sung by Olivia Rodrigo. Actors Frankie A. Rodriguez and Joe Serafini, who play a gay teen couple on the show, give a "Feliz Navidad" a fresh, modern shine.

After wrapping the holiday special, Wylie and the rest of the "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" crew were able to return to the show's Utah set where they are at work on Season 2, which has a plotline centered on the student production of Disney's " Beauty and the Beast." Though the actor is tight-lipped on specifics, she promises "new dynamics" for her character, transfer student Gina Porter, when she returns to East High next season.

"Last season, Gina was definitely trying to find her place," she said. "And, of course, she was on the outs. And so this season she's coming into her own and figuring out where her place is in this Wildcat world."

Prior to joining "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" last year, Wylie appeared on the Disney Channel Series " Andi Mack" for three seasons. Both shows have received praise for their diverse casts, which include Black, Asian and LGBTQ actors and characters.

The significance of that isn't lost on Wylie, who said she "wasn't able to see many people who resembled what I looked like, or what I felt inside" in television or film prior to her Hollywood breakout.

"Being able to be on the other side of that now, and being that representation for other young girls with big curly hair and brown skin, is really important to me," she said. "I hope I can do justice for anyone out there who feels represented by me, not just young girls. And I feel like the rest of the cast are all such amazing role models. We are very blessed to be in a position where we can represent people, and I don't think we take that responsibility lightly."
Listen to Sofia Wylie's "This Christmas (Hang All the Mistletoe)" below.

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Sofia Wylie Teases 'High School Musical' Holiday Special With A Christmas Classic

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Looks like actor Sofia Wylie has found a unique and safe way to get into the holiday spirit this year with a solo dance party in the desert. The 16-year-old star of " High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" gave HuffPost a sneak peek at her performance from the show's forthcoming holiday special via the above clip.

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Sara Sadok, an 18-year-old from the Chicago area, is an avid TikTok user. She's very aware of how much diet-centric content ― and even pro-eating disorder content ― there is on the app, from "what I eat in a day" videos to celebrity posts promoting magic-bullet diet pills or lose-weight-fast diet fads.

"There are so many videos showing people how to lose an absurd amount of weight in a small amount of time," Sadok told HuffPost. "It's potentially triggering content. It's especially heartbreaking to see young kids thinking that they need to lose weight in order to look like the man or woman in the video."

Though Sadok has never struggled with an eating disorder herself, the subject hits home because she has a close friend who lives with one. So late last month, the teen decided to do something to counter all the toxic weight loss content on the app and encourage healthy eating habits instead.

In her "Let's Eat Together" video series, Sadok invites those who may be struggling with an eating disorder to have a meal with her virtually.

"If you ever have a hard time sitting down for a meal, let's have a meal together," she says in her first TikTok video of the series. "I'll take the first bite to make it a little less intimidating for you, and you can have your first bite after, OK?"

"I know that was hard, and I'm really proud of you. Let's have our second bite together," she says.

Now, other users are using the "duet" feature on TikTok - which creates a split screen and allows two videos to be timed to match - so they can eat with Sadok. In one video, a teen fights back tears while eating a meal alongside Sadok.

"You are such a beautiful person.....this really helped me today...one meal down," the user wrote in the video caption.

In another video, a young woman talks about how she's struggled to eat lately because of her depression. After seeing Sadok's viral videos, she wanted to pay it forward with a "Let's Eat Together" video of her own.

The premise of these videos may seem simple to an outsider. But for those dealing with eating disorders, the first bite can be an uphill battle due to the negative thoughts that often precede it, said Carolyn Comas, a therapist at Eating Disorder Therapy LA, a specialized outpatient eating disorder psychotherapy practice in Los Angeles.

"In that moment, your thoughts can be very loud and filled with reasons to not eat," she told HuffPost. "Some eating disorders are due to a trauma with food such as choking, and there can be a fear of 'What if I choke or throw up from eating?'"

Having someone take a bite with you and help you challenge those fears can be incredibly helpful.

"It shows the person struggling that their biggest fear is most likely not going to happen by eating that meal or snack," Comas said.

Sadok said she's taken aback by the feedback she's received on the reply videos and duet clips that she's inspired.

"Watching all the 'duets' is so heartwarming and really resonates with me because I never truly realized how much help I was," she told HuffPost. "The most inspiring thing for me is to see the people who initially duetted my video to help them eat now creating videos of their own to help others do the same thing."

Though online meal support is not a substitute for professional help, Sadok's videos are well-timed to the pandemic, since many people may be cut off from their usual support systems and feel stressed about weight gain.

Meal support, whether it's in a residential treatment center or in the company of supportive family and friends, is often the difference between someone eating and not, said Lauren Muhlheim, owner of Eating Disorder Therapy LA and author of " When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder."

"Now, in the time of COVID, people are more isolated than ever and separated from many of their usual structures and supports," the psychologist said. "It's easy to see how having even a recording of a person like Sara cheering you on could be reassuring."

For those in eating disorder recovery, making a virtual lunch or having a dinner date with friends over FaceTime or Zoom may be helpful, too.

Some dietitians and therapists who specialize in body image issues have begun to host free Instagram Live sessions to support those in recovery. You can find a schedule here and tune in every weekday at the designated times.

Comas recommends the Instagram eating disorder support group @covid19eatingdsupport because all of the content is vetted by a group of dietitians and therapists.

"It's been widely successful because it is monitored by professionals to help reduce triggering content," she said. "I think as long as there are trigger warnings, these eatalongs can be super helpful."

And, of course, traditional therapy and sessions with dietitians can be useful as well. Social distancing means no in-person sessions, but online therapy for your mental health can be just as beneficial.

"Eating disorders thrive in isolation," Comas said.

So if you're struggling with eating disorders and body image issues, prioritize that social connection any way you can get it.

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'Let's Eat Together' Videos On TikTok Help Teens Struggling With Eating Disorders

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Sara Sadok, an 18-year-old from the Chicago area, is an avid TikTok user. She's very aware of how much diet-centric content ― and even pro-eating disorder content ― there is on the app, from "what I eat in a day" videos to celebrity posts promoting magic-bullet diet pills or lose-weight-fast diet fads.

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Online 24/7, But Totally Disconnected — New Findings On Teen Isolation During COVID-19

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“I know it’s bad, but everyone’s doing it,” said one teen in a new report showing teens are turning to their phones as a “constant sedative.”

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NEW YORK (AP) - The teenager who recorded the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May will be honored in December by PEN America, the literary and human rights organization.

Darnella Frazier will be presented the PEN/Benenson Courage Award.

"With nothing more than a cell phone and sheer guts, Darnella changed the course of history in this country, sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black racism and violence at the hands of police," PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement Tuesday.

The 17-year-old Frazier will share the Courage Award with Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was pushed out by the Trump administration.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, PEN had postponed its annual gala from May 19, six days before Floyd's death, to Dec. 8, and will host the event online.

"Darnella Frazier took an enormous amount of flak in the wake of releasing the video," Nossel told The Associated Press. "People were accusing her of being in it for the money, or for being famous, or were asking why she didn't intervene. And it was just left this way. We wanted to go back and recognize and elevate this singular act."

Others being honored by PEN in December include the author and musician Patti Smith and Chinese dissident Xu Zhiyong.

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Teen Who Recorded George Floyd's Death On Phone To Receive PEN Award

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NEW YORK (AP) - The teenager who recorded the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May will be honored in December by PEN America, the literary and human rights organization. Darnella Frazier will be presented the PEN/Benenson Courage Award.