Author: Randy Slovacek

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One Night, Five Democrats, Five Town Halls

CNN held five back-to-back town hall events with five Democratic presidential contenders last night – Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Good stuff from everyone, they all had strong moments at times.

A few takeaways:

While I appreciate the moderate lane Klobuchar has staked out for herself, it came across a bit timid and noncommittal in some of her answers. I’ll admit that a lot of issues can’t be truly addressed in a couple of minutes on a stage, but she was notably more cautious than her fellow candidates.

I really like Kamala Harris. She’s clear about what she stands for, and she has a strong decisive energy about her.

When asked about impeachment proceedings for Donald Trump, she said Congress should take steps towards impeachment but added Democrats must be “realistic about what might be the end result.”

One of Harris’ best moments came when she was asked about the issue of gun violence in the country and what she would do about it. Here’s what she said:

I have to say I almost became emotional as Mayor Pete took to the stage. As a gay man, to see this 37-year-old mayor take to the stage as a real player and handle himself so well was uplifting and energizing.

Mayor Pete had one of the biggest moments of the night when he was asked about the back and forth he’s had with Vice President Pence, and a comment made by Trump ally and homocon Richard Grennell, the current ambassador to Germany.

Buttigieg’s response: “I’m not a master fisherman, but I know bait when I see and I’m not going to take it.” And the crowd went wild.

A new talking point emerged throughout the night after Sen. Sanders said even the Boston bomber deserved to be able to vote. Sen. Harris concurred saying, “We should have that conversation.”

But Buttigieg was clear and concise in his opinion that prisoners should not be allowed to vote. “While incarcerated? No, I don’t think so,” the South Bend mayor said.

CNN has recapped each of the candidate’s hour-long turns onstage.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Sen. Kamala Harris

Mayor Pete Buttigieg

A few more moments from the night:

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New Music: Parker Matthews Proves Nobody Is “Running From Me”

Parker Matthews in ‘Running From Me’

Out singer/songwriter Parker Matthews debuts his latest single and music video, “Running From Me.”

I’ve been listening (and watching) the talented musician since he proved he’s definitely no “Hit and Run” last May, and he’s had me “Feelin’ Right” ever since.

In each release, Matthews consistently brings top-shelf production, pop-synth goodness and a hooky chorus with smooth vocal delivery.

Music writers agree:

“An infectious slice of pop music” – Music Is My Radar

“Pop music just might have found its next star in Parker Matthews” – The Musical Hype

“Matthews’ confidence in his sexuality glows onscreen” – Pop Dust

I chatted with the handsome singer about “Running From Me,” the power of confidence and the importance of vibe in a recording session.

The Randy Report: After bouncy upbeat bops like “Hit and Run” and the liquid-sexy “Feelin’ Right,” your new single “Running From Me” is a dance floor banger. Do you plan on switching it up or is just this how the music comes?

Parker Matthews: I think I’ve grown a lot as an artist and had a great time exploring the different sides of who I am, and what I want to write.

This record was a very defining one for me, not only because it’s the first of some amazing new material I have on the way, but also because I wanted to instill a sense on confidence in the listener.

I wrote this record based off a personal story of mine, but I want the listener to realize that they hold the power and the confidence to do whatever they want because with that mentality, nobody’s gonna be running from them.

TRR: You dance in the new music video – is this the first time fans see you bust a move other than some party bouncing in “Hit and Run?”

PM: It was so great! I grew up dancing, and to be able to be on camera doing that was absolutely thrilling. My team and I brought in some incredible dance talent and I will definitely be bringing that vibe onto future records/ videos as well.

TRR: Your lyrics tend to express confidence in yourself. Are you as confident in real life?

 PM: You know, it’s interesting… When I’m being the artist side of me as ‘Parker Matthews’ on a shoot or on stage, I am super outgoing and confident. However, when I’m just with my friends, or out for the night, I’m pretty quiet and always kinda stay in the background.

Somebody told me that you’re trying to own me
But I’m never lonely cause ain’t nobody running from me
And don’t say you know how to win over me now
You know that I don’t don’t bow cause ain’t nobody running from me

TR: At this point, do you have a “process” in writing/recording? Or is every project approached differently?

PM: Every record has a general outline of being written and recorded the same way, but at the same time, it’s always a little different. A lot of the time, when writing, I’ll start with the chorus, and build from there.

However, for “Running From Me,” I actually started with the very first line of the record, ‘You make me feel like everybody’s watching me…’ and I sat down and went from there.

When it comes to recording, I am all about the VIBE. Depending on what studio I’m in, I make sure all the candles are lit and we’re going in on that session. Having a good vibe during a recording session really translates to the record, in my opinion.

TRR: Who are you listening to today? Who’s at the top of your playlist?

PM: I’m listening to a little bit of everything right now. If the record speaks to me, I’ll get down with it for sure.

I love pop and dance music, but I also love a good power ballad, much like the record I have coming next (hint hint, wink wink). Thank you and the LGBTQ community for you amazing support!

You can follow Parker Matthews on Instagram here, Facebook here and check out his official website here.

“Running From Me“ is now available on iTunes and all digital download sites.

And you can check out my podcast interview with Parker by clicking the play button below.

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Joe Biden To Announce Presidential Campaign Thursday Morning

Former Vice President Joe Biden will announce his long-expected presidential campaign for the 2020 election on Thursday morning, according to CNN.
Former Vice President Joe Biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden will announce his long-expected presidential campaign for the 2020 election on Thursday morning, according to CNN.

Axios reports that he’ll open his campaign with a “climate of the nation” message that takes on President Trump but doesn’t directly attack any of the other 2020 Democrats.

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Joe Biden Leads 7+ In New National Poll

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden

The latest poll from Monmouth University shows Joe Biden currently has the support of 27% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters, which is similar to his 28% support in March and 29% in January.

Sen. Bernie Sanders garnered 20%, slightly down from 25% in March, and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg currently has 8% support. Just to show how much he has surged in recent weeks, the 37-year-old mayor registered less than 1% in prior Monmouth polls.

California Sen. Kamala Harris has 8% support, Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 6% and former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke at 4%.

“You cannot deny that Buttigieg is experiencing a real moment right now, but it’s important to remember there is a lot of fluidity in this field,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

“Voters are not only moving from candidate to candidate but also from candidate to undecided,” he added. “Right now, the top tier is determined largely by who has a high national profile. This may not gel with how the contest will play out in the early states.”

From the chart below, it looks like Biden is holding onto his position, but clearly Buttigieg is pulling from Sanders, Harris and Warren.

(source)

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News Round-Up: April 22, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• This is how InstaHunk Ignacio Pérez Rey welcomed his Monday in Madrid. Who else was excited for the new week?

• After a South Carolina family’s Pride flag was found ripped down and burned, neighbors began flying rainbow flags in solidarity.

• Rumors have surfaced that Kevin Hunter, husband for 22 years to Wendy Williams, had an ongoing sexual relationship with R&B singer Aveon Falstar during his marriage to Williams.

• A new University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll shows Sen. Bernie Sanders getting 30% support of likely Democratic primary voters in the Granite State. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who’s expected to announce his White House bid this week, came in at 18%, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 15%.

• Nevada is now the 10th US state to allow gender-neutral markers on identification documents. Residents can now choose ‘x’ in addition to’ for male and ‘f’ for female on drivers licenses and birth certificates.

• Randy Report favorite Pink drops the lyric video for the title track of her upcoming album, Hurts 2B Human, featuring Khalid.

The new collection, the pop icon’s 8th studio album, will be released Friday, April 26.

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Poll: Sanders’ Supporters Not All That Dedicated To Democrats

A new poll from Emerson shows the 'Bernie bros' aren't quite down on solidarity with the Democrats 'no matter what.'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (L) and Mayor Pete Buttigieg (R)

A new poll from Emerson shows the ‘Bernie bros’ aren’t quite down on solidarity with the Democrats ‘no matter what.’

Forbes’ analysis of the new survey shows 26% of Bernie supporters say they would vote for Donald Trump over Sen. Elizabeth Warren should she clinch the Democratic nomination.
Similarly, while 100% of Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s supporters say they would vote for Bernie should he prevail as the Democratic nominee, only 79% of Sanders supporters say they would support Buttigieg in a general election against Trump.
The Emerson poll is the first to show Sanders getting more support than former Vice President Joe Biden, who has seen his numbers slip a bit of late.

Sanders got 29% support, followed by Biden at 24% and then Buttigieg at 9%.

Harris and Beto O’Rourke garnered 8% and Warren just 7%. 
“While still early in the nominating process, it looks like Mayor Pete is the candidate capturing voters’ imagination; the numbers had him at 0 percent in mid-February, 3 percent in March and now at 9 percent in April,” wrote Director of Emerson Polling Spencer Kimball said of the results.

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Tweenage Character Comes Out As Trans On NBC’s ‘Good Girls’

On last night’s episode of NBC's Good Girls, Sadie (Isaiah Stannard) told mom Annie (Mae Whitman) that they identify as a boy.
Isaiah Stannard (L) and Mae Whitman (R)

On last night’s episode of NBC’s Good Girls, Sadie (Isaiah Stannard) told mom Annie (Mae Whitman) that they identify as a boy.

Annie takes in the news in the best way possible. Watch below.

Last season, there were subtle allusions that Sadie was exploring their gender identity.

Isaiah Stannard, who plays Sadie, is an out trans boy and uses he/him pronouns.

Jenna Bans, creator of the show, spoke to Variety last summer about the casting of Isaiah.

“Good Girls” creator Jenna Bans had an eye-opening experience when casting her NBC dramedy. She had originally written Sadie, the tweenage daughter of Mae Whitman’s Annie, as a boy named Ben. When her casting director asked if she’d be interested in seeing a girl for the part of a boy, she was intrigued and hired Izzy Stannard — a young actor who, at the time, seemed to identify with the female gender assigned to him at birth. By the time filming began, Stannard made it clear that he identified as a boy and was using he/him pronouns.

“We realized we had a really great opportunity to tell a story about a character who was gender non-conforming, but at the same time not necessarily have that be what leads the story,” says Bans, who also did her due diligence and consulted GLAAD’s Adams. “What’s most important to the character and the story we’re telling between Sadie and Annie is really about the bond between Sadie and her mom. We liked the idea that the character of Sadie was exploring her gender [expression] in the show, but I think what we responded to more was that the Mae Whitman character just couldn’t care less.”

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Coachella Gays Who Posed With ‘Totally Not Gay’ Aaron Schock Apologize: “We Didn’t Know Who He Is”

Two of the gays who posed for photos with 'totally not gay' former Congressman Aaron Schockat the Coachella Music Festival last week have posted an apology to the LGBTQ community for not knowing who he is and his impact on the LGBTQ community.
‘Totally not gay’ former Congressman Aaron Schock (second from left) living his
best gay life at Coachella

Two of the gays who posed for photos with ‘totally not gay’ former Congressman Aaron Schock at the Coachella Music Festival last week have posted an apology to the LGBTQ community for not knowing who he is and his impact on the LGBTQ community.

In a post on each of their Instagram accounts, William Rossi and Rob Masi say they had just met Schock on the day of the photo, and had no idea who he is or how horrible he’s been to the LGBTQ community.

“In regards to the picture we took at Coachella, Rob and I have been out since we were 14 and 15, respectively; and living as proud gay men in a loving relationship, who hope to get married one day,” they begin. “We are entirely against Aaron Schock’s values, views, and actions.”

“We had just met Aaron on the day of the photo at Coachella, and before posting it, we were embarrassingly unaware of: who he was, his political views, and the extent of his negative impact on the LGBTQ community which we are proudly a part of,” the couple continued.

The duo say the inclusion of Schock came about out of a desire to be ‘polite’ to a stranger, nothing more.

A post shared by William Rossi (@willrossi3) on Apr 18, 2019 at 3:31pm PDT

“Rob and I wanted to take a photo with our friends at Coachella, to celebrate our last day there,” say the men. “Being polite, we allowed Aaron – who was basically a stranger to us and someone we just met – to include himself in our photo.”

The couple made it clear that “if we had more knowledge of his beliefs and past actions,” they would have never hung with him nor included him in their photo.

“We would not have allowed Aaron to join the photo, nor would we have associated with him if we had more knowledge of his beliefs and past actions,” say the men from San Francisco. “For our own political ignorance, we are deeply sorry.”

They also include a ‘call to action,’ if you will, encouraging Schock to come out.

“We hope Aaron does decide to come out publicly and live the gay life he so freely enjoyed at Coachella, the kind of life so many out and proud LGBTQ individuals have fought for and have made possible for younger gays like to live today,” encouraged the men.

They also say, now that they are aware of his past anti-LGBTQ votes in Congress, that Schock should apologize to the tribe he now seems to want to be a part of.

“And we hope if or when Aaron does decide to come out and own his actions, he apologizes and makes amends with the LGBTQ community, because he certainly owes us one,” they conclude.

Here’s a photo of the two men, sans Schock, at Coachella.

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SCOTUS Will Rule If Existing Civil Rights Laws Ban LGBTQ Discrimination

The United States Supreme Court has announced it will weigh in on whether existing civil rights laws prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The current U.S. Supreme Court (image via SupremeCourt.gov)

The United States Supreme Court has announced it will weigh in on whether existing civil rights laws prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Currently, federal law bans discrimination in the workplace on the basis of religion, race, color, sex or national origin. While there is no specific federal law that protects LGBTQ individuals at work, advocates for the LGBTQ community say Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964prohibits being fired due to sexual orientation because that is a form of sex discrimination.

Lower courts have been split on the issue.

Of the cases that SCOTUS accepted for review Monday, two appeals courts ruled that the firings of a gay man and a transgender woman were illegal discrimination under Title VII, while a third case court ruled being fired for being gay does not fall under the purview of the civil rights law.

According to NBC News, here are the three cases:

• A New York skydiving instructor, Donald Zarda, said he was fired after telling a female client she didn’t need to worry about being tethered together by confiding he is gay. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals found, in that case, that sexual orientation discrimination is a subset of sex discrimination.

• A transgender woman in Michigan, Aimee Stephens, sued her former employer, a funeral home, after she was fired in the aftermath of sharing that she is transgender. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals said transgender discrimination is banned due to Title VII.

• A Georgia man, Gerald Bostock, was dismissed by his employer after discovering his participation in a gay softball league (yes, that really happened), the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the 1964 civil rights law does not include sexual orientation.

Judge Diane Wood, of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote in a 2017 ruling that “it is actually impossible to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation without discriminating on the basis of sex.”

But over in the 11th Circuit, Judge William Pryor pointed to lawmakers in his ruling saying that Congress “has not made sexual orientation a protected class.”

The high court will hear the cases during its next term that begins in October.

JoLynn Markison, a partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney in its labor and employment practice and an advocate for the LGBTQ community, has been following this issue closely.

“This shift in the Supreme Court’s willingness to rule on the issue of whether Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination extends to gender identity and sexual orientation—which are quintessential expressions of “sex”—has been a long time coming,” Markison says.

Markison points to the newest member of the high court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, as a fairly substantial ‘unknown’ in the upcoming deliberations in that he doesn’t have a clear judicial record on LGBTQ issues.

However, we do know his nomination was heavily supported by far-right, conservative groups like the Family Research Council, which has long advocated against LGBTQ equality.

That said, there’s another wild card player to watch here.

“Is there a swing vote on the Supreme Court? Or is this issue already as good as decided? The balance could lie with Chief Justice John Roberts, who notably did not join the conservative dissenters in Pavan v. Smith, in which the Supreme Court held that married same-sex couples are entitled to be listed on their children’s birth certificates the same as married heterosexual couples,” said Markison.

GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, tweeted, “With more than 100 anti-LGBTQ attacks from the Trump Administration, this is exactly why we need to pass the #EqualityActnow and look toward explicitly protecting LGBTQ people with a constitutional amendment.”

Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, followed that with her own tweet: “With Trump stacking the Supreme Court with anti-LGBTQ judges it’s clear that we need a constitutional amendment that protects LGBTQ people and all marginalized communities.”

In terms of state laws, it is currently legal to fire an LGBTQ person in more than 26 states across the nation. You can find information about your state at the Movement Advancement Project.

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Trump Sues To Block Congress From Accessing His Financial Records

Donald Trump, Rep. Elijah J. Cummings

The Washington Post reports that Donald Trump is suing to block Congress – specifically House Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings –  from accessing his financial records.

The lawsuit seeks a court order to prevent Trump’s accounting firm from complying with what his lawyers say is an improper use of subpoena power by congressional Democrats.

“Democrats are using their new control of congressional committees to investigate every aspect of President Trump’s personal finances, businesses, and even his family,” the filing by Trump claims. “Instead of working with the President to pass bipartisan legislation that would actually benefit Americans, House Democrats are singularly obsessed with finding something they can use to damage the President politically.”

The filing, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, further escalates a clash between the White House and the Democratic-controlled House over congressional oversight.

Last week, Cummings subpoenaed Mazars USA, an accounting firm long used by Trump.

It’s important to note that the House Oversight Committee is specifically charged with oversight of the Executive Branch of government.

Cummings’ committee is seeking 10 years of financial records from Trump.