Author: Randy Slovacek

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‘What Would You Do?’ Explores Homophobes Stiffing A Lesbian Waitress

Over the weekend, I wrote about ABC News’ popular series “What Would You Do?” exploring how regular folks would react if they witnessed a baker refusing to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple.

It appears the folks at WWYD weren’t done with LGBT-themed situations.

Today we get to see actors playing homophobic bigots refusing to tip a waitress in a restaurant after they find out she’s lesbian.

The segment is based on a real incident back in 2017 where a waitress in Illinois was denied a tip by customers who had seen her rainbow tattoo. After the guests had departed, the waitress found a zero tip and a note which read, “Can’t tip someone who doesn’t love Jesus – Bad tattoo.”

So ABC News hired two actors to play homophobes who loudly act shocked and offended when the actress playing the waitress shares she’s married to a woman. “Marriage is by definition a man and a woman,” the female ‘homophobe declares for the other restaurant guests to hear.

One yahoo sitting near the ‘homophobes’ agreed with the couple, tossing out this this whopper: “Look at it this way, they can’t have any kids. Nature takes care of it all by itself. So, eventually they’ll wipe themselves out. Give it time.”

But when other diners overhear the plan to stiff the waitress, customers chime in asking, “Her life doesn’t impact your life, does it?”

Another woman was so riled up about the anti-LGBT animus she couldn’t stay seated. And her dining companion threatened to use physical force against the haters.

Watch how it all unfolds below.

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‘Storm Chasers’ Star Died Of Deadly Mix of Ecstasy, Ketamine & Ambien

In late January, Joel Taylor, the out host of Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers, was found unconscious in his cabin aboard a gay cruise.

The reality TV star died amid rumors that party drugs were “flowing freely” among some passengers on the Harmony of the Sea owned by Royal Caribbean and charted by gay cruise company, Atlantis Events.

I should add that I actually boarded the ship in Puerto Rico on the same day that Taylor’s body was removed from the ship for autopsy.

The FBI launched an investigation into the death and Taylor’s toxicology lab results have just been revealed.

The report from the Bureau of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico shows the 38-year-old’s death was the result of an accidental overdose involving a deadly mix of drugs including “tricyclic antidepressants,” MDMA, Ketamine, and Zolpidem (a version of Ambien).

MDA, a derivative of amphetamines, was also found in his system.

There were rumors that GHB was the cause, but the newly-released toxicology report did not find any traces of the drug in his system at the time of death.

According to The Blast, testing took much longer than usual since the lab testing machines in Puerto Rico broke, and Taylor’s samples had to be sent to the U.S. for analyzing.

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Donald Trump Wants To Eliminate Due Process For Immigrants Coming Into US

Apparently, Donald Trump wasn’t paying attention when he swore to uphold the U.S. Constitution during his inauguration.

The New York Times reports:

President Trump asserted on Sunday that immigrants who crossed into the United States illegally should be sent back immediately without due process or an appearance before a judge, an escalation of his attacks on the judicial system.

It was another twist in an already head-spinning series of developments on immigration after the president reversed a policy last week that had resulted in the separation of more than 2,300 children from their families.

The call to abandon due process on Sunday in some ways echoed part of his executive order, which seeks to detain immigrant families indefinitely, a stance that courts have said violates the rights of the children. But on Sunday, Mr. Trump went further, saying no judges at all were needed to process immigration cases.

The ACLU responded to Trump’s call to eliminate due process for migrants: “What President Trump has suggested here is both illegal and unconstitutional. Any official who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws should disavow it unequivocally.”

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Madonna Sends ‘Love From Lisbon’ For Pride Month

Pop queen Madonna sent her best wishes to the LGBTQ community on Sunday for Pride Month.

Via Instagram, Madge thanked “every gay boy that taught me a new dance, how to dress, how to drag” and more.

“Until I can Share MY music……. I’m sending Love from Lisbon! 🌈💕🌈💕🌈💕missing NY and the fierceness of the LGBT community that gave me life from the moment I landed there!! For Me, Pride Month is every month! This 👑 Bows down to every Gay Boy that taught me a. New dance, how to dress, how to drag, how to slay, To stand tall in the face of adversity, to not give up hope, to own my inner bitch and to love my flaws! 🌈🎉🌈🎉🌈🎉 #loveislove #gratitude #pride 🌈 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈”

Madonna and the gay community have been a mutual admiration society for decades. In a 2010 appearance on ELLEN, the queen of pop proudly declared, “I wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for the gay community.”

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Trump Attacks Restaurant That Asked Sarah Huckabee Sanders To Leave

President Trump told the Twitterverse Monday morning that the Virginia restaurant that refused to serve White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is “dirty” and “needs a paint job.”

Over the weekend, Sanders confirmed (via her official White House press secretary Twitter account) that the owner of The Red Hen in Lexington, Va. asked her to leave while she dined out with a group of people.

Speaking to The Washington Post after the incident, the owner of the restaurant, Stephanie Wilkinson, shared that she asked Sanders to leave, in part, because of the Trump administration’s proposed ban on transgender military service members.

“I’m not a huge fan of confrontation,” Wilkinson said. “I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.”

This followed a spate of confrontations of Trump administration officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen at a Washington, D.C. restaurant over the administration’s immigration policy and White House policy adviser Stephen Miller at a Mexican restaurant.

Folks were quick to point out to the Trumpster that his own Mar-a-Lago resort has had its share of health code violations.

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Out Athletes Cover 10th Annual ESPN Magazine’s ‘Body Issue’

ESPN Magazine’s 10th Annual ‘Body Issue’ is online today!

Begun in 2008, the issue highlights the physiques of 16 world-class athletes.

Alison Overholt, editor in chief of ESPN Magazine said in a statement,“The goal has always been for us to celebrate the athletic form—in every shape and size—and to allow people to stop and marvel at the works of art these bodies truly are.”

This year’s edition is more LGBTQ-inclusive than ever featuring Olympic bronze medalist Adam Rippon as well as lesbian soccer forward Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign) together with her girlfriend, 10-time WNBA All-Star point guard for the Seattle Storm, Sue Bird.

The couple’s print cover is the first time a queer couple has covered the Body Issue.

“It’s pretty amazing to think about [being on the cover of the Body Issue], especially in the times we’re in,” Rapinoe shared in her interview. “Just think of how far we’ve come, but also the current climate. Not only are we female athletes, but we’re dating as well. It’s kind of bad-ass.”

Coming off of this year’s Winter Olympics as well as a grueling tour for ‘Stars On Ice’ while competing (and winning) Dancing with the Stars, Rippon told ESPN Magazine, “I couldn’t have done this [shoot] while I was in the closet.”

“I think that, with my experience of coming out, I felt so liberated in so many ways,” the 28-year-old added.

Also included in the Body Issue are Saquon Barkley (running back for New York Giants), sprinter Tori Bowie, cross-country skier and Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins, National Women’s Soccer League MVP Crystal Dunn, Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, as well as totally fit seniors Jerry Rice of the NFL and pro-golfing legend, Greg Norman.

The print edition of the Body Issue hits news stands on June 29, but you can check out the online versions over at ESPN Magazine here.

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Pride Month: Ellen’s Favorite LGBTQ TV Moments

Ellen DeGeneres

In observing Pride Month, Ellen DeGeneres shared a video montage of her favorite inspiring LGBTQ+ Pride moments on her show.

The three-minute video includes Ellen’s announcement of her wedding, Laverne Cox’s appearance on TIME Magazine and Sam Smith saying he wants to be a spokesman for the LGBTQ community.

Also in the highlight reel are transgender military veterans sharing their stories as Donald Trump proposed banning their service as well as touching coming-out stories.

Hit the play button below and feel good.

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SCOTUS Dodges Anti-LGBT Florist Case, Orders Lower Court To Revisit Decision

Barronelle Stutzman
 

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to rule on the case of Washington state florist Barronelle Stutzman who refused to create flower arrangements for a same-sex wedding in 2013.

Although SCOTUS didn’t take the case, the justices instead vacated the 2017 ruling against Stutzman by the Washington state Supreme Court and ordered the state’s top court to take another look at the case and consider the SCOTUS ruling earlier this month regarding Colorado baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop.

In that case, SCOTUS didn’t decide the central dispute which is: do anti-discrimination laws in 22 states bar “creative artist” business owners from legally discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation or do “deeply held religious beliefs” trump the rights of LGBTs?

Instead, 7 Supreme Court justices found that the Colorado state commission on civil rights appeared to show hostility towards religion in reaching its decision against the baker. In doing so, SCOTUS reversed the fine ordered on Phillips.

Today, SCOTUS told the Washington state Supreme Court to revisit the Stutzman case to see if similar anti-religious bias existed in coming to its decision regarding the florist.

In 2013, Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed were planning to marry after Washington state legalized same-sex marriage the year before. But when they approached Stutzman for flowers for their event, Stutzman refused citing her Christian beliefs. Washington state’s public accommodation laws ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Stutzman was fined $1,000 and ordered to sell floral arrangements for same-sex weddings if she were to continue selling arrangements for heterosexual weddings.

Although she’s cried about financial burdens due to the ongoing court case, its important to remember that over $174,000 was raised via crowd funding for Stutzman.

GoFundMe eventually shut down the campaign based on the company’s policy that campaigns can’t be used to raise funds for legal cases where formal charges have been filed.

Stutzman was allowed to keep the $174,000.

The American Civil Liberties Union issued a statement in response to today’s decision saying their work for LGBT equality will continue:

“The Supreme Court today asked the Washington courts to re-examine our clients’ case in light of the recent decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop,” said James Esseks, director of ACLU’s LGBT and HIV Project. “To be clear, the court made no indication the lower courts ruled incorrectly and made no decision on the case’s merits. We are confident that the Washington State Supreme Court will rule once again in favor of the same-sex couple, and reaffirm its decision that no business has a right to discriminate. Our work to ensure LGBT equality is the law and the norm in all 50 states will continue.”

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Podcast: Jury Awards $18.4 Million Over Cancelled HIV Test; Web Series Imagines A World Where AIDS Never Happened

In this week’s podcast:

• A gay man is awarded $18.4 million over a cancelled HIV test

• New web series Fathers wonders “Who would we be if AIDS hadn’t happened?”

• Tan France, fashion guru for Queer Eye, says his family thought the ‘make better’ series converted straight men to gay

• There’s new music from out indie recording artist Aiden James “Colorblind”

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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Las Vegas: New Production Of “Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding”

It’s hard to believe that after all my years living in New York City, I somehow never saw Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, the longest running Off-Broadway comedy in history.

The “environmental/immersive theatre” piece puts audience members in the middle of a traditional Italian-American wedding and reception.

Fortunately, the play has just opened in Las Vegas at Ballys Las Vegas performing at real-life Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo Fridays through Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

I definitely recommend checking out the new production – the interactive theater experience is absolutely hilarious.

Audience members are treated as guests at the wedding by the interactive, improvisational comedy cast which includes over-the-top stereotypes like the hunky/built new husband, the self-absorbed bride, the totally-not-gay gay brother of the bride, a drunk ex-boyfriend, a pregnant matron of honor and more.

With its original director Larry Pellegrini at the helm and an ensemble cast featuring Breon Jenay as Tina and Joseph Ben Shimon as Tony, the production incorporates today’s popular culture into the show’s repertoire.

In addition to the comedy, the cast’s terrific actor/singers serenade you with current and classic pop hits.

And yes, you are at a wedding reception, so included in the ticket price is full on Italian dinner with Caesar Salad, Chicken Parmesan, Bake Ziti, Wedding Cake and Drinks. And if you buy the VIP package ($129), in addition to dinner, you also get a two-hour open bar and a post-show meet and greet. Whoo-hoo!

Check out pics from opening night below and you can get more info about the production here.

Tina’s gay-not-gay brother gets in on the act