Author: Randy Slovacek

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Zach Wahls sits down with Reason.TV

GLAAD reports that outspoken advocate and Eagle Scout Zach Wahls today delivered more than 275,000 signatures to the Boy Scouts of America at its National Annual Meeting in Florida, calling on the group to end its long history of anti-gay discrimination and reinstate Ohio mom Jennifer Tyrrell, who was forcibly removed as den leader of her son’s Boy Scouts troop because she’s gay.

After delivering the signatures, Wahls met briefly with Deron Smith, Public Relation Director with the Boy Scouts of America’s national office.

Zach recently sat down with Reason.tv’s Nick Gillespie to discuss why his childhood was a lot like yours, the mainstreaming of same-sex marriage, his new book “My Two Moms” and Obama’s “evolving” views on the subject.

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ExxonMobil votes down LGBT employment protections

ExxonMobil shareholders have voted down a proposal to add gay and transgender employees to the Irving-based corporation’s nondiscrimination policy.

Meeting at the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Dallas Arts District, the ExxonMobil shareholders voted 80 percent to 20 percent against a resolution asking the corporation to amend “its written equal employment opportunity policy to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and to substantially implement the policy.”

Mobil was one of the first companies in the world to include sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy and offer benefits to the same-sex partners of gay employees. But ExxonMobil rescinded those policies after the merger.

ExxonMobil maintains the lowest possible rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, with a minus-25.
(source)

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Dharun Ravi issues apology to all “affected” by his choices

Dharun Ravi, convicted of  has issued an apology to “everyone affected by” his choices and has elected to start his 30-day jail sentence despite the readying of his appeal by his legal team.

“I accept responsibility for and regret my thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childish choices that I made on Sept. 19, 2010, and Sept. 21, 2010. My behavior and actions, which at no time were motivated by hate, bigotry, prejudice or desire to hurt, humiliate or embarrass anyone, were nonetheless the wrong choices and decisions. I apologize to everyone affected by those choices.”

In March, a jury convicted Ravi of all 15 criminal counts with which he was charged, including invasion of privacy and bias intimidation. On two of the intimidation counts, he faced up to 10 years in state prison.

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NOM’s Brian Brown accepts Dan Savage’s invitation to “debate” at kitchen table

From the National Organization for Marriage blog::

“Dan — I accept and will look forward to debating you at your dining room table. As I said in my challenge to you, anytime, any place. While I appreciate the invitation that you have extended to my wife, she will not be able to attend. She is a full-time mom with seven beautiful children and an eighth on the way.

I have no objection to Mark Oppenheimer from the New York Times covering the discussion, nor to you hiring your own video crew to film the event, provided that I am able to hire my own video crew to be sure there is no creative editing of the discussion. Not that a New York Times reporter would slant the news, mind you! 🙂

This will be fun!” – Brian Brown.

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Supporters of Lesbian mom Boy Scout troop leader to present petitions

From AP: Supporters of a lesbian mother will present a petition at the Boy Scouts of America’s annual meeting in Orlando to protest her removal from a troop in Ohio.

Deborah Tyrrell’s supporters will present the petition with more than 275,000 names when the Boy Scouts’ meeting begins in Florida Wednesday.

Tyrrell was removed last April as a leader of the troop near Bridgeport, Ohio. Boy Scouts’ policy prohibits gays from being adult leaders.

Among those who will present the petition is Eagle Scout Zach Wahls, an Iowa college student who was raised by lesbian mothers. A video of Wahls urging Iowa legislators not to end civil unions went viral last year.

Scouts spokesman Deron Smith says there are no plans to change the policy but the group values freedom of expression.

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Gareth Thomas naked – Attitude Magazine

Click pic for larger view

UK gay mag Attitude has released its annual Naked Issue and, in honor of the London Olympics, they put out rugby star Gareth Thomas on the cover.

Joining Thomas in the buff are reality star Jay of Geordie Shore, singer Rod Thomas, Olympic high jumper Robbie Grabarz and out actor Andrew Hayden-Smith (Doctor Who). The au naturel spread helps raise awareness of the National AIDS Trust HIV testing campaign.

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WI: Multi-Platinum Recording Artists Headline ‘Get Out the Vote’ Rally in Madison

Via press release: Grammy Award-winning guitarist Tom Morello of “Rage Against The Machine,” singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, Tim McIlrath of the punk rock band “Rise Against,” international touring hip-hop artist Brother Ali and Mike McColgan, the original lead singer of “Dropkick Murphys” and the lead singer of the “Street Dogs,” are all hitting the stage in Madison to turn out the vote in a Wisconsin recall election that looks too close to call.

The “Get Out The Vote’ Rally, sponsored by We Are Wisconsin, will provide a massive boost to canvassing efforts days before the recall election on June 5.

The event, which will be held at the Madison Labor Temple at 1602 S. Park St., is free to the public with a sign up to volunteer to help get out the vote. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

“Gov. Scott Walker messed with Wisconsin workers and now it’s time to pay the piper,” said Morello. “I’m headed back to Madison with some friends to help yank that right-wing extremist out of office like a bad tooth. We are ready, willing and able to use our music to help rally the troops to do the hard work of knocking on doors and getting out the vote during the last critical hours of this recall election.”

Three different polls released in the past week have shown a dead heat with challenger Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett having clear momentum and a superior field operation. Both sides have consistently said the election will come down to whom has the better ground game and turns out its base.