Author: Randy Slovacek

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Rick Santorum: I don’t hate gays

Watch the latest video at <a href=”http://video.foxnews.com”>video.foxnews.com</a>

Last night, Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren pressed Rick Santorum on how he planned to secure the gay vote in Iowa, given his strong opposition to same-sex marriage and endorsement from Bob Vander Plaats, the ant-gay leader who compares homosexuality to a public health risk.

Santorum — who himself has likened same-sex marriage to bestiality and almost every inanimate object — explained that gay people “have the rights of every other citizen,” before claiming they are immoral, unfit for parenthood, and shouldn’t be allowed to marry:

VAN SUSTEREN: How are you going to get the gay vote? How can you convince them that despite, you know, your views and his [Bob Vander Plaats] views, that you could — I mean, is there any way that you could convince them to vote for you?

SANTORUM: Well, look, I have nothing against gay people. They have rights of every other citizen. But what they did in Iowa and what some are trying to do, not all gays, but some are trying to do is change the laws of this country with respect to what the definition of marriage is….. But if there are differences, I’m certainly going to speak out on those differences when I think it’s in the best interests of our country to have laws that reflect having men and women raise children and form solid marriage bonds.

(via Think Progress)

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Vanessa Williams – New Year’s Eve, Las Vegas

For the past 27 years, Vanessa Williams has been a successful model, a television, stage and film actress, a producer and a singer.

Perhaps you saw her in Kiss of the Spiderwoman on Broadway in 1994, Into The Woods in 2002, Sondheim on Sondheim in 2010,  in Eraser with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1996, on Ugly Betty in 2006 or the past two years in Desperate Housewives. Or in ANY of the long list of credits she has amassed over a stellar career.

But it’s her singing career that brings her to Las Vegas this month. Williams is kicking off the New Year in Las Vegas, where fans can expect to hear her hits and more. She’s known in the singing arena for “The Way That You Love,” “Save the Best for Last,” perhaps her biggest hit, and “Colors of the Wind,” from the movie Pocahontas.

She has also been nominated and won more awards than I can count, and she’s still making fantastic music.

Don’t miss this opportunity for a fabulous New Year’s Eve. That’s where I’ll be.  Singing along with a true diva.

The Riviera, 9:30 p.m. Dec. 31, $70-$150 plus tax and fee. 702-794-9433

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Canadian HIV vaccine approved for human trials

A Canadian-developed vaccine to prevent HIV has been approved for testing in human clinical trials, the Toronto Star reports.

The vaccine, developed by researchers at the University of Western Ontario, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to start being tested in humans in January.

It is the first preventive HIV vaccine approved for clinical trials to use a whole HIV-1 virus, which has been both killed and genetically engineered, to activate immunity. In this way, the new vaccine is much like the killed whole virus vaccines that are successful against polio, rabies and influenza.

“FDA approval for human clinical trials is an extremely significant milestone for our vaccine, which has the potential to save the lives of millions of people around the world by preventing HIV infection,” said Dr. Chil-Yong Kang, professor of virology at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario, in a release.

Previous studies have shown the vaccine triggers a strong immune response and has yet to show any adverse effects or safety risks.

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Evangelical leader asked Michele Bachmann to drop out of race

According to Politico, evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats asked Michele Bachmann to drop out of the race for GOP presidential candidate and back Rick Santorum.

The conversation happened three days before Vander Plaats personally endorsed Santorum.

Bachmann declined, the source said, noting to Vander Plaats that she has consistently polled ahead of Santorum in the race and still does.
Vander Plaats did not return repeated phone and text messages about the conversation Tuesday.

Evangelical, social conservatives have splintered between Santorum, Bachmann and Rick Perry in this year’s Iowa race. That dilution has left their leaders worried about the diminished influence they’ll have on picking the caucus winner, and ultimately, the Republican nominee.

Bachmann’s campaign has not commented on the conversation but noted that she has been endorsed by a long list of evangelical leaders in the state.

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Ron Paul’s newsletters come back to haunt him

From the NY Times: Emerging as a real Republican contender in Iowa, Representative Ron Paul of Texas is receiving new focus for decades-old unbylined columns in his political newsletters that included racist, anti-gay and anti-Israel passages that he has since disavowed.

A 1992 passage from the Ron Paul Political Report about the Los Angeles riots read, “Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to pick up their welfare checks.”

A passage in another newsletter asserted that people with AIDS should not be allowed to eat in restaurants because “AIDS can be transmitted by saliva.”

In 1990 one of his publications criticized Ronald Reagan for having gone along with the creation of the federal holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which it called “Hate Whitey Day.”

The passages were plucked from a variety of newsletters that Mr. Paul’s consulting business published during his years out of Congress, all of them featuring his name: Ron Paul Political Report, Ron Paul’s Freedom Report, Ron Paul Survival Report and Ron Paul Investment Letter.

Mr. Paul did not respond to an interview request, but repudiated the writings in 2008. Likening himself to a major news publisher, he said he did not vet every article that was featured in his newsletters. “I absolutely, honestly do not know who wrote those things,” Mr. Paul said in an interview on CNN at the time, adding that he did not monitor the publications closely because he was busy with a medical practice and “speeches around the country.”

On Monday, his deputy campaign manager, Dimitri Kesari, reiterated that Mr. Paul “did not write, edit or authorize” the language.

“He totally disavows what was said and disagrees with it totally,” Mr. Kesari said. “The only responsibility he takes is for not paying closer attention.”

Read more at the NY Times.

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Utah favors legal protection for LGBTQ individuals in employment, housing

A recent poll commissioned by Equality Utah — a Salt Lake-based civil rights organization focusing on equal rights and protections for LGBT Utahns and their families — found that a majority of those polled favored a statewide non-discrimination law that would make it illegal for someone to be fired from a job solely because they are LGBT.

Additionally, those same persons polled also favored a Utah-wide law that would make it illegal for someone to be evicted from housing solely because they are LGBT.
However, those polled also indicated that they did not support same-sex marriage equality nor did they approve of adoption rights for same-sex couples.

The poll was conducted by the Salt Lake City based public opinion and market research firm Dan Jones and Associates. The survey polled 801 households across the state and contained a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

According to the firm, the poll found that nearly 80 percent of respondents believed such statewide nondiscrimination laws already existed in Utah.

The poll also revealed that 54 percent of respondents believe that being gay is probably or definitely a choice.

Of those polled:

  • 73% somewhat or strongly favor a statewide nondiscrimination law in employment
  • 73% somewhat or strongly favor a statewide nondiscrimination law in housing (More than 80% of respondents believed such laws already existed in Utah.)
  • 55% somewhat or strongly oppose gay or transgender couples becoming foster parents
  • 52% oppose gay or transgender couples adopting children to whom they have no relationship
  • 64% somewhat or strongly favor allowing legally recognized forms of partnerships, short of marriage
  • 5% somewhat or strongly oppose allowing gay and transgender couples to marry in Utah
  • 57% somewhat or strongly oppose Utah recognizing marriages of gay and transgender couples who move here
  • 54% believe that being gay is probably or definitely a choice

(via LGBTQnation)

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Zach Wahls marriage equality speech “Most viewed political video of 2011”

Any reason is a good reason to revisit the impressive Zach Wahls speak on behalf of LGBT families in Iowa.

“Surpassing the President and various presidential hopefuls in views, the #1 video on our list comes from a young man in Iowa speaking candidly to his government. Zach Wahls’ 3 minute speech defending gay marriage has been viewed more than 18 million times.”

Here’s the full list of the most-viewed political videos from the YouTube News and Politics category:

1. Zach Wahls speaks about family
2. President Obama at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner
3. Strong [Rick Perry ad]
4. President Obama on death of Osama bin Laden
5. Brother, can you spare a trillion? Government gone wild!
6. Seth Meyers remarks at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner
7. Rick Perry – Proven Leadership
8. Jon Stewart Goes Head-to-Head Bill O’Reilly
9. Now is the time for action! [Herman Cain ad]
10. President Barack Obama’s First Ad of 2012 [NRSC Ad]

In all, the videos on this list account for over 50 million views, demonstrating that there is significant interest in political video on YouTube before the primaries have even begun. For all the key moments in online political video during the coming election, visit YouTube.com/Politics. For more of YouTube’s most-viewed videos of 2011, visit YouTube.com/Rewind.

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David Archuleta to leave music for a two year Mormon mission

American Idol Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta announced to a crowd in his hometown Salt Lake City that he has decided to go on as a full-time missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). The crowd cheered as David cried.

“I can’t tell you how special it’s been being able to come back here,” he told fans. “There’s no place like home. I always say that. While I’m home in front of you guys here tonight, I would like to make a special announcement that I’ve chosen to serve a full-time mission.”

In LDS, it is strongly encouraged for young men to served a full-time mission for approximately two years. During the two years on a mission, the missionary is dedicated 100% to serving others and teaching people about Jesus Christ. A Mormon in mission won’t be able to listen to music that isn’t religious, and music with any romantic lyrics will be banned.