MP Luke Pollard and boyfriend (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: Grammy Award winner Ricky Martin is now a spokesperson for the onePULSE Foundation, the nonprofit founded to honor the lives and deaths of the 49 murdered victims at the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. • Pink News: An episode of ABC drama The Good Doctor is winning praise for a sensitive and authentic portrayal of a pregnant transgender man. The Good Doctor cast trans actor Emmett Preciado as Rio Gutierrez, as a gay transgender man who discovers he is pregnant while also battling a brain tumor in a recent episode. • RIP: Ground-breaking out singer/songwriter Ari Gold passed away this past weekend at the age of 47 after a lengthy battle with leukemia. Long before anything close to the acceptance of gay recording artists we see today, Gold jumped out of the box with hits like “Where The Music Takes You” and more. RIP Ari Gold.
• NY Daily News: A Manhattan judge on Tuesday dismissed all charges against a white woman who on May 25 called the cops on a gay Black bird watcher in Central Park for requesting she leash her dog. The judge found that, after attending therapy sessions “designed towards introspection and progress,” the charge of falsely reporting an incident could be dropped. • Washington Post: A wealthy conservative donor gave $2.5 million to a group who said they were going to investigate voter fraud in the 2020 election. Now he wants his money back. • Out: A British Minister of Parliament, MP Luke Pollard (top photo), received abuse online for a Valentine’s Day message of love for his boyfriend he posted to social media. “He looks 12 years old,” wrote one commenter. “You should be locked up.” Mind you, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, is currently engaged to 32-year-old fiancé Carrie Symonds, who lives with the prime minister in the official residence at 10 Downing Street. Twenty-four year difference and no one raises an eye-brow.
In a letter to colleagues, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) indicated that the Equality Act will be taken up as soon as next week. From the Washington Blade:
“Other legislation coming to the floor next week are two bills that passed through the House last Congress: a wilderness package and the Equality Act, which will end legal discrimination against LGBTQ Americans,” Hoyer writes.
In addition to the explicit declaration that anti-LGBTQ discrimination is a form of sex discrimination in employment, education, housing, jury service and credit, the Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex and LGBTQ status in public accommodations and federal programs.
Further, the Equality Act would expand the definition of public accommodations under federal civil rights law to include retail stores, banks, transportation services, and health care services. The legislation would also establish that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — a 1994 law aimed at protecting religious liberty — can’t be used to enable anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
The House approved the Equality Act in 2019, but then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (D-KY) refused to allow a vote on the legislation in the Senate.
L-R Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell File this under ‘Infighting is funny.’ In case you missed it, immediately AFTER voting to acquit Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gave a speech throwing the Donald under the bus. At the time, McConnell said, among other things, that Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for provoking the Capitol riot.
Sen. Mitch McConnell said Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for provoking the Capitol riot, after voting to acquit him.
Today, Trump finally clapped back in a public statement calling McConnell “a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack.” From CNN:
“Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again,” Trump said in the statement.
“He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership.”
Trump concluded, “This is a big moment for our country, and we cannot let it pass by using third rate ‘leaders’ to dictate our future!”
At this writing, the U.S. has suffered 487,656 coronavirus deaths. But in his statement, Trump says his only regret was backing Mitch for reelection in 2020.
Drag diva Bianca Del Rio (screen capture) British adult film star Kayden Gray recently launched a humorous, thought-provoking adult film, U Equals Fucking U. The film aims to destigmatize HIV and support public health’s messaging of Undetectable Equals Untransmittable (U=U) – the concept that people living with HIV who achieve an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit the virus to others. The movie co-stars adult film actor Bishop Black, and features comedian/Ru Paul’s Drag Race fan favorite Bianca Del Rio, who appears throughout the film with an upbeat, light-hearted approach to doling out the facts about HIV and U=U. L-R Bishop Black and Kayden Gray in ‘U Equals Fucking U’ “A lot of people are behind U=U in theory,” says Kayden Gray in describing the film. “But when it comes to practice, people tip-toe around the idea and aren’t comfortable when it comes down to it.” Jose Ramos, the founder of Impulse Group, doubles down against HIV-positive odiums stating that “having condomless sex while someone is undetectable eliminates the risk to being exposed to HIV.” Ramos founded Impulse Group in Los Angeles in 2009 with the mission to help gay men make healthy lifestyle choices. What started in the city of West Hollywood as a local grassroots social movement has now become the only international volunteer gay group in the world, with 25 Impulse Chapters in 12 countries. I can’t post the the adult film here, but for those interested click here to see Part One (available now), and Part Two available on February 17. I can share with you Del Rio’s over-the-top and fun contribution to the film in this short clip “Bianca Del Rio spills the tea on HIV.”
The seven-day average of new coronavirus cases has (finally) dropped below 90,000 for the first time since early November. From the Washington Post:
Newly reported coronavirus infections in the United States continued their steep drop, with about 56,000 new cases reported Monday, though the figure may be artificially low due to the holiday. However, the seven-day average, considered a more reliable measure, has dipped below 90,000 a day for the first time since early November.
Scientists have been split about the reasons for the drop, citing increased vaccinations, decreased testing, improved social distancing habits and the seasonal patterns of these kinds of viruses.
Meanwhile, cases of the more contagious variant first identified in Britain are rising: Only 293 cases were reported in late January.By Feb. 4, there were 611, and the number now is 1,168.
Fitness trainer Adrian Aguilar handles a wild Covidiot with amazing calm (screen captures) Some news items you might have missed: • LGBTQ Nation: The Mississippi state Senate passed a bill to ban transgender girls and women from competing in school sports by a vote of 34-9 late last week. Nine senators voted “present” or did not vote at all. • Instinct Magazine: I admit I’m not the biggest expert on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but watch Denali walk away with this lip-sync battle. Poor Kahmora was stuck in a tight dress and couldn’t bring much to the battle.
• Washington Blade: Following President Biden’s reversal of the transgender military ban, trans service members welcome the opportunity to serve openly. • Calendars: A new calendar, On Fire: The Firefighters of France, is a sexy homage to firefighters, spotlighting the proud members of fire squads from all over France, who have discarded their helmets and gear to flash their best smiles and flex their muscles. • AP: Dr. Anthony Fauci has been awarded $1 million by the Israel-based Dan David Foundation for “defending science” and advocating for vaccines now being administered worldwide to fight the coronavirus pandemic. • Washington Post: An Atlanta-area prosecutor plans to scrutinize a post-Election Day phone call between Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as part of a criminal investigation into whether Donald Trump broke Georgia laws while trying to reverse his defeat in the state. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Talk about COVID nutjobs… fitness trainer (and Broadway veteran) Adrian Aguilar (top photos) had this wiiiiiiiild encounter with a male ‘Karen’ in Chicago when he asked the guy (later identified as Austin Tony Myers) to mask up per current pandemic guidelines. The guy goes nutso, starts poking a very calm Aguilar, and trying to escalate things even further. The police were called, and Myers tried to say HE had been assaulted. But with several gym members recording the encounter plus security cameras, officers eventually (the incident lasted hours) arrested Myers for assault and trespassing. You can read the full account here.
L-R Former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump Gee, what a surprise… Happy Presidents Day, folks! From The Hill:
A poll from YouGov and The Economist has found that former President Obama was named the best U.S. president while former President Trump was named the worst.
Obama barely beat Abraham Lincoln as best U.S. president with 18 percent. Trump was at 13 percent with people naming him the best president.
Among the worst, Trump got the highest percentage at 46 percent while Obama got the second highest at 24 percent.
Tom McGovern (screen captures)My favorite thing today because this quick video made me laugh out for reals… Funnyman and songwriter Tom McGovern shared this over the weekend after pondering a lyric from John Mellencamp’s 1980s hit “Jack and Diane.” McGovern sings the song using the one line: “Suckin’ on a chili dog” It doesn’t hurt that he’s cute, too : #funny
Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims (image via Instagram)
After spending nearly 10 years in the Pennsylvania state House, openly gay Rep. Brian Sims has announced he is running to be the Keystone State’s next lieutenant governor.
The woofy Democrat made history in 2012 when he became the first openly gay man elected the Pennsylvania legislature. Now he’s looking to take his experience and move on up to statewide office.
Citing the values instilled in him by his military officer parents – taking responsibility, show empathy, have courage, and being authentic – Sims says he “wants to put those values to the direct service of the Commonwealth.”
“I have a lot of hope when I look at the people across the country that decided over these last number of years that they’d had enough,” says the 42-year-old lawmaker in his announcement video. “That they looked at a lack of leadership and thought that they could do better and oftentimes they’re right.”
”I want to be your next Lieutenant Governor,” says Sims directly to voters in his announcement. “We need adults in the room and I want to bring bold innovative leadership based on lived experiences and shared values to the Commonwealth.”
During his time in office, Sims has not been shy to call out folks for what he sees as stepping astray of their elected responsibilities.
Whether raising his voice for equality for women, LGBTQ rights and protections or personal accountability during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sims isn’t one to stay quiet.
Last year Sims gave a fiery speech calling out his Republican colleagues in the state House after it was discovered a GOP lawmaker had tested positive for COVID-19 but kept on attending meetings.
Prior to public service, Sims was a star athlete who, as an openly gay captain for the Bloomberg University football team, led his teammates to a Division II National Championship game in 2000.
After college he worked as the executive director of Equality Pennsylvania and served as a member of the Victory Campaign Board.
Pennsylvania’s current Lt. Governor, John Fetterman, recently declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. He’s looking to fill theseat being vacated by Sen. Pat Toomey (R) who announced last fall he would not seek reelection in 2022.
At this point, the most powerful weapons in science’s arsenal to contain the COVID-19 pandemic are the vaccines approved to combat the virus. But will Americans take it when it becomes available to them? From CNN:
In an average of Axios/Ipsos polls taken in January and February, 74% of Democrats said they’d either been vaccinated, or were extremely or very likely to get vaccinated as soon it’s available to them. Just 51% of Republicans said the same thing. Independents were in the middle of these two groups at 61%.
When Gallup asked respondents whether they would agree to get vaccinated if the vaccine were available to them right now, the partisan gap stood at 40 points (91% for Democrats and 51% for Republicans) in their most recent poll.
CNN goes on to report that those partisan differences could be dangerous for Republicans since friendships have become filtered by political leanings more than ever. A 2020 Pew Research Center poll showed 59 percent of Trump supporters said a lot of their close friends voted for Trump, 30 percent said some of their close friends did, and only 10 percent of Trump backers said few or none did. If Democrats get vaccinated but Republicans choose not to, it could lead to breakouts in those communities that lean conservative. Read the full report here. At this writing, there have been 27,428,733 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and 475,786 COVID-19 related deaths. There are currently 67,023 people hospitalized due to the virus. In related news, Politico reports that doctors, nurses, and public health groups are trying to build confidence in Covid-19 vaccines on social media using coordinated campaigns to combat anti-vaccination disinformation.
Doctors and nurses trying to build confidence in Covid-19 vaccines on social media are mounting coordinated campaigns to combat anti-vaccination forces prevalent on those platforms https://t.co/0xKpXXaMlD
