Category: News

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Study: Social Media Platforms ‘Categorically Unsafe’ For LGBTQs

A young gay man on social media

A young gay man on social media
(photo: Eddy Billard/Unsplash)
GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has announced the findings of its inaugural Social Media Safety Index (SMSI), a 50-page report on LGBTQ user safety across five major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. The overall takeaway is that  all five platforms are “categorically unsafe” for LGBTQ people. From Axios:

GLAAD had planned to give each of the sites a grade as part of its inaugural social media index, but opted not to give individual grades this year after determining all the leading sites would receive a failing grade.

“They are categorically unsafe, across the board,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said. The findings follow a several month effort by GLAAD and a team of outside experts who looked at each of the sites, their policies and track record of enforcing those policies.

Ellis said that all of the sites hold themselves out as LGBTQ-friendly and nonetheless allow for LGBTQ people to be harassed on a daily basis as well as allowing harmful misinformation to spread unchecked.

Each of the social media platforms defended their efforts to protect LGBTQ people. Facebook/Instagram CMO Alex Schultz declared their deep belief in “the representation of and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community that GLAAD champions.” “Finding the right balance between giving voice and taking action on harmful content is hard,” added Schultz. “This is why we partner with experts, non-profits and other stakeholders – like GLAAD – to try to get it right.” YouTube issued a statement noting its ‘significant progress’ in removing “hateful and harassing content against the LGBTQ+ community that violates our policies, prominently surface content in search results and recommendations from authoritative sources and limit the spread of extreme content by our recommendations.” Twitter says it welcomes GLAAD’s initiative and the chance to “better understand the experiences and needs of the LGBTQ+ communities on our service.” And TikTok promised it is “committed to supporting and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices on and off the platform and we care deeply about fostering a welcoming and supportive experience for everyone.”

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News Round-Up: May 10, 2021

Andrew Garfield shooting a scene for 'Mainstream' in 2019 nearly naked

Philipp Tanzer today
Philipp Tanzer today (screen capture via BBC)
Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: Former gay porn star turned far-right “men’s rights activist” Philipp Tanzer (above) has failed to win a seat in the Scottish elections. Tanzer was a well-known porn actor and identified as gay until the age of 32 – but he then renounced his sexuality and began dating women. • Variety: POSE star MJ Rodriguez has already booked her next gig – she will star opposite Maya Rudolph in an upcoming Apple comedy series. It follows Molly (Rudolph), a woman whose seemingly perfect life is upended after her husband leaves her with nothing but 87 billion dollars. Rodriguez will play Sofia, the hard-working executive director of the non-profit funded by her absentee billionaire boss, Molly. • C&C: Gifs of actor Andrew Garfield shooting a movie scene in NYC wearing a fake penis have surfaced. In the images, you can see Garfield giving high fives and trying to hug people as he filmed a scene for Mainstream in 2019. Click the link to see uncensored gifs. Andrew Garfield shooting a scene for 'Mainstream' in 2019 nearly naked • ABC News: A new poll shows nearly 60% of people in Japan want the Olympic Games to be cancelled, less than three months before the Games are due to open. The Olympics, which were delayed by a year due to the pandemic, are set to open on July 23. • AP News: The Transportation Security Administration said that slightly more than 1.7 million people were screened at airport checkpoints on Sunday, the highest number since March 2020, when travel was collapsing because of the coronavirus outbreak. • Gr8erDays: The Hollywood nostalgia site celebrates the birthday of actor and race car driver Bruce Penhall as their Mantique of the Day for May 10. Penhall, who turns 64 today, is best known for  his role on the NBC series “CHiPs” and the “Savage Beach” (1989) movies. https://www.instagram.com/p/COrA7E6BrMN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Trainer Blames ‘Cancel Culture’ After Kentucky Derby Winner Fails Drug Test

Horse trainer denies doping charges after his horse tested positive for banned substance after winning Kentucky Derby

Horse trainer Bob Baffert denies doping charges after his horse tested positive for banned substance after winning Kentucky Derby Horse trainer Bob Baffert blames “cancel culture” after his horse, Medina Spirit, who won the Kentucky Derby, failed its post-race drug test. According to Mediaite, at least 29 of Baffert’s horses failed a drug test during his career. “We live in a different world now,” says Baffert during an appearance on Fox News. “This America’s different.” “We did not cheat to win the Kentucky Derby,” he added.

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News Round-Up: May 8, 2021

For the second year in a row, Skittles is going colorless for June because "

For the second year in a row, Skittles is going colorless for June because 'only one rainbow matters during Pride' Some news items you might have missed: • OUT: For a second year in a row, Skittles is releasing limited-edition Pride Packs, which feature all gray packaging and all gray candies inside. “Only one rainbow matters during Pride,” reads the packaging. One dollar per pack purchased will then be donated (up to $100K) by Skittles to GLAAD. • Instinct Magazine: Caitlyn Jenner, who has declared she opposes transgender girls compete in sports with cisgender girls, was twisting in the wind again this week when footage of Jenner competing in a 2016 LPGA tournament surfaced. Yes, in the tournament Jenner competed against – you guessed it – cisgender women. • NewNowNext: Actor-comedian Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) has teamed up with GLAAD to tell the world about his two moms: Helena McElhenney and her wife Mary Taylor.

• Washington Blade: A Puerto Rico Senate committee on Thursday killed a bill that would have banned so-called conversion therapy on the island. • Winston Salem Journal: A Forsyth County minister, T. Elliott Welch, has been arrested on a child-pornography charge, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. An arrest warrant alleges that Welch copied material showing a nude girl, who appeared to be between the ages of 10 and 12, being raped by a man. Welch is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Stanleyville whose website is chockful of anti-LGBTQ pronouncements. • Newsweek: A Minnesota man, identified by his social media accounts as Thomas Humphrey, posted a video of himself that appeared to show him stealing a vial of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from CVS in order to “test it at a lab.” “I just want to read it. I just—you know, I’m taking the vaccine, I just want to read it,” he then reached across a counter and grabbed a white box. #theft

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News Round-Up: May 7, 2021

Sergio J. Matos and Jim Newman

Sergio J. Matos and Jim Newman
Sergio J. Matos and Jim Newman
Some news items you might have missed: • OUT: The Village People’s Jim Newman (above) moved to Brazil for love. The Broadway daddy would love a return to performing, but for now he’s happy hunkering down on the beach with his fiancé, Sergio J. Matos. • Instinct Magazine: Ryan Reynolds wants his anti-hero super-hero Deadpool to be pansexual (per the original source comics) in the upcoming Marvel Studios film Deadpool 3. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like the latest issue of WireMag (below) featuring body builder Steve Rogers. • NBC News: Middle school students in Texas have accused a teacher of defacing their chalk art of Pride flags by scrawling “heteros rule” over top of it. The school district is apparently dodging the issue by sending out a “vague” email implying there was a dustup (but didn’t explain what happened). • Axios: Oklahoma has secured a $2.6 million refund for a malaria drug purchase once touted by Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19. Trump repeatedly promoted hydroxychloroquine last year despite health officials warning that the drug should not be prescribed for treating COVID-19 outside of research or hospital settings due to serious side effects. • Twitter: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told a Trump supporter he “led the fight” to overturn the 2020 election (take that Josh Hawley). But as the cultist grows more fervent, Cruz (aware a camera is on him) has to pull away.

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Bar Owner Busted For Selling Fake Vaccination Cards

Bar owner arrested for selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards

Bar owner arrested for selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards A bar owner in California’s Central Valley has been arrested for selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. From NBC News:

Charges against Todd Anderson, 59, include identity theft, forging government documents, and falsifying medical records, according to a statement from San Joaquin District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar.

An investigation was opened after California’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control received a complaint about fake cards being sold at the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, about 40 miles southeast of Sacramento.

Anderson was also found with a loaded unregistered firearm, a felony, during his arrest.

Charges included falsifying medical records and several counts of identity theft. Just get the shot, folks…

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4 Ex-Cops Indicted By Federal Grand Jury In George Floyd Case

George Floyd, handcuffed on the ground as Officer Derek Chauvin kneels on his neck
All four former Minneapolis police officers involved in the detaining and eventual death of George Floyd have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights. From the New York Times:

The indictment charges Mr. Chauvin, 45, and other former Minneapolis Police Department officers Tou Thao, 35, J. Alexander Kueng, 27, and Thomas Lane, 38, with willfully depriving Mr. Floyd of his constitutional civil rights during his arrest.

The indictment alleges that by holding his left knee across Mr. Floyd’s neck and his right knee on his back and arm as he lay on the ground, handcuffed and unresisting, Mr. Chauvin used unconstitutional, unreasonable force that resulted in Mr. Floyd’s death.

Mr. Thao and Mr. Kueng were charged with willfully failing to stop Mr. Chauvin from using unreasonable force. All four defendants saw Mr. Floyd lying on the ground in need of medical care and willfully failed to aid him, depriving him of his constitutional right not to be deprived of liberty without due process of law, which included Mr. Floyd’s right to be free from an officer’s deliberate indifference to serious medical needs, the indictment said.

Chauvin, who was found guilty on state charges of murder and manslaughter in regard to the incident, was also indicted for another incident involving a 14-year-old boy in 2017. Chauvin reportedly held the teen by the neck and beat him on the head with a flashlight before holding the teen down with his knee on his neck while handcuffed face down on the ground. Sound familiar? Thao, Kueng, and Lane still face state charges in the Floyd incident with the trial scheduled for August.

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News Round-Up: May 6, 2021

Disney rolls out brand new rainbow pride gear for Pride Month

Disney rolls out brand new rainbow pride gear for Pride Month
(image via Disney Parks)
Some news items you might have missed: • Disney Parks: Just in time for Pride Month 2021, fans around the world can showcase their LGBTQ pride with all-new bespoke products featuring Disney brands. To learn more, visit RainbowDisneyCollection.com. • Pink News: An anti-transgender bill in Texas that would ban trans students from playing sports on the team corresponding to their gender identity has failed to advance out of a House committee. It failed to get the requisite seven votes to move forward, instead receiving a 6-5 vote in favor. • Kenneth-in-the-212: This week’s installment of Wrestle Wednesdays was a truly worthy honoree (below). Click here for more of KIT212’s regular Hump Day feature.
Follow David Torres here
Make sure to follow David Torres here on Instagram
• OUT: A Republican state lawmaker in Kansas was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery charges for kneeing the groin of a teenaged boy who was in a class he was substitute teaching. • Edge Media: Olympic athlete Tom Daley is back in familiar form after winning two gold medals at the 2021 FINA World Cup in Tokyo. The event was the diver’s first competitive performance in 14 months, and the judges unanimously agreed that Daley didn’t miss a beat. • Twitter: Fox News talking head Tucker Carlson says thousands of Americans have died after they received a COVID-19 vaccine, pointing to CDC numbers. What he doesn’t say: “Reports to VAERS of death ‘following’ vaccination do not necessarily mean the vaccine ’caused’ the death.” VAERS is an open-access system. It’s designed so that anyone — parents, patients and health care professionals — can freely report any health effects that occur after a vaccination whether or not those effects are believed to be caused by the vaccine. People have died after watching Carlson’s TV show. It doesn’t mean they actually died from his show (although I guess that’s possible).

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Atlanta Police Report Series Of Robberies Initiated On Grindr

Officer Eric King, LGBT Liaison for Atlanta Police Department

Photo of the gay dating app Grindr
(image via Depositphotos)
Over the past four months, at least 8 gay men in Atlanta have been reported being robbed by men they met on the dating app Grindr. During a press conference Wednesday, Sergeant Rodney Jones of the Atlanta Police Department’s robbery unit told reporters, “From February to May, we have had eight instances where male victims were lured to remote locations by use of the Grindr app.” “After the date concludes, the suspect will rob the victim, often taking their wallets, keys, or even vehicles,” added Jones. Each of the victims told the police they met their assailants on Grindr. The robbers, using stolen photos for their profile, would strike up a conversation with the intended victims and then move the chat to text messages. Jones says most of the robberies occurred with the perpetrators wielding a handgun “at the end of the date.” One victim reported that he had picked up the Grindr ‘date’ and drove to a remote part of Atlanta. Once there, the robber pulled a gun demanding the victim “give me the car and everything you got.” Police say they’ve traced at least one Grindr profile to some of the robberies, and described the potential suspects as being six feet tall, slim but muscular build, late teens to early 20s, dark-skinned Black men with short dreads. The authorities believe one alleged robber is responsible for many of the crimes which have taken place in the northwest part of the city, while another man (or possibly two) have committed similar crimes in the southeastern area of Atlanta.
Officer Eric King, LGBT Liaison for Atlanta Police Department
Officer Eric King, LGBT Liaison for Atlanta Police Department
It’s possible even more Grindr-related robberies have occurred as police believe some men may be embarrassed to report the crimes. Also taking part in the press briefing was Officer Eric King, who serves as the LGBT liaison to the Atlanta Police Department. King offered some tips on how to improve safety when meeting someone new from Grindr. He advised having a video chat with the potential date before meeting up in person. And if you are driving to meet that person, look up the address to make sure it makes sense as opposed to showing up and finding it to be a remote location. “Find a partner or a friend that you trust that you can notify when you’re going to meet somebody,” added King. “Meet at a grocery store. Meet at a public place before you reconvene somewhere more intimate.” This isn’t the first time Grindr has been used to target victims. In January 2020, I reported on a Michigan man whose Grindr date went horribly wrong after being targeted via the dating app. And in 2017, four men pleaded guilty to violent home invasions set up on Grindr. Watch the press conference by the APD below.

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TN Lawmaker Blocks Honor For Gay Country Star TJ Osborne

Country music star TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne

Country music star TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne
TJ Osborne (screen capture via YouTube)
The Tennessee state legislature was all set to honor Brothers Osborne country star T.J. Osborne (who recently came out as gay in February) but a Republican lawmaker suddenly objected and killed the tribute. Even though the state Senate voted unanimously (30-0) in favor of the resolution, Rep. Jeremy Faison used his position as chair of the House Republican Caucus to block the honor. “We have some concerns” said Faison from the floor of the state House about Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 609. NBC News reports that when asked what those “concerns” were, the GOP lawmaker said, “It wasn’t heard in committee, and I feel like it needs to be.” That move effectively killed the resolution because the committee that would discuss the SJR has closed for the year.

While Faison makes it sound like a procedural issue, other lawmakers responded saying “a lot of SJRs aren’t “heard in committees” yet they receive votes and are passed. Most folks are attributing Faison’s objections to the fact that Osborne is gay and Faison has a history of supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation. According to NBC News, SJR 609 states that “though T.J. Osborne is not the first country music artist to come out as gay, he is the first and currently only openly gay artist signed to a major country label.” “Though it may have been merely a consequence of being true to himself, he has nonetheless become a trailblazer and a symbol of hope for those country music artists and fans alike who may have become ostracized from a genre they hold dear,” continues the resolution. As folks on Twitter criticized Faison, the Brothers Osborne chose to reach out to the Republican publicly instead of attack. “We’ve lived in this state for over half of our lives,” wrote the brothers before pointing out that Faison had voted to honor conservative pundit Ben Shapiro who doesn’t even live in Tennessee. “Jeremy, let’s have lunch one day,” continued the tweet. “On us. Would really like to know more about you as a person.”

For his part, Faison responded to the band saying he would be ‘honored to break bread’ with the Osborne bros, although ‘honored’ seems to be an awkward word choice given he had just done the exact opposite in objecting to the resolution. Brothers Osborne continued their classy approach saying they would follow up via direct messaging.

Still, the political gamesmanship didn’t sit well with many in the Nashville music scene. Country star Kacey Musgraves tweeted she was “massively disappointed” in the House Republicans for the ugly move.

In a recent CBS Sunday Morning interview, T.J. shared that he’s received “an incredible amount of support” since coming out. “And there’s been some people saying some off-color things to me,” continued Osborne before adding, “But it was a lot, a lot less than I expected.”