Category: News

Posted on

News Round-Up: April 22, 2021

Out professional wrestler Anthony Bowens

Out professional wrestler Anthony Bowens
Out professional wrestler Anthony Bowens (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • NewNowNext: We’re less than four months into the year, but 2021 is already on track to outpace 2015 as the worst year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in recent memory, according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). • Instagram: Out professional wrestler Anthony Bowens (above) thanked his fans recently for allowing him to be who he is. “Five years ago, I was in the closet, fearing that if I ever said something my wrestling career would be over. Fast forward…and I’m living my dream. Thank you.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CN3os5enhFb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • Back2Stonewall: Uh-oh, a serious throw down here – who sang the Kander & Ebb classic “Maybe This Time” best? Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth or Oscar winner Liza Minnelli? All are fabulous, but you know the answer… • Gr8erDays: General Hospital hunk Steve bond turns 68 today. Check out the hunky film & TV actor (who also appeared in Playgirl back in the day). https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-PAn3B8Jh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • New York Post: Following the Derek Chauvin verdicts in the murder of George Floyd, it’s worth remembering the other three police officers involved in the incident also face charges of  charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder as well as second-degree manslaughter. Their trials begin in August. • The Wrap: Fox News host Tucker Carlson identified himself as being part of the “Dan White Society” in his 1991 Trinity College yearbook entry. Dan White notoriously murdered San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official, in 1978.

Posted on

Senate Passes Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Bill 94-1

An 18-year-old man in Jamaica is in critical condition after being ambushed in a fake dating app hookup where he was robbed, had his penis partially severed and set on fire.

Stock photo of a crime scene The U.S. Senate approved today, by a vote of 94-1, a bill that will hopefully help law enforcement address anti-Asian hate crimes which have risen sharply during the COVID pandemic. From Axios:

It’s a rare bipartisan endorsement of a bill by the 50-50 Senate, and comes in the wake of a spike of anti-Asian hate crimes over the last year. Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) was lone Republican to vote against the bill.

The bill will train law enforcement to better identify anti-Asian racism and appoint an official in the Justice Department to review and expedite COVID-19-related hate crime reports, among other measures.

Republicans originally balked at the bill when language initially referred to the legislation as “COVID-19 hate crimes.” But an amendment to just “hate crimes” assuaged those conerns.

The bill heads to the House now where it’s expected to pass before heading to President Biden’s desk.

Posted on

House Votes 216-208 In Favor Of DC Statehood

Washington D.C. (photo: Maria Oswalt/Unsplash)
By a vote of 216-208, the House of Representatives voted in favor of statehood for the District of Columbia. From the Washington Post:

For the second time in history, the House passed legislation Thursday to make the District of Columbia the nation’s 51st state, bolstering momentum for a once-illusory goal that has become a pivotal tenet of the Democratic Party’s voting rights platform.

Democrats approved Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Washington, D.C. Admission Act 216-208 in a party-line vote, describing it as a bid to restore equal citizenship to the residents of the nation’s capital and rectify a historic injustice.

But the political odds remain formidable, with the Senate filibuster requiring the support of 60 senators to advance legislation.

The District has no representation in the U.S. Senate, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is a non-voting member of the House. Republicans have long opposed statehood for D.C. because the District has a large Black community and votes overwhelmingly Democratic. In most probabilities that would produce two new Democratic Senators increasing the Dems hold on a Senate majority. Read the full article. Some say the District is ‘too small’ to warrant statehood. But there are approximately over 692,000+ citizens living in D.C. Wyoming has just over 578,000 residents and the population of Vermont is just over 623,000. So…?

Posted on

News Round-Up: April 21, 2021

Antonio aka 'Fitness Papi'

Antonio aka 'Fitness Papi'
Antonio aka FitnessPapi (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: Antonio, aka FitnessPapi (above), is IM’s ‘InstaHottie of the week’ – and for good reason. Follow him on Instagram here. • The Advocate: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat in a state with a GOP-controlled legislature, has quietly implied she may veto an anti-transgender bill that would bar trans girls and women from competing on female sports teams at the state’s public schools, colleges, and universities. • Gr8erDays: Tony Danza (Taxi, Who’s The Boss?) turns 70 today. The forever hunk never stops working it seems from his TV shows to Broadway (The Producers, Honeymoon in Vegas) to hosting gigs. Happy happy, Tony D! https://www.instagram.com/p/CN6H1rFh4rE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • NewNowNext: Australian superstar Kylie Minogue, along with her equally fabulous sister Dannii Minogue, have been ‘RuVealed’ as guest judges for the inaugural season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. • Democracy Docket: The Arizona House has approved a new bill that would purge over 100,000 voters from the state’s Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL). SB 1485 would remove voters who don’t vote in two consecutive primary and general elections from the list. • Omaha.com: Conservative radio personality Chris Baker was fired Wednesday after posting an offensive tweet about the Derek Chauvin verdict. In a statement, iHeartRadio called the tweet “completely inappropriate and unacceptable.” Baker blamed the ‘mistake’ on being “a fat-fingered boomer on Twitter.”

Posted on

Arizona Gov Vetoes Anti-LGBTQ Education Bill

Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona vetoed a bill that would have prohibited any inclusion of LGBTQ topics or history in schools In a somewhat surprising move, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has vetoed legislation that would have curtailed the state’s sex education laws and would have prohibited any mention of LGBTQ issues or history. In a statement, the governor called the bill, SB 1456, “overly broad and vague” adding he was concerned about “unintended consequences.” From Goshen News:

The proposed law, Senate Bill 1456, would have barred all discussions about gender identity, sexual orientation or HIV/AIDS in sex education classes unless parents are notified in advance and specifically opt in for the instruction.

The proposal applied outside of sex ed classes as well, requiring parents to agree to have their children learn about historical events such as a discussion of the modern gay rights movement that sprang from the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York.

It also banned any sex ed classes before 5th grade, which opponents have said will put young students who now learn about “good touch-bad touch” to avoid molestation at greater risk.

Although he vetoed the bill, Ducey did issue an executive order requiring schools to post sex education course materials in advance online. He also ordered there to be early notice of school board meetings where sex ed might be discussed. Democratic lawmakers in the state opposed the legislation saying it was dangerous for already-marginalized LGBTQ youth. Kathy Hoffman, superintendent of schools for Arizona, publicly opposed the bill as well calling for the veto. And she applauded his move today.

Posted on

News Round-Up: April 20, 2021

TV hosts Jaymes Vaughan and Jonathan Bennett are the first gay couple to appear on the cover of The Knot Magazine

Jaymes Vaughan and Jonathan Bennett cover The Knot Magazine Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Celebrity Page TV host Jaymes Vaughan and actor Jonathan Bennett are the first gay couple to grace the cover of The Knot magazine. • The Advocate: Black LGBTQ activists see justice in Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdicts in the murder of George Floyd, but also acknowledge the work ahead. “Today, humanity won over indifference.” • Instinct Magazine: After many queens have impersonated her on RuPaul’s Drag Race, the indomitable Cher is hinting she may finally appear on the Emmy Award-winning series  as a guest judge. https://www.instagram.com/p/CN5o1w_hy64/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • NewNowNext: Gender-affirming healthcare bans are making life hell for transgender kids. Trans kids and their families are “in a state of panic,” one doctor in Arkansas told the AP. • HuffPost: Former boy-bander Lance Bass says ‘Bachelor’ star Colton Underwood is catching flack from the LGBTQ community because some queer folks aren’t down with him ‘monetizing’ coming out. • The Daily Beast: Ted Nugent, the right-wing rocker who’s spent the past year declaring the coronavirus a ‘scam’ has announced that he’s fallen badly sick with COVID-19.

Posted on

Derek Chauvin Found Guilty On All Charges

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer has been convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Chauvin was captured on video last May kneeling on the neck of Floyd during the course of an arrest until he lost consciousness and died. From the New York Times:

After deliberating for about 10 hours over two days following an emotional trial that lasted three weeks, the jury found Mr. Chauvin, who is white, guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter for the killing of Mr. Floyd, a Black man, on a street corner last year on Memorial Day.

Mr. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced in the coming weeks but is likely to receive far less time. The presumptive sentence for second-degree murder is 12.5 years, according to Minnesota’s sentencing guidelines, although the state has asked for a higher sentence.

Read the full article here. Derrick Johnson, CEO and president of the NAACP, issued this statement:

“While justice landed Derek Chauvin behind bars for killing George Floyd, no amount of justice will bring Gianna’s father back. The same way a reasonable police officer would never suffocate an unarmed man to death, a reasonable justice system would recognize its roots in white supremacy and end qualified immunity. Police are here to protect, not lynch. We will not rest until all in our community have the right to breathe.”

#Justice

Posted on

Verdict Reached In Derek Chauvin Trial

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin (screen capture)
The jury in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with manslaughter and murder charges for the death of George Floyd, has reached a verdict in less than a day. The verdict will be read at 4:30 pm ET. From NBC News:

The panel of seven women and five men began deliberating Monday after three weeks of witness testimony.

Chauvin is charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The third-degree murder charge had initially been dismissed, but it was reinstated after an appeals court ruling in an unrelated case established new grounds for it days before jury selection started.

Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years. Third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. Second-degree manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years.

Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for several minutes as Floyd, who was Black, was handcuffed and lying on the ground.

During the trial, prosecutors called 38 witnesses. The defense called seven witnesses, two of whom were experts.

Posted on

India’s COVID Second Wave Is Leading Factor In Rising Cases Globally

New York state is about to drop its face mask mandate as COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the Empire State.

A man wearing a face mask during the pandemic New cases of COVID1-9 worldwide have now exceeded their previous peak with the number of infections higher than it’s ever been. According to the Washington Post, a leading factor for the increase is the intensity of India’s second wave. That country now accounts for nearly one third of all new cases.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Earlier this year, India appeared to be weathering the pandemic. The number of daily cases dropped below 10,000 and the government launched a vaccination drive powered by locally made vaccines.

But experts say that changes in behavior and the influence of new variants have combined to produce a tidal wave of new cases.

India is adding more than 250,000 new infections a day — and if current trends continue, that figure could soar to 500,000 within a month, said Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan.

One crematorium in the city of Surat says it used to receive about 20 bodies a day, but now it is receiving 100. As of Monday evening, at least 3,023,700 people have died worldwide from coronavirus.