Category: News

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News Round-Up: March 19, 2021

U.S. flag and Pride flag

Some news items you might have missed: • Human Rights Campaign: New polling conducted by HRC and Hart Research Associates shows an overwhelming 70% of voters support the Equality Act. That support spans across all ages, races, religions, and political parties. And yet, Senate Republicans strenuously oppose the bill. • BosGuy: It’s Furry Friday over at the Boston-based blog – squeee! Click over to see which fur ball is featured this week. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications including Florida’s Hotspots Magazine (below) featuring their 2021 Sex Survey. The cover of Hotspots Magazine • Pink News: The newly crowned Miss Silver State USA, Kataluna Enriquez, will be the first trans woman of color to compete in the Miss Nevada USA pageant – and if she wins, could go on to Miss USA. • Instinct Magazine: A Russian man pulled off a rather inexplicable stunt while bungee jumping in Russia – with the cord attached to the piercings on his bum. • AP News: Former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club has been partially closed because of a COVID outbreak. A receptionist at the Mar-a-Lago club confirmed the news, saying it was closed until further notice, but declined to comment further.

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Twitter Shades Graham Over Threat To Block Equality Act

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced he would talk until he “fell over to make sure the Equality Act doesn’t become law.” The remark, which occurred during an interview on Fox News with talking head Sean Hannity, was in response to President Biden’s suggestion that Senate Democrats consider bringing back the “talking filibuster” rule which existed when Biden joined the Senate in the 1970s.

Currently, the rules require 60 votes to close debate on legislation to move to the actual vote on a bill. Essentially, that means it takes a three-fifths majority to get to a vote. And with a 50-50 split in the Senate, Democrats will need 10 Republicans to vote with them to get to a vote on the bill. With a “talking filibuster,” anyone who wanted to block closing debate would have to continuously speak from the floor of  the Senate without pause. No bathroom breaks, no snacks, no nothing. Senate Democrats have been considering some change to the filibuster to not only help pass the Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to protected classes of existing federal civil rights laws, but also HR1 – legislation that would expand voting access. But Graham, of all people, attacking a federal LGBTQ rights bill didn’t sit well with many in the Twitterverse. Primarily because Graham has long faced rumors about being a gay closet case while voting against LGBTQ issues. Now, we’re not saying Graham is gay. We’re just reporting that the insinuation has followed the never-married bachelor for years. AND – he votes against LGBTQ interests.

Just last summer, gay adult entertainment performer Sean Harding tweeted about “a homophobic republican senator” who “keeps passing legislation that is damaging to the lgbt and minority communities.” Harding added, “Every sex worker I know has been hired by this man. Wondering if enough of us spoke out if that could get him out of office?” At the time, #LadyG and #LadyGraham began trending as some alleged that was the nickname for Graham used by sex workers. So it’s no wonder that this week, following Graham’s comments about the Equality Act, the Twitterverse clapped back at the senator.

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Biden Reaches 100 Million Vaccine Shot Promise In 58 Days

President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden campaigned on a promise to get 100 million vaccine shots in arms before his the end of his first 100 days in office. That goal was reached today – 42 days early. Speaking to reporters at the White House today, Biden said he’ll set a new goal by next week, teasing the possibility of hitting 200 million vaccinations by Day 100. In related news, Biden’s coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients announced today that the U.S. would “loan” Mexico 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 1.5 million doses to Canada. Zients said because the AstraZeneca shot is not yet authorized in the U.S., “This loan will not reduce the supply of vaccine to Americans.” Meanwhile, folks took to social media to celebrate the 100 million mark.

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News Round-Up: March 18, 2021

Screen capture from the acclaimed film, Poppy Field

Screen capture from the acclaimed film, Poppy Field
(screen capture from the acclaimed film Poppy Field)
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: South Carolina Democratic Rep. Cezar McKnight is facing ire from his fellow party members for introducing a new anti-trans bill that would make it a felony for doctors to prescribe life-saving hormone therapy for transgender youth. McKnight is joined in supporting the bill by 23 fellow lawmakers, all Republicans. • JoeMyGod: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says he “would talk ’til I fell over to make sure that the Equality Act doesn’t become law.” Methinks the lady doth protest too much. • Stonewall Gazette: The film Poppy Field (top image) follows the struggle of a young Romanian police officer, Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer), who tries to find balance between being a working man in a macho hierarchical environment and that of being a closeted gay person trying to keep his personal life a secret.

• NBC News: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Asian American community leaders during a scheduled visit to Georgia on Friday in the wake of the spa shootings in Atlanta that left eight people dead, six of whom were women of Asian descent. • KATC: A federal grand jury in Lafayette returned a six-count indictment charging Chance J. Seneca, 19, of Lafayette, with hate crime, kidnapping, firearm, and obstruction charges based on his attempted murder of a gay man and his overarching scheme to kidnap and murder gay men whom he met online. • CNN: Xavier Becerra was confirmed by the Senate as the first Latino Health and Human Services secretary on Thursday. The vote was 50 to 49. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) was the only Republican to vote yes – Democrat Mazie Hirono was absent.

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News Round-Up: March 17, 2021

Ginger go-go dancer Seth Fornea

Ginger go-go dancer Seth Fornea
Ginger go-go dancer Seth Fornea (via BosGuy)
Some news items you might have missed: • BosGuy: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with ginger go-go dancer and model Seth Fornea (above). Talk about bringing new meaning to the phrase “lucky charms…” • Block Club Chicago: Did Eric Trump jump the line for COVID vaccination? A top executive of a West Side hospital in Chicago bragged about vaccinating Eric Trump the same day the hospital vaccinated workers at Trump Tower Downtown. Trump would not have been eligible to be vaccinated in Chicago. • Kenneth-in-the-212: It’s Wrestle Wednesday over at KIT212 and well-worth the click as he features 30-year-old pro wrestler David Starr (below). • Washington Blade: Dean Trantalis, currently serving as the first openly gay mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., came under criticism by LGBTQ activists this week for backing and signing a proclamation approved by the Fort Lauderdale City Commission honoring the city’s Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, which has a history of anti-LGBTQ policy positions. • The Hill: The Kentucky legislature has passed a bill that would require a governor to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat with a member of the departed senator’s party. While both houses of Kentucky’s legislature is controlled by Republican supermajorities, the state currently has a Democrat in the governor’s mansion, Gov. Andy Beshear. • USA Today: The House voted 413-12 on Wednesday to award Capitol police, Metropolitan police and other law enforcement agencies with the Congressional Gold Medal, for protecting lawmakers, staffers, reporters and visitors from insurrectionists on Jan. 6. Twelve Republicans voted against the measure for combining the medal with what they deemed “editorial comments about the January 6 sequence of events.”

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Sharon Osbourne Claims She Was ‘Set Up’ By CBS Execs

Sharon Osbourne tells ET she believes she was setup in the latest Meghan Markle chat on The Talk

Sharon Osbourne tells ET she believes she was setup in the latest Meghan Markle chat on The Talk
Sharon Osbourne (screen capture)
Sharon Osbourne tells ET she doesn’t know if she’ll be returning to The Talk after the recent dust-up on her gabfest when things got ugly between her and fellow co-host Sheryl Underwood. The brouhaha erupted out of Osbourne’s defense of her friend Piers Morgan, who had attacked Meghan Markle as a liar after Markle and Prince Harry sat down for an extensive interview with Oprah Winfrey. From the LA Times:

Last Wednesday, Osbourne said, a producer asked her if she would “clear up the Piers thing again” even if “maybe one of them doesn’t agree with you.” But she didn’t expect [Elaine] Welteroth to bring up antiracism and she didn’t expect Underwood to imply she was giving cover to racism.

“I’ve been set up,” Osbourne told “ET,” describing her thoughts in the moment. “And I went, like, how dare you all do this to me? I’m your sacrificial lamb.”

Osbourne did admit to “having a go” at Underwood, her friend of 11 years, including when she told Underwood “don’t try and cry,” reserving that right for herself.

“I should never have said [anything] about her tears,” she told ET. “I should never have dismissed her feelings on national TV. Ever. But I said it, I have to own it.”

While Osbourne maintains she is not racist in any way, a video clip from 2018 shows a discussion of Meghan Markle’s skin color that doesn’t help Osbourne today. In the clip, Underwood is speaking about Markle (who is half-Black) saying “…she brought Blackness to the royal family — which is not the first time…” “She ain’t Black!” Osbourne counters. And when her co-hosts try to correct her, Osbourne declares, “No, I know. But she doesn’t look Black!”

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Dozens Protest Anti-LGBTQ Bills In Montana

Highway sign which reads, "Greetings from Montana"

Highway sign which reads, "Greetings from Montana" Armed with rainbow Pride flags and signs that read “Let me be me!,” dozens of Montana residents protested at the state capital in Helena against anti-LGBTQ legislation. From The Advocate:

One of the bills, The Religious Freedom Restoration act, has already passed the Senate. If made into law, it would allow people to challenge or ignore government regulations that they say interfere with their religious beliefs.

The government would then have to prove “it’s actions are justified by a compelling interest and are being accomplished by the least restrictive means possible” according to the Associated Press.

LGBTQ+ Montanans fear that the law would be used to challenge anti-discrimination ordinances that exist in some cities. Montana’s Human Rights Act does not include protections based on gender identity.

Other anti-LGBTQ bills in the works in Montana include bills that would require proof of gender reassignment surgery in order to change the gender marker on birth certificates; prohibiting doctors from performing such surgeries on minors (which doesn’t happen); and legislation that would prevent transgender girls from playing school sports. The Advocate reports there are at least 108 bills being considered across the country that target LGBTQ+ people, including 71 specifically anti-trans bills.

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Police Called On Covidiot ‘Karen’ 2nd Time In One Week

Covidiot 'Karen' - Terry Lynn Wright (screen captures)
Covidiot ‘Karen’ – Terry Lynn Wright (screen captures)
OMG, the police were called to deal with this woman a second time in just under a week. Terry Lynn Wright, 65, was taken into custody on Wednesday by police officers at a Texas City Office Depot when she refused to wear a face mask per the company’s policy. A mere six days prior, she was arrested on criminal trespass and resisting charges in a viral video moment at a bank in Galveston, Texas. In body cam footage, Wright was seen resisting arrest and screaming she didn’t have to wear a “face diaper.” She later told local news reporters that the pandemic is a hoax. In the video clip, she calls her treatment ‘police brutality,’ as others in the bank lobby say, “No, it’s not.”

Police were called to the Office Depot in Texas City just after 9 a.m. on Wednesday after Wright was asked to leave the store by employees for refusing to wear a face mask. No new charges were filed, but Wright was taken into custody on warrants related to the Galveston incident. She was then transferred to the Galveston County Jail. Lord, what do these people think they are going to achieve with these silly antics? Is all this really worth being detained/arrested?

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News Round-Up: March 16, 2021

Trans actor Elliot Page on the cover of TIME Magazine Some news items you might have missed: • TIME Magazine: Elliot Page tells TIME he knew he was a boy at 9-years-old and it took the pandemic for him to transition. The X-Men actor came out in December becoming one of the most high-profile trans people in America. • NowThis News: A father with a transgender daughter shared his experience raising her in a powerful testimony against an anti-trans bill in Missouri. ‘As a parent, the one thing we cannot do — the one thing — is silence our child’s spirit.’

• NPR: Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, has become the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. The Senate voted 51-40 Monday to confirm the Democratic congresswoman to lead the Interior Department, an agency that will play a crucial role in the Biden administration’s efforts to combat climate change and conserve nature. • Instinct Magazine: The new music video from Imagine Dragons – “Follow You” – is a veritable smorgasbord of shirtless hunks (presented in fantasy-mode) led by front man (and LGBTQ ally) Dan Reynolds.

• USA Today: U.S. intelligence officials say Russia and Iran attempted to influence and sway the 2020 elections by spreading “false or inflated claims about alleged compromises of voting systems to undermine public confidence in election processes and results.” Russia specifically focused on “denigrating” Joe Biden’s candidacy. • HuffPost: After QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) called Guam, a U.S. territory a foreign nation in a recent speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Guam Del. Michael F.Q. San Nicolas paid a visit to Greene’s office accompanied by a group of National Guard members from Guam who delivered a gift basket of cookies. Guam has been a U.S. territory since 1899, and its residents have been American citizens since 1950. Greene later claimed she was being ‘harassed’ by the National Guard.

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Virginia Gov Restores Voting Rights For Those Who Serve Their Prison Sentences

Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia

Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia
Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia
From the office of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam:

Governor Ralph Northam today restored the civil rights of more than 69,000 Virginians using new eligibility criteria that mirror a proposed change to the Constitution of Virginia that would automatically restore voting rights to individuals upon completion of their sentence of incarceration.

With today’s announcement, Governor Northam has restored civil rights to more than 111,000 people since he took office.

Under current law, anyone convicted of a felony in Virginia loses their civil rights, including the right to vote, serve on a jury, run for office, become a public notary, and carry a firearm. Virginia remains one of the three states in the nation whose constitution permanently disenfranchises citizens with past felony convictions, but gives the governor the sole discretion to restore civil rights, excluding firearm rights.

I personally believe if you are found guilty of a crime, go to prison and serve your sentence, by definition you have paid your debt to society as determined by the justice system. And so, yes – you should have your right to vote restored. Read the full public statement here.