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Ralph Lauren Cuts Ties With Pro Golfer Over Homophobic Slur

Justin Thomas apologizes after using word 'faggot' during Tournament of Champions
Ralph Lauren ends sponsorship of pro golfer over homophobic slur
Pro golfer Justin Thomas (screen capture)

The Ralph Lauren Corporation has announced an end to their 7-year sponsorship of pro golfer Justin Thomas less than a week after Thomas was heard using the word ‘faggot’ after missing a putt at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

The remark occurred after Thomas attempted a five-foot putt at the fourth hole when his shot went astray. He could clearly be heard saying “fa**ot” in frustration.

 

Upon finishing the round, Thomas was informed his remark had been picked up by the TV microphones. He was apparently unaware he’d even used the word.

The Golf Channel spoke to Thomas, currently ranked #3 in the world, about the remark and he immediately expressed his regret for using the word.

“It’s inexcusable – first off I just apologize,” said Thomas. “There’s no excuse. I’m an adult, a grown man. There’s absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It’s terrible. I’m extremely embarrassed. It’s not who I am. It’s not the kind of person that I am. Unfortunately I did it and I have to own up to it.”

“I found out when I got done with my round…it’s bad,” he added. “There’s no other way to put it. I need to do better.”

“I deeply apologize to everybody and anybody who I offended and I’ll be better because of it.”

The next day, Thomas finished the tournament in third place banking a $490,000 payday.

Apology aside, Ralph Lauren Corporation announced on Friday they were “disheartened” by the incident and distanced themselves from Thomas saying the use of the slur is “entirely inconsistent with our values.”

The full statement from the Ralph Lauren Corporation:

At the Ralph Lauren Corporation, we believe in the dignity of all people, regardless of age, race, gender identity, ethnicity, political affiliation or sexual orientation. This is part of our longstanding commitment to foster cultures of belonging – in the workplace and in communities around the world.

We are disheartened by Mr. Thomas’s recent language, which is entirely inconsistent with our values. While we acknowledge that he has apologized and recognizes the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador of our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture that we strive to uphold.

In reflecting on the responsibility we have to all of our stakeholders, we have decided to discontinue our sponsorship of Mr. Thomas at this time. As we make this decision, our hope is that Mr. Thomas does the hard and necessary work in order to partner with us again – truly examining this incident, learning, growing and ultimately using his platform to promote inclusion.

Gay former professional golfer Maya Reddy told Sky Sports this week that Thomas’ anti-LGBTQ language reflects homophobia in professional golf. In 2016, Reddy qualified at the age of 23 to play on the Symetra Tour – the LPGA’s developmental tour – but decided to walk away from the sport due to incidents of discrimination and a lack of inclusivity in the culture of professional golf. “I had tournament directors on mini-tours say xenophobic, racist, and homophobic things to me on the first tee, in the guise of a joke,” explained Reddy. “I’m kind of in two minds about it,” said Reddy about the Thomas incident. “I think the fact that he apologised about it so quickly and with force, saying that this wasn’t OK and that he should do better, is really important because he acknowledges the harm that using that specific slur causes. “I think the PGA Tour saying that it wasn’t OK and acknowledging the harm it causes is also very important,” she added. “That being said, what is frustrating for me and many who watched this play out, was that it was so easy for him to jump to that word.”

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News Round-Up: January 15, 2021

Chippendales calendar

Chippendales calendar Some news items you might have missed: • Chippendales: It’s a new year which means it’s time for a new calendar. This year’s edition of the iconic Chippendales calendar (above) is an all-star affair packed with fan favorites. • NBC News: The Arizona Republican Party will vote on a measure to censure Cindy McCain, the widow of Sen. John McCain, on January 23, in part because of her support for President-elect Joe Biden and for same-sex marriage. • The Hill: Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s confirmation hearing for the role of Transportation secretary will be held Thursday. If he’s approved, Buttigieg will be the first openly gay Cabinet secretary to be confirmed by the Senate.  

• BosGuy: The veteran Boston blogger celebrates Furry Friday and we’re all the better for it 🙂 • New York Times: Prosecutors in Georgia appear increasingly likely to open a criminal investigation of President Trump over his attempts to overturn the results of the state’s 2020 election, an inquiry into offenses that would be beyond his federal pardon power. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out the weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like this week’s issue of MetroWeekly (below). Cover of MetroWeekly Magazine • People: In a new interview, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson does not hold back saying Donald Trump is “grossly limited in his ‘understanding of global events, his understanding of global history’ and hamstrung by his own attention span.” • Arkansas Online: Peter Francis Stager, 41, caught on video using an American flag and flagpole to beat a police officer during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot was arrested by federal authorities Thursday night. Remember, these are the folks who were upset at people taking a knee during a football game.  

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Pew Research: Trump Numbers Are Down, Biden’s Are Up

Results from latest Pew Research Center
L-R President Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden
As Donald Trump exits the presidency and Joe Biden is about to take the reins, Pew Research Center has released the results of its latest survey. The news is good for Biden, not so good for Trump. First of all, Trump leaves office with the worst job approval rating (29%) since he took office. The percentage of voters who score Trump’s conduct since the election as only fair or poor has ticked up from 68% in November to 76%. Pew shares that nearly all of the increase was in his “poor” ratings (62% now, 54% then). Even true Trumpers have grown weary of his post-election conduct. The share of his supporters who categorize his conduct as “poor” has doubled over the past two months, from 10% to 20%. Related – Gallup poll: Trump Approval Rating Continues To Drop More than two-thirds of voters (68%) say Trump should not continue to be a major national political figure while 29% feel he should remain a major figure in U.S. politics. • 75% say Trump bears at least some responsibility for the chaos and carnage that occurred at the U.S. Capitol building last week • 54% support Trump being impeached and removed from office • 58% of Americans approve of the job Joe Biden has done in explaining his plans and policies • 57% approve of Biden’s Cabinet choices and other high-level appointments • 46% expect Biden to improve the way the federal government in Washington, D.C., works, while 28% say he will make things worse Check out more results of the survey at Pew Research Center.

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DC Police Officer: They Were Screaming ‘Kill Him With His Own Gun’

Capitol Police officer Michael Fanone

Capitol Police officer Michael Fanone
DC Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone (screen capture)
DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone spoke to CNN about his frightening ordeal being dragged from the U.S. Capitol building and beaten by pro-Trump insurrectionists last week. According to CNN, Fanone is a narcotics detective who works in plain clothes. But when he heard the commotion at the Capitol, he grabbed his still brand-new police uniform that had been hanging in his locker and put it on for the first time. He raced to the building with his partner and helped officers who were being pushed back by rioters. But he was soon overwhelmed by the insurrectionists and tasered several times as he was pulled down the steps of the Capitol building. “I was just, you know, trying to fight as best I could,” Fanone told CNN. “I remember guys were stripping me of my gear, these rioters pulling my badge off my chest. They ripped my radio off my vest, started pulling ammunition magazines from their holder on my belt.” “Some guys started getting ahold of my gun and they were screaming out ‘Kill him with his own gun.’ At that point it was, you know, self-preservation – how do I survive this situation?” “I thought about using deadly force, I thought about shooting people. And then I came to the conclusion that if I was to do that I’d hit a few but I’m not going to take everybody. They’d probably take my gun away from me and that would definitely give them the justification they were looking for to kill me.” “The only option I came up with was to appeal to somebody’s humanity. I just remember yelling out that I have kids. It seemed to work, some people in the crowd started to encircle me and offer me some kind of protection.” “A lot of people have asked me my thoughts on the individuals in the crowd that helped me or tried to offer some assistance, and I think kind of the conclusion I’ve come to is like, you know, ‘Thank you, but fuck you for being there.’” Watch below as Fanone describes the scene in his own words. Remember – Trump supporters believe they are the ‘party of law and order…’

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Podcast: Biden’s LGBTQ Promises, New TV Series ‘It’s A Sin,’ And More

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s episode: • What can queer people expect from Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office? • Donald Trump takes a final swipe at LGBTQ Americans • North Carolina begins enacting LGBTQ protections (again) • Russell T. Davis, creator of the new UK TV drama It’s A Sin, shares his thoughts on casting gay actors in gay roles • A lesbian former pro golfer speaks up about number 3 ranked Justin Thomas’s ‘faggot’ remark during this weekend’s tournament of champions • Plus, two new commercials hit the gay sweet spot All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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News Round-Up: January 14, 2021

Seigfried died at the age of

Illusionist Siegfried Fischbacher died at the age of 81 due to pancreatic cancer
Siegfried Fischbacher
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: Las Vegas illusionist Siegfried Fischbacher, of Siegfried and Roy fame, has died at age 81. Fischbacher died Wednesday night at his home in Vegas due to pancreatic cancer. Roy Horn, his partner in life and work, died last May of COVID-19 complications at age 75. • Defense One: The Pentagon, in a break with recent tradition, will not host an Armed Forces Farewell tribute to President Donald Trump. Trump will leave office in disgrace, one week after the House voted a second time for his impeachment, two weeks after his supporters staged a deadly siege in the Capitol Building, six months after he dragged his Joint Chiefs chairman into a political firestorm, and after four years of nonstop assaults on truth. • Broadway Cares: Beloved stars from All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital will reunite for ABC Daytime: Back on Broadway, a one-night-only streaming concert benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The free streamed event can be watched at broadwaycares.org beginning at 8 pm Eastern on Thursday, February 11.

• Business Insider: GOP elected officials lost thousands of Twitter followers over the weekend, as the company cracked down on QAnon accounts in the aftermath of the Capitol Hill riots. Rep. Jim Jordan’s followers took the biggest dive with nearly 150,000 purged or defected. • ABC News: Amazon Web Services has responded to Parler’s lawsuit against it with a series of screenshots of hateful content – loaded with threats of violence and racial slurs – that allegedly spread on the platform. One screenshot of a Parler post features a slew of racial slurs about Michelle Obama and another states, “The only good democrat is a dead one.” • Variety: Lady Gaga is set to sing the national anthem for the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Jan. 20. Film and recording star Jennifer Lopez will perform as well.

 

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US Economy Could Recover Sooner Than Expected

US economy could recover sooner than expected

US economy could recover sooner than expected Crediting the monetary and fiscal support provided thus far during the coronavirus pandemic, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in an interview Thursday the U.S. economy may recover to pre-pandemic levels sooner than expected. From The Hill:

Powell said during a Thursday virtual interview that the unprecedented amount of stimulus approved by Congress and the White House, along with the Fed’s aggressive intervention, has likely prevented the U.S. from suffering deeper long-term economic damage.

The Fed chief stressed that the U.S. economy would not fully recover until the raging coronavirus pandemic is under control. Powell, however, said that a rebound to the historically low unemployment seen before COVID-19 derailed the economy could return quicker than many expected when the pandemic hit.

More than 20 million jobs were lost during March and April thanks to coronavirus-related closures. The unemployment rate skyrocketed from 3.5 percent to a staggering 14.7 percent. By December, around 10 million of those jobs had been recovered as the unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent. That said, the Department of Labor is reporting initial jobless claims soared to 965,000 last week. That figure is much higher than economists’ forecasts of 800,000 claims. It’s also the largest total since August 22, when the economy began a short recovery during the summer. In related news, the U.S. economy lost 140,000 jobs in December and according to CNN “all of them were held by women.”

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Trump Turns On Giuliani, Instructs Aides Not To Pay Legal Fees

Trump turns on Giuliani ordering aides not to pay his legal fees
Rudy Giuliani at Trump press conference (screen capture)
Donald Trump’s personal circle continues to grow smaller and smaller. After attacking his own Vice President for not trying to illegally overturn the 2020 election, Trump now is reportedly disgruntled with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. From the Washington Post:

Though Trump has been exceptionally furious with Vice President Pence, his relationship with lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, one of his most steadfast defenders, is also fracturing, according to people with knowledge of the dynamics between the men.

Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees, two officials said, and has demanded that he personally approve any reimbursements for the expenses Giuliani incurred while traveling on the president’s behalf to challenge election results in key states.

They said Trump has privately expressed concern with some of Giuliani’s moves and did not appreciate a demand from Giuliani for $20,000 a day in fees for his work attempting to overturn the election.

Many outlets have reported that Giuliani may have been wrangling for a preemptive presidential pardon just to cover his own backside. But it appears that may not be in the cards now. Although, Maggie Haberman of the New York Times has tweeted that White House folks are now walking back some of the ‘angry at Rudy’ reports.

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News Round-Up: January 13, 2021

Kiko Riaze reconnects with nature down in Rio

Kiko Riaze reconnects with nature down in Rio
Kiko Riaze (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Kiko Riaze (above) is reconnecting with nature down in Rio de Janeiro. Follow him on Instagram here. • Pink News: A gay man has shared a list of the top 10 bizarre, offensive things people have said to him and his husband since they became dads. “Which of you is the real dad?” • Hulu: Grammy Award nominee Andra Day looks like she’s on the verge of next-level stardom as bisexual jazz legend Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, directed by Oscar winner Lee Daniels. Premieres February 26 on Hulu.

• Washington Blade: President-elect Joe Biden will have his hands full upon his inauguration next week with coronavirus cases surging and impeachment proceedings in Congress, which may complicate his efforts to act on campaign promises to the LGBTQ community, especially signing the Equality Act into law with 100 days. • The Gaily Grind: An ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Israel has reportedly urged his followers not to get the potentially lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines because it might “turn them” gay. • Variety: Actor Brendan Fraser will star in the film adaptation of the critically acclaimed Samuel D. Hunter Broadway play The Whale about a 600-pound middle-aged man who turns to compulsive eating out of grief from losing his lover. • Equality NC: The Town Council of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has approved an ordinance broadly protecting members of the LGBTQ community from discrimination. The victory comes in the same week that Hillsborough, NC and Carrboro, NC passed similar ordinances. Municipalities regained the freedom to pass such measures on December 1, 2020, following the expiration of a key prong of HB142.

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Trump Lies: ‘No True Supporter Of Mine Could Endorse Violence’

Donald Trump

Donald Trump pretends he could never endorse violence Donald Trump released a video message today admonishing “violence and vandalism” in regard to the invasion of the U.S. Capitol building last week. “No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence,” says Trump in the clip. “No true supporter of mine could ever disrespect law enforcement or our great American flag.” Oh, my sides… The video came shortly after the House approved an article of impeachment against Trump by a vote of 232-197 making him the first president ever to be impeached twice. Plus, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell began hinting he may vote to convict Trump. This comes across as a preemptive legal defense against impeachment to me. Trust and believe, he did not write a word of this. From the New York Times:

“I want to be very clear,” he continued. “I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week. Violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country and no place in our movement. Making America great again has always been about defending the rule of law” and supporting law enforcement officials.

As a candidate in 2016, Mr. Trump once encouraged rally attendees to physically attack protesters. But in the video on Wednesday, he said that “mob violence goes against everything I believe in and everything our movement stands for. No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence.”

“If you do any of these things, you are not supporting our movement, you are attacking it, and you are attacking our country,” he said. “We cannot tolerate it.”

There was no mention of the people who died in the melee last week including one Capitol Police officer who was reportedly bludgeoned with a fire extinguisher. Looking ahead to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, Trump added, “There must be no violence, no lawbreaking and no vandalism of any kind.”