In this week’s podcast: • Remembering the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a fierce champion for LGBTQ rights, who died this week at the age of 87 • A Navy veteran sues the Veteran’s Administration claiming he tested positive for HIV over 20 years ago and his doctors never informed him of the diagnosis • A sportscaster suspended for using a gay slur on-air says he’s ‘never said the word’ before that moment • A woman denied Social Security survivor benefits after a 27-year relationship wins in federal court • New data shows the number of same-sex households rising in the US • Burger King lays a whopper on Ronald McDonald for LGBTQ Pride • Academy Award winner Jane Fonda reminds us what an awesome ally she is • And GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Critics announces the best in 2020 TV entertainment. Click here to watch the glitzy honors special on Revry TV (free). All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) In the aftermath of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has issued a statement saying the Senate should not vote on a new SCOTUS justice before the upcoming presidential election.
“In order for the American people to have faith in their elected officials, we must act fairly and consistently – no matter which political party is in power.
“President Trump has the constitutional authority to make a nomination to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, and I would have no objection to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s beginning the process of reviewing his nominee’s credentials.
“Given the proximity of the presidential election, however, I do not believe that the Senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election.
“In fairness to the American people, who will either be re-electing the president or selecting a new one, the decision on a lifetime appointment the Supreme Court should be made by the president who is elected on November 3rd.”
Breaking: Maine Senator Susan Collins became the first Republican to break ranks with GOP leadership and President Donald Trump to say the next Supreme Court nominee should be selected by whoever is elected president on Nov. 3.https://t.co/7gvRULawjQ
SUSAN COLLINS: “Given the proximity of the presidential election, however, I do not believe that the Senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election.” She says the winner should pick the next justice. https://t.co/FGnQKGpymK
One thing that’s not addressed in @SenatorCollins‘s statement is how she would vote if McConnell does hold a vote despite her opposition to holding one. Theoretically she could not vote at all and deny the nominee needed support without opposing him/her. https://t.co/sZUBeZgSnE
Maine’s Susan Collins is 1st R to break ranks to say next SCOTUS nominee should be selected by the person elected in Nov. But she doesn’t say she’d vote against. McConnell can lose 3 GOP senators and still confirm Trump pick to replace RBG. Can’t lose 4.https://t.co/zbyEODq6o5
And of course she's left herself a lot of wiggle room. She could have said "I will vote no on any vote before the election, and on any vote held during the lame duck in the event of a Trump loss." She didn't. But the statement reflects the bind she's in with the voters of Maine.
Bright Light Bright Light (aka Rod Thomas) Out musician and DJ Rod Thomas (aka Bright Light Bright Light) dropped his highly anticipated new album Fun City on Friday. The Welsh-born artist recently chatted with The Advocate via Instagram Q&A about the new collection, which he calls a “celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.” “It’s really important to me to use this record and this platform to raise awareness for causes and people that are very close to my heart,” he told The Advocate. “Throughout the album, you will see stories about queer history, queer people, and tying it in with organizations who are really important.” The press is impressed: “Offers its own buoyant beat to dance through pain and trouble.” – Rolling Stone “Bright Light Bright Light has established himself as a purveyor of pulsing, electro-pop anthems that lean into glittery nostalgia.” – Huffington Post “A much-needed dance escape.” – Billboard Check out a few singles from the new collection, Fun City, below.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (public domain) UPDATE: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already announced “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”
NEW: McConnell: “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.” pic.twitter.com/SyOC3aNGcl
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a true American hero, has died at the age of 87. An announcement from the high court said the cause was complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas. The statement added that Ginsburg died at her home in Washington surrounded by family. From NPR:
Architect of the legal fight for women’s rights in the 1970s, Ginsburg subsequently served 27 years on the nation’s highest court, becoming its most prominent member.
Her death will inevitably set in motion what promises to be a nasty and tumultuous political battle over who will succeed her, and it thrusts the Supreme Court vacancy into the spotlight of the presidential campaign.
Just days before her death, as her strength waned, Ginsburg dictated this statement to her granddaughter Clara Spera: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
Sadly, Ginsburg’s passing gives Republicans a chance to possibly solidify the conservative-leaning of the high court to a 6-3 majority. In 2016, with nearly a year left in President Obama’s time in office, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to consider Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Merrick B. Garland. Hours after Antonin Scalia died in February of 2016, McConnell said, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.” Democrats in the Senate, which votes to approve SCOTUS nominees, have almost no power to stop a simple majority vote on Ginsburg’s replacement.
BREAKING: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died. She leaves behind a vital legacy https://t.co/mnDH2Wr6Yr
(screen capture via CNN) Today is the first day of early voting in Virginia, and CNN reports the lines at polling stations are very long with folks waiting over 2 hours to cast their ballot. One gentleman told CNN, “I don’t trust the mail right now – If I got to stand here all day, I’m going to vote today.”
Hundreds of voters line up in Virginia as the first day of early in-person voting begins in the state.
People waiting for hours in Virginia to cast their ballots. Despite this massive line, no complaints here. Voters tell us they are excited, and not taking any chances. pic.twitter.com/44gwG9tE6v
Voters say they are willing to wait in line all day long to cast their ballots as massive lines form in Virginia for early voting. pic.twitter.com/aUM2gQs0de
Bear Week 2019 in Sitges, Spain Some news items you might have missed: • TBT: Remembering a year ago when we discovered Sitges, Spain, for the first time (above) – and it just happened to be Bear Week 🙂 • WSVN Miami: A man was convicted of hate crime charges and sent to prison after he yelled homophobic slurs and beat up two gay men while they were walking their dog in downtown Miami. Quenton Moss, the assailant, was recorded on police body cams bragging to officers, “I split him good. He’s a [expletive]. [Expletive] should die, die.” • OUT: Author and activist Sarah McBride is poised to become the first out trans person serving in the upper chamber of a state legislature. The former Obama administration staffer and current National Press Secretary for Human Rights Campaign won the Democratic primary for Delaware’s first state senate district. The seat is considered a sure-bet for Democrats and McBride is expected to win the general election in November. • GLAAD: Bisexual+ Awareness Week seeks to accelerate acceptance of the bi+ (bisexual, pansexual, fluid, no label, queer, etc.) community. BiWeek draws attention to the experiences, while also celebrating the resiliency of, the bisexual+ community. Throughout BiWeek, allies and bi+ people learn about the history, culture, community, and current policy priorities of bi+ communities.
• Associated Press: Germany’s Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer apologized on Thursday for 65 years of discrimination against gay military service members. “I very much regret the practice of discrimination against homosexuals in the Bundeswehr, which stood for the policy of that time,” said Kramp-Karrenbauer said in a statement. “I apologize to those who suffered because of it.” • Washington Post: A seven-hour “flight to nowhere” advertised by Australian airline Qantas sold out within 10 minutes on Thursday. The flight will depart Sydney on Oct. 10 and return on the same day, with no stops along the way. But passengers are promised views of the Great Barrier Reef, the Uluru monolith and the Australian outback as the plane flies over the country at low altitudes. The 134 available tickets ranged from $787 to $3,787 in Australian dollars, the equivalent of $575 and $2,765. • HuffPost: Donald Trump was called out on Wednesday for bragging that the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus would be lower if one subtracted the deaths from “blue” states. “The blue states had tremendous death rates,” Trump said. “If you take the blue states out, we’re at a level that I don’t think anybody in the world would be at, we’re really at a very low level.” According to data collected by The New York Times, 3 of the top 6 states in terms of deaths have Republican governors and 5 of the top 10 voted for Trump in 2016.
Dear @realDonaldTrump: Please stop dividing us. We are not the Red States of America. Or the Blue States of America. We are the United States of America. At the end of the day, we are all Americans. https://t.co/WxTjEqATyI
Jerry Harris (image via Instagram) Jeremiah “Jerry” Harris, who rose to fame on the Netflix docuseries “Cheer,” has been accused of child sexual exploitation and abuse, according to a lawsuit filed this week by attorneys representing two alleged victims. From CNN:
The lawsuit alleges that Harris “exploited his popularity and position of fame with young male cheer athletes” in the time “leading up to, during, and following the distribution of the ‘Cheer’ docuseries.”
The two alleged male victims, now 14, were 13 when the inappropriate behavior began, according to the claim.
Among the allegations are that Harris exchanged messages with the minors that were “sexual in nature” via social media, including requests for “explicit” photographs and sending “sexually explicit photos and videos of himself to Plaintiffs,” the lawsuit said.
Hours later, CNN filed a new report that Harris has been arrested and charged with “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself,” according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The minor involved in the complaint was reportedly 13 at the time. An attorney for Harris said he will seek his client’s release due to the 21-year-old being asthmatic and at risk for Covid-19. A spokesperson for Harris told CNN at the time, “We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager. We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.” According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the production of child pornography is punishable by a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
Harris is one of several students who found national fame thanks to “Cheer” which debuted in January 2020. The docuseries chronicles the journey of a cheerleading team from a small college in Corsicana, Texas, on their way to national competition.
The series was recently honored with two Emmy Awards and is nominated for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program at Saturday night’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Pastor Paul Van Noy (screen capture via YouTube) A pastor in A Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is being treated for COVID-19 at the Kootenai Health intensive care unit after who opening his church in May for in-person services that encouraged unmasked congregants to gather. Who’d have ever guessed something could go wrong? From the Spokesman-Review:
Paul Van Noy, the senior pastor at Candlelight Christian Fellowship, has spent the past two weeks in the ICU while his wife, Brenda Van Noy, recovered from her own bout with COVID-19 at home. Five other church staff have been infected, said Eric Reade, body ministry coordinator the church.
The church closed its doors for two weeks and underwent deep cleaning before reopening for in-person services Sunday, Reade said.
“We didn’t want, obviously, to be spreading the virus,” he said.
Church staffers don’t know how Van Noy contracted the virus, Reade said.
Van Noy, who apparently has a history of sharing his political views from the pulpit, has publicly shared his doubts regarding the efficacy of wearing face coverings to help protect against the virus.
(promotional photo from the acclaimed film ‘Call Me By Your Name’) Some news items you might have missed: • The Independent: In a new interview, Luca Guadagnino, who directed the Oscar-nominated coming-of-age film Call Me By Your Name, defended casting straight actors Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer in gay roles. • Washington Blade: Gay Democratic activist Eric Morrison defeated a six-term incumbent by a decisive margin in Delaware’s Democratic primary on Tuesday for a seat in the state House of Representatives. Morrison is considered the strong favorite to win in the Nov. 3 general election in a heavily Democratic district. If elected, he will emerge as Delaware’s first openly gay man to serve in the Delaware State Legislature. • Washington Post: The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted Wednesday that most of the American public will not have access to a vaccine against the novel coronavirus until late spring or summer of next year. Redfield said the vaccine will be provided first to people most vulnerable to covid-19 with Americans who are considered at lower risk offered the shot more gradually. • AARP: The venerable seniors’ organization takes a look at sacrifices Americans made out of patriotism during World War II. But, today, wearing a face mask is ‘tyranny…’ • CNN: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, on the Donald’s biggest concerns about releasing his tax returns: “His biggest fear is, if that tax return was released, there’s a whole slew of accountants and forensic accountants that will rip through it and he will end up with a massive tax bill, penalties, fines, and possibly even tax fraud.”
L-R Blake Lee, Ben Lewis (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • TVLine: Blake Lee (Parks and Recreation, Mixology) and Ben Lewis (Arrow, Shadowhunters) – a married couple in real life (above) – have been announced to star in Lifetime’s first-ever holiday movie with an LGBTQ storyline, The Christmas Setup. Fran Drescher, of The Nanny fame, will play Lewis’s mother in the TV flick. • Boy Culture: Madonna’s biopic has been fast-tracked by Universal, and today we learn not only is the Queen of Pop co-writing the script with Diablo Cody, but Madge will direct the film of her life as well. • LGBTQ Nation: A city councilwoman in Minot, North Dakota, came out & delivered an epic smackdown to man complaining about a Pride flag. “So Mr. Walker, if you’re not aware, and I think a lot of people in this room are not aware and have come here just because this is a gay issue, I am proudly the first openly elected lesbian in North Dakota. So that is why I am not paying any heed to your crap.” • Pew Research: A new 13-nation Pew Research Center survey indicates America’s reputation has declined among many key allies and partners since Donald Trump took office. In several countries, the share of the public with a favorable view of the U.S. is as low as it has been at any point since the Center began polling on this topic nearly two decades ago. • Edge Media: An Italian man has been accused of killing his 18-year-old sister in a rage because she was dating a transgender man. The suspect told authorities that he “wanted to teach her a lesson.” • CNBC: More on the death of civility – CNBC host Jim Cramer called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “Crazy Nancy” to her face during an interview on Tuesday morning — a derogatory term usually used by Donald Trump. The Mad Money host was asking Pelosi about stalled negotiations on a 4th coronavirus stimulus package when the nickname popped out. “What deal can we have, Crazy Nancy — I’m sorry, that was the president,” Cramer said, realizing the moment didn’t play as well as he’d planned in his head. “I have such reverence for the office, I would never use that term.” Pelosi (D-Calif.) stayed calm telling Cramer: “But you just did. But you just did.”
In this week’s podcast: • Remembering the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a fierce champion for LGBTQ rights, who died this week at the age of 87 • A Navy veteran sues the Veteran’s Administration claiming he tested positive for HIV over 20 years ago and his doctors never informed him of the diagnosis • A sportscaster suspended for using a gay slur on-air says he’s ‘never said the word’ before that moment • A woman denied Social Security survivor benefits after a 27-year relationship wins in federal court • New data shows the number of same-sex households rising in the US • Burger King lays a whopper on Ronald McDonald for LGBTQ Pride • Academy Award winner Jane Fonda reminds us what an awesome ally she is • And GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Critics announces the best in 2020 TV entertainment. Click here to watch the glitzy honors special on Revry TV (free). All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report 
