Category: News

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Podcast: Possible HIV Cure, Chicago Gayborhood Getting New Name, 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 podcast: • For the first time, HIV appears to be eradicated using only medications • Poland’s anti-LGBTQ president squeaks out reelection • White House press secretary raises eye-brows claiming Donald Trump’s “pro-LGBTQ” agenda • Chicago’s Boystown may get a new name All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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St. Louis: Trump Getting Involved In Case Of Wealthy Gun-Toting Couple

(photo: Daniel Shular/Twitter)
Donald Trump is reportedly getting involved in the case of a wealthy St. Louis couple who threatened Black Lives Matters protesters with guns outside their St. Louis mansion. From Business Insider:

The couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, are under review for criminal charges, St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden said Tuesday, adding that the police had filed for warrants in the case.

Pictures of the couple waving weapons at protesters on June 28 were shared widely and were seen by many as a symbol of tensions in the US following the death of George Floyd.

On Tuesday, Missouri’s Republican governor, Mike Parson, said Trump “doesn’t like what he sees and the way these people are being treated.”

Parson, as quoted by The Washington Post, said he thought the president and Attorney General William Barr “are going to take a look” at the McCloskey case.

“The president said that he would do everything he could within his powers to help with this situation and he would be taking action to do that,” Parson said.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner in a statement accused the president and the governor of playing politics with the case.

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News Round-Up: July 15, 2020

Joe Blizzard (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joe Blizzard (above), signaling in from Yosemite National Park, calls this “being a nerd, as usual.” Nerd??? • LGBTQ Nation: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed four pro-LGBTQ bills into law this week. The new laws range from banning gay/trans panic legal defenses in cases of violence, making PrEP easier for gay folks to obtain to prevent HIV infection, and making it easier for trans people to change the gender markers on their state ID documents. • GMA: Mary Trump, niece to President Trump, whose new book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, was just released, speaking to ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos about her uncle: “He is utterly incapable of leading this country, and it’s dangerous to allow him to do so.” It’s worth noting that Ms. Trump is a trained clinical psychologist.

• Washington Blade: Facebook and Instagram have announced they will ban conversion therapy content/posts on their sites, following a block on paid ads promoting the practice earlier this year. • Instinct Magazine: LA Pride has announced that it will be moving out of West Hollywood after almost five decades of celebration citing ongoing construction in West Hollywood Park as well as the changing demographics of Greater Los Angeles. • VOTE: Eight of America’s leading fitness photographers have joined forces for “Flex Your Vote,” a new campaign that urges the LGBTQ community and its allies to the polls this November. “It’s painfully clear why this is the most important time in our lifetimes to vote,” says Mike Ruiz, the campaign’s organizer. “We are being engulfed by a pandemic, millions are unemployed, the government is riddled with corruption. We need to change the direction of this country or we are headed towards a dictatorship where we will be stripped of our rights.”

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg Discharged From Hospital “Doing Well”

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (via Flickr/CC license)
Whew! Thank you universe! Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital after being treated for a possible infection in her latest health scare. More from CNN:

“Justice Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital,” a Supreme Court spokeswoman said in a statement Wednesday. “She is home and doing well.” Ginsburg had been taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore early on Tuesday “after experiencing fever and chills,” spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg said.

“She underwent an endoscopic procedure at Johns Hopkins this afternoon to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last August,” Arberg said on Tuesday, announcing Ginsburg’s hospitalization. “The Justice is resting comfortably and will stay in the hospital for a few days to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment.”

Ginsburg’s quick discharge is the latest apparent dodge of a health scare for the 87-year-old justice, who has proven adept at continuing her job without interruption despite her health issues.

We need to wrap the Notorious RBG in bubble wrap and keep her safe. Not only do we need her sanity come the fall court season, but you know if the unspeakable were to happen, the Donald would be thrilled to nominate another far-right, uber-conservative nominee to the court.

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WH Press Sec: Trump Has ‘Great Record’ On LGBTQ Issues (Oh, My Sides…)

L-R Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
During a recent press briefing at the White House, Donald Trump’s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany dodged a question from Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson about Trump’s ban on transgender service members which was announced out of the blue via Twitter three years ago. The Trump policy requires the discharge of any current service member diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a characteristic of being transgender. Those service members are also not allowed any transition-related care. Additionally, anyone with a history of gender dysphoria is banned from enlisting unless they agree to serve as the sex assigned to them at birth. Johnson asked if Trump would reconsider the policy and mentioned that 116 members of Congress have urged the Donald to end the ban especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which banned anti-LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination. The question led McEnany to abruptly pivot to the false claim that the president has a pro-LGBTQ+ record. “I haven’t talked to him about that specific policy, but this president is proud that in 2019 we launched a global initiative to end the criminalization of homosexuality throughout the world,” said McEnany reading from a prepared list of inaccurate claims. “He has a great record when it comes to the LGBT community. The Trump administration eased a ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men and he launched a plan to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.” Johnson tried to stay on topic by pointing out that while the ban is still in place, there are over 14K active military service members who identify as transgender, polls showing 70% of Americans support the rights of trans people to serve the country they love, and major medical associations saying there’s no problem with transgender people serving. But McEnany brushed those facts aside before moving on to another reporter. “I have no updates for you, but several of the events that you cited, like the Supreme Court ruling, I would refer you back to Justice Kavanaugh, who said, ‘We are judges, we’re not members of Congress. Instead of a hard-earned victory won through the Democratic process, today’s victory is brought about by judicial dictates.’ So we’ll always stand on the side of correct statutory interpretation.” https://twitter.com/WashBlade/status/1282754239324917761 Now, to anyone paying attention to Donald Trump and his administration here on Earth One, it’s clear that the Donald has a less-than-stellar record when it comes to the LGBTQ community. Here’s just a shortlist of topics where Trump has attempted to harm or diminish the LGBTQ community: First, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rolled back a provision in the Affordable Care Act that banned anti-LGBTQ discrimination in health care settings. Last November, HHS proposed removing regulatory provisions that explicitly prohibit organizations that receive HHS grant funding from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and religion. In addition to transgender military service members, Trump has attempted to discharge HIV-positive military members. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed allowing homeless shelters to discriminate against transgender people. Trump’s Justice Department has argued in favor of those seeking the right to discriminate against LGBTQ people in the workplace. (p.s. they lost…) Regarding the easing of restrictions on blood donations by gay men, when asked about the change in April Trump said he “didn’t know anything about that.” Additionally, Trump has publicly stated his opposition to The Equality Act that would make discrimination against LGBTQ people federal law. And then there are the slaps in the face like refusing to issue a Pride Month proclamation (which President Obama did all 8 years of his administration) as well as banning U.S. embassies from flying Pride flags during the month of June. And by the way, how is that ‘global initiative’ to end the criminalization of homosexuality going? We’ve heard no word about it since it was announced (source: Washington Blade)

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Zac Efron + Netflix’s ‘Down To Earth’ = Furry Goodness

Zac Efron (screen capture via Netflix)
Netflix has a hit on its hands with the new series Down to Earth with a bearded and buff Zac Efron. The travelogue follows Efron as he hip-hops around a pre-COVID-19 world exploring climate-friendly, sustainable living habits. “In this travel show, actor Zac Efron journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in search of healthy, sustainable ways to live,” Netflix writes of the new show. From eating bread baked in a volcano in Iceland, to experiencing the rarest water in the world, our host shares his furry goodness adventures from around the world and much more. Here’s the trailer. I think you’ll get my drift in just a minute.

Let’s just say the Twitterverse took note 🙂

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News Round-Up: July 13, 2020

Jwan Yosef (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • ManCrush Monday: That time when Ricky Martin’s other half, Jwan Yosef (above), showed off his ‘baby lifting arms.’ #dang • Gold Derby: Openly gay former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been entered for Emmy consideration in the category of Best Comedy Guest Actor for his guest-hosting stint on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” • CNN: The body of former GLEE actress Naya Rivera, 33, who was missing since Wednesday, has been found floating in a Southern California lake. Rivera’s role on GLEE gave queer Puerto Rican representation to millions. She is the third original GLEE cast member to die. In 2013, Cory Monteith died of a drug overdose and Mark Stalling committed suicide in 2018 after being found guilty of possessing child porn. • TheaterMania: Hamilton has become the first cast recording to reach the top two on the Billboard 200 albums chart since 1969 thanks to the musical’s premiere on Disney+. In 1969, the original cast recording of Hair spent 13 weeks in the no. 1 slot. Hamilton had previously peaked in the no. 3 position back in 2016, tying with The Book of Mormon. • Miami Herald: Florida resident Joseph Fucheck is facing criminal charges for waving a pistol at a Black homeowner in North Miami-Dade while claiming to be a 35-year Navy SEAL veteran. Except – it was a decades-old lie perpetrated by Fucheck. The Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, which maintains paperwork for all SEALs since World War II, has no record of him. • CBS17: An Arkansas police officer told a colleague he would ‘shoot any protesters’ who might come to his door. But Calvin Salyers, 33, has now been charged with manslaughter after shooting through his door on June 3 killing a fellow police officer who dropped by to pick up a patrol car. • Podcast of the Day: A podcast about gay TV,  Gayest Episode Ever, explores LGBT+ themed one-off episodes that classic sitcoms (like The Golden Girls, Frasier, and Cheers) would do back in the day when it was rare to see queer characters represented on broadcast television. The podcast – hosted by Drew Mackie, a journalist, and Glen Lakin, a screenwriter – offers insight into the evolution of queer visibility, gay rights, and how culture can both affect — and BE affected by — what we see on TV. The episode below dissects a 1977 episode of Maude when Bea Arthur’s title character argued with her neighbor Arthur over the opening of a gay bar in town.

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News Round-Up: July 10, 2020

Snoopy the wonder dog
Some news items you might have missed: • Snoop Watch: Our new 14-year-old beagle rescue, Snoopy, is doing great (above). After having some tumors removed last week, he got some stitches out today. Plus, he had an adventure at PetSmart on the way home, so he’s a bit tuckered out. But awesome 🙂 • The Advocate: Have you heard the one about Brazil’s virulently homophobic president who was so resistant to wear a face mask during the coronavirus pandemic he told aides, “Masks are for fa**ots?” Oh, and then he tested positive for COVID-19. #LifeComesAtYouFast • KIT212: Kenneth rounds up the best of local LGBTQ rags including this week’s Music Issue of California-based Gloss Magazine: • Instinct Magazine: Chicago’s LGBTQ neighborhood, currently known as ‘Boystown,’ may get a new genderless moniker if a Change.org petition has its way. • Baltimore Sun: Packed elevators, crowded committee rooms, and legislators sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the House and Senate floor. All without a mask in sight. Those were common scenes at the Mississippi Capitol in June and now at least 26 lawmakers have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in the biggest known outbreak in any state legislature in the nation. • Las Vegas: I’m so glad someone posted this video to YouTube so I can share it without linking to this idiot woman’s Facebook. ‘Las Vegas Karen’ and her friend came to my town, Las Vegas, and were gobsmacked to learn they have to wear masks around people. She refused and began Facebook Live streaming her exit where she declares face masks are worse than coronavirus and Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said they are ‘symbolic’ and don’t do anything useful (he didn’t say that). With security guards trying to escort them out, they protest how their constitutional rights are being violated (they aren’t) and how it’s illegal to require masks in casinos and restaurants (it’s not). Have you ever heard “No shirt, no shoes, no service?” Miss Karen, there’s no constitutional right to gamble in a casino…ok?

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Donald Trump Commutes Prison Sentence Of His Buddy Roger Stone

Roger Stone (screen capture)
I guess this is where I write “I told you so.” CNN reports Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of longtime adviser Roger Stone. In February, Stone was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after a jury found him guilty of seven felony charges that included lying to Congress and witness tampering. He was scheduled to report to prison on Tuesday, July 14. From CNN:

Trump has faced immense pressure from some of his political allies to pardon Stone after he was sentenced to more than three years in prison, in part for lying to Congress about his effort to set up a backchannel between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone was also convicted of witness tampering and obstruction related to Congress’ inquiry into Russian meddling.

Stone, 67, was indicted in January 2019 when armed FBI agents arrested him at his Florida home. He had covered up records that would have revealed he sought to reach WikiLeaks in 2016 to help Trump, lied about the effort when he testified to a Republican-led congressional committee, then threatened another congressional witness, according to the charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller and the DC US Attorney’s Office.

Trump and Stone have tried to cast his prosecution and conviction as a politically motivated witch hunt. But prosecutors argued to a jury that Stone threatened a witness and lied in part to protect the President. The jury agreed, finding Stone guilty of all seven counts he faced.

Trump’s act of commuting Stone’s sentence leaves his criminal conviction in place but reduces the punishment by shortening a sentence of incarceration. The Washington Post notes, “According to Justice Department standards for considering clemency petitions, it does not imply forgiveness of the underlying offense or even reflect on the fairness of the original sentence, and usually the department does not consider requests until a person begins serving his or her sentence.”