Category: News

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Internet Tips Barista $20K After San Diego ‘Karen’ Gets Snarky Over Mask

Barista Lenin Gutierrez says ‘thank you’ (image via GoFundMe)
In this installment of the ‘Karen Chronicles,’ a San Diego woman recently took to Facebook to criticize a Starbucks barista named Lenin who refused to ask her to wear a face mask. But the snarky post backfired and resulted in over 1,300 social media peeps donating over $20,000 in tips to a GoFundMe campaign in less than two days. “Meet lenen [sic] from Starbucks who refused to serve me cause I’m not wearing a mask,” read the caption for the photo. “Next time I will wait for cops and bring a medical exemption.” The post has been shared over 47,000 times and received over 133K comments which are overwhelmingly in support of young Lenin.

This probably isn’t what ‘Karen’ had in mind: “Listen, Karen, if you can’t be bothered to wear a f**king mask for 10 minutes out of consideration for *other people* AND because it’s store policy, then you’re not only rude, you’re incredibly selfish,” wrote one commenter. “News flash: everything isn’t about you.” “Being a Karen isn’t a medical exemption,” added another. “You’re in the store for 10 minutes max to wait for coffee, not taking a trip to Mars for 6 months. If your condition is that bad then you are half dead already and should be having your coffee delivered to you in hospice!” One person asked, “If you cannot wear a mask, why not go through the drive through?” Another wrote, “Are you really crying cause you had to wear a mask for 10 minutes to get coffee then leave? Is it really that hard? Just wear the mask, get your coffee then take it off when you leave Karen, Jesus Christ.” Several people noted that ‘Karen’ had shared many photos on Facebook in the past showing her wearing all kinds of masks – when she wanted to. “You wore all these masks,” wrote one poster. The ‘Karen’ – who describes herself as a “mother, photographer, yoga instructor, activist, and artist” – tried to troll back, but failed in epic fashion. At one point, she could only muster a lame, “Masks are stupid and so are the people wearing them.” Earlier in June, she had shared a meme that read, “I have a condition that prevents me from wearing a mask. It’s called intelligence.” It’s worth noting that, during the coronavirus pandemic, face masks are mandated for everyone in California while in public unless they have a medical condition that prevents them from covering their face. After internet sleuths identified the barista as Lenin Gutierrez, many expressed they wanted to tip Lenin for having to put up with the ‘Karen.’ And so, Matt Cowan decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $1,000. Cowan told the local ABC News affiliate 10News, “I set it at $1,000 thinking that was a reach but we would be lucky if we hit like $250, and when we hit $100 I was overwhelmed by that.” When the original goal was quickly reached, Cowan raised his target to $5,000, which was also surpassed in no time. “You all are absolutely incredible,” wrote Cowan on the GoFundMe page. “Update from Lenin cause he wanted to say thank you to everyone. So you are all aware, he and I will be meeting in San Diego so that he can receive all the funds in person.” Cowan also shared a photo of Lenin holding a sign which read, “Thank you everyone for the tips!!! Stay Safe.” On Wednesday, Lenin posted a video message of thanks on his Facebook and shared his side of the incident.

Lenin says that when the woman came in without a mask, he asked if she had one, to which she replied that she doesn’t need one. As he attempted to show her the official guidelines from Starbucks, she snapped back repeating she didn’t need a mask and began “cussing up a storm.” “She started calling people ‘sheep’ and she left,” explained Gutierrez. “Within a few minutes she came back and asked for my name, she took a photo of me and said ‘I’m calling corporate’ and started cussing some more at everyone and just left.” He added that he’s a dancer and before the coronavirus pandemic he’s shared his passion by teaching dance to children. He says he plans to use his sudden windfall to fund his dream of “changing other people’s lives the way dance changed mine.” A Starbucks spokesman issued the following statement to News10: We want everyone to feel welcome in our stores. We respectfully request customers follow social distancing and safety protocols recommended by public health officials, including wearing a facial covering when visiting our stores.

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News Round-Up: June 24, 2020

Some news items you might have missed: • CBS Sports: Major League Baseball is set to return starting either July 23 or 24, the league has announced. It’s worth noting that 40 MLB players and staff members reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus in recent days. • Billboard: Former President Barack Obama is set to deliver a special message to the LGBTQ community for the 3rd annual Stonewall Day virtual event. He will be joined by major stars such as Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry and more, who will be offering their own messages of support, while pop superstars Kesha and Hayley Kiyoko will take to the digital stage for special performances. The Stonewall Day 2020 livestream on Logo’s YouTube and Facebook pages from 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Friday, June 26. • NewNowNext: Also on Friday, the cast of FX’s Pose will reunite for “Pose-A-Thon,” a commercial-free, one-hour online kiki with the cast and creative team of Pose. The event will raise awareness for three LGBTQ organizations: GLSEN, Hetrick-Martin Institute, and Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund. The “Pose-A-Thon” will air Friday, June 26 at 10pm ET on FX, Freeform, and the “Pose-A-Thon” website. • New Music: Lauv drops a surprise new EP titled Without You. The 4 tracks were all written and produced during quarantine. The global hottie also releases the quarantine made video for “Dishes,” the totally chill-vibe lead track for the EP. p.s. He also recently launched Breaking Modern Loneliness, an episodic podcast where each episode is a new open forum discussion on all things human relationships, mental health, and technology.

• Zillow: The massive real estate website has announced all Zillow listings will now provide information regarding local LGBTQ protections to help home buyers and renters identify which communities provide protection for all. Currently, only 22 states and the District of Columbia have laws against housing discrimination that include sexual orientation and gender identity. • Reuters: American approval of Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has dropped to the lowest level on record since Reuters/Ipsos polls started asking the question at the beginning of March. With new COVID-19 cases surging, 58 percent said they disapproved. • Out: Actor and activist Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life, Star Trek: Discovery) offers this subtle reminder that at the young age of 46-years-old, he ain’t playing.

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Historic Stonewall Inn Could Become Another COVID-19 Casualty

The historic Stonewall Inn (image via GoFundMe)
The Stonewall Inn, birthplace of the historic ‘Stonewall uprising’ in 1969, could become another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. After being shuttered for months due to the COVID-19 health threat, the owners of the venue launched a GoFundMe campaign writing, “The Stonewall Inn faces an uncertain future and we are in need of community support!” The Stonewall riots – which stretched over three nights beginning on June 28, 1969 – became a defining moment in LGBTQ history when patrons became tired of police raids and stood up to the police brutality. The site has become so ingrained in the DNA of the fight for LGBTQ rights, the Stonewall Inn became the first LGBTQ historic site to be designated a national monument in 2016. “Stonewall will be our first national monument to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights,” said President Obama at the induction of the Stonewall Inn as a national monument. “I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country, the richness, and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us.”
Stonewall Inn becomes a national monument in 2016 (photo: Flickr/Interior Dept – CC License)
Intoning the “brave souls who first stood up for their rights and the rights of others,” the owners candidly ask for help in saving “one of the LGBTQ+ communities most iconic institutions.” “Our doors have been closed for over three months to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of patrons, staff, and the community,” reads the appeal from the owners on their GoFundMe page. “Even in the best of times it can be difficult to survive as a small business and we now face an uncertain future.” “We resurrected the Stonewall Inn once after it had been shuttered – and we stand ready to do it again – with your help,” the owners continue. “We worked diligently to resurrect it as a safe space for the community and to keep the Stonewall Inn at the epicenter of the fight for the LGBTQ+ rights movement.” Launched on June 13, the campaign has raised just over $19,000 at this writing, with a goal of $50,000. A separate crowdfunding campaign was launched in early April to help support the staff and employees of the Stonewall Inn. That effort has garnered over $22,000 in donations to date. In addition to running the tavern, the owners also operate the Stonewall Gives Back Initiative, an approved IRC 501(c)(3). The non-profit charitable organization is committed to eliminating the social intolerance that is profoundly impacting the lives of LGBTQ citizens throughout America and abroad through awareness campaigns, educational programming, fundraising and candid public dialogue. The Stonewall Gives Back Initiative supports grassroots organizations scattered across the country and especially those in communities where progress toward equality has been slow and the negative impact of ongoing acts of discrimination and harassment can no longer be tolerated.

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Appeals Court Orders Judge To Dismiss Case Against Michael Flynn

Michael Flynn (photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
From the New York Times:

A divided federal appeals court panel ordered an immediate end on Wednesday to the case against Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser — delivering a major victory to Mr. Flynn and to the Justice Department, which had sought to drop the case.

In the ruling, two of three judges on a panel for the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ordered the trial judge overseeing the matter, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, to immediately dismiss the case without further review. The third accused his colleagues of “grievously” overstepping their powers, and the full appeals court has the option of reviewing the matter.

The order — a so-called writ of mandamus — was rare and came as a surprise, taking its place as yet another twist in the extraordinary legal and political drama surrounding the prosecution of Mr. Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to F.B.I. agents in the Russia investigation about his conversations in December 2016 with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

Trump fired Flynn in early 2017 for lying to Vice President Pence and other colleagues about what he and the Russian ambassador discussed in December 2016. Flynn then agreed to cooperate with the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and plead guilty to one count of making a false statement when F.B.I. agents had questioned him about the conversations. But after pleading guilty, he reversed course last year and sought to withdraw his guilty plea.

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News Round-Up: June 23, 2020

Michael and I have been adopted by 14-year-old beagle rescue, Snoopy
Some news items you might have missed: • Dog Life: I wanted to share a new addition to our family here at The Randy Report,  the handsome Snoopy (above), a 14-year-old beagle rescue. After serious consideration, Michael and I decided we didn’t want Snoopy to live his last years without a forever family, and we feel that this journey will be completely different from our 23 years raising the ‘dachshund dynasty’ from puppyhood. Snoopy is settling in quite well, and we can’t wait to spoil him with attention and love. • ESPN: Thomas Beattie, a British former pro footballer for Warriors FC in Singapore, came out as gay in an essay for ESPN on Tuesday. “I prayed that I would wake up and this would all disappear, although deep down I knew I was praying for the wrong thing. I needed to ask for the strength to accept myself.” • New Music: St. Panther shares her latest single/music video, “These Days,” was written in memory of a friend who overdosed on the night of his birthday. “This song is my real-time experience with re-establishing a new relationship to life in the days following through the simple act of making it to the next day,” the artist explains. The track blends raw feeling over a hypnotic hybrid of soul swagger, jazz eloquence, and hip-hop heat. The video was created by the artist herself.

• Spectrum News: Donnie Lee Barrigar, a self-described flat-earther, recorded himself taking down a Pride flag flying over City Hall in Watertown, NY, and throwing it away. In posting his video online, Barrigar wrote the First Amendment gives him the right to do what he did. Last year, before a pride event in the city, he posted to social media how he wished a mass shooting would happen. Gov. Cuomo has directed the New York State Police to assist Watertown Police in this investigation. • Reuters: The organizers of Singapore’s annual gay pride Pink Dot rally vowed on Tuesday to push ahead with an online event after nearly 30,000 people signed a petition demanding restrictions and called the content “immoral”. • Baltimore Sun: A video went viral after a Black child was denied entry to Baltimore’s Ouzo Bay restaurant due to its ‘dress code’ while a white child was captured in the same video wearing the same clothing finishing his meal. The parent company, Atlas Restaurant Group, issued an apology.

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EU May Continue To Ban Travelers From US Due To COVID-19 Failure

The Supreme Court declined to strike down a federal requirement of face masks during air travel

This probably explains why my cruise set to sail in August was canceled today. From the New York Times:

European Union countries rushing to revive their economies and reopen their borders after months of coronavirus restrictions are prepared to block Americans from entering because the United States has failed to control the scourge, according to draft lists of acceptable travelers reviewed by The New York Times.

That prospect, which would lump American visitors in with Russians and Brazilians as unwelcome, is a stinging blow to American prestige in the world and a repudiation of President Trump’s handling of the virus in the United States, which has more than 2.3 million cases and upward of 120,000 deaths, more than any other country.

European nations are currently haggling over two potential lists of acceptable visitors based on how countries are faring with the coronavirus pandemic. Both lists include China, as well as developing nations like Uganda, Cuba and Vietnam. Both also exclude the United States and other countries that were deemed too risky because of the spread of the virus.

Officials say the list will be revised every two weeks accordingly to reflect updated information and status of countries.

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Michael Henry: Are Shirtless Instagram Posts Supportive Or ‘Performative?’

L-R Kornbread, Michael Henry, Kevin McDonald (screen captures)
Funnyman Michael Henry is enjoying some open-air social distancing in the park with Kornbread when spotted in the distance, the duo sees ‘Trevor’ (Kevin McDonald) who Henry describes as ‘your typical fit WeHo gay who thinks the world ‘revolved around clubbing, CrossFit and himself.’ Henry has an issue with Trevor’s self-centered Instagram activity which Henry thinks is socially tone-deaf and all about Trevor. Like Trevor’s recent trip to Florida where he attended ‘The Slut Zone’ party with 200 shirtless guys doing body shots and beer pong. “Well, leaving one state in quarantine to go to another state NOT in quarantine so you can party seems pretty tacky,” shades Kornbread. Beginning to rant, Henry encourages Trevor to ‘get out of your bubble,’ which goes right over Trevor’s head as he announces his next trip to Fire Island so he can get away from the “chaos and rallies.” Kornbread isn’t having it as it sounds like people protesting for their rights is ‘inconveniencing’ the WeHo hottie.
L-R Kornbread, Kevin McDonald (screen captures)
But Trevor defends himself saying he did attend a Black Lives Matter rally where he generously posed for a shirtless pic holding a protest sign. On a roll, Kornbread calls out Insta posts like that as “tacky, performative, insulting, and comes across as inauthentic.” Perhaps Trevor could use the power of his 200k Instagram followers to educate people or raise money? Flipping the script, Trevor shades Henry for his posts announcing all of his donations to different organizations calling that “tacky and performative.” Kornbread has the last word on the subject as the topic turns to RuPaul’s Drag Race which causes the whole conversation to devolve. As always, Michael Henry offers up some funny lines with a little bit of something to make you think.

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News Round-Up: June 22, 2020

Chippendales’ Jeffrey Garrovillo and co-star (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Book a ‘Chippendales at Home’ party (above) and you never know – you might get two woofy Chipps for the price of one. • Instinct: Why are some gay Republicans unhappy about the recent Supreme Court victory for LGBTQ protections in the workplace? • Politico: A coalition of advocacy groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its rollback of LGBTQ patient protections, arguing that last week’s Supreme Court decision extending workplace legal protections to gay and transgender employees invalidates the new rules. • LGBTQ Families: Family Source Consultants, Fertility Centers of Illinois and International Fertility League Group are hosting an expert-led discussion on family building for the LGBTQ+ community on June 25th at 5pm CDT via ZOOM. The informational event is focused on couples and individuals who are interested in building their family through third party reproduction. • Newsweek: Kentucky has slashed the number of polling locations for Tuesday’s primary elections to just 170 in-person polling stations across the Commonwealth — a major drop from the standard 3,700 sites usually made available for voters. The decrease comes as state officials heavily encourage residents to vote by mail amid the coronavirus health crisis. Many of the state’s most populous areas, like Jefferson County, home to half of the state’s Black residents, will have ONE polling location. • NY Post: A defiant shopper fought his way into an Orlando Walmart after he was denied entry for refusing to wear a face mask, a viral video shows. The incident occurred on the same day masks became mandatory in the county. In the viral video, an employee tries to block the man from entering. “You gotta wear a mask, bro!” the man behind the camera says. The older man then shoves the Walmart worker, even falling to the ground at one point.

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Podcast: Supreme Court Victory, Virtual Pride Events, What To Watch This Week

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 special “All Good Gay News” Pride Edition podcast: • The US Supreme Court rules LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace is illegal • A federal judge ruled the daughter of a same-sex married couple was indeed born a US citizen after the State Dept tried to claim she was “born out of wedlock” • Pride celebrations may have been canceled, but here’s a list of virtual Pride events you can attend from your own home HBO’s ‘Human By Orientation’ Them’s ‘Out Now Live’ Global Pride 2020 • Two awesome coming out stories – one from a Grammy-nominated recording artist, another from a world-class athlete • What to watch this week including Netflix’s ‘The Politician,’ HBO’s ‘Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn’ and the Obie Award-winning ‘The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me’ All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

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News Round-Up: June 21, 2020

Singer-songwriter Pablo Alborán comes out (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • NewNowNext: The pandemic might have forced us to reimagine how we honor Pride Month, but the spirit of Pride is very much alive. Check out this list of 10 virtual Pride events you can attend from the safety of your own home, including a range of events centering Black LGBTQ people amid ongoing actions against systemic racism and police brutality. • The Know: Kenneth Felts, at 90 years old, recently came out as gay to his family and friends. After deciding to write his autobiography during COVID-19 lockdown, he was inspired by the memories of the man that got away. • Pride Music: Fab The Duo has also released their new blues/gospel-tinged music video “Our Love Is Resistance,” the title track from their new EP. The video shows the duo marching down the streets of Manhattan towards The Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the gay rights movement. Of the title track and music video, Fab The Duo says: “We recorded this song and music video at the beginning of 2020 in a world that feels very different from the one we live in now. Yet this track and its message seem more relevant than ever. We must fight against the hate and injustices of the world at all costs and know that love will prevail.”

• Digital Journal: The Amazon Video series After Forever scored three trophies including “Best Drama Series” at the 2020 Indie Series Awards on Thursday. The second season of the acclaimed series  is nominated for six 2020 Daytime Emmy Awards including “Outstanding Digital Drama Series.” • ABC News: Florida continued to set record-breaking numbers of COVID-19 cases, with an additional 4,049 new cases reported Saturday. There were an additional 40 Florida resident deaths related to COVID-19, according to the state’s Department of Health. On Friday, Florida reported what was then its record-high one-day increase of 3,822 cases. • Out: In an emotional video message posted to his Instagram account, Grammy-nominated, Spanish singer-songwriter Pablo Alborán (top photo) publicly opened about his sexuality, and how he is coming out as a proud gay man. “Today, I want my voice to be louder and for it to have more value and weight. I’m here to tell you that I am homosexual and it’s okay. Life goes on, everything will remain the same, but I’m going to be a little happier than I already am.”

 

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