Category: News

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News Round-Up: June 8, 2020

Fitness guru Joel Green (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joel Green (above) offers some good advice this Monday – ‘Do not give your past the power to define your future.’ Follow him on Instagram here. • Amazon Prime: The streaming video platform has curated a collection of LGBTQ films, documentaries, and television series all in one place for you to peruse including Rocketman, The Handmaiden, The L Word, RuPaul’s Drag Race and more. • Provincetown: The Massachusetts LGBTQ getaway is open for business just in time for Pride Month. The announcement by Governor Charlie Baker of Phase 2 of the reopening, effective today, allows lodging, restaurants, and retail to open under newly eased and specific guidelines mandated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(image via Provincetown Instagram)
• Out: Oregon State Head Coach Jonathan Smith dismissed sophomore football player Rocco Carley after learning he’d used racist and homophobic language in a recently discovered audio recording. Smith, along with the school’s Athletic Director Scott Barnes, agreed on booting Carley from the team saying what they heard was “entirely unacceptable, regardless of the circumstance or environment.” Carley has issued an apology saying – like just about everyone who finds themselves in this predicament – the recording doesn’t ‘represent’ who he is today. • The Advocate: L.A. Pride organizers have stepped away from the previously announced Black solidarity march after the event came under fire for its involvement with law enforcement. Some activists noted that any partnership with cops is counterintuitive to the purpose of the protests taking place in response to the killing of George Floyd, police brutality, and race-based violence. Pride organizers say they are “in full support” of the new protest, which is now named the All Black Lives Matter March. • New Music: Dig the super-catchy new single from pop-rock band Neon Trees, “New Best Friend,” from the band’s upcoming album, I Can Feel You Forgetting Me. “They call me crazy, but crazy’s my new best friend.” “’New Best Friend’ is about embracing the crazy that lives within all of us,” shared out frontman Tyler Glenn. “The nostalgic highs, the unflattering lows, and the beautiful messiness of being human. I’ve realized that there are memories with people that have come and gone in my life, and while I reminisce on those moments, ultimately at the end of the day I’m still left with myself.”

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Podcast: Billy Porter, Thomas Roberts, Pride Month, Coming Out, The Village People

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: • Billy Porter shares his ‘Message to America’ Link to full video here (warning – strong language) • A federal judge issued an important ruling for same-sex married couples • Audible produces a free series of coming out stories titled, Coming Out Party: A Pride Celebration. Click here for more info. • Veteran gay journalist Thomas Roberts has announced a free daily news show featuring ‘gay good news’ titled, Thomas Roberts Live at 5 • The Village People have had enough of Donald Trump • The co-writer/producer of Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” shares a revealing story about the song’s iconic queer history All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

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Video: Police Slashed Tires Of Vehicles Parked Near Protests

Video footage discovered by Mother Jones shows what appears to be police officers slashing the tires of several cars parked in Minneapolis over the weekend. From Mother Jones:

After long nights of tear gas and rubber bullets, some protesters, news crews, and medics in Minneapolis last weekend found themselves stranded: The tires of their cars had been slashed.

In a city upended by protests about police brutality after the death of George Floyd, many assumed protesters were to blame. But videos reveal a different culprit: the police.

In the videos, officers puncture tires in a K-Mart parking lot on May 30 and a highway overpass on May 31. Both areas briefly turned into police staging grounds near protest hot spots.

The officers appear to be state troopers or county police, though it’s not clear from the videos. Neither the Minnesota State Patrol nor the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office responded to requests from Mother Jones. The Minneapolis Police Department and Minnesota National Guard denied involvement.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported after the Mother Jones story that a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety acknowledged State Patrol troopers “strategically deflated tires in order to stop behaviors such as vehicles driving dangerously and at high speeds in and around protesters and law enforcement.” The spokesman, Bruce Gordon, added vehicles “that contained items used to cause harm during violent protests” such as rocks, concrete, and sticks were targeted. “While not a typical tactic, vehicles were being used as dangerous weapons and inhibited our ability to clear areas and keep areas safe where violent protests were occurring,” said Gordon. Anoka County Sheriff’s Lt. Andy Knotz also confirmed deputies from Anoka County followed state orders and joined the patrol and also cut the tires on vehicles. Knotz said the deputies got their directions from the state-led Multiagency Command Center [MACC], which has been coordinating law enforcement during the numerous protests since the death of George Floyd on May 25.

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Filmmakers Edit Ivanka Trump’s Commencement Speech

From the activist filmmakers group The Meidas Touch:

Our video #ByeIvanka takes the commencement address given by Ivanka Trump today that no one asked her or invited her to give (which she gave in front of an empty room using White House resources after Wichita State canceled her speech because her and her family are hate mongers) and places her scripted, sterile, and disingenuous words against the backdrop of what is actually going on in the country.

Juxtaposed to the First Daughter’s speech are sound bites of reports that she and her husband Jared Kushner made $82 million last year and footage of her dining with China’s president at Mar-a-Lago.

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Buffalo Police Officers Charged With Assault On 75-Year-Old

L-R Mug shots of suspended Buffalo police officers Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe
The two police officers in Buffalo, New York, that were suspended without pay after assaulting a 75-year-old man have been charged with assault in the second degree by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. From KTNV:

The officers, 32-year-old Robert McCabe and 39-year-old Aaron Torgalski, were suspended without pay on Thursday after 75-year-old Martin Gugino was knocked down by police at a protest in Niagara Square.

Gugino was seriously injured and taken to ECMC, in a statement released through his attorney Friday he was said to be in serious but stable condition and was “alert and oriented.”

The entire force of the Buffalo Police Emergency Response Team resigned as of Friday afternoon. The 57 officers have not resigned from the department and will keep their jobs, they have only resigned from their roles on the Emergency Response Team.

A Buffalo PBA representative tells 7 Eyewitness News anchor Hannah Buehler “these officers were simply following orders given by DPC Joe Gramaglia to clear the Square.”

WKBW spoke with two of the officers who resigned from the Response Team who said the resignations weren’t a “show of support” for the two suspended officers. “I don’t understand why the union said it’s a thing of solidarity,” said one of the officers. “I think it sends the wrong message that ‘we’re backing our own’ and that’s not the case.” “We quit because our union said [they] aren’t legally backing us anymore,” said another. “So why would we stand on a line for the City with no legal backing if something [were to] happen? Has nothing to do with us supporting.”

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News Round-Up: June 5, 2020

(image via sadanduseless)
Some news items you might have missed: • Summer Fashion: So, I don’t know if it’s a ‘thing’ but someone is apparently trying to make lace shorts for guys (above) a ‘thing’ this summer? #ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmm • Washington Blade: In yet another attack by the Trump administration to enable legal discrimination against LGBTQ people, the Justice Department is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to allow religious-affiliated adoption agencies that receive tax-payer dollars to refuse child placement into LGBTQ homes. • Out Music: 80s pop icon Limahl (“Neverending Story”, “Only For Love”, “Too Shy” with Kajagoogoo) returns with “Still in Love,” his first foray into the mainstream in over eight years. American Songwriter calls the new track “a soulful and sultry pop ode to the darker side of love, that recurrent backfire of amore, and finding oneself after being crushed by it.”

• Buzzfeed News: A police officer in Salem, Oregon, was caught on video warning a group of white supremacists to seek shelter before the police were planning to tear gas the area and  avoid being arrested for violating a curfew so officers “don’t look like [they’re] playing favorites.” • Newsweek: Donald Trump finally got his wall/fence. But instead of being a barrier on the U.S. southern border, it’s a barricade around the White House. I’m sure you can parse the irony on your own. • The Advocate: Police fired bang shots at a queer bar owner in North Carolina after he’d set up a first aid station in his parking lot to treat peaceful protestors who had gotten injured.

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NFL Admits League Was Wrong For Not Listening To Players Earlier About Racism

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (via Flickr/WEBN-TV – CC License)
One day after a video titled “Stronger Together” was released by a group of NFL players calling on the league to take a stronger stance on racism in the U.S., NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell posted a new video admitting the league should have listened to players sooner. The video by NFL stars was released on Thursday and featured 18 prominent players: Davante Adams, Jamal Adams, Saquon Barkley, Anthony Barr, Odell Beckham Jr., Ezekiel Elliott, Stephon Gilmore, DeAndre Hopkins, Eric Kendricks, Jarvis Landry, Marshon Lattimore, Patrick Mahomes, Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson, Sterling Shepard, Michael Thomas, Deshaun Watson and Chase Young. In their video, the players say in unison, “So on behalf of the National Football League, this is what we the players would like to hear you state. We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting. We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.”

 

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In the new video from the NFL, Goodell speaks directly to the camera saying, “It has been a difficult time for our country. In particular, black people in our country. First, my condolences to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all the families who have endured police brutality.” He goes on to state, “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”

More from CNN:

Racism has been a persistent issue in the NFL, particularly after former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling before games while the national anthem played to protest police brutality.

No team has offered Kaepernick a contract since 2017, which many attribute to his protests. Kaepernick accused NFL team owners of colluding to keep him from being signed. The NFL denied any collusion but in 2019, they reached a settlement with Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid, who knelt with him.

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Gay Porn Star Calls On Colleagues To Help ‘Out’ Closeted Lawmaker

Adult performer Sean Harding (via Instagram)
Submitted without comment. Adult performer Sean Harding took to Twitter Thursday night to issue a veiled message about a “homophobic republican senator who is no better than Trump who keeps passing legislation that is damaging to the lgbt and minority communities.” Harding goes on to call on his colleagues to help remove the senator from office for supporting the Trump administration that has systematically decimated LGBTQ rights. “Every sex worker I know has been hired by this man,” he added. “Wondering if enough of us spoke out if that could get him out of office?” According to a follow-up tweet, high profile lawyers and every major news network has reached out to him since his initial tweet. He’s now asking his colleagues to step up because “everyone has a story about LG when we talk.” For the record, I make no assumptions about the identity of ‘Lady G.’ But others have. At this time, ‘Lady G’ has been trending for hours on Twitter. A smattering of tweets currenting richocheting around the Twitterverse:

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Senior Hospitalized After Being Shoved By Cops, 57 Cops Resign From Response Team After 2 Suspended

(screen capture)
  UPDATE – The local NBC News affiliate in Buffalo reports:

The entire Buffalo Police Department Emergency Response Team has resigned from the team. That’s a total of 57 officers.

We’re told this is a show of support for the officers who are suspended without pay after shoving 75-year-old Martin Gugino. They are still employed, but no longer on ERT. Mayor Byron Brown responded saying the city is aware of these resignations.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood issued this announcement: “As a longstanding member of the City of Buffalo Police Department, I know that our officers are fully committed to serving and protecting our community. While some officers have chosen to remove themselves from a voluntary assignment with the ERT, it is important to note that no officers have actually resigned from the police force. “I want to reassure our citizens that they will be protected in any peaceful gatherings that ensue and that our department remains focused on the security of our community.”

**********************************************

For those who wonder why people protest about police brutality… A man identified as Martin Gugino was shoved to the ground and eventually hospitalized as police in Buffalo, New York, last night as police were attempting to clear protesters in front of City Hall. From Buffalo News:

A 75-year-old protester was injured Thursday night after being pushed to the ground by police as officers clearing Niagara Square as the citywide curfew went into effect.

Following the incident, which drew swift national attention and mass condemnation after video of it was viewed millions of times, the Buffalo Police Department suspended two officers without pay and began an Internal Affairs investigation, according to a police official and a department spokesman.

As seen in the video, as police advance, Gugino approaches the officers with what appears to be a phone in his right hand and a helmet in his left. He appears to point to the baton of one of the officers as the word “Move” can be heard amid shouts in the background.

The officer Gugino pointed to then pushes Gugino with his right hand and Gugino falls backward to the ground, where his head hits the sidewalk. One officer appears to reach down to check on him, but another officer pulls him back and the first officer continues walking. Other officers walk by and do not immediately come to Gugino’s aid.

You can see blood dripping out of Gugino’s ear as he lay unconscious (screen capture)
Initially, the Buffalo Police Department issued a statement that claimed Gugino “tripped and fell,” a description at direct odds with the video. Gugino is reportedly in serious but stable condition at Erie County Medical Center. At this writing, the video has been viewed over 65 million times.

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US Park Police: It Was Mistake To Say ‘No Tear Gas’ Used At Lafayette Park

The U.S. Park Police on Friday attempted to parse its previous statement declaring it did not use tear gas on crowds near the White House Monday prior to Donald Trump’s photo opp in front of a nearby church. From Vox:

A US Park Police spokesperson said in an interview it was a “mistake” to insist in a statement on Tuesday that it didn’t use tear gas the day before in Lafayette Square to disperse a crowd ahead of President Trump’s photo op, explicitly noting that pepper balls shot by officials irritate the eyes and cause tears.

“The point is we admitted to using what we used,” Sgt. Eduardo Delgado said. “I think the term ‘tear gas’ doesn’t even matter anymore. It was a mistake on our part for using ‘tear gas’ because we just assumed people would think CS or CN,” two common forms of tear gas.

“I’m not going to say that pepper balls don’t irritate you,” Delgado said, noting they contain capsicum, an irritant derived from pepper plants. “I’m not saying it’s not a tear gas, but I’m just saying we use a pepper ball that shoots a powder.”

The original statement from acting Chief Gregory Monahan said that no tear gas was used by any federal force present, but that the Park Police itself “employed smoke canisters and pepper balls.” Pepper spray is a naturally derived chemical irritant that causes many effects similar to that of common types of tear gas, including temporary blindness and a burning sensation in the nose. At the end of the day, it becomes an issue of semantics. The authorities did fire irritating pepper spray and smoke grenades at peaceful protesters so that the Donald could have his awkward photo opp. Let me know if you think these non-violent protesters were fired upon in the video below.