LGBTQ news and entertainment
I never saw this report from November with Eric Hartsburg explaining why he got this tattoo ($15,000) and why he finally decided to have it removed (Romney was a sore loser).
Remember, he got the tattoo about a week before the election when polls showed President Obama ahead.
And then there’s the pink scrunchie holding his pony tail. Just saying…
George Zimmerman Juror B-37 (B37) Interview With Anderson Cooper on CNN – Part 1 CNN’s Anderson Cooper landed the first “exclusive” interview with one of the six women who sat on the George Zimmerman murder trial jury for the last month. Seated in darkness and identified only as Juror B-37, the woman told Cooper is “seems like it’s been years” since the trial began and shared which moments of the proceedings had the biggest impact on her.
Speaking about the opening statements, the juror called defense attorney Don West’s knock-knock joke “horrible.” She said, “nobody got it. I didn’t get it until later, and then I thought about it, and I’m like, I guess that could have been funny, but not in the context he told it.” She told Cooper that in general she found the witnesses to be “credible” and said when it came to the 911 call audio of the screams, she believed those who said it was Zimmerman’s voice “because of the evidence that he was the one that had gotten beaten.” All but one of the six jurors agreed with that assessment. “I don’t think there was a doubt,” she said, “that everybody else thought it was George’s voice.”
If there was one witness who the juror didn’t find entirely credible it was Trayvon Martin’s friend Rachel Jeantel. “I didn’t think it was credible, but I felt sorry for her. She didn’t ask to be in this place. She wanted to go. She didn’t want to be any part of this case. I think she felt inadequate toward everyone because of her education and her communication skills. I just felt sadness for her.” She added, “she was embarrassed by being there, because of her education and her communication skills, that she just wasn’t a good witness.”
The juror had announced she was writing a book about the case, but after hours of outrage on social media for Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary Management LLC to drop the juror, it was announced that a book deal was no longer in the works, via a statement published by Buzzfeed:
“I realize it was necessary for our jury to be sequestered in order to protest our verdict from unfair outside influence, but that isolation shielded me from the depth of pain that exists among the general public over every aspect of this case. The potential book was always intended to be a respectful observation of the trial from my and my husband’s perspectives solely and it was to be an observation that our ‘system’ of justice can get so complicated that it creates a conflict with our ‘spirit’ of justice.
“Now that I am returned to my family and to society in general, I have realized that the best direction for me to go is away from writing any sort of book and return instead to my life as it was before I was called to sit on this jury.”
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| The whole group! |
I’m a funny guy when it comes to birthdays. I don’t mind getting older; I am shy of the attention birthdays bring (says the guy who writes a blog for thousands to read each day….).
My husband, Michael, knows I’m funny about all this. But turning 50 this past Sunday, he wanted to do SOMETHING. So in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, he surprised me with A BOWLING PARTY! With some folks that I’ve known for 20, almost 30 years. Perfect event for me.
AND one of my best friends, fashion designer Andrew Makay – who shares the same birthday as me – was on hand to celebrate together for the first time in 20 years of knowing each other!
I caught up with everyone while we all bowled a couple of games. We laughed, had bowling alley food – although since I’ve been watching my nutrition and exercise getting ready for CHICAGO at the Hollywood Bowl, I had a salad and a grilled chicken breast sandwich while the others had burgers and chicken fingers. Check the pics below, you’ll see.
Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo dropped by as a surprise for the birthday cake cutting.
Michael had brought our bowling balls (yes, we have our own) but mine had unfortunately cracked! I bowled with it anyway saying better my bowling ball cracked than my body or face (so far).
Michael also presented a video of birthday greetings from friends around the world (!) who wanted to wish me a happy 50th. I’ll get it posted to share with you in the next few days. It’s pretty fun. I’m stunned at the people who sent greetings. Yeah, I was pretty moved by that.
In any case, it was MUCH fun. And I thought I’d share some pictures from the great time. I highly recommend surprising a loved one with a bowling party. We never get too old to have fun bowling.
(As always, you can click the pics for larger view)
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| Andrew Makay and I – birthday boys and their balls |
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| Michael helps me cut the cake |
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| Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo help me taste the cake |
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| Ace Young, Diana DeGarmo, me and Michael |
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| Me doing the “spare dance” |
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| Please note that I’m eating SALAD at the bowling alley since I begin CHICAGO rehearsals today |
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| With Arminae Reames, Michael and Matt Zarley |
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| Arminae Reames, David Romano, Robert Reames and me |
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| Right before I tried to cut the cake and realized it was super-dense and rich |
In a one-line order, the Supreme Court, without comment, denied a request to immediately block county clerks from issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. The court will now consider ProtectMarriage.com’s broader legal argument that Proposition 8 should remain in force in California, considered a longshot by most legal experts.
Proposition 8 backers last week asked the state Supreme Court to intervene, arguing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June did not end the legal battle over California’s 2008 voter-approved gay marriage ban.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court found the ballot measure’s sponsors did not have a legal right to defend the law in place of the governor and attorney general, both of whom consider it unconstitutional. As a result, the case reverted to a federal judge’s 2010 ruling striking down Proposition 8 because it violated the equal protection rights of same-sex couples.
(via Mercury News)
Britain’s same-sex marriage bill has cleared its last major hurdle, passing through the House of Lords and prompting celebrations from campaigners outside Parliament.
Supporters of the bill in Parliament’s upper house wore pink carnations Monday as the Lords agreed to send it back to the House of Commons, where lawmakers will review government amendments before it becomes law.
That is expected to go without a hitch, as the House of Commons earlier passed the bill 390 to 148.
(via CBS News)
A coalition of national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights organizations, led by the National Black Justice Coalition and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, today issued the following open letter:
We cannot begin to imagine the continued pain and suffering endured by Trayvon Martin’s family and friends. We stand in solidarity with them as they continue to fight for justice, civil rights and closure. And we thank everyone who has pushed and will continue to push for justice.
Trayvon Martin deserves justice and his civil rights. We support the organizations and community leaders who are urging the federal government to explore every option to ensure that justice is served for Trayvon and that his civil rights are honored and respected. But our work does not end there: we will honor Trayvon Martin by strengthening our commitment to end bias, hatred, profiling and violence across our communities.
We represent organizations with diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender constituencies. Our community has been targets of bigotry, bias, profiling and violence. We have experienced the heart-breaking despair of young people targeted for who they are, who they are presumed to be, or who they love: Rashawn Brazell, Lawrence King, Ali Forney, Brandon Teena, Brandon White, Matthew Shepard, Marco McMillian, Angie Zapata, Sakia Gunn, Gwen Araujo and countless others.
Every person, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, must be able to walk the streets without fear for their safety.
Justice delayed is justice denied and in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “a right delayed is a right denied.” We honor Trayvon by seeking justice for all people.
All Out
American Civil Liberties Union
Believe Out Loud
BiNet USA
Bisexual Resource Center
Center for Black Equity
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
Equality Federation
Family Equality Council
Freedom to Work
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network)
GetEQUAL
GMHC
GLAD
GLAAD
Harvey Milk Foundation
Human Rights Campaign
Immigration Equality
Lambda Legal
Movement Advancement Project
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Minority AIDS Council
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
PFLAG National
The Trevor Project
Trans Advocacy Network
Transgender Law Center
Trans People of Color Coalition
John Arthur and Jim Obergefell, together for 20 years, decided that they wanted to marry after the Supreme Court struck down DOMA, but Ohio bans gay marriage and travel is difficult. “Arthur is bedridden with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a progressive neurological disease that robs patients of their ability to walk, talk and eventually breathe,” Cincinnati.com reports, so conventional travel was out of the question.
Donations poured in that would cover the cost of a $12,700 private plane charter, Cincinnati.com adds:
Obergefell flew to Baltimore on Tuesday, obtained the marriage license and flew back a few hours later.
And then on Thursday Arthur and Obergefell boarded a Lear jet at Lunken Airport with a nurse, two pilots trained in emergency medicine, and Arthur’s aunt, Paulette Roberts, who’d been ordained to perform weddings with the hope that she’d someday get to do theirs.
They touched down in Baltimore at 10:39 a.m. The plane parked off the runway and the pilots stepped outside.
And then, in the cramped cabin of the jet, Obergefell seated next to Arthur’s stretcher, the couple turned to each other and held hands. Roberts sat behind them and began to speak.
(via Towleroad)
The Fire Island Dance Festival returns July 19-21, and if you’ve not yet experienced it, this is the year. Performed outdoors against the background of the Fire Island Pines’ Great South Bay, this is one of the area’s great summer arts events.
Last year they raised more than $370,000 for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations.
“The Fire Island Dance Festival is a wonderful platform for so many artists to get to share their work with the Fire Island dance community,” says Kyle Abraham, one of the choreographers at this year’s show. “It’s just a wonderful venue — an opportunity to share your work.”
Starting at $125, with all proceeds going directly to the cause, showgoers can enjoy an open bar along with specially choreographed performances from renowned companies such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Broadway Dance Lab, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
“I want people to generally watch our work without any expectation,” Abraham says. “Because I’m always interested to see — whatever history you have before you watch our work, that’s always going to be embedded in how you’re viewing it.”
The weekend-long festival is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS. Since its debut in 1995, Fire Island Dance Festival has raised more than $2.9 million.
More info and available tickets: https://www.dradance.org/
(via Advocate)
Happy birthday Randy! You’re 50!
I feel like I need to post something regarding this milestone. I wish I felt like I was so much wiser, but the older I get, I’m more and more convinced that certainty and confidence are two very different things.
I will say there are a few things that cross my mind as I head into my next 50 years (in no particular order):
• Once a dancer, always a dancer. We get older, we may get slower, but we’re still dancing. Light or no light, we’re hitting a tap step or lifting an arm on the beat. It’s just who we are, and I thank god for that.
• Bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people. (Yes, in my opinion, there are bad people in the world).
You can help people; you can let them live in your home for months for free as they get on their feet; you can pay off their cars so they don’t get repossessed so they can still get to work; you can do all sorts of things thinking you’re helping. And it is somehow possible that those same folks may turn on you. Sometimes, you will somehow be the “asshole.”
Get over it. And get over those people. Focus on why you did what you did; let them go, and keep looking forward.
• My favorite saying, learned long ago from my BFF Carlye: You can be right, or you can get what you want. They’re not always the same thing.
When I think of this, I always take the perspective that “being right” is about ego. Getting what you want is happiness. I’ll take happiness. The ego left long ago.
• I’m blessed EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I’m healthy (f*ck you cancer); I’m in love with my husband who loves me back for almost 19 years; I have the same best friend, Carlye, who makes me better every day just by knowing her; I have a very cool life (!!!) as an actor/dancer/choreographer and I start rehearsals for a production tomorrow (they still like me! they still like me!); I get to write and voice my thoughts here on The Randy Report every day and I’m knocked out that thousands show up, read what I post and share their thoughts. How fabulous is that? I NEVER take any of this for granted.
• Believing in yourself is not a substitute for working on yourself. Do the work.
• LIVE your life – don’t Facebook it.
• If I could ask anything of anyone it would be this – “raise up your voice for what you believe in.” Get loud. Get out there. Make some noise.
• Last one – years ago a friend was in an argument with her boyfriend and out of no where said “I’m not afraid of anything.” And that sounded so powerful to me.
So I TRY to embrace that every day. Even if I just pretend it’s true. Because a piece of it seeps into me every time I say it. I’m going to keep voicing my opinions on equal rights, marriage equality and everything else I believe in. My silly sense of humor and the music I love. F*ck the haters – please take me on. I’m not afraid of anything.
My “birthday song” this year is from the fab Cheyenne Jackson. It’s the title track to his new album I’m Blue, Skies. I encourage you to go check out the full song and album on iTunes. I like him and his music a lot.
The lyrics to this song pretty much sum up my feelings today.
Thanks everyone for reading The Randy Report. I appreciate it more than you know.