Good Morning America’s weather anchor, Sam Champion, tells Wendy Williams about his bromance with Josh Elliot.
Then, Sam tells Wendy about his recent wedding and reveals if he and his husband want children.
Russia: State Duma passes ban on “gay propaganda” on vote of 434-0
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Youths kick a gay rights activist during a protest against a proposed new law
termed by the State Duma (Reuters) |
The lower house of Russia’s parliament passed a bill that stigmatises the gay community and bans the distribution of information about homosexuality to children.
The State Duma voted 434-0 with one abstention to approve the Kremlin-backed legislation, which imposes hefty fines for holding gay pride rallies or providing information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to minors.
Before the vote, gay activists were arrested and attacked in Moscow on Tuesday outside the Russian State Duma as it prepared to take a final vote on a federal bill banning “gay propaganda”, the AP reports:
Police moved in after supporters of the bill started showering the protesters with eggs and water. Some of the protesters who were not detained were viciously attacked by masked men on a central street a mile away.
Reuters adds:
The gay protesters were far outnumbered by around 200 anti-gay activists who surrounded them, chanting “Russia is not Sodom”, singing Orthodox Christian prayers and crossing themselves. They threw rotten eggs at the gay protesters.
After scuffles in which one man was knocked to the ground and kicked by the anti-gay activists, police began detaining the gay protesters and bundling them into waiting buses.
Journalist and Putin critic Masha Gessen said she was among 24 people being taken to police stations. Moscow police said about 20 people were detained…
Warren Buffett tweets Hillary Clinton
Mega-wealthy and successful Warren Buffett welcomed Hillary Clinton to Twitter yesterday.
Note the end of the tweet – #45.
Is that “#45” as in “the 45th President of the US?”
One can hope.
Forward.
Meet Colin & Joe – gay married binational couple
From The DOMA Project – meet Colin & Joe, binational married couple facing immigration uncertainty.
Were it not for the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act,” Joe and Colin would be able to stay in the US and plan their family life as any heterosexual couple can.
THE DOMA PROJECT is a campaign launched in October 2010 by a group of married binational couples working with attorneys Lavi Soloway and Noemi Masliah.
The campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness of the cruel impact of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on married gay and lesbian bi-national couples and to bring an end to that discrimination.
Headline of the Day
US Senate advances “Gang of 8” immigration legislation to full Senate debate
By a vote of 82-15, the US Senate voted to advance the current “Gang of 8” immigration bill to full Senate debate.
From USAToday:
A procedural vote to begin formal debate on the bill was approved 82-15 on a bipartisan vote.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., both voted to advance the bill despite lingering resistance from some elements of both parties.
“There are 11 million reasons to pass common-sense immigration reform that mends our broken system — 11 million stories of heartbreak and suffering that should motivate Congress to act,” Reid said. Previous attempts to pass an overhaul of immigration laws have not gotten this far.
The bill would allow most of the nation’s estimated eleven million undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship within 13 years provided they
• learn English
• pass a criminal background check
• pay $2000 in fines.
Iowa: Gay couple awarded $147K in harrassment case
An Iowa gay couple has won a $147K judgment against the management of their apartment complex because they failed to stop harassment by their maintenance man:
Jurors awarded $22,000 in economic damages to Charles Anderson and Brandon Morehead, plus $50,000 for emotional distress and $75,000 in punitive damages, according to a news release issued by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, which brought filed a lawsuit on the couple’s behalf.
According to the commission, jurors heard testimony that maintenance technician Allen Emert launched repeated harassment and name-calling of the defendants after he learned in March 2011 that they were sharing a one-bedroom apartment.
Two of Emmert’s supervisors at New Life Multi-Family Management LLC failed to stop the daily epithets, which included, among other things, references to the men being “queer” and “pillow biters.”
The judgment was awarded after a four day jury trial.
(via JMG)
National Guard marches in LA Gay Pride parade
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| National Guard marches in Los Angeles Gay Pride parade |
In a series of firsts, a delegation from the California National Guard, led by its Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, took part in L.A. Pride, joining Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles), the first openly gay person elected Speaker, in yesterday’s Pride Parade. This marks the first time a U.S. National Guard force has directly outreached to the LGBT community at Pride.
The California National Guard also had its first-ever recruiting booth at the Pride Festival following the parade. Several of the Guardsmen marching alongside Speaker Pérez and Maj. Gen. Baldwin are gay and were marching openly for the first time as members of the Armed Forces.
“The overwhelmingly positive response to the California National Guard from Pride participants today was matched only by the respect and enthusiasm the Guard showed toward our community,” Speaker Pérez said. “Today makes it absolutely clear the Guard is committed to including and reflecting all the people they serve.”
“We are a performance-based force, and one’s sexual orientation shouldn’t affect their ability to serve and excel,” said Maj. Gen. Baldwin. “Duty to one’s state and nation – not sexual orientation – is the defining trait of our soldiers and airmen.”
(Via press release from John Perez, openly gay Speaker of the California Assembly)
(h/t JMG)
Alex Jones on BBC Sunday Politics
So, most of The Randy Report readers won’t know too much about Alex Jones. I tend to ignore him because his ranting and conspiracy theories usually get so “out there” they exceed bad science fiction.
But, just as an example, here is how he conducts himself as a guest on BBC Sunday Politics. Watching this will tell you everything about this conservative, outspoken radio show host. He barely allows anyone else to speak, he gets loud and louder, and he’s obnoxious.
Check the last minute where the host says Jones is “the worst person I ever interviewed.”
Video: Jonny McGovern “The Gayest Of All Time”
“What if every single gay in all of the world got together for a day on the biggest, gayest dance floor…”
So, there was a time when I think I might not have gotten the over-the-top fabulousness of this video. The drag queens, the hopping gay boys… But now I smile at this (and bounce in my chair) because the whole point of Pride is owning who we are in our “every single gay in all the world-ness.” Otherwise, we’d lose our minds and go batshit crazy with the crap that comes our way sometimes.
We’re fun and irreverent and not judging. Too busy for all that, cause, we’re dancing.
Keep dancing, ya’ll.
Happy Pride.
(You can buy Jonny McGovern’s song on iTunes here.)