LGBTQ news and entertainment
The Human Rights Campaign has put together an infographic detailing some of what the HRC feels are the more likely outcomes from the Supreme Court arguments in the Prop. 8 and DOMA cases. Click the graphic to view larger.
“It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning,” Thatcher’s spokesman said Monday. “A further statement will be made later.”
President Obama has released a statement on the death of Margaret Thatcher.
With the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend. As a grocer’s daughter who rose to become Britain’s first female prime minister, she stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can’t be shattered. As prime minister, she helped restore the confidence and pride that has always been the hallmark of Britain at its best. And as an unapologetic supporter of our transatlantic alliance, she knew that with strength and resolve we could win the Cold War and extend freedom’s promise.
Here in America, many of us will never forget her standing shoulder to shoulder with President Reagan, reminding the world that we are not simply carried along by the currents of history—we can shape them with moral conviction, unyielding courage and iron will. Michelle and I send our thoughts to the Thatcher family and all the British people as we carry on the work to which she dedicated her life—free peoples standing together, determined to write our own destiny.
For the LGBT community, Thatcher will be remembered in great part for Section 28, the 1988 bill which banned the “promotion” of homosexuality.
Dan Savage was living in Londond at the time. Savage recalls today on his blog, “It felt like this law might the first of many anti-gay laws to come. Instead Section 28 was the beginning of the end for political homophobia in the UK. Because Ian McKellen wasn’t the only gay person to come out in protest. And you know what happens when gay people come out.
Section 28 was not repealed until 15 years later in November 2003. In 2009, Prime Minister David Cameron (then Tory leader) officially apologized for the law saying “I’m sorry for Section 28. We got it wrong. It was an emotional issue. We have got to move on and we have moved on.”
Margaret Thatcher, the first and only female U.K. prime minister, had struggled with declining health for the past decade.
(via Buzzfeed)
Kathy Griffin’s talk show, Kathy on Bravo, has been canceled according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The crowd booed when she revealed the news but Griffin made a joke about it, “predicting the demise of Bravo,” the Enquirer reported.
She later responded to a tweet from Perez Hilton about the cancellation, writing, “Sad but tru.”
A total of 24 episodes aired in all, with the final episode on March 28 averaging 500,000 total viewers.
Griffin previously starred in Bravo’s reality show My Life on the D-List for six seasons.
Word is Griffin shot a pilot for CNN last month co-starring her New Year’s Eve co-host Anderson Cooper.
From a new national HuffPost/YouGov poll:
Thirty-two percent said that they would favor a constitutional amendment making Christianity the official religion of the United States, with 52 percent saying they were opposed.
An amendment to the US constitution would be necessary seeing as the very first line of the document reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…”
For those folks who say they honor the Constitution as written by our founders, this would clearly fly in the face of what the framers originally intended for our county.
In addition, 34 percent of adults would favor establishing Christianity as the official state religion in their own state, while 47 percent would oppose doing so.
Last week, Rutgers announced that the school had fired basketball coach Mike Rice after ESPN aired video tape of him kicking players, throwing balls at the heads of players and shouting slurs like “fucking faggot” and “fucking fairy.”
While condemnation for Rice was nearly universal, Fox News host Eric Bolling argued that his firing was part of the “wussification of America.”
And Fox News host Sean Hannity went even further, praising Rice for was using “old-fashioned discipline.”
“He’s trying to bring the best out of them, put discipline in that team, raise their game, force them to focus, push them become champions and that takes intensity,” Hannity said on Wednesday.
ESPN senior writer Andy Katz on Sunday took Hannity and Bolling:
“It’s ridiculous!” Katz replied. “First of all, they were losing! Okay? So, that tactic wasn’t working.
“You can clearly motivate without physical contact, without slurs. I mean, it’s been proven time and time again at all levels of sports. You do not have to go to that level.”
“You cannot physically hit someone, you can’t throw things at someone and you cannot — I mean, we’re in a different era. You can’t have those homophobic slurs. You can’t!”
I, along with most of America, agree with Katz – a major component of “coaching” is motivating your players. If the only way you feel you can do that is through physically abusing or verbally intimidating your players, then you’ve got no “game.”
Period.
(via RawStory)
From the Youtube description: “Are you ready to jump into the deep end with swimming superstar Ryan Lochte? Get an extended look at his new show coming to E! on April 21 at 10|9c. Jeah!”
Olympic medal winner, winning smile, and easy on the eyes. I’m just not sure about the personality to carry a whole reality TV show.
There’s definitely a quirkiness that could pay off with Lochte. We’ll see. Will he be the new Kardashian for E!…?
I do like the “wet t-shirt” promo pic 🙂
The small town of KwaDukuza was set abuzz this weekend as a young couple said “I do”.
This is believed to be the area’s ‘First Traditional African Gay Wedding’.
(via JMG)
Starting out my Sunday morning looking at the Nevada sky knowing it will be pool season soon. Whoo-hoo!
Pic below from my friend Andrew Makay’s new 2013 collection. Andrew is the funnest, and his swimwear (and models) always provide a nice diversion.
Check out Andrew’s designs at N2NBodywear.com