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“Gay dog” abandoned by owner saved from being put down

This handsome dog was set to be put to death in Tennessee today after his owner abandoned him because he thought he was gay.

According to the owner of the shelter, the dog’s master noticed him ‘hunched over’ another male dog, which led him to assume he was gay.

A woman known as the “Jackson Madison Rabies Control Stalker” posted this on Facebook yesterday:

 “This guy was signed over to RC, not bc he’s mean or bc he tears things up, but because… His owner says he’s gay! He hunched another male dog so his owner threw him away bc he refuses to have a “gay” dog! Even if that weren’t the most assinine thing I’ve ever heard, its still discrimination! Don’t let this gorgeous dog die bc his owner is ignorant of normal dog behavior! He’s in kennel 10L and he WILL be put down tomorrow bc there is no room at the inn!”

Historically such behavior is seen as a sign of dominance, and wouldn’t be indicative of a dog’s sexual orientation.

The good news is he has been saved by a viral campaign over the past 24 hours. More than 4,000 people shared the Facebook post overnight. Men and women from across the United States volunteered to adopt the dog or pay for him to be moved to a no-kill shelter.

Rescue group “Saving the Animals Together” posted on Facebook Thursday morning that the dog was safe. Here is the woman who reportedly saved the pup:

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SF 49ers Chris Culliver faces the media after anti-gay statements

San Francisco 49er Chris Culliver faced members of the media this morning following outrage over remarks he made in an Artie Lange radio interview that a gay teammate would not be welcome on the 49ers or in the NFL:

“I don’t do the gay guys man. I don’t do that. No, we don’t got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah… can’t be… in the locker room man. Nah.”

Those comments were then followed up with this half-hearted apology:

“The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel,” he said in the statement. “It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience.”

Culliver’s personal public relations representative, Theodore Palmer, added:

“Chris is very apologetic for any harm caused to anyone,” Palmer told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “His intent was not that at all. He is one who celebrates the differences of others. All of this was just a big mistake. It was interpreted wrong.”

I’m not sure how you interpret his original comments anyway other than homophobic.

Asked how he is feeling today, a shell-shocked looking Culliver replied: “Just emotional, that’s it… Apologetic.”

Culliver was then asked what he was thinking when saying those things: “I was really just … not thinking. It was something that I thought, but definitely not something I feel in my heart.”

Culliver said he had spoken with Coach Jim Harbaugh, who earlier said he “rejected” the player’s remarks: “We talked privately… about the whole situation…just to learn and grow from it…. like I said that’s not what I feel in my heart, and he understands that.”

Culliver was then asked if he would welcome a gay player, and gave this response: “If it is … it is…everybody’s treated equally in the locker room.”

He said that he had not addressed his remarks with the team: “I’m not trying to bring anything trashy to the team.”

Being married to a longtime, experienced PR rep, I have an idea what the past day or so has been like for Culliver. And I also have an inkling of the kind of behind the scenes discussions that he’s been a part of. It’s pretty clear that his “apology” was written for him by the PR teams. AND the phrase that’s been drilled into him is the “not what I feel in my heart.”

People says stupid things. I know that. But I think Culliver most probably said what he truly felt in the heat of heading to the Super Bowl, feeling kind of invincible. And this kind of talk doesn’t get a second thought in the locker room.

Unfortunately for Culliver, he wasn’t in the locker room when he made his comment.

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Tennessee: “Don’t Say Gay” Bill is back, requires teachers to “out” students

From ThinkProgress: Tennessee’s so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay‘ bill died with the adjournment of the state assembly last year. But now the measure is back — with new, harsher requirements.

The bill, SB 234, still bars Tennessee teachers from discussing any facet of “non-heterosexual” sexuality with children in grades K-8. But the newest iteration also includes a provision requiring teachers or counselors to inform the parents of some students who identify themselves as LGBT.

Family rejection is a serious risk for LGBT youth. Kids who are LGBT often face alienation, if not outright abandonment, because they come out. Forty percent of homeless youth are LGBT, and many of them report that the reason they left home was to escape an environment hostile to their sexual orientation.

LGBT youth who experience family rejection are at high risk for depression and suicide.

More at ThinkProgress

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Colorado: Civil unions bill passes in state Senate committee

The Colorado Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a civil unions bill by a vote of 4 – 3 this morning. Civil unions passed the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

If passed, SB-11 will provide committed gay and lesbian couples with critical legal protections and responsibilities, such as the ability to take family leave to care for a partner, to make medical and end-of-life decisions for a partner, to live together in a nursing home, and to adopt children together.

The landmark legislation will now head to the full Senate for consideration.

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Sen. Rand Paul doesn’t “understand” same-sex marriage

Senator Rand Paul was a guest on AFA hate group leader Bryan Fischer’s radio show yesterday. The Senator and Fischer discussed several topics, but what is an interview between two ultra-conservatives without getting into the gays?  So, of course, they eventually found themselves on the topic of marriage equality.

From Raw Story:

“I believe in traditional marriage,” he said during an interview with Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association. “I really don’t understand any other kind of marriage. Between a man and a woman is what I believe in, and I just don’t think it is good for us to change the definition of that.”

Paul noted that his state, Kentucky, had approved a constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage. He said he was “not sure” about DOMA, but warned the federal law could result in conservatives losing “the battle for the whole country.”

Paul said marriage rights should be decided state-by-state rather than nationally so that “urban centers” couldn’t dictate the law.

To be honest, I don’t understand what there is to “understand.” Two people love each other and want to marry and have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as straight couples.

Plus – if you believe marriage is a “states rights” issue, then you can’t possibly support DOMA. DOMA is a federal law reaching into what you’ve just said is a “states rights” issue.

There. Was that hard?

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Dance: India’s Got Talent

From “India’s Got Talent”

First of all – how incredible are these two? And can I underscore the fact that they are 13 and 7???

I have to know, how do you follow that?

From the YouTube description: Sumant and Sonali, the two little students of Bivash Academy of Dance perform the most amazing and breathtaking Indian Classical choreographed by Mr. Bivash Chowdhury himself.

The dance was performed in the audition round of India’s got talent Season 4, a reality show of Colors TV.

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Former Rep. Barney Frank will not be Sen. Barney Frank

“There was one thing that sort of troubled me in the discussion about it — nobody was particularly quoted; they attributed something to governor’s office and others — was that the governor would want to appoint someone who’s either a minority or a woman. And what troubled me is the question of LGBT people was just kind of swept out.

“I’ve never asked for any appointment based on me being gay, but when they begin talk about the importance of diversity and leave us out, that troubles me. It’s almost as if some people didn’t listen to the president when he said, ‘Seneca, Stonewall and Selma,’ and didn’t hear the Stonewall part. Just as it was in the House, I think being a same-sex married couple in the Senate could have took an important lesson home to some of them.” – Former Rep. Barney Frank to the Washington Blade about being passed over for the interim Massachusetts Senate post.

I’m surprised, to be honest.  Instead of Frank, Gov. Deval Patrick chose his former chief of staff, William “Mo” Cowan.

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Barbra Streisand to sing at this year’s Academy Awards

Via press release: Two-time Academy Award® winner Barbra Streisand, who has sung on the Oscars only once before, will perform on the upcoming Oscar® telecast on February 24. Streisand last sang the love theme from “A Star Is Born” on the March 28, 1977 show, winning the Best Original Song Oscar for “Evergreen” that same night.

“In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music,” said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, “how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand? We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year’s Oscars, her first time singing on the show in 36 years.”

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Cast of CABARET reunites on TODAY Show for 40th Anniversary

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Amazing that 40 years have gone by since the release of the ground-breaking CABARET.  Eight Academy Awards!

It really was a tremendous performance by Liza. Still great 40 years later.

 The newly re-mastered Blu-Ray/DVD is being released February 5th.

 (h/t JMG)