LGBTQ news and entertainment
Well, this clip will go down in “diva diss” history.
In an interview with Mariah Carey (which begins by looking back at her 20+ years as a super recording artist, her multitudinous awards and her 200+ million albums sold), Barbra Walters asks Mariah about the reported tension with co-American Idol judge Nicki Minaj.
Check the simple eye-roll and sassy line delivered with perfection at the 4:30 mark – “I didn’t know she sang, I thought she rapped, or whatever…”
In the latest installment of “Neil’s Puppet Dreams,” Neil Patrick Harris wonders why his dreams are so barren while his partner David Burtka’s are so much fun.
Even Joe Manganiello agrees. Give me Joe M. on a surf board and I’m good.
From The Hollywood Reporter: Nick Nolte showed up for the premiere of his new movie, Gangster Squad, having made the decision to attend wearing this odd choice of a yellow bath robe…?
Great actor, but for the premiere of his new movie, don’t you think this just a bit “laid-back?”
Things that make you go “hmm….?”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned to work today following recovery from a concussion and a blood clot. She was give a welcome back gift, CNN reports:
Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides handed Clinton a box, saying, “As you know, Washington is a contact sport.”
“Inside was a football helmet with a State Department seal, lots of good padding and also a football jersey that said Clinton on the back and on the front it says #112 which symbolizes the number of countries she visited as secretary of state,” Nuland said.
“She loved it. She thought it was cool. But then being Hillary Clinton she wanted to get right to business.”
(source)
I predict we’ll be hearing this a lot…
Cute video.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) appeared on Andrea Mitchell Reports today to speak about the Chuck Hagel nomination as Defense Secretary and the pushback it has received from some LGBT rights advocates.
Said Baldwin:
“I do not know Chuck Hagel…I do want to speak with him, particularly about his comments 14 years ago, to see if his apology is sincere and sufficient. I want to hear how he’s evolved on this issue in the the last 14 years because the significance to the post to which he’s been nominated is the respect for now openly gay members of the military who because of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell can serve openly and we need to see that implemented successfully…”
According to the Windy City Times, some military personnel who had their separation pay cut in half after being discharged for being gay will receive their full pay under a legal settlement announced today.
“There was absolutely no need to subject these service members to a double dose of discrimination by removing them from the armed forces in the first place, and then denying them this small benefit to ease the transition to civilian life,” said Laura Schauer Ives, managing attorney for the ACLU of New Mexico. “This decision represents a long-delayed justice to these veterans.”
The ACLU’s class action lawsuit represented approximately 181 honorably discharged veterans who had their separation pay cut in half because of the discriminatory policy. The total amount of separation pay withheld from those veterans is approximately $2.4 million. The lead plaintiff in the case is Richard Collins, a former staff sergeant in the Air Force who served for nine years until he was discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Collins was stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico before being seen by a co-worker exchanging a kiss with his boyfriend in their car while stopped at an intersection off-base.
The settlement covers veterans who served at least six years and is retroactive to November 2004. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations prevents payments to those discharged earlier.
(via JMG)
Michelangelo Signorile chased down a bigot in Chelsea who called him “disgusting” after he kissed his partner:
“I’ve not come to this age in my life, to this stage of the game in the fight for LGBT rights, to have someone call me ‘disgusting’ in my own neighborhood. And it’s time none of us let them get away with it. I’m not saying that I or anyone should stand up to everybody engaged in a homophobic act every time. Obviously you have to be wise and safe. But whether it’s on the streets of Chelsea or in Columbus, Ohio, all of us, straight and gay, must speak up when we can. Stand up and fight back. Because if we don’t, they win.”
Watch. They actually get free sandwiches…