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Trump Supporter Arrested For Death Threats To Boston Globe

Robert Chain of Encino, California, has been charged with making threatening communications in interstate commerce after he allegedly called in threats to the Boston Globe newsroom 14 times over a 12-day period between August 10 and 22.
Robert Chain of Encino, California

A California man was arrested this week for making multiple death threats targeting the Boston Globe using homophobic slurs.

Robert Chain of Encino, California, has been charged with making threatening communications in interstate commerce after he allegedly called in threats to the Boston Globe newsroom 14 times over a 12-day period between August 10 and 22.

The threats apparently stemmed from the Globe’s call for newspapers across the nation to publish op-ed pieces in support of a free press all on the same day.

From the Department of Justice:

On Aug. 10, 2018, the Boston Globe announced that it was requesting that other newspaper publications around the country publish a coordinated editorial response to political attacks on the media. The coordinated editorial response was to be published on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018.

According to court documents, immediately following the announcement, Chain began making threatening calls to the Boston Globe’s newsroom.

In the calls, Chain referred to the Globe as “the enemy of the people” and threatened to kill newspaper employees.

In total, it is alleged that Chain made approximately 14 threatening phone calls to the Globe between August 10 and 22, 2018.

Over 300 newspapers took part in the coordinated editorials.

Homophobic slurs “faggot” and “cocksuckers” were a popular choice of insult used by Chain.

According to an affidavit filed by the FBI, Chain said in an August 13 phone call, “Hey, how’s your pussy smell today, nice and fresh? We are going to shoot you motherfuckers in the head, you Boston Globe cocksuckers. Shoot every fucking one of you.”

During a call on August 16, Chain used the word “faggot” as he continued to threaten the Globe, which he referred to as “the enemy of the people.”

“You’re the enemy of the people, and we’re going to kill every fucking one of you. Hey, why don’t you call the F, why don’t you call Mueller, maybe he can help you out buddy. Still there faggot? Alright, why, you going to trace my call? What are you going to do motherfucker? You ain’t going to do shit. I’m going to shoot you in the fucking head later today, at 4 o’clock. Goodbye.”

In a call on August 22, the 68-year-old told the Globe, “You are the enemy of the people, and I want you to go fuck yourself.” Chain added that he would continue with this threats “as long as you keep attacking the President.” Chain went on to use the term “fake news” in that same phone call.

The phrases “enemy of the people” and “fake news” have been used many times in past months by President Trump as he has attacked various news outlets in public statements.

In fact, since the deadly gun shooting in June at the Maryland newspaper, The Capital Gazette, Trump has used the term nine times.

When police entered Chain’s home, they found over 20 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Chain faces a possible five year prison sentence, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

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Life Is ‘Jake’ For Out College Football Player Jake Bain

Out college football player Jake Bain is thriving as a freshman at Indiana State University
Jake Bain of Indiana State University

Earlier this year I reported on the huge success and popularity of then-high school senior Jake Bain of St. Louis, who had come out as gay to his high school and found widespread acceptance.

As an out athlete, the talented football player received a scholarship and spot on the Indiana State University football team.

Flash-forward to today, where ISU freshman Jake seems to thriving in his new school and with his new teammates.

Outsports’ Jim Buzinski caught up with the handsome 19-year-old who’s showing the world you can be an out athlete and thrive.

Jake tells Outsports that his life at ISU is pretty much like every other freshman.

Even when he Facetimes with his boyfriend, Hunter Sigmund who’s in his freshman year at the University of North Carolina, Bain says he doesn’t feel the need to hide his relationship.

“There are times when we’ll be in the dorms playing video games and I’ll get a Facetime message from Hunter and I don’t get uncomfortable with that,” Bain shared with Outsports. “I don’t feel a need to go into a different room. Everybody knows. A lot of the freshman I’ve been dorming with have seen Hunter and know who he is.”

In fact, Hunter has already been to visit at ISU. Jake has introduced him to fellow football players and everyone is totally cool.

“Hunter came up to Indiana State and I was walking him around campus and passed some of the football guys and introduced Hunter to them and they all treated him like they would somebody’s girlfriend,” Bain said. “They were really nice.”

A post shared by Jake Bain (@jake.bain) on Aug 14, 2018 at 11:06am PDT

It’s easy to imagine that Jake is happy to settle into the role of college freshman after a year that included coming out to the world, attending his senior prom with Hunter, and seeing his entire community support him when the virulently anti-LGBT Westboro Baptist Church attempted to picket Jake at his high school.

Even as he handled all of that with a sense of confidence that would seem way beyond that of a 19-yeear-old, Jake doesn’t seem himself so much as an activist for the LGBT community but as “someone who is willing to be themselves and show everyone it’s ok to be yourself.”

”I try and not put the spotlight on me but instead on the LGBT community as a whole,” he told Outsports. “There’s bunch of people like me, but they’re just not comfortable being out.”

And for anyone who might have worried about Jake fitting in with his new team, he says it’s been exactly the opposite.

“Football is one of those unique sports where there is a true brotherhood that is made, especially when we’re around each other for so much of the day, it gives us a lot of time to really bond with each other.”

“A lot of people assume that because you’re playing a sport like football that there’s assumption that it’s a very masculine sport, and obviously it is, but it doesn’t mean that my teammates won’t be accepting of someone who is gay. It shows how the tide is turning and shows how we have something special here.

”Football gets that hard rep but I think it creates the biggest bond out of any of the sports I have played.”

Jake goes on to share that several players during practice have approached him to let him know they support him and definitely “have his back.”

About the biggest challenge Jake seems to be facing these days is a change of position on the team. As a high school player, Jake was a running back, but his new coaches like his size and speed, so they are training him to transition to defensive back.

Jake had some trepidation about the switch, but it seems to be working for everyone.

A post shared by Jake Bain (@jake.bain) on Aug 5, 2018 at 10:03am PDT

In fact, last night Indiana State played its first game of the season against Quincy University and won by a whopping 49-0.

Before last night’s game, Indiana State had suffered a crushing 14-game losing streak. Last season, ISU was 0-11.

So, 0-11 without Jake; 49-0 win with Jake. You do the math 🙂

As we head into the weekend, let’s celebrate the Jake’s success as he shows the world that living authentically is definitely a great game plan.

Make sure you head over to Outsports and check out the full profile.

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Carrie Underwood’s Soaring New Anthem “Love Wins”

Former American Idol champion and country music superstar Carrie Underwood has dropped a new single from her upcoming album, Cry Pretty, that seems to share her thoughts on the country’s current state of political divisiveness.
Carrie Underwood

Former American Idol champion and country music superstar Carrie Underwood has dropped a new single from her upcoming album, Cry Pretty, that seems to share her thoughts on the country’s current state of political divisiveness.

According to Rolling Stone, Underwood hopes the song “Love Wins” can remind folks that just because people are different “that doesn’t make somebody else bad, it just makes us different.”

The 35-year-old from Oklahoma added that she wanted the song “to be hopeful and to maybe make somebody stop and think about that.”

In a separate interview with Taste of Country, Underwood said she thinks “that we’re all different for a reason.”

“I feel like if you just sit down and talk to somebody who’s not like you and keep it calm, we can all learn from each other,” she added.

From the new song, “Love Wins:”

I believe you and me are sisters and brothers
And I believe we’re made to be here for each other
And we’ll never fall if we walk hand in hand
Put a world that seems broken together again
Yeah, I believe in the end love wins

The phrase “love wins” is also highly associated with the LGBTQ rights movement, and that’s no coincidence as Underwood has been an outspoken ally supporting marriage equality for years.

“As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love, and want to marry,” Underwood told The Independent back in 2012. “I can’t imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love and love publicly, the people we want to love.”

Cry Pretty is Underwood’s 6th studio album, and clearly, with success and experience comes confidence in the messages she wants to send.

Another track on the upcoming collection is titled, “The Bullet,” which addresses gun violence – an especially sensitive subject for many country music fans.

Cry Pretty drops on September 14, and Underwood plans a tour in support of the album next May.

Here’s the lyric video for “Love Wins.”

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Fox News Host: We ‘Radicalized’ Donald Trump

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld told The Five's TV audience last night that his network "radicalized" Donald Trump.
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld told The Five‘s TV audience last night that his network “radicalized” Donald Trump.

Via Mediaite:

“You know what it is? Trump was radicalized by something. OK? Because he was a Democrat for a long time. He was fairly – he was pro-choice, liberal and many things. He was radicalized. What was he radicalized by? Us. Fox News. Fox News.

“When Fox News happened, the world starts to make sense to him. So all he’s doing is what we do. Which is, we bash the media. So he has turned the White House into a kind of like an alternative Fox show, where he sits there, and he rips the media.”

At least they take credit for it.

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Donald Trump’s Disapproval Ratings Hit New High

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Trump's disapproval rating has hit a new high of 60%.
Donald Trump

While Donald Trump loves breaking records, this is one he may not be boasting about.

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Trump’s disapproval rating has hit a new high of 60%.

Only 36% of respondents approve of the job Trump is doing as president.

Slightly more Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy: 47% disapprove, 45% approve.

Although Trump promised to ‘drain the swamp,’ 45% of Americans feel corruption in DC has increased; only 13% feel corruption has decreased; 39% believe its remained the same.

A solid majority (63%) support the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller; only 29% oppose.

More than half (53%) believe Trump somehow participated in obstructing Mueller’s investigation; 35% don’t believe he did.

When it comes to former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, a decisive 67% believe the charges and guilty verdicts were justified; only 17% disagree.

And similar numbers come into play when asked about a possible pardon for Manfort – 66% oppose a pardon for the convicted felon, 18% support a pardon.

And, almost half of Americans (49%) feel Congress should begin impeachment proceedings; 46% oppose the idea.

So. Much. Winning.

Read the full results of the poll at this link.

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Ohio Politician Arrested On 26 Counts of Sexual Misconduct With Teenagers

An Ohio politician has been arrested and charged on a whopping 26 felony charges of sexual misconduct with teenagers aged 13-17.
Phillip Garcia

An Ohio politician has been arrested and charged on a whopping 26 felony charges of sexual misconduct with teenagers aged 13-17.

From Gay Star News:

Phillip Garcia, 63, is the councilman for Ward 2 in Conneaut. He is also a member of the Parks and Recreation committee, Economic Development Committee, and Public Service Department/Cemeteries committee.

Authorities indicted Garcia on Tuesday (28 August). They took him to Ashtabula County Jail, where he is being held on the charges. He was being investigated for several months prior to his arrest.

The charges include five counts of rape, four counts of corruption of a minor, and two counts of sexual conduct with a minor. The other 15 are counts of compelling prostitution.

According to court documents, the alleged misconduct took place between 1997 and 2005. Garcia’s apparent victims were five minors between the ages of 13 and 17. Four of the five worked for Garcia’s catering business.

Attorney General DeWine said there are also concerns there may be more victims.

But Garcia and his lawyers say he’s the target of a smear campaign because he’s gay.

“Mr. Garcia has been unfairly and unjustly targeted because he is a homosexual by overzealous law enforcement who have mischaracterized his actions from over twenty years ago,” attorney Reid Yoder says in a statement.

“This indictment is an extreme example of police and prosecutors grossly overcharging a person based on their sexual orientation in attempt to gain media headlines.”

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Killer Gets Prison Sentence Reduced Using “Gay Panic” Defense

A 35-year-old man in India had been found guilty of the stabbing murder of his friend and was in the 7th year of his sentence when he appealed to the Bombay High Court crying 'gay panic.'

Another murderer has successfully utilized the ‘gay panic’ defense in an effort to see his prison sentence reduced.

A 35-year-old man in India had been found guilty of the stabbing murder of his friend and was in the 7th year of his sentence when he appealed to the Bombay High Court crying ‘gay panic.’

From Gay Star News:

Originally convicted for murder and given a life sentence, the court reduced his sentence. The court’s changed the man’s sentence to culpable homicide and released him for time already served.

The man appealed his original sentence saying his friend was trying to have ‘unnatural sex’ with him and that’s why he attacked him.

In their ruling the court Justices said the man’s story seemed ‘plausible’.

‘If a person is asked to indulge in an unnatural sex act and assaulted, it is quite probable such a person in the heat of passion would assault the person demanding such unnatural act,’ the justices said.

Gay panic defenses in the U.S. have been banned in California, Rhode Island and Illinois.

In 2013, the American Bar Association approved a resolution condemning the practice.

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Convicted Murderer: “Homosexuals Are A Disease To Mankind And Must Be Put Down”

Peter Avsenew

 A 33-year-old Florida man, who was convicted of the 2010 double homicide of a gay couple in the gay-centric neighborhood of Wilton Manors, will receive the death penalty.

While a court-appointed lawyer asked for mercy saying Peter Avsenew had been sexually abused by his stepfather as child and lost his sister to murder, Broward County Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes upheld the unanimous recommendation of the jury that he be put to death.

Avsenew was convicted last fall of the murders of Kevin Powell and Stephen Adams, a gay couple who had been together for 30 years.

According to prosecutors during the trial, Avsenew met the men through a sexually suggestive ad on Craigslist. After killing the couple, he stole their car, belongings and money.

At his sentencing hearing in January, the convicted killer flipped off members of the family in the court room after hearing the jury’s recommendation for the death penalty.

He told the judge at the time of sentencing he had no regrets and he was “proud of the decisions” he’d made in his life, according to the local ABC news affiliate.

While the judge could have spared his life, Avsenew sealed his own fate by writing a letter to the Holmes saying “It is my duty as a white man to cull the weak and timid from existence.”

“Homosexuals are a disease to mankind and must be put down,” he added. “These weren’t the first and won’t be the last.”

Missy Badget, a family member of one of the victims, said at the time, “After what happened in that courtroom just now, I’m happy that he’s being put to the death penalty.”

Avsenew is the first convicted felon to receive the death penalty since a new law went into effect requiring a jury to be unanimous in its recommendation for execution.

(h/t Sun-Sentinel)

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News Round-Up: August 29, 2018

Go-go guy Teddy Bear

Some news items you might have missed:

• After the owner of West Hollywood’s The Abbey asked his go-go dancers to take a pay cut, go-go guy Teddy Bear (above) raised his voice, and got fired & banned from the gay bar.

• The online fundraising platform ActBlue raised $100 million in August for Democratic candidates, marking their biggest fundraising month since they launched in 2004. The liberals are NOT losing any steam before the 2018 midterm elections, kids.

• Check out out Olympian Adam Rippon on the set of Will & Grace along with fellow-guest star Minnie Driver! Squee!!!

• The California legislature has passed a resolution condemning intersex surgeries on children in an attempt to halt procedures that would try and ‘normalize’ children’s sexual characteristics.

• Openly bisexual Halsey (one of my favorite out recording artists) clapped back at anti-LGBT folks who come to her concerts saying, “People bring anti-LGBT religious propaganda to my concerts alot and it’s like, I feel like I’ve done enough good in the world that God’s gonna forgive me for eating some p*ssy.” #LOL

• Rupaul has announced a new Christmas album coming this fall! This will be Ru’s 3rd collection of holiday songs following 1997’s Ho Ho Ho and 2015’s Slay Belles.

A post shared by RuPaul Charles (@rupaulofficial) on Aug 28, 2018 at 12:02pm PDT

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Sarah Palin Not Invited To John McCain’s Funeral

Sarah Palin

NBC News is reporting that former half-term governor of Alaska and 2008 Republicans vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, has not been invited to the funeral of her former running-mate, Sen. John McCain.

The Palin camp apparently issued a statement which read, “Out of respect to Senator McCain and his family we have nothing to add at this point. The Palin family will always cherish their friendship with the McCains and hold those memories dear.”

Meanwhile, McCain famously asked both of his presidential rivals – Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama – to not only attend the funeral but eulogize him at the service.

I’m just gonna leave this riiiiiight here.