LGBTQ news and entertainment
In this week’s podcast:
• World Pride comes home to New York City
• Donald Trump’s gay spokesman says the president’s anti-LGBTQ policies “just don’t matter” to him
• South Florida LGBTQ organization accidentally honors men accused of gay-bashing
• A new survey of LGBTQ Americans shows 83% believe sex work between consenting adults should be legal
• Country star Jake Owen gives us one more reason to ‘Believe’ he loves his LGBTQ fans
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
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| InstaHunk and fashion designer Daniel Sheehan |
Some news items you might have missed:
• Yesterday’s Round-Up hottie got a great reaction, but even better, Twitter user The Scruff Post discovered the hottie is fashion designer, Daniel Sheehan (above). #BookmarkThatInstagram #Woof
• New York Times: A group of LGBT-supportive Republicans have filed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in favor of LGBT workplace protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The brief is reportedly tailored to resonate with the five conservative justices on the high court.
• AdAge: Advertising company FCB announced that it will not renew its contract with Nivea after reports that the skin care brand rejected a pitch showing two men’s hands touching. An executive allegedly told the ad company, “We don’t do gay at Nivea.”
• Washington Post: After haters used a social media campaign to force the cancellation of a Story Book Pride Prom in Jacksonville, Florida, a local church stepped in and held the prom Friday. The decision to host the prom was unanimously supported by the church’s board, and the event culminated in “happy teens, grateful parents, and a lot of community support.”
• Woofy Matthew Camp shares this colorful tease of his sex-positive docs-series, Camp Chaos:
• CNBC: The House Ways and Means Committee is suing the Treasury Department to get President Donald Trump’s tax returns.
• The Hill: The Trump administration has relented on its attempt to put a citizenship question on the upcoming 2020 census.
• The United States Women’s National Soccer team is heading to the World Cup finals after beating England today 2-1. Tea anyone?
And that’s the tea sis! #USWNT pic.twitter.com/y6bpv75fiV— Beer Talk Inc. (@BeerTalkPod) July 2, 2019
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| Deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere (images via Instagram) |
Openly gay Judd Deere lives in Washington, D.C. He has a boyfriend, attended DC Pride, and currently serves in the Trump White House as Deputy Press Secretary.
Tasked with touting Donald Trump’s policies – including those that erode LGBTQ progress – Deere recently told Buzzfeed News he doesn’t care what the LGBTQ community thinks of him. He says his rise in the Trump administration is proof Trump isn’t homophobic.
“I’m completely open about who I am,” Deere told Buzzfeed. “These individuals that I work with in this building don’t treat me any differently because I’m gay.”
But, there is a caveat to that statement as Deere admits he doesn’t “walk into the White House every day and say, ‘I’m Judd Deere; I’m gay.’”
Adding that the president “doesn’t treat me any different” because he’s gay, Deere cops to not knowing if Trump even knows he identifies as gay.
Like former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Deere is originally from Arkansas.
He previously worked for the state’s Attorney General which fought against listing both same-sex parents on a child’s birth certificate. Striking down Fayetteville’s LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinance was also on the menu during his time there.
“I focused on hiring the very best people, and that’s why I hired Judd,” wrote Sanders, in an email to Buzzfeed. “I am proud to have him on our team to help on LGBT issues as well as the many others in his portfolio.”
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| (image via Instagram/JuddPDeere) |
Speaking of ‘helping on LGBT issues,’ Deere says he has no problem with the Trump administration’s policies regarding the community.
His position is that none of the controversial, news-making policies are really discriminatory.
On whether a baker can turn away a same-sex couple looking for a wedding cake?
“Yeah, that’s fine,” says Deere. “I’ll just go find another cake shop that will.”
Trump’s ban on transgender military service members, Deere says trans soldiers “erode military readiness,” and adds that the ban was “developed through extensive studies within the military by senior military officials.”
Not true – Trump’s own generals have publicly shared they were surprised by the July 2017 tweets announcing the ban.
When it comes to allowing healthcare providers to deny treatment to LGBTQ people based on ‘sincerely held religious beliefs,’ Deere (towing the administration line) says Trump is protecting ‘conscience rights.’
Buzzfeed’s Dominic Holden asked Deere what Trump has done for LGBTQ Americans, and Deere points to the president’s promise to end the HIV epidemic by 2030, as well as launching a “global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality.”
Across the board, though, Deere maintains that any notion the Trump administration is anti-LGBTQ is “just a smear campaign.”
And when it comes to how he himself might be perceived after agreeing to the Buzzfeedinterview, the deputy press secretary is unfazed.
“I don’t go into a dark depression because somebody hates the person I work for, or wants to get upset at me because they think I’m crazy for working here, because it just doesn’t matter to me,” said Deere.
The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for October 8 on whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies in banning LGBTQ discrimination.
There will be three cases regarding Title VII heard that day. The crux of the cases concerns whether anti-LGBTQ discrimination is a form of sex discrimination.
LGBTQ advocates say discrimination against gay people is sex discrimination because anti-gay bias is borne out of opposition to people who love others of the same sex.
A brief filed by the ACLU last week read, in part, “Firing a man because he is attracted to other men is like refusing to hire a woman because she has school-age children, failing to promote a woman because she is too ‘macho,’ or countenancing the sexual harassment of a man who is perceived by his coworkers to be vulnerable.”
Some court watchers say they are not overly-hopeful for a pro-LGBTQ ruling in light of Donald Trump’s choices for far-right leaning justices on the high court.
But Chief Justice John Roberts has, at times, surprised the LGBTQ community.
During arguments for the Obergefell decision in 2015, which made marriage equality the law of the land, Roberts made comments wondering if banning same-sex marriage would constitute a kind of sex discrimination.
In advance of the oral arguments, 206 companies have signed on to a ‘friend of the court’ brief asking SCOTUS to rule in favor of Title VII prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQs.
The list of companies includes big tech like Facebook, Apple and Adobe; food giants like Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Domino’s Pizza; also Uber, Zillow, MGM Resorts, Hilton, HSBC Bank and more.
The Human Rights Campaign reports the amicus brief has the largest number of business signers than any other brief filed in an LGBTQ discrimination case.
The brief reads, in part, “Even where companies voluntarily implement policies to prohibit sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination, such policies are not a substitute for the force of law.”
“Only a uniform federal rule can enable businesses to recruit and retain, and employees to perform, at their highest levels,” says the brief.
The brief was organized by several LGBTQ advocacy groups including the Human Rights Campaign, Out & Equal, Freedom for All Americans and Lambda Legal.
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| (stock photo: Vinicius Vilela via Pexels) |
The organizers of Boston’s so-called “Straight Pride Parade” say that they were targeted with “suspicious packages in the mail” that ended up containing… Glitter!
In early June, an organization called Super Happy Fun America, which says it is “committed to creating spaces for people of all identities to embrace the vibrancy of the straight community,” announced their event.
Their mission statement declares, “We believe that true diversity is only possible when people of all sexual orientations are free to celebrate their lifestyles.”
The city of Boston approved the group’s ‘Straight Pride’ event application after Super Happy Fun America threatened to sue.
One of the main organizers, Samson Racioppi, told CNN he found an envelope in his mailbox on Monday.
“I went out to my mailbox and there was an envelope in there with my name and address, no return address, the back was very heavily taped up and when I shook it I heard stuff shaking around inside,” Racioppi told CNN.
After calling authorities, a hazmat team evacuated his neighbors homes and closed traffic down his street.
Racioppi reached out to his co-organizers, including Mark Sahady, Vice President of Super Happy Fun America.
Sahady found a similar package at his home. He described the contents as a “sand-like substance.”
But when the envelope was examined by experts, the contents were revealed to be glitter and a hand-written note.
Glitter, folks. Glitter.
Kristen Setera, a spokesman for the FBI, told CNN the bureau does not believe the packages (of glitter) “pose a threat to public safety” but the investigation is ongoing.
Folks in the LGBTQ media have called the idea of the parade, tentatively scheduled for August 31, homophobic.
Super Happy Fun America’s president, John Hugo, dismisses the criticism saying the event is “not anti-gay but pro-straight.”
“Straight people are an oppressed majority,” states on the group’s official website. “We will fight for the right of straights everywhere to express pride in themselves without fear of judgement and hate.”
Because the 4.5 percent of the U.S. population that is estimated to be LGBTQ are ‘oppressing’ the other 95 percent. Uh-huh.
Controversial homocon Milo Yiannopolous is scheduled to be the grand marshal for the event that’s predicted to draw 2,000 participants.
During a sit-down with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump told the viewing audience that the issue of “filth” in major U.S. cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City “started two years ago.”
The topic came up with Carlson mentioned traveling abroad to cities like Tokyo and Osaka, where graffiti and homeless people going to the bathroom in the streets aren’t issues abundantly seen. Carlson asked why American cities seem to have this problem.
According to Trump, “it’s a phenomenon that started two years ago” and he described it as “disgraceful.”
But Trump’s issue with the “filth” and the homeless weren’t borne out of concern for those living on the streets.
His first thought was that police officers are “getting sick just walking the beat.”
Trump did reference the homeless, however, when he hypothesized that “perhaps they like living that way.”
Seriously???
The Trumpster also expressed dismay that people working in office building have to “walk through a scene that nobody would have believed possible.”
Somehow, this is all the fault of ‘the Liberal establishment.’
Trump explained that when he first arrived in Washington D.C. two years ago, he saw a similar problem and shares, “I ended it very quickly.”
At no time does the president ever express any humanitarian concern for those living in the streets.
Watch below.
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| “And what your name is…?” |
Some news items you might have missed:
• Don’t know who today’s hottie (above) is, but sure wish I did… #woof #DaddyDefined
• NewNowNext: A survey of Pride Month media coverage shows LGBTQ reports don’t even come close to making up at least the 4.5% that we do in the population.
• NY Daily News: City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced $19M in new LGBT programs for his city.
• The Hill: The prediction model that accurately predicted Democratic gains in the House four months before the 2018 midterm elections says President Trump will lose Electoral College 278-197 in 2020.
• Gallup Polling: U.S. adults greatly overestimate the American gay population – most guess 23.6% of Americans are gay or lesbian when most reliable reports say 4.5% of Americans are LGBT.
• Donald Trump boasted about having “new Sherman tanks” for his upcoming commandeering of the July 4th celebration in Washington, D.C.
Btw – the last Sherman tank was made in 1945, and haven’t been in service since 1957.
Trump brags about the amazing tanks he’ll have on display in Washington on July 4 pic.twitter.com/8Ir7CBCQdn— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 1, 2019
The last Sherman tank was built in 1945.— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 1, 2019
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| (screen capture) |
Wait… what? For real…?
what the fuck, pic.twitter.com/iJqn1nYDf9— Davis. (@realdaveimboden) July 1, 2019
The results of a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS shows Democratic presidential contenders Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have each surged nearly ten points since the first debates last week.
Harris saw the biggest increase from 8 percent support to 17 percent, and Warren jumped 8 points from 7 percent to 15 percent.
Former Vice President Joe Biden dropped a precipitous ten points from 32 percent support to 22 percent.
And Mayor Pete Buttigieg, despite getting strong response for his debate performance, dropped one percent.
Asked ‘who did the best job in the debates,” the hands-down favorite was Harris with 41 percent saying she won.
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| Heritage of Pride (all photos: Lawrence Pfeil Jr) |
By Lawrence Pfeil, Jr.
With 165 units from around the world, across the country, and from every borough of the city, New York City’s Pride March was a spectacular show of love, community, and most of creativity.
Estimated to last eleven hours before it began, the dazzling rainbow extravaganza was still going strong as the midnight hour approached with NYC Pride organizers revising their estimated finishing time to 1:00AM, or later.
Which begs the obvious question, “was anybody still watching it at that hour?” Absolutely!
According to marchers whose pride light up the night, crowds were still lining the route when one couple finished at 11pm and hadn’t gone anywhere when another couple finished at midnight.
Considering Madonna was simultaneously performing at Pride Island while Deborah Cox was closing World Pride in Times Square, it gives you some indication of the fabulously creative, spectacle of Pride winding through the streets of Chelsea and the Village.
Here’s a look at the first several hours of the largest Pride March in history, which the world gathered to witness and as they celebrated “Stonewall 50.”
Paying respect to those who were the reason for the celebration of Pride, the lead car honored two of the Community’s heroines.
With New York City hosting the first bi-annual celebration of World Pride in the US, some of the 1200 InterPride were welcomed down Fifth Avenue. Each of the 57 member units brought their own creative greeting from as far away as Australia, Germany and London; or as close to home as Nevada and Palm Springs.
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| Nordics for Equality |
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| Amsterdam Pride |
Many LGBT+ organizations brought the Pride, including Trevor Project, also serving as one of the Grand Marshals), New York’s own LGBT Center, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, and GALA of the NYPD.
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| Gay Men’s Health Crisis |
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| NYC Pride Center |
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| Trevor Project |
There has been some controversy regarding corporate takeover of the Pride March and commercialism overshadowing activism. So much so that it caused a schism and an anti-march was held.
It’s worth noting the first corporate float didn’t appear until 2:30 minutes into the March, after international and national LGBT+ groups and government officials who fight for equality and civil rights.
Certainly, there were corporations, like Deutche Bank and CapitalOne, whose presence were egregiously offensive considering they finance and launder money for and/or are a tenant of the President actively rolling back LGBT+ civil rights and promoting hate.
Pride and creativity were not only on display in the street but was everywhere in the crowd as well.
You never knew when you might spot a fabulous celebrity ally.
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| Longtime LGBTQ ally – film/TV/recording star Vanessa Williams |
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| Broadway actor Jim Newman (L) enjoying the march |
At some point, you gotta march!
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| The crowds were huge! |
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| Some political statements were made along the way… |
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| Historic Stonewall Inn |
