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Ethics Office: Kellyanne Conway Should Be Fired For Violating Hatch Act

Kellyanne Conway

The office that oversees ethics for the White House has recommended that White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway be removed from federal service after repeated violations of the Hatch Act, which “prohibits government employees from making political statements while acting in an official capacity,” according to CBS News.

The Office of the Special Counsel — the ethics office for the White House, which is unrelated to former special counsel Robert Mueller — sent a report to the president Thursday finding that Conway had violated the act “on numerous occasions” by criticizing Democratic presidential candidates in TV interviews and on social media.

While the president and vice president are exempt from the Hatch Act, that privilege does not extend to federal employees.

“Ms. Conway’s violations, if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act’s restrictions. Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system — the rule of law,” the OSC said in the letter to Mr. Trump, calling Conway a “repeat offender.”

Click to enlarge

Conway has laughed at the violations in the past.

“If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work,” she told reporters in May. “Let me know when the jail sentence starts.”

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Police Refuse To Offer Security To Anti-LGBTQ Hate Conference

Patrick Boyle

Today in ‘good Christian love:’

A group of virulently anti-LGBTQ pastors are planning a “Make America Straight Again” conference over three days in Orlando, Florida, this weekend.

The Friendly Atheist reports event will occur just days after the 3rd anniversary of the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting in the city. Organizers specifically say they chose the dates because Orlando’s Pride celebration is this weekend.

The list of participants is a veritable who’s who of ‘Christian’ haters including:

• Orlando-based Patrick Boyle, who says in the video below they plan to speak out against the “sodomites and their filth that they’ve been spreading.”

• Steven Anderson, who celebrated the mass shooting at Pulse because there were “50 less pedophiles in this world.”

• Roger Jimenez, who said the worst thing about the Pulse massacre is the shooter “didn’t finish the job.”

• Tommy McMurtry, who wishes everyone could go back to a time when society put LGBTQ folks in their place – “six feet under.”

• Bruce Mejia, who says LGBTQ stands for “Let God Burn Them Quickly” and believes gays should be “put to death.”

Here’s their announcement video. You’ve never seen such chipper hate in your life.

WFTV, the ABC News affiliate in Orlando, reports the group contacted the local Sheriff’s office asking to hire deputies to handle security duties at the conference. The Sheriff’s Office refused the request.

“The fact that the timing of this conference coincides with the three-year anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in nearby Orlando did not go unnoticed by our staff,” a spokesman told WFTV. “We felt as though the timing of the conference is in poor taste.”

Boyle told the news station they were surprised by the rejection saying “We were actually just asking for police presence just to deter any kind of violence.”

That response is surprising since McMurtry recently told his congregation that he hopes gay folks protest and that it gets violent because “they have ‘Stand Your Ground’ in Florida, so we’re allowed to fight back – so, I say ‘bring it!’”

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Amazon Prime Video Curates ‘Must-Watch’ Pride Collection

In honor of Pride Month, Amazon Prime Video has curated a collection of queer films and television series all in one place for you to peruse.
With Pride Month in full swing, it’s a great time to check out some LGBTQ-themed films you might not have gotten around to watching yet.

In honor of Pride Month, Amazon Prime Video has curated a collection of queer films and television series all in one place for you to peruse.

Click here to find not only Amazon Original entertainment including Transparent, A Very English Scandal and Made in Heaven, but award-winning LGBTQ films like:

1985: Shot on black-and-white super 16mm film, “1985” takes a unique look at a pivotal moment in American history through the prism of empathy, love and family. Starring Cory Michael Smith (“Gotham”), Virginia Madsen (Academy Award Nominee, “Sideways”), Michael Chiklis (Golden Globe Winner, “The Shield”) and Jamie Chung (“The Gifted”).

Leather: A young man, Birch, lives in the Catskill Mountains, in a cottage in a remote region with Walter, an older man who has an estranged gay son, Andrew. Birch and Walter make items from leather. After his father dies, Andrew returns home with Kyle, his boyfriend from the city. Birch captivates Andrew and Kyle, bringing up feelings and complicating their relationship.

Saturday Church: A 14-year-old boy, struggling with gender identity and religion, begins to use fantasy to escape his life in the inner city and find his passion in the process. Festival Favorite of Tribeca 2017

Porcupine Lake: Thirteen-year-old Bea (Charlotte Salisbury) wants a best friend more than anything else, but when she meets boisterous Kate (Lucinda Armstrong Hall) she gets more than she ever imagined. Porcupine Lake is a story of bravery and the secret world of girls set in northern Ontario during a hot and hazy summertime when adulthood has not yet arrived, but childhood is quickly vanishing.

Quiet Heroes: In Salt Lake City, Utah, the ubiquity of the Mormon Church complicated the AIDS crisis: patients received little support from-or were cast out by-their communities. With many patients abandoned by nearly everyone they knew, Dr. Kristen Ries and Maggie Snyder, PA-C partnered with an order of Catholic nuns to create a safe haven amidst a sea of hate and fear for those with nowhere else to turn.

Transmilitary: At a time when transgender people are banned from serving in the U.S. military, four transgender troops risking discharge fight to attain the freedom they so fiercely protect. 2018 SXSW Audience Award Winner, Best Documentary.

Call Her Ganda: When Jennifer Laude, a Filipina transwoman, is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women intimately invested in the case-an activist attorney (Virgie Suarez), a transgender journalist (Meredith Talusan) and Jennifer’s mother (Julita “Nanay” Laude)-galvanize a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on hardened histories of US imperialism.

This is just a tiny portion of Amazon’s ‘Must-Watch Pride’ list. Click over to check out all the selections.

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House Committee Approves Resolution To Hold Commerce Secretary & Attorney General In Contempt

By a vote of 24-15, the House Oversight Committee approved a resolution recommending Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Attorney General William Barr be held in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas in regard to the committee's investigation into a question about citizenship on the 2020 census.

By a vote of 24-15, the House Oversight Committee approved a resolution recommending Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Attorney General William Barr be held in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas in regard to the committee’s investigation into a question about citizenship on the 2020 census.

Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) joined Democrats in voting in favor of the resolution.
The committee is seeking internal documents between the Justice Department and the Trump administration regarding how the citizenship question came to be and why.
Democrats assert the question was added in order to intimidate immigrants into not filing the census form. 
The census is used to determine how many federal lawmakers are allocated to each state. Should immigrants pass on filling out the form it would most probably benefit Republicans.

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Oregon Becomes 15th State To Promise Electoral Votes To Winner Of Popular Vote

Oregon has become the 15th state to join the National Popular Vote compact promising its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.
Donald Trump

Oregon has become the 15th state to join the National Popular Vote compact promising its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.

From The Hill:

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) on Wednesday signed a bill into law that will give the state’s Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.

“I think it’s really important to be a part of the national conversation regarding the presidential election,” Brown said Wednesday as she signed the bill into law, according to The Oregonian. “I think it will encourage candidates to spend more time in states like ours, speaking directly to our voters.”

The compact will go into effect only if enough states join to bring their total Electoral College votes to 270. Oregon’s addition of seven Electoral College votes brings the current total to 196.

Brown said she thinks Oregon being a part of the compact will compel presidential candidates to spend more time in all the states, particularly hers.

“I think it will encourage candidates to spend more time in states like ours, candidates who are running for president speaking directly to our voters,” she said, according to CNN. “I think it will help encourage them to talk about issues that … Oregonians care more about. And I think it’s really important for Oregon to be part of the national conversation regarding the presidential election.”

Brown’s signing comes after the Democratic-led Oregon House passed the measure last week largely along party lines.

In the history of the United States, five candidates have become president without coming out on top in the popular vote.

Most recently, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in the 2016 election by 3 million votes but lost the race due to the Electoral College.

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Trump On Foreigners Offering Dirt On Opponents: “I Think I’d Take It”

Donald Trump admits he’d accept dirt on political opponents from foreign countries

Holy crap!

From ABC News:

Asked by ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos in the Oval Office on Wednesday whether his campaign would accept such information from foreigners — such as China or Russia — or hand it over the FBI, Trump said, “I think maybe you do both.”

“I think you might want to listen, there isn’t anything wrong with listening,” Trump continued. “If somebody called from a country, Norway, [and said] ‘we have information on your opponent’ — oh, I think I’d want to hear it.”

President Trump lamented the attention on his son, Donald Trump Jr., for his role in the now-infamous Trump Tower meeting in June 2016. Stephanopoulos asked whether Trump Jr. should have taken the Russians’ offer for “dirt” on then-candidate Hillary Clinton to the FBI.

“Somebody comes up and says, ‘hey, I have information on your opponent,’ do you call the FBI?” Trump responded.

“I’ll tell you what, I’ve seen a lot of things over my life. I don’t think in my whole life I’ve ever called the FBI. In my whole life. You don’t call the FBI. You throw somebody out of your office, you do whatever you do,” Trump continued. “Oh, give me a break – life doesn’t work that way.”

When Stephanopolous points out that the FBI director says you should report such contact, Trump says flatly, “The FBI director is wrong.”

This is why Trump has been incredulous at the allegations leveled at him. I think in Trump World he honestly doesn’t see anything wrong with accepting aid from a foreign country in an election (which in the United States IS illegal).

Watch below.

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Beto O’Rourke Reveals 30+ Point Plan For LGBTQ Equality

Beto O’Rourke and supporters (image via Instagram)

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has announced a wide-ranging plan for LGBTQ equality on Wednesday.

Listing an agenda of more than 30 actions he would take and/or support, the plan is divided in three parts: Executive Action to Protect LGBTQ+ People, Legislative Action to Ensure Full Equality and Protect the LGBTQ+ Community Across the Globe.

On his Instagram, O’Rourke said the proposal “would leverage executive power and call for congressional action that ensures that LGBTQ+ people have full equality and opportunity.”

First, O’Rourke would reverse many of Donald Trump’s disastrous executive actions and policies including:

• The discriminatory transgender military ban

• Overturning the ‘Deploy or Get Out’ policy that is currently discharging HIV+ service members

• Reversing the Trump policy that allows healthcare providers to deny treatment to LGBTQ+ people

• Directing the Department of Justice to investigate crimes against transgender people, especially trans women of color

• Reviewing the outdated blood donation requirements including the current 1-year ban for sexually active gay and bisexual men

• Ensure LGBTQ+ people are included in federal data collection efforts

• Appoint judges who have a proven record of supporting full civil rights for everyone

On a legislative front, O’Rourke promises to:

• Push for the passage of The Equality Act

• Ensure LGBTQ+ people have equal access to healthcare

• Enact the Every Child Deserves a Family Act which bars adoption and foster care programs that receive taxpayer dollars from discriminating against prospective LGBTQ parents

And the foreign policy aspect of his efforts would be:

• To promote foreign policy efforts to protect LGBTQ people abroad fleeing from persecution and violence

• Working with the United Nations on global protections for LGBTQ folks

• Investment in the Global Equality Fund which provides assistance to human rights groups working on behalf of LGBTQ people.

Click over to O’Rourke’s campaign site for more the details.

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Nearly Half Of Americans Erroneously Believe There Are Federal Laws Barring LGBTQ Discrimination

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows nearly half of all Americans erroneously believe that there are federal laws to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows nearly half of all Americans erroneously believe that there are federal laws to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

The survey of 2,237 adults in the U.S. indicates 45% of those polled believed the federal government has anti-discrimination laws in place for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. Twenty-three percent knew there are no nationwide protections for LGB folks.

The results were nearly evenly split when asked if transgender people were protected from discrimination by federal statute. Thirty-one percent believed they are protected, 32% believed they are not, and 37% didn’t know.

More from the poll:

• 65% support federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, 11% oppose

• 58% support same-sex marriage, 28% oppose

• 61% support LGBTQs being allowed to adopt children, 22% oppose

• 56% say conversion therapy should be outlawed for LGBTQ children, 18% support the use

• 44% said they believe LGBTQ people are treated about the same as straight people in public settings like restaurants or businesses

• 64% say they disagree with the idea that medical professionals should be able to withhold treatment from LGBTQ people due to religious objections, 24% agreed with the idea

• 20% of those polled said LGBTQ people are “treated about the same” in the U.S. military, 43% believe they are treated worse than non-LGBTQ people

All of this goes to show how important it is to talk about and pass The Equality Act which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ensuring protections for LGBTQs in areas of housing, public accommodations, healthcare and more.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, in 30 states across the country LGBTQ people can be fired, evicted from their homes or turned away from businesses due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Click here for the full results of the poll.

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Must See: Jon Stewart’s Emotional Take-Down Of Absent Congress Members At 9/11 First Responders Hearing

Jon Stewart

Everyone seriously needs to stop and watch Jon Stewart’s incredible speech before a Congressional committee regarding funding for 9/11 first responders.

Less than half the committee bothered to show up for the hearing, and an emotional Stewart lambasts those there in front of the cameras.

Congress loves to say “Never Forget,” but they forgot to show up.

Watch below.

CBS News reports the shaming worked:

The House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed a bill which would permanently reauthorize the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Wednesday, the day after comedian Jon Stewart gave impassioned testimony in support of the bill in video that quickly went viral.

The bill will now go to the floor for a full vote in the House of Representatives, where it is likely to pass. It’s unclear whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will take up the bill in the Senate, although Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Wednesday that he was “imploring, pleading, even begging” McConnell to bring the bill to the floor as soon as it passes in the House.

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Florida Lawmakers Propose Declaring Pulse Nightclub A Federal Landmark

The temporary memorial at Pulse Nightclub

As the nation remembers the tragedy of the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, three years ago today, Florida lawmakers in Congress have begun plans to have the nightclub declared a national monument.

CNN reports that during a memorial ceremony on Monday, Reps. Stephanie Murphy, Val Demings and Darren Soto shared their plans to sponsor landmark legislation, H.R. 3094. Soto said he would like to see the legislation pass by June 2020.

The local non-profit OnePulse Foundation would retain control of the design and construction, but the designation would make the monument eligible for federal funds as part of the National Park System.

If passed, work to build a permanent memorial would begin by 2021.

In the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, lone gunman Omar Mateen entered Pulse Nightclub and opened fire killing 49 people and injuring more than 50 more. During the crisis, Mateen told police he considered himself a soldier of ISIS.

At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Two years later, a temporary memorial in front of the nightclub.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Tuesday commemorating June 12 as Pulse Remembrance Day, and directed all state flags in the state to be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday.

Here’s part of the memorial service and announcement held on Monday: