Blogger Sues Convicted Gay-Basher Kathryn Knott After Losing Job Over Parody Account

Convicted gay-basher Kathryn Knott

The author of a “parody blog” – Kathleen O’Donnell – based on convicted gay-basher Kathryn Knott has filed a lawsuit against Knott, her father and others after losing her job based on the parody account.

From Philly.com:

The suit says she was “expressing her opinions and outrage” about the attack on the two gay men when there was intense media scrutiny of Knott, who before the attack had expressed anti-gay sentiments on social media.

O’Donnell alleges that Knott learned of the blog and that her father, Karl Knott, directed her to complain to the Bucks District Attorney’s Office.

Karl Knott was then chief of Chalfont Borough police in Bucks County and now is captain at the Central Bucks Regional Police Department.

O’Donnell says that in August 2015, two Bucks County district attorney detectives went to her office at Walker Parking Consultants in Wayne.

The detectives, Martin McDonough and Mark Zielinski, first met privately with O’Donnell’s boss, James Pudleiner, and told him that O’Donnell had posted “harassing comments” about Kathryn Knott, sometimes from a computer at her work, the lawsuit says.

It says that O’Donnell was brought before the detectives and that she acknowledged operating the “Knotty is a Tramp” account, commenting on news items about Knott.

The lawsuit contends the detectives “threatened” O’Donnell, saying that if she continued writing under the username “Knotty is a Tramp” that “she would be arrested for ‘fraudulently impersonating Ms. Knott.’ “

O’Donnell told the detectives she would not post on the account again.

The lawsuit says that O’Donnell was fired from her job that day “as a direct result of the visit” by the detectives.

Her lawsuit, which also names Bucks County as a defendant, seeks more than $150,000 in compensatory damages and more than $5 million in punitive damages. It contends she suffered monetary losses, including her salary, as well as emotional pain and damage to her reputation.

Ted Cruz Continues Making Anti-Trans “Bathroom Bills” Part Of Campaign Talking Points

Even though the right-wing myths about what happens have been debunked many times (as recently as last week by FOX News anchor Chris Wallace), Ted Cruz continues to hammer home his fear-mongering about the consequences of transgender “bathroom bills” and according to the NYT, the strategy is working for him, at least in Indiana.

No WEST SIDE STORY For North Carolina Or Mississippi

Music Theatre International, which handles licensing rights for stock and amateur theater productions of tons of musicals, has announced there will be no productions of West Side Story authorized for performance in North Carolina or Mississippi.

MTI serves as an agent for the rightsholders whose shows we represent. The rightsholders of this show have made their intentions clear and MTI will not issue new licenses for this show within North Carolina or Mississippi until we receive new instructions.

As regular readers of The Randy Report know, both North Carolina and Mississippi have recently passed anti-LGBT legislation in their respective states.

I’m guessing the folks who oversee the rights by the creators of West Side Story (Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein) don’t want their work to appear where anti-LGBT animus is apparent.

Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin) has recently made a similar announcement about the rights to his work in North Carolina.

Stephen Colbert On Fiorina’s Singing: “It’s like Disney gave the wicked stepmother her own song”

I haven’t written yet about Ted Cruz’s rather gutsy move to announce a running-mate before he actually becomes the Republican presidential nominee.

Mainly because I didn’t really know what to make of it. Or what to make of Carly Fiorina’s rather creepy singing to Ted’s children at the announcement.

Stephen Colbert just about nails it though.

From Towleroad:

“I’m still reeling from the news out of the Ted Cruz campaign. First, that there is still a Ted Cruz campaign….second, that he named a running mate yesterday. That is bold.”

Colbert applauded Cruz’s “huevos rancheros” for choosing a running mate so early in the game, and then proceeded to liken it to the captain of the Titanic announcing a “vice captain” as the ship is going down.

But Colbert saved the most glee to mock Fiorina’s “lullaby” for Cruz’s children: “It’s like Disney gave the wicked stepmother her own song.”

Broadway: Five Burning Questions With Terrance Mann

I’ve been a fan of Terry’s work going all the way back to his rocking turn as the original “Rum Tum Tugger” in CATS on Broadway. I got to know him a bit when I was doing Chicago the Musical with his wife, the luminous Charlotte d’Amboise.

I agree with every answer he gives here – especially his best piece of advice to young actors.

John Kasich: Gay People Are ‘Probably’ Born Gay

Ohio Gov. John Kasich

CNN recaps this moment from a John Kasich town hall in California when the Republican White House hopeful was asked by 62-year-old Kelly Bryan his position on whether gay people are born gay:

Kelly Bryan, 62, asked Kasich the question at a forum hosted by the Commonwealth of California Club, telling the Ohio governor, “Gay people are human beings and not a lifestyle choice. Please respond without prayer being an answer.”

“In terms of me, I don’t believe in discrimination,” Kasich said. “I think there is a balance, however, between discrimination and people’s religious liberties. But I think we should just try to, like, take a chill pill, relax, and try to get along with one another a little bit better instead of trying to write some law to solve a problem that doesn’t frankly exist in big enough numbers to justify more lawmaking.”

Bryan responded by saying Republicans “don’t believe in marriage equality.”

“Well, no, they don’t tell me what to do about the platform. The Republican Party is my vehicle, not my master,” Kasich replied. “I have a right to define the Republican Party, too.”

Kasich added: “I believe in traditional marriage, (but) I just went to a gay wedding,” Kasich responded. “My wife and I went to the wedding. It was great, it was fine.”

(h/t JMG)