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Mayor Pete & Husband Cover TIME Magazine “First Family”

Openly gay White House hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, cover TIME Magazine with the caption “First Family.”

Mayor Pete and Chasten are the first gay couple to be featured on the cover since 2013.

From the profile:

Buttigieg is a gay Episcopalian veteran in a party torn between identity politics and heartland appeals. He’s also a fresh face in a year when millennials are poised to become the largest eligible voting bloc. Many Democrats are hungry for generational change, and the two front runners are more than twice his age.

But Buttigieg’s greatest political asset may be his ear for languages. He speaks eight, including Norwegian and Arabic, but he’s particularly fluent in the dialect of the neglected industrial Midwest. Buttigieg is a master of redefinition, a translator for a party that has found it increasingly difficult to speak to the voters who elected President Donald Trump.

The son of an English professor and a scholar of linguistics, he roots his campaign in an effort to reframe progressive ideas in conservative language. “If the substance of your ideas is progressive but there’s mistrust about them among conservatives, you have three choices,” Buttigieg tells TIME, sitting on his living-room couch in South Bend.

“One is to just change your ideas and make them more conservative. The second is to sort of be sneaky and try to make it seem like your ideas are more conservative than they are. And the third, the approach that I favor, is to stick to your ideas, but explain why conservatives shouldn’t be afraid of them.”

[snip]

Some of Buttigieg’s fellow officers who had used gay as an epithet in his presence reached out to express their support. “I bet some of them still go back and tell gay jokes because that’s their habit, you know?” he says. “Bad habits and bad instincts is not the same as people being bad people.”

All this informs his belief that it’s still possible to reach across America’s political divide.

“We’ve got to get away from this kill-switch mentality that we see on Twitter,” he says.

He has seen once disapproving parents dance at their gay son’s wedding and homophobic military officers take back their words, and so he believes in the power of redemption and forgiveness.

“This idea that we just sort people into baskets of good and evil ignores the central fact of human existence, which is that each of us is a basket of good and evil,” he says. “The job of politics is to summon the good and beat back the evil.”

It’s a terrific read. Definitely click over and learn a bit more about Mayor Pete.

The historical importance of such representation for the LGBTQ community can’t be overstated.

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‘Slate Of Hate’ Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Moves Along In Tennessee

Several anti-LGBTQ bills have been working their way through the Tennessee state legislature that have come to be known as the ‘slate of hate.’

Pop star Taylor Swift brought the national spotlight to the issue when she donated $113,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project in early April.

Here’s an update on some of the bills that would negatively affect LGBTQ Tennesseans.

HB 1151puts transgender and non-binary people at increased risk of harassment by adding public restrooms, changing rooms and locker rooms to the state’s indecent exposure laws.

In its original form, the bill had specific anti-trans language saying there would be no exception for folks with a diagnosis of “gender dysphoria, gender confusion, or similar conditions.” While explicit anti-trans language has been removed, LGBTQ advocates worry the law will still be used to arrest trans people.

The legislation has passed in the state Senate and House, and heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.

Another anti-trans bill, HB 1274, has passed in the state House and the Senate is expected to take it up soon.

The legislation would push school districts to keep trans students from using the bathrooms that align with their gender identity. The legislation also requires the state Attorney General to defend discriminatory anti-transgender laws.

The sponsor of HB 836 has pulled his own bill from consideration even though the legislation had passed in the state House already.

The bill would allow state contractors who receive taxpayer funds for providing adoption and foster care services to refuse to place children with LGBT parents if the agency’s religious beliefs didn’t approve.

By spiking the bill, the legislation will now be shelved until the next legislative session.

And the so-called “Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act,” has also, thankfully, stalled.

The bill aimed to void recognition of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefellruling on same-sex marriage based on the premise that Tennessee has its own constitutional amendment banning marriage equality.

Many major companies like Hilton, IKEA North America Services, LLC, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Lyft, Marriott International, MassMutual, Nike, Inc. Replacements, Ltd., Salesforce, Unilever and Warby Parker have signed a letter opposingthe ‘slate of hate.’

Additionally, the Tennessee Titans have also come out against the anti-LGBTQ bills saying:

The Tennessee Titans oppose discrimination in any form. We are long-standing supporters of Tennessee Thrives. Discriminatory legislation hurts all of us.

It also impacts our ability to secure events like the 2019 NFL Draft, major conventions, major athletic contests and other events that benefit our local and state economy.

It also weakens our ability to recruit new business and industry to Nashville and to Tennessee. We would encourage our elected officials to keep us on a path that protects all our citizens, our growth and our economy.

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Dallas Karaoke Host Wakes Up With Fractured Skull, Broken Jaw But No Memory

Oscar Rodriguez

A popular karaoke host at the Dallas gay bar, the Round Up Saloon, is still suffering the severe after-effects of an apparent late night assault.

Oscar Rodriguez remembers leaving after his shift at the Round Up a little after 2 a.m. on April 14.

But the next thing he can remember is waking up in his car. There was no damage to his vehicle, his ID and cash were still on him, but his phone was missing.

Although he was experiencing an excruciating head ache, he was able to drive to his home in the neighborhood of Oak Lawn, but it soon became apparent he needed serious medical attention.

(screen capture)

His roommate drove him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a bleeding brain, a fractured skull, a broken jaw and several missing teeth. Surgery was required to wire his jaw shut and insert metal plates in his head.

Rodriguez’s friend and co-worker, Nikkii Meister, told WFAA News, “The doctors at Parkland (Hospital) said whoever did this intended for him to not walk away from it.”

The 32-year-old karaoke host says he’s still experiencing serious memory loss.

“My memory was all over the place,” he told WFAA. “I couldn’t remember what year it was, I couldn’t remember my birthdate.”

With no memory of the assault, and no leads to go on, police have made no arrests in the case.

Additionally, Rodriguez has no health insurance, so the bills are mounting up quickly. With his jaw wired shut for several more weeks, he can’t work as a karaoke host without being able to talk.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help defray the costs of his medical treatment.

(Source: WFAA)

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Trump Retweets Over 50 Anti-Biden Messages In One Morning

Donald Trump must be getting waaaay nervous about former Vice President Joe Biden jumping into the presidential race. Bloomberg reports the Trumpster retweeted more than five dozen tweets this morning, almost all anti-Biden in nature.
Donald Trump

Donald Trump must be getting waaaay nervous about former Vice President Joe Biden jumping into the presidential race.

Bloomberg reports the Trumpster retweeted more than five dozen tweets this morning, almost all anti-Biden in nature.

Biden, who announced his candidacy last week, has focused on blue collar, Rust Belt voters who helped Trump win in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

On Monday, the International Association of Firefighters endorsed Biden as several polls show Biden the clear front-runner among Democratic candidates.

But the endorsement clearly got under Trump’s skin.

“I’ve done more for Firefighters than this dues sucking union will ever do, and I get paid ZERO!” Trump said in one posting to his nearly 60 million followers on the social media platform.

The retweets were replies to an earlier tweet by Fox News personality Dan Bongino, who announced that the firefighters he knew weren’t lining up behind Biden.

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Former NFL Player, Hubby & Ex-Wife Blended Family Under One Roof

Jeff Rohrer and Joshua Ross (image via Instagram)

In November, I reported on the marriage of retired Dallas Cowboy linebacker Jeff Rohrer, who became the first NFLer to celebrate a same-sex wedding.

Rohrer has now opened up to People about settling into his new home life raising two teenagers under the same roof with his ex-wife Heather and new hubby, celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross.

The former athlete didn’t come out until long after his football days. “Being gay was not a part of my life when I played football,” says Rohrer.

But, after years of struggling with his sexuality, being closeted took a toll on his 17-year marriage. He and his wife, Heather, split for 18 months barely speaking to each other.

“It wasn’t that Jeffrey came out to me, but once I figured it out, it was obvious he was gay,” Heather tells People. “He thought it was wrong; he was so angry. He thought his children wouldn’t love him, that he’d lose his job. I tried to help him. I kept trying to tell him it was okay, that it was no big deal. But it was to him.”

But then in 2013, the two decided for the good of their two children – son Dondillon and daughter Isabella – that Rohrer should move back in so they could co-parent as a family unit.

Over the next couple of years, the LA-based commercial producer slowly came to terms with being gay.

In 2015, Rohrer met Ross in at a happy hour and began seeing each other. Six months into dating, Ross asked to meet Rohrer’s children and ex-wife.

Ross shared with People, “It was a very pivotal time in our relationship to be able to take that next step forward.”

Heather didn’t object – “I was totally okay with it.”

And the kids where nonplussed about their dad dating Ross. “It wasn’t really like coming out,” says Dondillon. “I pieced it together that they were dating. And eventually he called Josh his boyfriend. I was fine with it.”

Things progressed and Rohrer proposed to Ross in May of 2018. Two months before the November wedding, the 37-year-old moved into the family’s Manhattan Beach home.

There were adjustments ahead for the new blended family, but Heather says, “Being together for the kids is the important thing for us.”

“It’s been difficult to get to this place, but it’s worth it,” she added.

“We get in our fights, but we find a way to make up,” said Ross. “We’re just trying to do the best that we can.”

Daughter Isabella describes life at home as “one big bundle of very strong personalities, so sometimes we butt heads.”

“But in the end, we’re always laughing,” shares the 16-year-old.

“There are all these different dynamics,” adds Rohrer. “And it’s working out really well so far.”

Heather sums up the situation for People saying, “Jeff and Josh are my family, and we’re a better team together than apart.”

Read the full article at People.com.

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WaPo: Robert Mueller Frustrated Attorney General’s Summary “Did Not Capture Content, Nature, Substance” Of 2-Year Probe

The Washington Post reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter to the Justice Department expressing his "frustration" that Attorney General William Barr's 4-page summary of his investigation “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the two-year probe.

The Washington Post reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter to the Justice Department expressing his “frustration” that Attorney General William Barr’s 4-page summary of his investigation “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the two-year probe.

At the time Mueller’s letter was sent to Barr on March 27, Barr had days prior announced that Mueller did not find a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian officials seeking to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. In his memo to Congress, Barr also said that Mueller had not reached a conclusion about whether Trump had tried to obstruct justice, but that Barr reviewed the evidence and found it insufficient to support such a charge.

Days after Barr’s announcement, Mueller wrote the previously undisclosed private letter to the Justice Department, laying out his concerns in stark terms that shocked senior Justice Department officials, according to people familiar with the discussions.

“The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office’s work and conclusions,” Mueller wrote. “There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.”

Mueller sent his letter on March 24. But in early April, Barr testified to Congress that he didn’t know why there were reports that Mueller’s team was privately frustrated by Barr’s summary.

Asked by Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) if he knew why Mueller’s team might be frustrated, Barr said, “No, I don’t.”

On April 20, Sen. Chris Van Hollen asked Barr, “Did Bob Mueller support your conclusion?” His answer was, “I don’t know whether Mueller supported my conclusion.”

We now know Mueller stated his concerns on March 27th, and that Barr totally misled Congress and the public.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told CBS This Morning that Barr should resign since the 4-page memo misled the American people in favor of Donald Trump.

“I think his statement is deliberately false and misleading, and yes, most people would consider that to be a lie,” said Schiff. “Look, there’s no sugar coating this, I think he should step down. It’s hard, I think, for the country to have confidence in the top law enforcement official in the country if he’s asked a direct question as he was and he gives a directly false answer, so this is serious business.”

“After two years and work and investigation implicating the president of the United States, for the attorney general to mislead the public for an entire month before releasing that report is inexcusable.”

Barr is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning. The WaPo report should make Barr’s morning that much more interesting.

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Podcast: Trolls Bungle Fake Buttigieg Smear, Mormon Valedictorian Comes Out At Graduation; 2019 Tony Award Nominations

In this week's podcast: • GOP trolls attempt to smear Mayor Pete Buttigieg • A valedictorian at Brigham Young University comes out during his graduation speech • The president of Brazil told gays not to come to his country • Disney cancelled its award-winning LGBTQ-inclusive series Andi Mack • The 2019 Tony Awards nominations are out including a Special Tony Award for Judith Light for her LGBTQ advocacy All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.

In this week’s podcast:

• GOP trolls attempt to smear Mayor Pete Buttigieg

• A valedictorian at Brigham Young University comes out during his graduation speech

• The president of Brazil told gays not to come to his country

• Disney cancelled its award-winning LGBTQ-inclusive series Andi Mack

• The 2019 Tony Awards nominations are out including a Special Tony Award for Judith Light for her LGBTQ advocacy

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.

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News Round-Up: April 30, 2019

Joel Green

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Joel Green (above) is looking for a coffee date in Madrid… who’s in? #MeMeMePickMe

• A new poll by Quinnipiac has found 70 percent of voters would be open to voting for a gay man as U.S. president. But, that same poll shows 52 percent believe the United States isn’t ready to elected a gay man to the White House.

• The West Virginia assistant principal who demanded a transgender male student step up to a urinal to “prove” he belonged in a boys restroom was fired, but has now been rehired.

• Robert Mueller wrote a letter to the attorney general objecting to his characterization that the Russia inquiry appeared to clear President Trump

• In a live TV interview on Fox News, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (a known homophobe) insinuated that Democratic White House hopeful Beto O’Rourke is secretly gay using a tired old slur. Patrick described O’Rourke as “so light in the loafers he floats off the ground at times.”

• A new CNN poll conducted after Joe Biden’s announcement on Thursday shows 39% of voters who are Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents saying he is their top choice for the nomination, which puts him more than 20 points ahead of his nearest competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont (15% support) and nearly 30 points ahead of the next candidate, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (8% support).

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The Daily Beast: Two Inept Fools Fail In Alleged Scam To Frame Mayor Pete

Jacob Wohl (L), Jack Burkman (R)

Yesterday I reported on some shady shenanigans by Republican operatives who attempted to smear Democratic presidential contender Mayor Pete Buttigieg by alleging false accusations of sexual assault.

The allegations were made in the name of Hunter Kelly, a Michigan college student, but more details have come to light about the right-wing trolls who plotted the scheme.

Kelly tells The Daily Beast that he had been communicating with known hoax-ster Jacob Wohl for several weeks. But last week, Wohl invited Kelly to the home of Jack Burkman in Baltimore to discuss gathering dirt on Mayor Pete as part of a “task force” set up by the Trump administration.

Wohl and partner Jack Burkman apparently paid for Kelly’s ticket to Baltimore and the duo picked him up shortly after midnight.

According to a statement posted on his Facebook, Kelly says the two revealed a “draft” of an article that was to be posted on Medium accusing Buttigieg of sexually assaulting Kelly. Kelly says he wasn’t feeling comfortable about the idea, but Wohl told him to sleep on it as they had talked until about 4am.

(statement via Hunter Kelly’s Facebook – click image to enlarge)

But when Kelly awoke the next morning, Wohl allegedly informed the Michigan college student that the article had already been posted in Kelly’s name. Burkman apparently told Kelly that he was a “star” and people were “eating” him up.

After a lunch of Subway sandwiches, Kelly writes that he was feeling regretful about the lie, but was told with the article already posted “turning back on what had been published would look bad.”

Kelly asserts that Burkman promised to buy him “any house I wanted” to stay involved with the scam. It was during those discussions that Kelly says he was pressured into signing a ‘script’ about the fake sexual assault which was to have taken place in February at “the fancy Mayflower Hotel” in D.C.

Kelly’s statement goes on to say he spent the next hours dodging “hate mail and reporters left and right while getting dozens of texts from friends and family asking why the media was contacting them.”

He eventually ‘escaped’ from Burkman’s home by faking a nap, and calling his family to come pick him up. When he was informed his family had arrived, Kelly says he rushed downstairs and left saying he couldn’t take part in the scheme because “that is not the type of person I am.”

Kelly says Wohl posted more fake tweets on an account Wohl and Burkman had created where Kelly appeared distraught.

This isn’t Burkman and Wohl’s first trip to the fake scandal rodeo.

Last year, the duo were accused of planning a busted scheme where they tried to pay a woman large sums of money to falsely accuse Special Counsel Robert Mueller of sexually harassing her in the 1970’s in an effort to discredit Mueller. That little escapade didn’t go any better than this.

Additionally, The Daily Beast reports a second man has come forward saying Burkman & Wohl approached him about a similar scheme. He says he not only met with the two, but recorded the conversation. The Daily Beastconfirms they’ve heard the recording.

Kelly says he traveled to meet with the conservative provocateurs with the intention of “seeing what LEGITIMATE dirt we could get on Buttigieg.”

In his statement, he says he was never in D.C. in February; never met Buttigieg; and never been a victim of sexual assault.

“Jack Burkman may have promised me a lavish lifestyle, but at a price that would cost me the two most important things to me: honesty and integrity,” writes Kelly. “Had I gone forward with this despicable scheme they concocted, I would have lost both of those things and became another one of their useless pawns.”

Kelly also calls Wohl and Burkman “the real danger to our country.”

In response, Burkman alleges that it was Kelly who reached out to him to meet.

Burkman posted a copy of the signed ‘script’ along with a photo of Kelly holding his ID with the caption, “1. Very first thing Hunter Kelly did is sign a statement attesting to his accusation 2. He was in full control of all public disclosures, even taking a selfie with his ID to confirm his identity to @MediumSupport MSM bullied him & his family into submission”

Burkman has also tweeted calling Kelly his “former client” who was “pressured out of telling his truth.”

The Twitterverse was not impressed:

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Music Video: Five Drag Queens Compete In “Walk Me Home”

Members of Sink The Pink perform to “Walk Me Home” by P!nk

The indomitable P!nk chose the track “Walk Me Home” as the lead single for her new album, Hurts 2B Human, which dropped last week.

She initially released a music video for the single that featured her twirling through deserted nighttime streets with a chorus of dancing shadows.

But on Monday, the 39-year-old Grammy Award winner made it clear she wasn’t done exploring the song’s storytelling potential.

In a completely different take, P!nk collaborated with queer collective Sink The Pink from the UK on a lip-sync competition-themed video.

On their official website, Sink The Pink describes themselves as “ a collective of queens, club kids, pop superstars, creative juggernauts, flamboyant dancers and acclaimed designers.”

At the beginning of the new video, one drag queen walks out onstage to lip sync the song “Walk Me Home” for a pair of judges in a night club.

But before she can finish, she’s interrupted by another member of the collective.

As each of five queens takes to the stage – all wearing red dresses, blond wigs and red boots – they keep upping the stakes for the biggest and best performance they can deliver.

P!nk took to Twitter to share the video announcing, “This is the BEST lip sync battle I’ve ever seen – feast your eyes!”