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Colorado: Anti-LGBTQ Baker Refuses To Sell Trans Woman A Cake

Anti-LGBTQ Colorado baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop has filed a new lawsuit against Gov. John Hickenlooper and Colorado Civil Rights Commission officials alleging “religious persecution” over his refusal to bake a cake for a transgender individual.
Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop

Anti-LGBTQ Colorado baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop has filed a new lawsuit against Gov. John Hickenlooper and Colorado Civil Rights Commission officials alleging “religious persecution” over his refusal to bake a cake for a transgender individual.

According to The Denver Post, Phillips’ lawsuit states the commission found the baker violated the state’s LGBT protection laws this past June when he declined to bake a pink and blue cake for trans woman Autumn Scardina of Arvada who was celebrating her seventh year of gender transition. Phillips claims the cake would have amounted to endorsement of messages of sex and gender identity that conflict with his deeply held religious beliefs.

Upon being rebuffed, Scardina filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission which ultimately determined Phillips had discriminated against Scardina based on her gender identity which violates the state’s public accommodation laws.

“The woman on the phone did not object to my request for a birthday cake until I told her I was celebrating my transition from male to female,” Scardina wrote in her complaint, according to ThinkProgress. “I believe that other people who request birthday cakes get to select the color and theme of the cake.”

In a June 28 letter, the commission informed Phillips he was in violation of state laws and to find a way to reach an amicable resolution with Scardina.

According to the lawsuit, Phillips is seeking not only restitution for legal fees but $100,000 from the director of the civil rights commission in “punitive damages.”
Phillips gained national attention in 2012 when he refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple.

In June this year, his case made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court which found the Colorado Civil Rights Commission may have been prejudiced against Phillips in doubting the sincerity of his religious claims and asked the commission to review the decision. The high court specifically noted at the time that the ruling was specific to this case only and not a broad pronouncement in support for LGBTQ discrimination.

In a press release, attorney Kristen Waggoner of the anti-LGBTQ law group Alliance Defending Freedom who is representing Phillips said, “The state of Colorado is ignoring the message of the U.S. Supreme Court by continuing to single out Jack for punishment and to exhibit hostility toward his religious beliefs.”

“Even though Jack serves all customers and simply declines to create custom cakes that express messages or celebrate events in violation of his deeply held beliefs, the government is intent on destroying him — something the Supreme Court has already told it not to do,” she added. “Neither Jack nor any other creative professionals should be targeted by the government for living consistently with their religious beliefs.”

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Ariana Grande & James Corden Serve Up ‘Titanic’ Mini-Musical

Ariana Grande & James Corden

 Ariana Grande dropped by The Late Late Show with James Corden earlier this week to promote her new album, Sweetener, set to drop August 17.

But the highlight of the appearance was Grande and Corden bringing the story of Titanic to life in a short mini-musical utilizing 13 songs and 9 different sets in one non-stop take.

Using songs from artists like Styx (“Come Sail Away”), Hall & Oates (“Rich Girl”), Lady Gaga (“Just Dance”), Vanilla Ice (“Ice Ice Baby”) and NSYNC (“Bye Bye Bye”), the duo manages to tell the story of the 1997 blockbuster movie in just five minutes.

And, of course, the only way to close out the mega-mix was for Grande to deliver a soaring Celine Dion tribute with “My Heart Will Go On.”

The LGBTQ ally also made an appearance on Corden’s Carpool Karaoke on Wednesday where she sang some of her hits, shared that the theme of her second birthday party was the movie Jaws, gave Corden some coaching on riffing, and pulled out some of her fantastic Celine Dion impersonation with a bit of “All Coming Back To Me Now.”

Dang, this girl is fierce. Watch the fun below and check out her new album here on iTunes.

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Teen Refugee Denied Asylum For Not Being ‘Gay’ Enough

A gay 18-year-old Afghan refugee has been denied asylum in Austria because officials determined he wasn’t ‘gay’ enough to be gay.
(stock image via Pixabay)

A gay 18-year-old Afghan refugee has been denied asylum in Austria because officials determined he wasn’t ‘gay’ enough to be gay.

Scared for his safety in Afghanistan, the young man originally applied for asylum based on the fact that he’s part of the persecuted Hazara minority in his home country. He later appealed citing his sexual orientation, which in his home country is illegal due to Sharia Law and can be prosecuted resulting in a possible death penalty. He told advocates that he was initially afraid to come out.

But the immigration officials wrote in their report, “The way you walk, act and dress does not show even in the slightest that you could be homosexual.”

Also, the official noted that the young man had been involved in fights at the refugee center where he was being temporarily housed. The official decided that his “potential for aggression” undermined the Afghan’s claims since that “wouldn’t be expected from a homosexual.”

Additionally, the young man’s preference to spend time alone caused the official to wonder, “Aren’t homosexuals rather social?”

When asked at what age he realized he was gay, the Afghan told the case worker he came to that determination at the age of 12. But again, he was rebuffed by the official who said that was “rather early” since “there is no public sexual stimulation through fashion and advertisement” in Afghanistan.

Even when the teenager admitted to kissing men, the official decided it wasn’t true since the young man would have been beaten for such behavior.

Ultimately, the Austrian government rejected the 18-year-old’s application for asylum.

According to reports, the Afghan says he will appeal.

(h/t DW.com)

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New Music: Gryffin Feat. Elley Duhé “Tie Me Down”

Los Angeles-based artist and producer Gryffin releases a new single, “Tie Me Down” featuring singer-songwriter Elley Duhé, out now via all digital download sites.
Gryffin and Elley Duhé (photo credit: Alondra Buccio)

Los Angeles-based artist and producer Gryffin releases a new single, “Tie Me Down” featuring singer-songwriter Elley Duhé, out now via all digital download sites.

The summer love song, written by Sarah Aarons (Zedd’s “Middle” and “Stay”) and produced by Gryffin, is the latest single from Gryffin’s upcoming full-length debut album, which will be released by Darkroom/Geffen Records later this year.

“’Tie Me Down’ is a song that’s been over a year in the making,” Gryffin recently told Billboard. “It’s one of the hardest records I’ve had to make, but one of my favorites. We went through over 10 different vocalists looking for the perfect match on this song, and finally found it with Elley Duhé. She brings the perfect energy and passion to the record, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way it came together.”

I’ve previously written about Gryffin on The Randy Report here.

Check out the lyric video below.

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Did An Airline Agent ‘Out’ A Trans Woman To Her Fellow Passengers?

Lenore Herrem (image via Facebook)

A transgender Canadian woman traveling from Calgary to Saskatoon told CBC News that she was “outed” to the other passengers by a WestJet gate agent.

Lenore Herrem says that when she presented her ID at the gate for her flight, the agent became “upset and confused.”

While Herrem presents as female, her five-year-old ID lists her as male.

More from CBC News:

“She got upset and said, ‘They don’t match,’ but her colleague said, ‘Yes, they do, it’s fine, go ahead,'” Herrem said as she described the agent’s reaction.

“So I gently and discreetly expressed to her, ‘It’s because I’m transgender, that’s why they don’t match up. But my face is the same and my ID matches the name on my boarding pass.'”

Herrem boarded the plane and was settled in her seat for about 10 minutes when she said both gate agents boarded the flight, and the agent who had been confused once again demanded her ID.

“She said something like, ‘Oh, that’s not the name I remember seeing on the computer when I looked at it,’ and she started spouting off different, other women’s names that were not mine,” Herrem recalled.

“She rolled her eyes at me and said, ‘Are you sure it wasn’t your girl name that was on the computer?’ … She outed me in front of the whole airplane.”

Herrem says the experience left her feeling “unsafe, vulnerable, belittled.”

“I was in shock, it was quite traumatizing having someone, especially the way she did it so loudly and in front of everyone, it was really unprofessional,” she added.

WestJet has emailed Herrem apologizing for the incident writing, “WestJet’s inclusive culture is a point of pride for WestJetters and our goal has always been to create a safe and inclusive environment for all.”

“We have extended our apologies to the guest and are reviewing the matter as we are continuously assessing and evolving our practices and policies to maximize inclusiveness and celebrate diversity.”

Herrem says she was “pleased” with the manner the airline dealt with the incident.

“She expressed that they will be implementing training to staff to deal with these sort of situations better in the future which was the most important thing for me to hear,” Herrem added.

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Madonna Turns 60 Today

Happy 60th birthday, Madonna!

From her 1984 MTV Awards performance of “Like A Virgin,” to the controversial “Like A Prayer,” the now iconic “Vogue,” the empowering “Express Yourself”  and envelope pushing (at the time) “Justify My Love,” Madonna has always and continues to hold our attention.

While not a “power” vocalist, her voice does have the power to connect with us; and she’s a skilled lyricist and songwriter.

Plus, no one understands the power of style and reinvention better than Madge.

It bears mentioning that Madonna has been a potent and vocal ally for the LGBT community from the start – speaking out for equality and the AIDS crisis before it was in “vogue” to do so  (you saw what I did there, right?).

I picked some of my favorite Madonna music videos below.  Some are about the songs; some I enjoy for the visuals; and some for the change in direction they represent for her career.

Power on, Madonna. You still have our attention.

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Trump Rants As Hundreds Of Newspapers Denounce His Attacks On Free Press

Donald Trump

Thanks to a campaign initiated by The Boston Globe, over 350 newspapers across the country issued op-ed pieces in a coordinated defense of the media from Donald Trump’s calls of “fake news.”

The Trumpster, in predictable fashion took to Twitter to rant: “THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country….BUT WE ARE WINNING!”

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Legendary Singer Aretha Franklin Dead At 76

Aretha Franklin

The Queen of Soul has left us.

At the age of 76, legendary soul/R&B singer Aretha Franklin passed away early Thursday due to advanced pancreatic cancer.

Earning an astonishing 20 Grammy Awards, the Detroit-based Franklin indelibly shared her singular vocal style and power with an adoring audience with hit songs like “Respect,” “Chain of Fools,” “Think” and “Spanish Harlem.”

An LGBTQ ally, she became one of the earliest A-list divas to sing at a same-sex wedding back in 2011.

Kevin Phinney wrote for Metrosource, “For any gay, lesbian or marginalized person of any stripe, ‘Respect’ was much more than a sturdy slice of soul that could crowd a dance floor: It was an act of defiance, a declaration of pride, and a promise to the world and the person in the mirror to never settle for second-class treatment ever again.”

Franklin’s last performance was at Elton John’s annual AIDS Foundation gala in November 2017.

More from The Hollywood Reporter:

Aretha Franklin, the sensational songbird whose voice was sweeter than honey to millions, making her an inspirational American icon and one of the most admired vocalists of all time, died on Thursday at her home in Detroit after battling advanced pancreatic cancer, her publicist confirmed to the Associated Press. She was 76.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, but raised in the Motor City, Franklin was firmly rooted in gospel but also excelled in the worlds of jazz, R&B and pop. She collected 20 Grammys — including a lifetime achievement award — covering a span of four decades; was the first woman enshrined into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in 1987); and, befitting a queen, was named No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

She sold more than 75 million records worldwide, according to one estimate, and had 10 Top Ten hits in a roughly 18-month stretch beginning in early 1967. A tireless road warrior, Franklin also sold millions of concert tickets, almost always arriving to shows in her custom bus (she had a fear of flying).

Franklin’s signature song, the 1967 smash “Respect” for her first album for Atlantic Records, became a battle cry for the feminist and civil rights movements. Recorded two years earlier by Otis Redding from a man’s point of view, her righteous reworking pushed “Groovin’ ” by The Young Rascals from the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

It’s worth noting that in 1987, Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And deservedly so.

Let’s celebrate just a few of my Aretha favorites throughout the years.

RIP Aretha Franklin.

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News Round-Up: August 15, 2018

(via Instagram)

 Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Julio Morales is happy to get to 38 in one piece. What was a birthday you felt proud of?

• A gay couple shared bloody pics of themselves after a homophobic attack in Belgium.

• Hot men took over the Red Dress Run this year and it was New Orleans fab!

• If you ever want to see a Fox News host yell at a Trump supporter, this may be your chance. Fox’s Ed Henry called Katrina Pierson out for lying on-air the day before about Omarosa’s allegations that Trump used the N-word.

• Twitter finally suspended InfoWars‘ Alex Jones for inciting violence. But just for a week…

• The latest Omarosa bombshell – Trump covets his daughter, Ivanka. #Oy…

• Is there a Designing Women reboot in the near future?

• As an effeminate gay actor, Corey Camperchioli was once teased for his feminine traits. Then he made a film project about it as he wears his femininity as a badge of honor.

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Marianne Williamson On Aretha Franklin & The Music Of Our Lives

Ruminating on the news that the "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin is gravely ill, Marianne Williamson shared this thoughtful and delicate essay on the music of our lives and the joy it brings.
Aretha Franklin

Ruminating on the news that the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin is gravely ill, Marianne Williamson shared this thoughtful and delicate essay on the music of our lives and the joy it brings.

This has turned out to be a sacred night, as millions of souls are saying to others, “Did you hear that Aretha is dying?” There’s the quiet hush of a collective deathwatch, as we throw our prayers to God that they might be roses on her path.

I once read that no matter how old you are, the music of your youth is the music of your soul. To say Aretha Franklin’s is the music of my soul is to vastly understate her effect upon my life. Hers was more than the music of my soul; she was in many ways the opener of my soul, a light on my path, a goddess who chanted what I could not chant and cooed what I could not coo and howled from the depths that I had not yet reached.

How I remember, as a woman in my 20s, the sacred rite of opening a new Aretha album, putting it on the turntable and sitting for hours just listening.

To this day, I know her phrases and notes, I have lived inside them, I remember the tears of both joy and sorrow for which they have been the soundtrack of my life. She opened me and guided me, she uplifted me and soothed me, she accompanied me and spoke for me.

While I never met her, she was one of the loves of my life. To have even lived at a time when she was singing to us – for what more could anyone ask?

And while I cry as I write this, it is not for her. Such preparations must be happening now, such trumpets and harps must be tuning up, such angels even now must be singing her home.

How does one say thank you to such a soul as she?

Dear God, please bless your phenomenal daughter. And thank you for lending her genius to us.

May she know the joy of a million smiles, for such joy she gave to us. Amen.