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UK Prime Minister “Deeply Regrets” History Of Anti-LGBT Laws

Wow.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May, speaking at a week-long summit meeting of the Commonwealth, a 53-country network of mostly former colonies, said she regrets the anti-LGBT laws enacted years ago and called for their reform.

“I am all too aware that these laws were often put in place by my own country. They were wrong then and they are wrong now,” May said.

“As the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister I deeply regret both the fact that such laws were introduced and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today.”

Currently, 37 of the 53 member nations of the Commonwealth outlaw same-sex relations.

Last week, out UK diver Tom Daley addressed the issue at the Commonwealth Games in Australia after winning the 10K meter synchronized diving event with his partner Dan Goodfellow.

Watch May’s comments below.

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Podcast: Miami Beach Gay-Bashing; Matt Bomer In Upcoming “Anything;” Diver Tom Daley Speaks Out On LGBT Rights At Commonwealth Games

In this week’s podcast:

• Miami Beach Pride gay bashing

• Sen. Cory Booker calls out Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo on LGBT rights

• Newly-elected Alabama Sen. Doug Jones became the latest co-sponsor of The Equality Act citing his son Carson’s coming out as affecting his view on LGBTQ rights

• Out UK diverTom Daley speaks out against Commonwealth anti-gay laws

• Matt Bomer’s casting in upcoming film trans-oriented ANYTHING gets boos from transgender community

• And the latest political parody from Randy Rainbow – “You Can’t Stop His Tweets”

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

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American Idol’s Ada Vox Is “Feeling Good” After Last Night’s Scorching Performance

While there was a huge amount of attention being paid to former FBI Director James Comey’s interview on ABC last night, it should not be ignored that also on ABC, American Idol contestant Ada Vox delivered a scorching rendition of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.”

Ada Vox is the drag incarnation of Adam Sanders, who had previously auditioned for the reality talent show but been cut in early rounds.

Praising Ada’s performance last night, judge Katy Perry declared, “You’ve heard of the expression ‘wig snatched’? Wig flew!”

Lionel Richie agreed with Perry tweeting later, “You are on another level!”

Folks, come to grips with the reality that a drag queen just might win American Idol — or at least wind up in the Top 2.

Former American Idol contestant Melinda Doolittle (one of the greatest I might add) had more praise:

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Fox News’ Sean Hannity Hired Trump Lawyer To Investigate Left-Wing Groups Calling For Boycott Of His Show

Fox News personality Sean Hannity

Earlier today, a federal judge ordered Donald Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen to reveal who his clients were in order to determine what materials seized from his office and home last week might be protected by attorney/client privilege.

In addition to Donald Trump and GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy (whom Cohen handled a $1.3 million “hush money” payout), Cohen’s legal team revealed the 3rd client was none other than Fox News host Sean Hannity.

From Media Matters:

Cohen’s lawyers had acknowledged that Cohen had three legal clients since 2017 in a filing in federal court related to legal issues surrounding documents the FBI obtained by raiding his office, home, and hotel room last week. Two clients — Trump and GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy — were publicly known. Attorneys for Cohen had argued that the identity of the third should remain secret. But Judge Kimba Wood rejected that argument, forcing Cohen’s lawyer to reveal his work for Hannity.

Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman reported on MSNBC soon after that Hannity hired Cohen “to help defend him against left-wing groups that were calling for boycotts,” an apparent reference to Media Matters’ well-publicized campaign to get advertisers to stop supporting Hannity’s program. Sherman added that Hannity may have hired “other lawyers and/or private investigators” as part of the effort.

During the many segments Hannity has devoted to defending Cohen on Fox News, not once has he ever divulged that he had paid Cohen for legal advice.

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Shocker – Sean Hannity Revealed As Client Of Beleaguered Trump Attorney Michael Cohen

In open court today, a federal judge ordered Donald Trump’s lawyer to reveal a 3rd “mystery” client apart from Trump and an RNC donor who Cohen helped facilitate a $1.3 million payoff to a former Playboy playmate who became pregnant during their affair.

It turns out that the mystery client is Fox News‘ Sean Hannity.

That would be the same Sean Hannity who has railed against the cases against Michael Cohen for months and NEVER disclosed he had a legal relationship with Cohen. That would not be illegal but seriously unethical.

Cohen says he attempted to keep Hannity’s name private due to attorney/client privilege. But on his radio show today, Hannity says he was never an actual “client” of Cohen’s, and never received or paid an invoice.

What comes up now is whether or not there IS an attorney/client relationship with Hannity? If not, then any conversations between the two men would not be covered by attorney/client privilege.

Also, Cohen’s work for his other two clients was covering up possible sex scandals? What did he do for Hannity?

Lots of questions to be answered here. More info here.

One has to wonder: was Cohen a “fixer” for Hannity?

CNN’s Jake Tapper had the best lead-in ever…

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White House Adviser Kellyanne Conway: Comey “Swung” The 2016 Election

Then there was the time that Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, speaking to ABC News’ George Stephanopolous, attacked former FBI Director James Comey by admitting, “This guy swung an election. He thought the wrong person would win.”

She admits that Comey handed the presidency to Trump. Watch below.

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2014 Eurovision Winner Conchita Wurst Comes Out As HIV+

Conchita Wurst (image via Instagram)

Austrian recording artist and drag queen Conchita Wurst, who triumphed as the Eurovision winner in 2014, has come out as HIV positive, acknowledging regular treatment for “several years.”

From The BBC:

The 29-year-old star said she had intended to keep the information private, but an ex-boyfriend had “threatened to go public.”

“I will not give anyone the right to frighten me and influence my life,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Coming out is better than being outed by a third party.”

Wurst added that regular treatment had suppressed the virus to the extent it could no longer be detected in her blood – and could no longer be passed on.

“I hope to give others courage and to take another step against the stigmatization of people who, through their own behaviour or that of others, have become infected with HIV,” she added.

Needless to say, going public with one’s HIV status is a deeply personal issue that has to be determined by each person who faces HIV.

Hideous to think Wurst’s former boyfriend would make such a threat.

Below is Wurst’s Instagram post (in German) regarding the news.

heute ist der tag gekommen, mich für den rest meines lebens von einem damoklesschwert zu befreien: ich bin seit vielen jahren hiv-positiv. das ist für die öffentlichkeit eigentlich irrelevant, aber ein ex-freund droht mir, mit dieser privaten information an die öffentlichkeit zu gehen, und ich gebe auch in zukunft niemandem das recht, mir angst zu machen und mein leben derart zu beeinflussen. seit ich die diagnose erhalten habe, bin ich in medizinischer behandlung, und seit vielen jahren unterbrechungsfrei unter der nachweisgrenze, damit also nicht in der lage, den virus weiter zu geben. ich wollte aus mehreren gründen bisher nicht damit an die öffentlichkeit gehen, nur zwei davon will ich hier nennen: der wichtigste war mir meine familie, die seit dem ersten tag bescheid weiss und mich bedingungslos unterstützt hat. ihnen hätte ich die aufmerksamkeit für den hiv-status ihres sohnes, enkels und bruders gerne erspart. genauso wissen meine freunde seit geraumer zeit bescheid und gehen in einer unbefangenheit damit um, die ich jeder und jedem betroffenen wünschen würde. zweitens ist es eine information, die meiner meinung nach hauptsächlich für diejenigen menschen von relevanz ist, mit denen sexueller kontakt infrage kommt. coming out ist besser als von dritten geoutet zu werden. ich hoffe, mut zu machen und einen weiteren schritt zu setzen gegen die stigmatisierung von menschen, die sich durch ihr eigenes verhalten oder aber unverschuldet mit hiv infiziert haben. an meine fans: die information über meinen hiv-status mag neu für euch sein – mein status ist es nicht! es geht mir gesundheitlich gut, und ich bin stärker, motivierter und befreiter denn je. danke für eure unterstützung!
A post shared by conchita (@conchitawurst) on Apr 15, 2018 at 12:01pm PDT

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More @Starbucks Issues: Bathroom Inequality In Action

(Image via screen cap)

More racial issues for Starbucks today as another black Starbucks customer was denied use of a bathroom before he made his purchase.

Brandon Ward requested to use the bathroom before he made his purchase today at the Starbucks located in Los Angeles at the corner of Artesia and Hawthorne, but was denied the code.

But soon after that exchange, a white male – who had not made a purchase yet – was given the bathroom code.

Another one of those things that make you go, “Hmm…”

From Shaun King:

Meet Brandon Ward. He was Starbucks – about to make a purchase – and needed to use the restroom.

They denied him the code.

He then finds a white man, Weston, who came out of the restroom.

He had not made a purchase but they gave HIM the code.

RACISM.

The store manager at the counter didn’t like her picking and choosing of bathroom attendees made public. And I have to point out the store manager’s woeful lack of skill in handling the situation.

What would have been wrong with apologizing instead of escalating the situation? Is that what Starbucks teaches store managers to do?

I don’t want to blame Starbucks as an entire corporation but for this to occur today after the arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks that received terrible national attention, it’s hard to believe some company-wide email didn’t go out immediately about handling such incidents.

Why are black men being singled out to be ejected from Starbucks restaurants while, as this video shows, white men are allowed use of the premises without a purchase?

Watch below.

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James Comey To USA Today: Trump Is “Morally Unfit To Be President”

Former FBI Director James Comey

Shortly after former FBI Director James Coney’s interview with ABC News‘ George Stephanopoulos last night, a second, in-depth conversation with Comey was released that had been conducted by USA Today reporters Susan Page and Kevin Johnson.

From USA Today:

“I actually believe he’s morally unfit to be president,” Comey told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview Friday at his home in the Virginia suburbs outside Washington. He called that characterization appropriate for “someone who is able to see moral equivalence in (white nationalist protests in) Charlottesville or to speak and treat women like they’re pieces of meat and to lie constantly and who appears to lack an external moral framework” of religion or philosophy or history.

In an even more explosive comment, Comey said it would be less than honest to rule out the possibility that Trump had been compromised by one of the United States’ primary foreign adversaries.

“It’s hard to explain some things without at least leaving your mind open to that being a possibility,” said Comey, who has served three presidents in senior posts. “There’s a non-zero possibility that the Russians have some, some sway over him that is rooted in his personal experience, and I don’t know whether that’s the business about the activity in a Moscow hotel room or finances or something else.”

For the real political junkies, you can listen to the full interview between Comey and USA Today below.

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Trump Twitter Rant: “Disgruntled” Comey “Committed Many Crimes!”

Donald Trump

Donald Trump must have been tired this morning as he only managed one lame attack tweet on former FBI Director James Comey after Comey’s highly-publicized interview with 20/20‘s George Stephanopolous last night.

Comey’s new book, A Higher Loyalty, which chronicles Comey’s adventures in “Trump Land,” hits book stores tomorrow.

Trump spent much of the weekend repeatedly attacking Comey ahead of the interview and as excerpts of the book were released to several news outlets.

To be honest, I’m not sure Trump even drafted this tweet as “exoneration” doesn’t seem like a likely word in the Trump lexicon. Although he seemed to be going for brevity and economy as he lumped equally-despised former Andrew McCabe in with the same tweet.

But then, maybe Trump is just fatigued from all his current scandals.

Golf. Golf would be the answer, no?