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Biden Hosts LGBTQ Leaders: ‘Pride Is Back At The White House’

President Biden celebrates the passage of his $1 trillion infrastructure bill

President Biden hosted leaders from the LGBTQ community at the White House in honor of Pride Month
President Joe Biden (screen capture)
It was an LGBTQ kind of day at the White House today as President Biden hosted a reception for LGBTQ leaders in honor of Pride Month. From the Washington Blade:

President Biden commemorated Pride Month for first his year in office on Friday with a reception at the White House, detailing the initiatives his administration has made on behalf of the LGBTQ community and declaring “Pride is Back at the White House.”

“We’re also making progress, but I know we still have a long way to go, a lot of work to do,” Biden said. “We must protect the gains we’ve made and fend off the cruel and unconscionable attacks that we’re seeing now to ensure the full promise of dignity and equal protection.”

Joining Biden on stage for the reception in the East Room was first lady Jill Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who could claim historic status of participating in the event as the first openly gay official to obtain Senate confirmation for a Cabinet-level role.

Biden was introduced by Ashton Mota, a 16-year-old transgender advocate from Lowell, Mass., and a leader with the GenderCool Project.

During his remarks, Biden’s made note of the recent spate of state laws targeting transgender youth, including restricting their access to transition-related health care and schools sports. Biden called the bills “nothing but bullying disguised as legislation.”

Biden also named Jessica Stern, currently executive director of OutRight Action International, as a special diplomatic envoy at the State Department for LGBTQ rights. Her responsibilities will include ensuring that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect LGBTQ rights around the world. Additionally, Biden signed into law a congressional resolution designating the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, as a national memorial. On June 12, 2016, the club was the site of the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in U.S. history when Omar Mateen opened fire on club goers killing 49 people and wounding 53 more.

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Derek Chauvin Sentenced To 22.5 Years In Prison In George Floyd Murder

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison after being found guilty of second degree murder, third degree murder and manslaughter. From Mother Jones:

In Minnesota, the maximum sentence for unintentional second-degree murder — Chauvin’s most serious crime — is 40 years, but the recommended sentence for people with no prior criminal record is 12.5 years. Judge Peter Cahill said on Friday that he added 10 years to the presumptive sentence “based on your abuse of a position of trust and authority, and also the particular cruelty shown to George Floyd.”

With good behavior, Chauvin, 45, could be paroled after serving two-thirds of his sentence, or about 15 years. Prosecutors had asked for a 30 year sentence, and Chauvin’s attorney asked for probation and time served. It’s worth remembering that Chauvin tortured Floyd to death, in public, in front of children. People are sentenced to life in prison for far less. Here’s the sentencing by the judge as well as the statement Chauvin made today:

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Justice Department Sues Georgia Over GOP Voting Restrictions

A prosecutor in Georgia is reportedly in the early stages of investigating Donald Trump for attempting to overturn the election results in the state

Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced the Justice Department will sue the state of Georgia over new voting laws that allegedly discriminate against Black voters
(image via Depositphotos)
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced the Department of Justice is suing the state of Georgia over its recently passed voting restrictions, According to the DOJ, the new law passed earlier this year was “enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of Black Georgians to vote.” From Axios:

It’s the first major action the Biden administration has taken in response to the wave of voting restrictions that Republican-led states have sought to impose in the wake of President Biden’s election.

In a major policy speech earlier this month, Garland pledged to make voting rights a top priority, doubling the number of enforcement staff dedicated to protecting the right to vote.

The lawsuit is being overseen by Kristen Clarke, the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan.

Garland also announced Friday that DOJ is launching a task force to investigate and respond to threats against election officials.

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News Round-Up: June 24, 2021

Bruno the wonder dog

Bruno the wonder dog Some news items you might have missed: • TBT: As I get to spend more afternoons at the cement pond these days, I do miss my bestie Bruno (above) who always made the sunshine that much brighter. Not sad – happy he happened 🙂 • The Hill: A new study shows 52% percent of LGBTQ adults say that someone had threatened them with violence since they were age 18. Sixty-seven percent of LBQ cisgender women, 75 percent of GBQ cis men and 70 percent of transgender people said they had been bullied often or sometimes before age 18. • Pink News: The crowd erupted into cheers at Wednesday evening’s football match between Hungary and Germany when a supporter ran out onto the pitch with a Pride flag as the Hungarian national anthem played. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQgWxFmL0DZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • USA Today: Missouri is becoming a cautionary COVID tale for the rest of the country: It is seeing an alarming rise in cases because of a combination of the fast-spreading delta variant and stubborn resistance among many people to getting vaccinated. Intensive care beds are filling up with surprisingly young, unvaccinated patients. • CNN: In the new book, Frankly We Did Win This Election, Michael Bender of the Wall Street Journal reports that Donald Trump would highlight videos that showed law enforcement getting physical with protesters and say, “That’s how you’re supposed to handle these people. Crack their skulls!” Trump also told his team that he wanted the military to go in and “beat the f–k out” of the civil rights protesters. • ABC News: President Biden and a bipartisan group of senators on Thursday announced they had reached a framework $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal after a White House meeting. Biden emphasized that it all comes “without raising a cent from earners below $400,000.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CQhQirxL22S/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Free Screening Of HIV Doc ‘5B’ Hosted By Billy Porter

Join Billy Porter for a free viewing of the acclaimed documentary 5B followed by a chat with

Join Billy Porter for a free viewing of the acclaimed documentary '5B' followed by a chat with health experts about the effects and parallels of the AIDS and COVID pandemics
Tony/Emmy/Grammy Award winner Billy Porter
On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the first AIDS diagnosis, the world remains caught in the grips of another frightening health epidemic – COVID. Today, June 24, from 6:00-8:30PM EST, activist and actor Billy Porter – who just recently shared his own HIV diagnosis with the world – will join Michael Sneed, Johnson & Johnson’s EVP of Global Cultural Affairs (which in addition to helping the world fight COVID, is currently working on a HIV vaccine) for a free special screening of the award-winning documentary 5B.  The acclaimed documentary chronicles the stories of the heroic nurses who risked their lives to found the World’s first AIDS Ward. Following the screening, Porter will chat with 5B nurse Alison Moëd Paolercio, and author Rebecca Love RN to discuss the disproportionate toll that epidemics and pandemics take on at-risk communities, the parallels between the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 crises, and the role of nurses in driving healthcare change. People can register here for the webinar. Not able to join the event? Visit 5Bfilm.com to find out where to stream the movie and, after the event, view the archived fireside chat at https://nursing.jnj.com/5B-fireside-chat-with-billy-porter. Here’s the official trailer for 5B:

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Pride Music: Madame Gandhi ‘Freedom’

Madame Gandhi

Madame Gandhi
Madame Gandhi (photo: Naz Massaro)
Out indie electronic musician and activist Madame Gandhi shares joyous her docu-style music video “Freedom,” that celebrates Gandhi’s definition of freedom and her state of well-being coming out of the pandemic via reggae vibes and a healing message. The video for “Freedom” (directed by Madame Gandhi and Jared Bishop) showcases how Gandhi brings her philosophy to life on a personal level in Southern California, reconnecting with people she loves while taking care of herself. Gandhi  is not only an artist, but an activist whose mission is to celebrate gender liberation. Among her numerous achievements, she has earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, been listed as a Forbes 30 Under 30 member and is a 2020 TED Fellow. Her uplifting music and talks have been critically acclaimed by The New York Times, Billboard, NPR and more. #BOOM Follow Madame Gandhi on Instagram here.

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Funny: Michael Henry Is Ready For A ‘HOT HOMO SUMMER’

Writer/director/actor Michael Henry in 'Hot Homo Summer'
Michael Henry in ‘Hot Homo Summer’ (screen capture)

Funny guy Michael Henry has dropped the trailer for his upcoming 5-episode web series, “Hot Homo Summer.”

Henry, who has an erring eye and ear for the homo zeitgeist, shares on the YouTube page, “If some people are having a ‘Hot Vax Summer’ or a ‘Hot Girl Summer I deserve to have a ‘Hot Homo Summer!’”

The series is written by Henry who shares co-directing duties with Paul McGovern Jr. McGovern also serves as director of photography and editor.

In the trailer, we get a rush of gay-gay-gay one-liners – “Nooooooo, not a ‘Snickers d**k!” – delivered rapid-fire by a who’s who of actors who’ve appeared in Henry’s previous short films.

Those chronicling homo-life in Henry’s ‘West Hollywood’ include Johnny Sabilly, John Duff, Brandon Rogers, Chad Westbrook, Chris Renfro, Logan Jennings (‘Meatball’), and many more.

As cast member Chris Brandon wrote in the comments, “This is like when the first Avengers movie came out, but it’s Michael Henry characters. Welcome to the MHU.”

Henry says the episodes will be released weekly. No release date announced yet, but as Henry notes at the end of the trailer, “Coming quickly…” #LOL

Hit the play button and you can find my previous coverage of Mr. Henry’s comedic antics here.

(screen capture)

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Rudy Giuliani’s Law License Suspended For Election Lies

Rudy Giuliani (screen capture)
Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City and personal lawyer for Donald Trump, has been suspended from practicing law by a New York appellate court after a review of his false and misleading statements made regarding the 2020 election. From Axios:

A New York court ruled that Giuliani made “demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump.”

“These false statements were made to improperly bolster respondent’s narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client,” the court wrote.

“We conclude that respondent’s conduct immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law, pending further proceedings before the Attorney Grievance Committee.”

The court examined a number of instances in which Giuliani made false statements about alleged election fraud in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan. Each were found to be in violation of various provisions of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct.

Giuliani is also facing multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuits from two voting-machine companies that were the target of baseless conspiracy theories from Giuliani as well as a criminal investigation by the Southern District of New York for his dealings with Ukraine.

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#TBT: All-Star Charity Single ‘Spirit Of The Forest’ With Olivia Newton-John, Debbie Harry, Donna Summer & More

Cover image for 1989's 'Spirit of the Forest' Throwing it back to 1989… From my buddy Kenneth-in-the-212:

Honest to god, if you had bet me everything I own — plus my husband and cat — that Debbie Harry, Olivia Newton-John, Belinda Carlisle, Kim Wilde, Kate Pierson, Holly Beth Vincent and a host of other (212) favorites had done a charity single in the late ’80s I would be living on the street with a broken heart right now, because that’s exactly what happened.

While digging through Getty Images to try to figure out the date and photographer of a photo of Deb I posted yesterday I stumbled upon a folder labeled “Rainforest Alliance Recording Session” — huh? — which led me to the video of “Spirit of the Forest” by Spirit of the Forest, a single benefiting the Earth Love Fund, “to make people aware of the need for conservation of the rainforest.”

Also taking part were Joni Mitchell, Brian Wilson, Donna Summer, Kate Bush, Thomas Dolby, The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Taylor Dayne, Big Country, L.L. Cool J, Lisa Bonet, Lenny Kravitz, Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Marc Jordan, Mick Fleetwood, Billy Burnett, Rita Coolidge, Michael Des Barres, Bonnie Raitt, Amy Sky, David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Ringo Starr, representatives of 10 Native American tribes and many, many more. The record was launched on June 5, 1989 by Richard Branson and Earth Love Fund (ELF) Rainforest Appeal in conjunction with the U.N.E.P. at the United Nations. The single was double “A”-sided with star artists performing on both sides. All proceeds from the project were donated to the programs dedicated to saving the Rainforests of the world.

I have to admit I’ve never heard of the project, but I was traipsing around the country in a national touring company of A Chorus Line at the time, so I wasn’t quite up-to-date on all the music being released. Kenneth surmises “benefit fatigue” might have had something to do with the song fading amid so many other high profile charity music events like Band Aid, USA for Africa, Farm Aid and so many more in that period of time. He also thinks – as do I – the song itself is something of a dud. It was apparently written by Kenny Young of “Under the Boardwalk.” At the time, we had major earworms like “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” “We Are the World” and “Sun City” scoring big on the Billboard 100. Sadly, the message is still on point today. p.s. Why was Olivia Newton-John relegated to the side of wide shots and not given a solo??? Longtime ONJ fans will recognize Livvy’s future collaborators Amy Sky and her husband Marc Jordan in the mix.

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#LubeLife Teams Up With Campus Pride For Sex Positive Campaign

#Lubelife, the leading personal lubricant brand sold on Amazon, is celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month by forming a partnership with Campus Pride, the only national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBTQ students. Campus Pride is a volunteer-driven network “for” and “by” student leaders. Educational partners, staff and volunteers develop resources, programs and services to support LGBTQ and ally students on college campuses across the United States. Search their resources and learn how our various programs and services may assist you in creating a safer, more LGBTQ-friendly college campus community. #LubeLife supports your sexual adventure and encourages people to #TakeItBackForGood. #LubeLife will be donating $5 to Campus Pride every time someone posts about anal sex positivity on the #LubeLife website during Pride Month. Also, #Lubelife will be donating 15% of the sales of its two anal sex lubricants during the month of June to support sexual health and stigma reduction programs for queer young adults with Campus Pride. “#LubeLife is a fun, irreverent brand that is all about adventure and exploration; we wanted to put a spotlight on anal sex during Pride month because it is at the very core of sexual exploration, and the LGBTQ community has always been on the forefront of that,” said Tara Merkle, Senior Director of Marketing for #LubeLife. “Sex is a part of life and we must talk about it,” said Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride. “Every dollar raised will be put towards our sexual health awareness programs and stigma reduction for queer young adult leaders.” Head over to the #LubeLife website for more info.

(image via Instagram/LubeLife)