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News Round-Up: June 23, 2021

Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy

Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy
Gus Kenworthy (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • OK Magazine: Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy (above) tells the gossip mag that the 2022 Winter Olympics will be his last after which he’ll turn his focus to acting and TV hosting gigs. • The Advocate: Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has vetoed a bill that would have banned transgender girls and women from competing in school sports designated for females calling it “a solution in search of a problem.” Edwards, a moderate Democrat, said in an online statement. “Even the author of the bill acknowledged throughout the legislative session that there wasn’t a single case where this was an issue.” • Boy Culture: Britney Spears had her day in court, wants her life back, and Matt Rettenmund has her full (explosive) statement to the court. This is a wild ride, folks. I’m not a Britney fan, but I think folks should give her her life back and let the chips fall where they may.
International pop star Britney Spears
International pop star Britney Spears (image via Instagram)
• Raw Story: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation requiring students, faculty and staff at Florida’s public universities and colleges to register their political views with the state as a way to encourage “intellectual diversity.” • New York Times: Graydon Young, of Sarasota, Fla., admitted to conspiring to breach the U. S. Capitol building as part of a military-style “stack” made up of members of the Oath Keepers militia and disrupt the certification of the Electoral College vote. As part of his deal with the government, Mr. Young agreed to cooperate with prosecutors — the second member of the Oath Keepers to provide assistance to investigators. He faces an estimated 63 to 78 months in prison. • Mediaite: Former NRA president David Keene accepted an invitation to address what he thought was going to be its graduating class of 2021. Instead, the 3,044 chairs in the audience were left completely unoccupied. And not because it was a dress rehearsal as Keene was told, but to represent all of the should-have-been 2021 high school graduates who were killed by gun violence, “The Lost Class.”

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General Takes Down Matt Gaetz Over ‘Woke Military’ Remark

General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Mark Milley (screen capture)
Alleged sex trafficker Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who’s never worn a military uniform, attempted to blast Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, today on Capitol Hill saying the military is too “woke.” But General Milley does not suffer fools lightly: “I’ve read Karl Marx. I’ve read Lenin. That doesn’t make me a communist. So what is wrong with understanding…the country which we are here to defend?” But wait! There’s more! “And I personally find it offensive that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned, non-commissioned officers of being, quote, ‘woke’ or something else, because we’re studying some theories that are out there.”

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Biden & Emhoff Make Appearances During ‘It Gets Better’ Digital Pride

President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden makes appearance during It Gets Better Pride event
President Joe Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff each shared special messages for LGBTQ+ youth to remind them that they are not alone during today’s ‘It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience.’ “My administration, the Biden administration, will always stick up for you,” Biden told viewers. “We are committed to advancing equality. In the classroom, on the sports fields, at work, in our military, in our housing, in our healthcare system — everywhere — equity.” The president also noted LGBTQ Americans he’s appointed to high level leadership roles including the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary, Pete Buttigieg and the first transgender person confirmed by the United States Senate, Dr. Rachel Levine.

This is not President Biden’s first video for the It Gets Better Project. In 2010, when the It Gets Better campaign was just getting its start in response to a string of suicides from LGBTQ+ youth, the then Vice President shared inspirational words and a message of support for the LGBTQ+ community — see his original video here. Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff told viewers: “When times are tough and the whole world feels like it’s closing in, the best thing you can do for yourself is just reach out to someone. Being strong, being brave, is to know when to ask for support.” Emhoff added: “I promise you, there are people out there who love you just as you are — people who recognize that the qualities that make you unique and special are the characteristics that make our whole society beautiful and diverse… don’t ever feel like you’re in this by yourself because you’re not. Remember: it will get better.”

For the last decade, the It Gets Better Project has upheld a mission to empower, uplight and inspire the next generation of LGBTQ+ youth. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the organization celebrated Pride by hosting their first digital Pride event which garnered over 1.3M impressions. This year, they aim to reach even more LGBTQ+ youth around the globe while promoting and securing funds to sustain the life-affirming services the organization provides. The 2021 talent line up features appearances by Kalen Allen, Mj Rodriguez, Laverne Cox, Aly & AJ, Zachary Quinto, Vincint, and Pabllo Vittar among others. Day One streamed live from the organization’s YouTube channel today, Wednesday, June 23rd and Day Two will air tomorrow, Thursday, June 24th from 11:00 AM PT – 3:00 PM PT.  

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Out Music: A Great Big World & Travis Wall ‘Boys In The Street’

Cover image for "Boys in the Street" from A Great Big World

Cover image for "Boys in the Street" from A Great Big World I’m certain the emotionally raw new music video from Grammy winners A Great Big World for “Boys In The Street” will strike a chord deep within LGBTQ audiences. Directed by Se Oh and choreographed by Emmy Award winning choreographer Travis Wall (So You Think You Can Dance), the video chronicles the story of a father’s journey to accepting his son for who he is. Through Wall’s richly layered choreography,  we follow a young gay man (alternately played by Aydin Eyikan and Wall) who fights to save his fractured relationship with a homophobic father (Colin Cunliffe). Kudos to director Oh for using light and darkness as a metaphor for the father’s inability to truly ‘see’ his son. The song and video delicately crystallizes both the pain and hope that LGBTQ young people experience in their search for affirmation from their parents. Chad King, vocalist for A Great Big World, shared his thoughts on the video with HuffPost: “I would love for people to connect with the honesty and authenticity of the story behind the song and video, and to maybe have an awareness and appreciation for someone else’s struggles and differences in a way they haven’t had before. I am so proud of the video and how it captures the feeling the song gives me. I hope others will connect to it in a similar way!”

Promotional photo of the band A Great Big World
Chad King (left) and Ian Axel of A Great Big World (photo: Se Oh)
“The dance world has always embraced our music, really since we started making music together and we can’t think of a better way to visually tell the stories of our songs,” Ian Axel, pianist and vocalist for A Great Big World added. “We’ve been fans of Travis’ for a while now and have always wanted to work with him. There are few choreographers who make our hearts burst like Travis does. We’re so honored and thrilled that he was open to be a part of this!”

“Boys In The Street” follows A Great Big World’s “Fall On Me” with Christina Aguilera, both of which will be featured on their third full-length album due out this August. The latter has generated more than 30 million streams worldwide and reunited A Great Big World with Aguilera following their seven-times-platinum GRAMMY award-winning hit “Say Something.” Follow the band on Instagram here and Travis Wall here.

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Voter Fraud: Ohio Man Admits To Forging Dead Father’s Signature On Ballot

Voting

Another case of voter fraud has been discovered in Ohio where a Republican man admitted to signing and submitting his dead father's ballot. More voter fraud found in Ohio. Oh, and yes, it’s another Republican caught cheating. From NBC News:

Edward Snodgrass, who is a Porter Township trustee, has admitted to forging his dead father’s signature on an absentee ballot and then voting again as himself, court records and other sources revealed.

Snodgrass was busted after a Delaware County election worker questioned the signature on his father’s ballot. A subsequent investigation revealed the ballot had been mailed to H. Edward Snodgrass on Oct. 6 — a day after the 78-year-old retired businessman died.

In an interview with NBC News, Snodgrass said he made “an honest error” while struggling to take care of his dying father, who had advanced Parkinson’s disease. He said he had power of attorney for several years and because his dad had broken his right arm he’d already been “signing for him.” He said his dad had requested the absentee ballot.

Snodgrass told NBC News he had been “sleep-deprived” and not thinking clearly. The 57-year-old has apparently agreed to plea guilty to a reduced charge of falsification which comes with a $500 fine and three days in jail. Had he fought the charges of illegal voting, a fourth-degree felony, he could have faced a prison sentence of six or more months along with a $5,000 fine. Even though Donald Trump continues to rant and rage about “widespread voter fraud,” the fact is it didn’t happen. In May the Washington Post did a deep dive into local news reports across the country and found “only 16 incidents in which someone has faced criminal charges stemming from their attempt to vote illegally.” I’ve previously reported on another Republican Trump supporter in Colorado who faked his missing wife’s signature and mailed her ballot in for Trump.

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Michigan: GOP-Led Investigation Finds No Voter Fraud In 2020 Election

From The Hill:

A report from the GOP-controlled Michigan state Senate released Wednesday found no evidence of fraud in the 2020 election.

The report from the state Senate Oversight Committee affirmed that there was no evidence of fraud in the election.

“The Committee can confidently assert that it has been thorough in examination of numerous allegations of unlawful actions, improper procedures, fraud, vote theft, or any other description which would cause citizens to doubt the integrity of Michigan’s 2020 election results,” the committee wrote.

President Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by a margin of 154,188 votes (50.62%-47.84%).

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Today: It Gets Better – A Digital Pride Experience

The 2021 It Gets Better Pride Experience

It Gets Better - A Digital Pride Experience 2021 Make sure to check in for year two of It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience today beginning at 11 a.m. PT. This year’s live stream extravaganza includes Pose star Mj Rodriguez, Emmy nominee Laverne Cox, celebrity fashion designer Christian Cowan, international superstars Pabllo Vittar and Calle y Poché, pop duo Aly & AJ, dance and fitness stars Caleb Marshall and Mark Kanemura, and so many more. Plus, you won’t want to miss a special It Gets Better message from President Joe Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff. Hosted by YouTuber/comedian Kalen Allen featuring Monique Heart in an epic drag transformation, come celebrate Pride in style and help us uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe.

Click here to watch along and view the full schedule and lineup. And tell your friends and family to come join the Pride celebration!

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News Round-Up: June 22, 2021

Some news items you might have missed: • New York Times: Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked the most ambitious voting rights legislation to come before Congress in a generation, using the filibuster to deal a blow to a bid by President Biden and Democrats to counter a wave of state-level ballot restrictions. Continue reading “News Round-Up: June 22, 2021”

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Texas Governor Vetoes Anti-Dog Cruelty Legislation

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (screen capture)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (screen capture)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (screen capture)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vetoed Senate Bill 474, known as the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, that would have made it illegal to leave dogs chained up outside without drinkable water, adequate shade or shelter. The bill passed in the Senate 28-3 and the House 83-32. From the Texas Tribune:

Abbott said Texas already has the statutes in place to protect dogs from animal cruelty, and the penalties proposed in Lucio’s bill seemed excessive.

“Texas is no place for this kind of micro-managing and over-criminalization,” he said in the veto statement.

Shelby Bobosky, executive director of Texas Humane Legislation Network, a nonprofit that lobbies in support of animal rights, said the organization’s members are devastated by the veto, and the bill would have “clarified the vague language that makes the statute completely unenforceable.”

The hashtag #AbbottHatesDogs began trending on Twitter soon after Abbott’s veto.