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Maluma Got Hot Working Out, So He Took Off His Shirt

Latin Grammy Award winner Maluma flexes for the camera

Latin Grammy Award winner Maluma flexes for the camera
Latin Grammy Award winner Maluma (image via Instagram)
Woofy Colombian recording star Maluma brought the heat to his Instagram yesterday when he threw down a video showing off his arm workout and more. Grinding out his final bicep curls, the blond 27-year-old was serving up sweat and abs. And let’s face it, Colombia can get preeeeety humid, so ditching the shirt was a good move (especially for his fans). The short clip has garnered over 3.5 million views in less than a day. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNIR1-5nu96/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Prior to the gym clip, the “Medellín” singer shared another shirtless snap as he relaxed on a lounger in the sun. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNGIOVdHViD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link But this is hardly the first time Maluma has caught our eye. The singer has become an accomplished thirst trap on his Insta. Let’s face it – the guy knows how to smolder for the camera. And the Latin superstar is aware of his appeal to the gay community, including persistent rumors that he might be gay. But last year, he swatted those away telling fans in a post:

“People are stupid, aren’t they? How can they say that I am gay? If I were gay, I would have already talked about it. The one who said I’m gay, lend me his girlfriend to see how gay I am. You guys make me laugh.”

  https://www.instagram.com/p/CMnGzVyn03A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CLcnj1Jn-Jd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CKHvdr7nsxa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CJNNKwnHqQ3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CHByR_Pnsh7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CIO3TAynYkP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CEKwnFCn_6x/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link The Latin Grammy Award-winner recently released an EP titled #7DJ (7 Días en Jamaica) in January featuring seven songs along with their music videos on his YouTube channel.

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MLB Pulls All-Star Game From Georgia Over Voting Law

Major League Baseball has pulled its All-Star game from Georgia over the state's recent voter suppression law Major League Baseball is making it known the organization is NOT having Georgia’s new voter suppression law. From the New York Times:

In a firm rebuke of Georgia’s new elections law, Major League Baseball said Friday that it had abandoned its plan to play this summer’s All-Star Game in Atlanta.

The decision by the baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred, came after days of pressure from civil rights groups and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

In a statement, Manfred said that after conversations with teams, players, former stars and players union officials he had concluded that “the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft.”

Earlier this week, President Biden voiced his support for MLB moving the midsummer showcase in light of the new voting law’s disproportionate impact on people of color.

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Court Recognizes Same-Sex Parents Have Parental Rights

Photo of mother and daughter hitting 'high five'

Photo of mother and daughter hitting 'high five'
(stock photo: Any Lane from Pexels)
Yesterday, the Michigan Court of Appeals recognized two unmarried women as parents where one parent is a genetic parent and the other parent gave birth. LaNesha Matthews and Kyresha LeFever were a same-sex couple who had twins together using assisted reproduction. The children were conceived through in vitro fertilization using Kyresha’s eggs, and LaNesha gave birth. Last year, a trial court ruled LaNesha is a surrogate with no parental rights because she is not a genetic parent, even though she always intended to be a mother and parented the children since they were born seven years ago. After the parents broke up, they shared custody for several years before going to court after a dispute. The trial court ruled that LaNesha was not a parent, removed LaNesha from the birth certificates, prevented her from participating in their educational or medical decision-making, and allowed her only limited visitation as an unrelated “third party.” On April 1, 2021, the Michigan Court of Appeals unanimously reversed the trial court’s ruling, finding that LaNesha and Kyresha are both equal parents to their children. One of the judges wrote an additional opinion explaining that all parents and their children have a constitutional right to be recognized, regardless of birth or genetics. “We are grateful that our client and her children are once again recognized as a family,” said NCLR Family Law Director Cathy Sakimura. “We know that families are formed in many ways. Recognizing genetics as the only basis for parent-child relationships leaves out many families and harms children by separating them from their parents.” NCLR represented LaNesha on appeal before the Michigan Court of Appeals along with her trial counsel Regina Jemison. (via press release from NCLR)

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Capitol Police Officers Injured In Vehicle Attack

Two Capitol Police officers were injured when a driver struck them near the north entrance of the U.S. Capitol Building

Two Capitol Police officers were injured when a driver struck them near the north entrance of the U.S. Capitol Building
(screen capture)
UPDATE: The New York Times reports the suspect was shot and killed. CBS News correspondent Skyler Henry reports one of the injured officers has died.

The U.S. Capitol went into lockdown after two Capitol Police officers were reportedly struck by a vehicle near the north entrance to the U.S. Capitol building. From the New York Times:

The Capitol complex was locked down, as the agency instructed staff to remain indoors, away from doors and windows, as eyewitnesses posted videos of a large law enforcement response.

“A suspect is in custody,” the Capitol Police said on Twitter. “Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital.”

Images from the scene posted on social media appeared to show emergency workers treating someone on the driveway of the Capitol.

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News Round-Up: April 1, 2021

Film & TV star Richard Chamberlain

Film & TV star Richard Chamberlain
Film & TV star Richard Chamberlain (image via Boy Culture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Boy Culture: Out actor Richard Chamberlain (above) turned 87 this week. Click over to BC for more photos of the eternally handsome star. • The Gaily Grind: The Nebraska Supreme Court has reversed a ruling by a judge who denied a lesbian couple’s petition to adopt a child because he said a dictionary defined a “wife” as having a husband. • Instinct Magazine: Did you know it’s the 20th anniversary of the first legal same-sex wedding and marriage? Twenty years ago, Dutch couple Gert Kasteel and Dolf Pasker became the first same-sex couple to get legally married in the Netherlands and the world.

• CNN: The ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine confirms its protection remains high for at least six months after the second dose and likely lasts even longer. The vaccine also appears to be fully effective against the B.1.351 variant currently circulating in South Africa and beyond. • RawStory: Supporters of Donald Trump are furious that his vice president, Mike Pence, might try to run for president in 2024. Trump fans are still angry about Pence refusing to fight the 2020 election with the Electoral College certification. • NBC News: Every Republican in Congress voted against President Biden’s COVID stimulus package, that’s not stopping them from trumpeting popular aspects of the bill to their constituents as if they’d actually done something. • AP: The Montana legislature has approved a bill that would allow discrimination against LGBTQ people based on their ‘religious beliefs.’ Lawmakers rejected an amendment that would make it clear the law couldn’t be used to justify discrimination. The legislation now heads to the governor’s desk who has indicated he will sign it into law.

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Manchin May Be ‘No’ Vote On Equality Act

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (image via Facebook)

One of the so-called ‘moderate’ Democrats in the U.S. Senate – Joe Manchin of West Virginia – is quietly letting the powers that be know he may not be voting in favor of the Equality Act after being targeted by a massive call-in campaign by conservative groups.

While the legislation recently passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 221 to 206 (three Republicans voted in favor), the Senate is currently split 50/50 with Vice President Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes.

The rules of the Senate will require at least ten Republicans to vote with all Democrats (plus 2 Independents who caucus with the Dems) to overcome the filibuster. And presently, no one can name 10 GOP senators they believe will vote in favor of the bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal civil rights laws.

Without Republican support to overcome the 60-vote threshold, there’s no way to pass the Equality Act unless Democrats reform the filibuster. To do that, they would need Manchin to vote with them on the rules change which he has publicly opposed.

Even with recent polling showing an overwhelming 7 in 10 voters support the Equality Act, Manchin represents a hefty complication.

When the legislation was passed in 2019 by the House, Manchin publicly shared concerns he had saying the act didn’t provide “sufficient guidance to the local officials who will be responsible for implementing it, particularly with respect to students transitioning between genders in public schools.” It seems he still has those reservations today.

Plus, The Daily Beast reports Manchin has apparently received calls to his office by a ratio of “a thousand to one” opposing the Equality Act organized by conservative groups like the virulently anti-LGBTQ Heritage Foundation.

Without his support, it’s nearly impossible to see the Equality Act being passed in the Senate and heading to the desk of President Biden, who hoped to sign the bill in his first 100 days in office.

That could leave the widely popular legislation lost in neverland – the victim (again) of an outdated legislative process.

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Stock Market Climbs On News Of Biden Infrastructure Plan

Image of stock market data

Image of stock market data Remember when Donald Trump said the stock markets would crash if Joe Biden became president? From the New York Times:

A rally in big technology stocks, a tailwind of economic optimism following the latest big spending plan from the Biden administration and a jump in oil prices combined on Thursday to lift Wall Street to another record, this one punctuated by the S&P 500 index’s close above 4,000 for the first time.

The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.8 percent, bringing its gain over the past two days to more than 3 percent. The broader S&P 500 rose 1.2 percent, to 4,020.

“Round numbers can be big psychological barriers for markets, so breaking 4,000 could provide a confidence boost to stocks in the short term,” said Lule Demmissie, president of online banking and trading firm Ally Invest. “And we think the market has room to run longer term, too.”

All things considered, its worth noting that Biden doesn’t point to stock market moves and claim responsibility for them as Trump often did.

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Class Is In Session: Buttigieg Explains ‘Infrastructure’ To Fox News Hosts

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Fox News

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Fox News
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg appeared on Fox News this morning to help shed light on President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure bill dubbed the American Jobs Plan. Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer noted that in running through some numbers about the bill he found “5.6 percent of the $2 trillion proposal is only dedicate to roads and bridges. Why is that?” Buttigieg then calmly and politely explained to Hemmer that “infrastructure” isn’t merely “roads and bridges.” “Well, we’re talking about roads and bridges, we’re talking about rails and transit, we’re talking about airports and ports,” Buttigieg began. “As you mentioned, we’re talking about things like the grid. I don’t know why anybody would say that it’s a mistake to invest in the grid after what we just witness in Texas.” “We saw U.S. citizens, living in Texas, melting snow in their bathtubs to be able to flush their toilets,” continued Buttigieg. “In the United States of America that is unacceptable. So yes, infrastructure includes energy infrastructure.” As the country is now well-aware, Texas learned the hard way in February about how ignoring the state of energy infrastructure can come back to bite folks in the butt. Buttigieg added that in Biden’s proposal, infrastructure also includes broadband internet which is woefully absent in many rural areas. “Good infrastructure planning is always about looking to the future,” said the transportation secretary. “You know, railroads were not a part of infrastructure until we built them. And I’m sure in the Eisenhower era they weren’t thinking about things like broadband, they were still working on electrification which would have sounded newfangled in its time. Now it’s time to prepare for the future.” Buttigieg has made a name for himself being able to handle himself over at Fox News and he demonstrated that skill again today. By the way, note the video footage Fox News runs as Buttigieg explains the bill – money being printed and printed and printed…

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Texas Senate Attempts To Stop Social Media From Blocking Users Based On Politics

Texas

A high school senior was expelled right before the school year for coming out as gay and proud In the early morning hours on Thursday, the Texas Senate approved legislation that would “prohibit social media companies with at least 100 million monthly users from blocking, banning, demonetizing or discriminating against a user based on their viewpoint or their location within Texas.” More from the Texas Tribune:

The measure, which would apply to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, among others, would also require the companies to disclose their content moderation policies, publish regular reports about the content they remove and create an appeals process for user content that has been taken down.

The Texas attorney general would be allowed to file suit against any company that violates a provision of the bill. If upheld in court, the attorney general could recoup “reasonable” attorney’s fees and investigative costs.

Hughes repeatedly referred to social media companies as “common carriers” (like cable or phone companies) even though they’ve never been classified as such. The issue moves to the state House where two identical bills have yet to move out of committees. It goes without saying that legal experts have raised doubts about the legality of the measure. What’s interesting to me is: the same people who say a baker doesn’t have to bake a cake for a same-sex couple now say Twitter or Facebook can’t boot someone for violating their terms of service by spreading misinformation on their platforms.

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Out Music: kate gill “ken&barbie”

Screen capture from 'ken&barbie'

Screen capture from 'ken&barbie' kate gill is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter hailing from Queensland, Australia. She garnered a following on TikTok of over half a million followers from singing acoustic covers of pop songs including “A.M.” by One Direction, “The One That Got Away” by Katy Perry, and “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. kate was inspired to write “ken&barbie” after hearing the story of how her best friend came out and struggled with his sexuality growing up. The original TikTok of kate singing the track has over 4M views to date and almost 30k original videos made. You’ll note in the music video (over 123,000 views to date) the lyrics relating to the parents’ admonishments have a dull, grey background. But when kate sings the boy doesn’t have to explain himself, color returns to the screen.

Just a few remarks from the over-500 comments made on the YouTube page:

“This hurts so deeply because it’s so accurate I can’t”

“I’m bisexual and I am currently in love with a boy. But my parents are religious people and my dad is a pastor. It’s just hard knowing that they are homophobic. This song is literally breaking me apart, but I somehow find comfort in it. Thank you”

“I am straight and I have a lot of friends who are Bi. To be honest, this song hurts me. I can’t imagine the struggles they had to face ALONE because they had no one to actually listen and understand them. Y’all, chin up :(( You can do this!!”

“I’m subconsciously obsessed with this song”

“’17 years old feeling like a stranger at home’ damn that get me”

“I relate to this so much that it hurts, for about 9 years my mother has pushed being straight on me (I’ve not came out yet) she would always say that she wouldn’t hate us if we were gay but, she would be disappointed and cry asking what she did wrong. I work myself up to coming out to her and she ends up saying something weird about gay people and makes me take the decision back.”

Hit the play button and take a listen. You can download/stream “ken&barbie” here. Cover art for kate gill's "ken&barbie"