Donald Trump (screen capture) Hot on the heels of last night’s first presidential debate (if you could call it that after Donald Trump’s deplorable performance), the Donald gets some bad news from his favorite polling outfit. Rasmussen Polls, which tends to lean Republican, released its latest results and it shows a 7 point shift towards former Vice President Joe Biden in just one week. The survey puts Biden at an 8 point lead over Trump 51 percent to 43 percent. This is the first time Biden has cleared the 50 point threshold and its Trump’s worst showing in weeks.
National @Rasmussen_Poll: Biden 51% (+8) Trump 43% LV, 9/23-9/29 A 7 point shift towards Biden since last week
What the hell…? Adam Levin, owner of the parent company of Pride Media – which publishes The Advocate and Out – has been caught donating to anti-LGBT republicans. From Wil Kohler at Back2Stonewall:
OpenSecrets, a website that tracks political donations, shows that Levin, gave $2,800 each to two extremely anti-LGBT Republican Senate incumbents North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Montana Sen. Steve Daines.
In 2018, Levin who happens to be straight was busted about his previous donations to anti-LGBT Republicans Devin Nunes, Dean Heller, Josh Mandel, and Dana Rohrabacher and pledged never again to donate to anti-LGBT politicians.
OpenSecrets shows no record of Levin’s support for pro-LGBT candidates this time around.
Senators Tillis and Daines both have abysmal records when it comes to LGBTQ rights and protections.
The Human Rights Campaign scored both senators at zero in the recent Congressional Scorecard. Both refused to support the Equality Act and other pro-LGBTQ legislation but voted in support of anti-LGBTQ judges and cabinet members.
L-R Eric Trump, Charlie Kirk (cropped photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr – CC License) During an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning, Eric Trump (the other son of the president) caused a bit of a stir when it seemed he came out of the closet as a member of the LGBT community. The panel of hosts had been discussing a recent opinion piece in the New York Times that explores the idea of possible ‘secret Trump voters’ who don’t tell friends or family about their personal preference for the Donald. One woman, who identifies as lesbian in the article but declined to share her name, told the Times “it would not go down well for her at the store where she works if her colleagues knew that she plans to vote for Donald Trump.” Responding to the story, Eric Trump told the panel, “The LGBT community, they are incredible. And you should see how they come out in full force for my father every single day.” “I’m part of that community, and we love the man,” he added.
Eric Trump: “The LGBT community, they are incredible. And you should see how they come out in full force for my father every single day. I’m part of that community, and we love the man.” pic.twitter.com/hl51ftW8l2
Is that why they play “YMCA” at all the Trump rallies?
Eric Trump saying he’s “part of the LGBT” community is like me saying I’m part of the fantasy football community. I might think I know what a “tight end” and a “wide receiver” are, but I would be sorely mistaken.
When Eric Trump says “I’m part of that community and we love the man” he’s clearly quoting the LGBT people who talk to him about his dad but I’m in the mood for chaos…so carryon https://t.co/ZLJ3ZqcKrF
Eric Trump: "The LGBT community, they are incredible. And you should see how they come out in full force for my father every single day. I'm part of that community, and we love the man."
Some news items you might have missed: • Outsports: Major League Baseball ended its regular season on Sunday after a COVID-shortened 60 games and for the first time since the 2016 season, there were no players involved in any recorded, on-field anti-gay controversies. Granted, we still have the playoffs to go, but the only notable incident involved Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman. • NY Daily News: A Bronx man is accused of hacking to death with a machete a man he met on Grindr — and his roommate walked in on the bloody aftermath. Juan Alonso, 50, was charged Monday with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. Cops are still trying to identify his victim. • Insider: Two New Jersey police officers pleaded guilty last week to smashing windows and slashing tires on cars owned by a man who had complained about them. As a part of the plea agreement, neither men will be able to work public service in the state. • Politico: A new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found that just 20 percent of voters said that they believed the winner of the presidential election will be called on election night, while 66 percent said they expect it to happen sometime later, 19 percent believe it will be the next day, and 26 percent believe it will be between two and seven days after the polls close. • The Hill: A new New York Times/Siena College poll shows Joe Biden leading Donald Trump in the vital battleground state of Pennsylvania by 9 points (49-40). The RealClearPolitics average of polls shows Biden with a 5.3 percentage point lead in the Keystone State. • Netflix: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, an organization near and dear to my heart, invites you to “Grab a drink (or two) with the spectacular cast of Netflix’s The Boys in the Band during #SipInWithTheBoys!” The livestream at 8 pm Eastern on October 2 benefits Broadway Cares and The Actors Fund.
Former Vice President Joe Biden (image via Instagram) Former Vice President Joe Biden has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by British Labour MP Chris Bryant. From Sky News:
Mr Bryant, a member of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and chair of the Standards and Privileges Committee, said Mr Biden deserved to be nominated for his dedication to argument and political debate during a turbulent time in American politics.
He added: “When American cities have been in flames and citizen has been pitched against citizen, Joe has been a calming influence to bear.
“When others have resorted to violent solutions, he has argued that the best force is the force of argument because guns can stop a heart but well-placed words can change many hearts and many hearts can change the world.”
Peace prize nominations can be made by members of governments and international courts of law, university chancellors, professors of social science, history, philosophy, law and theology; leaders of peace research institutes and institutes of foreign affairs.
The honor, decided by a committee, will be announced on October 9. Expect Donald Trump’s head to explode in 3, 2, 1…
A sticker promoting ‘LGBT free’ zones in Poland An open letter signed by ambassadors from 50 countries calls out Poland for hostility towards LGBTQ people and denouncing towns that declare themselves free of ‘LGBT ideology.’ The letter, which was coordinated by Belgium’s embassy in Warsaw according to the BBC, expresses the group’s support for “the efforts to raise public awareness of issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community and other communities in Poland facing similar challenges.” Among the many diplomats who signed the letter are representatives from the U.S., Australia, India, Israel, Sweden, Finland, Mexico, Spain, the U.K., New Zealand and Japan. Noting that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls for affirming “the inherent dignity of each individual,” the open letter urges Poland to respect and protect its LGBTQ community which has faced backlash from the country’s right-wing government. “Respect for these fundamental rights…obliges governments to protect all citizens from violence and discrimination and to ensure they enjoy equal opportunities,” writes the group of diplomats. “Human rights are universal and everyone, including LGBTI persons, are entitled to their full enjoyment,” the letter reads in closing before adding, “This is something that everyone should support.” The BBC reports that nearly 100 towns across Poland have approved local ordinances denouncing “LGBT ideology.” The resolutions carry no penalties but they serve to further divide the country amid the country’s culture wars. Georgett Mosbacher, U.S. Ambassador to Poland, tweeted a link to the open letter with the message, “Human Rights are not an ideology – they are universal. 50 Ambassadors and Representatives agree.”
Human Rights are not an ideology – they are universal. 50 Ambassadors and Representatives agree. https://t.co/YV4qgkpz54
But Polish leaders clapped back saying LGBT people in his country are not “deprived” of respect. “To the dear ambassadors, I can only say that tolerance belongs to Polish DNA,” announced Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a press conference. “Nobody needs to teach us tolerance, because we are a nation that has learned such tolerance for centuries and we have given many testimonies to the history of such tolerance.” That said, the Associated Press reports that conservative leaders in the predominantly Catholic nation see the modern fight for LGBTQ civil rights as “a threat to traditional families.” And ILGA Europe has ranked Poland as the worst country in the European Union for LGBTQ people. (image via Vice News) President Andrzej Duda won his second term in office after campaigning against equality for queer people and calling “LGBT rights an ‘ideology’ more dangerous than communism.” Poland has no legal recognition of same-sex marriage or civil unions, and same-sex couples have no legal right to adopt children. During the campaign this summer, Duda called for banning all adoptions by same-sex couples. VICE News did an in-depth report into the scare tactics and challenges LGBTQ people face in Poland this summer.
Brad Parscale (cropped photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr – CC License) Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, was removed from his home on Sunday afternoon after his wife called the police saying Parscale was armed and threatening to harm himself. From the Sun-Sentinel:
They made contact, “developed a rapport” and negotiated his exit from the house, the police said in a statement. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center under the Baker Act, which provides for temporary involuntary commitment.
Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Karen Dietrich said the encounter at the house was brief. “We went out and it was very short. We went and got him help.”
Dietrich said he didn’t threaten police and he went willingly under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows police to detain a person who is potentially a threat to himself or others.
The Trump campaign issued a statement to Axios which read, “Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible.” Parscale was demoted from his position on the Trump campaign after the disastrous Tulsa rally on June 20 this summer which was poorly attended. He also recieved criticism for overspending on behalf of the campaign including millions in payments to his own companies. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for anyone in distress, in addition to prevention and crisis resources. Also available for online chat.
Donald Trump (image: public domain) Two days before the first Presidential TV debate, the New York Times just dropped a bomb on Donald Trump’s campaign. The Times obtained several years of tax-return data for the Trumpster and it’s pretty much what everyone has expected:
Donald J. Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency. In his first year in the White House, he paid another $750.
He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made.
As the president wages a re-election campaign that polls say he is in danger of losing, his finances are under stress, beset by losses and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt coming due that he has personally guaranteed.
Also hanging over him is a decade-long audit battle with the Internal Revenue Service over the legitimacy of a $72.9 million tax refund that he claimed, and received, after declaring huge losses. An adverse ruling could cost him more than $100 million.
Exclusive: The Times has obtained tax-return data for President Trump extending over more than two decades. It shows his finances under stress, beset by losses that he aggressively employs to avoid paying taxes and hundreds of millions in debt coming due. https://t.co/gstfYLEe5V
Bombshell from NYTimes on #TrumpTaxReturns just 2 days before first presidential debate. Billionaire Trump paid just $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and just another $750 in 2017. No taxes at all in 10 of previous 15 years. No wonder Trump didn’t want to release this! https://t.co/5liLizaGGw
Trump reported $427 million income TOTAL between 2000 and 2019. Half from “The Apprentice”. This guy is running around telling the world he’s a billionaire–building a brand on it–and not even two decades of pre-tax income gets him halfway there.#TrumpTaxReturns
Donald Trump, a self-professed “billionaire,” pays only $750 a year in taxes… While millions of working class Americans are struggling because Mitch McConnell & the Trump Administration won’t approve a relief bill in a pandemic that he also lied about. #TrumpTaxReturns
Andrew Joseph Duffer (screen captures) “What’s up, f*ckers! It’s tea time – Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” Our favorite Texas truth-teller, Andrew Joseph Duffer, has dropped another mobile video rant on the state of the country pulling back the curtain on the ‘wicked witch of the West Wing’ and his presidency. In a clever, fast-paced walk and talk, Duffer serves up his assessment of the Trump presidency with some clever Wizard of Oz metaphors. “Breonna Taylor was denied justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is dead and Trump has gone full blown wicked witch,” begins Duffer. “Welcome to Carnage Country where the yellow brick road leads straight to hell. There’s no technicolor here – it’s just black and white. Well, black versus white. At least that’s how the man in the Oval Office likes it. You know, the guy without courage, a heart or a brain.”
With hope in his heart for blue skies again after the presidential election, Duffer wonders what will happen to the folks who have ‘revealed’ themselves during the Trump years. “You know when you’re gay and you come out of the closet you can’t go back in?” asks our roving ranter. “The same with the racist closet. If Trump loses what are all you racist going to do when you can’t behave this way anymore? You can’t backpedal into a time machine (whispering: ‘I’ve got screen shots’).” Related: Texas Talker Reads Christians For Filth Over Hypocrisy Referencing the news that none of the police officers who shot Breonna Taylor have been charges with ANY crime, our Texas talker notes, “In 1955, Emmet Till’s murderers were acquitted, and in 2020 – what’s changed?” “This country is going back to a mindset older than the f*cking Wizard of Oz. The movie came out in 1939, and mentally the GOP is still there.” Duffer also addresses Trump’s recent admission that he may not agree to a ‘peaceful transfer of power’ should he lose the election. “The ‘wicked witch of the West Wing’ is already making plans to stay in the White House even if he loses the election – since WHEN is that a thing?” “We need to drop a house on Donald Trump’s presidency,” Duffer declares in a call to action. “Don’t vote ruby red slippers. Vote Blue! Like Dorothy’s dress!” “Dorothy wanted to go home and frankly I do too, because I don’t recognize this place anymore,” says Duffer in summation. “So, grab your water buckets and click your heels three times and head on over to the polls this November. Let’s melt that wicked witch and get back home.” (and if you read my previous post this morning, it seems I’ve got a ‘Wizard of Oz/The Wiz’ theme going today…)
Show poster for Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music (photo: ThinkingCouch/Flickr – CC license) From my favorites list on YouTube, the legendary Lena Horne in her Tony Award-winning one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. The autobiographical show opened on May 12, 1981, and after 333 performances, closed on June 30, 1982, Horne’s 65th birthday. Horne subsequently toured with the show in the U.S. and Canada, as well taking the show to London and Stockholm in 1984. For her extraordinary performance, Horne won the 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. She was also honored with a special Tony Award at the 35th Tony Awards, a special award from the New York Drama Critics’ Circle, and the City of New York’s Handel Medallion. At the 24th Grammy Awards, Quincy Jones and Horne won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, and Horne took home the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Having touched on “Stormy Weather” earlier in the show, Horne circles back for this powerful, visceral take on the song which became synonomous with her career. It’s like she was telling us, “Yes, kids, there’s always another verse to the song.” The video adds her encore: an earthy, richly-layered performance of her personal anthem “If You Believe” from the musical The Wiz. Seeing the passion in her performance, it will come as no surprise that Horne also applied that heart and soul in her work as a civil rights activist in the 1960s and 1970s. Folks, THIS is star quality. Seeing this as a young acting student taught me much and gave me permission to break rules when it came to exploring material. This. Is. Art. Lena passed away in 2010 at the age of 92.
Some news items you might have missed: • 
Duffer also addresses Trump’s recent admission that he may not agree to a ‘peaceful transfer of power’ should he lose the election. “The ‘wicked witch of the West Wing’ is already making plans to stay in the White House even if he loses the election – since WHEN is that a thing?” “We need to drop a house on Donald Trump’s presidency,” Duffer declares in a call to action. “Don’t vote ruby red slippers. Vote Blue! Like Dorothy’s dress!” “Dorothy wanted to go home and frankly I do too, because I don’t recognize this place anymore,” says Duffer in summation. “So, grab your water buckets and click your heels three times and head on over to the polls this November. Let’s melt that wicked witch and get back home.” 
(and if you read my previous post this morning, it seems I’ve got a ‘Wizard of Oz/The Wiz’ theme going today…)