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| Bruno Tarchetti (via Instagram) |
Some news items you might have missed:
• Personal trainer and InstaHunk Bruno Tarchetti is today’s Monday Man Crush. #furrygoodness
• Twenty-three year-old Muhlaysia Booker, a Black transgender woman who was beaten in front of several bystanders last month, was fatally shot in Dallas on May 18. She is the 4th transgender person to be killed in the U.S. in 2019.
• Alabama Public Television refused to air an episode of the animated children’s show, Arthur, which featured the character ‘Mr. Ratburn’ marrying his male partner, Patrick.
• FX’s groundbreaking series Pose was honored over the weekend with a Peabody Award, which recognizes “when storytelling is done well; when stories matter.”
• Cathay Pacific Airline has a new ad campaign that’s LGBTQ-inclusive.
• Thousands marched through Belfast in Northern Ireland demanding marriage equality. Northern Ireland is the only region in the United Kingdom which has not legalized same-sex marriage.
Alabama Legislature Passes Total Abortion Ban
In case you were wondering why conservatives/Republicans continue to support Donald Trump.
Because he’s appointing judges that will uphold laws like Alabama’s new near-total-ban on abortion.
From The New York Times:
The Alabama Senate approved a measure on Tuesday that would outlaw almost all abortions in the state, setting up a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the case that recognized a woman’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy.
The legislation bans abortions at every stage of pregnancy and criminalizes the procedure for doctors, who could be charged with felonies and face up to 99 years in prison. It includes an exception for cases when the mother’s life is at serious risk, but not for cases of rape or incest — a subject of fierce debate among lawmakers in recent days.
The House approved the measure — the most far-reaching effort in the nation this year to curb abortion rights — last month. It now moves to the desk of Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican. Although the governor has not publicly committed to signing the legislation, many Republican lawmakers expect her support.
Democrats tried to add amendments to the bill like providing women forced to have children with prenatal and medical care until the child reached the age of 13. But, apparently, Alabama Republicans only care about life before the child is born.
The law will be struck down by a lower court. That ruling will be appealed all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court where Trump’s two justices will side against women’s rights, and overturn Roe v. Wade.
Republicans are getting what they want from Trump.
And, by the way, everyone has said, “Roe v Wade is settled law – it won’t be overturned.”
Now look.
So, for all those who say marriage equality can’t be reversed, I suggest you look around.
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio & now Alabama – these anti-abortion bills aren’t a coincidence, it’s a concerted effort by the GOP to overturn Roe v. Wade.I’m sick and tired of this outright assault on women’s bodily autonomy – we will fight this with everything we’ve got.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) May 15, 2019
To be clear—before a bunch of ding dongs tweet “but HRC wasn’t running for Governor of Alabama”—Hillary Clinton would not have nominated Gorsuch or Kavanaugh for SCOTUS seats and she wouldn’t have allowed the Federalist society to pick her lower court judge nominees.
— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) May 15, 2019
#Alabama
1) “We’re not going to teach kids about sex.”
2) “We’re going to take away contraception access.”
3) “If you get pregnant, we’re going to force you to have the baby.”
4) “After you have the baby, you’re on your own.”It’s no wonder Alabama is ranked last in education.
— Craig Rozniecki (@CraigRozniecki) May 15, 2019
News Round-Up: March 23, 2019
Some news items you might have missed:
• DWTS and ANTM champ Nyle DiMarco (above) is living for the west coast sunshine – “Sun’s out, guns out!”
• The Alabama senate unanimously voted for a bill this week that would eliminate marriage licenses because some judges in the state don’t want to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
• The organizers of Houston’s Drag Queen Story Time project are calling it quits after harassment and death threats by so-called Christians.
• The House will vote next week on a measure rejecting President Trump’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the military.
• Thanks to a lawsuit by the ACLU, state-funded faith-based adoption agencies in Michigan can no longer discriminate against LGBTI people.
• Sofi Tukker invite you into their new music video, “Fantasy.”
The track has been a fan favorite at concerts thanks to its intimate, introspective lyrics and vocal delivery.
The video is a sneak peek into what’s to come from the duo ahead of their world tour which will take them across five continents.
News Round-Up: March 4, 2019
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| (image via Instagram) |
Some news items you might have missed:
• InstaHunk Jared Techau has the right idea for cold, rainy nights in Los Angeles. #metime #mood #candles
• A man convicted of the murder of a gay man in Alabama in 1999 has been stabbed to death in prison.
• Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) has expressed support for the federal legalization of marijuana as he considers a potential presidential bid in 2020.
• A man and his friend were kicked out of an Uber in Sydney, Australia after his friend kissed him on the forehead during the car ride.
• Journalist Michael Musto spoke with an Academy Award voter who has an idea how Glenn Close lost her Oscar this year.
• The Fab Five are back! Netflix just dropped the trailer for Season 3 of Queer Eye which includes the show’s first duo and first lesbian makeovers.
The new season will also tackle issues like alcoholism, identity crises and more.
Season 3 drops on March 15. Watch the trailer below.
Woofy Former Marine Wins Big In Alabama Race
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| Neil Rafferty wins big in Alabama |
One more fantastic midterm election result to report.
Hunky gay former Marine Neil Rafferty came out on top last night in his race for the state House seat in Alabama’s District 54.
Not only did he win – he won BIG!
According to AL.com, Rafferty trumped his opponent, Independent Joseph Casper Baker III by a margin of 90% to 10%!
Since 2006, the seat has been held by openly LGBT Rep. Patricia Todd who chose to retire this year. Todd endorsed Rafferty’s candidacy.
The political newbie had never run for political office before.
The Birmingham native spent four years in the U.S. Marines before returning home to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
He currently works as the director of research and development at Birmingham AIDS Outreach.
Rafferty joined the Marines after his longtime boyfriend, Michael Rudolph had been deployed twice to Iraq as a Marine so they could stay together even though ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ was still in effect.
The couple, now together 14 years, are currently engaged and planning their wedding.
Openly Gay U.S. Marine Wins Runoff In Highly Democratic Alabama District
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| Democratic candidate for the Alabama state House, Neil Rafferty |
Openly gay former U.S. Marine Neil Rafferty won his runoff contest last night in Alabama to become the Democratic candidate for the state House seat in District 54.
I reported last month that Rafferty narrowly missed having a runoff at all after getting 48% of the primary vote on June 5.
The political newbie is vying for the seat vacated by Democratic state Rep. Patricia Todd, who was the first openly gay legislator in Alabama. Todd has held the seat since 2006.
Rafferty was endorsed by Todd, who announced her retirement earlier this year.
I previously wrote about Rafferty when he announced his candidacy back in February.
The Birmingham native spent four years in the U.S. Marines before returning home to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He currently works as the director of research and development at Birmingham AIDS Outreach.
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| Michael Rudolph (L) and Neil Rafferty (R) |
Rafferty joined the Marines after his longtime boyfriend, Michael Rudolph had been deployed twice to Iraq as a Marine so they could stay together even though ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ was still in effect. The couple, now together 14 years, are currently engaged and planning their wedding.
According to AL.com, Rafferty received 2,531 votes, or 67.12 percent with 100 percent of the vote reporting. His opponent, environmentalist and marketer Jacqueline Gray Miller, received 1,240 votes, or 32.88 percent.
Although no Republican competed in District 54, Rafferty can’t quite claim victory just yet.
Joseph Baker has entered the race as an Independent and will face Rafferty in the November general election. That said, in that a Democrat has held the seat for 12 years and noting the current political environment, Rafferty’s chances at victory look very good.
Openly Gay Marine Veteran Heading To Runoff Race for Alabama State House
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| Neil Rafferty |
Former Marine Neil Rafferty almost avoided a runoff in the race for the House District 54 seat to replace Patricia Todd in the Alabama State Legislature this past Tuesday.
Rafferty, who is openly gay, won 48% of the votes in his district. You have to cross the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff.
He will face-off against environmentalist Jacqueline Gray Miller who garnered 28% of the vote.
Both are Democrats – no Republicans contended for the state House seat.
Rafferty was endorsed by Todd, who announced her retirement earlier this year. She was the first openly gay lawmaker in Alabama.
The Birmingham native spent four years in the U.S. Marines before returning home to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Rafferty currently works as the director of research and development at Birmingham AIDS Outreach.
The runoff is set for July 17.
Hypocrisy: Alabama Evangelical Youth Pastor Arrested On Child Sex Charges
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| Paul Edward Acton Bowen |
Yet another evangelical hypocrite has been arrested on child sex charges. This time its an Alabama youth pastor.
Paul Edward Acton Bowen, a 37-year-old Gadsden native who now lives in Etowah County’s Southside community, was taken into custody by Hoover police about 12:35 p.m.
The founder of Acton Bowen Outreach Ministries is charged with second-degree sodomy, enticing a child to enter a vehicle or house for immoral purposes, and second-degree sex abuse.
The victim was a young male, but police did not release his age except to say he is over 12 and under 16.
Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said the department’s Special Victim’s Unit first launched an investigation three weeks ago. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office issued the warrants on Monday.
“This is certainly one of the more disturbing cases that we’ve investigated in quite some time,” Rector said. “Mr. Bowen is in a highly-respected position of influence and he is trusted by many. We believe he betrayed that trust in the worst kind of way.”
Bowen was taken into custody in Pelham and transported to the Hoover City Jail. He was moved to the Jefferson County Jail where he was released early Wednesday on $90,300 bond.
Watch the local NBC affiliate’s report below.
Alabama: High School Suspends 2 Students After Same-Sex Prom Proposal Causes “Disruption”
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| (Image via Flickr) |
It just goes to show that sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step back.
During Alexandria High School’s talent show this past Tuesday, one female student asked her girlfriend to attend prom with her.
The result? The girl who initiated the prom proposal and a friend who helped her were both given in-school suspension.
The girlfriend who received the invitation was not disciplined.
While school officials labeled the proposal a “disruption,” many students found nothing wrong with the romantic moment.
Senior Ashley Fadely told AL.com, “I was there when it happened. It was right after her performance. No words were spoken by them. They just got happy, hugged and that was it,” she said.
Several students and alumni have taken to social media to denounce the suspensions saying if it had been an opposite-sex couple no one would have blinked.
The school’s principal and superintendent have not responded to requests for comment.
Alabama: Sore Loser Roy Moore Tries To Stop Certification Of His Lost Election
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| Roy Moore |
Failed Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore still refuses to concede he lost the U.S. Senate election in Alabama to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions to Democrat Doug Jones.
In what looks to be a lame ‘hail Mary’ attempt to stop Doug Jones from being seated, Moore has filed a complaint with the Alabama State Canvassing Board intended to stop the certification of Jones’ victory.
From NBC News:
The Moore campaign filed a complaint late Wednesday night in state circuit court in Montgomery, the state capital, seeking a temporary restraining order to postpone the certification, alleging “potential election fraud that improperly altered the outcome of this election.”
“This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone,” Moore said in a statement released by the campaign.
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill told The Associated Press on Wednesday evening that he has no intention of delaying the canvassing board meeting.
“It is not going to delay certification and Doug Jones will be certified (Thursday) at 1 p.m. and he will be sworn in by Vice President Pence on the third of January,” Merrill said.
Moore’s statement gives few details of the purported irregularities, which it says were substantiated “with a reasonable degree of statistical and mathematical certainty” by three election experts.
State officials say they have seen no evidence of voter fraud in the Alabama Senate race.
One of Moore’s “election experts” also says he has “mathematically proven” a vast conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. So, there you go…
Moore also included the results of a polygraph he claims “proves” none of the allegations of sexual misconduct are true.
#WhatEverHappenedToClass?
CNN spoke to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill this morning who says Moore’s last-minute shenanigans won’t stop his office from certifying the results of the election.
Watch below.
CNN’s Alisyn Camerota: “Do Roy Moore’s claims of election fraud have any merit?”
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill: “The short answer to that is no. Doug Jones will be certified today” https://t.co/ZXkfcsTrAq https://t.co/pQxRhhhYJ7— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 28, 2017
Roy Moore is suing to stop Alabama election results from being certified, citing unusually high voter turnout in Jefferson County, Alabama. The county seat is Birmingham (73% black). What could possibly motivate black people to vote against an old white man who supports slavery? https://t.co/o6Zetf0nAm— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) December 28, 2017
Roy Moore had said America hadn’t been great since slavery, can’t understand high voter turnout by Blacks who voted against him. https://t.co/33I7YYsVt7— David Badash (@davidbadash) December 28, 2017