Joe Jonas (image via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • Socialite Life: Joe Jonas (above), of the Jonas Brothers, has NOT been a gym slug during the pandemic. All props to him and his many abs on display in this selfie from Instagram. • Edge Media: Police officers in the virulently anti-LGBTQ country of Chechnya arrested 20 relatives of two gay brothers who had fled persecution in the Russian province. • Laughing Squid: The Melodica Bros created this truly beguiling and compelling cover version of the traditionally upbeat anthem “Y.M.C.A” by the Village People. This version features a change from major to minor, a slower tempo, and a quiet performance that included an acoustic guitar and a double bass. I love reinvention when well-done.
• The Advocate: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a bill into law today that will bar transgender student athletes from competing under their gender identity. In a statement, Hutchinson said that female athletes “should not have to compete in a sport against a student of the male sex when the sport is designed for women’s competition.” • CNN: The Republican-controlled Georgia legislature quickly passed a sweeping elections law that substantially reduces voter access. The Georgia bill would limit drop boxes, make giving food or drinks to a voter a crime, & grant state officials broad rights, including the ability to replace local election officials. • Variety: Late-night host and comedian Jay Leno has issued an apology for decades of jokes told over his career targeting Asian communities.
Jay Leno Apologizes for Decades of Jokes About Asians: ‘In My Heart I Knew It Was Wrong’ https://t.co/91t58CCxrY
Spring break madness is currently trending in the news cycle as thousands of students make a pilgrimage to Florida beach towns where there are little-to-no COVID restrictions. During an appearance on Fox News last night, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Sean Hannity he’d “allowed” his “son” Nestor to head to Panama Beach, Florida. “My son is a college freshman,” said Gaetz. “He had no real graduation, no prom, and I struggled with whether or not to allow him to enjoy spring break at Panama City beach. I allowed him to have an abbreviated one.” He added that he “did not have a good night’s rest the entire time he was there until I knew he was safe, okay, and back at school.”
"My son is a college freshman. He had no real graduation, no prom, and I struggled with whether or not to allow him to enjoy spring break at Panama City beach. I allowed him to have an abbreviated one." — Matt Gaetz on Nestor pic.twitter.com/djrlUKjfCB
Now, the remark drew attention primarily because Nestor Galban is not Gaetz’s son. Galban is the younger brother of an ex-girlfriend of Gaetz. The 19-year-old has apparently been living with the congressman on-and-off since he was 12. While Gaetz refers to Galban as his “son,” he’s never adopted him. The relationship came to light last year when after a clash during a hearing in Congress, Gaetz announced Nestor to the world as his son.
Nestor turned 19 a few days ago & will be off to University. He arrived here at 12.
As you can imagine, I was triggered when (to make an absurd debate point) a fellow congressman diminished the contributions of Republicans because we don’t raise non-white kids.
Gaetz had never mentioned to the public he has a “son,” and had only referred to Galban in the public as a “local student,” “helper,” and “House page.” Never as a “family” member. Look, if the 38-year-old Gaetz wants to have a younger boo, that’s fine as long as he’s of legal age. What isn’t cool, though, is voting against legislation like the Equality Act. Gaetz also told Hannity’s viewers that people should feel free to “come to Florida and enjoy freedom.” He added that folks could go out to eat, get in some beach time and “get a little weird, not too weird.” Asked to define “weird,” Gaetz explained, “Maybe a little body-paint here and there, maybe throw some beads, but don’t hurt anybody.” Body-paint and beads. Good times… At nearly 20-years-old, it seemed a bit odd to some that Galban would need permission from Gaetz to be “allowed” to spring break somewhere. Many in the Twitterverse thought it a bit odd as well.
"allowed him" Nestor is Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend's brother. He is not his son.
— CALL YOUR SENATOR (202) 224-3121 (@sequinpants) March 23, 2021
The struggle … isn't real. Nor is their familial bond.
Calling Nestor his "son" is a fiction to disguise the awkwardness of a man's having no legal relationship to his live-in teenage boy companion. https://t.co/C40aVc0Gt3
— Monty 🇺🇸Lincoln's Speeches🇺🇸 Boa (@MontyBoa99) March 23, 2021
I want to hear from Nestor’s mom how she feels about an ex boyfriend acting like he has custody of her son.
Also he is an adult. Matt Gaetz “letting” him do things is weird and I’m starting to think they’re the same age. pic.twitter.com/kF7n1KPI4W
József Szájer (from official website) A politician from Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ ruling party resigned from the European Parliament and apologized for breaking COVID lockdown restrictions in Belgium to attend what local news outlets have called “a full-blown orgy” attended by 25 people. News outlets say the Brussels orgy was attended by (cough, cough) mostly men. From Vice:
József Szájer, a longtime representative of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, unexpectedly quit as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) on Sunday.
On Tuesday, it was reported in Belgium that police had broken up a sex party involving 25 people above a bar in the centre of Brussels, only several hundred metres from the Belgian capital’s main police station.
Like many countries, Belgium is in the midst of a second surge of the coronavirus pandemic. As such, restaurants and bars have been closed, a curfew is currently in place, and public gatherings are limited to four people. Apparently, a 25-person orgy violates every single one of these restrictions. Vice adds that Szájer reportedly attempted to elude police by climbing out a window. He then tried to claim diplomatic immunity. In a statement on his website, Szájer referred to the gathering “a house party.” He also acknowledged that while police say they found party drugs on the premises, he didn’t partake and offered to be drug tested. According to investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, Szájer “personally re-wrote Hungary’s constitution” to outlaw same-sex marriage: “Hungary shall protect the institution of marriage as the union of a man and a woman.”
Now that it’s confirmed: József Szájer, the MEP busted during a gay gangbang, is not only a close ally of PM Orbán, he personally re-wrote Hungary’s constitution to include the following line: “Hungary shall protect the institution of marriage as the union of a man & a woman…” https://t.co/ov9qamrgl0
Hungarian MEP József Szájer admits to attending lockdown-breaking orgy in Brussels. The MEP of Fidesz allegedly tried to flee from the police raid by climbing down the gutter of the Brussels gay club “Le Detour.” Szájer’s full statement:https://t.co/slCwt0WZ0Fpic.twitter.com/tN36oJkP8b
(screen capture) Video footage of shirtless Egyptian police cadets graduating from the Police Academy in New Cairo raised more than eyebrows on Twitter. George Takei highlighted the video clip on Twitter writing, “For a terrifyingly homophobic and dangerously anti-LGBT government in Egypt, this screams pretty gay.” In the video, the shirtless buff graduates are shown riding on military vehicles appearing to be flexing for their lives. The Daily Star reports over 1,500 cadets took part in the event. Several of the comments on Twitter compared the event to a Pride parade.
For a terrifyingly homophobic and dangerously anti-LGBT government in Egypt, this screams pretty gay. https://t.co/At216ndhtF
Another clip showed the graduates performing a series of stunts including jumping through rings of fire, breaking cement blocks on each other’s chests with sledgehammers, and climbing up the side of a building. At one point, the graduates even dive through the air over a set of sharp spikes.
🌇 #مشاريع_مصر🇪🇬| من حفل تخرج دفعة جديدة من أكاديمية الشرطة المصرية عام 2020 Graduation ceremony for the new police officers from the Egyptian Police Academy in 2020 pic.twitter.com/3oPkrsYRDA
While the spectacle was visually impressive, the sad irony in all this, as Takei points out, is Egypt continues to be a virulently homophobic country. The Human Rights Watch reported this past spring that Egypt rejected recommendations by several members of the United Nations Human Rights Council to end arrests and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Egypt responded by denying the existence of sexual orientation and gender identity saying the country “does not recognize the terms mentioned” in the recommendation. But an LGBTQ rights organization in Cairo reported 92 arrests in 2019 for so-called ‘same-sex conduct.’ Included in the report were incidents of “entrapment through dating apps, random arrests off the street and hotel/house arrests.” Rights Africa notes that 69 percent of the cases were street arrests “with no legal basis for the arrest other than the individual discretion of the police officers.” As there is no explicit law banning same-sex conduct, the majority of LGBTQ prosecutions are based on “debauchery” laws insinuating prostitution. While under arrest, gay men and transgender women have been subjected to torture, assaults, and degrading forced anal examinations. (source: Daily Star)
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.
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.
Tom Goss in ‘Amsterdam’ (photo: Mark Nickels) Some news items you might have missed: • JoeMyGod: In a money-beg email, virulently anti-LGBTQ Brian Brown solicits donations for his woeful National Organization for Marriage declaring conservatives should support Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court because “It will mean that religious liberty will be restored to its rightful place as a foundational constitutional right, and that the fake “rights” that are constantly demanded by the left – including special rules for homosexuals and the so-called transgendered – will no longer see the light of day.” Oh no, no hate there… • Out Music: The sensual music video for Tom Goss’s “Amsterdam,” is a beautifully shot wet and sexy romp. He wrote the song four years ago while in Holland, when he had a transformative sexual experience that still reverberates to this day. “It started in the shower,” recalls Goss. “We were kissing and holding each other tightly, with water pouring down over us. I had this overwhelming feeling of peace and acceptance of who I am, like I was being baptized in a whole new way.”
• Reuters:A federal appeals court ruled in favor of allowing the House of Representatives’ lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s diversion of funds to pay for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to proceed. • KIT212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like MetroWeekly featuring Ritchie Torres, who will likely become the first gay Afro-Latino elected to Congress. • AP: In the Midwest, the virus is now landing squarely in places where there is strong resistance to masks and governors have been reluctant to require face coverings. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson [photo], a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.
NEW | The U.S. passes the merciless milestone of 200,000 deaths due to COVID-19.
The world-leading tally comes 8 months after the first confirmed coronavirus case in the U.S. — and less than 4 months after the death toll topped 100,000 in May.https://t.co/XwMygaDAQo — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) September 22, 2020
Richard Grenell for Log Cabin Republicans (screen capture) The Log Cabin Republicans, an organization representing conservative LGBTQ voters, recently released a misleading video featuring Richard Grenell, the openly gay former Ambassador to Germany, praising the Donald as the “most pro-gay president in American history.” That’s certainly some serious hyperbole (and a lie), but it was right up the Donald’s alley as he retweeted the clip with the caption, “My great honor!!!” The video, which has been viewed over 5.2 million times on Twitter at this writing, is meant to attack former Vice President Joe Biden’s record on LGBTQ issues. In the clip, Grenell (who briefly served as acting Director of National Intelligence) points to Trump being the “first president in history to be pro-gay marriage from his first day in office.” What Grenell doesn’t note is that marriage equality was the law of the land by that time, decided in 2015 by the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s not exactly an act of courage to acknowledge the law. When asked about the issue shortly after his electoral win in 2016, Trump told CBS News reporter Lesley Stahl his personal view on the matter was “irrelevant” and that he considered the matter “settled.” He added, “I’m fine with that.” Hardly a glowing endorsement of marriage equality. Especially when, during the campaign, he sent mixed signals about gay rights. While Trump mentioned “L. G. B. T. citizens” during his nominating convention speech (in a halting cadence that sounded like he’d never used the phrase in his life), he went on to tell Fox News he would “strongly consider” appointing judges who might overturn same-sex marriage. Grenell also mentions the Trump administration’s supposed push to end the criminalization of homosexuality around the world. You might recall the initiative, announced to be headed up by Grenell himself, was unknown to Trump when he was asked about it. And, since the announcement of the campaign, there’s been no news or apparent action on the issue. NBC News also reported that State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino downplayed Grenell’s new effort, describing it as “long-standing,” “bipartisan” and “really is not a big policy departure.” Additionally, Trump’s administration has attacked the LGBTQ community on numerous fronts including the transgender military ban, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court LGBTQ people shouldn’t be protected under federal civil rights law, and supporting taxpayer-funded religious adoption agencies that refuse to place children in LGBTQ homes.
You banned transgender people from the military. Are you too stupid to know what the "T" in LGBT stands for? Just go away, you ignorant homophobic transphobic idiot!
Just this week, the Trump Administration intrinsically erased LGBTQ people from an updated foreign policy on gender and women’s empowerment by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Throughout the video, Grenell ignores that transgender people even exist as he only uses the terms “gay and lesbian.” Grenell also alleges that Biden believes “gays are security risks,” which is a pretty far stretch as Grenell is referencing an off-hand statement made almost 47 years ago. Biden was reportedly ‘startled’ by a question about gays serving in the military and civil service at an informal event with neighbors in 1973. According to the conservative Free Beacon, Biden responded, “My gut reaction is that they [gay people] are security risks but I must admit I haven’t given this much thought,” he said. “I’ll be darned!” You’ll note Grenell doesn’t mention the incident happened back in 1973, and he also doesn’t include the part of Biden’s response that said he hadn’t given the subject much thought. In reality, Biden’s movement on LGBTQ rights has pretty much mirrored the nation’s perspective. He’s publicly evolved to become a champion for gay rights – most memorably coming out in support of same-sex marriage in 2012 just days before President Obama. While Joe Biden has promised full-throated support for the Equality Act, which would extend existing civil rights protections to LGBTQ people, Trump and the majority of his fellow Republicans have stood firmly against the legislation. Biden has also named a fierce Black lesbian, Karine Jean-Pierre, as the chief of staff for vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris. If you want the facts, click over to GLAAD for an extensive list of Trump’s attacks on the LGBTQ community. For information about Biden’s plans for LGBTQ equality, check out my report on his proposals for our community here.
What the fuck is this? Trump banned transgender people from the military! This tweet is such an embarrassment.
He’s literally spent his entire term tearing down Lgbt rights, access to healthcare, appointing anti equality judges, arguing against equality in the courts, and denying asylum to desperate people fleeing oppression. No one is here to congratulate a grifter like @RichardGrenell
Cash Baker (images via Instagram) Ok, who’s going to tell him? Teenage Tik Tok personality, Cash Baker, is apparently uber-popular, but recent comments about LGBTQ people and Jewish, Muslim and Hindu folks have backfired in a big way. Funny how that works… The Christian teen reportedly has over 16 million fans on the platform and had racked up over 800 million likes before he shared videos attacking other religions and the queer community. “Me, being a Christian, can I support the LGBT+ community?” Baker said in one clip. “So am I behind the LGBT+ community? Do I promote it? Do I encourage it? Absolutely not.” “But guys, you gotta understand,” continued the teen. “Everybody gets that so confused with us saying that we hate LGBTQ people and all that. But guys, no, that is completely, completely wrong.” “Guys, in the Bible it says that one sin is as equal as all sin, and it says man should be with woman and woman should be with man,” he continued. “So, therefore, guys, yes, it is a sin in the Bible. But guys, everyone sins. I sin all the time. That does not mean I love you any less or look at you any different.” In another clip, Baker went on to say he can’t “support” other religions like Islam, Judaism or Hinduism because Christianity was “the only true religion” and those other faiths all worship “false Gods.” Here’s a couple of the videos that resulted in Baker’s current backlash.
Cash Baker fans outraged calling his latest videos homophobic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic etc. In rants, Cash says he does not support LGBTQ+ community and other religions because of the Bible—rants and reactions in thread. Cash has 16.4M TikTok followers. What are your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/psAe20TN98
Cash Baker’s rant about Islam that has fans outraged. Cash says “Unfortunately I cannot support other religions because the Bible says that”. pic.twitter.com/yNmvn14rQB
After deleting the controversial videos, Baker posted a clip explaining the viewership on his TikTok videos has dropped by 80 percent as he used to get about one million views on each video and now only garners around 200K. He also clarifies that just because he explained biblical views on homosexuality (which he stands by) saying he doesn’t “support” LGBTQ people, that doesn’t mean he “hates” gay folks. Baker also shares his friends have warned him his religious videos could cost his big dollar endorsements. But he says he doesn’t care about those potential deals since he’s “just trying to preach the truth and what the Bible says.” “If you believed in a hell, and you believed that some of your family and some of your friends, even people you don’t know, might go to hell and burn in hell for the rest of eternity—would you tell them about it, or would you just stay quiet and not say anything?” Baker asks rhetorically. “You would most likely tell them about it, right? And that’s what I’m doing.” Ok…so, this is really all for US. Got it. By the third video below, it looks like little Cash is getting kinda frantic. #LifeComesAtYouFast
(image via Google Maps) For the “crime” of telling Twitter followers he believes LGBTQ people have rights and “should be able to practice them freely,” a Yemeni blogger has been sentenced by a Saudi court to 10 months in prison, a fine equal to $2,700 and eventual deportation. Human Rights Watch reports that Mohamad al-Bokari, left Yemen in June 2019 after receiving death threats. He’d been living in Saudi Arabia as an undocumented migrant when he was arrested on April 8. The 29-year-old was asked on Twitter for his views on same-sex relations and in a video, he answered, “Everyone has rights and should be able to practice them freely, including gay people.” A spokesman for Riyadh’s police department issued a statement saying the video contained “sexual references” that “violate public order and morals.” He was charged with violating public morality by promoting homosexuality online, and “imitating women.” Prior to his trial, al-Bokari was held in solitary confinement in a cell with no windows, air conditioning or proper ventilation. He was provided no legal counsel for his trial. After his sentencing, he was placed in a cell with other prisoners who harassed and verbally abused him saying he “deserves the death penalty.” Human Rights Watch says his health has declined since the trial as he suffers from a chronic heart condition. Tests were administered but he was discharged without learning the results. Doctors reportedly denied he has any heart condition and have refused him any medication. Bokari was sentenced on July 20 and has 30 days to appeal. While Saudi Arabia has no laws on the books regarding sexual orientation or gender identity, judges often reference uncodified Islamic law to punish people accused of having sexual relations outside marriage, including adultery, extramarital and homosexual sex, or other “immoral” acts. It has been ranked as one of the ‘most dangerous’ countries in the world for LGBTQ people. (source: Human Rights Watch)
Look, if the 38-year-old Gaetz wants to have a younger boo, that’s fine as long as he’s of legal age. What isn’t cool, though, is voting against legislation like the Equality Act. Gaetz also told Hannity’s viewers that people should feel free to “come to Florida and enjoy freedom.” He added that folks could go out to eat, get in some beach time and “get a little weird, not too weird.” Asked to define “weird,” Gaetz explained, “Maybe a little body-paint here and there, maybe throw some beads, but don’t hurt anybody.” Body-paint and beads. Good times… At nearly 20-years-old, it seemed a bit odd to some that Galban would need permission from Gaetz to be “allowed” to spring break somewhere. Many in the Twitterverse thought it a bit odd as well. 
While the spectacle was visually impressive, the sad irony in all this, as Takei points out, is Egypt continues to be a virulently homophobic country. The 
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