News Round-Up: April 13, 2018

Alabama Sen. Doug Jones' hottie gay son, Carson Jones
Carson Jones, son of Alabama Sen. Doug Jones

Some news items you might have missed:

• Alabama Senator Doug Jones has become the 46th co-sponsor to The Equality Act, which seeks to add ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’ protections to existing civil rights laws. Jones says his (hottie) openly gay son Carson’s coming out helped shape his political views on LGBTQ rights.

• The city of Columbus, Indiana, which just happens to be virulently anti-gay Vice President Mike Pence’s hometown, will celebrate its first-ever LGBT Pride Festival tomorrow.

• Amazon video just got that much more gay as the streaming giant has just added dozens and dozens of LGBTQ films that screened at Outfest in L.A. to Amazon Prime.

• A recent report by Goldman Sachs analysts pointed out that curing diseases doesn’t make nearly as much money for Pharma companies as creating drugs that treat (but don’t cure) chronic illnesses. The statement adds fuel to the conspiracy theory that should cures for diseases like AIDS might be discovered, they might be withheld in favor of “treatment” drugs.

• The Maine House of Representatives has approved legislation that would protect LGBTQ youth from so-called “ex-gay therapy.”

• It appears Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, liked to record conversations with associates. Folks in TrumpLand are worried some of those recordings which might have been included in the Monday raid on Cohen’s offices, contain material damaging to Trump.

• Olympian Adam Rippon opened last night’s GLAAD Media Awards by calling his bestie Gus Kenworthy onstage and explaining, “I’ve had such a big year, but my biggest achievement so far is finally getting Gus to come out of his shell. Four years ago he was afraid to kiss his boyfriend after he won silver in Sochi. Now, he’s unleashed.”

Gus agreed saying, “Literally, I’ll kiss anybody.” And with that laid a big smooch on Adam.

Watch below.

More Cases Of Ocular Syphilis Reported In California

Several cases of ocular syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause blindness, have been reported in Los Angeles.

On March 12, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an advisory for primary and eye-care providers to look out for symptoms associated with the disease, which is usually a complication of primary or secondary syphilis infections.

With more than a dozen cases — most among gay men — reported between Seattle and San Francisco and now potentially two in Southern California, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation is calling for medical professionals to do more, the Times reports.

California ranks second in the country in terms of syphilis cases. Georgia had the highest incidences of the disease in 2013.

Read more at the L.A. Times.