Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
News Round-Up: May 19, 2021
Actor/singer Demi Lovato (screen capture)
• CBS News: Fox News Media filed a motion to dismiss a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed against it by Dominion Voting Systems over false claims about the 2020 presidential election amplified by some of its hosts. The motion laughingly says Fox’s “responsible journalists covered both sides” of the controversy and that the network’s opinion hosts provided commentary which “a reasonable viewer” would consider as little more than “hyperbole.” • Twitter: Rep. Tim Ryan was DONE with Republican House members who voted against a bipartisan commission to investigate the January invasion of the U.S. Capitol building. The measure passed by a vote of 252-175, with 35 Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the plan. Note – Rep. Greg Pence (R-IN), brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, voted against the bill even though the rioters on January 6 called for hanging his brother.
stop what you are doing and watch this pic.twitter.com/YvPTekXNgR
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) May 19, 2021
Podcast: Leslie Jordan, Joshua Sade James, Gunnar Montana, EU, Queer As Folk Reboot
In this week’s podcast: • The European Union’s Parliament overwhelmingly approves a resolution declaring all 27 member countries an LGBT ‘Freedom Zone’ • GLAAD has launched the Biden Equality Accountability Tracker which will monitor the Biden administration’s executive orders, legislative support, speeches and nominations that affect LGBTQ people and rights • After the success of It’s A Sin, could a Queer As Folk reboot could be in the works? • Philadelphia performance artist and dancer Gunnar Montana celebrated National Barbie Day in a ‘Super Gay’ way • Love in quarantine – Joshua Sade James‘ new song “I’ll Wait For You” sings out for separated couples during the pandemic • And Leslie Jordan wants the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, to know ‘The gays have your back’ All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
European Parliament Approves Resolution Declaring EU An LGBT ‘Freedom Zone’
European Parliament in Brussels (screen capture via France 24)
The parliament announced Thursday that there were 492 ballots in favor of the resolution and 141 against in a vote that came after a debate in a session of parliament in Brussels on Wednesday.
The resolution came largely in reaction to developments over the past two years in Poland, where many local communities have adopted largely symbolic resolutions declaring themselves free of what conservative authorities have been calling “LGBT ideology.”
These towns say they are seeking to protect traditional families based on unions of men and women, but LGBT rights activists say the designations are discriminatory and make gays and lesbians feel unwelcome. The areas have come to be colloquially known as “LGBT-free zones.”
The government of Poland clapped back saying they have a right to protect their ‘traditional family values.’ The Polish government also claimed to have lower hate crime statistics than other Western European countries. But, since there’s no mention of LGBTQ people in that country’s penal code, the authorities don’t keep track of homophobic attacks. So, there’s no telling how many anti-LGBTQ crimes are committed. The president of Poland, Andrzej Duda, won reelection last year embracing anti-LGBTQ policies. During the campaign, he remarked that LGBTQ “ideology” is more dangerous than communism. Read the full article.
News Round-Up: November 17, 2020
Joe Blizzard (image via Instagram)
• STAT News: Pfizer may be within days of filing for an emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine, having collected the safety data necessary to submit an application to the Food and Drug Administration, CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday. • Eonline: 13 years after Isaiah Washington was fired for calling his Grey’s Anatomy co-star T.R. Knight a ‘faggot’ on set, he reignited his feud with former co-star Katherine Heigl, who stood up for Knight at the time of Washington’s hate speech. There was no apparent reason cited for Washington reinvigorating the incident. Oh, and he’s a big Trump supporter, so… • Instinct Magazine: The European Union has announced a new strategy to fight anti-LGBTQ laws and sentiments across its borders. The union specifically made this announcement as a response to discrimination skyrocketing in Poland and Hungary.
Everyone should feel free to be who they are – without fear or persecution. This first-ever strategy on #EU4LGBTIQ equality will reinforce our joint efforts to ensure that everyone is treated equally.
Read more here ↓ 🟥🟧🟨🟩🟦🟪 #UnionOfEquality — European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) November 15, 2020
Why Does The US Have Far More Deaths From COVID-19 Than EU?
L-R Donald Trump, VP Mike Pence (image: public domain/Flickr)
Most other high-income countries are dealing with modest numbers of new cases — often an inevitable consequence of reopening — and the countries are responding aggressively. Many are following the advice of public health experts, ordering social distancing, mask-wearing and partial lockdowns and doing their best to track people who came in contact with new patients.
The United States is not. President Trump and many governors continue to flout scientific advice and send mixed messages about the seriousness of the virus.
As the U.S. soars past the EU in coronavirus-related deaths, it’s worth noting that the population of the EU (446 million) eclipses the U.S. (328 million) by nearly 120 million. In the graphic below, check out how many more deaths due to COVID-19 the U.S. has suffered versus the EU. Also, Japan – which has a population of 128 million – has far fewer deaths. But wearing a face mask in the Asian country is a common practice, year in, year out. (graphic via New York Times)
EU May Continue To Ban Travelers From US Due To COVID-19 Failure
This probably explains why my cruise set to sail in August was canceled today. From the New York Times:
European Union countries rushing to revive their economies and reopen their borders after months of coronavirus restrictions are prepared to block Americans from entering because the United States has failed to control the scourge, according to draft lists of acceptable travelers reviewed by The New York Times.
That prospect, which would lump American visitors in with Russians and Brazilians as unwelcome, is a stinging blow to American prestige in the world and a repudiation of President Trump’s handling of the virus in the United States, which has more than 2.3 million cases and upward of 120,000 deaths, more than any other country.
European nations are currently haggling over two potential lists of acceptable visitors based on how countries are faring with the coronavirus pandemic. Both lists include China, as well as developing nations like Uganda, Cuba and Vietnam. Both also exclude the United States and other countries that were deemed too risky because of the spread of the virus.
Officials say the list will be revised every two weeks accordingly to reflect updated information and status of countries.
News Round-Up: June 19, 2020
Pierre Vuala (via Instagram)
(graphic via Washington Post)
Romanian Same-Sex Marriage Case Could Affect Several European Union Countries
Within the European Union, 13 countries currently recognize same-sex marriage, 9 additional nations offer civil unions or a similar legal status but 6 countries have no legal recognition of same-sex couples.
That could change soon as the European Union’s highest court is looking at a case brought by a Romanian man’s desire to live in his home country with his husband of 7 years.
One of the fundamental principles of the EU is to provide the citizens of the bloc’s member states and their family members the right to move and freely reside across the region, subject to certain conditions.
But when Adrian Coman and his American husband, Claibourn Robert Hamilton, sought to move to Coman’s home country of Romania, the authorities there refused to recognize their relationship in regards to legal residency for Hamilton.
Should the court rule in their favor, it could effectively force Romania and the other five non-marriage-equality nations residency and working rights as long as one member of the couple is a citizen of a European Union country.
In a country of 20 million Romanians, 3 million signed a 2016 petition calling for the constitutional definition of marriage to be defined as between “one man, one woman.” A referendum on the issue could be held as soon as next year.
So this decision by the high court will be especially timely.
Stay tuned.
European Parliament Says Same-Sex Marriage Is A Human Right
The European Parliament on Thursday called on EU member states to recognise civil unions and same-sex marriage as a civil and human right and urged governments and EU institutions to contribute to further discussion in this area.
The call was contained in the 2013 global human rights and democracy report, approved by the assembly with 390 ayes, 151 nays and 97 abstentions.
In it, the European Parliament acknowledged “the legalisation of marriage and civil unions between same-sex couples in a growing number of countries around the world, currently 17” and encouraged “the EU institutions and member states to further contribute towards reflection on the recognition of marriage or civil unions between people of the same sex as a political and social issue and a matter of civil and human rights”.