Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
In this week’s podcast:
• Two gay men were shot in Miami for kissing goodnight
• A new study shows men in same-sex marriages experience less stress than their straight peers
• Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh went after Pete Buttigieg’s marriage but Pete clapped back
• New report shows LGBTQ youth consider suicide even more than we thought
• And new music from Bridesmen
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
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| Colton Haynes and Jeff Leatham |
Arrow star Colton Haynes and his husband (?) Jeff Leatham confused Instagrammers today congratulating each other on their one-year wedding anniversary.
We say “confused” because after only six months of married life, Haynes filed for divorce this past May 8.
At the time of the separation, Haynes posted a video of a song he recorded about relationship infidelity called, “Man It Sucks.”
But in August, the two were spotted together at LAX leading some to think a reconciliation was in the works.
Today, Haynes posted pics from their 2017 wedding with the caption, “Can’t believe it’s already been 1 yr. since we got married @jeffleatham 🙂 Happy Anniversary my beautiful husband ❤️❤️❤️”
At about the same time, Leatham posted his own anniversary message which read, “I can’t remember what it was like before you, and I don’t even know how we got here but maybe that’s exactly what I needed. Someone who could make me forget where I came from and someone who could make me love without knowing how to fall.
R.M. Drake – Happy Anniversary My Beautiful Husband – ❤️🖤❤️🖤- Life is a beautiful place with you beside me. – I LOVE YOU”
It’s not for us to question, we’re just celebrating the happiness.
Wishing the duo all the joy they can handle, and let’s hear it for love!
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| Roy Moore |
Roy Moore, currently the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Alabama, told the audience of Here I Stand podcast last year that the Supreme Court Obergefell ruling that legalized same-sex marriage was “even worse” than the hideous 1857 Dred Scott ruling that upheld slavery.
“In 1857 the United States Supreme Court did rule that black people were property. Of course, that contradicted the Constitution, and it took a civil war to overturn it.
“But this ruling in Obergefell is even worse in a sense because it forces not only people to recognize marriage other than the institution ordained of God and recognized by nearly every state in the union, it says that you now must do away with the definition of marriage and make it between two persons of the same gender or leading on, as one of the dissenting justices said, to polygamy, to multi-partner marriages.”
Bolding is mine.
Moore has been removed from the position of chief justice of the Alabama state Supreme Court twice for failing to follow the law.
Once, for refusing to remove a monument of the ten commandments he had placed on courthouse grounds; and the second time for instructing probate judges in Alabama to ignore the Obergefell ruling in 2015.
Real Clear Politics shows Moore an average of 6 points ahead of his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones.
The special election to replace Jeff Sessions, who resigned to become U.S. Attorney General, is on December 12.
Jim Parsons stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to chat on the upcoming seasons of The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon. But before chatting into “sitcom land,” Colbert asked about Parsons’ recent marriage to longtime bf, Todd, and why – other than legal reasons – they waited so long to marry.
Parsons was quite thoughtful in his reply.
“I didn’t really think we cared about the act of it that much, to be honest with you. And that sounds cold in a way, but I finally thought…well, let’s have a party then for the celebration of, and we’ll go ahead and legalize this thing. And I really thought it would kind of end at that, a party feel but it was so much more meaningful in the moment to me than I predicted. And it’s been resonantly more meaningful to me afterward than I ever saw coming. I’d been an adult gay person for so long at a time when that wasn’t possible that life was ‘fine,’ you know what I mean?”
I can honestly say I had very similar feelings about getting married before hot hubby Michael and I tied the knot.
When I was actually saying marriage vows to Michael was a moment the depth and gravity of our relationship took yet another step forward that was deeply emotional – in every good way possible.
Watch Parsons talk on marriage (and sitcoms) below.
Australia’s highest court has ruled that the upcoming “postal survey” of Aussies asking whether same-sex marriage should be legalized will go on as planned.
From the New York Times:
The Australian government’s highly contentious proposal to put the question of same-sex marriage to a nationwide postal vote is legal and may proceed, the country’s High Court ruled unanimously on Thursday, eliminating the last hurdle before ballots are to be mailed out next week.
The survey — which is voluntary, unlike in-person elections in Australia — was challenged in two separate cases brought by advocates of same-sex marriage and members of Parliament. Run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the vote will be unique in Australian history: Nothing in the law requires it to take place before Parliament may act, and lawmakers are not bound by its results.
The ruling brings a little relief to the conservative government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The decision to conduct the survey has been deeply unpopular on both sides of the issue, birthing a national debate that has been, at times, tumultuous. Advocates of same-sex marriage have pushed for Parliament to vote on the issue directly. The postal vote will cost 122 million Australian dollars, or around $97 million.
Polls show overwhelming support for marriage equality ‘down under.’
Supporters of same-sex marriage say Parliament could vote to pass the measure without spending $122 million on the upcoming postal survey – which is non-binding on Parliament.
LGBTQ activists are urging everyone to make sure and vote.
BREAKING: High Court has decided Australia’s marriage postal vote can go ahead. Here’s the timeline for it. #auspol pic.twitter.com/xn5fhUqr93— Sydney Mardi Gras (@sydneymardigras) September 7, 2017
The Prime Minister of Australia contends that before Parliament moves to legalize marriage equality “down under,” he wants the people of Australia to have their say.
Polls in Australia show overwhelming public support for same-sex marriage – 67% of women and 59% of men in Australia want to see marriage equality become the law of the land.
From UPI:
Australian citizens will be asked where they stand on potential legalization of same-sex marriage in a non-binding mail-in vote, after lawmakers failed to pass legislation Wednesday to make it a national plebiscite vote issue in November.
Canberra’s governing Liberal-National Coalition failed to pass a bill in Parliament that would have secured funding to restore Australia’s compulsory plebiscite on Nov. 25, which means the same-sex marriage vote will instead likely take shape as a voluntary voting effort.
“At the last election, we made a very clear promise to the Australian people that we would not facilitate the introduction of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage until the Australian people had had their say,” Turnbull said in a press conference on Tuesday prior to the plebiscite effort falling short.
The traditional plebiscite and postal votes would not be legally binding if it’s shown that most Australians support legalizing same-sex marriage. Turnbull had said if the plebiscite bill failed, then he would move ahead with the vote-by-mail option.
“We will hold a postal vote on this issue asking the same question in which all Australians will have their say — they will get the opportunity to express their opinion on the issue of whether the law should be changed to enable same-sex couples to marry, fulfilling the commitment we made at the election,” he said.
Some who voted against the plebiscite said they don’t oppose legalization of same-sex marriage, but rather they believe the effort is too expensive and could generate a hate-fueled campaign.
Some lawmakers argue the issue could be resolved with a simple vote in Parliament, but Turnbull’s government seeks to gauge public support first. The Liberal-National Coalition attempted to legalize same-sex marriage last year, but the proposal was narrowly defeated.
As reported above, even if the vote shows same-sex marriage the winner, Aussie lawmakers don’t have to align current laws to reflect that support.
According to Buzzfeed, the “vote by mail” will cost in the neighborhood of $122 million, around $50 million less than a compulsory, in-person ballot.
Or, Parliament could just vote to approve marriage equality – no cost.
Polls have closed. THANK YOU! We’ll be updating on results all day tomorrow #marref pic.twitter.com/86Vd11jSLc
— YesEquality2015 (@YesEquality2015) May 22, 2015
Gallup Polling reports that support for same-sex marriage has reached all-time highs among both political parties, which overall support now at 60%. This is up from last year’s “all-time high” of 55%.
The numbers break down like this: Democrats at 76% support, independents at 64% and Republicans at 37%.
That 37% for Republicans is up 7% from last year.
Also significant – last year, just 48% of Americans aged 50-64 supported legally recognizing gay marriage. But in 2015, this figure has climbed to a majority of 54%.
Speaking on a conference call for the Family Research Council, possible 2016 GOP hopeful Mike Huckbee hypers up the hate rhetoric against gay marriage:
“If the courts rule that people have a civil right not only to be a homosexual but a civil right to have a homosexual marriage, then a homosexual couple coming to a pastor who believes in biblical marriage who says ‘I can’t perform that wedding’ will now be breaking the law.
“It’s not just saying, ‘I’m sorry you have a preference.’ No, you will be breaking the law subject to civil for sure and possible criminal penalties for violating the law.
“If you do practice biblical convictions and you carry them out and you do what you’ve been led by the spirit of God to do, your behavior will be criminal. God help us all.”