Tag: Hawaii

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Podcast: Navy To Remove Harvey Milk’s Name + States Ranked For LGBTQ Safety + More

The Randy Report podcast

In this week’s episode of The Randy Report podcast:

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the US Navy to remove pioneering gay rights activist Harvey Milk’s name from a ship. Plus… Continue reading “Podcast: Navy To Remove Harvey Milk’s Name + States Ranked For LGBTQ Safety + More”

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Hawaii Lawmakers Seek To Repeal Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Hawaii is poised to repeal the state's constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage

Back in 1998, the citizens of Hawaii passed a state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage. Today, lawmakers in the Aloha state are in the process of approving House Bill 2802, which will ask voters to rescind a provision in the Hawaii Constitution that gives the Legislature the authority to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples. Continue reading “Hawaii Lawmakers Seek To Repeal Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban”

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Lebanon Moves To Ban ‘Barbie’ Movie + More News

R-L Margot Robbie as Barbie, and Ryan Gosling, as Ken, in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” (photo: Warner Bros.)
Some news items you might have missed: • ABC News: “Barbie” is set to open in the Middle East, but Lebanon and Kuwait are moving to ban the film for “promoting homosexuality.” There are no overt references to LGBTQ rights in the film. Continue reading “Lebanon Moves To Ban ‘Barbie’ Movie + More News”

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Judge Dismisses Challenge To Trans-Inclusive Bathrooms + More News

(image via Depositphotos)
Some news items of interest: • The Advocate: A federal judge in Ohio has dismissed a challenge to a school district’s trans-inclusive restroom policy, saying there is not a legal right to “transgender-free bathrooms.” Continue reading “Judge Dismisses Challenge To Trans-Inclusive Bathrooms + More News”

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SCOTUS Says ‘No’ To Anti-LGBTQ Bed & Breakfast

The U.S. Supreme Court declined the hear the appeal of a bed & breakfast owner in Hawaii who refused to host a same-sex couple due to her religious objections over homosexuality.

The initial lawsuit, Aloha Bed & Breakfast v. Dianne Cervelli, stems back to an incident in 2007 when Cervelli contacted the B&B owner, Phyllis Young, about accommodations.

Cervelli indicated there would be two guests as she would be traveling with her same-sex partner, Taeko Bufford.

According to the complaint, Young asked “Are you both lesbians?” Young then refused to board the couple saying she was uncomfortable having lesbians in her home.

The couple filed complaints with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission which found Young had illegally discriminated against the couple. Hawaii’s public accommodation law clearly bars discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Associated Pressreportedthat Young told the commission she is Catholic and feels that homosexuality is wrong. She felt her decision to deny accommodations to the couple was protected by her right to free exercise of her religious beliefs under the First Amendment.

Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit on behalf of the couple in 2011, along with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission as co-plaintiffs. 

In April of 2013, the Hawaii First Circuit Court ruled in favorof Cervelli.

Young appealed the ruling, and in February 2018, the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s decision.

The B&B owner tried to take her case to the Hawaii state Supreme Court, but the high court refusedthe hear the appeal last year.

In October, Young filed a petition to have her appeal heard at the U.S. Supreme Court.

As SCOTUS has declined to take up the case, Young has exhausted her legal options and the ruling by the lower court will stand.

Peter Renn, counsel for Lambda Legal’s Western Regional Office, celebrated the news.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to let the lower court ruling stand reaffirms that the freedom of religion does not give businesses a right to violate nondiscrimination laws that protect all individuals from harm, whether on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation,” said Renn in a statement to the Washington Blade. “The Supreme Court declined to consider carving out an exception from this basic principle when a business discriminates based on the sexual orientation of its customers.”

“LGBT people deserve an equal right to go about their everyday life without the fear that discrimination waits for them around the corner,” he added.

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Hawaiian Singer’s National Anthem Goes Viral

Willie K sings the national anthem at Aloha Stadium

Over the weekend, Hawaiian singer and musician Willie K was tapped to sing the national anthem at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

Keeping the lyrics by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Willie K made the song his own, and went viral in doing so.

According to folks on Twitter, Willie is considered a state treasure and currently battling lung cancer.

Watch below.

As always, folks had their opinions about the performance.

This first tweet is from U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii.

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Podcast: Emmy Nominations, Harry Styles, ‘Gay Panic’ Defense & More

The Randy Report podcast is the perfect way to keep up with LGBT politics, pop culture and entertainment news on the go

In this week’s podcast:

• The Trump administration is raiding HIV/AIDS programs to pay for further family separations at the U.S. border

• Hawaii’s Supreme Court declines to review a bigot’s appeal after being found guilty is LGBTQ discrimination

• UK pop star Harry Styles admits, “There a little bit of gay in all of us”

• This year’s Emmy Awards nominations had a lot of love for the gays

• ‘Queer Eye’ and ‘Pose’ both get renewed for additional seasons

• Out indie artist Parker Matthews is “Feelin’ Right”

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report