LGBTQ news and entertainment
New anti-LGBTQ legislation proposed in Ghana has been described as “one of the most draconian and sweeping anti-gay laws proposed around the world.” A draft of the legislation proposes up to 10 years in prison for LGBTQ+ people in the West African nation. Continue reading “Lawmakers In Ghana Propose 10 Year Prison Sentences For LGBTQ People & Allies”
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: The Department of Labor and the Department of Treasury have released new guidance that mandates almost all insurance companies within the U.S. must make PrEP, the HIV prevention pill otherwise known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, free with no cost-sharing. • The Advocate: A federal judge in West Virginia issued an injunction Wednesday against the state’s law barring transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams for their gender identity. “At this point, I have been provided with scant evidence that this law addresses any problem at all, let alone an important problem,” the judge wrote. • YouTube: Texas real estate agent Kelci Cashman and her children were removed from a plane in Orlando heading to Dallas when she went on a homophobic rant and refused to wear her mask. The crowd cheered when she finally left the plane.
• Reuters: Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban stepped up a culture war with the European Union today by announcing a referendum on legislation that bans the use of materials seen as promoting homosexuality and gender change at schools. • PBS: COVID-19 cases tripled in the U.S. over two weeks amid an onslaught of vaccine misinformation that is straining hospitals, exhausting doctors and pushing clergy into the fray. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 cases rose over the past two weeks to more than 37,000 on Tuesday, up from less than 13,700 on July 6. • NPR: A couple whose gender reveal ceremony sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter last year were charged with involuntary manslaughter on Monday. The charges included one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, along with other felony and misdemeanor counts related to the fire.
A couple whose gender reveal party sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter were charged with involuntary manslaughter. The blaze injured 13, forced hundreds of evacuations and blackened nearly 36 square miles of land.https://t.co/ZmFVg5R69n
— NPR (@NPR) July 21, 2021
Samuel Luiz (image via Facebook)
This comes after 3 A Coruña residents were arrested in connection with the death of Luiz on Wednesday. The deadly assault was perpetrated by more than a dozen people near a nightclub in the Galician city. The fourth suspect is apparently friends with the initial suspects, according La Vanguardia, a Spanish-speaking newspaper. None of the suspects knew the victim prior to the attack according to reports. The incident began when Luiz reportedly stepped out of the nightclub to video chat with a friend. The attacker apparently believed Luiz was recording him and demanded he stop – “Either stop recording or I’ll kill you, f*g,” yelled one of the attackers. After initially beating Luiz for a couple of minutes, the attacker left the scene but quickly returned with a mob of friends who all joined in kicking and beating Luiz. Surveillance footage captured the assault which stretched out for several blocks along the street until Luiz collapsed and passed out. Media reports say the video clips show the group continued to cheer the attack on as they continued to kick and beat him. Luiz died just hours later on Saturday at the A Coruña Hospital. A spokesman for the police told the press, “They showed him no mercy.”
Brody stands guard as Michael works
NEW: In the final weeks of the Trump administration, Matt Gaetz, who is under federal investigation for sex trafficking a minor, sought blanket pardons from the Trump White House for himself and congressional allies. w/@maggieNYT @npfandos https://t.co/V1Mrh3gy3q
— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) April 6, 2021
(image via screencapture)A gay couple living on Staten Island, New York, were terrorized by a drunk homophobe who yelled anti-gay slurs outside their home, kicked their front door, and promised to “get you wherever you go.”
Joe Canale and Raymond Gamarra were home on Saturday, January 23, when they heard loud noises coming from a neighbor’s late night house party.
According to Gay City News, they went to the neighbors to ask to them to keep the noise down, but a man attending the party became enraged.
The next thing the couple knew, a man identified as Clifford Hammel walked over to their front yard and began harassing them.
In the video obtained by Gay City News, Hammel can clearly be heard shouting, “I see you, f*cking fa**ot. You little b*tch. F*ck you. You fucking fa**ot.”
At one point, Hammel qualified his language as he repeated the slurs, yelling, “You f*cking fa**ot — and that’s not a homosexual. I don’t give a f*ck if you suck d*ck.”
Along the way, Hammel reportedly named the gym the couple go to as well as the school where Canale is the principal.
After attempting to kick the couple’s front door in, Hammel added, “Wherever you go, I will get to you.”
The moment when a man harassed a gay couple with anti-LGBTQ slurs, threatened them, and kicked the door of their home in Staten Island. pic.twitter.com/S58jKx0ooX
— Gay City News (@GayCityNews) January 29, 2021
The officers explained they thought Hammel was the man being taken to the hospital, so they “don’t have to worry or be afraid.”
But when Canale followed up with police at the 121st Precinct, it seems the officers had written Hammel’s name down incorrectly. AND, Hammel wasn’t the partygoer transported to the hospital.
L-R Raymond Gamarra and Joe Canale (photo via Canale)Disturbed by the nonchalant handling of the incident, the couple reached out to Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.
In a statement, McMahon said, “Any time a serious allegation is brought to our attention, we work in tandem to thoroughly investigate and bring criminal charges when appropriate under the law.”
He added, “We are committed to securing the right of every person to live their lives free from bias and hate on Staten Island.”
But Gamarra and Canale are unconvinced as to how seriously their concerns were treated.
“Staten Island is not a bastion of tolerance,” Canale told GCN. “There are so many things that are disturbing about this that I don’t even know where to begin.”
“I understand there’s COVID, but justice delayed is justice denied as far as I’m concerned.”
Pro golfer Justin Thomas (screen capture)The Ralph Lauren Corporation has announced an end to their 7-year sponsorship of pro golfer Justin Thomas less than a week after Thomas was heard using the word ‘faggot’ after missing a putt at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
The remark occurred after Thomas attempted a five-foot putt at the fourth hole when his shot went astray. He could clearly be heard saying “fa**ot” in frustration.
Big fan, not a great look.
Are we gonna apologize for the language here @JustinThomas34 @PGATOUR ? pic.twitter.com/QvIYdOv7F9 — Imsolazy (@DustyBurlap) January 10, 2021
Upon finishing the round, Thomas was informed his remark had been picked up by the TV microphones. He was apparently unaware he’d even used the word.
The Golf Channel spoke to Thomas, currently ranked #3 in the world, about the remark and he immediately expressed his regret for using the word.
“It’s inexcusable – first off I just apologize,” said Thomas. “There’s no excuse. I’m an adult, a grown man. There’s absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It’s terrible. I’m extremely embarrassed. It’s not who I am. It’s not the kind of person that I am. Unfortunately I did it and I have to own up to it.”
“I found out when I got done with my round…it’s bad,” he added. “There’s no other way to put it. I need to do better.”
“I deeply apologize to everybody and anybody who I offended and I’ll be better because of it.”
The next day, Thomas finished the tournament in third place banking a $490,000 payday.
Apology aside, Ralph Lauren Corporation announced on Friday they were “disheartened” by the incident and distanced themselves from Thomas saying the use of the slur is “entirely inconsistent with our values.”
The full statement from the Ralph Lauren Corporation:
At the Ralph Lauren Corporation, we believe in the dignity of all people, regardless of age, race, gender identity, ethnicity, political affiliation or sexual orientation. This is part of our longstanding commitment to foster cultures of belonging – in the workplace and in communities around the world.
We are disheartened by Mr. Thomas’s recent language, which is entirely inconsistent with our values. While we acknowledge that he has apologized and recognizes the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador of our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture that we strive to uphold.
In reflecting on the responsibility we have to all of our stakeholders, we have decided to discontinue our sponsorship of Mr. Thomas at this time. As we make this decision, our hope is that Mr. Thomas does the hard and necessary work in order to partner with us again – truly examining this incident, learning, growing and ultimately using his platform to promote inclusion.
Gay former professional golfer Maya Reddy told Sky Sports this week that Thomas’ anti-LGBTQ language reflects homophobia in professional golf. In 2016, Reddy qualified at the age of 23 to play on the Symetra Tour – the LPGA’s developmental tour – but decided to walk away from the sport due to incidents of discrimination and a lack of inclusivity in the culture of professional golf. “I had tournament directors on mini-tours say xenophobic, racist, and homophobic things to me on the first tee, in the guise of a joke,” explained Reddy. “I’m kind of in two minds about it,” said Reddy about the Thomas incident. “I think the fact that he apologised about it so quickly and with force, saying that this wasn’t OK and that he should do better, is really important because he acknowledges the harm that using that specific slur causes. “I think the PGA Tour saying that it wasn’t OK and acknowledging the harm it causes is also very important,” she added. “That being said, what is frustrating for me and many who watched this play out, was that it was so easy for him to jump to that word.”
Pro golfer Justin Thomas (screen capture)Justin Thomas, currently the #3 pro golfer in the world, was apparently surprised to learn that television cameras caught him using a homophobic slur after missing a putt at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Saturday.
Thomas was attempting a five-foot putt at the fourth hole when his shot went astray. He could clearly be heard saying “faggot” in frustration.
Big fan, not a great look.
Are we gonna apologize for the language here @JustinThomas34 @PGATOUR ? pic.twitter.com/QvIYdOv7F9 — Imsolazy (@DustyBurlap) January 10, 2021
The Golf Channel spoke to a clearly chagrined Thomas about the remark and he expressed his regret for using the word.
“It’s inexcusable – first off I just apologize,” said Thomas. “There’s no excuse. I’m an adult, a grown man. There’s absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It’s terrible. I’m extremely embarrassed. It’s not who I am. It’s not the kind of person that I am. Unfortunately I did it and I have to own up to it.”
“I found out when I got done with my round…it’s bad,” he added. “There’s no other way to put it. I need to do better.”
“I deeply apologize to everybody and anybody who I offended and I’ll be better because of it.”
Thomas expanded on those thoughts speaking to NBC Golf after finishing third on Sunday.
“I wish that I could learn to grow a different way than the way that I chose to do it, but unfortunately it’s in the past and there’s nothing I can do about it now,” said the 27-year-old.
“It definitely was a distraction out there today. But now I just get to take time going forward and try to become better because of it.”
Thomas banked a $490,000 payday for his third place finish. Some on social media defended Thomas’s use of the slur:
Wait… he’s on a golf green, no people, persons, theys, thems, there’s, that’s, hers,hims, she’s, shems or hims around… so he’s clearly not directing this statement at an individual, merely a moment in time that frustrated him. What are we doing here, let this man f@cking golf
— Patrick Hughes (@Projektpat205) January 10, 2021
Every golfer understands his frustrations and has said much worse than this. I guarantee 99% of people “offended” by this don’t golf nor watch it, but seizing an opportunity to shame a good man like the vultures they are. He apologized, let it go.
— Bake (@RolinBaker) January 10, 2021
Yeah I think we need to all relax on this one. JT is only human and did apologise let’s not make this more than what it is a little slip of the tongue 👅. It happens to us all💪🏌🏻♂️
— JP O’Donnell (@JPMuttODonnell) January 10, 2021
What the hell, man! JT was one of my faves!This is such a bummer. Why is that even in his vocabulary or thinking process? Why not not just say ‘fuck’ or something else vulgar, but saying ‘fag’ means else he’s got some issues upstairs!Apologies mean nothing if it’s not accidental.
— Kavita Milurd (@KavitaMilurd) January 10, 2021
He said it which means it is in his mental wheel house. The apology is irrelevant. His being homophobic is an entirely different matter and THE more relevant matter. Now YOU get over it.
— Bill Strippoli (@BillStrippoli) January 10, 2021
A Cincinnati son of Marty Brennaman ( Thom ) just lost his major national TV job by saying the exact same word ( Caught on a hot mike during commercial ). These are professionals who are on TV. I know many other expletives he could have used other than this.
— Daryle Davis (@DaryleDavis1) January 10, 2021
All these straight people saying he doesn’t need to apologize. . . The slur has been so normalized amongst them that they think they own it.
— Jon C (@J_cody768) January 10, 2021
So many replies here making fun 8f triggered people. But ya know. Why is it NEVER “whitie” “craqqer” or “honqey” when a slur falls out “accidentally”? Why is it always antigay\black slurs? Funny huh? #MisspelledOnPurposeSTFU
— JYonce’ (@jazzyjyonce) January 10, 2021
(image via Change.org)
In a group chat dated Wednesday, Dumont High School teachers appear to bash the sexual orientation and lifestyle of one of their co-workers.
“Why is that kid with the gay gym teacher?” asks one, according to a screenshot of the chat posted online.
“Is that her adopted kid? Who is gonna be all f—-d up growing up watching 2 chicks kissing and calling them both mom,” says another, according to the screenshot.
Dumont Mayor Andrew LaBruno said Wednesday the comments were made between Dumont High School teachers during a group chat while the Zoom class was taking place. Someone captured the chat and shared it with others, the mayor said.
In a statement posted to Facebook, LaBruno called the comments “disturbing and extremely appalling” and said he is calling on schools Superintendent Emanuele Triggiano to investigate the matter.
A petition at Change.org calling for the homophobic teachers’ resignations has more than 18,000 signatures at this writing.
In this week’s podcast: • The Biden/Harris transition team has named LGBTQ White House veterans to prominent roles in the incoming administration • The murderer of a transgender teen has been sentenced to life in prison • Homophobic high school teachers in New Jersey were caught dissing a queer colleague during a Zoom class • Award-winning singer/songwriter Justin Utley released his first holiday single, “All is Bright” • First Lady Melania Trump planned to light the White House in rainbow colors during Pride Month but the idea was shut down • A new poll shows LGBTQ voters did NOT turn out in record numbers for Donald Trump after all All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast
L-R William Buckaloo & friend, Magnolia Applebottom (images via Instagram)
“What a sad turn of events. The @lewes_fire chief thought it was ok to go to a gay owned and operated establishment… and go to a show hosted and produced by a award winning gay entertainer and use that F word on social media… Your job is to protect the people in our community not bring us down. Do better!!! Be better!!! And we recognize your inappropriate behavior.”
View this post on Instagram
Buckaloo has not commented publicly since being removed from his position.