Tag: homophobic

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Buttigieg: ‘I’m Not Going To Be Lectured On Family Values From The Likes Of Rush Limbaugh’

During appearances on Sunday morning talk shows, Democratic White House hopeful Pete Buttigieg was asked about comments made this week by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh asked listeners if they could see Donald Trump having homophobic “fun” with Buttigieg kissing his husband on stage. He also wondered aloud how parents would explain Buttigieg kissing his husband to their children. Buttigieg responded to Chris Wallace on FOX News Sunday: “I’m in a faithful, loving, committed marriage. I’m proud of my marriage. I’m proud of my husband. I’m not going to be lectured on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh or anybody who supports Donald J. Trump as the moral as well as political leader of the United States. America has moved on and we should have politics of belonging that welcomes everybody. That’s what the American people are for. I’m saddened for what the GOP has become if they embrace that kind of homophobic rhetoric.”

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, expressed similar sentiments when speaking to CNN’s Dana Bash on State of the Nation: “I love my husband, I am faithful to my husband. On stage, we usually just go for a hug, but I love him very much. And I am not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh.”

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Drunk Student Arrested After Homophobic, Racist Classroom Rant

Dayton Kingery on left (image via screen capture)
When a student at Chapman College in California went on a drunken homophobic, racist rant in an economics class Tuesday morning his fellow students took it upon themselves to eject him from the space. Dayton Kingery, 21, was captured on video that was shared on Twitter announcing he’d been “drinking Bacardi all day” before declaring “I f*cking hate n*ggers.” In the video clip, another student can be heard to say “You should probably chill, buddy.” After repeating the statement a few more times, he shifted his focus to queer people telling the class “I f*cking hate f*ggots, too – how about that?” At that point, the students in the room were done. One classmate informed Kingery, “All right, you’ve got to get out of here, bro.”

In a second clip also posted to Twitter, Kingery is seen arguing with someone in the room, saying, “You don’t know who I am, guy. I’m not kidding … I’ll bury you. I’m worth, like, $50 million.” He then turned to another student in the classroom, poked him and said, “This f*ggot right here.” That student, having had enough of the intoxicated tirade, can be seen standing up to Kingery telling him, “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me.” At that point, he’s ejected from the classroom but is handed the wrong backpack. Kingery throws that backpack down the hall and then proceeds to stomp on it yelling, “I hope your laptop was in there, you f*cking f*ggot.”

When campus security was called to the scene, the 21-year-old ended up in a violent scuffle with the officer. When officers from the Orange Police Department attempted to arrest him, he resisted resulting in the cops placing him in a hobble restraint in order to remove him from campus. Kingery was arrested and charged with suspicion of making criminal threats, felony vandalism (for destroying the laptop in the backpack), and elder abuse for injuring the campus security guard who was over 65-years-old.
Dayton Kingery (mug shot via Orange Police)
The university issued a statement on Thursday that Kingery was no longer a student at the school. The statement posted to Twitter from Chapman President Daniele Struppa read, in part, “Racist and homophobic conduct will not be tolerated on this campus, and we took decisive and swift action.” “A situation such as this is difficult, it affected many and we want to provide the needed support as we all move through this difficult time.”

Struppa also expressed her “deepest apologies to the Black and LGBTQIA communities who were specifically targeted” during the drunken rant. Here’s the report by CBS Los Angeles:

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Kevin Hart Finally Gets It: “Oh Sh*t – I Did F*ck Up”

Kevin Hart (screen capture)
You may recall the kerfuffle that occurred when, shortly following the announcement he would host the 2019 Oscars, Kevin Hart experienced enormous backlash after decade-old anti-gay tweets surfaced. Eventually, Hart stepped down from the hosting gig. In his recent Netflix docuseries, Don’t F**k This Up, Hart shared with the TV audience, “I’m a firm believer in laying in the bed that you made. If there’s something that you did, then you did it. You know, there’s no wiggle room around it. You can address it, and then you can move on.” Which brings us to a new interview with Men’s Health Magazine wherein Hart admits he didn’t handle the scandal well.

“With the whole Oscars thing, there was a big gap between what I thought the problem was versus what the problem really was,” he says. He got angry, reacting as though the only problem was that people were calling him homophobic, which he feels certain he’s not.

“I got ten years where I made sure not to joke or play in the way that I did back then because it was a problem,” he says. “I don’t care if you’re gay or not gay. I’m a people person. I’m going to love you regardless.”

But now he sees a layer that he overlooked at the time—that he missed a chance to condemn violence in every shape and form to anyone for being who they are. “It wasn’t until close friends like Wanda Sykes, Lee Daniels, and Ellen [DeGeneres] talked to me and explained what they didn’t hear me say that I understood.

Then I was like, ‘Oh, shit — I did fuck up.’ ”

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Uber Driver Calls Police After Telling Gay Dads Crying Infant “Needed His Mother”

In a recent Twitter thread, gay dad James Moed shared a disturbing incident where an Uber driver apparently called the police after telling Moed and his husband their crying baby “needed his mother.” Moed and his husband were staying at the Marriott Marina while traveling in San Diego last week. The couple, who live in the UK, was awakened by a knock at their hotel room door at 1:30 a.m. At the door were police officers who demanded to see the men’s identification. According to the Twitter thread, Moed shared “It turns out the @Uber driver who had taken us back to the hotel had called the cops – accusing us of…child trafficking? Endangerment?” Apparently, during their Uber ride to the hotel, their driver told the couple their crying infant “needed his mother.” Even though the men explained the child has two dads, the driver “didn’t back down.” The police departed peacefully after the couple showed their identification including their son’s passport to prove they weren’t ‘child trafficking.’ But even after the officers left the hotel, the men were shaken. “Stayed awake freaking out,” wrote Moed. “What if we hadn’t had his passport? The cops had been less agreeable? Where can my #queerfamily travel safely?” The father shared that he had contacted Uber about their driver’s behavior and the app’s algorithm replied with a form letter and a refund. Insisting he didn’t want a refund, he says he pressed on asking for “proof that you keep #LGBTQ riders safe from homophobic drivers.” A few hours later, Moed added that he had spoken to Uber support requesting an “apology from the driver (not his dismissal)” as well as evidence of LGBTQ sensitivity training. So far, the couple hasn’t indicated if they’d heard back from Uber. https://twitter.com/jamesmoed/status/1224911775608594432 https://twitter.com/jamesmoed/status/1224911777139392522 https://twitter.com/jamesmoed/status/1225151863105957888 We’d like to hear from you, readers – have any of you had a homophobic experience while using Uber? Let us know in the comments below. (Image by why kei on Unsplash)

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News Round-Up: January 29, 2020

Daniel Sheehan (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: I totally agree with designer Daniel Sheehan (above) on the issue of less: “As I get older I am understanding the notion of Less, that less can in fact be MORE. Better quality life, stronger relationships, and focus on what is really important to me as an individual and as a member of society.” Follow the wise and woofy Sheehan on Instagram here. • The Gaily Grind: Lee Brobson, 30, had to be hospitalized after he was brutally beaten up by two men during a night out after he bravely stood up for two of his gay best friends who were being subjected to a homophobic attack for holding hands. • BBC News: A number of gay men say they are going to extreme lengths to change their bodies – including using steroids and having plastic surgery – just to become “accepted” by others in the LGBT community. • NBC News: Donald Trump’s impeachment lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, argued today that a quid pro quo involving a president’s political benefit was fine because all presidents believe their elections are in the public’s interest. Essentially, if Trump withheld nearly $400 million in aid to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations of Democrats to help his campaign, that’s fine because Trump thinks his election is to the country’s benefit. • Advocate: Nine Republican lawmakers in Iowa have introduced a bill that would remove gender identity from the state’s nondiscrimination law — and if the bill passes, it would mark the first time an entire category was removed from such a law in any state. • MLive: Supporters of a ballot initiative to protect LGBT Michigan residents from discrimination say they’ll begin collecting signatures as soon as this weekend following initial approval from a state board. The group has until May 27 to collect 340,047 valid petition signatures in order to be eligible for statewide ballot in fall 2020. • Twitter: When Donald Trump Jr. tried to appropriate Billy Porter’s Grammy Awards lewk in an attempt to troll Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, Porter clapped back on Twitter throwing classic shade complete with closing curtains.

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Judge Apologizes For Calling Gays ‘Savages’ Who ‘Deserve’ AIDS

Judge Dan Hazard
Dan Hazard, a Maumee Municipal Court judge in Ohio, has apologized to the LGBTQ community after letters he wrote while in college calling gays “savages” who “pretty much deserve” to die of AIDS came to light this week. Toledo’s local CBS News affiliate WTOL first reported the letters which appeared in the student newspaper at Ohio State University in 1992 and 1993. The first letter to the editor, published December 2, 1992, he referenced gay people as ‘citizens’ (note the scare quotes) seeking equal treatment under the law. “There has been a recent outcry on the behalf of these ‘citizens’ for equal treatment under the law,” wrote Hazard as a sophomore at OSU. “Equal treatment for people that many still think of as savages … These people think they deserve equal treatment under the law. I challenge anyone to name any civilized nation that looks at queers as ‘normal’ human beings. There just aren’t any.” He also decried calls by the LGBTQ community for funding HIV research. He wrote, “I suggest we cut all AIDS research funding (not AIDS education) because 95% of those inflicted with the deadly disease pretty much deserve it anyway (the homosexual community).” About five months later, after the Gay Rights March on Washington on April 25, 1993, he penned a second letter to the editor that appeared in the April 30 edition of the student newspaper. In that missive, he gave thanks “to the homosexual community for opening (his) eyes.” Noting that many gays had left the campus for the Washington event, he could “now see what this campus would be like with the removal of gays from our society.” Addressing the “heterophobes polluting this campus,” he asked, “Is the homosexual lifestyle a safe one?” He went on to quote statistics from the anti-LGBTQ Family Research Council which stated the average life span of homosexuals from diseases other than AIDS was 41, something he said was “good news.” Hazard also implored gays to “please keep your AIDS to yourselves” and added, “You have killed many innocent children.” When contacted by WTOL for comment, Hazard issued a direct apology. Calling his own words “reprehensible” and “deplorable,” he says they don’t represent who he is today. Here’s his full statement:

“The letter posted here was reprehensible and deplorable.  I wrote this and another of the same tone as a teenage college student 27 years ago and by no means hold those beliefs today.  I have zero excuse and could not attempt to justify it then or now. It was hurtful to anyone that saw it in 1993 or today. I am sorry that it will hurt even more people today including my gay and transgendered family and friends whom I love dearly. Throughout my career, I have befriended and represented many gay clients.  I have done so zealously without reservation. One of the first weddings I officiated after taking the bench was of a same sex couple.  I did so with respect and dignity. Every day I treat every litigant and attorney with that same respect no matter their background, experience or gender identity and will continue to do so. I am glad that this allows me to clarify my views that have drastically changed over time.  Respect is owed not only in the courtroom, but in all of society.”

I wanted to note that it caught this writer’s ear while watching the WTOL report that news anchor Andrew Kinsey referred to Hazard’s remarks saying “some call homophobic.”

Hazard had called gays “savages” who “deserved” to get AIDS and die. I think that’s straight-up homophobic language. What do you think, readers? Is the apology acceptable given the 27 years since Hazard made the comments? And that he offers such a strenuous mea culpa? Or was the language so strident it’s difficult to believe he did a 180-degree turn from those noxious attitudes? Let us know what you think in the comment section. (Source: WTOL)

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After Widespread Ridicule, Lawmaker Backpedals On Attempt To Outlaw Word ‘Homosexuality’

Arizona state Sen. Sylvia Allen (screen capture)
A homophobic Arizona lawmaker who proposed legislation outlawing the word “homosexuality” in her state’s schools is now reconsidering her bill. State Senator Sylvia Allen, a Republican from Snowflake (I kid you not), has been virulently homophobic for years opposing same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination laws that would protect queer people. Senate Bill 1082, which she authored, sought to remove the word “homosexuality” from all public school teaching materials reports NBC affiliate 12News in Phoenix. Plus, it would prohibit any student under age 12 from any sex education. Some political observers felt the bill was Allen’s response to Arizona repealing its “No Promo Homo” law in April 2019. That law banned any instruction in schools regarding HIV/AIDS that “promotes a homosexual lifestyle” or “suggests that some methods of sex are safe methods of homosexual sex.” After Allen was publicly ridiculed for her bill, she announced in a statement the media was “misinterpreting the language” of her legislation. “Several news outlets have reported that my bill to provide parents more access and information on sexual education courses also prohibits the inclusion of homosexuality as part of any chosen curricula,” wrote Allen. “That was absolutely not my intention,” she added. “I regret that it has diverted attention from the main goal of the bill, which is to assist parents with more access and transparency, so that they could make informed decisions about the health and welfare of their children.” Saying she would remove the offending provision, she concluded the statement saying she hopes “to return the conversation on this bill back to my original intent – to provide meaningful opportunities for parents to engage and be contributory on this very important issue.” Arizona School Superintendent Kathy Hoffman said she was “appalled” by Allen’s bill. “It appears to undo the progress we have made as a state,” Hoffman said in an interview Thursday. “It could put the state at risk of another lawsuit.” Allen has a history of trying to promote wildly conservative legislation. In 2015, she told the press her state needed a law that would require all citizens of her state to attend church. During a speech in 2019, she warned white Republicans that if they don’t reproduce at a quicker rate “we’re going to look like South American countries very quickly.” In the video below, Allen attempts to explain her bill.

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Florida Lawyer Suspended Over Social Media Attacks “YOU SICK QUEERS!”

Suspended attorney/failed judicial candidate Don McBath (image via Facebook)
A pro-Trump lawyer (and failed judicial candidate) in Florida has been disciplined by his state’s Supreme Court for homophobic and anti-Muslim comments made on social media. Retired Pasco Country attorney Donald McBath was suspended from practicing law for 91 days after the Florida Bar reviewed several disparaging remarks on his Twitter and Facebook accounts. He was also fined $1,380 for failing “to maintain the dignity appropriate to judicial office and act in a manner that is consistent with impartiality, integrity, and independence of the judiciary,” reports the Tampa Bay Times. Regarding LGBTQ people, McBath tweeted on February 25 this year, “Homosexuality is condemned by Jesus and if the homosexual continues committing that sin of sodomy, his soul faces ETERNAL damnation! Abstain, if you really have that mental illness. It’s not love.” He used big capital letters, so he really must have meant it… In January, he took issue with drag queen story hours in the Sunshine state writing, “YOU SICK QUEERS, leave our innocent children alone.” Taking issue with Muslim people, he tweeted on February 26, 2017, “Never trust a Muslim.” The next month, he fired off, “Muslims are deranged!” In the disciplinary report, the Florida Bar also took note of McBath’s Twitter bio which read (before it was suspended): “100% Trump supporter #MAGA; #KAG; proud DEPLORABLE; Pro-God; Christian; Pro-Life; Pro-Gun; Anti-Sharia; Constitutional Conservative; Former Major US Army.” During his candidacy for judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit last year (which he lost in the primary by 16+ points), he owned up to the comments but told the Tampa Bay Times his social media remarks wouldn’t prevent him from treating LGBTQ or Muslim people fairly if they appeared in his courtroom. Riiiiight… This isn’t McBath’s first trip to the disciplinary rodeo as an attorney. In 1997, he was admonished for not competently representing a client. In 2002, he was publicly reprimanded for trust account violations. He was suspended for 21 days in 2007 for filing frivolous paperwork in a divorce case, and in 2014 he was admonished for threatening an opposing party in a cease and desist letter. (source: Tampa Bay Times)

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Hypocrisy: Homophobic WWE Wrestler Lars Sullivan Has A Gay Porn Past

WWE wrestler Lars Sullivan back in his RandyBlue days and today (images via Wikipedia)
It seems the year 2019 just wouldn’t end without one more example of homophobic hypocrisy. WWE wrestler Lars Sullivan (real name Dylan Miley) has had a heck of a year after a slew of sexist, racist and homophobic comments he made on Bodybuilding.com message boards some years ago came to light. In June, he suffered a knee injury taking him out of the ring for an estimated 6-9 months. And now, some sharp-eyed Reddit users have discovered Sullivan also used to do gay porn under the pseudonym ‘Mitch Bennett.’  A profile was found on RandyBlue.com for the performer listing two photos and two videos, and it certainly looks like Sullivan. This Twitter user found the introductory moments of “Mitch” in action.

There’s a bit more of where that scene led here (NSFW) that doesn’t get too down and dirty. It won’t surprise you that Sullivan’s Twitter account has since been deleted. All of this follows the wrestler’s very tumultuous months after his internet troll comments came back to haunt him. According to Sports Illustrated, several years ago Sullivan posted offensive comments under two usernames (“ElPerfecto” and “Disenfranchised”) but using a photo of himself. The comments, made between 2007 and 2013, included sexist remarks about WWE executive Stephanie McMahon, racist comments regarding another user, and homophobic insults about NFL quarterback Phillip Rivers.  Here’s just a sample of what the homophobic remarks were like: “Philip Rivers = Crybaby b*tch and is extremely gay. Most of California, especially sothern cal, is gay. Fits well. Hell ‘Philip’ is a gay name in itself!@” Turns out he had disparaging thoughts regarding Hispanics, Muslims and other wrestlers as well. He also once shared that “there is a grey area when it comes to the definition of rape.” Sullivan was fined $100,000 by the WWE based on breaking a morality clause in his contract, and issued an apology. “There is no excuse for the inappropriate remarks that I made years ago,” said Sullivan in a statement released by the WWE. “They do not reflect my personal beliefs nor who I am today, and I apologize to anyone I offended.” And now, his gay porn past comes back into focus. “The guilty dog barks the loudest.” Just to be clear – there’s nothing wrong with being gay; there’s nothing wrong with doing gay porn; but I do have a problem with folks making homophobic comments to sooth their own self-loathing when they’ve taken money earned from the gay community. (Source: Sports Illustrated, RingsideNews)

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News Round-Up: December 24, 2019

Chris Hemsworth and friend
Some news items you might have missed: • Advocate: Brazil’s homophobic president, Jair Bolsonaro, complained at a press conference Friday about his treatment by the media, telling a reporter, “Your face looks an awful lot like a homosexual’s.” • The Hill: The Morning Consult poll for this week showed former Vice President Joe Biden with 31 percent support for the second week in a row, after rising 2 percentage points since the beginning of December. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ranked as the runner-up with 21 percent support. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg kept third and fourth place with 15 percent and 9 percent, respectively. • Instinct: Michael Henry is back with a festive video celebrating the holidays with the dumpster queens. The video features Henry with Pete Zias and Michael Lucid at their iconic meeting spot talking about themes of the season such as giving gifts, sexy encounters, and holiday movies.

• CivilBeat: Former Governor of Hawaii,  Neil Abercrombie, has called on U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to resign her seat in Congress saying, “I feel very strongly the 2nd District of Hawaii must be fully represented.” Gabbard is running a long-shot campaign for president and recently moved to New Hampshire, an early Democratic primary state. • Out: A European airline will jettison the greeting “ladies and gentlemen” for the more gender-neutral “welcome everyone” a sign of respect for nonbinary people. • Twitter: In order for Thor star Chris Hemsworth and a quokka, a small marsupial native to Australia, to get to know each other a bit, Hemsworth had to get down to the little guy’s level. Which explains the hunky actor’s body position in the pic at the top. The short video also sparked the interest of the gay community for reasons I really don’t need to explain…LOL