Tag: homophobic

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Ambassador To Zambia Denounces 15-Year Prison Sentence For 2 Gay Men

(stock photo via Depositphotos)

(stock photo via Depositphotos)
(stock photo via Depositphotos)
Two gay men in Zambia were arrested for having gay sex in a private hotel room, and the High Court of Zambia has now sentenced the men to 15 years in prison for being intimate behind closed doors. The south-eastern African country, which retains its colonial-era laws, offers no legal protections for LGBTQ people. The men, Japhet Chataba and Steven Samba, booked the room in 2017. According to reports, a female worker peeked through a window and saw the men being intimate. Last week, a judge dismissed an appeal against their convictions for crimes against the order of nature (the legal term for gay sex in Zambia) sentencing them both to 15 years in prison. World map showing Zambia on continent of Africa The U.S. ambassador to Zambia, Daniel Foote, said in a statement: “I was personally horrified to read about the sentencing of two men, who had a consensual relationship, which hurt absolutely no one.” Foote implored the government of Zambia to review the case but received a fervent backlash for speaking out. In an official embassy statement, Foote announced he was forced to cancel attending World AIDS Day events due to threats against him. “I was shocked at the venom and hate directed at me and my country, largely in the name of “Christian” values, by a small minority of Zambians,” wrote the ambassador. “I thought, perhaps incorrectly, that Christianity meant trying to live like our Lord, Jesus Christ. I am not qualified to sermonize, but I cannot imagine Jesus would have used bestiality comparisons or referred to his fellow human beings as “dogs,” or “worse than animals;” allusions made repeatedly by your countrymen and women about homosexuals.” Foote’s official statement also made mention of the $500 million in annual assistance Zambia receives from the United States saying, “In these countries were we contribute resources, this includes partnering in areas of mutual interest, and holding the recipient government accountable for its responsibilities under this partnership.”

In an interview with Sky News, President Lungu defended his country’s homophobic laws saying, “Even animals don’t do it, so why should we be forced to do it?…because we want to be smart, civilized and advanced and so on.” “If there are such countries which will allow bestiality, let them do it but not here,” he added. Ah, yes – the old ‘compare being gay to having sex with animals’ argument. How fresh, how new… Zambia’s president told Sky News his government will officially complain to the Trump administration over Foote’s remarks. (source: Sky News)

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Teacher Rants To Student: Why Would You Be Thankful For Being Adopted By Gay Dads?

Joshua and Louis Van Amstel (image via Instagram)
A week before Thanksgiving, a substitute teacher asked a fifth-grade class at Deerfield Elementary School in Cedar Hills, Utah, to share: “What are you thankful for?” Some mentioned the holiday feast to come, some their family dog, and another joked his thanks for not having to attend school during the Thanksgiving break. But one 11-year-old stood up and said, “I’m thankful that I’m finally going to be adopted by my two dads,” reports the Salt Lake Tribune. Stunning the class, the substitute teacher admonished at the young boy saying, “Why on earth would be happy about that?” According to the Tribune, the substitute teacher went on for ten minutes telling the class of 30 students how “homosexuality is wrong” and “two men living together is a sin.” Turning her focus back to the boy, she announced, “That’s nothing to be thankful for.” During the tirade, three girls in the class asked the woman to stop, but she continued with her hate speech. The girls finally left the classroom to notify the principal who had the sub escorted from the building. Even as she was being removed from the school she continued to press her homophobic point. Choreographer/dancer Louis van Amstel (Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance) and his husband, Joshua, have been working through the adoptive process for several months. The adoption is scheduled to be finalized on December 19. “The substitute teacher was giving her very clear opinion, two men is wrong, homosexuality is wrong, and so you can imagine that set us off, and we are not letting this go,” Louis said in a video on social media.

“I am so proud of [the boy’s] school, not only did they let go of the teacher, they said this woman is never going to teach in the school ever again.” Van Amstel added, “I’m proud of those three girls and [the boy’s] school for standing up for our family against this bully. I’m truly disgusted that the bully in this situation is a teacher in a public school.” In a heartbreaking statement, Louis told the Tribune that the young boy understood what the teacher was saying but was afraid to speak up because he’s had two failed adoptions before and didn’t want his dads to change their minds. “He was so fearful that this could make us think that we don’t want to adopt him,” said Louis. “That’s definitely not going to happen. But this situation really hurt him. This person really hurt us.”

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News Round-Up: November 22, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunk: Paleontologist Dr. Francesc Gascó (above) is also a bit CrossFit fan. This totally says TGIF to me. • KIT212: Kenneth has the low-down on what’s what in gay rags across the country. • Agence France-Presse: Several government ministries in Indonesia are banning LGBT job hunters in favor of what one called “normal” applicants, the Ombudsman said Friday. Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of some 260 million, has seen a jump in discrimination against gay and transgender people in recent years. • ABC News: Florida officers encounter a strange scene – a car circling in reverse with the owner’s dog Max inside. The dog’s owner had made a wrong turn, pulled over and got out of the car leaving the dog inside, who somehow hit the gear shift putting the car in reverse.

• Politico: Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has begun booking a huge quantity of TV ad time in media markets across the country, to the tune of possibly $10 million for only one week. As of 10:30 a.m. Friday, Advertising Analytics tracked buys in 100 local markets across the country. • Instinct: A 21-year-old man was attacked early Friday morning on a NYC subway platform. An assailant hit the man with a hammer, yelled homophobic slurs and threw him onto the subway tracks in the path of an oncoming train. • NY Times: A report by the Justice Department’s inspector general is expected to absolve those at the top of the FBI in regard to abusing their authority out of bias against President Trump, according to people briefed on a draft. • CUT: A gay man’s parents are asking to decipher the people he has slept with from a lineup of 8 potential partners (including one woman).

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Podcast: Pete Buttigieg, RuPaul, Tom Goss & The Epic Fail Of ‘Straight Pride’

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s podcast: • Sen. Kamala Harris calls Mayor Pete Buttigieg “naive” for relating his experience as a gay man to other marginalized communities. • A homophobic photographer in Kentucky has filed a lawsuit to block Louisville’s Fairness Ordinance just in case a gay couple were to ask her to shoot their wedding. • Three federal judges have blocked a new rule announced by the Health and Human Services Department that would allow healthcare professionals to deny service to LGBTQs. • The Straight Pride event in Dallas was the biggest fail yet. • Netflix releases teaser video for RuPaul’s upcoming scripted comedy series AJ and The Queen. • Out singer/songwriter Tom Goss’s new album explores new emotional Territories. All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

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Homophobic Photographer Files Anti-LGBTQ Lawsuit ‘Just In Case’

A wedding photographer in Louisville, Kentucky, has filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s Fairness Ordinance saying it forces her to “use her artistic talents to promote same-sex wedding ceremonies.”

The photographer, Chelsey Nelson, asks in the lawsuit that the city not only stop enforcing the 20-year-old ordinance but also requests ‘compensatory damages.’ Continue reading “Homophobic Photographer Files Anti-LGBTQ Lawsuit ‘Just In Case’”

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Franklin Graham: I Spoke To Chick-Fil-A CEO And They Haven’t Changed

Chick-Fil-A

Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A recently announced a shift in its charitable donations clearly intended to stave protests by LGBTQ activists and allies who have brought much-unwanted attention to the restaurant’s support of anti-LGBTQ organizations like the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. But homophobic evangelist Franklin Graham posted a message on his Facebook page saying he’s spoken to the company’s CEO who he claims promised: “they haven’t changed.”

“Has Chick-fil-A caved? Some are saying they’ve rolled over, that they’ve conceded to the LGBTQ protests because they released a statement about their charitable giving. They announced that in 2020 they’re giving to fight hunger and homelessness and support education. What’s wrong with that?

“I picked up the phone and called Dan Cathy. Dan was very clear that they have not bowed down to anyone’s demands, including the LGBTQ community. They will continue to support whoever they want to support. They haven’t changed who they are or what they believe. Chick-fil-A remains committed to Christian values. Dan Cathy assured me that this isn’t going to change. I hope all those who jumped to the wrong conclusion about them read this.

“In my opinion, the gay movement wouldn’t ever be happy with Chick-fil-A unless they were open on Sunday, gave all of their charitable donations to LGBTQ organizations, and flew the rainbow flag over their stores! Their hatred for Chick-fil-A is rooted in founder Truett Cathy’s strong stand for biblical ‘traditional’ values and his desire to honor God.

“No fast food chain does a better job. I went through the drive-thru at Chick-fil-A yesterday morning, and I thought I might get dinner there — but a whole lot of other people had the same idea! A Chick-fil-A sandwich with waffle fries sounds really good right now!” 

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Chick-Fil-A Says No More Donations To Homophobic Groups

Chick-Fil-A

Do we believe them? Chick-fil-A has had a rough relationship with the LGBTQ community for years thanks to donations by the popular fast-food chain to anti-LGBTQ organizations like the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. But in a statement today, Chick-fil-A says it will end those donations in favor of a new tact. A representative for Chick-fil-A says the company “made multi-year commitments to both organizations” and “fulfilled those obligations in 2018.” The eatery says it will now focus charitable donations to “a smaller number of organizations working exclusively in the areas of education, homelessness, and hunger.” But should we be buying this? The restaurant chain’s CEO, Dan Cathy, made a similar promise back in 2011. And in 2016, the company told Think Progress that it was ending contributions to such groups, but earlier this year the news site found Chick-fil-A had donated $1.8 million to discriminatory groups in 2017. Drew Anderson, the director of campaigns at GLAAD, the national LGBTQ advocacy group, didn’t sound very convinced as he issued a statement saying in part, “Chick-fil-A investors, employees and customers can greet today’s announcement with cautious optimism, but should remember that similar press statements were previously proven to be empty.” There have been protests across the U.S., Canada and the UK over proposed openings of the fast food restaurant. Earlier this year, the San Antonio city council said no to a franchise being opened at the local airport. And the UK shopping center where Chick-fil-A opened its first storefront across the pond announced after just a week that the lease on the newly-opened location would not be renewed due to protests.

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Tennessee Commissioner: “We Got A Queer Running For President!”

Sevier County Commissioner Warren Hurst (screen capture)
During a commission meeting in Sevier County, Tennessee, Monday night Commissioner Warren Hurst decided he had somethings he wanted to get off his chest. While the public meeting was meant to discuss a pending vote on becoming a gun sanctuary city, Hurst shifted topics. “We got a queer running for president – if that ain’t about as ugly as you can get,” said Hurst with a toothpick in the corner of his mouth. “Look what we got running for president in the Democratic party. We can go over here to Hoss’s jail [Sevier County Sheriff] and get better people out of there than those running for democratic to be President of the United States.” “I’m not prejudiced – but, by golly, a white male in this country has very few rights and they getting took more every day,” added the 77-year-old commissioner. “Now, your kids and your grandkids is gonna pay for what we’ve let happen.” Local news station WVLT reports one woman stood up and left the meeting telling Hurst, “This is not professional. This is [expletive].” But many attending the meeting laughed at Hurst’s comments. Hurst later defended his comments to WVLT saying he stood by his remarks but claimed – get ready for it – that ‘some of his best friends’ are African-American. Of course, they are. On Tuesday morning, Perrin Anderson, assistant to the Sevier County Mayor, issued a statement denouncing Hurst’s remarks: “The statements made by Commissioner Hurst at the Sevier County Commission meeting of October 21, 2019, do not reflect the opinion or position of Sevier County administration,” said Anderson. “Sevier County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or status in any other group protected by law.” Sevier County includes the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge (home of Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood). Their economies survive on tourism, so you have to wonder why would anybody want to visit there now? You can watch Hurst’s comments below. https://www.facebook.com/WVLT8/videos/520357218510468/

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First UK Chick-Fil-A Location Set To Close One Week After Opening

Chick-Fil-A

Following the opening of the first UK branch of Chick-fil-A restaurants last week, the eatery is already facing closure. The controversial fast-food chain, which has attracted negative attention for years due to donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations, opened its first outlet at The Oracle shopping center in Reading, Berkshire. When the news was announced on a local Facebook page, the comments got pretty heated with many familiar with the restaurant’s history of supporting homophobic organizations chiming in. “Not a company I would want to support regardless of what their food tastes like!” wrote one commenter. “Shame they are choosing our fabulously diverse town to ‘test’ in!” “I totally agree with you!” added another. “I’m American and cannot support this business. It is anti-gay… anti-LGBT.” “You have literally got to be kidding me,” declared a Reading resident. “You do know just how blatantly homophobic they are? I’m ashamed of all involved in allowing this to happen, honestly. Utterly unacceptable.” “Vile won’t be eating there sadly until they stop their discriminatory and hate-filled policies!” A spokesperson for Chick-fil-A issued a statement following the opening:

“We opened a pilot licensed location at The Oracle Centre of Reading on October 10 and we are pleased by customer response. Chick-fil-A is a restaurant company focused on serving great food and hospitality. We are represented by more than 145,000 people from different backgrounds and beliefs and welcome everyone.”

But today, the BBC is reporting a spokeswoman for The Oracle shopping center says “the right thing to do” was to not extend the fast-food outlet’s lease past the “six-month pilot period.”

“We always look to introduce new concepts for our customers, however, we have decided on this occasion that the right thing to do is to only allow Chick-Fil-A to trade with us for the initial six-month pilot period, and not to extend the lease any further.”

After statements in 2012 by CEO Dan Cathy who responded “Guilty as charged” when asked about opposing marriage equality resulted in much unwanted bad press, the company shared on its Facebook page it would change course and focus on chicken leaving the “policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.” But ThinkProgress reports the company has continued to donate to anti-LGBTQ organizations like the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. (source: BBC, ThinkProgress – image via Depositphotos)

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AG Bill Barr Has A Problem With LGBTQ Inclusion In School Curriculum

Attorney General Bill Barr (image via Flickr/WhiteHouse – public domain)
Attorney General William Barr says he has a problem with the inclusion of consequential LGBTQ figures in public school curriculums that do not allow homophobic parents to opt-out their kids on the basis of religious beliefs. From The Hill:

“Many states are adopting curriculum that is incompatible with traditional Judeo-Christian principles. … They often do this without any opt-out provision for religious families,” Barr said.

He particularly cited laws in New Jersey, California, and Illinois requiring an LGBT curriculum.

“The Orange County Board of Education in California issued an opinion that ‘parents who disagree with the instructional material … may not excuse their children from this instruction,'” he said, lamenting that in some cases parents are not “warned” about the material.

Schools already teach about the heroes of the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movements. What is the harm in teaching kids about the Stonewall uprising? As former Vice President Joe Biden pointed out at the LGBTQ Town Hall this week, almost half of all Americans incorrectly believe that federal law protects LGBTQ people from discrimination. Including some lessons on the struggles and accomplishments of LGBTQ Americans could help solve that issue.