Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
Winston Durham (screen capture)The concerning trend of active military and veterans taking part in extremist groups continues as Military.com reports several members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front who were arrested on conspiracy to riot charges at an Idaho Pride event last week have military backgrounds. Continue reading “Several Active Military/Veterans Among Arrested Patriot Front Members”
Jared Michael Boyce (mugshot – Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office)The mother of Jared M. Boyce, 27, kicked him out of her house after his arrest for conspiracy to riot with the far-right Neo-Nazi group Patriot Front at an Idaho Pride event. The Southern Poverty Law Center calls the group “one of the most prominent white supremacist groups in the country.”
Continue reading “Neo-Nazi Kicked Out Of Mother’s House After Attempted Riot At Pride Event”
(images via Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office)More information has been released about the 31 members of a neo-Nazi group called Patriot Front who were arrested in Idaho on Saturday for allegedly planning to riot at a local Pride event. Continue reading “31 Members Of Neo-Nazi Group Patriot Front Arrested For Planning To Riot At Idaho Pride Event”
“Pride in the Park” returned to Coeur d’Alene City Park in Idaho today after a two-year hiatus. But the family-friendly event was threatened by the far-right Panhandle Patriots who sought to clash with the LGBTQ event armed with guns. Continue reading “Extremist Group Arrested Trying To Intimidate Idaho Pride Goers”
Some news items you might have missed:
• Texas Tribune: The superintendent of the Granbury Independent School District in Texas told a group of librarians he was concerned about having LGBTQ books on their shelves, even if they do not describe sex. “It’s the transgender, LGBTQ and the sex — sexuality — in books. That’s what the governor has said that he will prosecute people for, and that’s what we’re pulling out.” Continue reading “Banning LGBTQ Books In Texas + More News”
Some news items you might have missed:
• The Advocate: Police in Madrid are investigating a homophobic assault on a man who says eight people attacked him in the doorway of his home, cut his lip with a razor, and carved the word “faggot” into his buttock. Continue reading “News Round-Up: September 7, 2021”
Pastor Paul Van Noy (screen capture via YouTube)A pastor in A Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is being treated for COVID-19 at the Kootenai Health intensive care unit after who opening his church in May for in-person services that encouraged unmasked congregants to gather.
Who’d have ever guessed something could go wrong?
From the Spokesman-Review:
Paul Van Noy, the senior pastor at Candlelight Christian Fellowship, has spent the past two weeks in the ICU while his wife, Brenda Van Noy, recovered from her own bout with COVID-19 at home. Five other church staff have been infected, said Eric Reade, body ministry coordinator the church.
The church closed its doors for two weeks and underwent deep cleaning before reopening for in-person services Sunday, Reade said.
“We didn’t want, obviously, to be spreading the virus,” he said.
Church staffers don’t know how Van Noy contracted the virus, Reade said.
Van Noy, who apparently has a history of sharing his political views from the pulpit, has publicly shared his doubts regarding the efficacy of wearing face coverings to help protect against the virus.
Sara Walton Brady (photo via Ada County Sheriff’s Office)In a video shared on social media platforms, anti-vaccination activist Sara Walton Brady, 40, dared police to arrest her as officers tried to peacefully disperse an organized protest on a closed playground in Idaho.
Any guesses as to what happened next?
The group was protesting Gov. Brad Little’s stay-home order after removing signs and caution tape indicating the park’s closure.
From the Idaho Statesman:
Sara Walton Brady, 40, of Meridian, was noncompliant and refused to leave after being given many opportunities, police said. She was arrested on one count of misdemeanor trespassing. She was booked into Ada County Jail and released.
According to a police press release, officers on Tuesday night responded after several calls were made to dispatch. Officers then informed those gathered that the playground structure was closed and that they were welcome to utilize open areas of the park.
Walton Brady posted a $300 cash bond Tuesday evening, and her next court date is set for May 29, according to online court records.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to “buy booze” for the arresting officer.
K*ren: “Arrest me”
Cop: Okay
K*ren: 😲 pic.twitter.com/5NJnPsSj8k
— Scottie PIPM (@scottiepipm) April 23, 2020
So wait…y’all don’t like the police now… pic.twitter.com/UfsrIspwJa
— Kalen Allen (@TheKalenAllen) April 22, 2020
When black people get arrested it’s respect authority but now y’all are against the police pic.twitter.com/BbPS4DYbuH
— Nackers (@PalmerSaidWhat) April 22, 2020
It’s just funny how *this* is the stuff White folk choose to “protest”. ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL the other social issues in America & they up in arms bc they can’t play on the playground or go get their hair done 💀 pic.twitter.com/iJcDnw2927
— Petty L'Belle ☾ (@xoJoyBelleox) April 22, 2020
— Chef4Yang2024🧢🧣🦋 (@mjoub2020) April 22, 2020
In this week’s podcast:
• A Texas couple tragically dies within hours of each other due to COVID-19
• Idaho’s new anti-transgender laws are already being challenged in court
• Actor Leslie Jordan has become an Instagram sensation surging from 80K to 3 million followers. Find him on Instagram here.
• The new Netflix documentary Circus of Books chronicles the journey of a middle-class, straight Jewish couple from everyday entrepreneurs to accidental LGBTQ activists
• A vintage photo of two men named ‘Tommy’ and ‘Buzz’ has captured the romantic imagination of gay internet
• Huge stars will perform on the streaming event, Take Me To The World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration, on April 26
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Idaho Gov. Brad Little (image via public domain)After allowing two recently passed bills to sit on his desk for more than a week, Idaho Governor Brad Little chose to sign two anti-transgender bills into law on the eve of International Transgender Day of Visibility.
The laws take particular aim at transgender youth.
House Bill 509 prohibits transgender people from changing the gender listed on their birth certificate. The legislation is clearly a direct rebuttal to a federal court’s decision to overturn Idaho’s previous ban on trans people amending their birth certificates.
In 2018, U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale ruled a prohibition on updating birth certificates by Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare was discriminatory because some citizens – like adoptive parents – were allowed to amend birth certificates while trans people were not. The court ruled that the ban could cause “irreparable injury and harm” to trans people.
Idaho Rep. Julianne Young (R) proposed a new ban against updating birth certificates claiming they are “historical” documents.
House Bill 500 bans transgender student-athletes from participating in sports.
This makes Idaho the first state in the country to pass legislation targeting transgender student-athletes.
Local news station KTVB reports the anti-LGBTQ group Family Policy Alliance of Idaho hailed the bills’ passage saying that the so-called “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” protects athletic opportunities for girls “by ensuring biological males don’t play in girls’ high school and college sports.”
The Idaho attorney general’s office has already told the press that it estimates it will cost $1 million to defend the law in court.
The new law also allows for female student-athletes gender to be “challenged” and forces the athlete to submit to medical exams to prove their gender.
“This bill asks doctors to perform procedures way outside of the standards of care,” pediatrician Jessica Duvall told Forbes. “Moreover, even if the tests were performed against medical society norms, more often than not they do not yield clear, easily interpreted results.”
The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement denouncing both laws said that both laws.
“We are living in an unprecedented global health crisis, with confirmed cases of COVID-19 increasing on a daily basis in Idaho, across the United States, and around the world, but Governor Brad Little and the Idaho legislature have decided to prioritize the demonization of transgender people,” said HRC President Alphonso David in a statement.
“This is unacceptable, and a gross misuse of taxpayer funds and trust. Idaho is leading the way in anti-transgender discrimination, and at a time when life is hard enough for everyone, Idaho’s elected leaders will be remembered for working to make their transgender residents’ lives even harder.”
Alex Schmider, GLAAD’s Associate Director of Transgender Representation, denounced the legislation as well writing, “Tonight, on the eve of Transgender Day of Visibility and while the United States is overwhelmed with a massive public health crisis, Idaho Governor Brad Little passed legislation targeting some of the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ community — transgender children. Although medical experts, sport governing bodies, and Idaho’s major employers have spoken out against these two bills, Governor Little has instead sided with discrimination. Now, more than ever, transgender people need to be supported, not subjected to state-sponsored discrimination and suffering.”
“Our country is facing an unprecedented health crisis, and Gov. Little and members of the Idaho Legislature have prioritized attacking transgender student-athletes with this discriminatory and unnecessary new law,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, deputy executive director for the National Center for Transgender Equality. “State leaders should focus on protecting public health and safety, not on attacking vulnerable youth who want to play on a team with their peers. With so much suffering right now, Idaho is making sure trans kids suffer more.”