Tag: Illinois

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Florida’s Don’t Say Gay Law Goes Into Effect + More News

After Florida's 'don't say gay' law took effect Monday, teachers reported being discouraged from putting pictures of their same-sex spouse on their desk, teachers and staff members will be disallowed from wearing rainbow articles of clothing, and “Safe Space” stickers aimed at LGBTQ students may have to be removed from doors.

Some news items you might have missed:

• WFTV: After Florida’s ‘don’t say gay’ law took effect Monday, teachers reported being discouraged from putting pictures of their same-sex spouse on their desk, teachers and staff members will be disallowed from wearing rainbow articles of clothing, and “Safe Space” stickers aimed at LGBTQ students may have to be removed from doors. Continue reading “Florida’s Don’t Say Gay Law Goes Into Effect + More News”

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Campaign Strategy: ‘Stable Genius’ Announces Blue States Have ‘Gone To Hell’

The Supreme Court has refused to block the release of hundreds of documents from the Trump White Houses ought by the House committee investigating the violent invasion of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6.

Here’s a campaign strategy I’ve never seen in presidential politics.

Donald Trump took to Twitter today to demonize several states including California, New York, and Illinois.

According to Trump, the Golden State is “going to hell,” the Empire State has “gone to hell,” and the Land of Lincoln “has no place to go.”

Why would a president of the “United States” attack Americans in such a manner?

And by the way, does the Donald forget there are Republicans running for public office in those states?

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Biden Sweeps 3 More States, Sanders ‘Assessing’ His Campaign

L-R Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders

After losing all three Democratic primaries Tuesday night by double-digits, Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) campaign manager on Wednesday said that the senator “is going to be having conversations with his supporters to assess his campaign,” according to The Hill.

Noting that “the next primary contest is three weeks away,” Sanders’s campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, said in a statement that Sanders “is focused on the government response to the coronavirus outbreak and ensuring that we take care of working people and the most vulnerable.”

This follows a brutal night for Sanders where he lost across the board to former Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden won Florida’s primary 62 percent to Sanders’ 23 percent, per Buzzfeed News. In Illinois, it was Biden 59 percent to Sanders’ 36 percent, and in Arizona, the former vice president won 44 percent versus 32 percent for Sanders.

Biden spoke after the three contests were called and he addressed Sanders’ supporters directly:

“Senator Sanders and I may disagree on tactics, but we share a common vision for the need to provide affordable health care for all Americans, reduce income inequity that has risen so drastically, to tackling the existential threat of our time, climate change.

“Sen. Sanders and his supporters have brought a remarkable passion and tenacity to all of these issues. Together, they have shifted the fundamental conversation in this country. So let me say, especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Senator Sanders: I hear you. I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do.”

Biden began his delegate lead in the race by coming out on top in 10 of 14 contests on Super Tuesday.

Then on March 10, Biden won five of six contests including Washington state which was considered a safe haven for Sanders.

Political experts say Biden will have a nearly insurmountable lead in delegates by the time all of the votes are counted from this week’s primaries.

Biden currently has around 1,180 delegates, while Sanders has just about 884 delegates. You can check the count as more delegates are allocated at RealClearPolitics.

Candidates must garner at least 1,991 to officially clinch the nomination. Forty percent of delegates remain to be allocated.

Ohio, scheduled to vote last night, postponed its primary at the last minute due to coronavirus concerns.

Additionally, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, and Puerto Rico have also delayed their primaries.

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Podcast: POSE Scores At 2019 Imagen Awards; Trans Student Kicked Out Of Christian College; Ice Cream Ad Goes Awry

In this week's podcast: • POSE star MJ Rodriguez honored as "Best Actress" in TV series at 2019 Imagen Awards which recognize positive portrayals of Latinx people in the media • New ad spot compares eating ice cream with hugging your same-sex boyfriend in countries where homosexuality is punishable with prison time (what???) • Illinois becomes the 5th state to include LGBTQ history in public school curriculum • A trans student is kicked out of his Christian college for having top surgery • A masseur suing Kevin Spacey for alleged sexual battery says other alleged victims have contacted him

In this week’s podcast:

• POSE star MJ Rodriguez honored as “Best Actress” in TV series at 2019 Imagen Awards which recognize positive portrayals of Latinx people in the media

• New ad spot compares eating ice cream with hugging your same-sex boyfriend in countries where homosexuality is punishable with prison time (what???)

• Illinois becomes the 5th state to include LGBTQ history in public school curriculum

• A trans student is kicked out of his Christian college for having top surgery

• A masseur suing Kevin Spacey for alleged sexual battery says other alleged victims have contacted him

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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News Round-Up: June 25, 2019

• Instagram: Handsome guy + handsome dachshund pup = HotDudesWithDogs
So freaking cute…!

Some news items you might have missed:

• Instagram: Handsome guy + handsome dachshund pup = HotDudesWithDogs

• Politico: Federal prosecutors have accused Rep. Duncan Hunter of improperly using campaign funds to pursue numerous romantic affairs with congressional aides and lobbyists

• The Hill: Donald Trump says he couldn’t have raped writer E. Jean Carroll because “she’s not my type.”

• Reuters: A member of an armed group known for stopping migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has been arrested after authorities charged him with impersonating a U.S. Border Patrol agent

• AP: Illinois is the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana

• Emerson Polling: Latest polling shows five Democrats would beat Trump in hypothetical match-ups:

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Illinois: Court Win For Elderly Lesbian In Senior Home Harassment Suit

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of an elderly woman who alleges she was discriminated against and harassed while living in a senior retirement home in Illinois for being lesbian.
Marsha Wetzel of Illinois

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of an elderly lesbian woman who alleges she was discriminated against and harassed while living in a senior retirement home in Illinois.

Marsha Wetzel moved into the Glen St. Andrew Living Community, near Chicago, in 2014 after her longtime partner Judy had died of colon cancer.

In the aftermath of Judy’s passing, Judy’s family did not respect the 30 year relationship. The family took possession of Judy’s assets including the home they’d shared.

And so, Marsha had to find a place to live, and she found Glen St. Andrew.

But by 2016, she was forced to file a lawsuit after she experienced ugly, homophobic abuse at the hands of other residents and Glen St. Andrew did nothing about it.

Marsha says she was called anti-gay slurs and spit upon by residents. In her lawsuit she also alleged that she had been attacked and hit in the head in the community laundry room.

Additionally, she fell and bruised her arm when another resident rammed into her scooter knocking her over.

When Marsha took her concerns to management, nothing was done and she was retaliated against, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Lambda Legal created the heartbreaking video below when Marsha began her legal battle in 2016.

When the case went to trial last year, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit.

But undeterred, Marsha soldiered on to the 7th Circuit Appeals Court where yesterday a panel of three judges overturned the 2017 ruling and sent the case back to be tried.

The panel came to the conclusion that Glen St. Andrew could be held liable for housing discrimination.

Chief Judge Diane Wood wrote in the ruling, ‘“Not only does it (the Fair Housing Act) create liability when a landlord intentionally discriminates against a tenant based on a protected characteristic; it also creates liability against a landlord that has actual notice of tenant-on-tenant harassment … yet chooses not to take any reasonable steps within its control to stop that harassment.”

The win at the 7th Circuit was celebrated by Lambda Legal senior counsel Karen Loewy, who said in a statement after the ruling, “This is a tremendous victory for Marsha.”

“She, just like all people living in rental housing, whether LGBT or not, should be assured that they will at least be safe from discriminatory harassment in their own homes, “ Loewy continued. “What happened to Marsha was illegal and unconscionable, and the Court has now put all landlords on notice that they have an obligation to take action to stop known harassment.”

A statement released by a Glen St. Andrew spokesperson said while the senior home “is committed to providing fair, safe and non-discriminatory housing, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sex or sexual orientation,” the retirement home still denies the allegations.

“At this stage, the court was required to assume the factual allegations of plaintiff’s complaint were true for purposes of determining the legal issues,” they said in a statement. “Glen St. Andrew strongly denies the factual allegations of the complaint and will present its case in court at the appropriate time.”