Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) got a big fat ‘no’ from the U.S. Supreme Court in his request to quash a grand jury subpoena from a Georgia prosecutor looking into possible interference in the 2020 presidential election.
Sheryl Lee Ralph on her Emmy Award win (image via Emmys.com)
Some news items you might have missed:
• Gayety: Check out highlights for LGBTQ artists and allies at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. My favorite moment – longtime LGBTQ ally and forever Dreamgirl Sheryl Lee Ralph took home the trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in Abbott Elementary. This is an acceptance speech for the ages. Continue reading “Sheryl Lee Ralph And More Great Emmy Wins + More News”
• New York Post: Far-right pundits are claiming “thousands of NYC police officers went on unpaid leave to avoid getting vaccinated.” Turns out only 34 cops and 40 civilian members of the force — which account for fewer than .15 percent of NYPD employees — did not comply. Continue reading “News Round-Up: November 1, 2021”
For those who thought Donald Trump’s exit from the White House might leave Randy Rainbow without any further inspiration…
Based on “Kansas City” from the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, OKLAHOMA!, the satirical genius offers his version of the song taking aim at Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
As always, the parody lyrics are totes clever:
Everyone loves to hate on Ted and Lindsey Their problem isn’t popularity You’d think they’d be ashamed of the shenanigans they try But never Cancun Cruz or Lady G
Earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced he would talk until he “fell over to make sure the Equality Act doesn’t become law.”
The remark, which occurred during an interview on Fox News with talking head Sean Hannity, was in response to President Biden’s suggestion that Senate Democrats consider bringing back the “talking filibuster” rule which existed when Biden joined the Senate in the 1970s.
Currently, the rules require 60 votes to close debate on legislation to move to the actual vote on a bill. Essentially, that means it takes a three-fifths majority to get to a vote. And with a 50-50 split in the Senate, Democrats will need 10 Republicans to vote with them to get to a vote on the bill.
With a “talking filibuster,” anyone who wanted to block closing debate would have to continuously speak from the floor of the Senate without pause. No bathroom breaks, no snacks, no nothing.
Senate Democrats have been considering some change to the filibuster to not only help pass the Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to protected classes of existing federal civil rights laws, but also HR1 – legislation that would expand voting access.
But Graham, of all people, attacking a federal LGBTQ rights bill didn’t sit well with many in the Twitterverse. Primarily because Graham has long faced rumors about being a gay closet case while voting against LGBTQ issues.
Now, we’re not saying Graham is gay. We’re just reporting that the insinuation has followed the never-married bachelor for years. AND – he votes against LGBTQ interests.
I cannot do this alone. If you’d be willing to stand with me against LG please let me know.
Just last summer, gay adult entertainment performer Sean Harding tweeted about “a homophobic republican senator” who “keeps passing legislation that is damaging to the lgbt and minority communities.”
Harding added, “Every sex worker I know has been hired by this man. Wondering if enough of us spoke out if that could get him out of office?”
At the time, #LadyG and #LadyGraham began trending as some alleged that was the nickname for Graham used by sex workers.
So it’s no wonder that this week, following Graham’s comments about the Equality Act, the Twitterverse clapped back at the senator.
They will set up the fainting chaise lounge on the Senate floor to be ready if he gets the vapors, too. This bitch. Someone had me my smelling salts. #LadyGhttps://t.co/V08MRVYjnP
Closeted Senator willing to die during a filibuster to stop an LGBTQ rights bill from passing. Men will literally die screwing themselves over instead of going to therapy. #EqualityAct#LindseyGrahamhttps://t.co/9ImKNAviQ8
Bless his heart. Methinks Ladybug Lindsey doth protest too much.
Lindsey Graham threatens to “talk until I fell over” to stop LGBTQ civil rights bill from passing https://t.co/N3HlRd8Oq0
— Shelby Kent-Stewart ™ (@ShelbyKStewart) March 18, 2021
@LindseyGrahamSC Wouldn’t it just be easier to just come out already? It’s 2021! I’m sure your QOP cronies would support you! Oh, wait …https://t.co/FN7Tg3OvIM
(screen capture from the acclaimed film Poppy Field)
Some news items you might have missed:
• The Advocate: South Carolina Democratic Rep. Cezar McKnight is facing ire from his fellow party members for introducing a new anti-trans bill that would make it a felony for doctors to prescribe life-saving hormone therapy for transgender youth. McKnight is joined in supporting the bill by 23 fellow lawmakers, all Republicans.
• JoeMyGod: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says he “would talk ’til I fell over to make sure that the Equality Act doesn’t become law.” Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
• Stonewall Gazette: The film Poppy Field (top image) follows the struggle of a young Romanian police officer, Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer), who tries to find balance between being a working man in a macho hierarchical environment and that of being a closeted gay person trying to keep his personal life a secret.
• NBC News: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Asian American community leaders during a scheduled visit to Georgia on Friday in the wake of the spa shootings in Atlanta that left eight people dead, six of whom were women of Asian descent.
• KATC: A federal grand jury in Lafayette returned a six-count indictment charging Chance J. Seneca, 19, of Lafayette, with hate crime, kidnapping, firearm, and obstruction charges based on his attempted murder of a gay man and his overarching scheme to kidnap and murder gay men whom he met online.
• CNN: Xavier Becerra was confirmed by the Senate as the first Latino Health and Human Services secretary on Thursday. The vote was 50 to 49. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) was the only Republican to vote yes – Democrat Mazie Hirono was absent.
You voted to confirm Betsy DeVos and Ben Carson, neither of whom had ANY relevant experience.
Fitness trainer Adrian Aguilar handles a wild Covidiot with amazing calm (screen captures)
Some news items you might have missed:
• LGBTQ Nation: The Mississippi state Senate passed a bill to ban transgender girls and women from competing in school sports by a vote of 34-9 late last week. Nine senators voted “present” or did not vote at all.
• Instinct Magazine: I admit I’m not the biggest expert on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but watch Denali walk away with this lip-sync battle. Poor Kahmora was stuck in a tight dress and couldn’t bring much to the battle.
• Washington Blade: Following President Biden’s reversal of the transgender military ban, trans service members welcome the opportunity to serve openly.
• Calendars: A new calendar, On Fire: The Firefighters of France, is a sexy homage to firefighters, spotlighting the proud members of fire squads from all over France, who have discarded their helmets and gear to flash their best smiles and flex their muscles.
• AP: Dr. Anthony Fauci has been awarded $1 million by the Israel-based Dan David Foundation for “defending science” and advocating for vaccines now being administered worldwide to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
• Washington Post: An Atlanta-area prosecutor plans to scrutinize a post-Election Day phone call between Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as part of a criminal investigation into whether Donald Trump broke Georgia laws while trying to reverse his defeat in the state.
• Kenneth-in-the-212: Talk about COVID nutjobs… fitness trainer (and Broadway veteran) Adrian Aguilar (top photos) had this wiiiiiiiild encounter with a male ‘Karen’ in Chicago when he asked the guy (later identified as Austin Tony Myers) to mask up per current pandemic guidelines.
The guy goes nutso, starts poking a very calm Aguilar, and trying to escalate things even further. The police were called, and Myers tried to say HE had been assaulted. But with several gym members recording the encounter plus security cameras, officers eventually (the incident lasted hours) arrested Myers for assault and trespassing. You can read the full account here.
As news outlets begin reporting arrested insurrectionists are planning on asking Donald Trump to pardon them for invading the U.S. Capitol, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) sends a message to Trump: No pardons for rioters.
Graham fears Trump handing out pardons to the folks who violently attacked the Capitol would “destroy” the Donald.
Speaking to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Graham said:
“There are a lot of people urging the president to pardon folks who participated in defiling the Capitol, the rioters.
“I don’t care if you went there and spread flowers on the floor, you breached the security of the Capitol, you interrupted a joint session of Congress. You tried to intimidate, assault, you should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and to seek a pardon of these people would be wrong.
“I think it would destroy President Trump and I hope we don’t go down that road. They chose to go into that Capitol, defile the Capitol. President Trump never said, ‘Go into the Capitol and try to interrupt a joint session of Congress.’”
I completely agree that if Trump were to issue presidential pardons for rioters it would just make him look that much more guilty.
Graham also flipped the script and attempted to place the blame for the assault on the Capitol building on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
This poor man. The duress he must be under, trying to conceal whatever it is that is forcing him to behave like a hostage…
— Tina Hayes, Fellow ReSISter 🌊🌊🌊 (@tinamichelehaze) January 17, 2021
Where was Nancy Pelosi?? She was hiding in a secure location because this fucker’s Orange master sent his rabid mob of cultists to attack the Capitol. Her staff hid under a desk in the dark for hours, while some jackass broke into her office. So Lindsey needs to shut the F up.
Seditionist Lindsey Graham wildly blamed Nancy Pelosi for the Insurrection. Even though Lindsey was harassed by Trumpers at the airport, he still can’t turn his Russian back on Trump. Lindsey spread election lies that led to the Siege. Investigate him for Treason, and expel him.