Some news items you might have missed: • SiriusXM: James Franco breaks his silence about sleeping with students of his now-defunct acting school months after settling a class-action sexual misconduct suit for $2.2 million. “Look, I’ll admit I did sleep with students,” he said adding he never thought about the power imbalance of his position as a teacher. Continue reading “News Round-Up: December 23, 2021”
News Round-Up: September 8, 2021
Some news items you might have missed: • Queerty: Proud Boys leader says members sometimes slap each other’s butts to resolve disputes, describing those moments as “pretty magical?” Continue reading “News Round-Up: September 8, 2021”
‘Straight Pride’ Hate Rally Erupts With Bear Spray & Brawling
A so-called ‘straight pride’ hate rally held in Modesto, California, on Saturday ended with bear spray and brawling as the far-right group the Proud Boys clashed with pro-LGBTQ protesters. Continue reading “‘Straight Pride’ Hate Rally Erupts With Bear Spray & Brawling”
News Round-Up: June 11, 2021

Congratulations to #DarnellaFrazier. #Pulitzer pic.twitter.com/MdXk1Sspqo
— The Pulitzer Prizes (@PulitzerPrizes) June 11, 2021
AT&T donated $56,295 to Mitch McConnell’s 2020 campaign — while he was actively blocking the Equality Act. But what a great Pride Twitter banner 🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/qDeBzaGVo2
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) June 6, 2021
What a fun Pride display 🏳️🌈! But what’s not fun is that American Airlines donated $46,617 to Mitch McConnell’s 2020 campaign — while he was actively blocking the Equality Act from becoming law. pic.twitter.com/Sp4GQat9qk
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) June 7, 2021
Woah, CUTE Pride logo 🏳️🌈! What’s not cute is giving more than $150,000 to Mitch McConnell and other GOP Senators who are actively blocking the Equality Act from becoming law. pic.twitter.com/dev9T6KYw5
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) June 10, 2021
Proud Boys Leader Lashes Out At Trump

“Fuck Trump! Fuck him more than Biden. I’ve followed this guy for 4 years and given everything and lost it all. Yes he woke us up, but he led us to believe some great justice was upon us…and it never happened. Now I’ve got some of my good friends and myself facing jail time cuz we follow this guy’s lead and never questioned it.”
More from USA Today:
Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean lashed out at President Donald Trump, accusing him of misleading his supporters and then deserting them despite their unwavering loyalty.
“We are now and always have been on our own. So glad he was able to pardon a bunch of degenerates as his last move and s— on us on the way out,” Nordean said in an expletive-laden message about the former president. “F— you trump you left us on [t]he battle field bloody and alone.”
Nordean is one of several members of the extremist group with ties to white supremacy whose members describe themselves as “Western Chauvinists.” He’s among the more than 400 people who have been charged for their alleged roles in the deadly assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Proud Boy leader Ethan Nordean lashed out at Trump on Jan. 20, when it dawned on him that he’d likely be going to jail for the ex-president, according to new messages revealed by prosecutors last night. pic.twitter.com/JX1MvvsGR2
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) May 14, 2021
News Round-Up: April 7, 2021

News Round-Up: January 20, 2021
Some news items you might have missed: • New Day: I thought a lot about the right image to lead this news round-up today. After years of the popular meme of the lawn boy being yelled at by Donald Trump, today – no yelling. #AndExhale #PoofHesGone • LGBTQ Nation: Antony J. Blinken, Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his confirmation hearing that he will enact policies that will allow American embassies to support and protect LGBTQ rights around the world by flying the rainbow flag. • LA Times: The FBI raided the Huntington Beach apartment of openly-gay far-right extremist Kristopher Dreww, who boasted on social media about attending the invasion of the U.S. Capitol. No arrest took place but undisclosed items were removed from the residence. • Meidas Touch: Bette Midler has a message for Donald Trump. I’m so happy to wave ‘so long dearie’ to the Trump years in the White House, but how could I not post this?
• Washington Post: Donald Trump had imagined a showy military send-off, however only a modest crowd of a few hundred loyalists showed up at Joint Base Andrews to see him off. The event had more of a feel of a county fair than a big-budget extravaganza. In a Trumpian twist, the music that played as he ended his remarks was the Village People’s “YMCA,” a singalong staple from his boisterous political rallies. • New York Times: The Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group who were staunch supporters of Donald Trump, have begun to turn on the Trumpster calling him “weak” and “a total failure.” • The Daily Beast: As it became clear that Trump was not, in fact, going to suddenly appear and order the arrest of all the Democrats, QAnon believers – like the Proud Boys – also began to wonder if they had been tricked.
QAnon MAGA struggling today as they realize “The Storm” isn’t coming and it was all BS.
“Trump fooled us,” complained one Telegram commenter. “All my family and co-workers think I’m crazy,” wrote another. “I feel stupid,” wrote a third.https://t.co/8eRni659S6 — Dodgers Andrew (@DodgersAndrew) January 20, 2021
Ron Watkins, son of 8kun owner Jim Watkins & a QAnon influencer himself, told adherents on Telegram “we have a new president sworn in and it is our responsibility as citizens to respect the Constitution…”
A massive blow to remaining QAnon diehards. pic.twitter.com/yTD7bdCogl — Karim Zidan | كريم زيدان (@ZidanSports) January 20, 2021
Arnold Schwarzenegger On Trump: ‘I Know Where Such Lies Lead’

My message to my fellow Americans and friends around the world following this week’s attack on the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/blOy35LWJ5
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 10, 2021
News Round-Up: October 5, 2020
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas have opened the court’s term by calling for the overturning of its 2015 marriage equality decision. The Obergefell v. Hodges decision threatens religious liberty, Alito wrote in a statement in which Thomas concurred. • The Gaily Grind: Nearly a week after President Trump instructed the far-right extremist Proud Boys group to “stand back and stand by” during 2020’s first presidential debate after being asked to condemn them, internet users have reclaimed the #ProudBoys hashtag by flooding Twitter and Reddit with photos of gay men in love and expressing physical affection.
🇨🇦🏳️🌈 #ProudBoys pic.twitter.com/rEFL7xIqXu
— Canadian Forces in 🇺🇸 (@CAFinUS) October 4, 2020
• Wall Street Journal: The IRS is investigating longtime National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre for possible criminal tax fraud related to his personal taxes. According to public filings, his total reported pay from 2014 to 2018 was $11.2 million. In August, he was charged in a civil suit by New York Attorney GeneralLetitia James with taking millions of dollars of allegedly undisclosed compensation in the form of free yacht trips, private jet flights for his family, exotic safaris and other benefits. • BBC: Facing a rising rate of coronavirus infections in France which began to grow exponentially in late August, officials in Paris will shut all bars completely from Tuesday after the French government raised the city’s coronavirus alert to maximum following a period of high infection rates. On Saturday, the country reported nearly 17,000 infections marking the highest rate since the country started widespread testing. • Star-Telegram: Trump supporter Jason Lata was arrested on suspicion of assault causing bodily injury after he punched a man in a video clip that went viral. Video of the incident shows Lata in a hat yelling profanities at the victim and screaming “Turn it off!” as an anti-Donald Trump rap song by YG appeared to be playing in the background. Lata, who was standing with other men who were wearing Trump T-shirts, then punched the victim in the face.
Violent Trump supporter at a rally in Texas assaults a peaceful counter-protester pic.twitter.com/s950Q3kgTj
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) October 3, 2020
News Round-Up: June 5, 2020

• Buzzfeed News: A police officer in Salem, Oregon, was caught on video warning a group of white supremacists to seek shelter before the police were planning to tear gas the area and avoid being arrested for violating a curfew so officers “don’t look like [they’re] playing favorites.” • Newsweek: Donald Trump finally got his wall/fence. But instead of being a barrier on the U.S. southern border, it’s a barricade around the White House. I’m sure you can parse the irony on your own. • The Advocate: Police fired bang shots at a queer bar owner in North Carolina after he’d set up a first aid station in his parking lot to treat peaceful protestors who had gotten injured.
RALEIGH POLICE JUST FIRED FLASH BANGS AND LESS LETHAL ROUNDS AT MEDICS, INCLUDING THE OWNER OF RUBY’S DELUXE, A QUEER BAR WHERE THE MEDICS WERE STATIONED. pic.twitter.com/sGckVjRC1e
— inside agitator ☭ (@bennykoval) June 1, 2020