LGBTQ news and entertainment
(via Instagram)
Michael Flynn (photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
So now it is reported that, after destroying his life & the life of his wonderful family (and many others also), the FBI, working in conjunction with the Justice Department, has “lost” the records of General Michael Flynn. How convenient. I am strongly considering a Full Pardon!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 15, 2020
FLYNN'S JUDGE
🔹️"[Flynn secretly working for Turkey] undermines everything this flag over here stands for."
🔹️"This crime [18 U.S.C. § 1001] is very serious. I can’t hide my disgust—my disdain—at this criminal offense."
TRUMP
🔹️"I am strongly considering a Full Pardon!"
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) March 15, 2020
Pardon Flynn? The only way to cleanse our country from the filth and stench of his Criminality is to beat him by a landslide in Nov. then prosecute him so he can join the rest of his mob family behind bars.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) March 15, 2020
Trump literally destroyed the lives of the Central Park 5 by falsely accusing them of rape and paying the New York Times to publicly call for their brutal executions. They spent years in jail for a crime they never committed.
They never got a pardon.
But they got exonerated.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 15, 2020
Some news items you might have missed: • Super Tuesday: Fourteen states are holding primaries or caucusing for the Democratic presidential candidate today, so make sure you get out and vote! Interesting factoid: CBS News reports early exit polling shows slightly more voters in Super Tuesday states want a return to Obama’s policies rather than more liberal policies. • The Advocate: Donald Trump’s Justice Department is weighing in on the side of a Kentucky photographer who doesn’t want to provide services to same-sex weddings, continuing its history under the Trump administration of supporting discrimination. Chelsey Nelson, a photographer in Louisville, filed a preemptive lawsuit in federal court against the city challenging its LGBTQ-inclusive Fairness Ordinance. Note – has never been asked to photograph a same-sex couple’s wedding. • NowThis News: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed a bill Monday banning conversion therapy for minors. According to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit that tracks LGBTQ+ legislation, Virginia will become the 20th state — and the first in the South — to ban the controversial therapy for minors. • The Verge: Apple has tentatively agreed to a $500 million settlement after admitting to slowing down older phones. It covers people who bought any product in the iPhone 6 and 7 lineup — which Apple secretly throttled to conserve battery life. By default, Apple will offer $25 to any current or former owner of a covered iPhone. Named class members will receive $1,500 or $3,500. • NewNowNext: Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a number of new amendments to the country’s Constitution, including one that would define marriage as between “a man and a woman.” Last month, he said same-sex marriage will not be permitted in the country as long as he is president. • KHOU: After Pete Buttigieg announced he was ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Joe Biden told reporters he would definitely approach the former mayor of South Bend to take a role in his administration.
Just finished 1 on 1 interview with @JoeBiden after his event @TexasSouthern Asked him about reports @PeteButtigieg and @amyklobuchar will endorse him tonight in #Dallas. #Biden wouldn’t confirm but did say this ⬇️ #khou11 #HtownRush pic.twitter.com/Acer6Vghul
— Marcelino Benito (@MarcelinoKHOU) March 2, 2020
And now we know why Donald Trump suddenly fired his acting director of national intelligence and moved German Ambassador Richard Grenell (who has zero experience in national intelligence) to the post. From the Washington Post:
Shelby Pierson, the intelligence community’s election threats executive, participated in a classified briefing on election security last week for the House Intelligence Committee.
Pierson told the lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans — that according to the intelligence gathered by U.S. agencies, Russia had “developed a preference” for Trump in 2020, according to an official briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a classified briefing.
Following that, Trump grew angry at his acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, in the Oval Office, seeing Maguire and his staff as disloyal for speaking to Congress about Russia’s perceived preference.
The intelligence official’s analysis and Trump’s furious response ruined Maguire’s chances of becoming the permanent intelligence chief, according to people familiar with the matter who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
Trump says he’s considering Rep. Douglas A. Collins for permanent DNI post; Collins says he doesn’t want it
Trump announced Wednesday that he was replacing Maguire with a vocal loyalist, Richard Grenell, who is the U.S. ambassador to Germany.
Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates who still have been unable to, after two weeks, count their votes in Iowa. Hoax number 7!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2020
L-R Hillary Clinton, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against Hillary Clinton, seeking $50 million in damages and claiming the former Democratic presidential nominee “carelessly and recklessly impugned” her reputation when she suggested in October that one of the 2020 Democratic candidates is “the favorite of the Russians.”
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, says it aims to hold Clinton and other “political elites” accountable for “distorting the truth in the middle of a critical Presidential election.” It also says Gabbard suffered an economic loss to be proven at trial.
Clinton made her comments during a podcast appearance on “Campaign HQ” with David Plouffe in which she didn’t mention Gabbard’s name.
(image via Twitter)
The White House and the Kremlin are at odds tonight over whether Trump raised election meddling today in his meeting with #Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov. The White House says he did; Lavrov says he did not
— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) December 10, 2019
White House says “President Trump warned against any Russian attempts to interfere in United States elections”
In meeting with Lavrov. Lavrov just now: “No, we haven't even discussed elections.”— Julian Borger (@julianborger) December 10, 2019
Just had a very good meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and representatives of Russia. Discussed many items including Trade, Iran, North Korea, INF Treaty, Nuclear Arms Control, and Election Meddling. Look forward to continuing our dialogue in the near future! pic.twitter.com/tHecH9a9ck
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2019
Lavrov just told @ewong that Trump did not raise the election interference issue in the Oval Office https://t.co/QesbLP8GNv
— Andrew S. Weiss (@andrewsweiss) December 10, 2019
In this week’s podcast: • Allegations of sexual battery have led to the cancellation of a California high school’s football season • A federal judge has struck down Tampa Florida’s ban on so-called conversion therapy • The FDA has approved a second drug to be prescribed for PrEP • A Russian man is suing Apple for $15k because his iPhone made him gay? • And a Tennessee teen honored as part of his school’s homecoming royalty, graciously accepted in a sequin gown All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
And the shoes continue to drop…
Three former White House officials tell the Washington Post that Donald Trump assured senior Russian officials in a 2017 Oval Office meeting that he was ‘unconcerned’ with Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
President Trump told two senior Russian officials in a 2017 Oval Office meeting that he was unconcerned about Moscow’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election because the United States did the same in other countries, an assertion that prompted alarmed White House officials to limit access to the remarks to an unusually small number of people, according to three former officials with knowledge of the matter.
The comments, which have not been previously reported, were part of a now-infamous meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, in which Trump revealed highly classified information that exposed a source of intelligence on the Islamic State. He also said during the meeting that firing FBI Director James B. Comey the previous day had relieved “great pressure” on him.
A memorandum summarizing the meeting was limited to a few officials with the highest security clearances in an attempt to keep the president’s comments from being disclosed publicly, according to the former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Nervous over early mismanaged handling of classified intelligence materials on the part of the Trump administration, the United States reportedly felt the need to extract a covert agent inside the Russian government before Donald Trump might slip and mention the operative. From CNN:
The disclosure to the Russians by the President, though not about the Russian spy specifically, prompted intelligence officials to renew earlier discussions about the potential risk of exposure, according to the source directly involved in the matter.
(image via Flickr/White House – public domain)
|
| Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers of Rammstein (photo: Jens Koch) |
Two members of the German heavy metal band Rammstein shared an onstage kiss in defiance of Russia’s anti-LGBTQ policies during their concert at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow Tuesday night.
While performing their song “Aüslander,” which means “foreigner” in German, guitarists Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers slowly walked towards each other. After briefly catching each other’s eyes, they leaned in for a quick kiss.
And the crowd goes wild!
The kiss took place just days after a prominent LGBTQ activist was found murdered in St. Petersburg.
The band posted a photo of the kiss by photographer Jens Koch on their Instagram account with the caption, “Russia, we love you.”
Since the band was formed in 1994, Rammstein has scored two Grammy nominations, six number-one albums on German and European music charts, and had dozens of Top Ten singles across Europe.
While the kiss itself was a quick peck, it’s clear the bold moment was inspired by Russia’s 2013 ‘gay propaganda’ law which bans promoting “non-traditional sexual relationships” to young people.
The passage of the legislation has increased hostile pressures on LGBTQ people in Russia.
In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights ruled the law “had reinforced stigma and prejudice and encouraged homophobia.”
Foreigners found to have violated the law may be fined up to 5,000 rubles ($78) and deported, or detained for up to 15 days before being deported.
Rammstein is well-known not only for spectacular stage shows but also for standing up for LGBTQ rights while on tour.
The Washington Post notes that just last week, during a concert in Chorzów, Poland, the band waved rainbow Pride flags while crowd surfing in inflatable rafts.
Photographer Jens Koch snapped the moment and shared it to her Instagram with the caption, “Wow, this means a lot to me. My favorite band standing up for equal rights in Poland this week. #LIFAD#lgbtqpoland#lgbti#rammstein”
Here’s a video of the kiss that rocked Russia: