Tag: Twitter

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Twitter Demanded Superpowers After Anti-Vaxxer’s “Magnetize” Theory Went Viral

(image via Twitter/GeorgeHahn)
Twitter went wild yesterday when video of an anti-vaxxer physician went viral after she claimed COVID-19 vaccines ‘magnetize’ people. Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, Doctor of Osteopathy, testified on Tuesday at an Ohio state House Health committee hearing in favor of a bill that would prohibit Ohio schools or businesses from requiring vaccines. “I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures all over the internet of people who have had these shots and now they’re magnetized,” Tenpenny told the Ohio House Health Committee. “They can put a key on their forehead. It sticks. They can put spoons and forks all over them and they can stick, because now we think that there’s a metal piece to that.” She added that there are “people” who believe the vaccines have an “interface – yet to be defined” with 5G cell phone towers before quickly adding, “not proven yet but…” So, first of all, there’s no metal in COVID vaccines. Second, the good doctor offers no ideas as to HOW mRNA interfaces with a cell phone tower. Does she think it requires an app like Scruff or something…?

To give you an idea of how ‘accurate’ her claims are, Tenpenny tried to bolster her bona fides by saying she’s spent up to 10,000 hours studying vaccines since the pandemic began. The only problem with that is there have only been something like 11,000 hours since the beginning of the pandemic in the U.S. So, she would have been “studying” vaccines 22 hours a day, every day, since March 2020. By the way, experts have already debunked the hilarious “COVID-19 contains magnets” myth: https://www.tiktok.com/@drgigiosler/video/6963458278600772870?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6969720433135683078&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0

But this woman, who followed Tenpenny, really put the nail in it when she tried to ‘prove’ the magnetic theory – #epicfail:

In any case, Twitter thought Tenpenny’s thoughts were about nine pennies short of having any good sense. After ‘Magneto’ began trending on Twitter, we took a look to see what folks thought of the theory:

Many people got excited thinking the Marvel villain ‘Magneto’ was trending because the new series ‘Loki’ debuted on the same day. Folks were pretty bummed that wasn’t the case.

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Trump Calls On Countries To Ban Twitter And Facebook

Donald Trump

Donald Trump issued a statement today praising the nation of Nigeria (which he once called a ‘shit hole’) for banning Twitter after the social media company banned the country’s president. In the same breath he called on more countries to ban both Twitter and Facebook because he’s still butt hurt over being banned from the platforms. His current bans are a result of his being held accountable for the violent invasion of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6. Apparently still inhabiting Earth 2, Trump ponders if he should have banned the two social media platforms while in the White House – except, of course, he didn’t have that power.

Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their President. More COUNTRIES should ban Twitter and Facebook for not allowing free and open speech—all voices should be heard.

In the meantime, competitors will emerge and take hold. Who are they to dictate good and evil if they themselves are evil?

Perhaps I should have done it while I was President. But Zuckerberg kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was. 2024?

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Study: Social Media Platforms ‘Categorically Unsafe’ For LGBTQs

A young gay man on social media

A young gay man on social media
(photo: Eddy Billard/Unsplash)
GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has announced the findings of its inaugural Social Media Safety Index (SMSI), a 50-page report on LGBTQ user safety across five major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. The overall takeaway is that  all five platforms are “categorically unsafe” for LGBTQ people. From Axios:

GLAAD had planned to give each of the sites a grade as part of its inaugural social media index, but opted not to give individual grades this year after determining all the leading sites would receive a failing grade.

“They are categorically unsafe, across the board,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said. The findings follow a several month effort by GLAAD and a team of outside experts who looked at each of the sites, their policies and track record of enforcing those policies.

Ellis said that all of the sites hold themselves out as LGBTQ-friendly and nonetheless allow for LGBTQ people to be harassed on a daily basis as well as allowing harmful misinformation to spread unchecked.

Each of the social media platforms defended their efforts to protect LGBTQ people. Facebook/Instagram CMO Alex Schultz declared their deep belief in “the representation of and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community that GLAAD champions.” “Finding the right balance between giving voice and taking action on harmful content is hard,” added Schultz. “This is why we partner with experts, non-profits and other stakeholders – like GLAAD – to try to get it right.” YouTube issued a statement noting its ‘significant progress’ in removing “hateful and harassing content against the LGBTQ+ community that violates our policies, prominently surface content in search results and recommendations from authoritative sources and limit the spread of extreme content by our recommendations.” Twitter says it welcomes GLAAD’s initiative and the chance to “better understand the experiences and needs of the LGBTQ+ communities on our service.” And TikTok promised it is “committed to supporting and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices on and off the platform and we care deeply about fostering a welcoming and supportive experience for everyone.”

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That Time When Gamers Discovered The Other ‘Manhunt’

Screen capture of Manhunt homepage

Screen capture of Manhunt homepage
Screen capture of Manhunt homepage
Gamers and gays found themselves at a Twitter intersection this afternoon when “Manhunt” began trending and folks got way excited. As gays know, Manhunt is the OG gay dating network founded back in 2001. Before we had smart phones and apps to swipe left on like Scruff and Grindr, Manhunt was the online destination of choice for guys looking for a “date.” The Twitter account for Manhunt even jokes in its bio about the company’s longevity writing, “Yes, we’re still here.” But on the other side of the social spectrum, “Manhunt” means a whole different thing to gamers. Part of the Minecraft series, ‘Minecraft Manhunt’ was created by a Minecraft YouTuber named Dream. The Urban Dictionary files this description: “The basic idea of Minecraft Manhunt is that Dream is trying to beat the Ender Dragon while his friend/s try to stop him, and they have a compass they can use to track him down.” Not being a gamer, I’m not really sharp on what that means, but it’s apparently really popular. Manhunt was also a horror-based video game launched in the 2000s. Gamers chatting on the idea of a reboot is apparently what actually got the word trending on Twitter.

BUT – when the term “Manhunt” began trending, true-blue gamer hearts began to flutter…until they discovered the ‘other’ Manhunt.

https://twitter.com/emilyto11232679/status/1374763789971783680

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My Favorite Thing Today: ‘My Turn’

Young man on the phone

Young man on the phone
(stock image via Depositphotos)
I recently came upon a Twitter thread from 2019 that literally made me stop and catch my breath. On March 4, 2019, one Twitter user asked the question: “What is the kindest thing a stranger has done or said to you?” Several stories were posted, but this one, from Joe in Chicago, stood out for obvious reasons. A phone call to an LGBTQ book store from a confused young man results in a tribal instinct to protect by taking ‘that call.’

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Twitter Shades Graham Over Threat To Block Equality Act

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
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.

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.

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Madison Cawthorn Doesn’t Understand The 1st Amendment

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) had the audacity to call someone else a liar after fabricating or "rewriting" much of his own resume/bio.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC)
Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC)
Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) told Newsmax viewers that he plans to sponsor a bill in Congress that would reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act which protects publishers from being sued over what users post on their sites. Congressman Howdy Doody has somehow conflated users being kicked off Twitter or Facebook for violating the terms of service as violating folks’ First Amendment rights. “Greg Steube and I are leading a charge to reform that terrible Section 230 that gives them basically this full-on immunity where the American people are unable to go after Big Tech when they assault out First Amendment rights,” said Cawthorn. “If our bill passes, and we know the Democrats are not going to allow us to do that because this is one of their greatest weapons, but when our bill passes in the next Congress, you’re going to start seeing Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, all these big tech companies start answering for their crimes,” he added. Ahem, the 1st Amendment says, “CONGRESS shall make no law…” It doesn’t say anything about Facebook, Twitter, or big tech companies. There is NO constitutional right to be on Twitter or Facebook. Conservatives (and others) get kicked off Twitter when they blatantly LIE and spread disinformation.

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News Round-Up: February 24, 2021

French InstaHunk Yeti (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Just because I like looking at nice things…Hump Day moment via French hunk Yeti (above). Follow him here. • Instinct Magazine: A new documentary, Trans in Trumpland, shines new light on how the Trump administration affected the lives of transgender people. • Washington Blade: D.C.’s FOX 5 News anchor Blake McCoy, who’s gay, has been suspended from his job following a since-deleted tweet saying he is “annoyed obese people of all ages get priority vaccine access before all essential workers” like himself. He later apologized saying he regretted his words and asked “that you accept my sincere apology.” • CNBC: The Food and Drug Administration’s staff endorsed Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, a critical step in bringing a third shot to the U.S. marketplace. The vaccine’s level of protection varied by region demonstrating 66% effectiveness overall, 72% in the United States, 66% in Latin America and 57% in South Africa. • NPR: The cost of repairing damages from the attack on the U.S. Capitol and related security expenses have already topped $30 million and will keep rising, Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton told lawmakers on Wednesday. • CNN: The Manhattan district attorney’s office has subpoenaed financial records related to Steve Bannon’s crowd-funding border-wall effort, signaling that its criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s chief strategist is advancing. Bannon’s presidential pardon only shields him from federal, not state, crimes.

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News Round-Up: February 10, 2021

Funnyman Michael Henry is down because he doesn't have a boo for Valentine's Day

Funnyman Michael Henry is down because he doesn't have a boo for Valentine's Day
Michael Henry is down about Valentine’s Day (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Yahoo News: Ryan Williams, 24, was beaten until he lost consciousness by Brandon Forrester, 19, in 2019. Forrester pleaded guilty to causing bodily harm and was sentenced to a nine-month term. But due to the COVID pandemic and “previous good character,” his sentence was suspended and was allowed to walk free. “After court he started laughing at my mum’s face, he showed no remorse,” said Williams. • Instinct Magazine: The U.K. has experienced a record number of HIV tests recently and many attribute the increase to the popular new AIDS-era drama, It’s A Sin. HIV advocacy group Terrence Higgins Trust says there has been a “four-fold increase” on HIV Testing Week stats compared to earlier years. • YouTube: Funnyman Michael Henry (top image) throws a wrench into plans to shoot a ‘quarantine cruising’ clip with his buddy ‘Terry’ because he’s down about not having a boyfriend for Valentine’s Day.

• Boy Culture: Matt Rettenmund remembers Larry Flynt, the controversial publisher of Hustler Magazine who championed free speech (smutty or not). Flynt died today due to heart failure at the age of 78. • The Daily Beast: During an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Wednesday Twitter’s CFO Ned Segal told viewers that Donald Trump will never be allowed on the social media platform. • The Atlantic: Soon after the November election, a business colleague of Donald Trump’s close ally Corey Lewandowski offered a whistleblower and convicted ex-banker an expensive deal: In exchange for a $300,000 fee up front—plus another $1 million if successful—the two men would push the then-president for a pardon. • HBO Max: Check out the trailer for the new HBO documentary There Is No ‘I’ In Threesome premiering on February 11. Ollie Lucks is the director of the new doc film that explores his bisexual, polyamorous identity alongside his girlfriend Zoe. Hoping to expand their sexual horizons, the couple decided to open up their relationship before getting hitched.

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News Round-Up: January 30, 2021

Brody the wonder pup

Brody the wonder pup
Brody the wonder pup enjoys the sunshine
Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: A white man, whose father is a former cop, has been sentenced to one year in jail and four years of probation for tampering with evidence in connection to the death of his Black lover. Gardner Kent Fraser admitted to killing Dominic Jerome “DJ” Broadus Jr outside his home in Baker County, Florida. But because he claimed that he shot Broadus in self-defense, he did not face any charges related to the killing. • Saturday Slowdown with Brody: Spent a quiet day in the sun with the Brody (above). Annnnd, cue ‘Sunshine on my Shoulder’ by John Denver (who went to my high school, btw). Please note John’s gorgeous live vocal here…

• Global News: A Canadian clothing line is helping transgender kids feel confident at the beach or pool with bathing suits designed to maximize comfort without compromising style. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Click over to check out the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like Russian model and personal trainer Konstantin Kostin (below) covering DNA Magazine. DNA Magazine • CNN: Donald Trump has struggled to find lawyers who will take on his impending impeachment case. Trump reportedly wants attorneys to focus on his election fraud claims rather than the constitutionality of convicting a former president. • The Daily Beast: Fox News host Maria Bartiromo agreed with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) that social media platforms ‘appear’ to be bowing down to a ‘woke’ mob. “Yeah, I had—right around the election—one million followers on Twitter,” a somewhat frantic Bartiromo exclaimed. “Now I have under 900,000. Literally in a couple of weeks. I don’t know what’s going on there!” ‘What’s going on’ is that following the invasion of the U.S. Capitol building that Donald Trump incited, Twitter deleted tens of thousands of QAnon conspiracy nutjobs from its platform. Those crazy ass people are the ones many conservatives are whining about regarding ‘lost followers.’