Tag: Vatican

Posted on

Pope Approves Blessings For Same-Sex Couples

Pope Francis (image via public domain)

Pope Francis has formally approved blessings for same-sex couples. In the announcement, the Vatican says that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it. In today’s declaration, Francis makes clear that blessings for same-sex couples will be available as long as the ritual doesn’t resemble the sacrament of marriage, which remains reserved for only heterosexual relationships. Continue reading “Pope Approves Blessings For Same-Sex Couples”

Posted on

Trevor Project Quits X Over Spike In Hate Speech + More News

Elon Musk

Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: The Trevor Project is the latest organization to quit X (formerly Twitter) since Elon Musk’s takeover of the platform due to “the increasing hate and vitriol…targeting the LGBTQ community.” Continue reading “Trevor Project Quits X Over Spike In Hate Speech + More News”

Posted on

News Round-Up: June 3, 2021

Initial unemployment claims dropped below 400K for the first time since pandemic began

Initial unemployment claims dropped below 400K for the first time since pandemic began Some news items you might have missed: • CNBC: The labor market continues to improve as initial jobless claims fell to 385,000 last week. The last time claims were lower was the week of March 14, 2020, with 256,000. The number spiked to nearly 3 million the following week and peaked at more than 6.1 million in early April as governments across the U.S. shut down businesses in an effort to slow the coronavirus spread. • Instinct Magazine: In honor of Pride month, the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will stream for one week only Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City The Musical. The 2011 show will stream at Broadway On Demand’s National Theater Network. • Edge Media: A viral video about a 73-year-old man coming out and being celebrated by his neighbor has taken the internet by storm. “My dad’s neighbour just came out as gay at 73!” reads the video’s caption. “His family aren’t supportive. So Dad did this to show him he is not alone.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CPlDYz8DR0e/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • Washington Post: U.S. prosecutors this week put a price tag for the first time on damage to the U.S. Capitol from the Jan. 6 breach — $1.5 million so far — and are asking defendants to cover some of that in plea offers. Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington are seeking to require restitution of $2,000 in each felony case and $500 in each misdemeanor case. • Delusional: Writing for the National Review, Charles Cooke reports, “Donald Trump does indeed believe quite genuinely that he — along with former senators David Perdue and Martha McSally — will be ‘reinstated’ to office this summer after “audits” of the 2020 elections in Arizona, Georgia, and a handful of other states have been completed. • Twitter: The U.S. Embassy at the Vatican is flying the rainbow flag for Pride Month and a host of Republican politicians, religious right leaders, and far right media figures are losing their minds that the government would promote tolerance.

Posted on

‘Religious Liberty?’ GOP Lawmaker Not Down With Vatican Requiring Vaccinations

Freshman Congressman Madison Cawthorn (R-NC)

Freshman Congressman Madison Cawthorn (R-NC)
Freshman Congressman Madison Cawthorn (R-NC)
Freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) stepped in it a bit after tweeting about a news report indicating the Vatican may fire employees who don’t get vaccinated for the coronavirus. The 25-year-old wrote, “This doesn’t sound legal… One shouldn’t be forced against their will to be vaccinated. The vaccination is there for those who want it, and are in need of it due to medical vulnerabilities.”

Folks were quick to note the irony that the conservative lawmaker defends the concept of “religious liberty” wherein churches make their own rules about how to go about business. As one commenter wrote, “This will age well when he demands religious organizations be allowed to fire people for who they have sex with.” Plus, the Vatican being a sovereign state, it fall outside of Cawthorn’s North Carolina congressional district.

Posted on

News Round-Up: June 23, 2018

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks Justin & Nick say “Celebrate Pride!” with a kiss. #sweet

• For the first time, the Vatican has used the term ‘LGBT’ in an official document and has invited an LGBT-friendly priest to speak at a major conference. #SmallStepsForward

• The Czech government has agreed to support same-sex marriage with the draft of a first of its kind bill in the former communist bloc country. While the Czech Republic has allowed domestic partnerships since 2006, Germany is the only formerly communist country to legalize same-sex marriage.

• Conservative family groups in Canada are hoping to force Canadian schools to be required to alert parents when their children join LGBTQ groups on school campuses. LGBTQ advocates say that would amount to outing students.

• New York state gubernatorial candidate and actress Cynthia Nixon shared that her oldest child is transgender in a celebratory graduation post on social media.

• The Hungarian National Opera in Budapest was forced to cancel 15 performances of the musical Billy Elliot following a story on a conservative site that accused the musical of turning boys gay.

• Watch LGBTQ seniors read letters to their younger selves.

“I’m very pleased to tell you that you are happy, married to a wonderful man, have two dogs, a cat, and a mortgage.”

“It will come full circle. The word ‘queer’ will be an empowering, pride-filled word.”

Check out the three minute from vlogger Davey Wavey below:

Posted on

News Round-Up: June 21, 2018

Architect, bodybuilder and InstaHunk Preston Brock shares how he counts down the minutes at the tanning salon #SelfieTime!
(via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Architect, bodybuilder and InstaHunk Preston Brock shares how he counts down the minutes at the tanning salon #SelfieTime!

• The World Health Organization now acknowledges gender dysphoria is no longer a “mental disorder.”

• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom cut a key scene from the film that revealed paleo-veterinarian Dr. Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) is a lesbian.

• Donald Trump’s beleaguered Environmental Protection Agency chief, Scott Pruitt, continues his incredible spending spree. We now have reports Pruitt spent $1,500 of American tax payer money on “tactical pants.”

• The Vatican has used the term “LGBT” for the first time in an official document about the Catholic Church’s relationship with youth.

• Trevor Noah’s hysterical deconstruction of Donald Trump’s migrant separation debacle is definitely worth the watching:

Posted on

News Round-Up: July 6, 2017

Matthew Camp

Some news stories you may have missed:

• The pic above is one of hottie designer Matthew Camp’s more ‘innocent’ posts on his Instagram.

• A gay orgy was reportedly held in the Vatican City apartment of a high ranking Vatican official. The Pope is apparently really pissed…

• Did you hear about the “Gays For Trump” rally in Washington, D.C.? The one that had only 18 people show up?

• Fox News host Trish Regan suggested that it would “do a lot in terms of saving a lot of lives” if the U.S. sent in assassins to kill “crazy fat kid,” North Korea President Kim Jong-Un.

• A gay man in Belfast has suffered years of homophobic attacks including stones being thrown through his windows last week.

• After years of legal battles with her former producer, pop star Kesha has released her first single, “Praying.” The track is from her upcoming album, Rainbow.

Posted on

When That Extramarital Affair Pays Off

Newt and Callista Gingrich

CNN is reporting that Callista Gingrich, wife of former Speaker of the House Newt and serial adulterer Newt Gingrich, is the front runner to become the next ambassador to the Vatican.

According to White House officials, the decision to nominate Gingrich has been made, the only issue left to decide is when to make the official announcement. The only snag at the moment appears to be pending approval from the Office of Government Ethics.

The White House hopes to formally nominate Gingrich as soon as this week.

Gingrich has shared in interviews that she considers herself a devout Catholic, saying she has “always been a very spiritual person.”

You may recall that the “very spiritual” Callista Gingrich testified in 1999 during divorce proceedings that she had been having a six year affair with Newt Gingrich while he was married to his second wife, Marianne.

#SanctityOfMarriage #Spiritual #DevoutCatholic

(h/t JoeMyGod)