Washington D.C. (photo: Maria Oswalt/Unsplash) By a vote of 216-208, the House of Representatives voted in favor of statehood for the District of Columbia. From the Washington Post:
For the second time in history, the House passed legislation Thursday to make the District of Columbia the nation’s 51st state, bolstering momentum for a once-illusory goal that has become a pivotal tenet of the Democratic Party’s voting rights platform.
Democrats approved Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Washington, D.C. Admission Act 216-208 in a party-line vote, describing it as a bid to restore equal citizenship to the residents of the nation’s capital and rectify a historic injustice.
But the political odds remain formidable, with the Senate filibuster requiring the support of 60 senators to advance legislation.
The District has no representation in the U.S. Senate, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is a non-voting member of the House. Republicans have long opposed statehood for D.C. because the District has a large Black community and votes overwhelmingly Democratic. In most probabilities that would produce two new Democratic Senators increasing the Dems hold on a Senate majority. Read the full article. Some say the District is ‘too small’ to warrant statehood. But there are approximately over 692,000+ citizens living in D.C. Wyoming has just over 578,000 residents and the population of Vermont is just over 623,000. So…?
Megan Thee Stallion and Adam Levine in ‘Beautiful Mistakes’ Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: Paul Bettany, who plays the android Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers films, recently told Conan O’Brien that during the making of 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, director Joss Whedon became a bit obsessed with the scene of the Vision being born naked and sporting full-on peen. • New Music: SoCal’s iconic donut shop, Randy’s Donuts, has teamed up with Maroon 5 to create a limited-edition donut box and custom donut, in conjunction with the band’s new video for hit single, “Beautiful Mistakes” and its numerous odes to donuts. Directed by Sophie Muller, the “Beautiful Mistakes”music video takes viewers on an archetypal LA drive, which turns it into a surreal fantasy with a colorful world of flying cars, donuts and a dreamlike narrative. #YouHadMeAtRandy
• Williams Institute: As Republicans push back on Democrats intentions to make Washington, D.C. a state, it’s worth noting that the District has the largest per capita LGBTQ population in the country and 47% of the residents are Black. Also, D.C. has a larger population than Vermont or Wyoming. • Stonewall Gazette: In a recent interview, actor Ronen Rubinstein (9-1-1: Lone Star) recently shared that he identifies as ‘part of the LGBTQ community.’ Rubinstein plays out character TK Strand on the hit TV series. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMkcOuaDjSD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • Data For Progress: Voters across the ideological spectrum overwhelmingly support an 8-year pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who pass a background check – 69% support versus 25% oppose. • NPR: The co-founder and former CEO of Parler has sued the conservative social media platform over his firing this year. John Matze claims Parler’s leadership took away his 40% stake in the company in an “arrogant theft,” intimidated and bullied him in an ouster he says was illegal and left him owed millions of dollars. • Variety: A holiday-themed romantic comedy centered on gay men is coming to Netflix. Single All The Way will star Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers and Luke MacFarlane. Synopsis: Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter (Urie) convinces his best friend Nick (Chambers) to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James (MacFarlane), the plan goes awry.
Washington D.C. (photo: Maria Oswalt/Unsplash)NBC News reports House and Senate Democrats introduced legislation Wednesday that would give Washington DC statehood. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who represents the District of Columbia, reintroduced the bill in the House and says she has 200+ co-sponsors in the chamber. The bill passed in the House last summer. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) introduced the legislation in the Senate. But don’t look for the bill to pass in the upper chamber where the Democrats have the barest of majorities. Currently, the Senate is divided 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast tie-breaking votes. But the Senate Dems would need to overcome a filibuster which requires 60 votes. Finding 10 Republicans to vote with them could be a steep climb. Republicans have long opposed statehood for D.C. (and Puerto Rico as well) because the new states would create two new Senate seats and at least one House seat. That congressional representation would most likely end up Democratic. So, the Senate Republicans will block the effort and deny the more than 700,000+ residents of the District full representation and local self-government. It’s worth noting that the District’s population is greater than that of Vermont or Wyoming. Puerto Rico has a population of over 3 million.
DC statehood re-introduced today after passing in the House over the summer.
Wyoming has 578,000 people, is 92% white and has 2 senators
DC has 705,000 people, is 46% Black and has 0 senators Dems introduced bill today to make DC 51st state — Ari Berman (@AriBerman) January 27, 2021
For far too long, Virginia’s neighbors in D.C. have been denied their civil rights and subject to taxation without proper representation. Statehood is common sense—pleased to join @MarkWarner and @SenatorCarper to make it happen. https://t.co/dlL0w7vbm4
National Guard members laying down in parking garage (image via Twitter)Politico is reporting the deployment for the entire D.C. National Guard has been extended until March 31. With the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump scheduled to begin soon, officials worry about possible civil disturbances in the nation’s capital over the next several weeks.
The memo, signed by D.C. National Guard chief Maj. Gen. William Walker and dated Jan. 25, orders troops to remain on duty at least through the end of March “in continued support of District and Federal civil authorities during anticipated First Amendment demonstrations and Civil Disturbance in the District of Columbia.”
The new orders suggest that law enforcement agencies in the nation’s capital are preparing for potential unrest in the coming days and weeks, as former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial kicks off and his supporters issue threats to lawmakers.
In addition to the D.C. Guard, troops from Maryland have been ordered to remain on duty through at least March 15. The National Guard Bureau initially said the orders will become voluntary after 31 days, but Guard sources said Tuesday that was not the case.
Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic is wrecking havoc with the D.C. National Guard troops as hundreds have tested positive for the virus or are currently quarantining due to exposure. Many of the troops, who have had to sleep on the floor of the Capitol building or an underground parking lot, say the deployment is becoming its own super-spreader event.
Scoop: The DC National Guard is having its deployment extended until March 31 in anticipation of “civil disturbance” throughout the nation’s capital, according to a memo we obtained. Comes as Guard units are seeing Covid positivity rates of 10-15%. https://t.co/SezAbQtJeS
Our troops deserve the utmost honor & respect for securing the Capitol & defending democracy this week.
This is unconscionable & unsafe. Whoever’s decision this was to house our National Guardsmen & women in underground parking lots must be held accountable. pic.twitter.com/mBwpoog6YC — Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) January 22, 2021
Joe Blizzard (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joe Blizzard (above) is back in the gym, offering up selfies. Don’t mind if I do… 🙂 Follow him on Instagram here. • Mr. Man: The world’s leading online library of male nude scenes in film has revealed its ‘Hottest Gay TV Scenes of All Time.’ The diverse list features several men of color like Billy Porter and Omid Abtahi, an actor with cerebral palsy, and some of Hollywood’s top stars who have dared to portray gay sex on the small screen. • Gay Star News: Puerto Rico’s governor has signed a new Civil Code that leaves out LGBT+ protections despite a rise in LGBT+ murders. The new Civil Code makes no mention of protection from hate speech or discrimination in employment, goods and services. Governor Wanda Vázquez has already received backlash for her response to the killing of at least 10 LGBTQ Puerto Ricans in 2019 and 2020. • Poz: During a study researching a vaccine for HIV, scientists found that soon after taking the participants off antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for a period of close monitoring, the virus rapidly rebounded in their semen. The discovery raises concerns that men who participate in such trials while taking a break in their usual HIV meds are at risk of transmitting the virus through sex. • Roll Call: After the recent dust-up between Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Donald Trump over protests in the DC area, House Democrats plan to bring up a vote on statehood for the District. Expect it to pass in the House, but Senate Republicans will never let it happen. DC voters are overwhelmingly Democratic, and statehood would give the Dems two more Senators plus a voting member of the House. • Twitter: Social media star Sarah Cooper’s latest lip-dub of Donald Trump takes on ‘How to lobster.’ If you don’t follow her yet, you really should. Funny, funny stuff.
An LGBTQ-friendly taco shop in D.C., Taqueria Del Barrio, is under police protection after receiving dozens of homophobic calls a day threatening to burn the restaurant down and kill staffers because the venue hosts a drag brunch. “Check out the Loyal White Knights or punch in KKK into your search engine for the Klan’s fight for white supremacy,” a male voice said in one recorded call obtained by Washington City Paper. The voice goes on to provide dial-in information for some sort of conference call on Monday. Then the caller signs off with, “If you’re white and proud, join the crowd for white power.” The Loyal White Knights is one of the largest and most active Klan groups in the U.S. They’re known for participating in rallies and distributing racist, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, homophobic, and Islamophobic propaganda. Owner Anna Bran Leis says she has been pleased with their response, especially from MPD’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Liaison Unit. “To have something like this happen, it’s like someone kicked me in the stomach,” Bran Leis told WCP. “It didn’t happen to other business owners on the block.”
Donald Trump’s water-logged July 4th extravaganza cost the D.C. government $1.7 million, an amount that has bankrupted a special fund used to protect the city from terrorist threats and provide security at events such as rallies and state funerals.
President Trump’s overhauled July Fourth celebration cost the D.C. government $1.7 million, an amount that — combined with police expenses for demonstrations through the weekend — has bankrupted a special fund used to protect the nation’s capital from terrorist threats and provide security at events such as rallies and state funerals.
In a letter to the president Tuesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) warned that the fund has now been depleted and is estimated to be running a $6 million deficit by Sept. 30. The mayor also noted that the account was never reimbursed for $7.3 million in expenses from Trump’s 2017 inauguration.
“We ask for your help with ensuring the residents of the District of Columbia are not asked to cover millions of dollars of federal expenses and are able to maintain our high standards of protection for federal events,” she wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A man in Washington D.C. was caught on video walking into a resident’s front yard and ripping down a rainbow Pride flag, all while yelling homophobic slurs.
The 30-second security camera video shows the man walking down the sidewalk, seemingly talking to himself. In the clip’s audio, he can be heard shouting, “F*gg*t motherf**ker, you f*gg*t flag-flying motherf**ker.”
Clear as day, the man enters the yard, striding right up to the flag and snatching it from its mount.
Continuing to rant, the man attempts to destroy the flag slamming it on the ground before exiting the scene.
Twitter user @mjasonrhoades posted the clip to his account as well as the local D.C. community blog, Popville.
“This happened in broad daylight at our house on Independence at 17th St SE this morning while my wife was walking our dog,” wrote the Twitter user. “People like this should not be on our streets.”
The Washington Blade reports that D.C. police have seen the video but haven’t been able to contact the resident.
“We saw the Popville post as well and have attempted to make contact with and have the property owner make a report,” said D.C. Police Lt. Brett Parson, who oversees the department’s LGBT Liaison Unit. “They were encouraged to contact the LGBT Liaison Unit Duty Phone or call 911.”
“We stand ready to respond, investigate, and provide support,” added Parson.
Watch the report from the Washington NBC News affiliate below.
• When the hot tub gets ‘that much hotter’ thanks to InstaHunk Guoyang510 (above).
• Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, key figures in the gay rights movement, will be honored with a permanent monument in Greenwich Village near the Stonewall Inn.
• A 38-year-old gay man wrote to Slate’s “Dear Prudence” advice column asking whether he’s morally obliged to tell a female co-worker that he found her 18-year-old son appearing on an adult cam site.
• For the first time in decades, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform has scheduled a hearing to discuss legislation to make Washington, D.C. the 51st state. Republicans have routinely opposed statehood due to the vast majority of registered Democrats that reside there.
• A new animated children’s series from Hulu, The Bravest Knight, features two gay dads, (voiced by TR Knight and Wilson Cruz) Sir Cedric and Prince Andrew, who share the adventures of Cedric’s journey to knighthood with their daughter and aspiring knight, Nia.
RuPaul, Christine Baranski, Wanda Sykes, Donna Murphy and A.J. McLean (of the Backstreet Boys) also appear in the series which debuts June 21.
Charlotte Clymer (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Clymer
During a visit last summer to Cuba Libre, a popular Washington DC bar and restaurant, Charlotte Clymer was stopped as she attempted to use the women restroom by an employee.
The employee demanded to see the transgender woman’s ID claiming the restaurant ‘required’ her to show legal identification to prove she was female.
Clymer, who was at the venue celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party, dismissed the employee and entered the ladies room. According to the Washington Blade, the employee didn’t ask anyone else for identification.
After entering a stall to do her business, Clymer heard the man walk into the bathroom in an attempt to search for her.
“I go into a stall to do my business and I hear him walk in and search for me in this busy restroom full of women,” Clymer shared on her Facebook. “He is doing everything but opening the stall doors. I ignore him, and after a few minutes, he leaves. I do my business, wash my hands, and walk out.”
“On the other side of the door are the attendant and the manager, who says it’s D.C. law that you must have ‘female’ on your ID to use the women’s restroom,” added Clymer. “I tell him he’s wrong and there’s no chance I’m showing him my ID.”
This is where it’s important to note that Clymer works with the Human Rights Campaign, and if anyone knows the law on transgender protections, it’s Clymer.
In fact, she pulled up the DC Human Rights Act on her phone and showed the manager the ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression in regard to housing, employment and (ahem) public accommodations.
After the manager, who Clymer described as “condescending and dismissive,” threatened to call the police, she was eventually ejected from the restaurant.
Standing outside the restaurant, an angry Clymer called the police herself. According to the Washington Post, the officers showed up and reassured her the law was on her side.
Eventually, Clymer filed a complaint with the Office of Human Rights, and the DC Attorney General got involved as well.
As a result of her complaint, the owner of Cuba Libre has apologized and been ordered to pay a $7,000 fine for violating the Human Rights Act. Additionally, the settlement with the Attorney General calls for the restaurant to “institute policies on civil rights compliance and training.”
Plus, signage is now required in the establishment that states the local ordinance that “all individuals are allowed to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity or expression.”
For her part, Clymer Clymer told the Washington Blade that she’s pleased with the outcome.
“I am quite grateful for the work of Attorney General Racine and his staff to ensure that discrimination has no place in D.C., and I am thankful that Cuba Libre and CEO Barry Gutin have worked in good faith since the fall to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” Clymer said.
“All parties worked together to make sure a terrible night was turned into a great teaching moment, which was built on the history of advocacy by trans folks in D.C., particularly trans women of color.”
