• POSE star MJ Rodriguez honored as "Best Actress" in TV series at 2019 Imagen Awards which recognize positive portrayals of Latinx people in the media
• New ad spot compares eating ice cream with hugging your same-sex boyfriend in countries where homosexuality is punishable with prison time (what???)
• Illinois becomes the 5th state to include LGBTQ history in public school curriculum
• A trans student is kicked out of his Christian college for having top surgery
• A masseur suing Kevin Spacey for alleged sexual battery says other alleged victims have contacted him
• Instagram: Handsome guy + handsome dachshund pup = HotDudesWithDogs
• Politico: Federal prosecutors have accused Rep. Duncan Hunter of improperly using campaign funds to pursue numerous romantic affairs with congressional aides and lobbyists
• The Hill: Donald Trump says he couldn't have raped writer E. Jean Carroll because "she's not my type."
• Reuters: A member of an armed group known for stopping migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has been arrested after authorities charged him with impersonating a U.S. Border Patrol agent
• AP: Illinois is the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana
• Emerson Polling: Latest polling shows five Democrats would beat Trump in hypothetical match-ups:
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of an elderly lesbian woman who alleges she was discriminated against and harassed while living in a senior retirement home in Illinois.
Marsha Wetzel moved into the Glen St. Andrew Living Community, near Chicago, in 2014 after her longtime partner Judy had died of colon cancer.
In the aftermath of Judy's passing, Judy's family did not respect the 30 year relationship. The family took possession of Judy's assets including the home they'd shared.
And so, Marsha had to find a place to live, and she found Glen St. Andrew.
But by 2016, she was forced to file a lawsuit after she experienced ugly, homophobic abuse at the hands of other residents and Glen St. Andrew did nothing about it.
Marsha says she was called anti-gay slurs and spit upon by residents. In her lawsuit she also alleged that she had been attacked and hit in the head in the community laundry room.
Additionally, she fell and bruised her arm when another resident rammed into her scooter knocking her over.
When Marsha took her concerns to management, nothing was done and she was retaliated against, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Lambda Legal created the heartbreaking video below when Marsha began her legal battle in 2016.
When the case went to trial last year, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit.
But undeterred, Marsha soldiered on to the 7th Circuit Appeals Court where yesterday a panel of three judges overturned the 2017 ruling and sent the case back to be tried.
The panel came to the conclusion that Glen St. Andrew could be held liable for housing discrimination.
Chief Judge Diane Wood wrote in the ruling, ‘“Not only does it (the Fair Housing Act) create liability when a landlord intentionally discriminates against a tenant based on a protected characteristic; it also creates liability against a landlord that has actual notice of tenant-on-tenant harassment … yet chooses not to take any reasonable steps within its control to stop that harassment.”
The win at the 7th Circuit was celebrated by Lambda Legal senior counsel Karen Loewy, who said in a statement after the ruling, “This is a tremendous victory for Marsha.”
“She, just like all people living in rental housing, whether LGBT or not, should be assured that they will at least be safe from discriminatory harassment in their own homes, “ Loewy continued. “What happened to Marsha was illegal and unconscionable, and the Court has now put all landlords on notice that they have an obligation to take action to stop known harassment.”
A statement released by a Glen St. Andrew spokesperson said while the senior home “is committed to providing fair, safe and non-discriminatory housing, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sex or sexual orientation,” the retirement home still denies the allegations.
“At this stage, the court was required to assume the factual allegations of plaintiff’s complaint were true for purposes of determining the legal issues,” they said in a statement. “Glen St. Andrew strongly denies the factual allegations of the complaint and will present its case in court at the appropriate time.”
• Since its Hump Day I'm starting this round with two - count'em two - InstaHunks as there's a birthday in the house as Alex Abramov celebrates #31 with bf Brett Miles (above).
• Illinois lawmakers have advanced a bill that would require public schools to include teaching the accomplishments of LGBT folks in history classes much like current laws that require students learn about other groups such as African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans.
• John Sherman at Buzzfeed has penned an interesting essay wondering if gay media is still focusing on gay acceptance (i.e. Love, Simon) instead of celebrating queer difference? Sherman brings up some points I hadn't considered. Def worth the read.
• The raid on Donald Trump's personal lawyer's office and home specifically looked for documents regarding the now infamous "Grab'em by the pussy" Trump video from Access Hollywood. Political experts posit the investigation may be looking into payments to silence women who might have affected Trump's electoral chances in 2016.
• This week we got our first look at Anything, a story about love and acceptance that follows widower Early (John Caroll Lynch) after his move to LA in the aftermath of the death of his wife. Early finds an unlikely friend in his neighbor, Freda, who is a transgender sex worker.
While the film's premise is welcome, folks have raised concerns about the casting of Matt Bomer, a cisgender man, as the trans character Freda.
Good news in Illinois as the state's governor has just signed two bills into law that will help LGBTs find greater equality in the Prairie State.
The first bill removes the option of a "gay panic" defense in murder cases. Utilized in several LGBT murders in recent years (Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena, Marco McMillan), "gay panic" defenses have allowed defendants accused of killing homosexuals to legally claim they had a legitimate fear for their safety because the victim had made a pass at them.
The defense has been criticized by many for implicitly condoning that LGBTs are a threat to society.
Illinois is the second state in the U.S. to ban the defense. California is the only other state to pass similar legislation.
The second bill makes it easier for transgender people to amend their birth certificates to reflect their correct gender identity.
Until now, trans folks had to submit sworn affidavits from their physicians confirming they had performed gender confirmation surgery.
Under the new law, trans individuals are only required to provide a note from licensed medical professionals documenting the fact that they are receiving "clinically appropriate" treatment as they transition.
The latest from NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls show former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leading in Florida, Illinois and Ohio ahead of Tuesday's Democratic primaries.
The only surprise here for me is I thought Ohio would be the closer race, but it's looking like Illinois may be Bernie Sanders' better hope for a win on Tuesday.
Of course, after last Tuesday's surprise win by Bernie in Michigan, I'm not completely trusting any poll.
I should note there wasn't an NBC News poll done for North Carolina which is also holding that state's primary on Tuesday. However, Hillary Clinton leads in NC by an average of 20 points according to Real Clear Politics poll averages.
The Illinois state Senate on Friday approved a measure, by a vote of 34-19, that will ban so-called "ex-gay" therapy aimed at changing the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT youth.
The bill passed by a 34-19 vote after receiving House approval this month. It now heads to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has not indicated whether he plans to sign the bill into law.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), points to several mental health associations support banning the practice as studies have shown it can be extremely damaging causing “mental illness, trauma and can increase the risk of suicide.”
The legislation would ban mental health providers from using the controversial treatment on anyone under 18 years old.
Currently California, Oregon, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. have approved similar bans on "conversion" therapy.
The Chicago Sun-Times, in an editorial today, urged state legislators to finish the job and pass current legislation that would ban so-called "ex-gay" or "conversion" therapy.
And in no uncertain terms.
Being gay is not an illness. It requires no cure.
And anybody who practices “conversion therapy,” purporting to be able to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, is a quack, engaged in medical malpractice. Conversion therapy does not work. On this, the scientific and medical consensus is strong. It can only do harm.
We urge the Illinois Senate to support a measure, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, and Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, that would bar mental health workers from engaging in treatments designed to change the sexual orientation of minors.
The bill passed in the House on Tuesday by a vote of 68 to 43. Biss tells us he is “optimistic” it will pass in the Senate as well, next week, but he’s still rounding up the votes. Conversion therapy is one of those issues on which there are not really two opposing credible views, and to claim otherwise is to create a false equivalency.
On the one side are defenders of the practice, their views usually grounded in religious belief, who can cite no credible evidence.
On the other side is the full weight of America’s mainstream medical and mental health communities, who come armed with facts.
By a vote of 68 to 43, state legislators approved legislation that would ban so-called "ex-gay" therapy for minors.
Sixty-one Democrats and seven Republicans voted to protect young LGBTs from the harmful effects of what many have termed "conversion torture" which attempts to "fix" something that isn't broken.
"Ending conversion therapy is our top priority in the legislature right now. Trying to change the unchangeable, our innate sexual orientation and gender identity, should not be attempted because it risks the health of LGBT youth," said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois.
The bill now heads to the Illinois state Senate.
Illinois would join Oregon, California, New Jersey and the District of Columbia in protecting LGBT minors from "conversion therapy."
Rep. Aaron Schock and ABC News' Jeff Zeleny talk office decorating
In the wake of his current Congressional decorating woes, Rep. Aaron Schock now has to deal with a PR debacle as news comes to light that his policy and communiciations adviser, Benjamin Cole, had taken to social media in the past to compare African-Americans to zoo animals.
The posts appear to have been removed this week in light of "OfficeGate."
In a series of Facebook posts obtained by ThinkProgress, the senior adviser for policy and communications to Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) posted racial comments and endorsed gentrification of his neighborhood.
Benjamin Cole, a former Baptist pastor and energy industry spokesman, posted a series of videos and comments on October 13, 2013 mocking two African Americans outside his DC apartment. In the first, he compared them to animals escaping from the National Zoo engaged in “mating rituals.” That message included a video of a woman, shouting and seemingly engaged in an argument with someone not visible as she walked. In each of his posts, he used the hashtag “#gentrifytoday.”
To be honest, Cole brought this on himself not only by posting his hideous remarks but also by making himself news this week with his knee-jerk reaction to the "Downton Abbey" inspired office story. Had he handled the issue with a fairer hand, his name wouldn't have sparked interest in the national media.
You can see the screen capture of one of the posts (before it was deleted) below:
Cole's resignation was announced today with Schock issuing this statement:
“I am extremely disappointed by the inexcusable and offensive online comments made by a member of my staff,” Schock said in a statement to the Peoria Journal Star. “I would expect better from any member of my team. Upon learning about them I met with Mr. Cole and he offered his resignation which I have accepted.”
Same-sex marriage is set to begin on June 1st in Illinois.
But back in November, an Illinois judge ruled that longtime LGBT activist Vernita Gray (above left) could marry her partner Patricia Ewert (above right) before that date due to Gray's terminal cancer diagnosis.
Gray died late Tuesday of cancer at the same Chicago home where she married Patricia Ewert in late November, family friend Jim Bennett told The Associated Press. Bennett was among friends who were gathered at the home when Gray died.
Gray's failing health and her wish to marry persuaded a federal judge to order that an expedited marriage license be granted to the couple ahead of the June 1 effective date of the state's gay marriage law. A subsequent judge's ruling then paved the way for more same-sex couples to marry early in some Illinois counties.
Gray worked for gay rights for decades, advocating for same-sex marriage long before many other activists saw it as a possibility, Bennett said. To win over conservatives, she made the case that her Social Security survivor benefits should go to her partner, and her knack for working with people across the political spectrum "made everyone feel that they had a unique contribution to move us forward," Bennett said.
Statement from Chicago Mayor Rahn Emmanuel:
"Vernita Gray was an inspiration to all who crossed her path, from President (Barack) Obama, who knew her by name, to the victims of violence she comforted and the young people for whom she was a fierce advocate.
"Her legacy can be felt in the many institutions she supported and by every LGBT couple in Illinois who is now free to marry the person they love."
State Rep. Tom Cross (R) cruised to a 14-point victory in the primary for state treasurer while state Rep. Ed Sullivan (R) easily won renomination in his district.
The third, state Rep. Ron Sandack (R), narrowly edged out his opponent by fewer than 200 votes, according to an unofficial tally. The close margin could mean the race goes to a recount.
Sandack and Sullivan both faced pressure from third-party groups looking to oust them over their gay marriage votes. In Sandack's case, the issue became a central focus.
Had the three Republicans lost, it would have probably given pause to Republicans considering backing gay marriage in other states where the matter comes up in the future. But given two decisive wins and a third tentative victory, gay rights advocates have a lot to be happy about a day after the election.
After yesterday's primaries in Illinois, one of the more interesting "winners" seems to be Republican Susanne Atanus in the 9th Congressional District.
This was Atanus' third run in the GOP primary. She lost in 2010 and was removed in 2012 when it was discovered she didn't have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Just some of the "interesting" things Atanus has said:
• Atanus says she believes God controls the weather and has put tornadoes and diseases such as autism and dementia on earth as in response to gay rights and legalized abortions. "God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions," she said.
• Atanus says same-sex activity in the military will weaken our armed forces because AIDS.
• Atanus would abolish the major stock indexes including the S&P, Dow Jones and Nasdaq to improve the nation's fiscal troubles.
Atanus will face eight term Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, whose district hasn't elected a Republican to the House in 66 years.
Atanus' primary opponent, David Earl Williams III, is apparently so incredulous that Atanus beat him that he alleged on his Facebook page that Schakowsky urged her supporters to cross party lines and vote for Atanus.
“What is wrong Jan, are you afraid of a real challenge?” Williams said. “It seems like our favorite Congresscritter can’t handle a true fighter on your side.”
A federal judge in Illinois ruled today that same-sex marriage can begin immediately:
“There is no reason to delay further when no opposition has been presented to this Court and committed gay and lesbian couples have already suffered from the denial of their fundamental right to marry,” U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman said in her ruling.
Although Illinois was the 16th state to legalize marriage equality, the law wasn't slated to begin until June 1st of this year.
An Illinois judge has ruled that a terminally ill lesbian may marry her partner before the same-sex marriage law goes into effect next summer.
A lawsuit was filed Friday by Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Illinois seeking immediate action for Vernita Gray and Patricia Ewert.
Gray has bone and brain cancer and is not expected to live until Illinois' gay marriage law goes into effect June 1. Camilla Taylor of the gay rights group Lambda Legal says Gray wishes to marry the woman she loves before she dies.
County Clerk David Orr says his office will expedite a marriage license to Gray and Taylor per Judge Thomas Durkin's order, adding it's a service already granted to heterosexual couples in similar situations.
Storify allows folks to create stories from related tweets on Twitter.
Chicagoist has created this timeline of today's events surrounding the bill signing of marriage equality in Illinois by Gov. Quinn on the Abraham Lincoln desk. Check it out:
Governor Pat Quinn announced Thursday that he will sign the marriage equality bill at the University of Illinois at Chicago in a 3:30 p.m. ceremony on November 20th. The Legislature passed the measure Tuesday.
A longtime same-sex marriage supporter, the Chicago Democrat
says he's looking forward to signing the legislation and "celebrating a
big step forward with the people of Illinois."
The University of Illinois at Chicago was recently named by Campus
Pride Index as one of the top 25 campuses across the country for gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.
The ceremony is free and open to the public.
Illinois becomes the 15th state in the union to legalize marriage equality
