News Round-Up: July 29, 2019

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks: Broadway hottie Jim Newman (above) finds he has his Fire Island pool all to himself with no one to play with his beach ball. I'm sure he'd have no problem finding company... :)

• NewNowNext: A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Russian LGBTQ activist Elena Grigoryeva. Officials do not intend to pursue hate crime charges, claiming the murder was not motivated by her activist work, nor her bisexual identity.

• Instinct: In its series finale, Andi Mack served up Disney's first gay couple.

• Gr8erDays: If you love entertainment/pop culture info from days gone by, follow this Instagram account for daily infograms about celebrity birthdays and more from TV, movies and more.

View this post on Instagram

Celebs born ‪on July 29‬ include, in order: . Stephen Dorff, 46 Wil Wheaton, 47 Kevin Spirtas, 57 Jean-Hughes Anglade , 64 ‪Mike Starr, 69‬ ‪Leslie Easterbrook, 70‬ ‪Roz Kelly, 77‬ ‪David Warner, 78‬ ‪.‬ ‪.‬ ‪.‬ ‪#davidwarner rozkelly #jeanhughesanglade #movies #tv #stephendorff #shirtless #shirtlessguys #hotguys #leslieeasterbrook #rozkelly #pinkytuscadero #wilwheaton #kevinspirtas #mikestarr #celebritybirthdays #gr8erdays

A post shared by Gr8erDays (@gr8erdays) on Jul 28, 2019 at 7:27pm PDT

• Politico: Kamala Harris on Monday unveiled a plan to achieve universal health care coverage by growing Medicare with the help of private insurers, an effort that splits the difference with her chief Democratic presidential rivals and equips the California senator with her own signature health care proposal ahead of this week’s debates.

• Roanoke Times: A small number of Republicans tried to have Rep. Denver Riggleman censured for having the nerve to officiate a same-sex wedding for two of his supporters. p.s. The attempt failed...

• Out Music: Kelechi drops his latest bop, "Forever Tonight," with an upbeat 1980s vibe complete with fat beats and pop/soul roots. I'm hearing a little Human League groove in there perhaps...?

“I make romance pop music,” Kelechi recently told Out.com. “I want people to fall in love with the feeling they get when they listen."

I have to say I like the simple approach to the video. Lately, I find overly-complicated music videos can get in the way of listening/enjoying the music.

News Round-Up: July 25, 2019

Someone had a birthday...

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks: Spanish model Fran Dullon (above) celebrated his birthday yesterday! And - be afraid - he's going to be on the same Atlantis Mediterranean cruise I'm doing in August. So, Ima gonna have to meet him, don't you know? :)

• Gr8terDays: Rutger Hauer, the intense, blond actor who throughout his 50-year career was at his best playing the worst people, died last week following "a very short illness." He was 75.

• The Independent: Four teenage boys have been charged with an aggravated hate crime over a homophobic attack against two women on a London night bus, the Metropolitan Police has said. Melania Geymonat, 28, and her girlfriend Chris were hospitalised with facial injuries and left covered with blood after the assault on 30 May.

• CNN: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff says Americans should be 'realistic' about the fact that the only way Trump will be leaving office is by voting him out. Since Senate Republicans would NEVER find a guilty verdict in an impeachment proceeding, he's right.

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff: “Should we put the country through an impeachment? I haven’t been convinced yet that we should. Going through that kind of momentous and disruptive experience for the country I think is not something we go into lightly” pic.twitter.com/1wDSUCW7jH

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 25, 2019

• NPR: For the first time ever, wind has surpassed coal as an energy source in Texas. Data released this month by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas shows wind created 22 percent of the electricity used in the first half of the year, edging out coal by 1%.

• CNN: Former Vice President Joe Biden claps back at Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker ahead of next week's Democratic debate where they will stand side-by-side onstage.

• Out Music: Tegan & Sara drop the lyric video for their latest single, "I'll Be Back Someday," from the duo’s upcoming album Hey, I’m Just Like You, due out September 27.

The new collection is comprised of songs that the twins discovered on old cassette tapes that they wrote at the beginning of their career. The duo listened with fresh ears, rewrote and re-recorded the songs into today.

News Round-Up: July 5, 2019

David Harbour in Netflix's Stranger Things (screen cap)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Dad Bod alert: Who's a fan of the Netflix's Stranger Things? Season four was released last night and folks think series star David Harbour (above screen cap) is the new poster guy for 'dad bods.' #woof

• CNN: Adding homophobia to racism, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents made a migrant hold an “I Like Men” sign as an anti-gay punishment.

• Washington Post: Congressman Justin Amash, who represents Michigan's 3rd congressional district, has been one of the few Republicans to publicly criticize Donald Trump, and actually side with Democrats in calls for impeachment proceedings. In an op-ed yesterday, he quit the GOP and announced he now identifies as an Independent.

• NY Times: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) surprisingly raised less than $12 million for her presidential campaign in the past three months; very disappointing considering her very strong debate performance last week. The figure pales in comparison to her primary rivals: Mayor Pete Buttigieg pulled in $24.8 million in the second quarter, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. reports $21.5 million in campaign donations, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) took in $18 million.

• Gay Star News: Out musician Aaron Porter says his latest single, "Sorry," comes from a very personal place for him. And, like life, it slowly evolved until coming to fruition.

"I was in a place of frustration and the track we created was a slow piano-led ballad, he told GSN. "I feel like the song has grown as I have dealt with my situation, and now it’s a fierce pop banger and I feel alive when I sing it."

Check out the new R&B/pop bop below.

New Polls Show Post-Debate Shakeup Among Democrats

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (L) and Kamala Harris (R)

New polling shows how the first Democratic presidential debates affected the early race.

The latest from Quinnipiac University polling shows former Vice President Joe Biden getting his lowest numbers to date dropping to 22 percent.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) jumped up to second place with 20 percent support.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren follows at 14 percent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is at 13 percent, and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg gets 4 percent. No other candidate garnered more than 3 percent.

The June 11 Quinnipiac University Poll showed Biden at 30 percent, Sanders at 19 percent, Warren with 15 percent, Buttigieg at 8 percent, and Harris with 7 percent.

And in Iowa, Elizabeth Warren has vaulted to the number one position in the new David Binder Research poll.

From IowaStartingLine:

Elizabeth Warren leads the pack in the Iowa Caucus, according to a new poll out this morning from David Binder Research, currently earning the support of 20% of likely Democratic caucus-goers.

Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are both within the margin of error with Warren for first place, but they trail just slightly at 18% for Harris and 17% for Biden.

Bernie Sanders has fallen to fourth place in the polling, sitting at 12%, while Pete Buttigieg has 10% in the survey.

Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker round out the the field with 4% and 2%, respectively, while everyone else is at 1% or below.

New Iowa poll from @IAStartingLine :

Warren 20
Harris 18
Biden 17
Sanders 12
Buttigieg 10
Klobuchar 4
Booker 2
ten candidates at 1https://t.co/ny5MOJLcRY

— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) July 3, 2019

Poll: Harris & Warren Surge After 1st Democratic Debates

The results of a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS shows Democratic presidential contenders Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have each surged nearly ten points since the first debates last week.

Harris saw the biggest increase from 8 percent support to 17 percent, and Warren jumped 8 points from 7 percent to 15 percent.

Former Vice President Joe Biden dropped a precipitous ten points from 32 percent support to 22 percent.

And Mayor Pete Buttigieg, despite getting strong response for his debate performance, dropped one percent.

Asked 'who did the best job in the debates," the hands-down favorite was Harris with 41 percent saying she won.

Recapping Democratic Debate Night 2

Sen.Kamala Harris (L), Mayor Pete Buttigieg (R)

By most political experts' accounts, the second night of Democratic debates was dominated by a stellar performance by California Sen. Kamala Harris.

Consensus also agrees Mayor Pete Buttigieg scored well as the first openly gay presidential candidate to take to the debate stage.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the current front-runner in polling, found himself playing defense a surprising amount of time given that this is the first Democratic debate.

Check out these highlights for both via Twitter:

Senator Kamala Harris:

"Hey guys, you know what? America does not want to witness a food fight. They wanna know how we're going to put food on their tables."

POINTS for the adult in the room. #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/FnufZ2t1IH

— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) June 28, 2019

‘There was a little girl in California who was part of the 2nd class to integrate her public schools & she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me.’@KamalaHarris called out @JoeBiden for defending segregationists & his past opposition to busing #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/ZYAtAfP36B

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 28, 2019

Beautiful response from @PeteButtigieg on the hypocritical way the GOP shields itself in the cloak of Christianity while condoning human atrocities. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/NkIgpZuMVg

— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) June 28, 2019

"I couldn't get it done." @PeteButtigieg displays great humility as he explains the way he wishes he could end police-involved violence against black people. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/QWX5QmIUb9

— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) June 28, 2019

FiveThirtyEight teamed with Morning Consult to determine who 'won' the debates:

Among all 20 candidates, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Julián Castro earned the highest scores for their debate performances relative to their favorability rating before they took the stage, according to the voters in our poll.

Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker also rated well, but their scores were more in line with their pre-debate favorability.

Meanwhile, voters didn’t exactly think Beto O’Rourke did badly on Night 1, but his grades were underwhelming given his popularity.

A CNN focus group agreed with the pundits:

News Round-Up: June 21, 2019

The Chippendales handle the desert heat in style

Some news items you might have missed:

• It's heating up here in Las Vegas, but you can trust the Chippendales (above) to always keep cool as they dress for success.

• The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) apologized today for previously treating homosexuality as a mental illness.

• Currently, 74 members of the House of Representatives support impeaching Donald Trump.

• Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) has introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate to expand access to PrEP helping ensure that communities disproportionately impacted by HIV - particularly Black/Latino gay & bisexual men and trans women - are guaranteed insurance coverage for life-saving preventive interventions.

Proud to introduce the PrEP Access and Coverage Act today, my new bill to:

✅require all health care plans to cover PrEP, follow-up visits, and tests with no out-of-pocket costs
✅expand access to PrEP for those uninsured
✅prohibit insurance discrimination against PrEP users

— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) June 20, 2019

• International pop star Olivia Newton-John is putting that famous black leather jacket and pants from the finale of her blockbuster film, Grease, on the auction block along with more personal memorabilia. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Center in Australia.

• Gay porn studio Sean Cody got in hot water for hiring a 'model' named Zane who sports a Confederate flag tattoo. Initially, the studio just blurred the tat thinking that would suffice. But an uproar caused the company to take down all videos using the performer.

• Grammy Award winning artist Daya drops her latest single, "Left Me Yet," from her upcoming album.

In the music video, the openly bisexual singer/songwriter dances her way through self-criticism and doubt as the dance/pop bop grooves along to electronic beats.

“I push you away, why do I do that? / Impatient, but you're patient with me / I'm surprised you haven't left me yet.”

Raise your hand if you can relate ;)

New Poll Shows Five Democrats Would Beat Trump

A new national poll by Ipsos/Reuters shows several Democratic candidates beating Donald Trump in hypothetical head-to-head matchups:

Biden 47% (+13)
Trump 34%

Sanders 44% (+9)
Trump 35%

Warren 40% (+4)
Trump 36%

Harris 39% (+3)
Trump 36%

Buttigieg 37% (+2)
Trump 35%

Click the link to see much more of the results.

I know it's waaaaaay early, but I always find it interesting to see what folks might be thinking.

In truth, the next real shakeup will be the first Democratic debates on June 26/27.

Will anyone make a gaffe or suddenly have a shining moment?

Poll: Joe Biden Leads Dem Hopefuls By 19+

Sen. Bernie Sanders (L), former VP Joe Biden (C) and Sen. Kamala Harris (R)

A new national survey by Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden has an impressive 19 point lead over his nearest competitor for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The Hill reports that Biden pulled 36 percent support in the new poll while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders garnered 17 percent.

California Sen. Kamala Harris came in third with 8 percent, and tying for fourth place were Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 5 percent.

Click over to The Hill for more info.

Candidates Offer Rainbow+ Campaign Gear For Pride

(via PeteForAmerica.com)

With Pride Month just weeks away, some Democratic presidential candidates are serving up LGBTQ-themed Pride campaign swag adorned with rainbow stripes.

For the record: yes, I know Donald Trump has a lone rainbow t-shirt on his campaign site. He also openly opposes The Equality Act, so, there you go...

It's probably not surprising that Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the only openly gay White House contender, is offering the most variety in campaign Pride merchandise - t-shirts, stickers, backpacks, pins - so you can show your support and Pride all at the same time.

The gear comes in not only rainbow stripes, but the familiar pink/white/blue colors of the transgender flag as well.

Interestingly, Buttigieg’s rainbow utilizes the new version of the Pride flag that includes black and brown stripes meant to embrace LGBTQ people of color.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) is getting into the Pride mood as well offering a "Persist" t-shirt with rainbow colors.

Warren's camp got a little creative with the colors as well since her buzz word "persist" has seven letters, so they added an extra touch of light purple to their rainbow.

On a 'Pride for the People' page of her campaign website, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) utilizes the traditional Pride rainbow stripes with her first name (which just happens to have six letters), but adds the newer black/brown stripes to her buzzword t-shirt, "Fearless."

In the past, I'll admit I've purchased Hillary and Obama t's during campaign seasons, so I'll probably snag something from the list here.

But even if you don't want to get political, you can still get your Pride on in style with merchandise from Target (a whole treasure trove of rainbow items there) or sneakers from Adidas or Converse, who put out their own annual Pride kicks.

One Night, Five Democrats, Five Town Halls

CNN held five back-to-back town hall events with five Democratic presidential contenders last night - Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Good stuff from everyone, they all had strong moments at times.

A few takeaways:

While I appreciate the moderate lane Klobuchar has staked out for herself, it came across a bit timid and noncommittal in some of her answers. I'll admit that a lot of issues can't be truly addressed in a couple of minutes on a stage, but she was notably more cautious than her fellow candidates.

I really like Kamala Harris. She's clear about what she stands for, and she has a strong decisive energy about her.

When asked about impeachment proceedings for Donald Trump, she said Congress should take steps towards impeachment but added Democrats must be "realistic about what might be the end result."

One of Harris' best moments came when she was asked about the issue of gun violence in the country and what she would do about it. Here's what she said:

Sen. Kamala Harris says if she is elected President, she will give Congress 100 days "to get their act together and have the courage to pass reasonable gun safety laws, and if they fail to do it, then I will take executive action" https://t.co/KFdn5Viqm1 pic.twitter.com/jVZvDjmVZR

— CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2019

I have to say I almost became emotional as Mayor Pete took to the stage. As a gay man, to see this 37-year-old mayor take to the stage as a real player and handle himself so well was uplifting and energizing.

Mayor Pete had one of the biggest moments of the night when he was asked about the back and forth he's had with Vice President Pence, and a comment made by Trump ally and homocon Richard Grennell, the current ambassador to Germany.

Buttigieg's response: "I'm not a master fisherman, but I know bait when I see and I'm not going to take it." And the crowd went wild.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg on dig from Trump official: I know bait when I see it

Buttigieg refused to engage when asked about a Trump admin. official who accused him of pushing a "hate hoax" during his back-and-forth with VP Mike Pence https://t.co/qDjMO1a1Fn #ButtigiegTownHall pic.twitter.com/wggYBDARTk

— CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2019

A new talking point emerged throughout the night after Sen. Sanders said even the Boston bomber deserved to be able to vote. Sen. Harris concurred saying, "We should have that conversation."

But Buttigieg was clear and concise in his opinion that prisoners should not be allowed to vote. "While incarcerated? No, I don't think so," the South Bend mayor said.

Mayor Buttigieg says he disagrees with Sen. Sanders on felons' right to vote: "Part of the punishment when you're convicted of a crime and you're incarcerated is you lose certain rights ... I think during that period it does not make sense to have an exception" #ButtigiegTownHall pic.twitter.com/0ddBR97Wcv

— CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2019

CNN has recapped each of the candidate's hour-long turns onstage.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Sen. Kamala Harris

Mayor Pete Buttigieg

A few more moments from the night:

Sen. Bernie Sanders says the right to vote should be extended "even for terrible people" https://t.co/M3U37R21GK #SandersTownHall pic.twitter.com/5wmhSdvrRj

— CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2019

Sen. Bernie Sanders: "I don't think anybody seriously believes that because I wrote a best-selling book and made money, that I've changed my views and you'll now hear me saying, 'Gee, maybe we want to give tax breaks to millionaires'" https://t.co/5rjsvHJlbN #SandersTownHall pic.twitter.com/zQlazSaX2c

— CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2019

Sen. Elizabeth Warren explains how she’ll pay for her new student debt cancellation and free college plan, saying billionaires will have to “pay something back so everybody else gets a chance.” https://t.co/r8SoPsq3Vp #WarrenTownHall pic.twitter.com/qSd96d4GQ0

— CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2019

"I announced my candidacy in the middle of a blizzard, and he made fun of me for talking about climate change — by the way, happy #EarthDay…I said, 'Hey Donald Trump, the science is on my side.'" -Sen. Amy Klobuchar on controlling the message when facing Trump #KlobucharTownHall pic.twitter.com/4CZiL2mGFQ

— CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2019

Sen. Kamala Harris Releases 15 Years Of Tax Returns

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)

Democratic White House hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris of California has released 15 years of tax returns in an effort to provide transparency to the voters.

Via Politico:

Sen. Kamala Harris and her husband reported a total income of about $2 million in their 2018 federal tax return, according to a large release of filings on Sunday by the California Democrat that her presidential campaign is billing as the “most transparent” of the sprawling 2020 field.

Harris released 15 years of tax returns in all — three more than any other candidate. Harris’ records cover every year since 2004, when she was the elected district attorney of San Francisco.

In their 2018 return, Harris and her husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, listed an adjusted gross income of $1.89 million, including Harris’ Senate salary and the $320,000 she made from writing a book, “The Truths We Hold.” Harris and Emhoff were married in 2014, then began filing jointly. In 2018, they paid $563,426 in federal taxes and donated $27,000 to charity.

News Round-Up: January 29, 2019

InstaHunk Dan Tai

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Dan Tai asks, "Do you count your macros?" I don't even know what that means (I'm sure it's important) because calves, biceps, deltoids, face...

• Desperate Housewives/Ugly Betty star Vanessa Williams has been tapped for a lead role in Happy Accident, ABC’s family comedy pilot from the writers of Modern Family. #Yay!

• Congressional Republicans aren't fond of Donald Trump's idea to declare a 'national emergency' in order to get his beloved wall, but they've signaled they won't put up a stink if he does.

• Reuters reports that The Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion cut tax package appeared to have no major impact on businesses’ capital investment or hiring plans.

• A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows 56% of registered voters will "definitely" not vote for Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

• And speaking of the 2020 election, Sen. Kamala Harris of California broke records Monday night when her televised town hall became the most viewed event of its kind in cable news history with 1.957 million views. The event drew the most viewers of any cable-news, single-candidate town hall.

• Out singer/songwriter Sam Smith and former Fifth Harmony member Normani release their sensual, moody music video for their hit duet, "Dancing with a Stranger."

Alone in a lavish mansion, both artists are attempting to get over former lovers. I like the song; not sure about Normani's dancing in the middle there, but I guess it's in the title so someone had to dance...?

Sen. Kamala Harris Announces 2020 White House Run

Sen. Kamala Harris announces her 2020 presidential candidacy

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California (D) announced today she will seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2020.

Harris chose to embrace the symbolism of announcing her candidacy on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

A former prosecutor and California Attorney General, she has been in the Senate since January 2017.

The 54-year-old told viewers of Good Morning America, where she made the big announcement, “My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else.”

I'm running for president. Let's do this together. Join us: https://t.co/9KwgFlgZHA pic.twitter.com/otf2ez7t1p

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 21, 2019

I find Harris to be smart, articulate, and experienced. I don't think there's a question she's qualified. I look forward to seeing her at the early debates and hear what she has to say in regard to what a Harris administration would look like.

As attorney general in California, she refused to defend Proposition 8, the state’s hideous ban on same-sex marriage. She also refused to certify a “Kill the Gays” ballot initiative that would have instituted the death penalty for homosexuality.

When the Supreme Court finally made marriage equality the law of the land in 2015, Harris officiated the wedding of Prop 8 plaintiffs Sandy Stier and Kris Perry.

Upon joining the Senate, she co-sponsored the Equality Act, legislation that seeks to bar anti-LGBT discrimination under federal law.

Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California told the Los Angeles Blade, “We’ve known her since she was the DA in San Francisco, and then of course, when she as attorney general was more engaged than any attorney general has been with us in the LGBTQ community.”

There was a blemish on her LGBTQ record when in 2015, while Attorney General of California, she signed off on some briefs that sought to withhold gender confirmation surgery for transgender prison inmates that had been prescribed while serving out their sentences.

Today, at Howard University, she told the Washington Blade's Chris Johnson, “It was an office with a lot of people who would do the work on a daily basis, and do I wish that sometimes they would have personally consulted me before they wrote the things that they wrote?” Harris said. “Yes, I do.”

“But the bottom line is the buck stops with me, and I take full responsibility for what my office did,” Harris said.

Harris went on to say she helped coordinate an agreement with the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation to set up a process where transgender inmates could obtain transition-related care, including gender reassignment surgery.

Several of Harris' Senate colleagues will be in the hunt for the Democratic nomination as well.

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts have both formed exploratory committees.

Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are also eyeing the race.

SCOTUS Nominee Dodges/Evades Questions On Marriage Equality

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)

Long days of confirmation hearings by the Senate judiciary committee questioning Donald Trump’s latest nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, have yielded no answers on where the candidate stands on marriage equality.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), a former Attorney General of California, attempted to get a straight answer to no avail.

“My question is very specific,” she stated. “Can you comment on your personal opinion on whether Obergefell was correctly decided. It’s a yes or no. Please."

Rather than address that question, Kavanaugh deflected to the recent SCOTUS decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd, v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

“Justice Kennedy wrote, ‘The days of discriminating against gay and lesbian Americans or treating gay and lesbian Americans as inferior in dignity and worth are over,’” Kavanaugh replied.

The problem is that case wasn’t about same-sex marriage per se, but about LGBT discrimination.

“That is the precedent of the Supreme Court agreed with by...” Kavanaugh began, a response he’s used throughout the proceedings to avoid a direct answer.

Harris wasn’t having it. “Sir, I’m asking your opinion,” she made clear. “You’re the nominee right now so it is probative of your ability to serve on the highest court in our land.”

“So I’m asking you a very specific question - either you’re willing to answer or not,” framing the back and forth. “And if you’re not willing to answer it, we can move on. Do you believe Obergefell was correctly decided?”

“Each of the justices have declined as a matter of judicial independence,” Kavanaugh demurred.

"So you will not answer that question?" Harris declared and moved on to another subject.

I asked Brett Kavanaugh a very specific question: does he believe the case that made marriage equality the law of the land was correctly decided?

He refused to answer. pic.twitter.com/FO6kCLmk2f

— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) September 7, 2018

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) tried in his own way to get clarity on the judge’s position on the legality of same-sex marriage.

“Would it be wrong to fire a gay person?” Booker asked Kavanuagh.

“In my workplace, I hire people because of their talents and abilities,” Kavanaugh said, steering away from any legal perspective.

Booker moved to a different tact asking, “For someone to fire someone just because they’re gay… do they have a legal right to fire someone just because they’re gay in your opinion?”

Kavanaugh declined to answer that question directly citing ongoing litigation that he might have to rule on.

Growing frustrated, Booker stated the concern directly to the nominee: “There are a lot of folks who have concerns that if you get on the court, folks who are married right now really have a fear that they will not be able to continue those marital bonds.

“We still have a country where, if you post your Facebook pictures up of your marriage to someone of the same sex, we still have a majority of the states where if that employer of yours finds out that you’ve got a gay marriage and that you’re gay, in the majority of America states, you can fire somebody because they’re gay,” stated Booker.

And Booker’s right. Currently, there’s no federal law protecting LGBTQ people from workplace discrimination.

Only 20 states plus Washington, D.C. protect gay, lesbian or bisexual workers in public or private employ.

“I guess you’re not willing to tell me whether you personally, morally now, think that that’s right or wrong,” Booker concluded.

Watch Sen. Booker go round and round with Kavanaugh below.

Kavanaugh refused to respond to @SenBooker when asked if it should be legal to fire someone just because they are LGBTQ. pic.twitter.com/j4un4GP36y

— GLAAD (@glaad) September 7, 2018

The CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis, tweeted this statement deriding Kavanaugh's vague, non-answers to Harris and Booker on these questions of vital concern to LGBTQ Americans.

Judge Kavanaugh refuses to answer simple questions on the dignity of LGBTQ Americans and is unfit to serve on the Supreme Court.

— Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) September 7, 2018

With the world watching, Kavanaugh refused to tell LGBTQ Americans that we deserve equal protections under the law and Congress should take action before appointing him to a lifetime position where he will no doubt work to undermine our basic rights to liberty and justice.

— Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) September 7, 2018

Democratic Senators Introduce Pro-LGBTQ "Census Equality Act"

Two Democratic Senators - Kamala Harris of California and Tom Carper of Delaware - have introduced new legislation that would require the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure the approximately 10 million LGBTQ Americans are properly counted for and represented in the Census data efforts.

The Census Equality Act would require the Census Bureau to begin the process of adding questions related to sexual orientation and gender identity to the decennial census by 2030 and the American Community Survey (ACS) by 2020.

Via press release:

LGTBQ communities face many challenges related to this undercounting, chief among them underrepresentation, lack of resources, and discrimination. Despite the fact that millions of Americans identify as LGBTQ, only an estimated .1% of elected officials are LGBTQ. LGBTQ undercounting in the Decennial Census and the ACS result in an inadequate distribution of resources and social services including Medicaid, Section 8 housing vouchers, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“The spirit of the census is that no one should go uncounted and no one should be invisible,” said Senator Harris. “We must expand data collections efforts to ensure the LGBTQ community is not only seen, but fully accounted for in terms of government resources provided. This information can also provide us with better tools to enforce civil rights protections for a community that is too often discriminated against.”

LGBTQ advocates have long argued that federal and local governments can't help LGBTQ folks if they don't know we're out here.

NPR reports "the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the 2020 census questionnaires will include new relationship categories differentiating between 'same-sex' and 'opposite-sex' couples. That change, some demographers say, could produce the most comprehensive national data yet on same-sex couples."

The Constitution requires every person living in the U.S. to take part in the census.

The bill has the support of the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the ACLU, People for the American Way and many more civil rights organizations.

News Round-Up: January 9, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• Check out the Russian/American "cultural" exchange (above) between InstaHunk bfs Alex (Russia) and Brett (U.S.)

• Asked about the now empty Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS after the Trump administration fired the council members, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tossed off a vague "We'll keep you posted."

• Superstar Ricky Martin got a bit "cheeky" promoting his latest concert dates in Las Vegas at The Park Theater.

A moment in Vegas. . . We are back to Vegas! Get your tickets NOW 👉 ticketmaster.com/rickymartin #RICKYALLIN @parktheaterlv . 📷: @walid.azami

A post shared by Ricky (@ricky_martin) on Jan 4, 2018 at 10:13am PST

• This is a big deal - Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris have been appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Previously, only 1 African American had ever served on this body during its 201-year history.

• LGBT fans of Star Trek: Discovery were left heartbroken after the most recent episode.

• Hunky Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds was recently asked on Twitter which Hollywood "Chris" does he think is the hottest - Pratt, Hemsworth or Evans? Using ice cream as a metaphor, Reynolds got a bit cheeky. He also threw in a Chris Pine shout out as well.

And of course, some Pine nuts generously sprinkled on top.

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) January 2, 2018

• Uganda's LGBTQ film festival persevered despite being raided by the police.

• The state of Connecticut have soon have the very first openly gay Chief Justice of any state Supreme Court.

• Big shout out to British gravity racer Zach Leader who recently came out via Instagram. Check out his message below.

So 2018 is finally here and for about 6 months now, this is how I wanted to start the new year. A fresh start. No more hiding, no more lies, no more fannying around! To some of you this won’t be news or anything new but to a lot of you, I imagine it won’t have even crossed your mind. Some of you may have thought about it I imagine 😂 What I’m trying to do is come out and say I’m gay 🏳️‍🌈 I’ve spent a lot more time in paddocks in recent seasons but this issue has never come up, I’ve never known if the paddocks would accept a gay rider. I guess I’ll find out soon! 😂 I’ve always worried that people would look at me differently and so wouldn’t accept me into paddocks. I’ve always worried this would hinder me from getting sponsors and maybe even signed by teams in the future; that team managers wouldn’t want the hassle and so wouldn’t bother, regardless of how good I may be. Obviously I’ll find all this out in good time but I really hope everyone both in general life and racing life accepts me for who I am. This is a purely personal decision to come out but maybe if there are other LGBT racers in British paddocks then it may help them to find themselves and consider coming out too, or find the confidence to talk about it. I’m always happy to talk to anybody about it 😊 Maybe one day we may see more racers happy and confident to come out as a member of the LGBT community! 😊 I’m telling you all now though, I’m a man on a mission. I’m going to be the first openly gay BGBC champion and then one day I’m going to Britain’s one of Britain’s first openly gay national motorcycle champions and the ultimate goal is to be THE FIRST EVER OPENLY GAY BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPION. And mark my words, I’ll get there if it’s the last thing I do! I’m going to be an ambassador in racing for the LGBT community too which I’m going to be incredibly proud to do 😊 Feel free to message about anything guys but I hope you all accept me and continue to show me the love! ❤️ I don’t currently have that special guy in my life to share everything with and to share my journey to glory with at the moment but I’m working on it 😜 Happy new year everyone! #gay #gayteen #lgbt #gayracer #comingout

A post shared by Zack Leader (@zleader77) on Dec 31, 2017 at 5:20pm PST

California Attorney General Asks Courts To Kill "Kill The Gays" Initiative

California Attorney General Kamala Harris has asked California courts to squash the recently filed "Kill The Gays" referendum initiative.

Via press release:

"As Attorney General of California, it is my sworn duty to uphold the California and United States Constitutions and to protect the rights of all Californians.

"This proposal not only threatens public safety, it is patently unconstitutional, utterly reprehensible, and has no place in a civil society.

"Today, I am filing an action for declaratory relief with the Court seeking judicial authorization for relief from the duty to prepare and issue the title and summary for the 'Sodomite Suppression Act.'

If the Court does not grant this relief, my office will be forced to issue a title and summary for a proposal that seeks to legalize discrimination and vigilantism."

A California lawyer recently proposed a ballot initiative to legalize the execution of gay and lesbian people in the state via bullet to the head. Due to state laws, the attorney general could be compelled to write a title and summary for the initiative for signature gathering.

California: Initiative To Propose Killing Gays Likely To Move Forward

A Southern California lawyer has filed a proposal that would put a "kill the gays" initiative before voters, and Attorney General Kamala Harris most likely can't stop the process from advancing to the signature gathering stage.


Attorney Matthew G. McLaughlin filed the proposed measure last month, asking voters to criminalize homosexuality in the state and impose a death penalty sentence.

In his filing, which McLaughlin titles “Sodomite Suppression Act,” he seeks to have written into law that "any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification be put to death by bullets to the head or by any other convenient method.”

Harris is now tasked with having to write a title and summary for the proposal.

More than 3,800 people signed a petition to State Bar President Craig Holden asking that McLaughlin lose his law license for advocating to “legalize the murder” of gays and lesbians.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article15394181.html#storylink=cpy

Read the full text of the initiative here.

(source)