News Round-Up: August 8, 2019

Some guy...

Some news items you might have missed:

• #TBT: The above photo was from one of my last headshot sessions while I was still an actor. I hated having to take headshots. I remember early on in New York City, I was sitting for one photographer. He told me, "Turn away, then look at me and think 'SEXY.' I turned away and then shifted back to the camera...but there was no click as the photographer said, "Umm, no..." And there you have it LOL.

• Splinter: Friends say the Dayton shooter's slain sibling was transgender.

• The Hill: House Republicans in the Illinois delegation are calling for President Trump to not commute the prison sentence of former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is serving 14 years on federal corruption charges.

• Advocate: Donald Trump attacked another gay journalist. This time out Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, one of the few Fox personalities willing to criticize him, as worse than “Fake News CNN.” Trump has previously denounced CNN's Don Lemon calling him "dumb."

• Axios: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote a letter to President Trump on Thursday asking him to use his Article II powers to call the Senate back into session in order to consider gun control legislation passed in the House.

• Web Series: Funnymen Matthew Wilkas & Dan Gordh are back with Season two of their absurdist sketch series, Matt & Dan. The comedy duo promises more guest stars, bigger wigs, and more twisted, uncomfortable situations.

Premiering August 15, the eight episodes in Season 2 will include a zombie apocalypse, surviving a plane crash in the Himalayas, and stripping at a bachelorette party.

Pelosi On Impeachment: "I'm Not Trying To Run Out The Clock"

In the aftermath of Robert Mueller's testimony before Congress earlier this week, many Democrats in the House have critized Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for not beginning impeachment proceedings against President Trump saying she may be "running out the clock."

Today, Pelosi addressed the criticisms publicly, saying she and the Democratic caucus would move forward "when we have what we need to proceed, not one day sooner."

"And everybody has the liberty and the luxury to espouse their own position and to criticize me for trying to go down the path in the most determined positive way," she added.

From CNN:

More than 90 Democratic members -- roughly 40% of the party's caucus -- have publicly stated that they support starting an impeachment inquiry, including a handful who made their decision following the hearings this week from former special counsel Robert Mueller.

CNN reported Thursday that House Democrats who are publicly and privately agitating to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump are growing worried that their time is running short -- and that they are missing key opportunities to give them a clear opening to mount a formal probe.

"Their advocacy for impeachment only gives me leverage," Pelosi said Friday of impeachment supporters. "I have no complaint with what they are doing."

Pelosi said she'll continue to stay the course, adding she's "willing to take whatever heat there is."

Pelosi on pursuing impeachment of President Trump: "We will proceed when we have what we need to proceed." https://t.co/ewTTRfZuJX pic.twitter.com/j8eWqnkHfw

— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 26, 2019

Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "It's just like you're in a family. In a family you have your differences, but you're still a family." pic.twitter.com/XXkkvDpzlE

— The Hill (@thehill) July 26, 2019

News Round-Up: June 6, 2019

Mayor Pete Buttigieg and friend

Some news items you might have missed:

• I could not resist this adorable pic of Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who encountered this little guy out on the campaign trail. "Even the littlest voices deserve to be heard."

• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told Democratic leaders that she would rather see Donald Trump defeated for re-election in 2020 and face prosecution after he leaves office. “I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison."

• Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) says as president he would ask the Pentagon review dishonorable discharges of LGB service members received prior to being allowed to serve openly and upgrade them to honorable discharges.

• The Trump Administration has announced a new policy prohibiting government research using fetal tissue. The new policy will severely limit research done on HIV, cancers and more.

• Four U.S. Special Operations troops charged in the death of a Green Beret soldier in Mali plotted to record him being sexually assaulted as part of a plan to embarrass him through hazing.

• After two years of harassing Vox reporter Carlos Maza on YouTube for being gay and Latino - we're talking hundreds of troll comments, doxing Maza and more - the video site finally took some action towards YouTuber Steven Crowder by 'demonetizing' his channels.

They didn't stop the hater from posting his homophobic campaign against Maza, but at least he can't make any money from it. (p.s. Maza wasn't happy with the penalty)

Demonetizing 👏 doesn't 👏 work. 👏

Abusers use it as proof they're being "discriminated" against. Then they make millions off of selling merch, doing speaking gigs, and getting their followers to support them on Patreon.

The ad revenue isn't the problem. It's the platform.

— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) June 5, 2019

The problem isn't Crowder and the problem isn't monetization.

The problem is that @YouTube allows monsters and bullies to become superstars, break YouTube's rules, build an army of loyal, radicalized followers, and then make millions selling them merch that sustains their work.

— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) June 5, 2019

Pelosi: Trump "Wants Us To Impeach Him" So He Can Be Exonerated By GOP-Senate

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

As more and more Democrats feel the need to push for impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has shown restraint regarding rushing into things.

On one hand, the more info we get about 10+ episodes of obstruction detailed in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, the more it makes sense that Trump did indeed attempt to obstruct the investigation and he should be held accountable.

But the danger lies in the fact that Trump would not be found guilty by a Republican-led Senate. And a 'not guilty' verdict in the Senate would embolden his supporters.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, Pelosi explained her thinking as well as what she believes Trump wants to see happen.

“I think the president wants us to impeach him,” Pelosi told Kimmel. “He knows it’s not a good idea to be impeached, but the silver lining for him is then, he believes, that he would be exonerated by the United States Senate.

“And,” she added, “there is a school of thought that says, ‘If the Senate acquits you, why bring charges against him in the private sector when he’s no longer president?’ So when we go through with our case, it’s got to be ironclad. Ironclad.”

I completely agree. Watch below.

Nancy Pelosi On Mueller's Comments: "Congress Will Continue To Investigate"

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has issued a statement in response to this morning's comments by Special Counsel Robert Mueller:

“The Special Counsel’s report revealed that the President’s campaign welcomed Russian interference in the election, and laid out eleven instances of the President’s obstruction of the investigation. The Congress holds sacred its constitutional responsibility to investigate and hold the President accountable for his abuse of power.

"The Congress will continue to investigate and legislate to protect our elections and secure our democracy. The American people must have the truth. We call upon the Senate to pass H.R. 1, the For The People Act, to protect our election systems. We salute Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team for his patriotic duty to seek the truth.”

Pelosi urged Democrats to whoa up on impeachment calls, saying, “We want to do what is right and what gets results.”

The House Speaker added, “We do want to make such a compelling case that even the Republican Senate will be convinced of the path that we have to take as a country.”

Several Democratic candidates for president weighed in with their thoughts as well:

What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral. Now it is up to Congress to hold this president accountable.

We need to start impeachment proceedings. It's our constitutional obligation.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 29, 2019

Robert Mueller’s statement makes it clear: Congress has a legal and moral obligation to begin impeachment proceedings immediately.

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 29, 2019

Mueller’s statement makes clear what those who have read his report know: It is an impeachment referral, and it’s up to Congress to act. They should.

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) May 29, 2019

This is as close to an impeachment referral as it gets. Robert Mueller could not clear the president, nor could he charge him — so he has handed the matter to Congress, which alone can act to deliver due process and accountability.

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) May 29, 2019

My statement on the comments Robert Mueller made today: pic.twitter.com/U9sCVSZ6E3

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) May 29, 2019

Oh, and the Trumpster had to chime in as well:

Nothing changes from the Mueller Report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2019

Nancy Pelosi: 'We Believe That The President Of The United States Is Engaged In A Coverup'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Donald Trump keeps pressing to hide more documents and suppress more testimony; more Democrats are shifting towards impeachment mode; and now, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is starting to sound like her colleagues are moving her in that direction as well.

Following a meeting with House Democrats, Pelosi reporters that "no one is above the law," and "we believe the President of the United States is engaged in a cover up."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "We believe the President of the United States is engaged in a cover-up" https://t.co/RhvismjmFt pic.twitter.com/dzi179fGu1

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 22, 2019

Pelosi was scheduled to meet with Trump and other lawmakers this morning regarding infrastructure legislation.

He wasn't happy.

Mangling the English language once again, Trump sputtered, "Instead of walking in happily into a meeting, I walk in to look at at people that had just said I'm doing a cover-up. I don't do coverups."

Uh-huh. That's why he's telling his former lawyer, Don McGahn, to not testify before Congress. Because he's totally-not covering anything up.

At the impromptu presser in the White House Rose Garden, Trump told reporters he told Democrats at the White House he couldn't work with them while they were pursuing investigations into him and his administration.

Isn't it his job to DO his job?

JUST IN: Pres. Trump responds to Speaker Pelosi's comment that he's engaged in a "cover-up."

"Instead of walking into happily into a meeting, I walk in to look at at people that had just said I'm doing a cover-up. I don't do coverups." https://t.co/h1ImSdhRL5 pic.twitter.com/GucORhhcK4

— ABC News (@ABC) May 22, 2019

Fact-checking Trump's Rose Garden comments from today.

CLAIM: “I think most of you would agree, I'm the most transparent president probably in the history of this country.”

FACTS: No tax returns, no Mueller sit-down, objecting to McGahn's House testimony

— Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) May 22, 2019

News Round-Up: May 15, 2019

(via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Guoyang510 (above) is looking forward to summer, just like I am. Who's with us???

• Rep. Daniel Lipinski (Ill.), the only House Democrat not to co-sponsor the Equality Act, has announced he will now vote for the legislation. The House is expected to vote on the bill this Friday. Maybe that threat of a primary challenge moved the needle?

• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and beleaguered Attorney General William Barr bump into each other at an event. Barr jokes about handcuffs, Pelosi goes one better...

Today at a law enforcement ceremony at Capitol:

AG Barr approached Pelosi, shook her hand: "Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?"

Pelosi smiled and, per a bystander, told Barr the House Sergeant at Arms was there should an arrest be needed. Barr laughed; walked away

— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) May 15, 2019

• A reader wrote in to Slate's sex advice column, How To Do It, asking how to handle an office situation when folks realize their new coworker (currently married to a woman) used to do gay porn? I'm not sure what the problem is, but I was curious about the columnist's response.

• US News ranked the 50 states according to several metrics including health care, education, economy, roads, bridges, internet and other infrastructure, its public safety, the fiscal stability of state government, and the opportunity it affords its residents. Click to see where your state lands on the list.

• Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of Senate GOP leadership, said Wednesday that the chamber is unlikely to vote on any election security legislation, despite requests from a federal agency for more funding to improve election systems nationwide.

• Long-running animated series Family Guy hysterically went after Fox News host Sean Hannity. "High sodium Superman" was maybe my favorite description... LOL

Holy shit Family Guy went after Sean Hannity lmao pic.twitter.com/yOIqpmS386

— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) May 14, 2019

McConnell - Mueller Probe "Finally Over," Pelosi - "Not So Fast"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced from the floor of the U.S. Senate that the Special Counsel's Russian probe is "finally over."

The Republican from Kentucky called Mueller’s findings “bad news for the outrage industrial complex but good news for the rest of the country.”

With a stern "case closed," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declares Robert Mueller's Russia probe is over. https://t.co/jzlRcY6mtU pic.twitter.com/BxvqoQ5qJe

— USA TODAY Video (@usatodayvideo) May 7, 2019

But Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi disagreed saying “that’s just not a fact — the case is not closed.”

.@SenateMajLdr McConnell’s declaration of “case closed” is a stunning act of political cynicism and a brazen violation of the oath we all take.

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) May 7, 2019

McConnell: End "Groundhog Day" of Trump investigations. "Case closed," declared the man who declined to warn American voters of Russian interference https://t.co/Lk7d6RmbAD

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 7, 2019

Pelosi On Barr: "He Lied To Congress - If Anybody Else Did That It Would Be Considered A Crime"

During testimony to Congress last month, Attorney General William Barr was directly asked by Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) if he was aware of any concerns/frustrations Special Counsel Robert Mueller or his team had regarding Barr's now-infamous four page 'summary' of Mueller's two year investigation.

At the time, Barr told Crist, "No, I don't."

But this week, news of a letter from Mueller to Barr expressing frustrations that Barr's summary mischaracterized the investigation's context and substance now puts Barr's denial in a new perspective.

He had received the letter from Mueller and had a phone call with the Special Counsel about the summary. So, he lied to Congress when he said he didn't know of any concerns on Mueller's part.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was asked today how she felt about the statements by Barr.

Pelosi didn't hold back. "He lied to Congress - if anyone else did that it would be considered a crime."

Nancy Pelosi: "[Barr] lied to Congress. If anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime. Nobody is above the law. Not the President of the United States and not the attorney general."
Via CBS pic.twitter.com/uJN6hUgpwY

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 2, 2019

Yesterday, Rep. Adam Schiff echoed the same sentiments.

Q: Did the Attorney General lie to Congress?

"I think his statement is deliberately false and misleading." -- @RepAdamSchiff pic.twitter.com/TmTOqW45hT

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) May 1, 2019

News Round-Up: April 17, 2019

Ben Zerbst and Donald Romain

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks Ben Zerbst and Donald Romain took each other to Disneyland for some Hump Day fun. #FutureDILFSofDisneyland

• Brunei has defended its punishment of death by stoning for gay sex in a letter to the European Parliament. Under the country's new law, not only are LGBTQs targeted but adultery garners the same punishment, and thieves and robbers risk amputations.

• Prosecutors plan to seek a sentence of four to 10 months’ jail time for actress Felicity Huffman for her role in the college admissions scandal.

• This year's Time 100 - the 100 most influential people of 2019 - includes Lady Gaga, Indya Moore, Ryan Murphy, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

View this post on Instagram

@speakerpelosi is one of the 100 most influential people of 2019. "Nancy Pelosi is living proof that when it comes to getting the job done, more often than not, it takes a woman," writes @hillaryclinton. See the full #TIME100 list at the link in bio, and swipe for a video interview with Pelosi. Photograph by @paridukovic for TIME. Video by @spencerbakalar, @francescatrianni and @ggarciapardo

A post shared by TIME (@time) on Apr 17, 2019 at 4:25am PDT

• Nevada could soon join the three other states - California, Illinois, and Rhode Island - that ban the 'gay panic' or 'trans panic' defense in cases of assault or murder.

• Folks were wondering why queer rapper Lizzo performed at Coachella Music Festival this past weekend when it came to light owner Philip Anschutz has given his money to anti-LGBTQ organizations.

Lizzo explained:

"Whether we like it or not most major organizations are run by bigoted millionaires that donate to bigoted organizations. I realize my activism is to disrupt those spaces and spread my message to thousands of ppl."

"Y’all may not agree w it and that’s ok. But know that I’m doing what I gotta do to make sure my big black ass voice is heard. Can’t wait to dismantle the hate that funds this country… but until then, imma be putting big, black, femme, lgbtq+ bodies on stages and telling our stories."

Here's Lizzo's latest music video "Juice" featuring a whole bunch of RuPaul's Drag Race queens for added fun. Her new album Cuz I Love You drops Friday.

Nancy Pelosi On Impeaching Trump: "He's Just Not Worth It"

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says Trump "is just not worth" impeaching

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi wins 'Quote of the Day' with this bon mot from a lengthy interview with the Washington Post:

"I’m not for impeachment. This is news.

"I’m going to give you some news right now because I haven’t said this to any press person before. But since you asked, and I’ve been thinking about this: Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country.

"And he’s just not worth it."

Trump Agrees To Postpone State Of The Union Address Until #TrumpShutdown Is Resolved

Nancy Pelosi (L) and Donald Trump (R)

From The New York Times:

President Trump said late Wednesday that he would deliver his State of the Union address once the federal government reopens, capping a day of brinkmanship with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who told the president that he was not welcome to deliver the speech in the House chamber while the government is partly closed.

“As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter shortly after 11 p.m., hours after he had said he would look for another venue for the speech. “I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative - I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over.”

As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative - I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over. I am not looking for an....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019

....alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber. I look forward to giving a “great” State of the Union Address in the near future!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019

House Democrats continue to say they are willing to give Trump substantial amounts of money for border security (technology, manpower), just not for his beloved wall.

The Senate will vote to day on two different proposals - one that supports Trump's demands, one that funds the government shutdown to an end without funding 'the wall.'

Neither proposal is expected to get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to pass, although 3 Republicans - Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colorado), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), have signaled they would vote for the continuing resolution that would reopen the government.

Speaker Pelosi circled back one more time for clarity:

Mr. President, I hope by saying “near future” you mean you will support the House-passed package to #EndTheShutdown that the Senate will vote on tomorrow. Please accept this proposal so we can re-open government, repay our federal workers and then negotiate our differences. https://t.co/57KMATZZTO

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 24, 2019

Nancy Pelosi To Trump: Come To The House When The Government Has Been Opened

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a letter today to Donald Trump reiterating that she does not intend on hosting the annual State of the Union address in Congress until the ongoing federal shutdown comes to an end.

From CNBC:

In a letter to Trump, Pelosi escalated a standoff over the annual address hours after the president said he would give the speech in the House chamber next week as planned. Earlier this month, Pelosi urged him to reschedule the remarks or deliver them elsewhere during a partial government shutdown.

Pelosi wrote that the Democratic-held House would not pass the resolution needed to approve the joint session of Congress where he would deliver the address. She said lawmakers "will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President's State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened."

"Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened," Pelosi wrote. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he introduced a resolution Wednesday to allow Trump to deliver the address, but it is unlikely to pass without Pelosi's support.

President Trump’s letter to Speaker Pelosi on the State of the Union pic.twitter.com/B4QN9hDJnv

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 23, 2019

BREAKING: @SpeakerPelosi to decline steps to permit a State of the Union Jan 29 pic.twitter.com/ZDbKGjduNT

— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) January 23, 2019

News Round-Up: January 17, 2019

Rodiney Santiago

Some news items you might have missed:

• The above pic featuring InstaHunk Rodiney Santiago is an ad for a necklace. #TheresAnecklace?

• Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino says the US State Department is ‘deeply disturbed’ by the latest reports out of Chechnya regarding the anti-LGBTI crackdown. But no one is doing anything about it.

• Donald Trump cancelled Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's trip to meet with our soldiers in Afghanistan citing budgetary reasons due to his government shutdown, but hours later First Lady Melania Trump flew on an Air Force plane to Mar a Lago for a weekend holiday. #hypocrisy

• Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow a vote to approve a recent House bill that would re-open the federal government. The government remains closed at this writing because McConnell refused to bring the bill up for a vote.

Day 27: I just directly requested passage of a bill to reopen the government. Senator McConnell refused.

Impossible to overstate exactly how ridiculous and offensive — not to mention unnecessary — this continuing shutdown is.

— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) January 17, 2019

• Second Lady Karen Pence recently announced she's going back to teach at a school in Washington DC that doesn't allow gay kids or teachers. So, The Trevor Project sent copies of pro-gay kids book, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, to the private school. #Awesome

• Former Minnesota rabbi Aryeh Leiv Cohen received a 2 day jail sentence after being caught in a police sting operation. Cohen was arrested after sexting with, and showing up expecting to have sex with, what he believed was a 15-year-old boy.

• Folks on the political right lost their minds today as newly-sworn Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave her first-ever speech from the floor of the House of Representatives.

Her three minute speech, on behalf of the 800,000 federal workers affected by the current Trump shutdown, broke the record for the most viewed video on C-SPAN's Twitter account drawing over 1.6 million views.

First House Floor speech from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC): “The truth of this shutdown is that it's actually not about a wall...The truth is, this shutdown is about the erosion of American democracy and the subversion of our most basic governmental norms." pic.twitter.com/r8tmsGSNtT

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 17, 2019

•

Networks Will Give Democrats Airtime For Response To Trump's Address Tonight

The four television networks - NBC, Fox, ABC and CBS - have confirmed that they will air a Democratic response to Trump's primetime address tonight.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer requested equal time following Donald Trump's address tonight to offer their rebuttal and vision for moving forward from the current government shutdown.

From The New York Times:

Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Schumer will speak from the Capitol after Mr. Trump completes his remarks from the Oval Office, which are scheduled to be broadcast live by the major television networks. The dueling addresses from opposite sides of Pennsylvania Avenue will unfold at the close of Day 18 of a government shutdown over Mr. Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion for a border wall that Democrats have steadfastly opposed.

Mr. Trump, who spent much of the first two weeks of the shutdown cloistered inside the White House saying little about it, is now using the powers of the presidency to focus public attention on his immigration message in an effort to build support for the idea of erecting a large wall on the border with Mexico. Democrats, newly in control of the House, are steering clear of talk of the wall itself, and instead are working to focus attention on the damaging impacts of the shutdown.

Nancy Pelosi Names The Equality Act As A Top Priority In New Congress

(image via office of the Speaker of the House)

As Nancy Pelosi returned to her position as Speaker of the House yesterday, she made a point of saying passage of The Equality Act will be a priority in the upcoming Congress.

The legislation, which has already been introduced in the House before, would outlaw LGBTQ discrimination on a federal level.

“We will make America fairer by passing the Equality Act to end discrimination against the LGBTQ community,” Pelosi said in remarks as she was reelected to Speaker.

I'm always grateful to see LGBTQ legislation brought up, and the Equality Act does stand a good chance of being passed in the House with the newly-installed Democratic majority.

But with the Senate in Republican-control and Donald Trump in the White House, I'm not counting on the legislation becoming law any time soon, unfortunately.

The Human Rights Campaign estimates nearly 50% of LGBTQ Americans live in one of 30 states with no legal protections whatsoever, and could lose their job, be evicted or denied public services based on their sexuality or gender identity.

Nancy Pelosi Vows To Make The Equality Act A Priority

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA-D)

Should the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives after the midterm elections, probable Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says passing the long-overdue Equality Act would be a high priority.

From Chris Johnson at The Washington Blade:

Speaking at an event Tuesday at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Pelosi identified the Equality Act as a personal goal in wide-ranging remarks about her plans for the next Congress.

“It isn’t in our ‘For The People’ agenda because it doesn’t get that specific, but there’s one more because it’s personal for me that I really want to do, and it’s called the Equality Act,” Pelosi said. “The Equality Act expands ending discrimination against LGBTQ people and women and adding that to the Civil Rights Act.”

Introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) in the House and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in the Senate, the Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act to ban anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, education, federal programs and credit.

The bill also seeks to update federal law to include sex in the list of protected classes in public accommodation in addition to expanding the definition of public accommodations to include retail stores, banks, transportation services and health care services.

Further, the Equality Act would establish that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — a 1994 law aimed at protecting religious liberty — can’t be used to enable anti-LGBT discrimination.

News Round-Up: May 8, 2018

Birthday boy Nyle DiMarco

Some news items you might have missed:

• Happy, happy birthday to Nyle DiMarco! The DWTS/ANTM champ turns 29 today! The handsome model and actor is currently working as a producer on Broadway repping the revival of the hit play, Children of a Lesser God.

• An 88-year-old grandmother shut down her son's homophobia in two sentences.

• Madonna served up fashion in a dramatic vein last night at the annual Met Gala where she sang "Like A Prayer," "Hallelujah" and debuted a new song apparently titled, "Magic." The theme for the evening was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.

With The Light on the Steps of the Met! 😇😇😇 #jeannedarc #metgala #hallelujah #catholicimagination 🙏🏼👑 #heavenly. @guyoseary pic.twitter.com/RJTdtECmly

— Madonna (@Madonna) May 8, 2018

• Raul Castro's daughter is making the push for marriage equality in Cuba.

• House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi says if there are Democratic House candidates who want to say they won't support her as House Speaker, she's fine with it. “I think if they have to do that to win the election, I’m all for it. Just win, baby.”

• Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team has questioned a Russian oligarch about hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments funneled through his company to President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, after the election. #RuhRoh #DidHeSayRussia?

• The new interim memorial for the victims and survivors of the Pulse Nightclub shooting was unveiled today in Orlando, Florida. This tribute will remain until a permanent memorial can be built.

Preview of the interim memorial at Pulse nightclub. It will be open to the public starting at 3pm. pic.twitter.com/RlPxGu8Mov

— Bianca Padró Ocasio (@BiancaJoanie) May 8, 2018

News Round-Up: January 19, 2018

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Can we start the weekend admiring Nick Jonas (above) admiring his NY Yankees hat in the background? #TheresAHat?

• Indonesia's IT Ministry is asking Google to block  LGBT-related networking apps.

• Check out the newly-announced list of nominees for the 2018 GLAAD Media Awards here.

• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will be a guest judge on an upcoming episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race" #YouBettaWerk

All I can say is, you betta werk! Had a fabulous time with @RuPaul and good luck to all the queens. #DragRace https://t.co/ZrJDyDmuVh

— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) January 18, 2018

• And speaking of, on the latest episode of Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations podcast, RuPaul shares what he's learned from drag: “What it teaches people is that all things are temporary. Everything’s temporary: just clothes, some paint, powder – this body, even, is temporary.”

• The FBI is looking into whether a top Russian banker funneled money through the National Rifle Association to help elect Donald Trump. It's illegal to use foreign funds to influence federal elections, and the NRA spent $30 million on Trump's behalf in 2016.

• Warning: NSFW - Fischerspooner shares their new single and music video, “TopBrazil,” from their upcoming album, Sir, produced by Michael Stipe due out February 16.

In the video, shadow and light create a collage of naked male bodies becoming one, all the while blurring the lines of masculinity and femininity.

Spooner explains, "The video celebrates a pop aesthetic typically reserved for the female archetype and liberates the male form to be sexual, expressive and fearless."

I think it's a very cool video, but again - Adult Content.

Democratic Leaders Announce Deal With Trump To Protect DACA "Dreamers"

Via Reuters:

President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress have agreed to work together on legislation to protect “Dreamers,” the illegal immigrants who were children when they entered the United States, the lawmakers said on Wednesday, although a dispute erupted over exactly what had been agreed.

Following a dinner with Trump at the White House, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said the “productive meeting” focused on “DACA,” a program established by former President Barack Obama.

“We agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides,” Schumer and Pelosi said in a statement.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders pushed back on the idea that "The Wall" was part of the agreement:

While DACA and border security were both discussed, excluding the wall was certainly not agreed to.

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 14, 2017