News Round-Up: January 31, 2019

Instagram hottie José Adones - check his moves out at the end of this post

Some news items you might have missed:

• A candidate for the Wisconsin state Supreme Court wrote just a few years ago that legalizing homosexuality would lead to bestiality. But he has no bias against LGBTs whatsoever...

• New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed a law requiring school boards to use instructional materials that accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of LGBTs and persons with disabilities. #Bravo!

• Donald Trump responded to reports of the horrific attack on Empire star Jussie Smollett telling reporters in the Oval Office today, "That I can tell you is horrible. It doesn't get worse."

• Yorke Print Shoppe in Chicago refused to print a fundraising brochure for an LGBTQ charity. The owner, Brad Scull, says he has nothing against "those people" but has an issue with promoting "the lifestyle."

Note: There is no religious exemption to Illinois's nondiscrimination law, and sexual orientation is specifically included as a protected class. So, you do the math...

• The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the city of Fayetteville may not continue enforcing its anti-discrimination ordinance while the city challenged the constitutionality of a 2015 law that prevents cities and counties from enacting their own LGBTQ protections not covered by state law.

• A deaf lesbian couple say Delta Airlines mistreated them when they tried to communicate with a gate agent in Detroit. The women say they wrote down their request to sit next to each other on the plane, but the agent crumpled up their note and threw it away.

• This could technically qualify as a 'Daily Dance' post, but I thought I'd leave this right here.

Florida-based dancer/entertainer José Adones (top of page) is giving you all kinds Latin flavor here. And I ain't mad :)

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Que dios bendiga el reggaeton 🎶 • • • • #canciondeedwa #christianandrew #christianandrewunderwear #reggaeton #gogo

A post shared by Jose Dones � (@jose.dones) on Jan 30, 2019 at 7:34pm PST

Presidential Hopeful Pete Buttigieg On Whether America Is Ready For A Gay President

South Bend Mayor and presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg

Appearing on The View today, presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, was asked the question everyone wants to know: Is America ready for its first gay president?

Buttigieg's answer was perfect.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," replied the 37-year-old mayor with a smile.

He continued:

"When I came out it was 2015, I was in the middle of a reelection campaign. I was ready - you know you're ready when you're ready? - and I wanted to have a personal life.

"It was not obvious that was going to be a safe thing to do - it was in Indiana, Mike Pence was the governor at the time - and I wound up getting reelected with 80% of the vote.

"So I think people will evaluate you for the job you're doing."

Is America ready for its first gay president?

"There's only one way to find out," Democratic presidential candidate @PeteButtigieg says. https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/CbmobVwPGO

— The View (@TheView) January 31, 2019

Buttigieg also says coming from a different generation isn't a bad thing, and that he promised his father (who passed away this Sunday) he would make him proud.

"It's not a bad thing to come from a different generation," Mayor Pete Buttigieg tells @TheView.

"We're the generation that grew up with school shootings as the norm...We're the ones that are going to be living through the impacts of climate change." https://t.co/nItAw78TVC pic.twitter.com/j97Cu8g6kG

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 31, 2019

.@PeteButtigieg shares one of the final moments he had with his father, who passed away Sunday, saying he was proud of his presidential run.

"I told him I hoped I'd make him proud," he says. "He mouthed the words, 'you will.'" https://t.co/f8u2wc159S pic.twitter.com/ZiMm8yiTVx

— The View (@TheView) January 31, 2019

Vinny Guadagnino Will Make It "Gym, Tan, Strip!" As New Chippendales Celeb Guest Host

Vinny Guadagnino (image via Instagram)

The men of Chippendales will soon be welcoming reality star Vinny Guadagnino as their next celebrity guest host in Las Vegas.

The 31-year-old, who first grabbed the national spotlight in 2009 as a cast member of the uber-popular MTV series Jersey Shore, will be grabbing the host mic starting April 26 for five weeks at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I have spent a lot of time in Vegas, I love it there,” says the Now, to be cast as guest host of Chippendales – WOW!, let’s do this!,” says Guadagnino. “I guess my ‘Keto Guido’ diet is working!”

Guadagnino recently shed 50 pounds thanks to revamping his nutritional intake via the Keto Diet.

The Keto Diet focuses on minimizing carbohydrate intake and upping high quality fats.

He’s even launched an Instagram account, named KetoGuido, so fans can follow his progress.

View this post on Instagram

Taking part in this #howharddidaginghityouchallenge ..As you know from all the before and after pics on this profile , I’ve had some fat unhealthy years in between ... eating natural fat , protein, and veggies instead of processed sugar and carbs has brought me back to 21 #ketoguido _ PS - for those of you who are confused and think that I am saying I was fat in 2009 you are incorrect. I’m saying I looked good and young in 2009 and AFTERWARDS had some fat years (you can see those pics in other posts on this page ) ... and living this way of life has brought me back to feeling good like i did when I was 21 in 2009

A post shared by Vinny (@ketoguido) on Jan 12, 2019 at 6:46pm PST

This won’t be Guadagnino’s first visit to the Chippendales: Last year, he and the cast of Jersey Shore Family Vacation shot an episode of the MTV reboot at Chippendales.

And his Jersey Shore co-star, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, guest-hosted the Chipps muscle-fest for one night in 2011.

Guadagnino is just the latest in a line of guest stars at Chippendales which has included international super-model Tyson Beckford, America’s Next Top Model & Dancing with the Stars champ Nyle DiMarco, 90210 & Sharknado star Ian Ziering, and Joey Lawrence, among others.

Ian Ziering, Tyson Beckford and Nyle DiMarco
(photos courtesy of Chippendales)

The high energy show, consistently voted “Best Male Revue” in Las Vegas, features the men in a mix of current dance music set against high-tech LED walls. And yes, men are always welcome at Chippendales.

You can check out Chippendales nightly at 8:30 p.m., with additional shows at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

For more info, head over to Chippendales.com.

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let go _ @ketoguido

A post shared by Vinny (@vinnyguadagnino) on Oct 21, 2018 at 11:13am PDT

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Eat almonds and chill? #babymuscles #iknowidonthaveabs #iknowimnotjacked #justhealthy #yourgirlstilllikesme

A post shared by Vinny (@vinnyguadagnino) on Aug 26, 2016 at 11:21am PDT

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ok guys I’ve decided to forgive Lindsay Lohan in my heart for not taking a picture with me because holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die ...so I’m happy again.. thanks for all the support and well wishes through this tough time that i went through... still NEVER watching mean girls again though . (if you don’t know what I’m talking about see last post)

A post shared by Vinny (@vinnyguadagnino) on Jan 8, 2019 at 8:14pm PST

Armed Protester Barges Into Public Library To Disrupt Drag Queen Storytime

James 'Doc' Greene Sr.

A protester armed with a gun barged into a Houston public library this past weekend in an attempt to disrupt Drag Queen Storytime.

James ‘Doc’ Greene Sr., who was previously issued a trespassing warning by the Houston Public Library for similar protests, entered the Freed-Montrose Library on Saturday at 1:45 p.m., just minutes before the monthly story time event.

When Greene refused to leave, library management called the police for help.

A spokesperson for the Houston Police Department told Outsmart Magazine, “A manager asked us for assistance because [Greene] was banned from the library, and would not leave when he was asked.”

“He was previously banned for filming children at the library, and has been known to cause disturbances,” she added. “Several officers had to escort him out.”

Greene, a conservative radio host for Raging Elephants Radio, was disarmed by the police, put in handcuffs, and placed in a police car. At that point, he began to complain of chest pains.

An ambulance was called and Greene was transported to a local hospital. The District Attorney declined to press charges.

At some point after the police arrived, Greene began recording the incident. He posted part of the video to YouTube where you can see he questions why he was being ejected from the library.

“How am I trespassing?” asks Greene in the video. “I want the law, I want to see the law. How many cops does it take to tell me what the law is?”

“You were given a trespass warning,” an officer responds. “They have requested you to not be on the property anymore.”

After several minutes of citing his status as a taxpayer and “member of the press,” at the 4:10 mark, Greene is shown the trespass affidavit but he disregards it.

The police then escort him out of the building where he declares for the camera, “We have a bunch of homosexuals that are molesting children, and they are doing it with your help.”

Organizers of Drag Queen Storytime say protesters are nothing new for the event, which features drag queens reading to children and their parents to encourage imagination and creativity.

On January 3, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal dismissed a lawsuit by anti-LGBTQ activists who were attempting to stop the events.

Drag Queen Storytime has become so popular it was recently announced that there will be additional readings added to the schedule.

Meme Of The Day

Most of the time, supporting our friends is free, so why not do it?

I tell my friends all the time when they have a show or concert or new CD I'm happy to pay for it because if friends won't support you, who will?

After Trump Lauds Bible Study, His Former Pastor Says He Never Entered The Church Doors 'Not One Time'

Donald Trump

On Monday, Donald Trump took to Twitter following a segment on Fox & Friends which reported on the idea of bible study becoming an option for students in Indiana schools.

At the time, the Trumpster wrote, "Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great!"

But today, Trump's former pastor at New York City’s Presbyterian Marble Collegiate College, David Lewicki, trolled the prez saying Trump not only didn't attend bible study himself, but he never entered the church.

As Lewicki writes, "Not one time."

#burn

I was @realDonaldTrump's pastor for 5 years @MarbleChurch. I assure you, he had the "option" to come to Bible study. He never "opted" in. Nor did he ever actually enter the church doors. Not one time. https://t.co/hf06e6LyRz

— David Lewicki (@dlewicki) January 29, 2019

"Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing." -Edmund Burke

— David Lewicki (@dlewicki) January 29, 2019

Gay-Hating Kim Davis May Have To Pay $222K To Gay Couple's Legal Team

Former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis

Back in 2015, then-candidate for Kentucky governor Matt Bevin was proud to announce he “absolutely supported” Kim Davis, the infamous county clerk who denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Even though the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that marriage equality had become the law of the land, Davis refused to issue the licenses citing her deeply-held religious beliefs.

It’s important to note that those ‘deeply-held religious beliefs’ about the sanctity of marriage didn’t stop her from marrying three different men four times, so, there’s that.

At the time, the state required the name of the county clerk to appear on each marriage license, and Davis saw that as tacit endorsement of same-sex marriage. Digging in her heels, she stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether.

Gay and straight couples, now unable to marry, sued Davis with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. The result was a federal judge ordering Davis to issue the licenses, but she still refused.

And so it was that the judge found her in contempt of court, and she was jailed for five days making her the darling of the anti-LGBT crowd.

The eventual solution was the Kentucky legislature changing state law that required county clerks names on marriage licenses. The gay and straight couples were issued marriage licenses, and the lawsuit against Davis was dismissed in that the issue had been resolved.

Davis went on to write a book, campaigned for a failed same-sex marriage ban in Romania, and then, this past November was voted out of office.

But this sad tale isn’t quite done, yet. There is, as they say, the issue of the bill.

In 2017, a district judge ruled that the state of Kentucky had to pay the $222,000 legal costs of the gay and straight couples who had brought the lawsuit against Davis.

According to the Associated Press, lawyers for now-Governor Matt Bevin say state taxpayers "should not have to collectively bear the financial responsibility for Davis' intransigence."

"Only Davis refused to comply with the law as was her obligation and as required by the oath of office she took," Bevin attorney Palmer G. Vance II wrote in a brief filed with the court.

“Her local policy stood in direct conflict with her statutory obligation to issue marriage licenses to qualified Kentucky couples,” continued Vance in the brief. “Davis had an independent and sworn duty to uphold the law as an elected county officer.”

For clarity, both Bevins and Davis believe that the court should not award legal fees saying the gay and straight couples didn’t technically ‘win’ the lawsuit since it was dismissed after the legislative action.

Steve Pitt, an in-house lawyer for the governor, says Bevins “continues to support Ms. Davis’s actions,” but if legal fees are to be awarded, “the taxpayers of Kentucky are not responsible to pay the ACLU’s attorney fees.”

Davis’s lawyer, Mat Staver of the virulently anti-LGBT organization Liberty Counsel, which has been labeled an ‘extremist group’ by the Southern Poverty Law Center, argues that Davis was acting on behalf of the state.

Since Bevins appealed the initial ruling regarding court costs, the two sides will face off Thursday at the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati where a three-judge panel will hear arguments on who should pay the legal fees.

News Round-Up: January 30, 2019

Matthew Camp (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Matthew Camp (above) is giving you 'polar vortex/winter tones' on this Hump Day.

• Inspired by the unofficial Gay Days events at Disneyland and Disney World in the US, Disneyland Paris will host its first official Pride event, titled Magical Pride, on June 1.

• Lawyers for Kentucky GOP Gov. Matt Bevin say that former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis must pay the $225,000 in legal fees owed to the gay couples who sued her for refusing to issue marriage licenses.

Kim Davis

• White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network today that she believes God wanted Donald Trump to become president.

• Four middle school kids in North Carolina face felony charges after plans were discovered to attempt a 'Columbine-style' attack on fellow students and a teacher.

• I got the most delightful surprise when the fabulous Leslie Ellis called me up just to say 'hi' last night.

She and her uber-talented hubby, Casey Kelly, had watched the RENT Live event on Sunday night and it reminded her of her own Broadway days (we did the national company of CATS together in the 80s when she stopped the show every night with her performance of "Memory").

Long story short: old-friends, chatting, laughs, sharing, long call - it was great :)

In any case, it made me long to her her gorgeous voice, so I'm sharing this with you, one of my favorite recordings of hers, "We Came Close."

Click here for more info about the talented duo.

Twitter Trolls Kevin Hart For Sending Jussie Smollett 'Prayers' After Homophobic Assault

Kevin Hart (L), Jussie Smollett (R)

In the aftermath of a homophobic, racist attack on Empire star Jussie Smollett, an outpouring of love and support for the openly gay actor came flooding across social media.

As I reported earlier this week, Smollett was assaulted in the early hours of January 29 when two attackers physically accosted him, poured bleach on his head and put a noose around his neck, all while calling him homophobic slurs.

The incident is now being investigated by police as a possible hate crime.

Celebrities and activists of all stripes reached out to send ‘best wishes’ and thoughts for a speedy recovery after the attack.

But when comedian Kevin Hart offered his ‘prayers’ via Instagram, social media was not having it.

In addition to said prayers, Hart wrote:

“This is unbelievably sad. Why are we going backwards....this is disgusting. We as people have to do better. WTF is going on the world???? Why are we falling in love with hate???? God damn it people....Choose love...I repeat...Choose love. I will forever choose love and I will continue to teach my kids how to do the same. Stand strong brother”

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Sending prayers your way @jussiesmollett ....This is unbelievably sad. Why are we going backwards....this is disgusting. We as people have to do better. WTF is going on the world???? Why are we falling in love with hate???? God damn it people....Choose love...I repeat...Choose love. I will forever choose love and I will continue to teach my kids how to do the same. Stand strong brother

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Jan 29, 2019 at 6:44pm PST

You’ll recall Hart recently had to step down from hosting this year’s Oscars after homophobic tweets and jokes resurfaced from his past.

The man who took forever to give a direct apology for joking that he would break a doll house over his son’s head if he thought he might be gay is now wondering, “Why are we going backwards?”

Uh-uh, the Twitter people do not have short memories when it comes to seems like hypocrisy here.

Here’s just a sample of the responses Hart got to his ‘prayers:’

Do you see why the “jokes” weren’t funny now??

— Bethany West (@niale_west) January 30, 2019

This is why we don’t joke about beating our sons if we think they’re gay

— Jon McQueen Daddy Brix (@JonMcQueen) January 30, 2019

Wait... how you... ?!?! pic.twitter.com/PUtzUkZfyV

— (@calvinscottrob) January 30, 2019

This is your reminder that Kevin Hart was given a publicity tour to declare that being an ally to LGBTQ folks is not his life's goal or dream and that he's done apologizing. This is your reminder that his jokes reflect actual attitudes that produce what happened to Jussie.

— Dana (@DanaVivianWhite) January 29, 2019

This is why someone’s jokes about beating their gay son were never funny

— Ira (@ira) January 29, 2019

Keep yo tears n prayers...This is why yo joke was important and such an issue

— Jerry Ford, Jr., MPP (@JerryFordJr) January 30, 2019

Hart responded this afternoon via tweet:

I stand with a man in his time of hurt and need by giving him heart felt support and u take the time to harp on my 10yr past that I have apologized about and moved on from by being a better person. Do you want change? If so I am an example of what u want people to do...CHANGE! https://t.co/Ybbo8OYKTt

— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) January 30, 2019

Life After Trump: Nikki Haley Pulling In $200K Plus Private Jet Per Appearance

Nikki Haley

CNBC is reporting former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is now getting $200K per appearance, plus travel in private jets, to give speeches at private corporate events.

And international gigs cost even more.

Anyone remember how the GOP lost its mind over Hillary Clinton getting paid to give speeches after her time in the Obama Administration?

#Hypocrisy

Nyle DiMarco Plays Good Cop (Or Bad?)

Samantha Bee of TBS' Full Frontal & Nyle DiMarco

Following up his sexy American Sign Language version of Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” music video, deaf model and activist Nyle DiMarco served up some hot cop realness in a new promo for TBS’ Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

Dressed in a police officer’s uniform, DiMarco and Bee invite the viewers to tune in tonight to learn how “police can responsibly interact with the Deaf community.”

Sam explains Nyle's cop uniform is for "the reenactments."

Here’s the promo - but make sure you watch to the end.

Come learn about how police can responsibly interact with the Deaf community tonight on @FullFrontalSamB!! pic.twitter.com/4BH5pXMZBB

— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) January 30, 2019

It looks like the dashing DiMarco’s time as the celebrity guest host at Chippendales is still paying dividends.

The duo followed that with another promo where Bee shares that tonight’s episode will focus on “another group mistreated by the police” - the deaf and hard of hearing.

She also finds out that ASL for ‘Full Frontal’ is way sexier then ‘Last Week Tonight.’

Tonight's new episode suggests a totally revolutionary plan to police forces: stop shooting unarmed people! @NyleDiMarco helps break it down for you. 10:30/9:30c on TBS! pic.twitter.com/D8XeJNparn

— Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) January 30, 2019

Nyle also posted to his Instagram an outtake from the video shoot were Sam B gets a bit weak in the knees standing so close to a nearly naked Nyle.

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😂😂😂 come learn about how police can responsibly interact with with the Deaf community!!! @fullfrontalsamb tonight on TBS! (wait till the end 🙈) - #fullfrontal #samanthabee #tbs

A post shared by Nyle DiMarco (@nyledimarco) on Jan 30, 2019 at 8:08am PST

Make sure you tune in for Full Frontal tonight at 10:30pm ET on TBS.

And since Nyle is in the mood to be ripping clothes off, let’s take a trip on the way-back machine to the time when he was thrilling audiences in Las Vegas alongside the hunky Chippendales.

Ah, good times…

Nyle DiMarco (photos courtesy of Chippendales)

Nyle DiMarco with Chippendales' Mikey Perez and James Davis

New Polling: Americans Trust Nancy Pelosi More Than Donald Trump

Nancy Pelosi (L) and Donald Trump (R)

New polling from Quinnipiac University has some interesting results:

• American voters trust Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi more than President Trump by a margin of 49% to 42% respectively.

• That gap is wider with independent voters with Pelosi getting 49% still but Trump dropping to 36%.

• 56% say the recent shutdown of the federal government was Trump and Congressional Republicans' fault, while only 34% put the onus on Democrats.

• Trump's job approval rating dropped to 38% in the QU poll while his disapproval jumped to 57%.

• Voters support a bill that funds new border security measures but without funding for a wall 61% versus 33% who don't approve of that approach.

• 66% disapprove of the president using "emergency powers" to get his wall built.

• 70% of voters believe transgender people should be able to serve in the U.S. military versus 20% who do not approve.