News Round-Up: November 9, 2018

Joel Green (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Whether it's 'fitness motivation' or a bribe to get you to come read this news round-up, you have to admit InstaHunk Joel Green (above) is crushing it.

• Kansas' New Democratic governor has announced she will restore protections for LGBTQ folks that her predecessor repealed.

• One more LGBTQ victory from Tuesday night's elections - Hennepin County chose openly gay Dave 'Hutch' Hutchinson to be its next Sheriff over incumbent anti-immigration, pro-Trump incumbent Rich Stanek.

• Many were stunned when Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum came up short Tuesday night in his bid to become the next governor of Florida considering he was an average of 6 points ahead of his opponent in the polls. It now appears his and the high-profile race for U.S. Senator are headed for recounts.

• Last year, Donald Trump Jr. testified that he never informed his father about the now-infamous meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian government attorney. New York Magazine reports the Special Counsel investigation has obtained proof that Junior might have lied. Don Jr. has apparently been telling close confidants he expects to be indicted any day now.

• 'Gays for Trump' founder Peter Boykin lost his North Carolina House race Tuesday bigly.

• International superstar Andrea Bocelli proves he's still at the top of his game as his new album ‘Sì’ debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

His duet "Fall On Me" with his (gorgeous) son, Matteo, is exquisite.

And here's his collaboration with pop star Dua Lipa  - "If Only" - from the new collection.

News Round-Up: June 22, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• I'd love to lie and tell you this is my new assistant, but alas, no. It's InstaHunk Obaid Habibi hanging out at his laptop :)

• A Kansas man was arrested trying to have sex with a parked car. I kid you not.

• A promising HIV vaccine demonstrated its power by neutralizing HIV strains in animals and is almost ready for human testing.

• A cop, charged with rape and indecent assault and battery performed in a broom closet, says the sex was consensual. At the time of the encounter, the officer was married to a woman who happened to be the chief of police.

• S-Curve Records has signed this year's Eurovision Song Contest champ Netta. The Israeli pop maverick's viral smash "Toy" has been viewed over 76 million times since the competition.

• 60% of LGBTQ+ student loan borrowers say they regret taking out student loans. On average, LGBTQ borrowers have $112,607 in student loan debt — $16,000 more than the general population average of $96,211.

• The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that law enforcement authorities need a warrant before tracking a cell phone's location data. In the ruling, SCOTUS likened cell phones to GPS ankle monitors.

• Barbra shared this short clip via Instagram and I had to watch five times. From "Barbra The Concert," its currently available on Netflix.

My first concert tour in 27 years included many songs I hadn't performed since the 1960s... including "He Touched Me" from the musical Drat! The Cat! Watch it in #BarbraTheConcert - available now on @Netflix.

A post shared by Barbra Streisand (@barbrastreisand) on Jun 21, 2018 at 10:26am PDT

News Round-Up: May 18, 2018

(image via Instagram/Andrew Serkin)

Some news items you might have missed:

• I know its Friday, folks, but the rules are you have to finish your chores (above) before you get to have fun...

• Land Rover took back their sponsored car from rugby star Israel Folau over his anti-LGBT comments saying gay people will go to hell if they don’t “repent of their sins and turn to God.”

• Bill Gates shared with a crowd at a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation meeting that Donald Trump twice asked him if there was a difference between HIV and HPV. “He wanted to know if there was a difference between HIV and HPV,” Gates said of Trump. “So I was able to explain that those are rarely confused with each other.”

Exclusive footage obtained by All In... Bill Gates dishes on his meetings with Donald Trump. More tonight at 8PM ET. #inners pic.twitter.com/Zoehj1WTfk

— All In w/Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) May 17, 2018

• Alabama’s only openly gay state legislator, State Rep. Patricia Todd, has had a job offer rescinded from an LGBT non-profit after she publicly announcing Republican Gov. Kay Ivey is a closeted lesbian.

• This "straight" prison guard was found guilty of repeatedly having sex with 3 prisoners and now faces up to 125 years in jail himself.

• The Peace Corps is removing gay men from the organization who test positive for HIV.

• Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer has signed anti-LGBT adoption legislation making his state the latest to enact a “religious freedom” law enabling taxpayer-funded agencies to deny placement into LGBT homes.

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer

Podcast: Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Discrimination In Kansas & Oklahoma; Adam Rippon Slays On DWTS; 2018 Tony Award Nominations; Pride Nights At Major League Baseball

In this week's LGBTQ headlines:

• Oklahoma and Kansas state legislatures pass anti-LGBTQ adoption laws

• A new survey of over 40,000 Americans shows acceptance for same-sex marriage has hit 61%

• Ireland moves to ban so-called "conversion therapy"

• The 'boys of summer' are back and most Major League Baseball teams have scheduled special LGBT Pride Nights (head over to Outsports.com for a complete list of MLB Pride Nights)

• Drag queen Ada Vox exits American Idol with her head held high

• Tony Kushner’s Angels In America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes became the most Tony-nominated play in history as the 2018 Tony Award nominations were announced

• Adam Rippon came to slay on the premiere of the all-athletes season of Dancing with the Stars

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report

Kansas & Oklahoma Legislatures Approve Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Bills

We were looking good there, America.

Four months into 2018 and no new anti-LGBTQ legislation on the state level. Until this week.

Both Oklahoma and Kansas have passed bills that will allow faith-based adoption and foster care services to legally discriminate against LGBT folks while using public funds.

In Oklahoma, the House approved the measure by a vote of 56-21 on Thursday this week after the state Senate had previously voted to advance the bill.

Kansas followed just hours later as the Senate approved the bill 24-15 at 1:51 a.m. Friday after the House passed it Thursday night, 63-58.

The legislation had been sitting for weeks before lawmakers revived and passed it in a matter of hours.

Both bills now head to their respective governors' desks to be signed into law.

More from The Advocate:

The bills could allow discrimination against many types of prospective parents who offend an agency’s religious beliefs — single parents, divorced and remarried parents, interfaith couples, and more, in addition to LGBT individuals and same-sex couples, Winterhof pointed out. But Oklahoma Senate Majority Leader Greg Treat, who authored his state’s legislation, mentioned that when agencies express objections to certain placements, they often cite opposition to same-sex marriage, the Family Equality Council noted.

Opponents of both states’ measures said the legislation would make the already-overloaded child welfare system even more so by making fewer people eligible to become foster or adoptive parents. But supporters said the religious protections would encourage more faith-based agencies to work with the states.

Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia, and Michigan have similar laws in place, NBC reports. Michigan’s is being challenged in court by the American Civil Liberties Union.

What's truly sad is this reduces the number of possible adoptive homes for children who really need loving parents.

Bigotry at the expense of children.

Kansas: Tenth Circuit Says No Initial "En Banc" Review On Same-Sex Ruling

10th Circuit denies #Kansas request for initial en banc hearing in marriage case appeal: http://t.co/VQGyOjpxxJ @KansasEquality @aclukansas

— Equality Case Files (@EQCF) December 2, 2014

Kansas Supreme Court Clears The Way For Same-Sex Marriage

The Kansas state Supreme Court on Tuesday evening lifted its hold on marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Johnson County.

The justices last month blocked such licenses while reviewing a petition from Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

As I reported earlier today, only a handful of county clerks were issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples while the majority waited on "further guidance" from the state Supreme Court.

Hopefully, this is the "guidance" those clerks need :)

UPDATE: Even after the state court issued it's ruling, some counties are still not issuing licenses.

Equality Kansas has listed the 19 counties currently allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry on their Facebook page.

(source)

Some Confusion Remains As Same-Sex Marriages Begin In Kansas

Although the US Supreme Court lifted the stay on US District Judge Daniel Crabtree's ruling last Wednesday which allows for same-sex marriage to begin in Kansas, only a handful of county clerks are issuing licenses.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt has stated that, in his opinion, the ruling only applies to two counties where two couples were denied marriage licenses.

However, Judge Crabtree's ruling was directed at the defendant in the case, Robert Moser, M.D., in his official capacity as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and did not name specific counties in his ruling.

From the Washington Post:

“There’s a lot of frustration and impatience,” Thomas Witt, executive director for Equality Kansas, told The Washington Post.

Witt said he knows of at least six counties issuing marriage licenses. Others are accepting applications but refusing to issue licenses, while others are refusing to accept applications altogether.

Jennifer Rapp, a spokesperson for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, said his office has asked the Kansas Supreme Court “to provide further guidance to the district courts in light of the federal preliminary injunction.”

“We are awaiting a decision on this case,” Rapp said in an email.

“I think the Kansas attorney general has abdicated his responsibilities,” Witt said. “If anybody is causing chaos and confusion … it’s the Kansas attorney general.”

Still Disagreement In Kansas Over Same-Sex Marriage

Although SCOTUS decided 7-2 against issuing a stay on a federal judge's ruling that Kansas' ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, clearing the way for marriage equality, the state's Attorney General continues to fight tooth and nail to stop gays and lesbians from marrying.

Today, AG Derek Schmidt says the ruling from the high court only applies to two counties in the state. The ACLU says all 105 counties are affected by the ruling.

Via LGBTQ Nation:

Marriage licenses in Kansas are issued by district court clerks’ offices after a mandatory three-day wait. Schmidt said the high court ruling applies only in Douglas County in northeastern Kansas and in Sedgwick County, in south-central Kansas.

In the state most populous county, Johnson County, Court Clerk Sandra McCurdy said about 70 applications from same-sex couples are pending.

“Until I hear something from the Kansas Supreme Court, I’m not issuing any marriage licenses,” McCurdy said Wednesday.

For now, same-sex marriages are taking place in at least four of the state's 105 counties.

SCOTUS Says "No" To Kansas For Stay on Same-Sex Marriage

On Monday, Justice Sotomayor granted a temporary stay to Kansas regarding the recent same-sex marriage ruling from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Today, SCOTUS issued it's decision and it's for the good guys.  No stay for Kansas.

Only Justices Scalia and Thomas would have granted the stay, making the decision 7-2 against Kansas.

Kansas can head to the 10th Circuit, but seeing how that appellate court has already set precedent - AND the Supreme Court has given that ruling it's blessing - don't look for the 10th to reverse itself any time soon.

Expect marriage licenses to be issued to same-sex couples immediately.

Marriage equality is coming to Kansas, kids!

Kansas Receives Stay From SCOTUS On Same-Sex Marriage Ruling - For Now

Today, the state of Kansas just requested an emergency stay on same-sex marriages in the state of Kansas pending the hearing of their appeal.

Kansas, being under the jurisdiction of the 10th Circuit Court, refers such requests to Justice Sonia Sotomayor. And she has given the state the requested stay but included the phrase "until further ordered." So, upon further review she, or the entire Supreme Court, could revoke the stay.

Marriages were due to commence statewide at 5PM tomorrow.

Sotomayor also called for a response to Kansas’ request by 5PM tomorrow in her order today.

Many states have requested and received such stays regarding same-sex marriage as the issue has continued to march across America.

Read more at Buzzfeed.

Westboro Baptist Church Gets Denied In Request To Intervene In Kansas Marriage Equality Case

Virulently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church filed a request to intervene in the marriage equality case in Kansas.

And the court has sent back as it's reply a big, fat "nope."

Judge Crabtree denied the request, but allowed the church to file an amicus brief in the case. The judge did, however, point out that repeating already stated arguments need not be reintroduced in said brief.

Slam!

10th Circuit Court Says "No" To Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Stay In Kansas

In the aftermath of U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree's ruling earlier this week striking down Kansas' ban on gay marriage, the state requested an extension on the stay placed on the ruling.

The 10th Circuit Court has come back with a big, fat "No" as their response. From the ruling:

The district court granted preliminary injunctive relief to plaintiffs on November 4, enjoining defendants from enforcing or applying Kansas constitutional and statutory provisions that prohibit issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The district court then stayed its injunctive order until 5:00 p.m. on November 11.

Defendants immediately appealed the preliminary injunction ruling and also filed an emergency motion pursuant to 10th Cir. R. 8.1, asking this court to stay the district court’s injunctive order pending their appeal of the ruling.

We conclude that defendants have failed to make the showings necessary to obtain a stay, and we deny the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal.

We note that the district court’s temporary stay of its own preliminary injunction order remains in effect until 5:00 p.m. CST on November 11, 2014.

Bolding is mine.

The only thing that can stop gay marriage from beginning after 5PM on Tuesday in Kansas is a stay issued by SCOTUS.

And, unfortunately, I have a sense that's exactly what will happen.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor oversees the 10th Circuit goings-ons. A request for stay to SCOTUS would go to her. She could decide on the request herself, or hand it to the full SCOTUS to either stay the ruling or not.

Kansas: Federal Judge Strikes Down Same-Sex Marriage Ban

The Washington Blade is reporting that a federal judge has struck down Kansas's ban on same-sex marriage.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree, an Obama appointee, issued a preliminary injunction against the enforcement on Kansas law prohibiting of marriage rights for same-sex couples. The injunction is warranted, Crabtree writes, because of legal precedent and because state officials defending the law haven’t made a sufficient case they would prevail in court.

“Because Kansas’ constitution and statutes indeed do what Kitchen forbids, the Court concludes that Kansas’ same-sex marriage ban violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution,” Crabtree writes. “Accordingly, the Court grants plaintiffs’ request for preliminary relief and enters the injunction described at the end of this Order.”

A temporary stay was placed on the ruling which expires 5 pm CT on November 11.

The state can appeal to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals - however, that court is the same which ruled Oklahoma and Utah's same-sex marriage bans were unconstitutional, which now has become legal precedent.

The state Supreme Court is slated to hear a similar matter on November 6.

Read the ruling below:

2:14-cv-02518 #29 - ORDER by Equality Case Files

Kansas: Anti-Gay Wackadoos Phillip and Sandra Unruhs File Amicus Brief In State Marriage Case

Click pic to enlarge

Last week, Kansas wackjobs Phillip and Sandra Unruhs were quickly swatted away after their attempt to intervene in the Kansas marriage equality case where they tried to say giving equal rights to gay and lesbian couples was tantamount to STEALING it from straight couples like themselves.

The judge quickly dismissed that weak assertion.

However, the Unruhs were allowed to file an amicus brief in support of denying gays the right to marry, and so today, we have their masterpiece of a brief.

Included in the 8 page filing are statements to the effect that:

• Since the Plaintiffs are lesbians, any ruling should not affect male same-sex couples
• Giving marriage rights to same-sex couples would discriminate against opposite-sex couples based on sex
• Marriage equality would result in the taking of property rights of heterosexual couples in violation of the 5th and 14th Amendments

It's not a long read, but pretty fascinating in it's illogic.

See the brief below:

2:14-cv-02518 #22 Unruh Amicus Brief by Equality Case Files

Kansas Couple Denied Intervention On Same-Sex Marriage Law Suit Based On "Theft of Marriage"

Sandra and Phillip Unruh of Kansas

A married couple in Kansas, Phillip and Sandra Unruh, has filed for and been denied the opportunity to intervene in the state's same-sex marriage lawsuit.

In what was a very "unlikely to succeed" strategy, the Unruhs filed a brief saying that allowing same-sex couples to marry is "deeply disturbing," "inflicts profound harm" on them, and is tantamount to a literal theft of their own marriage.

In other words, the Unruhs claim is that "marriage" is for straight people and giving it to gays means stealing it from heterosexuals.

From KCWH:

A Harper, Kansas couple is upset after a judge said they can't be a part of a same-sex marriage lawsuit filed earlier this month. The judge claimed they could not be parties in the casebecause their views will be represented. So now, they're writing an amicus brief to have their opinions heard.

"We were disappointed that we weren't allowed to become parties in the court case but we are also excited about the fact that the judge invited us to file an amicus brief which means friend of the court," Phillip Unruh said. "It means the judge has allowed us into the court case and will consider our written arguments."

As thrilled as Phillip Unruh may be, just about anyone can file an amicus brief.

The judge in the case gave the Unruhs until 5pm tomorrow to file their amicus brief.

Can't wait for that one!

In related news, the crackpots over at Westboro Baptist Church (located in Kansas) have filed a similar request to intervene in the state's marriage equality fight.  Expect a similar rebuke from the court on that one, too.

Here's the judge's denial of intervention below:

2:14-cv-02518 #18

Kansas: Straight Couple Joins Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit Because the Gays Are Stealing Their "Marriage"

Click pic to enlarge

Kansas couple Phillip W. Unruh and Sandra L. Unruh have filed a motion to intervene in the ACLU's marriage equality case in Kansas.

If I understand this correctly, the Unruhs say that should same-sex marriage be legalized in Kansas, they would "experience a taking of their property rights in marriage without due process of law."

Apparently, "marriage" is "property" that belongs to the Unruhs by virtue of the Fifth Amendment.

Seriously, folks, you can't make this up.

I can't do better justice than Joe Jervis at JoeMyGod:

"Apparently, once them gays steal a chunk of their marriage, well, it's all downhill for the Uhruhs from there. Next thing you know they'll be cooking meth with hobos under a Kansas overpass. The rest of their brief is similarly cracktastic, complete with quotes from Genesis and the usual "they can't even make a baby" crapola."

If you really want to entertain yourself, hit this link and read the full brief.

I'm assuming having the nerve to file this must resemble what it's like to be on drugs...

Kansas, Montana and South Carolina Still Behind The Curve

Listen up, #Kansas, #Montana, and #SouthCarolina: Your circuit courts (10th, 9th, 4th) have ruled. Follow the law. pic.twitter.com/uR53vFvc5g
— Evan Wolfson (@evanwolfson) October 19, 2014

Evan Wolfson of Freedom To Marry tweeted that yesterday noting that only Kansas, Montana and South Carolina have not moved to honor the recent rulings in three federal appellate courts concerning the freedom to marry:

• Kansas has a court date this Friday, October 24th, in Kansas City at 10AM where LGBT activists will request a temporary injunction that would bring Kansas in line with the rest of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Montana gets a hearing on November 20th in Great Falls where the ACLU has requested a summary judgement on the issue of same-sex marriage in light of the recent ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Montana.

• South Carolina is moving at a slower pace with written briefs due by October 23rd in a lawsuit filed which would bring the state in line with the ruling from the 4th Circuit Court. Both sides will then have 14 days to reply to briefs, and then a hearing will be scheduled within 21 days after that.

Additionally, Arkansas will also address same-sex marriage on November 20th when Federal Judge Kristine Baker will hear plaintiffs asking for a summary judgement for marriage equality while the state has filed a motion to dismiss the case altogether.

Kansas: District Court Orders Johnson County Clerk To Issue Marriage Licenses To Same-Sex Couples

Click to enlarge

A District Court has directed the clerk of Johnson County to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples who apply for one.  Read the ruling above.

Johnson County, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, is the most populous county in Kansas.

Things sure are happening fast!

Kansas state Senate kills anti-gay "religious liberty" bill

The Kansas state Senate president has killed - at least for now - legislation passed in the House that would have legalized discrimination against the LGBT community.


From MSNBC:

House Bill 2453, as drafted and passed by the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives this week, would give any individual, business, group, or government official the right to deny same-sex couples a host of basic goods, services, benefits, or employment – on the grounds of a conflicting “sincerely held religious belief.” Lawmakers in the state House approved the measure on Wednesday by a vote of 72-49.

The bill was widely expected to pass the state Senate, too, as Republicans outnumber Democrats 32-8 in that chamber. But Republican state Sen. Susan Wagle, the Senate’s president, poured cold water on its prospects Thursday night when she released a statement saying that a majority of her caucus opposed the bill’s potential green light to discriminate. On Friday, she reaffirmed that position.

“I believe that when you hire police officers or a fireman that they have no choice in who they serve,” Wagle said at a news conference Friday, according to the Wichita Eagle. “They serve anyone who’s vulnerable, any age, any race, any sexual orientation.”

Many organizations, including the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, criticized the bill saying it would strain employer/employee relations.

A Facebook page titled “Stop Kansas House Bill 2453” has netted more than 50,000 “likes” as of Friday evening.