Court Rules Against ACLU's Request for Kim Davis to Pay Legal Fees
The ACLU will have to cover the $233,058 bill for now.
www.advocate.com/politics/2017/3/07/court-rules-against-aclus-request-kim-davis-pay-legal-fees
Daily Archives: March 7, 2017
Kentucky Governor Urged To Veto Bill Allowing Student Groups To Discriminate Against LGBT Students: VIDEO
Kentucky Governor Urged To Veto Bill Allowing Student Groups To Discriminate Against LGBT Students: VIDEO
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin (above) has been urged to veto a bill that would allow student groups to discriminate against LGBT students.
SB 17 passed the Kentucky House 81-8 after passing through the Senate last month.
RELATED: Republican Matt Bevin, Who Backed Kim Davis to Rally Evangelicals, Elected Governor of Kentucky
In a statement, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said:
SB 17 undermines inclusive “all comers” policies at public colleges, universities, and now high schools, by allowing student organizations to discriminate against students under the guise of religious freedom. Many public colleges and universities have long had “all-comers” policies that require that student organizations that receive financial and other support from the institute of higher education do not discriminate against students based on race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. These policies are important because they allow all members of the student body to participate in students groups and prevent such groups from discriminating against students with state funding. The Supreme Court upheld these all-comers policies as constitutional in the Christian Legal Society v. Martinez decision in 2010.
HRC’s Sarah Warbelow added that the bill would “allow, in part, student groups, at colleges, universities and high schools to discriminate against LGBTQ students and still receive public funding.”
@TheMichaelBusby Matt Bevin got elected because of the religious hatred for gay people (and women) he shared with Kim Davis. He used her.
— Dr. Vicki Hayes (@WonderfulwomanK) December 31, 2016
Calling on Bevin to veto the bill, Warbelow noted that “all students should have the opportunity to fully participate in school programs, and no public school should have a license to discriminate against LGBTQ students.”
Watch Samantha Bee rip Bevin below.
The post Kentucky Governor Urged To Veto Bill Allowing Student Groups To Discriminate Against LGBT Students: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
HRC Joins 19 Coalition Partners in Calling Upon DHS to Halt Deportation of DREAMers
HRC Joins 19 Coalition Partners in Calling Upon DHS to Halt Deportation of DREAMers
Today, HRC’s President Chad Griffin joined the leaders of 19 progressive organizations in calling upon U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly to halt the deportations of Daniela Vargas of Mississippi and Daniel Ramirez of Seattle, as well as any other DREAMers in his custody, and release them back to their families and communities.
LGBTQ people are as diverse as the fabric of this nation. Now, more than ever, we must stand together against hate, division, and fear. And HRC couldn’t be prouder to stand shoulder to shoulder with our coalition partners in support of the immigrant and undocumented communities. Because when you attack any one of us — you attack us all.
Read their letter below or upload it here.
The Honorable John F. Kelly
Secretary of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
March 7, 2017
Dear Secretary Kelly,
We, the undersigned, write to ask that you take action immediately to stop the deportation of all detained immigrant youth, particularly DACA recipients Daniela Vargas and Daniel Ramirez, who could be removed from the country they have called home since a young age, any day now.
We are deeply concerned about the cases of Daniela Vargas, Daniel Ramirez, Edwin Romero, and Josue Romero, four DACA recipients who have been arrested and detained by ICE officials. These enforcement actions appear at odds with President Trump’s assurances that individuals with DACA should not worry about deportation.1 We would like to hear from you directly whether or not the Department of Homeland Security plans to honor President Trump’s statements expressing his support for DACA recipients.
Within days of taking the presidential oath, President Trump promised DACA participants that they “shouldn’t be very worried” and that he was going to “take care of everybody.”2 On February 16, President Trump promised once again that his administration would show “great heart” with DACA children and acknowledged they were some “absolutely, incredible kids.”3 During your confirmation hearing, you stated you would “keep an open mind” with regards to children with DACA. Yet, the recent actions of the Department of Homeland Security indicate that the Department is targeting certain DACA individuals for enforcement.
Only six weeks into the Trump administration, ICE officers have detained at least four DACA recipients. On Wednesday, ICE agents detained Daniela Vargas who was in the process of renewing her DACA application. Even though her father and brother had recently been arrested by ICE officers, she was not afraid to speak out. At a recent press conference she said: “Today my father and brother await deportation, while I continue to fight this battle as a dreamer to help contribute to this country which I feel that is very much my country.” According to press reports, shortly after she made this brave statement, ICE officers took her into custody.4 And, because she entered the country as a young child with her family on the Visa Waiver Program, we are hearing reports that she is being processed for imminent deportation, without due process.
In Seattle, Washington, ICE officers detained Daniel Ramirez, a 23-year old DACA recipient and the father of a three-year-old US citizen.5 Just last week, Edwin Romero, another DACA recipient, was jailed for 15 hours and faced removal over unpaid traffic tickets.6 Josue Romero was detained in Texas before being ultimately released to his parents.7 These recent activities indicate an alarming pattern within the Department of Homeland Security, and have already created a chilling effect in immigrant communities. Taken together, these do not appear to be random actions, but rather they point to a shift in Department policy to target DACA recipients for enforcement actions.
Individuals with DACA contribute to the United States in powerful social and economic ways. They start businesses at twice the rate of the American public as a whole. They are economic consumers who purchase big-ticket items like their first homes and cars. Not only are they making the United States economically stronger, but they also work in large numbers in educational and health services, giving back to the country they love.8 Detaining these individuals not only runs counter to President Trump’s assurances, but these actions also make the economy weaker and waste valuable agency resources on individuals who present no danger to our community.
As Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, immigration enforcement falls under your purview and as a result, the decisions on immigration arrest, detention, and deportation lie with you. We respectfully ask that you immediately halt the deportations of Daniela Vargas, Daniel Ramirez, and any other Dreamers in your custody and release them back to their families and community.
Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
Deepak Bhargava, President, Center for Community Change
Angela Glover Blackwell, CEO, PolicyLink
Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO, NAACP
Michael Brune, Executive Director, Sierra Club
Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force
Andrew Friedman, Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy
Lily Eskelsen García, President, National Education Association
Olivia Golden, Executive Director, Center for Law and Social Policy
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO, Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
Chad Griffin, President, Human Rights Campaign
Mary Kay Henry, International President, Service Employees International Union Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center
Cristina Jimenez, Executive Director and Co-Founder, United We Dream
María Teresa Kumar, President and CEO, Voto Latino
Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League
Janet Murguía, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza
Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union
Neera Tanden, President and CEO, Center for American Progress
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers
John C. Yang, President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC
Want to Fight Trump? See 'Moonlight' and More LGBT Films
Want to Fight Trump? See 'Moonlight' and More LGBT Films
Films that showcase LGBT folks and people of color have become “our weapons of defense” against bigotry, says the director of Outfest.
www.advocate.com/film/2017/3/07/want-fight-trump-see-moonlight-and-more-lgbt-films
Meet RuPaul’s hot rancher boyfriend
Meet RuPaul’s hot rancher boyfriend
With a personality as over-the-top as RuPaul‘s, the last place you might expect him to be settling down is Wyoming, the least populous state in the nation. (About as many people live there as on Staten Island.)
But it’s true: RuPaul has an on-again, off-again partner who lives on a ranch in Wyoming. His name is Georges LeBar, and they’ve been seeing each other for 23 years.
Related: Not everyone is happy about “RuPaul’s Drag Race” moving to VH1 on Friday nights
The two were recently photographed enjoying a nice day in Manhattan, and it brings a sweet smile to our faces to see Mama Ru looking so happy and relaxed.
Ru opened up about the relationship in a “Where are they now” segment (um hello! when did anyone lose track of where he is?!) on Oprah, which you can conveniently re-visit below:
h/t Instinct
Openly Gay Politician Frontrunner to be Prime Minister of Ireland
Openly Gay Politician Frontrunner to be Prime Minister of Ireland
Ireland could make history in late March or April if the country elects Leo Varadkar as its first openly gay prime minister. Varadkar is currently the minister of social protection in the minority government headed by the Fine Gael Party. He was previously the health minister.
The current prime minister is expected to step down as party leader after a visit to the U.S. in mid-March. Varadkar is the leading contender to replace him as both party leader and Taoiseach or prime minister.
Varadkar, 38, is a medical doctor and the son of an Indian father and Irish mother. If elected, he would not only be the first openly LGBTQ prime minister, but also the first ethnic minority head of government of the deeply Catholic country.
If Varadkar is elected, Ireland would become the fourth country to have an openly gay head of government after Belgium, Iceland and Luxembourg.
Ireland held a historic referendum in May 2015 where 62 percent of voters chose marriage equality, making this the first time in the world that marriage equality was achieved through a public vote.
HRC partnered with the YES Equality campaign, a national civil society campaign comprised of GLEN Marriage Equality and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties to ensure a “yes” vote on the referendum. It was during the campaign for marriage equality that Varadkar publicly came out as gay.
HRC Global will continue to monitor Varadkar’s race for the prime minister, as the country may soon have the opportunity to make history once more. Learn more about HRC Global’s work here.
How I Found Love — and Self-Love — Through Burlesque
How I Found Love — and Self-Love — Through Burlesque
Dancing changed Isaiah Esquire’s life for the better.
www.advocate.com/commentary/2017/3/07/how-i-found-love-and-self-love-through-burlesque
A romance for the ages: Colton Haynes and his boyfriend’s relationship as documented on Instagram
A romance for the ages: Colton Haynes and his boyfriend’s relationship as documented on Instagram
Last month, Colton Haynes announced to the world that he was head-over-heals in love with a Beverly Hills florist. The 28-year-old Arrow actor professed his love for Jeff Leatham, who designed the floral arrangements for the weddings of Eva Longoria, Avril Lavigne, and Tina Turner, has appeared the Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, and Queen Latifah shows, and starred in the docu-series “Flowers Uncut” on TLC/Discovery.
Related: BREAKING: Colton Haynes has a boyfriend and they are in lurve
Colton made the big reveal to his 5.8 million followers on Instagram, when he shared a Valentine’s Day photo of himself and his new beau being all lovey-dovey on a rooftop at sunset:
A post shared by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
Since then, the guys haven’t been shy about documenting their romance for the world to see. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Here they are on a hike together in Los Angeles last weekend…
A post shared by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
Here’s Colton smelling two dozen long-stemmed roses sent from his beloved…
Favorite Bouquet of the Day – well more than just the Day – #Love – @coltonlhaynes ?????? – #flowers – #roylichtenstein – #TeamLeatham –
A post shared by JeffLeatham (@jeffleatham) on
Here’s Jeff at the Four Seasons in Paris wishing it were Colton he were kissing inside of his own reflection…
Giving GIANT Bear hugs in Paris today – wishing it was my man @coltonlhaynes – Missing that amazing man that I am so proud of !! #Love – #TeamLeatham – #Art – ???????????
A post shared by JeffLeatham (@jeffleatham) on
Here the guys are on Oscar night…
Here they are again on Oscar night…
Best Part of my night was having the pleasure to have this amazing man by my side – @coltonlhaynes – ????- My Love and Flowers next to me perfection – #Oscarweekend – #TeamLeatham @bulgariofficial ??
A post shared by JeffLeatham (@jeffleatham) on
Here’s a picture taken by Colton of Jeff shopping at Home Depot…
A post shared by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
And here they are snuggling in bed…
A post shared by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on
Isn’t love great?
Robert Osborne, Yelp, Richard Simmons, RuPaul, Channing Tatum, Tom Daley: HOT LINKS
Robert Osborne, Yelp, Richard Simmons, RuPaul, Channing Tatum, Tom Daley: HOT LINKS
CHRIS MURPHY. Trump incapable of dealing with international crisis.
RIP. TCM host Robert Osborne: “Robert Osborne, who displayed an encyclopedic knowledge — and love — of film history as the primary host of Turner Classic Movies, died Monday morning at age 84, said his partner of 20 years, theater director and producer David Staller. Osborne died of natural causes in his sleep at home in New York City, Staller said. ‘It’s difficult to imagine a planet without him,’ Staller said. ‘He made the choice to call it a day, and he wants everyone to know that he’ll see them at the after party.’”
RICHARD SIMMONS REP. Housekeeper is not holding the fitness guru hostage.
MEDALED. Tom Daley wins bronze at FINA Diving World Series in Beijing.
TODAY’S FIRST TRUMP LIE. Prisoners freed from Guantanamo Bay: “Trump in a tweet inaccurately blamed former President Obama for releasing “122 vicious prisoners” from Guantanamo Bay — something the previous President did not even come close to doing.”
122 vicious prisoners, released by the Obama Administration from Gitmo, have returned to the battlefield. Just another terrible decision!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2017
YELP. Now tracking gender-neutral bathrooms. “The new feature was announced on Friday, just one week after it was proposed, and represents Yelp’s latest foray into the fight for transgender rights. On Thursday, the company joined dozens of others, including Amazon, Gap, Intel and Yahoo, in signing on to a Supreme Court brief on behalf of Gavin Grimm, a transgender boy seeking the right to use school bathrooms that correspond to his gender identity.”
BEACH PHYSIQUE. Channing Tatum frolics on the sand.
OBAMACARE REPLACEMENT. Yes, it’s utter garbage.
RUPAUL. He’s got a remedy. Dance and sing.
THIRSTY THURSDAY. Alfonso Ballestas.
The post Robert Osborne, Yelp, Richard Simmons, RuPaul, Channing Tatum, Tom Daley: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
Robert Osborne, Yelp, Richard Simmons, RuPaul, Channing Tatum, Tom Daley: HOT LINKS
Coroner Confirms George Michael Died of Natural Causes (Video)
Coroner Confirms George Michael Died of Natural Causes (Video)
Although the preliminary autopsy was deemed “inconclusive,” a more thorough examination revealed the singer died of “dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver:” heart trouble and too much fat in his liver.
www.advocate.com/music/2017/3/07/coroner-confirms-george-michael-died-natural-causes-video