Federal Judge Rules for Marriage Equality in Arkansas
The ruling will likely be appealed to a higher court, but same-sex marriages may resume in Arkansas.
Michelle Garcia
Monthly Archives: November 2014
Federal Judge Strikes Down Arkansas’ Constitutional Ban on Marriage Equality
Federal Judge Strikes Down Arkansas’ Constitutional Ban on Marriage Equality
District court ruling the latest in a tidal wave of court rulings in favor of marriage equality
HRC.org
James Franco, Zachary Quinto Have A Threeway, Playgirl Model Gets Fired Over Pics, Kirk Cameron’s Scheme Backfires
James Franco, Zachary Quinto Have A Threeway, Playgirl Model Gets Fired Over Pics, Kirk Cameron’s Scheme Backfires
Wonder what a James Franco and Zachary Quinto sandwich would be like? Up-and-coming actor Charlie Carver knows. E!’s Marc Malkin reports the three have filmed a torrid love scene for their upcoming indie flick Michael, about a former gay activist/magazine publisher “who became an antigay Christian fundamentalist after announcing he was now straight.”
LGBT cinema got lots of love when nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards were announced this morning. Love Is Strange, about a gay couple in their retirement years, received four nods. Justin Simien got two nods for his hit satire Dear White People (above). Gay fave Julianne Moore continues to dominate the best actress category for her work in Still Alice from out directors Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glazer.
Hugh Jackman has gone all Johnny Depp to become a very persuasive Blackbeard in the upcoming fantasy Pan, the gazillionth retelling of Peter Pan, which is definitely not to be confused with NBC’s upcoming musical version.
We missed the memo but it seems this is the week in which divas of a certain age are supposed to diss young female entertainers. First Bette Midler ridiculed Ariana Grande and now folk legend Joni Mitchell has put the kibosh on Taylor Swift‘s dream of portraying her in a movie, telling producers “All you’ve got is a girl with high cheekbones.” Uh oh, Tay-Tay’s totally gonna write a hit song about this slight.
Ever wonder what goes on behind-the-scenes of Looking with all those ravishingly handsome actors like Jonathan Groff, Raul Castillo and Murray Bartlett? The video above will fill you in.
Apparently lumbersexual has always been a thing. More than 20 years ago Daniel Sawker posed for Playgirl (NSFW pics here) in what might be interpreted as a lumberjack-themed pictorial. The photos somehow came to the attention of a spiteful coworker recently and have allegedly caused the now 49-year-old man to lose his job so he’s filed a civil rights lawsuit over it.
Two of our favorite things in the word — Chris Pratt and dinosaurs chasing children — are combined in the upcoming thriller Jurassic World.
That’s so meta! The Comeback‘s Valerie Cherish, played indelibly by Lisa Kudrow, will have you seeing red during this behind-the-scenes peek at her HBO series within a series.
America’s best Christian Kirk Cameron got pissed that critics dissed his recent Christmas movie so he came up with a lame-brained scheme to make the film appear more popular on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Needless to say, it backfired in a most satisfying way.
Jeremy Kinser
Federal Judge Strikes Down Arkansas' Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
Federal Judge Strikes Down Arkansas' Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
A federal judge has struck down Arkansas’ ban on same-sex marriage, the AP reports:
U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker ruled in favor of two same-sex couples who had challenged a 2004 constitutional amendment and earlier state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, arguing that the ban violated the U.S. Constitution and discriminated based on sexual orientation.
But Baker put her ruling on hold, and the state is expected to appeal it to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in St. Louis.
Baker wrote in her ruling that the state’s marriage laws violate the U.S. Constitution by “precluding same-sex couples from exercising their fundamental right to marry in Arkansas, by not recognizing valid same-sex marriages from other states, and by discriminating on the basis of gender.”
Arkansas’ State Supreme Court is also currently considering a challenge to the state’s same-sex marriage ban. The justices will decide whether to uphold Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza’s ruling which struck down the Natural State’s marriage ban or to find in favor of the state and reverse that decision. Piazza’s ruling made it possible for 541 same-sex couples to say “I do” earlier this year until the state Supreme Court intervened and ordered the marriages to cease until it could review the matter.
There is no comment on this latest ruling from Arkansas’ Attorney General Dustin McDaniels (D) who has previously stated that he will defend the state’s ban despite his personal support for marriage equality.
READ the ruling below:
#40 Arkansas Federal Decision on Scribd”>4:13-cv-00410 #40 Arkansas Federal Decision by Equality Case Files
Developing…
Sean Mandell
www.towleroad.com/2014/11/federal-judge-strikes-down-arkansas-ban-on-same-sex-marriage.html
LGBT – Great personalities
LGBT – Great personalities
the Reyna de Reynas Event.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BPnU5hONjE&feature=youtube_gdata
Houston Trans Woman Beaten, Officials Offer Lukewarm Response
Houston Trans Woman Beaten, Officials Offer Lukewarm Response
As Houston lawmakers continue to debate the HERO antidiscrimination ordinance, trans resident Thailand Warr says police didn’t address her being viciously attacked by seven youths with the seriousness it merits.
Mitch Kellaway
www.advocate.com/crime/2014/11/25/houston-trans-woman-beaten-officials-offer-lukewarm-response
Arkansas Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down By Federal Judge
Arkansas Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down By Federal Judge
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge struck down Arkansas’ gay marriage ban on Tuesday, which could pave the way for county clerks to resume issuing licenses.
U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker ruled in favor of two same-sex couples who had challenged a 2004 constitutional amendment and earlier state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, arguing that the ban violated the U.S. Constitution and discriminated based on sexual orientation.
But Baker put her ruling on hold, and the state is expected to appeal it to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in St. Louis.
The ruling comes as the state Supreme Court weighs a separate case challenging the ban. Justices are weighing whether to uphold Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza’s decision in May striking down the 2004 amendment and earlier state law as unconstitutional. Piazza’s decision led to 541 same sex couples getting married in the week before the state Supreme Court suspended his ruling.
Justices have not indicated when they will rule in that case. The lawsuit before the state Supreme Court also argues the ban violates Arkansas’ constitution.
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel’s office had argued in federal court that same-sex marriage was not a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution. McDaniel, a Democrat who is leaving office in January due to term limits, has said he personally supports allowing gay couples to marry but will continue defending the ban — approved by voters by a 3-1 margin — in court.
Judges across the country have ruled against bans similar to Arkansas’ since the U.S. Supreme Court struck part of a federal anti-gay marriage law in June 2013, and gay marriage is legal in more than half of the U.S.
Florida Republican Files Bill to Expand Workplace Protections for LGBT Community
Florida Republican Files Bill to Expand Workplace Protections for LGBT Community
Yesterday, a Florida state Republican filed a bill to expand a state law to include anti-discrimination policies for the LGBT community.
HRC.org
Licensed Nail Specialist Makes Botched Gay Rape Attempt At ATM Machine
Licensed Nail Specialist Makes Botched Gay Rape Attempt At ATM Machine
Phuc X. Kieu’s mugshot
A Florida man has learned the hard way why it’s really not a good idea to attempt to rape people.
58-year-old Phuc X. Kieu (we swear that’s his real name) was arrested after a bizarre gay-x-rated-fantasy-turned-burglary/gay-rape-attempt gone awry at an ATM machine in Orlando.
According to police, Kieu, who works as a licensed nail specialist, had been watching gay sex videos on a portable DVD player in the driver’s seat of his Honda Civic, which he had parked near a Campus USA credit union ATM machine at around 4:25 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. A man, whose name has not been released, went up and withdrew $220 from the machine. And that’s when Kieu jumped out of his car, pulled the man into the driver’s seat, straddled him and tried ripping off his clothes.
The man wrestled himself free and made a mad dash down the street, but not before Kieu was able to grab his backpack, pulling him back towards the vehicle. The man eventually broke free of Kieu’s grip and ran to a nearby shopping center hollering, “Rapist! Rapist!”
At some point, police say, the $220 the man had withdrawn was lost.
Police arrived at the scene short thereafter and arrested Kieu. He was booked into the Alachua County jail on charges of sexual assault, kidnapping and robbery without a weapon. Bail was set at $150,000. (That’s a lot of mani/pedis).
As for the $220, it remains missing.
Related stories:
Man Who Falsely Accused Four Gay Guys Of Raping Him Is Headed Off To Prison
Was This Guy Date Raped Or Not? He Isn’t Sure.
Australian Man Bites Other Man’s Penis Half-Off During Attempted Rape
Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Graham Gremore
NEWS: Ferguson, Nevada, Colton Haynes, Bette Midler
NEWS: Ferguson, Nevada, Colton Haynes, Bette Midler
Responses from across America to a grand jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson for killing Michael Brown.
Incredible video shows #Ferguson protesters on the steps of the Supreme Court.
Nevada lawmaker is forced from leadership position over incendiary remarks on minorities, gays: “[Speaker-elect of the Nevada State Assembly] called homosexuals a ‘threat’ to children. ‘Male homosexuals are grossly disproportionate in child molestation cases,’ he said”…Michael Dimengo, the head of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, said he was glad Mr. Hansen was leaving the leadership role, but added: ‘He is still absolutely influential. Some of his attitudes frighten me. They are blatantly misinformed and ignorant.'”
GQ names Eddie Redmayne, JackO’Connell, Chadwick Boseman and Ellar Coltrane as its breakout stars of 2014.
29 counties in Kansas are now issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Colton Haynes has been spending a lot of time in the gym lately. No one complains.
Paul Rudd rocked some head-banging hair in the 80s.
In case you’re in need of some cuteness today, watch as a baby pygmy marmoset gets a massage from a toothbrush. And loves it.
The Census Bureau still doesn’t know how many same-sex couples there are in the US.
Adam Levine and Blake Shelton are still hopelessly bromantic for one another.
CDC releases new “at a glance” look at HIV in the United States: “More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 in 7 (14%) are unaware of their infection. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSMa), particularly young black/African American MSM, are most seriously affected by HIV. By race, blacks/African Americans face the most severe burden of HIV.”
Jennifer Aniston proves that friends do let friends cuss.
Bette Midler tells Ariana Grande to stop whoring it up: “Trust your talent. You don’t have to make a whore out of yourself to get ahead. You really don’t.”
Charlie Hunnam goes shirtless for Vogue.
Sean Mandell
