Houstonians Closely Watch Upcoming Trial, Ready for HERO to Take Effect
Today, jury selection begins in the trial over petitions to repeal the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO).
HRC.org
Monthly Archives: January 2015
Police Rush To Richard Simmons’ Mansion After Concerned Friend Fears The Worst
Police Rush To Richard Simmons’ Mansion After Concerned Friend Fears The Worst
Two LAPD officers showed up to Richard Simmons’ Hollywood Hills home Friday evening after a concerned friend contacted them fearing the Sweatin’ to the Oldies star was in trouble, TMZ reports.
The friend was worried because Simmons hasn’t been seen in almost a year. Afraid the fitness guru was being abused, he emailed the L.A. County D.A.’s Elder Abuse Unit. When officers showed up for a welfare check, Simmons answered the door. He was sporting a long tangly beard.
Police say the 66-year-old was very gracious and appeared to be in good health as he welcomed them into his mansion.
According to TMZ, Simmons went MIA about a year ago, shortly after appearing in this amazing online ad for Bumble Bee tuna. He cut himself off from his friends, stopped going into his Beverly Hills fitness studio, and hasn’t made any public appearances. Friends say this sort of behavior is not like him, and that there is no way Simmons would voluntarily shut himself off like this. They believe something sinister must be going on.
His manager, however, says Simmons is depressed over a knee injury and that’s why he hasn’t left the house.
Simmons told officers Friday that he was “exhausted” after living the past 30 years in the public eye. “I just want to spend time with myself,” he said. Then he added that he keeps in regular touch with the people who matter most to him.
And as for his fitness studio, “I’ve got people who run things. I don’t need to be there,” he said.
Police say Simmons was walking with a slight limp, which is “consistent with a knee injury.”
Here’s hoping he’s able to pull himself out of this funk.
Get well soon, Richard!
Related stories:
WATCH: Richard Simmons Has Never Been This Excited About Tuna Before
16 Reasons Richard Simmons Is (Still) Winning The Internet
Richard Simmons’ Daytime Drag: Which Look Is Best?
Graham Gremore
News: Emma Watson, Alabama, Sam Smith, Gay Guide to the Superbowl
News: Emma Watson, Alabama, Sam Smith, Gay Guide to the Superbowl
A lone dissenter disrupted the ordination of the Church of England’s first female bishop today, shouting that the concept of the ordination of women was “not in the bible.”
Here’s the list of winners from last night’s Screen Actors Guild Award.
King Felipe VI of Spain has become the first European monarch to pose for the cover of a gay magazine.
British news magazine The Week sounds off on why the SCOTUS same-sex marriage case this year won’t be the Roe v. Wade anti-gay activists hope it will be. “But the conviction that the fetus has dignity and rights that must be protected by the state against lethal violence did not vanish or even weaken prior to 1973, and it remains there today for millions of (other) Americans, bolstered by the most cogent anti-abortion arguments and abetted by the latest advances in ultrasound technology. That’s why abortion is still so polarizing and likely to remain so: because there are very strong publicly legitimate arguments on both sides of the issue. On gay marriage, there are no cogent arguments on the “anti” side. Which is why it is bound to be accepted by an overwhelming majority of Americans, and very soon. Even, I’d predict, by many of the traditionalist Christians who will persist (for a time) in rejecting the validity of such marriages in theological terms.”
Emma Watson has been cast as Belle in the upcoming live-action adaption of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
Citing regulatory problems, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper called the legalization of weed in his state a “bad idea”.
Sam Smith has agreed to fork over songwriting royalties to Tom Petty after Petty’s lawyers took notice of similarities between Smith’s “Stay With Me” and the 1989 classic “I Won’t Back Down”.
After whispers of health scares, Richard Simmons is reportedly doing alright.
AL.com editorial board gives a ringing endorsement of marriage equality: “Some argue that when the Declaration and Constitution were written, the framers did not conceive that their notion of rights extended to gay men and women, and marriage. No doubt true. For many at that time, such thinking did not even extend to equality for America’s black citizens. But when America moved to right that wrong, Alabama stayed on the wrong side of history for too long (and our own 1901 state constitution purported to forbid interracial marriage until 2000, long after that had been rendered unenforceable by the Supreme Court.) Alabama should consider whether it wishes to be in that place again…”
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad was rushed to the hospital today after collapsing at an event in Johnston.
The Daily Beast looks into the ongoing spat between LGBT advocates and religious folks over wedding cakes.
A small drone crashed on the White House property this morning, with an investigation underway to determine its origin.
Mandy Moore has announced her split from husband Ryan Adams.
Male model Monday: Nic Palladino.
The gay guide to Super Bowl XLIX.
Corrupt, anti-gay ex-Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will remain free while his corruption case is on appeal.
Openly gay Australian film director Dean Francis isn’t happy with his country’s slow progress on LGBT rights. “The thing that inspired us to make this film is that we still live in a very homophobic world and in terms of western countries we live in a particularly homophobic country…America will join the many other nations that have sanctioned gay marriage and we will once again be left behind and we are humiliated.”
Zachary Quinto will not be making a return to the rebooted Heroes Reborn TV series.
Kyler Geoffroy
Lgbt and the bible & thoughts..
Lgbt and the bible & thoughts..
#Mobilisnoo vient de lancer ses 8 chantiers 2015. Les adhérent-e-s de l'assoce sont invités à se positionner sur un ou plusieurs d'entre eux ;-) #LGBT #orange #gay #gayfr
Housing Secretary Julián Castro to Make Major Announcement at LGBTQ Conference
Housing Secretary Julián Castro to Make Major Announcement at LGBTQ Conference
HUD secretary Castro is expected to introduce additional policies to protect LGBTQ people from housing discrimination.
Michelle Garcia
The Gay Guy's Guide To Coming Out
The Gay Guy's Guide To Coming Out
Check out this episode of The Gay Guy’s Guide To Life for a few tips for coming out like a pro!
Rob Smith is an author, journalist, and openly gay Iraq war veteran. Closets, Combat and Coming Out is available now on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com and wherever LGBT and progressive books are sold. For more on Rob, visit him on his YouTube channel and on Twitter @robsmithonline.
Major Alabama News Site Comes Out in Support of Marriage Equality
Major Alabama News Site Comes Out in Support of Marriage Equality
A major news site in Alabama published an op-ed in support of marriage equality yesterday.
HRC.org
Gay Dads Respond With Love After School Sends Homophobic Rejection Letter
Gay Dads Respond With Love After School Sends Homophobic Rejection Letter
For parents of young children, finding the best early education options can be a nightmare. But this is something else entirely.
Married couple Brian Copeland and Greg Bullard have been searching for the right school for their son. Greg is a senior pastor at a local church, and a faith-based education is on their priority list (we’ll reserve judgment on that one, suffice it to say they sound like lovely people).
A friend of theirs recommended Davidson Academy, a Christian school that has no direct affiliation to any religious institution or church. The friend even when to so far as to inquire with someone he knew who worked at the school, who told him that Brian and Greg’s family would be welcome there.
The couple made a phone call to set up an appointment, and a few days later received this letter in the mail:
It reads:
Although Davidson Academy is not sponsored by or affiliated with any specific church or denomination, the school was founded by Christians and operates in the Christian tradition based upon clear tenets of faith and practice. In the Handbook for Students and Parents, which is accessible on our public website and to which every family must subscribe in the Enrollment Agreement, our Statement of Faith appears on page 6. The first point of the Statement is as follows:
We believe God has revealed Himself, His purposes, and His ways in the Bible, which is therefore absolute in its truth and authority over daily living.
The practical application of this principle extends to the lifestyle conduct of those who are a part of the school. In the section on Admission Policy in the Handbook, on page 15, is found this statement:
Davidson Academy requires all its students, parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, staff and trustees to manifest lifestyle conduct and actions which project an image consistent with the expressed purposes, mission, and beliefs of the school. Any lifestyle conduct which is in opposition to the mission of Davidson Academy or which impedes the school’s credibility with its constituency or the general public is unacceptable.
One example of such lifestyle is homosexuality. Davidson Academy has the right and responsibility to do everything possible to ensure that its expressed purposes, mission, and beliefs continue in their highest traditions and are not harmed, compromised, or hindered by unacceptable lifestyle conduct on the part of its students, parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, staff or trustees.
Brian posted the letter to Facebook, blurring out the name of the school, adding the following message. HuffPost notes that it traced the letter back to Davidson easily.
I share this to let my friends know that discrimination affects people you know and love and still hurts no matter how many times you go through it. We chose this school because of its rigorous faith-based K-12 academics and extra curricular activities; and, a friend with a son there asked them if a family like ours would be allowed and was told yes. After a phone conversation, fully disclosing we are a two-dad family, an appointment was set for us. I receive this letter canceling our appointment without even getting a chance.
Sadly enough, an acquaintance called the school this morning and told them she had been through a divorce because she cheated and that she now lives with her three kids and her boyfriend. The administrator welcomed them with open arms and offered an appointment.
I chose to not share the name because the kids who go there deserve respect and to learn in peace. It’s not about me getting my way. My children will not go there under this person’s administration. It’s about telling the story that there are real faces and feelings that open letters like this. We want the best for our kids, and THEY deserve to be given a chance. I love you all. The love you show my family every day here makes life even richer.
If we’re going to go off Christian values, it’s also worth noting that Brian and Greg have won awards for their community service, and that they run the only LGBT food pantry in Tennessee, serving over 200 families monthly.
Brian told HuffPost, “I’ve learned through this experience we need to choose a place that will not only admit our children, but celebrate them.”
Dan Tracer
An Inside Look at Hillary Clinton's 2016 Campaign and Her Potential Vice Presidential Shortlist
An Inside Look at Hillary Clinton's 2016 Campaign and Her Potential Vice Presidential Shortlist
According a cryptic Politico article, Hillary Clinton is all but done making her handpicked decisions for her potential Presidential cabinet.
Though most of the notable decisions have purportedly been made, the pick for Clinton’s communications director has yet to be decided. Current White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri, writes Politico’s Mike Allen, is being strongly considered, but Clinton remains insistent upon plotting out her campaign in “her way” according to sources close to her.
Politico also has the scoop on the Clinton team’s shortlist for Vice President:
The Clinton team knows it can’t campaign with the swagger of a presumptive nominee because the air of inevitability was so damaging last time around. That said, some advisers are already privately talking up potential running mates, with Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Tim Kaine of Virginia dominating the early speculation.
Some advisers expect a push for diversity on the ticket. So the shortlist also is expected to include Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and perhaps California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for U.S. Senate.
Read the full article here.
Who do you want to see on the ticket?
Charles Pulliam-Moore
