Daily Archives: May 23, 2015
Birmingham Pride 2015
11 Sweet Celebrity Tweets Celebrating Ireland's Marriage Equality Win
11 Sweet Celebrity Tweets Celebrating Ireland's Marriage Equality Win
Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, Tom Daley, Ian McKellen and more tweet in celebration of marriage equality’s arrival in Ireland.
Jase Peeples
Josh Duggar Records Destroyed By Arkansas Police At Judge's Request
Josh Duggar Records Destroyed By Arkansas Police At Judge's Request
Police in Arkansas have destroyed records detailing the investigation into sexual abuse allegations against TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” star Josh Duggar.
“The judge ordered us yesterday to expunge that record,” Springdale Police spokesman Scott Lewis told The Associated Press on Friday. “As far as the Springdale Police Department is concerned this report doesn’t exist.”
Lewis also told the AP that these types of records are usually kept indefinitely.
A 2006 police report, which was obtained by In Touch before its destruction, indicates that family patriarch Jim Bob Duggar knew as early as 2002 that Josh Duggar — who was 14 at the time — was accused of sexually abusing an underage girl. The teen was ultimately accused of inappropriately touching five underage girls, some of whom were his sisters, between 2002 and 2003.
Police did not find out about the allegations until 2006, when they were tipped off to a letter discussing the incidents, the AP reports. A family friend had lent another person a book, and the letter was stuck inside.
The police report obtained by In Touch indicates Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar told police in 2006 that they had disciplined their son themselves.
The couple allegedly said that they sent Josh Duggar to a “Christian program” that “consisted of physical hard work and counseling.” Michelle Duggar later admitted that they actually just sent him to live with a family friend to help with a home remodeling business, according to In Touch.
Both Josh Duggar, now 27, and his parents acknowledged the incidents and publicly apologized in Facebook posts on Thursday.
TLC pulled all airings of “19 Kids and Counting” from its lineup the day after Duggar admitted the allegations were true.
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee voiced his support for the judge’s decision to destroy the records in a Facebook post Friday. “There was no consideration of the fact that the victims wanted this to be left in the past and ultimately a judge had the information on file destroyed — not to protect Josh, but the innocent victims,” Huckabee wrote.
The Duggar family has “a long and active history of political advocacy for social conservative causes,” CNN noted. Josh Duggar resigned from his position at the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group and lobbying organization, on Thursday. According to the AP, Duggar was previously “a public face” of the group.
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Gay Iconography: All About Alec Mapa
Gay Iconography: All About Alec Mapa
Even if you can’t immediately place his name, you’ve definitely seen actor Alec Mapa pop up in any number of television shows and film roles. The Filipino-American actor has left his mark on series including Roseanne, Seinfeld and Friends. You might know him best from his work on Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty, but the openly gay actor is also the proud papa of an adopted son, and an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community.
Mapa isn’t one to shy away from his flamboyant persona, but detractors would be wise not to confuse that for any sort of weakness. Recently, he spoke up on behalf of effeminate gay men in response to comments from Looking star Russell Tovey. His entire Facebook post is worth reposting in its entirety:
“He’s glad he’s not effeminate?
Well the feeling is mutual lady, I’m glad I’m not you.
I kind of feel like this is why I do what I do. Why I’m not just a homo, but A BIG ONE. Being an effeminate gay man still remains an unforgivable sin in our masculinity obsessed culture. I think about all the young sissy boys who return from school after being bullied and shamed day after day, perhaps returning home to the same treatment. I know because I was one of those kids. Was? I still am! I still get it in the neck for being who I am. I’ve spoken to so many non gender conforming youth who have the same recognizable look of despair on their faces . All they need to hear is that they’re fine exactly the way they are. That there’s nothing wrong. That they haven’t killed anyone . That they’re worthy of love and acceptance , AS IS. Perhaps if they heard that they’d stand up for themselves. Perhaps if they heard that they wouldn’t be four times as likely to commit suicide than their straight peers. Perhaps if we were all encouraged to love ourselves from the beginning we wouldn’t grow up to be gay men who treat other gay men like shit. I’m in no way outraged by this. I’ve been hearing this since day I could mince. It’s just disappointing . We experience so much discrimination from the outside world, wouldn’t it be great if we were kinder to each other in our own community? There are a billion reasons to feel actual shame and remorse. Being your authentic, fabulous, faggy self shouldn’t be one of them.
Sincerely ,
Alec Mapa
Professional Effeminate Homosexual for nearly 50 years.”
See more of Mapa’s work, AFTER THE JUMP …
Mapa’s TV credits are many, with guest appearances including NYPD Blue, The Cosby Show, Dharma & Greg (above), and lots of others. Some of his largest roles were on Half & Half (on which he was also a writer), Ugly Betty as Suzuki St. Pierre and on Desperate Housewives, as personal shopper Vern. Most recently, he’s appeared on ABC Family’s Switched At Birth.
Mapa is a veteran of stage as well. His first big break came when he took over for B.D. Wong during the Broadway production of M. Butterfly. You can see the actor take flight in his show aboard the Pride of Hawaii cruise ship, above. When it comes to performing on cruises, Mapa told Michael Musto in Out Magazine: “On the Atlantis cruises and Rosie cruises; it’s great, but they’re two completely different experiences. On the Rosie cruise, there are children and on the Atlantis, they act like children.”
When he’s not showcasing his classically-trained acting chops, Mapa does just fine charming viewers himself. He’s held hosting duties for shows like Transamerican Love Story, Dancing With Dogs and Gossip Queens. Check out his guest appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race, above.
In 2005, Mapa was presented with GLAAD’s Davidson/Valentini Award, which is given to an openly LGBT individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights. Mapa also appeared in a GLAAD PSA about anti-LGBT language and the power of words.
Mapa and his husband Jamie Hebert married in 2008. Together they adopted a five year old boy. Their experience parenting is the source material for much of Mapa’s upcoming Showtime comedy special Baby Daddy, premiering June 12.
Are you a fan of Mapa’s work?
Bobby Hankinson
www.towleroad.com/2015/05/gay-iconography-all-about-alec-mapa.html
dark angel
Dan Savage Calls Out Duggar's 'Staggering' Family Values Hypocrisy
Dan Savage Calls Out Duggar's 'Staggering' Family Values Hypocrisy
Dan Savage highlights the hypocrisy of reality TV’s Duggar clan, who painted LGBT people as child predators while their oldest son was allegedly sexually abusing underage girls.
Jase Peeples
www.advocate.com/politics/2015/05/23/dan-savage-calls-out-duggars-staggering-family-values-hypocrisy
Rainbows Form Over Dublin As Ireland Votes To Legalize Gay Marriage
Rainbows Form Over Dublin As Ireland Votes To Legalize Gay Marriage
In a historic vote, Ireland passed a referendum to legalize gay marriage. As voters in the Irish capital of Dublin went to the polls on Friday, some noticed a fitting accompaniment from Mother Nature.
What a fitting day for a rainbow over Dublin. So very proud to be Irish today! #MarRef pic.twitter.com/rBZGhzSAL7
— Fintan Gillespie (@fintangillespie) May 23, 2015
Dublin, if this doesn’t tell you My opinion nothing will. #MarRef pic.twitter.com/3PzKFiqF3N
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) May 23, 2015
Double rainbow shining over Dublin today… ❤️ #IrelandVoteYes pic.twitter.com/oov4QI42kG
— majella fitzgerald (@majlou) May 23, 2015
Jesus shines his rainbow down on Dublin City this morning! #irelandreferendum #MarRef pic.twitter.com/uZSrcV63Il
— LouiseMc (@louiedapalma) May 23, 2015
Rainbow over Dublin pic.twitter.com/Sh0rI0I8Wm
— Real Keyser Soze (@keysersoze_ie) May 23, 2015
Official results showed that the referendum passed with 62 percent support, according to Reuters.
Ireland becomes the first country in the world to legalize gay marriage via popular vote.
H/T BuzzFeed
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Ireland becomes first country to pass equal marriage by public vote
Ireland becomes first country to pass equal marriage by public vote
Supporters of equality turned out in their hundreds of thousands
joem
www.gaystarnews.com/article/ireland-becomes-first-country-pass-equal-marriage-public-vote230515
Final Irish Marriage Referendum Tally Shows Landslide 'Yes' Victory, Gay Couples to Tie the Knot By Year's End
Final Irish Marriage Referendum Tally Shows Landslide 'Yes' Victory, Gay Couples to Tie the Knot By Year's End
[photo via Twitter]
Final Vote Tally Shows Landslide ‘Yes’ Victory in Irish Marriage Referendum, Gay Couples Expected to Tie the Knot By Year’s End
As expected, Ireland’s marriage referendum was a big win for the equality side.
With 43 of 43 constituencies reporting, the country has voted to amend its constitution to legalize same-sex marriage by a margin of 62.07% to 37.93%.
Over three million voters participated in the referendum, with all but one constituency (Roscommon – South Leitrim) having a majority ‘Yes’ vote. More on the turnout here.
The Irish Times reports the first same-sex marriages could take place before Christmas:
The resounding Yes vote will result in a new sentence being added to Article 41 of the Constitution. It reads: “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” The Irish version, which takes precedence, reads: “Féadfaidh beirt, gan beann ar a ngnéas, conradh pósta a dhéanamh de réir dlí.” It means that a marriage between two people of the same sex will now be recognised by the State and will have the same status under the Constitution as a marriage between a man and a woman.
To give effect to the amendment, the Oireachtas will enact the Marriage Bill 2015, which will state in law for the first time the principle that being of the same sex is no longer an impediment to marriage. Officials in the Department of Justice will begin drafting the legislation next week. A spokesman said the Bill would be prioritised with a view to it being passed by the Oireachtas before the summer recess.
Congrats Ireland on this historic victory!
What an atmosphere at Dublin Castle #MarRef pic.twitter.com/pLQO7Jniqo
— Senator David Norris (@SenDavidNorris) May 23, 2015
Kyler Geoffroy