Jeff Sessions Lied to Congress About Opposing Trump Campaign’s Russia Outreach: Witnesses

Jeff Sessions Lied to Congress About Opposing Trump Campaign’s Russia Outreach: Witnesses
Jeff Sessions hearing

Jeff Sessions hearing

Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony to Congress that he opposed a proposal by former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos that the Trump campaign meet with Russians has been contradicted by three people who have been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Reuters reports:

Sessions, through Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores, declined to comment beyond his prior testimony. The special counsel’s office also declined to comment. Spokeswomen for the Democrats and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee did not comment.

Reuters was unable to determine whether Mueller is probing discrepancies in accounts of the March 2016 meeting.

The three accounts, which have not been reported, raise new questions about Sessions’ testimony regarding contacts with Russia during the campaign.

Sessions told Congress that he “pushed back” against the proposal, but the three witnesses who spoke with Reuters said he offered encouraging words.

In related news, a new book reports that Trump “personally encouraged” Papadopoulos to “pursue a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Yahoo reports:

Although one of the campaign officials present, J.D. Gordon, has said the idea was shot down by then Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, Papadopoulos told Mueller’s investigators that Trump encouraged him, saying he found the idea “interesting,” according to the book, which cites sources familiar with his questioning by Mueller’s investigators.

Trump looked at Sessions, as if he expected him to follow up with Papadopoulos, and Sessions nodded in response, the authors write. Sessions has said he has “no clear recollection” of the exchange with Papadopoulos. A White House official said that others at the meeting remember it differently than Papadopoulos.

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Jeff Sessions Lied to Congress About Opposing Trump Campaign’s Russia Outreach: Witnesses

Openly Gay Irish PM Leo Varadkar Leads NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade After Closed Door Pence Meeting

Openly Gay Irish PM Leo Varadkar Leads NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade After Closed Door Pence Meeting

Ireland’s openly gay Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and his partner led the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City on Saturday after a visit to the White House and a closed door meeting with Mike Pence.

A Happy #StPatricksDay to all. May the luck of the Irish be with you.

Today as every day, New Yorkers know diversity is our greatest strength.

Proud to march alongside Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. pic.twitter.com/ub4Nx6RxCE

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 17, 2018

“It was a real privilege to march with my partner at this parade in New York. Only a few years ago people couldn’t march under the rainbow banner but that has all changed,” Varadkar said after the parade (above).

FLASHBACK: Ireland’s First Openly Gay Minister Blasts Mike Pence: ‘I Don’t Like What He Stands For’

Varadkar’s Friday meeting with Mike Pence was closed to the press at Pence’s request. Varadkar had said ahead of the meeting that he planned to address LGBTQ rights with Pence.

The Indy Star reports:

Pence also had a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast in March 2017 with Enda Kenny, the Irish prime minister at the time. The difference this year could possibly be Varadkar’s visibility as an openly gay man as well as Pence’s long record of opposing issues important to the gay and lesbian community.

People are speculating whether issues such as gay and lesbian rights and Pence’s stance on gay-conversion therapy might be discussed at their meeting. For instance, the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ civil rights advocacy group, sent a tweet questioning the motive for banning the media from the Pence-Varadkar event.

Ahead of his meeting with anti-#LGBTQ Mike Pence, Ireland’s openly gay Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he wanted to bring up LGBTQ rights at the meeting.

Today, @mike_pence banned the media from covering the event.

Coincidence? ?

We don’t think so. t.co/ouJirE7dSL

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) March 15, 2018

In 2015, Pence signed a law in Indiana that could’ve allowed businesses to deny service to LGBTQ people, including Irish PM Leo Varadkar. Pence has opposed marriage equality, hate crimes protections & more. Hope media will press him despite being shut out. t.co/IaszqybZTj

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) March 15, 2018

Varadkar said he was not sure why the meeting was closed to the media but assured the press that a “frank conversation” would be had.

The Independent reports:

US VICE President Mike Pence told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar his partner Matt Barrett would be welcome in his home should he decide to attend the next year’s St Patrick’s Day visit to the US.

A government source said Mr Varadkar and Mr Pence had a “tête-à-tête” during the official visit. Another source confirmed Mr Varadkar did discuss LGBT rights with Mr Pence and his wife Karen during a discussion in the White House.

The post Openly Gay Irish PM Leo Varadkar Leads NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade After Closed Door Pence Meeting appeared first on Towleroad.


Openly Gay Irish PM Leo Varadkar Leads NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade After Closed Door Pence Meeting

Must-See LGBTQ TV: ‘Instict’ series premiere, season three of ‘Shadowhunters’ kicks off, and more!

Must-See LGBTQ TV: ‘Instict’ series premiere, season three of ‘Shadowhunters’ kicks off, and more!

Featured Image Attribution: 
Photo Credit: Freeform

Grab the remote, set your DVR or queue up your streaming service of choice! GLAAD is bringing you the highlights LGBTQ on TV this week. Check back every Sunday for up-to-date coverage in LGBTQ-inclusive programming on TV.

This Sunday, the first episode of CBS’s new crime drama Instinct airs. The show, starring out bi actor Alan Cumming will be the first network primetime drama with a gay lead, which is a necessary step forward for inclusion. Cumming portrays Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a former CIA agent, who is pulled from his quiet life as a professor to help the NYPD solve a serial killer case. In addition to having a lead gay character, Instinct also includes Dylan’s husband, Andy as a series regular on the show, who has misgivings about his husband going back into police work. Instinct: Sunday, 8pm on CBS.

Also on CBS, Sunday’s episode of Madam Secretary focus specifically on LGBTQ refugees and how Kat Sandoval (portrayed by out bisexual actress Sara Ramirez) tries to protect them. In the episode “Refuge,” Jay and Kat devise a way to help persecuted foreign LGBTQ citizens escape their country while their U.S. homeland security applications are processed. However, when the country closes its borders, Jay and Kat are forced to change that plan quickly, as it could now threaten their relationship with neighboring allies. Madam Secretary: Sunday, 10pm on CBS.

On Sunday’s new episode of #MadamSecretary, Jay and Kat focus their attention on a cause near to their hearts. But when international tensions arise as a result, will the duo abandon their plans? pic.twitter.com/s8fGaWOgXl

— Madam Secretary (@MadamSecretary) March 14, 2018

Season three of GLAAD Media Award-winning science fiction drama Shadowhunters is back for its third season on Tuesday. The show is known in large part for its fan-favorite couple “Malec,” composed of Magnus Bane, a bisexual warlock and Alec Lightwood, an out gay Shadowhunter. Shadowhunters also made great strides in representation with the character of Raphael, who is asexual, making him the only asexual character on cable television. All the favorite characters are back in the season three premiere, where secrets are abound as the Shadowhunters and Downworlders try to get back to normal after Valentine’s death. Shadowhunters: Tuesday, 8pm on Freeform.

Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Station 19, a drama about Seattle’s finest firefights, airs its first episode on Thursday. One of the characters in this ensemble drama is Travis Montgomery, “an out gay firefighter who is well-liked, funny, fun and always plays by the rules.” In the two-hour premiere, when the team responds to an apartment fire, Capt. Pruitt takes a hit, the future of the station’s leadership is in jeopardy and firefighter Andy Herrera is forced to step up. Station 19: Thursday, 9pm on ABC.

Sunday, March 18th: The Good Fight (CBS All Access); Instinct (8pm, CBS); Counterpart (8pm, Starz); Brooklyn Nine-Nine (8:30pm, Fox); The Walking Dead (9pm, AMC); Here and Now (9pm, HBO); Madam Secretary (10pm, CBS); Timeless (10pm, NBC); The Chi (10pm, Showtime)

Monday: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (8pm, The CW); UnReal (10pm, Lifetime)

Tuesday: Shadowhunters (8pm, Freeform); Fresh Off the Boat (8:30pm, ABC); Black Lightning (9pm, The CW); LA to Vegas (9pm, Fox); Rise (9pm, NBC);

Wednesday: This Close (Sundance Now); Riverdale (8pm, The CW); grown-ish (8pm, Freeform); Schitt’s Creek (8pm, Pop TV); Modern Family (9pm, ABC);  Life Sentence (9pm, The CW); 9-1-1 (9pm, Fox); American Housewife (9:30pm, ABC); The Magicians (9pm, SyFy); The Assassination Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (10pm, FX); Glam Masters (10pm, Lifetime); Hap and Leonard (10pm, Sundance); The Trixie & Katya Show (10:30pm, Viceland)

Thursday: Grey’s Anatomy (8pm, ABC); Superstore (8pm, NBC); Beyond (8pm, Freeform); Champions (8:30pm, NBC); Station 19 (9pm, ABC)

Friday: Dynasty (8pm, The CW); Jane the Virgin (9pm, The CW)

March 15, 2018

www.glaad.org/blog/must-see-lgbtq-tv-instict-series-premiere-season-three-shadowhunters-kicks-and-more

Coming Out – Sexuality, Gender & Identity

Coming Out – Sexuality, Gender & Identity

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery posted a photo:

Coming Out - Sexuality, Gender & Identity

Free exhibition in the Gas Hall at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery from 02/12/17 to 15/04/18.

Coming Out: Sexuality, Gender and Identity is a touring exhibition conceived by National Museums Liverpool, in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust as part of the Arts Council Collection National Partners Programme 2016-19. Coming Out is part of the Arts Council Collection National Partnership Programme.

Coming Out - Sexuality, Gender & Identity