Kentucky Clerk Defies Court, Turns Away Same-Sex Couple Seeking Marriage License
A gay couple trying to get married in a small Kentucky county was turned away despite a federal order, because the clerk suddenly took a vacation.
Dawn Ennis
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Meet The Young Republicans Fighting Their Party On Gay Rights
Meet The Young Republicans Fighting Their Party On Gay Rights
Given the behavior of some of its current presidential candidates, you’d be forgiven for assuming that the Republican Party is a haven for backward-thinking homophobes.
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Uganda tabloid claims Gay Star News helped ‘pro-gay’ presidential candidate to raise $1 billion
Uganda tabloid claims Gay Star News helped ‘pro-gay’ presidential candidate to raise $1 billion
A Ugandan tabloid has claimed Gay Star News has helped a ‘pro-gay’ presidential candidate to raise $1 billion for his campaign.
This, of course, is not true.
The Red Pepper, famous for publishing the names, faces and addresses of gay people and addresses, on their front page today claimed UK and US backers have offered former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi money in exchange for him pushing rights for LGBTI people.
Their headline was: ‘Mbabazi Funders Named: USA, UK Gay Tycoons Give Amama SHS3.5TN’
‘Our highly placed sources have intimated to us that Mbabazi enjoys a very healthy relationship with the gay community who view him as their beacon of hope as regards advancing their interests and/or rights in Uganda,’ they wrote.
‘The gays are doing anything possible to ensure that Mbabazi achieves his presidential dream.’
They add: ‘The source added that following a series of briefings, the gay community offered Mbabazi a whopping $1 billion (about 3.5 trillion Ugandan shillings) to facilitate his campaign for the 2016 General Elections.’
While we cannot confirm how much Mbabazi has raised for his campaign so far, activists say this amount of money is ludicrous. To compare, Barack Obama raised $750 million for his campaign in 2008. This eclipsed the total amount of money raised by all of the US presidential candidates combined in 2004.
Last month, GSN reported on Mbabazi’s campaign where he said he was ‘opposed to homophobia’. Our headline was: ‘For the first time in history, a Ugandan presidential candidate backs gay rights‘.
Speaking on NDS Television, Mbabazi had said: ‘I am opposed to homophobia. While I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, homosexuality is not something new.
‘I have stated very clearly that there shouldn’t be any discrimination and it is not the biggest threat right now in the country.’
GSN spoke to Edwin Sesange, the director of Africa’s LGBTI Out and Proud Diamond group, who called it a ‘historic moment’. His quote, as well as several edited portions of the article, appeared in the newspaper.
None of the so called ‘gay tycoons’ are named.
Gay Star News was not contacted by any Red Pepper journalist.When we contacted the paper ourselves, we couldn’t reach anyone who would give us a quote.
Mbabazi has yet to comment on the report.
Speaking to us again today, Sesange said: ‘This is wrong for the Red Pepper to claim. I have personally never met Amama Mbabazi in my life and I’m not sure if he has ever met any gay person in the UK privately for a meeting.
‘He has expressed a different opinion from that of the government and other opinion. He wants to stop blaming gay people for everything and concentrate on actual problems.’
He added: ‘It is unbecoming for the Ugandan media to use persecuted LGBTI people and activists in an attempt to condemn and spread lies about any person, politician or otherwise.’
Mbabazi was the prime minister before he was sacked by President Yoweri Museveni. In July, when attempting to hold a political meeting, he was arrested by police for doing it without ‘permission’. His daughter was also arrested with no charges brought against her. They were both subsequently released.
The post Uganda tabloid claims Gay Star News helped ‘pro-gay’ presidential candidate to raise $1 billion appeared first on Gay Star News.
Joe Morgan
Dunes Beach Resort (2)
My Nightmare of Being Wrongfully Accused, and How to Prevent That From Happening to Others
My Nightmare of Being Wrongfully Accused, and How to Prevent That From Happening to Others
A career in the entertainment industry didn’t make me an expert on the legal system, but being falsely accused of teen molestation came close. A sex abuse suit was filed against me a year ago, and my journey to exoneration — the accuser’s lawyers paid a seven figure settlement and admitted last month that their client’s claims were “untrue and provably false” — has convinced me that serious reforms are needed in the way courts handle these cases.
From the start, the allegations — that I had drugged and raped a then-seventeen year-old named Michael Egan in Hawaii in 1999 — were absurd: I wasn’t in Hawaii 15 years ago and could prove it. In fact, neither was Egan. And although I do business with steely resolve, in my personal life I’m mild mannered and perhaps even boring.
But none of that mattered. Egan’s cases against me and three others were announced at white hot press conferences bristling with television cameras and mostly uncritical reporters who watched Egan’s mother erupt in tears and vow to “disarm the predators.” Fueled by homophobia, the salacious lawsuits ignited a firestorm at the toxic intersection of a ponderous legal system and a click-bait inflected media culture.
Splashed across home pages and the evening news, the allegations went viral, evoking countless blog comments about the “faggots” who’d supposedly done these terrible things. Egan’s unsupported claims were accepted as self-evident, while our denials were often discounted, downplayed or even twisted to fan the hysteria: “TV Exec Garth Ancier: I Didn’t Rape That Kid” was one of TMZ.com‘s backhanded headlines. Other outlets ran stories without bothering to contact me or the other defendants.
In an instant, my sterling reputation — built up over a forty year career in broadcasting that started at age 16 — was vaporized. I was now unemployable, and advised to accept that I would never work as a media executive again. The personal impact too was devastating, and my health suffered as well.
The stale, wasteful and baseless case against me was only possible because Hawaii eliminated its statute of limitations on teen sex abuse. I abhor sexual misconduct and have tremendous sympathy for victims and their families. But statutes of limitation exist for a reason: memories fade over time, witnesses die, rumors spread, documents are discarded and physical evidence decays or disappears. Recognizing the sensitive nature of these cases, many states have lengthened their statutes — but eliminating time limits altogether is unwise and can put defendants in an impossible position. Could you prove you weren’t in Hawaii in August 1999? Probably not.
Mere weeks after Egan filed his lawsuits, his cases began to crumble in the face of his own prior sworn deposition statements that he’d never been to Hawaii and not been molested by anyone other than three other individuals whom he sued in 2000. Egan’s primary 2014 attorney, Jeff Herman, either didn’t bother to read the deposition or didn’t care, and he himself had previously been suspended by the Florida Bar for dishonesty and banned for life from a federal court for a “credibility problem.” But he was still able to use the media to troll for clients, and even had a list of Hollywood gay men he was targeting for accusations.
That tells us other reforms are needed as well.
First, attorneys in sexual misconduct cases should be required to contact the accused or his lawyers before filing suit and exchanging evidence.
Second, all states should adopt the California requirement that defendants in sexual abuse cases be granted anonymity until and unless a judge finds merit in the case,
Third, judges should develop an expedited procedure for determining this promptly. Press conferences and news releases should be prohibited.
Egan’s lawsuits were finally withdrawn, but that simply left the matter in limbo. To achieve vindication — and regain my standing in the business community — I had to counter-sue for malicious prosecution, a lengthy, expensive and arduous process that has seen Egan scolded by the judge for lying in court and, separately, plead guilty in connection with unrelated federal fraud charges. We also learned Egan had bragged about falsely targeting Hollywood gay men. And although his former lawyers settled, Egan has not, and my case against him continues.
There has to be a better road to accountability. Lawyers who file these cases — particularly if on contingency — should be required to carry hefty malpractice insurance to ensure they can be held accountable for frivolous claims. Plaintiffs’ attorneys in meritless cases should be required to pay defendants’ legal fees. And lying in civil suits should bring criminal indictments for perjury, which today are scarce as hen’s teeth.
This isn’t just about the civil system though. Rolling Stone’s 2014 story of a gang rape at UVA inflamed debate — until the police determined the article had “no substantive basis” and the publisher retracted it as flawed. That incident echoed the 2006 rape allegations against Duke lacrosse players, which ended with all charges dropped and the DA jailed and disbarred. We all need to do more to slow the headlong rush to judgment in sex abuse cases and remember always that allegations aren’t proof.
A year ago, evil landed on my shoulder and dug in its claws. As my nightmare ends, I’m finally free of its grip, but the scars on my psyche and good name will remain for the rest of my life. Perhaps with well-chosen reforms, it won’t have to happen to anyone else.
Garth Ancier currently works as a media consultant for OTT services, as well as linear broadcast/pay television networks.
— 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.
Chelsea Manning faces solitary confinement for having Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair issue
Chelsea Manning faces solitary confinement for having Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair issue
Chelsea Manning is facing indefinite solitary confinement for being found in possession with a copy of Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair issue, according to her lawyer.
The US soldier, who is currently serving a 35-year military prison sentence for leaking secrets to WikiLeaks, has allegedly been charged with four violations of custody rules.
Her lawyers have condemned them as ‘absurd’.
This includes ‘medicine misuse’, which involved having an expired tube of toothpaste’, ‘disorderly conduct’, which meant she swept food onto the floor during dinner, keeping ‘prohibited property’, that’s the Vanity Fair, and ‘disrespect’.
It was also found Manning owned copies of I Am Malala and a novel featuring trans women called A Safe Girl To Love. It is not clear why these have been confiscated.
Manning’s lawyer Nancy Hollander called the charge relating to an expired tube of toothpaste ‘utterly ridiculous’. It had expired in April of this year.
Speaking to The Guardian, she added: ‘I’m concerned that books have been taken from her – those books came to her legally and are clearly not a security threat.’
Chase Strangio, a staff attorney who is handling Manning’s legal dispute with the US military, claimed they were trying to ‘silence’ Manning.
‘Chelsea has a growing voice in the public discussion,’ he said. ‘It would not surprise me were these charges connected to who she is.’
The post Chelsea Manning faces solitary confinement for having Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair issue appeared first on Gay Star News.
Joe Morgan
Actor Joaquín Ferreira Goes Full-Frontal And Shows Off His Massive Appendage In New Netflix Series “Club de Cuervos”
Actor Joaquín Ferreira Goes Full-Frontal And Shows Off His Massive Appendage In New Netflix Series “Club de Cuervos”
Even if you are not a fan of telenovelas and don’t understand Spanish, you are missing out on a riDICKulously good reason to watch Club de Cuervos. The 13-episode Netflix series, which centers on a family feud among heirs of a soccer club after the patriarch’s death, features Joaquín Ferreira in all of his jaw-dropping “desnudo” glory.
The Argentinean actor portrays “El Porto” and appears completely naked in a few of his scenes. “It was very clear that his character had to be the sex symbol that would have all the girls and gay boys attached to the TV screen,” Luis Gerardo Méndez, the series’ star and producer, explained about Ferreira’s audition, “and when he walked into the room, he got it.”
Yes, he’s got it. Ferreira is, shall we say, very well endowed…and that’s just in his flaccid state. Of course, screenshots of Joaquín’s nude scenes from Club de Cuervos have already found their way onto the Internet. Check out the NSFW images over on Latin Times. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself suddenly craving chorizo after viewing them.
Male full-frontal nudity is still somewhat taboo in Hollywood, so it’s nice to see an actor throw caution to the winds and attack it with so much cocky gusto. Bravo, Joaquín! Hopefully, we’ll be seeing much more of him in the future, but in the meantime, here are a few images from Ferreira’s Instagram account.
Jeremy Kinser
A Shirtless Luke Evans is Tweeting Selfies from the Parks of London
A Shirtless Luke Evans is Tweeting Selfies from the Parks of London
Actor Luke Evans appears to be having a wonderful summer, tweeting the above photo with the caption “#parklife #londonsummer #happydays“. It’s the best ad Tommy Hilfiger has had in a while.
In an interview with WWD last October, Evans appeared to be more forthcoming about his sexual orientation:
Evans finally responded to a question about his sexuality. He responded to a Women’s Wear Daily interviewer asking him if he was setting a new precedent as an openly gay action star: “It’s good for people to look at me and think this guy is doing his thing and enjoying what he’s doing and successful at it and living his life. And that’s what I’m doing and I’m very happy.” The WWD piece makes a note of the fact that Evans’ publicists attempted to keep his sexuality (which they don’t deny) from coming up in the interview, a condition both reporter and subject ignored. And while it may not have been a full-throated declaration of gay pride, Evans’ tacit acknowledgment of his unique status — in a way, he’s been out for years — signals that things may, slowly, be changing for Evans and for gay public figures.
Evans is set to play Gaston opposite Emma Watson in the upcoming live-action version of Beauty and the Beast from Disney.
And just for good measure, here are two more recent shots from Evans’ Instagram feed, bathing in a Soho farmhouse, and striking out on the town in a tank top:
The post A Shirtless Luke Evans is Tweeting Selfies from the Parks of London appeared first on Towleroad.
Andy Towle
A Shirtless Luke Evans is Tweeting Selfies from the Parks of London
Georgia State court rejects ‘gay panic’ claim in murder trial but can’t record death as hate crime
Georgia State court rejects ‘gay panic’ claim in murder trial but can’t record death as hate crime
An Atlanta, Georgia court has convicted a man of murder despite his attempt to argue for a lesser charge by claiming that his victim made an unwanted same-sex pass at him.
19-year-old Marquavyian Gude shot and killed 17-year-old Devontavius McClain on or around April 20 in 2013 after the pair met online.
McClain had traveled from his home in Spalding County to meet Gude who he picked up in his car.
Gude would later claim that he had been deceived and that he had thought he was meeting a woman but that doesn’t explain why he got into McClain’s car when he saw that he was male – or why he drove around with his victim for several hours.
‘Gude confessed to murdering McClain but claimed it was in self-defense because the victim made a pass at him,’ district attorney Paul Howard told AJC.com on Wednesday.
Atlanta detectives identified Gude as a suspect after McClain’s telephone records showed the teens had been communicating with each other in the lead up to McClain’s death.
Gude was also spotted driving McClain’s car around and trying to use McClain’s credit card to make purchases.
It is likely that McClain’s body was in the trunk of the car at that time as his badly decomposed body was discovered in the car two months later.
Gude was already in jail over unrelated charges when he was charged over McClain’s death.
The Fulton County Superior Court jury convicted Gude of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, theft by taking and weapons offenses on Tuesday and Judge Craig Schwall sentenced him to life in prison plus five years.
However while rejecting the attempted ‘gay panic’ defense in the trial, McClain’s death will not be recorded as a hate crime as the state of Georgia currently has no laws recognizing crimes of prejudice against LGBTI people.
The post Georgia State court rejects ‘gay panic’ claim in murder trial but can’t record death as hate crime appeared first on Gay Star News.
Andrew Potts
Straight Man Writes About Being Raped By Another Guy In Horrific Detail
Straight Man Writes About Being Raped By Another Guy In Horrific Detail
“So there’s no more denying I got raped,” Reddit user iwascrewdliterally writes in a thread titled I(22M, straight) got shitfaced and fucked in the butt by a man! It’s been messing with my head. “That much is clear. Rather than use force or coercion to overcome resistance, my rapist relied on me being unable to think or even function normally.”
According to iwascrewdliterally, the incident happened last year. After a hard night of drinking, he crashed at his friend Sam’s (not his real name) house. He details what happened next as best he can given his inebriated state of mind at the time:
Darkness, head spinning, ears ringing. Memory flash: I’m being felt up and fondle. Next flash, I’m with a guy and we’re both touching and ‘crossing swords’ … Next flash, I’m drunk and trying to sleep but “someone” keeps poking me, [later memory] “someone” telling me this is too much of a cock tease and insisting on removing my clothes… Next flash (even more vague), “someone” is literally trying to fuck me in the butt and it hurts! Ow!! Next flash, “someone” is sucking my cock. Gah! I don’t need a blowjob right now. I need to rest and let my liver process as much of this fucking alcohol as I can before it kills me.
The next morning, he woke up beside his alleged rapist.
Related: Male College Student Bravely Opens Up About Being Raped By Another Guy
“I realize my ass is sore,” he writes. “As I begin to grasp the situation, I quickly dress and flee to the bathroom to inspect the horror. Shaking, I realize I’ve just been fucked in the ass by a man with a fat cock, with spit for lube and no protection!”
The incident left him feeling “emasculated,” like he was “going crazy,” and “full of self-loathing and fear.” So he turned to Reddit for advice.
Over 200 people offered their support.
“You are not less of a man for what that piece of shit did to you,” one person wrote. “His actions are not the actions of a normal gay person. They are the actions of a depraved person.”
“No one should have to feel the way you do,” another person said. “And please remember it’s not your fault. I hope you sort this out but try not to bury it because it will be with you forever if you do not deal with it now.”
“You can control the healing part of this incident,” someone else added. “I hope you do get some help dealing with this and learning that it was not your fault no matter how much you think you remember participating. Your ‘friend’ took advantage and is a bad person. End of story.”
The comments continued pouring in for days. Afterwards, iwascrewdliterally updated his original post thanking everyone for their words of support.
“Accepting the fact of rape was a bit of a struggle,” he writes, “but I feel a bit freer to confront my thoughts on the implications of this.”
He continues: “It’s really heartening to see all the love and support. … At the end of the day I guess I still have some of the same worries, but I think they’ve lost lost their debilitating edge. I even looked up an anal porn scene and didn’t cringe, much. That’s about as far as I’ve got so far. I guess it’s not a thing to digest in a day. Counseling may be the way to go after all, but I’m feeling less crazy for now, so thanks.”
Related: WATCH: Gay Iraqi Man Describes Being Blackmailed By Ex, Raped In Prison
Graham Gremore
