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How To Overcome Pre-Date Stress
As exciting as meeting new people can be, there’s no doubt that stress and nerves also come along with it. Perhaps you’ve been out of the dating game for quite some time, and are worried about everything from the “hello” (do we shake hands or is that too formal? Do I go in for a […]
The post How To Overcome Pre-Date Stress appeared first on PlentyOfFish Blog.
Jeff Merkley, Dolly Parton, Art Smith, NFL, Lee Pace, Frank Bruni, Lance Bass, RuPaul’s Supermodel, Alan Cumming: HOT LINKS
SEN JEFF MERKLEY. Undocumented children separated from parents are being kept in cages in detention: “They have big cages made out of fencing and wire and nets stretched across the top of them so people can’t climb out…It’s just a concrete floor and people are being given these space blankets to sleep on. A space blanket is…the equivalent of foil. So obviously a very uncomfortable situation to be in.”
NFL. Trump told White House officials to use the GOP tax plan to punish the National Football League: “When some players continued to kneel during the anthem, Trump told White House officials they should punish the NFL as part of a GOP-tax plan, according to White House and Hill aides. Some aides even began researching how to punish the lucrative league, and ideas trickled over to Capitol Hill.”
SARA GILBERT. Actress may get a Roseanne spin-off.
SHEP SMITH. Somebody’s lying to us. “If one person says one thing, and another person says the opposite thing, someone’s not telling the truth … these inconsistencies seem to be among the most consistent things that we live with now.”
Shep: Somebody’s lying to us.
WSJ Reporter: Well, it’s a discrepancy.
Shep: If one person says one thing, and another person says the opposite thing, someone’s not telling the truth … these inconsistencies seem to be among the most consistent things that we live with now. pic.twitter.com/Sokk8o2O9m
— Lis Power (@LisPower1) June 4, 2018
DOLLY PARTON. Netflix plans eight-episode series based around one song each episode. “As a songwriter, I have always enjoyed telling stories through my music,” Parton said. “I am thrilled to be bringing some of my favorite songs to life with Netflix. We hope our show will inspire and entertain families and folks of all generations, and I want to thank the good folks at Netflix and Warner Bros. TV for their incredible support.”
LEE PACE. On his coming out.
UGLY STALKING OF THE DAY. Alex Jones stalked Bernie Sanders at LAX.
CHICAGO. Gay and Straight Alliance Prom wraps attendees in a big hug: ‘The GSA prom is a prime opportunity for a diverse array of young people in hypersegregated Chicago to come together. According to a 2016 poll by The New York Times and the Kaiser Family Foundation, African-Americans and Latinos on the South and West Sides of the city are more likely to be dissatisfied than white people on the North Side with neighborhood services like public recreation facilities, transportation and public education. A citywide dance where students from varying races and economic backgrounds, as well as gender identities and sexual orientations, can come together under one roof is a rare treat from the normal social and cultural divisions.’
ART SMITH. Top Chef Masters star Art Smith has some thoughts about the Masterpiece Cakeshop case.
ORCHID. New gay bar opens in D.C.
LOUISVILLE. Iconic gay nightclub to be demolished: “An estimated $159,000 worth of wrecking is underway at the old Connection site, 120 S. Floyd St., to make way for a 128-room, luxury hotel, according to documents filed with Louisville Metro Government. ”
BILL CLINTON. Clarifies Lewinsky remarks: “The suggestion was that I never apologized for what caused all the trouble for me 20 years ago. First point is, I did. I meant it then, I meant it now. I apologized to my family, to Monica Lewinsky and her family and to the American people before a panel of ministers in the White House, which was widely reported. So I did that. I meant it then and I mean it today. I live with it all the time. The second is that I support the Me Too movement and think it is long overdue, and I have always tried to support it in the decisions and policies that I advanced.”
GAYBY NEWS. Lance Bass and Michael Turchin have found a surrogate.
FRANK BRUNI. The extinction of gay identity: ‘I increasingly get the sense that gayness itself has scattered, becoming something more various and harder to define. “Gay” tells you about a person’s lusts and loves, but it used to tell you more — about his or her boldness, irreverence, independence. It connoted a particular journey and pronounced struggle, and had its own soundtrack, sartorial flourishes and short list of celebrity icons. Not so anymore.’
SUPERMODEL OF THE WORLD. RuPaul’s influence, 25 years later: ‘Supermodel, led by its pivotal single/lifestyle slogan, “Supermodel (You Better Work),” did manage to strike a crucial, first blow against a drag-resistant world, while also making major inroads during a far more homophobic time. Seen from a modern perspective, RuPaul’s debut seems even more daring and encompassing than it did in its day. It cut across several key subcultures, forcing them closer to the mainstream by sheer will and charm. That last factor would prove crucial to RuPaul’s wider ascension and impact. “I knew this was happening for me when I was shooting the ‘Supermodel’ video in Central Park and I had a Winnebago,” he told EW in a 2017 interview. “I thought, I have a freaking Winnebago. I am here.”
ELLE WOODS. Reese Witherspoon returning for Legally Blonde 3.
REMINISCENCE OF THE DAY. Alan Cumming on Romy and Michelle dance.
Alan Cumming talks about ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’ and whether or not he’d perform the iconic dance scene at your wedding.
Watch more on #CouchSurfing: t.co/I0FAqaE6AY pic.twitter.com/AF0ahAe0Ec
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) June 2, 2018
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. DIE ANTWOORD ft. The Black Goat ‘ALIEN’.
TOO HOT FOR TUESDAY. Jonathan Belle.
The post Jeff Merkley, Dolly Parton, Art Smith, NFL, Lee Pace, Frank Bruni, Lance Bass, RuPaul’s Supermodel, Alan Cumming: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
3 Reasons Why Even The Narrow Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision is Bad
The Supreme Court’s decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop has to be described as narrow. It answered none of the major doctrinal questions raised by the baker’s claims. Justice Kennedy did not say whether baking a cake is constitutionally-protected expression. He did not discuss whether public accommodations laws are unconstitutional violations of the First Amendment’s guarantee of the free exercise of religion. He declined to generalize about how to address a potential conflict between the freedom of religion and equal protection. Instead, he wrote an opinion about how the procedure followed in this case was faulty.
Still, even this narrow decision, which has limited direct precedential value, is dangerous for three reasons.
First, at the end of the day, two queer men, Charlie Craig and Dave Mullens, had to suffer the indignity of being denied service just because they are gay. That the Supreme Court denied them vindication (for now) cannot be lost in the fact that the Court didn’t make any awful doctrinal conclusions. These two men were victims of discrimination in a personal and direct way, an experience that has been shown to have negative psychological effects. But even if it didn’t, even if Charlie and Dave are strong enough to recover and move on, no one should have their identities turned against them.
Second, the decision will have two unfortunate effects unfold over the next few years. First, there may be a chilling effect among queer people who want to get married. Many media outlets are reporting on this case with clickbait headlines that cause anxiety and misunderstanding among readers. Many just know that the Court sided with the anti-gay baker and allowed him to deny service to a gay couple. This result, and the uncertainty associated with the opinion’s narrow reasoning, will caused confused queer people to shy away from pressing their rights, not knowing what they can and cannot do. On the other side of the ledger, this decision is an invitation to homophobic litigation. Masterpiece did not answer the underlying question of whether equality legislation trumps the free exercise of bigotry. But allowing the Christian baker to deny service to gays in this case is going to encourage the religious right to press the case, to encourage Christian business owners to continue denying service to queer people, until they can take another, cleaner case back to the Supreme Court.
Third, the opinion includes troubling conclusions. As we discussed yesterday, the Court found that statements from Commissioners sitting on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission evidenced so much anti-religious bias that they denied the Christian baker a fair, impartial hearing. But those statements don’t really evidence bias. Here was the most offending statement:
I would also like to reiterate what we said in the hearing or the last meeting. Freedom of religion and religion has been used to justify all kinds of discrimination throughout history, whether it be slavery, whether it be the Holocaust, whether it be—I mean, we—we can list hundreds of situations where freedom of religion has been used to justify discrimination. And to me it is one of the most despicable pieces of rhetoric that people can use to—to use their religion to hurt others.
In reaction to this, the Court said, “To describe a man’s faith as ‘one of the most despicable pieces of rhetoric that people can use’ is to disparage his religion in at least two distinct ways: by describing it as despicable, and also by characterizing it as merely rhetorical—something insubstantial and even insincere.”
But that is not at all what the Commissioner did. His comment called out using religion as a pretext for discrimination. And besides, the Commissioner is one hundred percent correct. Christianity justified the Holocaust. Religion was used to justify slavery. Religion was used to justify Jim Crow, apartheid, and laws against interracial marriage.
This raises an important question. If saying something true, yet critical about religion as an institution is an example of expressing hostility toward religion, then is every comment critical of religion evidence of bias? Are we never allowed to say anything negative about the harms that can be wrought by fundamentalism? It’s now hard to imagine the forces of equality getting a fair hearing if no one can say anything negative about the forces of bigotry when they use religion to justify their hatred.
Granted, Masterpiece Cakeshop is neither a huge triumph for bigotry nor a devastating loss for equality. But it is not harmless. It allowed bigotry to win today and may have several dangerous effects.
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3 Reasons Why Even The Narrow Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision is Bad
#AM_Equality Tipsheet: June 5, 2018
SCOTUS RULING IN MASTERPIECE DOES NOT CHANGE NATION’S CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS, AFFIRMS LGBTQ PEOPLE HAVE RIGHT TO LIVE FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION: HRC released the following statement yesterday after the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a case involving a baker who in 2012 refused to provide a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. “In today’s narrow ruling against the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Supreme Court acknowledged that LGBTQ people are equal and have a right to live free from the indignity of discrimination,” said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). “Anti-LGBTQ extremists did not win the sweeping ‘license to discriminate’ they have been hoping for — and today’s ruling does not change our nation’s longstanding civil rights laws. Yet, the fact remains that LGBTQ people face alarming levels of discrimination all across the country and HRC’s efforts to advance equality are as urgent as ever. With LGBTQ people at risk of being fired, evicted or denied services in 31 states, HRC continues to build momentum for the Equality Act, to elect pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot, and fighting in every corner of our country to advance policies that protect LGBTQ people from being targeted for who they are or whom they love.”
TUESDAY TWEET — THE ACLU BREAKS DOWN THE MASTERPIECE DECISION:
Must read thread from @ACLU on the Supreme Court decision in #MasterpieceCakeshop. Businesses should be #OpenToAll! t.co/0MnzDCzKRF
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) June 4, 2018
HRC PRESIDENT ON THE GROUND IN WISCONSIN CAMPAIGNING FOR SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN (D-WI): HRC President Chad Griffin kicked off HRC’s nationwide Summer of Action with a weekend event supporting Senator Baldwin, lauding her as “one of the hardest-working United States Senators today.” The Summer of Action is anchored by more than 500 local events in all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. In the lead up to the midterm elections, HRC has identified more than 52 million “Equality Voters” — voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. More from INTO.
PETITION TO THE SUPREME COURT IN SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION CASE: The company in the case Zarda v. Altitude Express is petitioning the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn a ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, en banc, that sexual orientation discrimination is a form of sex discrimination protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The decision is consistent with other lower courts. The case involves a man who was allegedly fired for being gay. The Trump-Pence Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in the case — a blatant effort to undermine the growing legal consensus that LGBTQ people are protected from discrimination under Title VII. More from Advocate.
SEC. OF EDUCATION BETSY DEVOS — THE IMAGES OF THE STUDENTS YOU FAIL HANG IN YOUR HALLS: An art exhibit at the U.S. Department of Education features youth of color, LGBTQ youth and other marginalized young people. The irony is inescapable – the policies pushed by DeVos since the day she took office have targeted these youth. More from The Washington Post.
VERMONT REPORT FINDS BULLYING, SMOKING DOWN FOR YOUTH: The report, however, noted the disparities for LGBTQ students and students of color, who experience bullying at higher rates. More from WNYT.
YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST CHECK OUT RYAN MURPHY’S GROUNDBREAKING NEW SHOW “POSE”: More from Entertainment Weekly and NBC.
The number of transgender actors in the cast of #PoseFX may have made history, but it’s the humanity of the stories they tell that is truly revolutionary. t.co/4oVh4gWAU1
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) June 3, 2018
PRIDE MONTH ROUNDUP
TAYLOR SWIFT SENDS LOVE TO LGBTQ FANS AT CHICAGO CONCERT: “And so this month and every month I want to send my love and respect to everybody who has been brave enough to be honest about how they feel, to live their lives as they are, as they feel they should be, as they identify. And this is a month where I think we need to celebrate how far we’ve come, but I think we also need to acknowledge how far we still have left to go.” More from Rolling Stone.
Taylor Swift just gave the most beautiful dedication to her LGBT fans at her Chicago concert on Saturday night, in celebration of Gay Pride Month. We stan so hard!! t.co/82I3obEw21 pic.twitter.com/CRid6LOFGc
— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) June 3, 2018
Up in Massachusetts on behalf of @HRC with @bostonpride and @Freedom_Mass to help defend transgender equality in the Commonwealth ahead of this November’s referendum. MA residents: vote YES this November to preserve protections for transgender people! pic.twitter.com/AzRdghaA3B
— Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) June 5, 2018
GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS
PRESIDENT OF GERMANY APOLOGIZES TO LGBTQ COMMUNITY FOR COUNTRY’S HISTORY OF DISCRIMINATION: Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted specifically the connection between the country’s anti-LGBTQ discrimination and the Hitler regime. More from The Associated Press.
TORONTO LGBTQ COMMUNITY MOURNS LIVES LOST TO ANTI-LGBTQ VIOLENCE: More from CBC.
HRC CELEBRA INCLUSIÓN LGBTQ EN CIUDAD DE MÉXICO: La Fundación HRC otorgó un reconocimiento al Museo Memoria y Tolerancia por su creciente compromiso por una mayor inclusión LGBTQ y su primera exposición de temática LGBTQ en México. Más de EnlaceJudío.
READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!
DW speaks to Russian LGBTQ advocates in advance of the World Cup; THEM teams up with Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) and Chella Man (@chellamanart) to teach LGBTQ vocabulary in ASL; HRC joins San Juan’s pride festival while helping rebuilding efforts
After spending weeks in Puerto Rico to support ongoing rebuilding efforts for LGBTQ people who are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane María, @HRC staff are taking the day to celebrate #PRIDE in San Juan. ��️������t.co/sBSIOupwD9 pic.twitter.com/FGTxvcUJY8
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) June 4, 2018
Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!
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Blockchain with Pride: LGBT Foundation and OST Announce Partnership to Launch Global LGBT+ Ecosystem
June 5, 2018, Hong Kong / Berlin — The LGBT Foundation, backed by Hornet Networks, and OST are pleased to announce a new partnership to launch an ecosystem powered by OST blockchain technology, to empower, connect and support LGBT+ people all over the world.
The LGBT Foundation will launch the LGBT Token in cooperation with Hornet Networks, one of the largest social networks for gay men with more than 25 million members globally, and Revry, the LGBT answer to Netflix, reaching 70 million homes in more than 100 countries. These two and other launch partners already reach 100 million people worldwide.
LGBT Token will activate the $4.6 trillion global LGBT+ economy, enabling members to assert and protect their LGBT+ identity, creating a new medium of exchange and loyalty for LGBT+ persons and businesses, and making a global social impact by allocating resources to projects that the LGBT+ community cares about, including tackling oppression, discrimination and inequality, education and healthcare.
The LGBT Foundation chose to launch the LGBT Token on OST technology following several months exploring its own ICO, and publishing the LGBT Token “Pink Paper” and “White Paper.” It aims for the Token to be a method of payment and loyalty for physical and digital businesses, as well as a decentralized system for LGBT+ people to verify and protect their identities, especially in countries where they face repercussions.
“We’re saving a ton of time, money and technical resources by teaming up with OST rather than pursuing our own ICO; allowing us to go to market faster, safer and fully compliant with financial regulations,” says Christof Wittig, President of the LGBT Foundation and CEO of Hornet Networks. “The fact that Jason has a stellar track record in tech, Blockchain and the LGBT+ community was something we definitely considered when looking for a partner to kickstart our project.”
The OST utility token enables any website, app, or marketplace to easily launch a branded token and integrate it into their businesses and communities.
“We’re thrilled to announce our support for LGBT Token during Pride Month 2018. We are humbled and excited to support the LGBT Foundation’s mission to make our world a better place for all members of the LGBT+ community. Blockchain technology is a perfect fit for the LGBT Foundation’s mission,” says Jason Goldberg, founder and CEO of OST and an advocate for equality himself. “The LGBT Token facilitates near-instant transactions between businesses, causes and members of the community; thus establishing a flourishing, Pink Economy. It also empowers people in countries where it’s illegal to be LGBT to safely and, if need be, anonymously connect with fellow LGBT people.”
Goldberg will join the LGBT Foundation as an advisor to the project.
Sean Howell, CEO of the LGBT Foundation, concludes: “Partnering with OST is based on their state-of-the-art technology to launch and manage the LGBT Token rapidly, safely, and securely. Working with OST gives us the confidence and ability to go-to-market and to develop a blockchain-powered network of LGBT-friendly businesses, to activate a global, Pink Economy.” Howell continues: “We’ll be driving major, global adoption of the LGBT Token by making it available to the 100 million audience of our launch partners, incl. Hornet Networks and Revry.”
About the LGBT Foundation
The LGBT Foundation is an organization that aims to deliver equality for the global LGBT community through technology and non-profit uses of its tokens. By harnessing the power and potential of blockchain technology and other technological innovations, the Foundation aims to foster greater acceptance of the LGBT community, drive positive social change for the benefit of its members, and protect vulnerable community members. The aim is that the LGBT Foundation will evolve to become a self-governing body run by and for members of the LGBT community, and which directs its activities, resources and members to the benefit of the international LGBT-community. For more information, please visit: lgbt-token.org/
About Hornet Networks
Hornet is the world’s premier gay social network. Founded in 2011 with the mission to build the digital home for the gay community, Hornet has grown to 25 million total users by utilizing cutting-edge technology for its dating platform and producing original editorial content to connect a community around common interests. Hornet provides a superior user experience and is number one in the key markets of France, Russia, Brazil, Turkey and Taiwan, and is consistently expanding its sizable user base in the United States. For more information, please visit: hornet.com
About OST
OST is building the complete blockchain toolkit for business. The company strives to be the blockchain technology partner of choice for businesses of all sizes and levels of technical sophistication, enabling any business to create, launch, and manage their own branded digital token economy powered by OpenST protocols and OST blockchain management software. The OpenST protocol enables companies to launch branded token economies on highly scalable, open, cryptographically auditable side blockchains. OST has offices in Berlin, New York, Hong Kong, and Pune India. For more information, please visit: ost.com/
——
Sean Howell for the LGBT Foundation
[email protected]
Wouter Verhoog for OST
[email protected] / @wouterverhoog
Sierra Mcclellan: First Night
I had a great first night with everyone and will let you know when my next show is. Please message me with any song or drawing requests and I would love to perform them for you! Send more personal requests for private shows too, and we can work something out ;D have a lovely nightSierra~
Visit Sierra Mcclellan’s Chat Room
www.flirt4free.com/models/bios/sierra_mcclellan/about.php?mp_code=f48t&service=girls
Hornet Launches New LGTBQ Pride Digital Destination
June 1, 2018, LOS ANGELES — Today, Hornet, the world’s premier gay social network and LGBTQ media company, launched an all-inclusive, digital content site that will be home to all Pride content, located at the URL hornet.com/pride. The site will feature Pride News, Pride Style, the Ultimate Pride Calendar (featuring 100 international events of Pride season) and a diverse selection of Pride Guides for events taking place around the globe, giving Hornet users a one-stop-shop for all things Pride 2018.
In addition, every day for the entire month of June, Hornet’s social media accounts will feature a new #HornetPrideHero — one of 30 LGBTQ trailblazers who represent our community’s fight to be seen and heard.
Hornet continues to position itself as the go-to place for news, entertainment and LGBTQ information with this robust Pride hub. Hornet will be at the forefront of what is happening, covering LGBTQ Pride celebrations around the world.
“Pride season is such an exciting time of year for the LGBTQ community, so we really wanted to do something special,” says Stephan Horbelt, Executive Editor of Hornet Stories. “Also, so many members of our community travel the world during Pride Month, and we want to simplify the process of celebrating around the world and not missing out on any of the amazing parties and parades.”
Pride means many things to many people — from parties to activism — and Hornet will provide a wide range of information that speaks to this multifaceted experience; including updated pride guides, exclusive video coverage from the parties and events, and even a nod decided nod to the community’s history with Hornet Pride Heroes. We are also asking members of the community to share their Pride by using #ShareYourPride on social media.
“With this new site, we position ourselves as a key player in the LGBTQ media landscape, illustrating our wide range of strengths and capabilities as a media company,” says Matthew Smith, Hornet’s SVP of Global Sales.
Hornet’s free social network app is available on iOS, Android, and the web.
About Hornet Networks
Hornet is the world’s premier gay social network. Founded in 2011 with the mission to build the digital home for the gay community, Hornet has grown to 25 million total users by utilizing cutting-edge technology for its dating platform and producing original editorial content to connect a community around common interests. Hornet provides a superior user experience and is number one in the key markets of France, Russia, Brazil, Turkey and Taiwan, and is consistently expanding its sizable user base in the United States. For more information, please visit hornet.com.
Bill Clinton, Connie Kurtz, Meghan Trainor, Guyana, Michelle Wolf, Indiana, Kevin McCarthy, Ellen DeGeneres: HOT LINKS
BILL CLINTON. If POTUS were a Democrat we’d be on impeachment hearings already: “I think they have tried, by in large, to cover this investigation based on the facts. If there were a Democratic president and these facts were present, most people I know in Washington believe impeachment hearings would have begun already, and most people I know believe that the press would have been that hard or harder.”
Clinton also said he did the right thing during the Lewinsky scandal:
RIP. Activist Connie Kurtz dies: ‘Connie Kurtz, who turned her coming out as a lesbian into a lifetime of activism with her wife, Ruth Berman, including serving as plaintiffs in a lawsuit over domestic-partner benefits for New York City school employees, died on May 27 at her home in West Palm Beach, Fla. She was 81.The cause was liver cancer, said Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, who officiated at a religious ceremony uniting the couple in 2000 and then at another in 2011 after same-sex marriage was legalized in New York State.’
SCOTT PRUITT. EPA chief asked aide to get used mattress from Trump hotel: ‘“As I remember, the administrator had spoken with someone at the Trump Hotel who had indicated that there could be a mattress that he could purchase, an old mattress that he could purchase, but that’s the extent of the conversation that I can — that I can remember,” she said, according to the transcript.’
MEOW. Meet the buff pussy of Quebec.
FACTS? White House releases “fact sheet” on Trump’s first 500 days.
SO DID OURS. Eric Trump said his father’s life became “exponentially worse” after he decided to run for president: “My father’s life became exponentially worse the minute he decided to run for president. He didn’t need to do this, but he was immensely frustrated with where the country was going.”
HAWAII. Lava, lava, everywhere.
WALL OF LAVA: Two people encounter a massive wall of moving lava while trying to rescue cows from a farm in Pahoa, Hawaii. t.co/C9fDQCko2x pic.twitter.com/kDssgG7RjK
— ABC News (@ABC) June 4, 2018
INDIANA. GOP set to drop language declaring marriage between a man and a woman. ‘The latest draft of the new platform removes language labeling strong families as ones that are “based on marriage between a man and a woman.” That phrasing was inserted into the party’s platform during Vice President Mike Pence’s time as governor.’
STEVE SCHMIDT. Kevin McCarthy has disqualified himself to be Speaker of the House with remarks about Trump Tower meeting: “It gives me no pleasure to say this. I’ve known Kevin McCarthy for a long time and I consider him a friend. But he disqualified himself for the Speakership of the House. At the end of the day, if one of the parties wants to make a monkey the majority leader, I’m pretty indifferent to it.”
KANYE WEST. My mental condition is a superpower: “I’m so blessed and so privileged because think about people that have mental issues that are not Kanye West, that can’t go and make that [album] and make it feel like it’s all good. Think about somebody that does exactly what I did at TMZ and they just do that at work, right? But Tuesday morning, they come in and they lost their job and they can’t go back and make that. That’s why God put that on me at age 40. I never been diagnosed until I was 39 years old […] diagnosed with a mental condition. […] But like I said on the album, it’s not a disability, it’s a superpower.”
DEMI LOVATO. Singer responds to anger over prank tweet. “I swear I could tweet something about craving jelly beans and it would offend someone.”
I swear I could tweet something about craving jelly beans and it would offend someone.
— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) June 3, 2018
GUYANA. Incident-free first Gay Pride held: “Guyana held its first gay pride parade, with the country’s gay rights activists accusing the three-year old government as well as the opposition of breaking their election campaign promises to outlaw discrimination against vulnerable groups…Several curious onlookers turned out at the starting point and along the route to get a glimpse at the parade by people of all walks of life, races, and ages. There were no major incidents such as such as sustained verbal exchanges between participants and onlookers.”
WILDLIFE VIDEO OF THE DAY. Ellen DeGeneres visited gorillas in Rwanda with wife Portia DeRossi.
I can’t begin to describe what this experience was like, or how much it means to me. I’m so grateful. pic.twitter.com/nuoRaPsVnu
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 30, 2018
Thank you, Angela and Robert for an incredible day at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @DSWT. What you’re doing to help elephants is important and amazing. #BeKindtoElephants pic.twitter.com/PHtiX1JhQ1
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) June 3, 2018
CANNED. Paramount drops Heathers: “This is a high school show, we’re blowing up the school, there are guns in the school, it’s a satire and there are moments of teachers having guns. It’s hitting on so many hot topics. This company can’t be speaking out of both sides of its mouth, saying the youth movement is important for us and we’ve done all these wonderful things to support that and at the same time, we’re putting on a show that we’re not comfortable with.”
SURPRISE COMMENCEMENT SPEECH OF THE DAY. Jimmy Fallon spoke to students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
73 QUESTIONS. With Michelle Wolf.
DANCING WITHOUT MOVING OF THE DAY. If you can’t dance, don’t worry. Just create a complex stop-motion video like this.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Meghan Trainor “Let You Be Right”.
MONDAY MUSCLE. Antonin the 2nd.
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What today’s Supreme Court ruling means for LGBTQ people today – and in the future
Today the U.S. Supreme Court made a narrow ruling in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips, the owner of Colorado’s Masterpiece Cakeshop. In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court argued that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission showed hostility towards religion when it originally brought claims against Jack Phillips in 2014.
This Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruling reverses an earlier decision of the Colorado Court of Appeals, which in 2015 ruled that Masterpiece’s policy of turning away same-sex couples violates Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA).
Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, said in reaction, “Though freedom of religion is an American value, discrimination is not. While this decision does not change existing civil rights protections, it leaves the door wide open for religious exemptions to be used against LGBTQ people. Today’s decision emboldens the anti-LGBTQ Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the Trump Administration in their persistent push to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people under the misnomer of religious freedom. LGBTQ people will continuously be vulnerable until the liberty and justice for all tenants of the Constitution apply to all Americans, including LGBTQ people.”
GLAAD compiled a tip sheet to help reporters accurately cover cases involving religious exemptions. GLAAD urged journalists to drop the terms “religious freedom” or “religious liberty” in favor of the term “religious exemptions,” because these terms attempt to veil the bigotry at the root of decisions to refuse service to same-sex couples. The tip sheet includes a call for reporters to acknowledge the potential harm to our communities beyond wedding cakes and include the voices of progressive faith leaders from diverse communities in their coverage.
Though the SCOTUS decision may feel discouraging, it is important to note that the ruling on this case was incredibly narrow, and leaves existing civil rights protections intact. However, the decision will also likely embolden anti-LGBTQ groups and individuals pushing for religious exemptions, and assures that the rights of LGBTQ people will continue to be litigated in the courts – a truly demoralizing experience. The next case we will be watching in this regard is that of Barronelle Stutzman, a seventy-two year-old florist from Richmond, Washington, who denied flowers to a longtime customer who was seeking her arrangements for the wedding he was planning with his now-husband. The ADF has petitioned the United States Supreme Court to review the case.
The ADF, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as an anti-LGBTQ hate group, has a case history working to push the radical narrative that non-discrimination protections violate the rights of those seeking to deny services to marginalized communities, especially LGBTQ people. The ADF has made it clear that their ultimate goal is to overturn all nondiscrimination laws applying to sexual orientation and gender identity. They are playing a long game of many cuts, and they currently have the full backing of the Trump White House.
You can help today by joining GLAAD in letting reporters know when they are using the incorrect terms in reporting – remind them that using religious exemptions is imperative and unbiased.
The correct term is ‘religious exemptions’ – not ‘religious freedom’. Freedom of religion is an American value, discrimination is not. RT to send a message to #DropTheFWord. #SCOTUS t.co/e4bvRMWFqr
— GLAAD (@glaad) June 4, 2018
And you can share GLAAD’s message calling out the ADF and those within the Trump Administration who are intent on attacking and rolling back LGBTQ rights and protections.
Though freedom of religion is an American value, discrimination is not. While this #SCOTUS decision does not change existing civil rights protections, it leaves the door wide open for religious exemptions to be used against LGBTQ people.
— Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) June 4, 2018
www.glaad.org/blog/what-todays-supreme-court-ruling-means-lgbtq-people-today-and-future
VIDEO: Debunking Religious Freedom In The Media
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