Media Matters: Right Wing Rodeo

"The week's worst moments in conservative media."

Playbill To Go Rainbow For Pride

Brandon Voss reports at the Advocate:

For the first time in its 130 years, Playbill will alter its logo in honor of LGBT Pride. The performing arts magazine's iconic black-and-yellow cover logo will become rainbow-hued at all Broadway and off-Broadway theaters for the month of June. The brand's digital properties and social media sites will follow suit the last week of June to commemorate Pride weeks in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and other major cities around the world. Special LGBT-related content will begin June 1 on Playbill.com, including profiles of nonprofit organizations such as Broadway Impact and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Sure to be collector's items.

WISCONSIN: Second Marriage Suit Filed

A Wisconsin lesbian couple has filed a marriage equality lawsuit directly with the state Supreme Court.

According to court documents, plaintiffs Katherine and Linda Halopka-Ivery of Milwaukee County said the case should go directly to the Supreme Court because the issue of the constitutionality of the ban is one of great public interest (or “publici juris”). This means the Supreme Court has the right to take original jurisdiction on the matter. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he would defend the ban in court. “As Attorney General, I have defended, and will continue to defend, the laws and the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “That’s my job.”  The couple was legally married in California, but their marriage is not recognized by the state of Wisconsin due to the gay marriage ban. They will be represented by Milwaukee-based Attorney Paul Ksicinski. The couple could face criminal charges under the state’s gay marriage ban, which not only prevents the recognition of same-sex “civil unions similar to marriage,” but also criminalizes leaving the state to get married in a state where gay marriage is legal.

Wisconsin's first marriage lawsuit was filed in February by the ACLU.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Town Outraged After Mayor Fires Police Chief For Being Gay

Residents of a small South Carolina town turned out to support their police chief after she was apparently fired by the mayor because she is a lesbian.

About 100 residents of this small Dillon County town showed up for a special meeting of the town council Thursday night, all with one subject on their mind: Crystal Moore’s firing from the police chief post by Mayor Earl Bullard. Bullard made it clear before the meeting that Moore’s firing wasn’t on the agenda, and he wasn’t going to talk about it. But that didn’t stop Councilwoman Lutherine Williams and other council members. When the official meeting adjourned, they simply moved it outside. “All of these citizens came out tonight to be heard,” Williams said after Bullard refused to hear from anyone on the Moore matter. “You did not have to be standing in corners and out in the hallway,” she said to the standing room-only audience, many of which were forced to listen to the meeting via loud speakers outside the town hall. Those who did make it inside had to show proof of residency.

Local television was given a recording of the mayor denouncing Moore.

“I would much rather have someone who drank and drank too much taking care of my child than I had somebody whose lifestyle is questionable around children, because that ain’t the damn way that they’re supposed to be,” Bullard says on the call. “I don’t agree with some of the lifestyles that I see portrayed and I don’t say anything because that’s the way they want to live. But I’m not going to let my child be around. I’m not going to let two women stand up there and hold hands and let my child be aware of it, and I’m not going to see them do it with two men neither. I’m not going to do it, because that ain’t the way the world works.”

Moore says that she is overwhelmed at the support.

OREGON: Life Sentence For Mother Found Guilty Of Murdering Toddler That She Believed To Be Gay

Oregon's KGW-TV reports:

The mother of a murdered 4-year-old Tigard boy was sentenced Friday to life in prison. During Jessica Dutro’s trial, prosecutors argued that she killed her son, Zachary, in part because she believed he was gay. She was found guilty of murder, murder by abuse and second-degree assault. Investigators said Dutro and her boyfriend, Brian Canady, beat the child to death in August, 2012 at a Tigard homeless shelter. Canady pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison. Neither can ever again have contact with Zachary's three siblings, including his 8-year-old sister who witnessed the beating and testified in the case.

Details on the gruesome crime are here. (Tipped by JMG readers Alison and Ron)

RuPaul Drives Susanne Bartsch

Boy George & Black Lips -Bang A Gong

Boy George joined Black Lips for a free concert today in Philadelphia. From WXPN:

Having just collaborated with co-headliners Black Lips on a cover of T. Rex’s “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” (watch it here), George headed downstairs to treat the audience with a set pulled mostly from his 2013 LP This Is What I Do; though the classic he performed with Culture Club, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” was in the mix, along with “Everything I Own” from his 1987 solo debut Sold and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.”

Listen to the full Boy George set here.

ZIMBABWE: President Robert Mugabe Threatens To Expel Pro-Gay Diplomats

"Some years ago, l was warned that there was some secret organisation of that nature which was addressing young men to join them as homosexuals. This nonsense from Europe, keep their homosexual nonsense there and not cross over with it. We did not fight for this Zimbabwe so it can be a homosexual territory. We will never have that here and if there are any diplomats who will talk of any homosexuality, just tell me. We will kick them out of the country without any excuse. We won’t even listen." - Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe, 90, speaking today on the 34th anniversary of his country's independence from Britain.

Mugabe's speech also quoted from the biblical story of Adam's rib, and he threatened to lock gays and lesbians together in a room and not let them out until they make a baby. Zimbabwe is another country that gay people should thank Jesus Christ for, obviously.

LGBT Donor Conference Moved From Hotel Owned By Brunei Over Stoning Law

The Gill Action Fund has moved a conference planned for next month out of the tony Beverly Hills Hotel over Brunei's institution of death by stoning for homosexuality. The hotel is owned by the sultan of Brunei. The Washington Blade reports:

Kirk Fordham, executive director of Gill Action, informed the Blade that a new venue would be chosen in the aftermath of the announcement from the sultan of Brunei. “In light of the horrific anti-gay policy approved by the Government of Brunei, Gill Action made the decision earlier today to relocate its conference from the Beverly Hills Hotel to another property,” Fordham said. “We are seeking a return of all deposits.“ Even before the latest policy announcement, Brunei had a law on the books unfavorable to gay people. Homosexual acts were punishable with up to 10 years in prison. LGBT activists have previously targeted the Beverly Hills Hotel for its connections to Brunei and its anti-gay policy. Last year, the group Dump the Beverly Hills Hotel posted a quirky online video where individuals announced they were “breaking up” with the hotel unless its owners changed their homophobic ways. Fordham didn’t immediately respond to a follow-up email asking why the Beverly Hills Hotel was chosen for OutGiving in the first place given the anti-gay policies of Brunei prior to the latest announcement and the criticism to which the hotel has been subjected.

The sultan owns ten luxury hotels around the world. The only other US location is the Hotel Bel-Air, also in Los Angeles.

RELATED: On Tuesday the United Nations denounced Brunei for the latest Sharia laws, which are due to go into effect next week.

Now They'll Be Sorry!

Tweet Of The Day - Brian Brown

Says the man leading a two-year boycott against the "intolerance" of General Mills and Starbucks.

Enter The Pregnancy Truthers

"Chelsea Clinton is having a baby, she announced it and lo and behold, Hillary was by her side. Hillary is going to be a grandmother. And an expected grandmother while she runs for president. I don’t mean that they’re making up she’s pregnant, OK? But what great timing! I mean, purely accidental, purely an act of nature, purely just left up to God, and God answered Hillary Clinton’s prayers and she’s going to have the prop of being a new grandma while she runs for president." - Wingnut radio host Steve Malzberg, speaking on yesterday's show.

TRAILER: The Normal Heart

(Via Towleroad)

Concentration Camp Christ

To mark Easter, Jews For Jesus have created a short film which depicts a cross-dragging Jesus being sent to the gas chambers by Nazi guards at a concentration camp. They write:

Jesus has often been wrongly associated with the perpetrators of the Holocaust. In reality, he is to be identified with those who were the victims. As a Jew, if he were in Europe at the time, Jesus may well have suffered the same fate of the six million who perished in the concentration camps. Jewish teaching promotes the idea that the death of Jews in the Holocaust accomplished kiddush ha Shem, the sanctification of God’s name. How much more then, the Bible tells us, Jesus’ death was intended by God for kiddush ha am, the sanctification of the people. Through him we can be made right with God.

Source.

WISCONSIN: Vandal Crumples Atheism Sign At State Capitol Building

The Freedom From Religion Foundation reports that a vandal tried to crumple the above sign at the Wisconsin Capitol Building in Madison. The FFRF posted their message to counter an Easter display erected by the Concernstipated Women. They have posted an additional message next to the sign:

Why is this sign so mutilated? Somebody, presumably somebody who disagreed with our message, tried to destroy our sign. Apparently, this person believes the Capitol is a public forum for Christianity only. If you don’t think religious messages should be displayed on government property, join the club! We don’t think they should be, either. But as long as religious groups use the Capitol to proselytize, FFRF has a right to respond to their message. Religion is divisive. It belongs in churches, not the State Capitol. Keep religion out of government.

After attempting to destroy the sign, the vandal was chased by security guards but eluded capture.

Tumblr: Judgmental Maps

Embiggen for better reading. More cities here.

Australia Bans Erection Drink

Australian authorities have banned the sale of an energy drink that contains the active ingredient in Levitra.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration is warning of the ‘stiff’ side effects of drinking MosKa, after it was found to include ingredients used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. While some might not consider this an undesirable side effect, a safety advisory released yesterday warns that the drink “poses a serious risk to your health and should not be taken”. The drink contains vardenafil, a prescription-only substance, at levels above what is allowed in Australia. Back when MosKa openly branded itself as the ‘sex drive drink’ at Sexpo Sydney. Side effects can include nausea, abdominal and back pain, palpitations and priapism, where the penis remains erect for longer than four hours.

The company has posted this message on their website:

We are devastated to have found that the overseas OEM supplier for Moska energy for adults had included an undeclared ingredient, Vardenafil (Levitra), within the natural ingredients. Vardenafil (Levitra) is a prescription only substance. As such, we have terminated the supplier and in the process of producing the product with our own formulation to ensure no hidden ingredients. All our future products will be tested for compliance with all regulatory requirements.

You can tell by their ads how "devastated" they really are. (Tipped by JMG reader Daniel)

Ed Shultz Slams Right Wing Talkers For Earning Millions From Conservative Groups

OREGON: An Openly Gay Federal Judge Will Hear Next Week's Marriage Case

Openly gay US District Court Judge Michael J. McShane will hear next week's marriage equality case in Oregon.

Unlike the five federal judges who have struck down laws prohibiting same-sex marriages in other states in recent months, McShane won't have anyone in the courtroom defending Oregon's constitutional ban when he holds oral arguments Wednesday. And, unlike the other judges, McShane also happens to be one of just nine openly gay members of the federal judiciary, according to the Human Rights Campaign. It's an unusual combination of factors for the 53-year-old jurist, who has served as a federal judge for less than a year. McShane, citing the sensitivity of the case, declined to be interviewed for this story. But friends say they're confident he'll produce a careful decision while setting aside any personal feelings. "You don't want to be the lawyer going in saying with a wink, 'I'm the lawyer on the gay-marriage side and he's going to be with me,'" says Lane Borg, who heads Metropolitan Public Defender and has known McShane for decades. "They would be ill-advised to think that just because Michael is gay that he is going to rule that way."

NOM chairman John Eastman has the sadz: "The question is not his sexual orientation, but whether he is situated identically to the plaintiffs and will benefit from the exact relief he provides to them."

RELATED: McShane began his career as a public defender in Portland. He was nominated to the federal bench by President Obama in September 2012. (Tipped by JMG reader Sam)

Ben Carson Lays 2016 Groundwork

Tea Party darling Dr. Ben Carson is laying the groundwork for a 2016 presidential bid with a video posted yesterday. The last time someone with zero political experience was elected president was six decades ago. And Eisenhower was a five-star general who had been the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during WWII.

RELATED: Last month Carson declared that the United States is like Nazi Germany because political correctness stifles people from expressing bigotry. Also last month Carson claimed that he'd never compared gay marriage to bestiality and pedophilia even though he'd said exactly that on national television. Last October, Carson said that Obamacare is the "the worst thing that's happened since slavery."

Oregon Readies Gay Marriage Licenses

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum declared in February that she will not defend the state against the marriage equality suit filed in October 2013 by local attorneys on behalf of two gay couples. That case hasn't even been heard yet, much less ruled upon, but the state is getting ready for good news. Via the Associated Press:

In light of the Oregon attorney general's decision to not defend the state's ban on gay marriage, Oregon is now revising its marriage licenses to include forms for same-sex couples. Previously, when people applied for a marriage license, they were asked either to identify as a "bride" or "groom." Now, the new form designates as "Party A" and "Party B." Applicants can also choose to be identified as "bride," "groom" or "spouse." Another change to marriage licenses: eliminating the term "maiden name." Instead, applicants will be asked to provide their "name at birth." Most of Oregon's counties use an electronic version of the marriage form. Clerks are in the process of working with a software vendor to update the online forms.

(Tipped by JMG reader Robert)

ARKANSAS: Judge Says He'll Rule On Marriage Equality Suit In Two Weeks

After hearing a marriage equality case, yesterday an Arkansas state judge said that he'll issue his ruling in two weeks.

Colin Jorgensen, an assistant attorney general arguing for the state, said Amendment 83, the anti-gay marriage measure, does not conflict with the state Constitution. Jorgenson said that at no point in the state's history has an amendment been knocked down on the grounds that it violated the Arkansas Constitution. "The people of Arkansas can put whatever they want in the Constitution. The only check on that is the U.S. Constitution," Jorgenson said. The courtroom was packed with same-sex couples, many of whom were among the plaintiffs challenging the constitutionality of the measure. Circuit Judge Chris Piazza said at the conclusion of the hearing that he will issue a ruling in about two weeks.

If the judge rules for the plaintiffs and does not issue a stay, Arkansas could see a situation somewhat similar to that seen recently in New Mexico, as the suit only targets officials in two counties.

Reality Show Pranks Women Into Thinking They Can Actually Marry Prince Harry

KENTUCKY: Rand Paul Can't Run For Senate And President At The Same Time

The Kentucky legislature has adjourned for the year without voting on a bill that would have allowed Sen. Rand Paul to appear twice on the 2016 ballot. Paul requested a change in state law so that he could retain his Senate seat while running for president.

"In Kentucky, you ought to run for one office at a time," Brian Wilkerson, a spokesman for Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo, told CNN on Thursday. "The speaker's thoughts haven't changed on that." The state's Democratic governor, Steve Beshear, is highly unlikely to call the legislature into special session to consider the measure. And that means if Paul's allies in the state legislature want to try again, they're going to have to wait until the legislature reconvenes next January. By that time, a number of 2016 White House contenders may already be officially in the race. GOP State Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, a supporter of Paul's, has argued that Kentucky's law prohibiting running for two offices at the same time is meant to apply only to state-level offices – not federal offices such as the presidency, the U.S. Senate or the U.S. House.

Sen. Marco Rubio, another potential 2016 GOP presidential contender, objected to Rand Paul's request earlier this month, saying, "I think by and large, when you choose to do something as big as that, you've really got to be focused on that and not have an exit strategy."

RELATED: Many states allow candidates to run simultaneously for two offices. In 2008, for example, then-Sen. Joe Biden ran successfully for both vice president and to retain his Senate seat representing Delaware.

Six NFL Teams Might Want Michael Sam

The Baltimore Sun reports:

As former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam continues his preparations for the NFL draft, several teams have maintained contact with the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. The Ravens are among the teams that have displayed the most interest in Sam since the NFL scouting combine along with the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, according to league sources. The All-American selection is poised to become the first openly gay NFL player. During the NFL scouting combine, Sam had a formal meeting with the Ravens.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh: "Any player that has the qualities to be a great player and a good teammate is a guy that fits us. We’re really good at helping players, any player, become a part of our team. That goes to all the things that I think are happening in the NFL the last couple of months."

Ben Shapiro's Site: Gays Should Thank Jesus Christ That They Have Any Rights

TruthRevolt writer Andrew Klavan says "gay radicals" should look at the Wikipedia map of gay rights around the world and take note that all of the most gay-friendly nations are dominated by Christianity. Klaven concludes:

You have the Bible and Jesus Christ to thank for the fact that you even conceive of yourself as creatures with rights. Such ideas take centuries to develop and the process isn’t smooth or easy. But over time, a culture comes more and more to resemble its core principles. To indict those principles for the sins of history is a crude and thoughtless mistake. Your cause is in the ascendant, gay radicals who hate Christianity. And so you think you can safely abandon the Judaeo-Christian fundamentals that got you here: tolerance, freedom of conscience, forgiveness. You think you can pull out the bottom block of the tower of freedom in order to build onto the top. It’s a fool’s game. I bear no hostility towards you because you’re gay; none. It’s your small-minded bigotry I despise.

Klaven is apparently unaware that several of the largest Christian groups in the United States have repeatedly called for re-criminalizing homosexuality. Or that in several states God's Own Party has refused to repeal unconstitutional laws against sodomy. Or that Uganda, which is 85% Christian, has among the most brutal anti-gay laws in the world and very nearly approved the death penalty for for homosexuality.

Dustin Lance Black: I Won't Be Shamed Anymore By Those Bare-Backing Photos

Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black is firing back at his alma mater after the school withdrew its offer for Black to speak at a graduation ceremony. The school says that bare-backing photos leaked in 2009 further tarnishes their already poor reputation. From the student newspaper of Pasadena City College:

Black was the first of eight potential candidates to make himself available as a speaker, but the Board of Trustees were made aware of nude pictures found on the internet of him with a man having unprotected sex and he was dismissed as a candidate because the board thought his actions might inflame the college’s own sex scandals. “With the porno professor and the sex scandals we’ve had on campus this last year, it just didn’t seem like the right time for Mr. Black to be the speaker,” Board President Anthony Fellow said. “We’ll be on the radio and on television. We just don’t want to give PCC a bad name.” The college recently went through two scandals involving professor Hugo Schwyzer, the “porno professor” who admitted to sleeping with students, and journalism instructor Warren Swil, who admitted to showing nude photos of himself to a student. The problem, however, is that Black accepted what appeared to be an official invitation to speak at commencement more than a month ago.

Black has written a lengthy open letter to the school. An excerpt via Out Magazine:

For too long now I’ve sat silent on this issue. That ends here and now and with this sentence: I did nothing wrong and I refuse to be shamed for this any longer.

In 2009 a group of people surreptitiously lifted images from my ex’s computer and shopped them around to gossip sites in a money making scheme. These were old images from a far simpler time in my life, a time before digital camera phones and Internet scandals. They were photos of me with a man I cared for, a man who shared my Mormon background, and who was also struggling with who he was versus where he came from. And yes, we were doing what gay men do when they love and trust each other, we were having sex. I have never lied about my sexuality. If you invade my privacy, this is what you will find. I have sex. It brings me joy, fosters intimacy and helps love grow. I hope anyone reading this can say the same for themselves and for their parents.

In 2010 I took the perpetrators of this theft to Federal court and Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled unequivocally that the defendants had indeed broken the law. The details of this case are readily available for anyone to read — including PCC’s leadership and Board of Trustees. In the eyes of anyone who has seen the devastating effects this trespass has had on me personally, creatively and professionally over these many years, in the eyes of my mother and friends who have held me as I’ve cried, and under the blind scrutiny of the law of this land, I am the victim of this “scandal,” not the perpetrator.

With this cruel act, PCC’s Administration is punishing the victim. And I ask you this: If I was a heterosexual man or woman with this same painful injury in my past, would PCC’s Administration still be rescinding such an honor?

Matt Barber Has The Stamp Sadz

"This is a man who was known for a perverse sexual appetite for teenage, runaway, drug-addicted boys and the fact that this Obama administration and the postal service would choose to ignore that and go with the propaganda and the hype that this guy was some kind of hero and a pro-LGBT martyr – it just boggles the mind. That [Harvey Milk] would get his own stamp and that this other homosexual activist would get a stamp honoring a lifestyle that has led to the AIDS epidemic, that has led to the spread of syphilis and STDs and a decline in our culture's morality, just speaks to how far we have fallen as a nation." - Hate group leader Matt Barber, speaking to OneNewsNow. The "other homosexual artist" Barber refers to is Tom Of Finland, who will be honored this fall by Finland's postal service.

Aretha Franklin To File $10M Lawsuit Over Fake Patti Labelle Fight Story

Aretha Franklin is furious about a story posted on an internet satire site and says she will file a $10M lawsuit. Via the Detroit News:

The News Nerd story claimed that LaBelle was “arrested for assault and battery” after she attacked Franklin with “a Mayweather style right and left” at a March 20 concert in Atlanta. The fictional brawl happened because the Queen of Soul supposedly slighted LaBelle at a PBS “In Performance at the White House: Women of Soul” program taped earlier in March. “The stories were not presented as satire or humor,” Franklin said through her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn. “It was presented as a serious news story intended to depict me in a slanderous and derogatory way — defamation of character.” The News Nerd “reported”: “While Aretha Franklin was making her way to the stage, Labelle extended her hand to greet the ‘Respect’ singer, when she threw epic shade in an effort to avoid her. The two exchanged obscenities after the event and parted ways.” Not mentioned in the News Nerd’s article is that the PBS program also showed Franklin hug LaBelle after the Queen of Soul left the stage.

The News Nerd has a disclaimer at the bottom of its page. (Tipped by JMG reader Jerry)

TRAILER: Jersey Boys

Produced and directed by Clint Eastwood.

Happy Grandparents-To-Be

AUDIO: Tenth Circuit Hears OK Case

The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals today heard the Oklahoma marriage equality case.  Full audio of the forty minutes of oral arguments has been posted. Dig in and tell us what you think.

Chelsea Clinton Is Pregnant

Via ABC News:

She announced the news today during a speech in New York City with her mother, Hillary Clinton, at her side. Clinton said she and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, do not know if it’s a boy or a girl. The news shouldn’t come as a complete shock. In an interview with Glamour Magazine last year, Clinton said that she and her husband were considering 2014 “the Year of the Baby.” "We sat down and said, 'Here's what we want to do.' The first thing on the list was simple: We want, God willing, to start a family,” Clinton told the magazine. “So we decided we were going to make 2014 the Year of the Baby.”

In the above-linked article, ABC refers to Chelsea as "the former - and potentially future - First Daughter."

Dan Savage Is On Portlandia Tonight

Homme is lead singer for Queens Of The Stone Age. Dan Savage doesn't appear in the trailer below. Homme plays the gay brother who brings home a slobbish boyfriend.

Catholic Priest Arrested For Attempting To Lure 14 Year-Old Girl Into His Car

Archdiocese Of Portland's Father Michael T. Patrick has been arrested for attempted to lure a 14 year-old girl into his car on the streets of Vancouver.

Patrick, 57, is being held in the Los Angeles County Jail after being arrested as he returned from a trip to Australia. He's being detained on a Clark County arrest warrant. The alleged incident occurred on a Northeast Vancouver street at around 5:30 on March 10. The girl told police she was walking west on Northeast 28th Street when the driver of a silver or blue car looked at her "strangely," according to a probable cause affidavit. According the affidavit, the driver turned around and then came up behind the girl, passed her and then stopped the car in the bike lane. As the girl approached the car, the driver, she told detectives with the Vancouver Police Department, opened the driver's side door and said "Hey, get in." She told the man, "No," and then continued walking toward her home at a faster pace. The driver then drove alongside the girl, "asking her several times if she wanted a ride," according to court documents. Each time, she said responded "No." At one point, the girl told police, the man said "Come on, cutie."

The Archdiocese has refused to comment.

Now On Sale In Brazil

Via Gay Star News:

Just two months before Brazil hosts the FIFA World Cup, clothing stores are selling T-shirts calling soccer players ‘faggots’. Sergio K, a Brazilian brand, have revealed several designs for football fans to wear during the June and July sporting season. The simple T-shirt designs call Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo ‘gay’ and retired Argentine footballer Diego Maradona a ‘maricón’ (a faggot). The designer defends the T-shirts, which are being sold for around €62 ($85), as ‘irreverent’ and not offensive. He is also claiming they are selling out in stores across the country.

A petition has been launched against the company.

LaBarbera: Salon Must Apologize

Janet Porter's Silly Lie About Porno Pete

"American pro-family leader Peter Labarbera has been arrested in Canada. First, Peter Labarbera was denied entry into Canada as a potential violator of the country's hate propaganda law because of his biblical stand for natural marriage. [LIE] But thanks to some conservative members of Parliament, when Peter LaBarbera appealed the Canadian border security agency's decision, he was permitted to enter the country and speak at a Saskatchewan pro-life event. LaBarbera and Canadian activist Bill Whatcott were then arrested at the University of Regina for handing out pro-life and pro-family materials. University provost Thomas Chase defended the arrest, claiming the pro-family materials could 'harm the campus community.' Welcome to the criminalization of Christianity." - Faith2Action hate group leader Janet Porter, parroting the lies about the arrest of Porno Pete.

FACT CHECK:  If opposing gay marriage were grounds for denying entry to Canada, millions of Americans would have been refused entry by now. Hate groups also routinely claim that the SPLC puts them on their hate group list merely because they oppose gay marriage.

Lawyer Who Defended Prop 8 At SCOTUS Is Changing His Mind On Gay Marriage

Protect Marriage attorney Charles Cooper, who last year argued against the overturn of Proposition 8 before the Supreme Court, says his opinion on gay marriage is "evolving" now that his own daughter is planning to marry a woman.

The revelation is an unexpected footnote in the years-long debate over Proposition 8, the California measure struck down by the Supreme Court last year. It is also offers a glimpse, through the eyes of one family, of the country's rapidly shifting opinions of gay marriage, with most public polls now showing majorities in favour of allowing the unions. Cooper learned that his stepdaughter Ashley was gay as the Proposition 8 case wound its way through appellate court, according to a forthcoming book about the lengthy legal battle.

And with the Supreme Court ruling now behind him, Cooper cast his personal opinion on gay marriage as an evolving process. "My views evolve on issues of this kind the same way as other people's do, and how I view this down the road may not be the way I view it now, or how I viewed it ten years ago," Cooper said in journalist Jo Becker's book "Forcing the Spring: Inside the Fight for Marriage Equality." Cooper's words are reminiscent of the language President Barack Obama used throughout his first term to describe his "evolving" views on gay marriage. In 2012, Obama announced publicly that he did, in fact, support the rights of same-sex couples to marry.

Cooper's daughter will marry in Massachusetts in June. He says, "My daughter Ashley's path in life has led her to happiness with a lovely young woman named Casey, and our family and Casey's family are looking forward to celebrating their marriage in just a few weeks."

HRC president Chad Griffin reacts: “I spent the better part of five years sitting across courtroom aisles from Mr. Cooper, disagreeing with just about every word that came out of his mouth, but I have profound respect for his decision to love and celebrate his daughter and her fiancée because his story reflects the experience of so many of the 90 percent of Americans who personally know someone who is LGBT."

Proposition 8 plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier react: "We were so moved to hear of the Cooper family's constant love and support of their own daughter, even as the Perry case was in full swing and Mr. Cooper was spending his days planning Prop 8's defense. Some may find this contrast between public and private jarring, but in our opinion, loving an LGBT child unequivocally is the single most important thing any parent can do. We are overjoyed for Ashley and her fiancée, and we wish them the very best."

Will Brian Brown issue his usual denouncement?

Jews Ordered To "Register" In Ukraine

Via USA Today:

Jews in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk where pro-Russian militants have taken over government buildings were told they have to "register" with the Ukrainians who are trying to make the city become part of Russia, according to Israeli media. Jews emerging from a synagogue say they were handed leaflets that ordered the city's Jews to provide a list of property they own and pay a registration fee "or else have their citizenship revoked, face deportation and see their assets confiscated," reported Ynet News, Israel's largest news website. Donetsk is the site of an "anti-terrorist" operation by the Ukraine government, which has moved military columns into the region to force out militants who are demanding a referendum be held on joining Russia. The leaflets bore the name of Denis Pushilin, who identified himself as chairman of "Donetsk's temporary government," and were distributed near the Donetsk synagogue and other areas, according to the report.

An estimated 67,000 Jews live in Ukraine. The leaflets demand a $50 registration fee.

Glenn Beck: The Bible Tells Us Everything Americans Are Supposed To Do In Politics

"Ex-Gay" Coffee: $15 Per Bitter Bag

The SPLC is suing the "ex-gay" Jewish group JONAH for defrauding its clients by promising to cure them. Good As You tips us that JONAH's legal group is raising money by selling "Defense Fund Coffee" at  $15 per 12oz bag. Maggie Gallagher is their chairwoman.

TRAILER: Orange Is The New Black

Season two launches on June 6th.

Porno Pete: My Time In A Canadian Jail

"I was taken to the Regina Police Headquarters with my hands cuffed behind my back. There, the police took everything on my person except my socks, jeans, underwear and a T-shirt. As they would treat a common criminal, they took my eye-glasses, my wedding ring, my watch, etc.– apparently part of standard procedure to prevent inmates from harming themselves. It seemed a bit of overkill to me, but I suppose they were under orders to treat me the same as other inmates.

"Inside the small, 5-and-a-half by 8-foot jail cell with nothing but a cement cot and a metal sink/toilet, I asked for a Bible to read, but they would not provide one. I’m still trying to figure out how a Bible could be used for suicide. Anyway, I had a lot of time to think and pray so that’s what I did. It was my first time in a prison and I wouldn’t recommend it!

"Bill was released after a couple of hours, but I was kept in jail because now the Border Security agency wanted to take over my case. I was told that since I had been arrested by Canadian police, I had allegedly violated the sole condition of my entry into Canada. (I responded that neither Bill nor I believed we were violating Canadian law, as Bill’s right to protest at public universities–including U.-Regina–had already been validated in the courts.)

"Because of Customs’ involvement, I had to spend the night in the holding cell. Thank God Bill had graciously given me his cot cushion or I would have been sleeping on cement. The next day, I was informed that there would be another hearing about whether I could stay in the country. Since I had planned to leave Thursday morning anyway–and faced the prospect of at least another day in prison, I told the Border Security agent in charge (Joe) that I would be willing to leave right away since being expelled might be the verdict of the government anyway." - Hate group crackpot Peter Labarbera, in a money beg for his defense on "mischief" charges.

X-Men Director Bryan Singer Accused Of Molesting Teen Boy In The Late 90s

X-Men director Bryan Singer is being sued by a man who alleges that Singer drugged and molested him in the late 90s.  Singer's accuser was 17 at the time.

The lawsuit - filed weeks before the release of Singer's upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past - alleges the 48-year-old used his influence as a Hollywood insider, as well as a range of drugs and alcohol, to force sex on the boy. Michael Egan seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial after wide-ranging abuses at California and Hawaii house parties beginning in the late 1990s, according to the civil action filed in a Hawaii federal court. A representative for Singer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The suit accuses Marc Collins-Rector, a former entertainment business executive and registered sex offender, of initiating the sexual abuse by arranging for Singer to meet Egan at "notorious parties" in Encino, California, around 1998. "The parties were typically sordid and featured sexual contact between adult males and the many teenage boys who were present for the parties," the lawsuit said.

Singer's attorney reacts: "The claims made against Bryan Singer are completely without merit. We are very confident that Bryan will be vindicated in this absurd and defamatory lawsuit. It is obvious that this case was filed in an attempt to get publicity at a time when Bryan's new movie is about to open in a few weeks." (Tipped by JMG reader Gerald)

TODAY: Tenth Circuit Court Of Appeals Hears Oklahoma Marriage Equality Suit

The longest-pending marriage equality lawsuit in the nation gets its hearing today before the Tenth Circuit Court.  Here's how it got started ten years ago:

On November 3, 2004, private lawyers in Tulsa filed a federal lawsuit (formerly, Bishop v. United States) in the 10th Circuit on behalf of two same-sex couples seeking an injunction against the United States for enforcing the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and against Oklahoma for enforcing its laws restricting the freedom to marry to different-sex couples. The lead plaintiffs, Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin, hail from Tulsa and have been together for 17 years. Another couple, Gay Phillips and Susan Barton, are legally married in Canada and have a civil union in Vermont, are also listed as plaintiffs.

As with the Utah case that the Tenth Circuit heard last week, an audio file of the hearing will be posted later today. The same three-judge panel that heard the Utah case will hear today's Oklahoma case, so we can expect another "sharply divided" report.

ARKANSAS: Marriage Hearing Today

An Arkansas state judge will hear marriage equality arguments today.

More than three dozen people are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging Arkansas' voter-approved ban on gay marriage. Circuit Judge Chris Piazza is to preside over the hearing at 1 p.m. Thursday in Little Rock. Late last year, Piazza refused to grant a motion by the state that sought to dismiss the lawsuit, but he also refused to grant a motion by the couples suing, who asked him to block enforcement of the ban. The plaintiffs include 21 same-sex couples and a woman who wants to dissolve her New York marriage to another woman.

Arkansas' constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was approved by voters in 2004 by a 3-1 margin.

Open Thread Thursday

It snowed in New York City this week and we need some spring up in this joint. Show us your gardens.

Robert Oscar Lopez Takes Anti-Gay Parenting Campaign To Bryan Fischer

Homocon horcrux Robert Oscar Lopez took his anti-gay parenting campaign to Bryan Fischer's show yesterday to declare that "in the future, all children will be defined by which parent acquired them." 

80 Year-Old Salsa Dancer Wows Judges, Draws Controversy On Britain's Got Talent

Via the Guardian:

It felt like another Susan Boyle moment, in the opening episode of the new series of Britain's Got Talent, when a 79-year-old grandmother suddenly revealed herself to be an extraordinary salsa dancer. But the shock on the faces of Simon Cowell and his fellow judges on the ITV talent show as Sarah "Paddy" Jones was thrown into the air by her Spanish dance partner Nico Espinosa, some 40 years her junior, may not be shared by everyone. Unlike Boyle, who was propelled from obscurity to international stardom when she sang I Dreamed a Dream in front of Cowell in 2009, Jones is already a talent show winner and Guinness World Record holder. Jones, from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, won Spanish talent show Tu Si Que Vales five years ago and went on to appear on This Morning and the Paul O'Grady Show, both on ITV. She later gained a place in the Guinness World Records in 2010 as the world's "oldest acrobatic salsa dancer". The producers of Britain's Got Talent defended her inclusion, saying anyone can apply to be on the show and none of the judging panel, including Cowell, knew that Jones had previously won a TV contest.

(Tipped by JMG reader Homer)

We've Reached Peak Beard Frequency

According to an Australian study, we've reached peak beard frequency and the style pendulum will now swing back to clean shaven mugs.

"Big thick beards are back with an absolute vengeance and so we thought underlying this fashion, one of the dynamics that might be important is this idea of negative frequency dependence," said Prof Rob Brooks, one of the study's authors. "The idea is that perhaps people start copying the George Clooneys and the Joaquin Phoenixs and start wearing those beards, but then when more and more people get onto the bandwagon the value of being on the bandwagon diminishes, so that might be why we've hit 'peak beard'." "Peak beard" was the climax of the trend for beards in professions not naturally associated with a bristly chin - bankers, film stars, and even footballers began sporting facial hair.

Bears will ignore the pendulum, of course. (Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

Sodomy Banned But Not Necrophilia

Via Gawker.

Heaven Is For Real Kid: Only People Who Really Love Jesus Will Go There

And while he was in heaven, he met God, Jesus, the sister that his mother miscarried, and five more white people.

Source.

Google Contact Lens Cameras?

CNET says Google is working on it:

Google has a patent pending for a contact lens with a micro camera and sensors embedded on the surface controlled by blinking, which would enable you to take hands-free pictures and could help the blind navigate the everyday obstacles of the world. Although still apparently hypothetical, the patent combines ideas from Google Glass smart glasses and Google's tear-scanning smart contact lenses. Highlighted by Patent Bolt, the smart-contact-lens patent posits sensors in the lens that can look for light, colours, faces, movement and even specific objects.

Blink left to take photo. Blink right for Facebook upload.

Blind Link

No excerpt.

No post labels.

Just go read this.

And watch the video.

And take a tissue.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chad)

Brooklyn Cyclones To Host Seinfeld Night

New York Mets minor league franchise Brooklyn Cyclones will host Seinfeld Night on July 5th. The players will wear puffy shirts, there will be an Elaine dance contest, the PA announcer will be a low-talker, and there will be a table for the airing of grievances. The stadium will be renamed Vandelay Industries Park for the night and actual latex salesmen will get in free. The first 2500 fans in the gate get a Keith Hernandez bobblehead. More fun details here.

ILLINOIS: Lambda Legal Sues Doctor For Refusing Medication To Trans Woman

Lambda Legal yesterday filed a federal lawsuit against an Illinois doctor for refusing to prescribe hormone replacement therapy for a transgender woman. The suit alleges that such a denial is a violation of the Affordable Care Act. Lambda writes:

Kenneth Upton, Senior Counsel for Lambda Legal, said: "The provisions of the Affordable Care Act are clear: doctors receiving federal funds cannot discriminate in providing patient care just because a person is transgender. Patients such as Naya Taylor place their health and well-being in a doctor’s hands. Ms. Taylor asked for her doctor to provide services similar to those provided to other clinic patients who are not transgender and the doctor and clinic refused, posing a significant risk to Ms. Taylor’s health. The ACA’s non-discrimination provisions were intended to ensure appropriate medical care for transgender people, a community that already faces a disproportionate amount of discrimination, violence and suicide rates."

Naya Taylor is a transgender woman living in Mattoon, Illinois. Dr. Aja Lystila had been Ms. Taylor’s primary care physician, but when Ms. Taylor requested to start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) aspart of her medically necessary, transition-related healthcare to treat her gender dysphoria, Dr. Lystila refused. Dr. Lystila first claimed she was not experienced in providing hormones to transgender people even though hormone therapy is regularly provided to non-transgender patients in a variety of settings every day. Later the clinic told Ms. Taylor that it “does not have to treat people like you.” HRT is one of the vital life-saving treatments used to treat gender dysphoria, a recognized, serious medical condition.

The suit names the doctor and his clinic, which receives federal funding. A separate complaint has also been filed with the Illinois Human Rights Commission.

Barbwire Has The Gene Robinson Sadz

Details.

Phone Makers Give Nod To "Kill Switch"

After years of pleas from law enforcement, a coalition of the largest mobile handset makers in the world have agreed to install kill switches on devices manufactured after July 2015. The kill switch feature will allow the phone's owner to wipe all data and disable the phone. 

Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft, along with the five biggest cellular carriers in the United States, are among those that have signed on to a voluntary program announced Tuesday by the industry's largest trade group. All smartphones manufactured for sale in the United States after July 2015 must have the technology, according to the program from CTIA-The Wireless Association. Advocates say the feature would deter thieves from taking mobile devices by rendering phones useless while allowing people to protect personal information if their phone is lost or stolen. Its proponents include law enforcement officials concerned about the rising problem of smartphone theft. HTC, Motorola, Nokia are among the other smartphone makers who have signed up, along with carriers AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular.

After another rash of iPhone snatching on the NYC subway, the NYPD recently deployed undercover cops who pose as careless commuters in order to flush out "Apple pickers."

PETA Vs Michelle Obama

PETA is using three little girls to slam the First Lady because real eggs will be used this weekend at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Bloomberg To Spend $50M To Fight NRA

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that he will spend $50M to back candidates that support gun control.

Mr. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, said gun control advocates need to learn from the N.R.A. and punish those politicians who fail to support their agenda — even Democrats whose positions otherwise align with his own. “They say, ‘We don’t care. We’re going to go after you,’ ” he said of the N.R.A." ‘If you don’t vote with us we’re going to go after your kids and your grandkids and your great-grandkids. And we’re never going to stop.’" He added: “We’ve got to make them afraid of us.” The considerable advantages that gun rights advocates enjoy — in intensity, organization and political clout — will not be easy to overcome. Indeed, Mr. Bloomberg has already spent millions of dollars trying to persuade members of Congress to support enhanced background check laws with virtually nothing to show for it.

The NRA declined to comment on Bloomberg's announcement, but Gun Owners Of America head Larry Pratt taunted Bloomberg to go ahead and "waste" his money. Bloomberg's campaign will target specific states.

The group will zero in on 15 target states, from places like Colorado and Washington State, where gun control initiatives have advanced recently, to territory that is likely to be more hostile like Texas, Montana and Indiana. They have set a goal of signing up one million new supporters this year on top of the 1.5 million they already have. Previous efforts by Mr. Bloomberg to push gun control have touched off tensions with national Democratic leaders, because he has run negative ads against incumbent Democrats whom he views as insufficiently supportive of gun control. The Democratic leaders argue that Mr. Bloomberg threatens to hand control of the Senate to Republicans, which they say would doom any hope of passing gun control legislation. Mr. Bloomberg dismissed those fears, saying he was concerned only with the long term. “You can tell me all you want that the Republicans would be worse in the Senate than the Democrats,” he said. “Maybe they would. But that’s not what we’re talking about here.”

Breitbart readers are reacting as you'd expect.

Behind The Scenes At Hedwig With NPH

(Via Towleroad)

Tweets Of The Day - Dan Savage

Dan Savage has unleashed his 187,000 Twitter followers on the members of the Louisiana House.