NPH: Naked For Rolling Stone

From the story teaser:

Neil Patrick Harris is wearing nothing but a bowtie and a discretely placed top hat on the cover of the next issue of Rolling Stone, which hits newsstands Friday. The biggest openly gay male star in Hollywood history is starring as the titular transsexual German glam rocker in Broadway's Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a role for which he lost enough weight to give him an eight-pack and a few light-headed afternoons. "He's so skinny, and I think that really gives him power," his fiancé David Burtka tells Rolling Stone. "His body is crazy right now."

Bryan Fischer: America Needs To Ban All Motherfucking Profanity Like Russia Did

Russia has actually banned profanity.

Thinking about making a film? Better leave out the foul language if you want it to be seen in Russia. The same goes for plays. Even rock stars will need to leave their potty mouths at home. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on a new law Monday that bans swearing at arts, cultural and entertainment events in the country. Any new film containing obscene language won't be granted a distribution certificate, so there's no chance of seeing it at the movie theater. And copies of books, CDs or films containing swearing can only be distributed in a sealed package labeled "Contains obscene language," a Kremlin statement said.According to state news agency ITAR-Tass, individuals caught using foul language face a fine of up to $70, while officials can be fined up to $40 and businesses nearly $1,400. They face a higher fine and a three-month suspension of business for repeated offenses.

The AFA says it's a great fucking idea.

EW Cover Story: The Normal Heart

Entertainment Weekly on the decades-long journey from stage to screen for The Normal Heart:

Despite involvement from names like Barbra Streisand, who owned the rights for 10 years, The Normal Heart appeared to be destined for only theater until Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy acquired the rights in 2009 with his own money. “I really believed in it,” explains Murphy, who first read the play in college and directed the film version. “Larry set a very high price. I gulped and said, ‘Okay,’ and bought it. I think he wanted to see, ‘Is this kid serious?’ And I was.” Kramer, who’s HIV-positive and currently recovering from unrelated medical complications, was unable to speak to EW but emailed that Heart made it to the screen “because of Ryan Murphy caring passionately about getting it made, abetted by [exec producer] Dante Di Loreto.” Murphy and Kramer’s passion project will finally reach a mass audience when Heart makes its debut May 25 on HBO.

The Gay Classification Kingdom

Audio isn't work-friendly.

(Tipped by JMG reader Joel)

Crazy Eyes Attacks National Women's History Museum Because Gay Marriage

"I believe ultimately that this museum, which will be built on the National Mall, on federal land, will enshrine the radical feminist movement that stands against the pro-life movement, the pro-family movement, and the pro-traditional marriage movement."

Eurovision: Russia Booed At Semi-Finals But Advances To Finals With Ukraine

Via the Voice Of Russia:

Copenhagen saw the first semi-finals of the Eurovision-2014 Song Contest on May 6. Anastasia and Maria Tolmachevy, who represent Russia, made it to the final round that will be held on May 10. Besides Russia, nine other countries including Montenegro, Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, San Marino, Sweden, the Netherlands and Iceland reached the finals. Singers from Latvia, Estonia, Albania, Belgium, Portugal and Moldavia didn't succeed.

The BBC reports on what was left out of the above story.

Russia's Tolmachevy Sisters were booed in Copenhagen as they qualified for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The 17-year-old twins initially received a warm reception for their song, Shine, at Tuesday's semi-final. But when they progressed to the final, some sections of the 10,000-strong audience expressed apparent disapproval of the Russian artists. Experts have said Russia could suffer at Eurovision over the crisis in Ukraine and its stance on gay rights.

The Washington Post notes that the lyrics of Russia's entry could be interpreted as a reference to the seizing of Crimea: "Living on the edge/ Closer to the crime/ Cross the line a step at a time/ Maybe there's a place/  Maybe there's a time/  Maybe there's a day you'll be mine."

The booing didn't come across very loudly on the broadcast but Twitter feuds erupted after it happened. Organizers claim 180 million television viewers in dozens of nations. In the second clip below, tomorrow's semi-finalists are shown backstage where a prominently displayed rainbow flag poster greets the contestants at the stage door: "It Takes All Kinds To Make A World." The press is mostly focused on the drama between Russia and Ukraine and, of course, the continuing complaints about Conchita Wurst.

Dan Savage On HGTV's Move

"The real story here is that we are rapidly approaching the tipping point that I've been talking and writing about for years. Once upon a time white people used to be able to go on TV and say the most racist shit imaginable (argue against legal interracial marriage, argue in favor of segregation) and keep their jobs and be invited back on TV to say that shit a second time. Then one day you couldn't say that shit (not on TV, at least) and keep your job and be invited back to say that shit again. Opinions that used to be considered 'respectable' were suddenly toxic career enders. We are rapidly reaching the same tipping point on LGBT issues. You can believe whatever you want, but you have to be careful when and how you express your anti-gay animus. Because it could cost you. As David and Jason Benham just learned." - Dan Savage, writing for The Stranger.

200 Channels And Nothing But Cats

Nielsen reports that the average US home gets almost 200 channels but only 17 channels are regularly watched.

According to Nielsen’s forthcoming Advertising & Audiences Report, the average U.S. TV home now receives 189 TV channels—a record high and significant jump since 2008, when the average home received 129 channels. Despite this increase, however, consumers have consistently tuned in to an average of just 17 channels. This data is significant in that it substantiates the notion that more content does not necessarily equate to more channel consumption. And that means quality is imperative—for both content creators and advertisers. So the best way to reach consumers in a world with myriad options is to be the best option.

HGTV Cancels Homophobes' Show

HGTV has decided not to move forward with the Benham Brothers' series.
— HGTV (@hgtv) May 7, 2014

Less that 24 hours after Right Wing Watch exposed their anti-gay activism, HGTV has canceled the planned real estate reality show that was to star North Carolina twin brothers David and Jason Benham. Read all about the vile pair at RWW. (Tipped by JMG readers Gary and Bob)

MSNBC Host Thomas Roberts Apologizes For Strange Cinco De Mayo Segment

For the last two days right wing sites have been blasting MSNBC for a brief but bizarre Cinco De Mayo segment which featured a sombrero-wearing host swigging from a Corona bottle and rattling a maraca. Today Thomas Roberts issued an apology following a blistering denouncement from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. An excerpt:

This is simply the worst example I have seen of a discriminatory stereotypical portrayal of any community by any media. The fact that this was done by a news organization is abominable. This wasn't a chance occurrence. This was a planned segment where many decision makers at MSNBC's Way Too Early program agreed on the content and execution which concluded on what was seen nationwide. It feeds to the ignorant misconceptions of a rich and proud people who unfortunately are too often portrayed as caricatures to be scoffed at. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) denounces the actions taken by the MSNBC journalists for their capricious actions, lack of judgment, insensitivity and attack of the Mexican community. The segment clearly proves that diversity is lacking at the Way Too Early program. Too often mistakes like these are made because the people making them are not representative of the community the content portrays.

Monday's segment is in the second clip below.

ALABAMA: Second Marriage Suit Filed

In February, the Southern Poverty Law Center filed Alabama's first marriage equality lawsuit with a demand that the state recognize out-of-state marriages. Today a Mobile law firm filed a suit which demands that a local lesbian couple be allowed to jointly register as the legal parents of their son.

Cari Searcy and Kimberly McKeand have been in a committed relationship for over 15 years. They were legally married in California in September of 2008 and together share in the parental responsibilities for their child. McKeand gave birth to their son in 2005 who was conceived with the help of a donor. The family has resided in Mobile, Alabama since 2001. Because of Alabama’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage which states: “The State shall not recognize as valid any marriage of parties of the same sex that occurred or was alleged to have occurred as a result of the law of any jurisdiction regardless of whether a marriage license was issued,” Searcy and McKeand are considered legal strangers in their home state, thus preventing their son from having two legal parents. “I am a parent in every way to our son, but legally I am still considered a stranger” said Searcy. “We just want our son to have the same protections and securities as other Alabama families.”

From the above-linked article: "Alabama is one of a handful of states that does not allow children of same-sex couples to enjoy the benefits of having two legal parents." (Tipped by JMG reader Joe)

KENTUCKY: Pro-Gay Marriage Attorney General Announces Bid For Governor

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, who has refused to defend his state's ban on same-sex marriage, yesterday announced his candidacy for governor. Gov. Steve Beshear will be term-limited out of office in 2015.

Jack Conway has a message for anyone criticizing his decision to not defend Kentucky's gay-marriage ban. "They do so at their own peril," he said. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear hired private attorneys to appeal the decision anyway, leaving Conway in a precarious political position for someone with aspirations for the Governor's Mansion. But as public opinion continues to shift in favor of gay marriage, Kentucky voters will tire of rehashing his gay-marriage decision come November 2015, Conway said in an interview. "I think in the fall of 2015 that will not be the big issue," he said. "I think the voters will be more interested in building Kentucky's future than in reliving all of that." Kentucky Republicans did not single out Conway's gay-marriage decision on Tuesday, choosing instead to accuse Conway of adopting the policies and politics of Democratic President Barack Obama, who is widely unpopular in Kentucky.

In 2010 Conway lost his bid for the US Senate to Rand Paul.

Two Million Views

Buzzfeed reports today that the above military proposal photo has garnered over two million views since being posted on Facebook. Hit the link for a great interview with the couple.

Hallmark Launches Cards For Gay Moms

Hallmark has launched two Mother's Day cards for kids with two moms.

“Moms are second to none,” one card reads. On the inside, it says, “How does anyone ever get by with just one?” Hallmark Cards Inc. spokeswoman Kristi Ernsting said the company is offering two cards with same-sex sentiments this year: “One card ‘for two moms’ and one card ‘for my partner.’” They follow Hallmark’s new same-sex Valentine’s Day cards introduced this year, which Ernsting said “were well received.” Industry trade group the Greeting Card Association said same-sex Mother’s Day cards are a sign of the times. “With last year's Supreme Court ruling bolstering gay marriage, more companies are offering same-sex wedding cards, and we're likely to see an increase in same-sex cards for Mother's Day and Father's Day going forward,” director of communications Kathy Krassner said.

You-know-who is going to be furious. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mother's Day.

RELATED: Hallmark got flack last year for selling a holiday ornament which read "Don we now our FUN apparel." They later issued an apology.

NORTH CAROLINA: Newly-Elected County Official Vows To Issue Marriage Licenses

Former North Carolina small town mayor Mark Chilton was elected as Orange County register of deeds yesterday. Chilton campaigned on a promise to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Chilton announced earlier this year that, if elected, he would violate state law and the Register of Deeds’ oath of office by issuing same-sex marriage licenses. Doing so could bring misdemeanor charges and removal from office. The real estate attorney said Article 1 and Article 6 of the N.C. Constitution, which includes the oath of office, defer to the U.S. Constitution when there are conflicts. Chilton said he would stop if a court orders it.

Orange County is the home to UNC Chapel Hill. The anti-gay Christian Action League is not happy.

“No doubt, some same-sex marriage promoters are beyond thrilled with the prospect of having a Register of Deeds who will pull such a stunt,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “But as we’ve mentioned before, renegade registers who issue marriage licenses improperly will just create a legal quagmire detrimental to folks on both sides of the issue.”

NOTE: Chilton won the Democratic primary but no Republicans filed to run. He will run unopposed in November.

LOUISIANA: Fox Station Apologizes For Cutting Out Evolution Segment Of Cosmos

It was totally by accident. Via Raw Story:

A New Orleans Fox affiliate blames a technical glitch that interrupted Sunday’s episode of “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.” WVUE-TV abruptly cut to a news promo, seat belt public service announcement, and commercials just as host Neil deGrasse Tyson was discussing how climate change millions of years ago influenced the primate-to-human evolutionary process. Commercials filled more than 5 minutes of airtime, interrupting 1 minute, 24 seconds of the program’s airtime, before “Cosmos” returned to a discussion on how the gravitational pull of other planets shaped Earth’s weather during the same period. WVUE’s vice president and general manager, Sandy Breland, described the glitch as “an automation error.”

An Oklahoma Fox station did something similar in March.

Drudge: It's A Conspiracy

Matt Drudge first became famous for breaking the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Live From The International Space Station

The International Space Station has launched a live stream.

One of the latest missions from the ISS is kind of amazing. The High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment consists of four cameras that have been attached outside of the ISS. Though temperature is controlled, the cameras are exposed to the radiation from the sun, which will allow astronauts to understand how radiation affects the instruments. The cameras point down at Earth at all times, which makes for some breathtaking images. The feed will sometimes go down as the signal switches between the cameras, and it is hard to see when the ISS is on the dark side of the planet. If the cameras are down, the screen will be grey.

The cameras switch every 60 seconds or so. Stick around for a better view if the current one is all clouds.

Chris Meloni: Guys Hit On Me In Showers

Chris Meloni's appearance on Conan last night included a LOT of talk about his famed rear end which he says draws attention from other men in the shower at his gym.

Sarah Palin: With Chelsea Pregnant, Maybe Hillary Will Reverse On Abortion Rights

Sarah Palin says now that Chelsea Clinton is pregnant, maybe Hillary Clinton will change her mind about abortion rights.

"Just knowing that her daughter Chelsea is pregnant, with a baby–It's a real baby!–It's not some disposable something, and I know that's going to be controversial," Palin said in an interview set to air Wednesday on "Extra." A grandmother herself, Palin said parents and grandparents "realize that sanctity of life, how innocent, how precious it is." "And of all places, it should be in the womb that these babies are protected," the former Alaska governor said. "So maybe even on a social issue like that, she'll open her eyes. I think anyone who is a grandparent really starts looking even further down the road," she continued. "We start thinking about things like $17 trillion debt that our nation is under, we're going to hand that to our grandkids for them to pay off? For our short-sighted thinking and spending today? That's not right. That's not fair to our grandkids. Hopefully she'll start thinking along those terms too."

Palin continues to be under fire from Christian groups for last week's comparison of waterboarding terrorists to baptism.

Courtney Love - You Know My Name

An audio-only clip was released last month.

NORTH CAROLINA: Armistead Maupin To Get Honorary Doctorate From Alma Mater

This weekend beloved novelist Armistead Maupin will receive an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From their announcement:

Armistead Maupin, Carolina Class of 1966, grew up in Raleigh. As an undergraduate here he wrote a column for the Daily Tar Heel and was elected vice president of the senior class. After graduation, Maupin worked at WRAL-TV in Raleigh before enlisting in the United States Navy. Maupin later worked as a reporter in Charleston, S.C., and then with the Associated Press in San Francisco. In 1976, while at the San Francisco Chronicle, he launched the groundbreaking work that would propel his literary career for almost four decades. “Tales of the City” began as a serialized novel—perhaps the most successful example of that genre since Charles Dickens—and eventually became a sequence of nine globally bestselling books. In 1994, “Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City” became a PBS miniseries which won a Peabody Award.

On his Facebook page Maupin notes that he will attend the ceremony with his "legal California husband." (Tipped by JMG reader Richard)

Liberty Counsel Cheers SCOTUS Ruling

"Liberty Counsel has been actively engaged in protecting the rights of Americans to pray in public forums. Monday, the fruits of our labor paid off in a big way. Today, to the consternation of anti-Christian segregationists, historical revisionists and Church-state separatists, prayer in the public square remains protected in the United States of America thanks to patriots like you and five Supreme Court Justices. We live in the land of liberty because America was founded upon prayer. Prayer signaled the turning point in the history of America. It would be extremely dangerous for our nation’s courts to have ruled to remove prayer from public forums. Together we must preserve our unalienable right to get down on our knees to pray – and we must never fail to rise up to fight when that freedom is threatened." - Liberty Counsel head Mat Staver, writing for Barbwire.

Anti-Gay Activists Gets HGTV Show

Right Wing Watch reports that HGTV has green-lighted a reality show that will star North Carolina anti-gay activists David and Jason Benham.

David Benham led a prayer rally — Charlotte 7:14 — outside of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2012, which he told conservative radio host Janet Mefferd was needed to stop “homosexuality and its agenda that is attacking the nation” and “demonic ideologies tak[ing] our universities and our public school systems.” He told Mefferd that his brother Jason joined him in organizing the DNC prayer protest. David also leads protests outside of abortion clinics where he praises demonstrators for taking a stand at “the gates of hell” and confronting the “altars of Moloch.” He also protested at a 2009 LGBT event [PDF] in Charlotte. He serves on the board of the Coalition of Conscience [PDF], a group led by far-right anti-gay activist Michael Brown.

From HGTV's description of the show, Flip It Forward:

After a decade of flipping houses for profit, brothers David Benham and Jason Benham now help families buy the homes they never thought they could afford. In each episode, the guys help a deserving family find a fixer-upper and transform it into their forever home - with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry between the brothers along the way.

The show debuts in October. Here's just one sample of David Benham's opinions. Much more is at the first link.


UPDATE: HGBT is already reacting to the RWW post.

New From The GOP

NORTH CAROLINA: Clay Aiken Apparent Winner In Democratic US House Primary

Via the Raleigh News & Observer:

The battle between Keith Crisco, a moderate, business-friendly Democrat, and former “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken came down to a very slim margin Tuesday night: As the vote-count neared completion, Aiken led by fewer than 400 votes. At 11:30 p.m., Aiken took to the stage to thank his supporters and say he was confident that he would be in the race in November. Crisco said earlier in the evening that the race was too close to call and didn’t comment further. The winner will face U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, a two-term Republican incumbent from Dunn, who handily defeated GOP challenger Frank Roche, a former radio talk-show host and economist who lives in Cary.

State rules require a 40% + one vote finish in order to avoid a runoff.  At this writing, the Associated Press has declined to call the race for Aiken even though 100% of the precincts have reported. A recount may be coming.

Miss Mona Sinclair Loses NC Primary

NORTH CAROLINA: Christian Group To Celebrate Marriage Ban Anniversary

From the Christianist group Return America:

This Thursday, May 8, 2014, North Carolina will celebrate the second anniversary of the North Carolina Marriage Amendment. Sixty-one percent of North Carolinians went on record supporting the Marriage Amendment. Most importantly, sixty-one percent of North Carolinians went on record supporting Biblical Marriage.

On Thursday, the homosexual community is planning a protest against this momentous anniversary event. They will appear before five different Register of Deeds offices in North Carolina asking for marriage licenses. They are also planning a group meeting demanding that North Carolina accept same-sex “marriages” from other states. In Raleigh, a same-sex couple will appear before the Wake County Register of Deeds Office to ask for a marriage license.

To celebrate the second anniversary of the North Carolina Marriage Amendment, Return America is joining with other like-minded groups on the South Lawn of our State Capitol Building for a celebration of our Marriage Amendment. The celebration will be held from 12:00 Noon until 1:00 PM. We are asking pastors from across North Carolina to join us and bring as many people as possible with you. This is a prime opportunity for us to take a Biblical stand on what we proclaim from behind our pulpits.

Jeremy Hooper points out that Thursday is also the second anniversary of President Obama's "evolution."

Lion Cubs Pass National Zoo Swim Test

Today in Washington DC:

Four African lion cubs born to Shera on March 2 had their swim reliability test this morning. All lion cubs at the Smithsonian's National Zoo must take a swim test, carefully monitored by the animal care team, before going on exhibit. As part of the test they must prove that they can swim to land and pull themselves out of the water. All of the cubs passed. They are now one step closer to going on exhibit in a few weeks with their aunts and half siblings.

SOURCE: Bill Donohue Is Angling To Be Named Head Of NYC St. Patrick's Parade

A reliable source who wishes to remain anonymous today tipped me that Catholic League blowhard and anti-gay activist Bill Donohue has submitted himself to be named the head of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade.  According to my source, the other leading candidate is Quinnipiac University president John Lahey, who is thought to be a more moderate voice that might be agreeable to finally allowing LGBT groups to march openly in the parade. Current St. Patrick's Day Parade head John Dunleavy, a retired bus driver, is reportedly under pressure to step down after decades of running the event.

This year's parade made international news after Guinness beer suspended its sponsorship over the exclusion of LGBT groups. Donohue has launched a boycott of Guinness in response, promising to make the beer maker "suffer," and he recently claimed to have the support of the Knights Of Columbus. Should Donohue be put in charge of the parade, the repercussions would make the Guinness flap seem like a trivial tempest as few corporations would be willing to align themselves with such a notorious bigot. The 253 year-old New York City parade is the world's largest and draws millions of spectators.

I'll tweet this post to Donohue and see if he is willing to confirm putting himself forward to be named chairman at last week's meeting of the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee.

RELATED: During New York state's marriage equality battle, Donohue declared that gay people don't deserve to be married because people are still getting AIDS.  In 2010 Donohue said that the Catholic Church "doesn't have a pedophile problem, it has a gay problem." Many more of Donohue's foul comments about the LGBT community can be found here.

TRAILER: Such Were Some Of You

In case you're "trapped in homosexual confusion." 

Log Cabin: Dem Rep Must Apologize For Linking Blog That Refers To Gay US House Candidate Carl DeMaio As "Mary"

The Log Cabin Republicans today demanded an apology from Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) for linking to an Americablog post which refers to homocon GOP House candidate Carl DeMaio as "Mary." The link has since been removed from Peters' site. Americablog founder John Aravosis responds:

Apparently, Lob Cabin isn’t terribly familiar with “the gay lifestyle,” as Carl DeMaio’s friends on the religious right like to call it, if they think calling someone “Mary” is a slur. The only people who ever call gay people “Mary” is other gay people. And it’s not a slur, it’s actually often a term of ironic endearment. But then again, we shouldn’t expect anti-gay gays to actually understand, support or defend a culture that their own political party and candidates have long sought to destroy. Keep in mind that Log Cabin supported Mitt Romney for president when Romney refused to endorse any of their basic civil rights.

Romney was against ENDA, against the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, against marriage equality. Mitt Romney was even for enshrining anti-gay prejudice in the United States Constitution. Mitt Romney was so anti-gay that he got rid of his campaign’s foreign policy spokesman when word got out that the man was gay. And after all that, Log Cabin still supported Mitt Romney for president. So if that’s the best Carl DeMaio has to offer to prove that he’s not really anti-gay — a group that endorses candidates with a “zero out of 100″ record on gay civil rights issues — then it’s no wonder that the entire gay community has abandoned Carl DeMaio.

RELATED: In 2012 local LGBT activists organized a campaign to boo DeMaio during that year's pride parade, noting that he'd been reluctant to endorse marriage equality and had accepted donations from backers of Proposition 8. DeMaio, a wealthy political consultant, is vehemently anti-union and has vowed that LGBT rights will never affect his political decisions.

Fox News' Todd Starnes: Those Who Oppose Public Prayers Are Just Like Hitler

Lewinsky: I Identifed With Tyler Clementi

In a piece for Vanity Fair, Monica Lewinsky declares that she "deeply regrets" her affair with former President Bill Clinton. Lewinsky adds that she was spurred to combat internet harassment by the suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi.

When Tyler Clementi, the 18-year-old Rutgers freshman who was secretly streamed via Webcam kissing another man, committed suicide in September 2010, Lewinsky writes, she was brought to tears, but her mother was especially distraught: “She was reliving 1998, when she wouldn’t let me out of her sight. She was replaying those weeks when she stayed by my bed, night after night, because I, too, was suicidal. The shame, the scorn, and the fear that had been thrown at her daughter left her afraid that I would take my own life—a fear that I would be literally humiliated to death.” Lewinsky clarifies that she has never actually attempted suicide, but had strong suicidal temptations several times during the investigations and during one or two periods after.

Lewinsky writes that following Clementi’s tragedy “my own suffering took on a different meaning. Perhaps by sharing my story, I reasoned, I might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation. The question became: How do I find and give a purpose to my past?” She also says that, when news of her affair with Clinton broke in 1998, not only was she arguably the most humiliated person in the world, but, “thanks to the Drudge Report, I was also possibly the first person whose global humiliation was driven by the Internet.” Her current goal, she says, “is to get involved with efforts on behalf of victims of online humiliation and harassment and to start speaking on this topic in public forums.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Allen)

Two Years Ago Today

"The good news is that as more and more Americans become to understand what this is all about is a simple proposition. Who do you love? Who do you love? And will you be loyal to the person you love? And that's what people are finding out is what-- what all marriages, at their root, are about.  Whether they're marriages of lesbians or gay men or heterosexuals. I am vice president of the United States of America. The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. And quite frankly, I don't see much of a distinction beyond that." - Vice President Joe Biden, on Meet The Press two years ago today.

Curse Off: Sally Field Vs Julia Roberts

One Million Moms Vs Women's Museum

Just in via email:

Joe, How would you feel about your daughter or granddaughter taking a school field trip to Washington, D.C., excited to learn about American history, and only being sold "role models" like Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger...promiscuity promoter Gloria Steinem...and "free love" advocate Victoria Woodhull? The proposed National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) will glorify abortion and fuel the radical feminist movement for decades to come. How do I know this? The NWHM board is overwhelmingly filled with people who are pro-abortion and leftist in their ideology. 

Even more, the proposed museum's website references Margaret Sanger nine times and Victoria Woodhull over 20, while referencing Phyllis Schlafly only once and not mentioning Beverly LaHaye at all. It also highlights Sandra Fluke, while ignoring Jeane Kirkpatrick. Taxpayers, like you, will eventually foot the bill for this national shrine to abortion. While the NWHM claims that it will be privately funded, its true intentions are to follow in the footsteps of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian. These museums respectively received over $50 million and $30 million from American taxpayers.

OMM is calling on its followers to deluge Congress with demands that the museum "not be paid for with federal funds or be filled with left wing propaganda."

Eurovision 2014 Begins Tonight

The first Eurovision semi-finals take place tonight in Copenhagen and Austria is promoting gender-fuck artist Conchita Wurst with the above props. Ten of tonight's 16 nations will advance to the finals. Wurst will compete in the second semi-final round on Thursday, but tonight all eyes will be on the rivalry between Russia and Ukraine.

The Eurovision song contest insists it is strictly nonpolitical, however there is speculation that Russia will face a backlash and fail to qualify in the semi-final round tonight in Copenhagen, due to the country's aggression towards Ukraine and president Putin’s outspoken homophobia. Russia's act, 17-year-old twin sisters Anastasia and Maria Tolmachevy who are former winners of Junior Eurovision, and Ukraine's performer, 21-year-old Maria Yaremchuk, are set to compete virtually back-to-back - with Azerbaijan in between - tonight in the first of the semi-finals.

Below are yesterday's rehearsals from both nations. For those unaware, Eurovision is wildly popular among gay Europeans and every year many travel to the host cities to attend in person.

PHILADELPHIA: Police Say Gay Man Was Beaten To Death By Grindr Hook-Up

Philadelphia police report that a local gay man was apparently beaten to death by someone he met on Grindr.

At the bottom of a fire escape in an overgrown lot in Chester, a passerby found the body of 25-year-old Philadelphia man Dino Dizdarevic. "It was awful. I don't think there are any words that could actually describe what I felt or even my family," Dino's sister Una Dizdarevic said. Dizdarevic, who lived on North 13th Street in Spring Garden, disappeared Wednesday. On Friday, his body was discovered with blunt force trauma to the head on Parker Street near 9th Street in Chester. His sister, Una, came in from their home state of Kentucky. "He would just light the entire room up itself. He was so intelligent and so many people cared about him," Una said. Police sources say it appears Dizdarevic met up with someone on the social app, Grindr.

More from Philadelphia Magazine:

On Wednesday, April 30th, Dizdarević told his boyfriend, Nick McBee, with whom he was in an open relationship, he was driving to Chester to meet a man he'd met on the app. McBee began to fear the worst when the night wore on and he hadn't heard anything from him. "He was a responsible person. He always called to let me know where he was," he says. "I knew something was wrong." McBee filed a missing person's report with the Philadelphia Police Department on Thursday morning, and was called to identify a body in Chester that matched the description. It was Dizdarević, though, according to sources close to the couple, he had been beaten so severely that he was only able to be identified from his clothing.

No arrest has been made. The victim's family has established a memorial fund.

RELATED: Last month a Philadelphia tourist was beaten, robbed, and raped by a man he met on Grindr. A suspect in that case has been apprehended.

Quote Of The Day - Tucker Carlson

"Here’s the bottom line: A 15-year-old boy is not a 15-year-old girl, and so – I got a lot of mail about this – every man understands this. A 15-year-old boy looks at this as, like, the greatest thing that ever happened, and I think for a 15-year-old girl it would be traumatic. That’s just real. I don’t know what to say – I don’t want that to be true but it is true. I’m not saying that all teachers should do lap dances at school. I’m just saying when a teacher gets so enthusiastic she breaks out into a lap dance, don’t send her to prison. That’s all I’m saying." - Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson, saying that sexual harassment by teachers is fine as long as it's a female teacher and and male student. Carlson adds that a Texas teacher who performed a lap dance on a 15 year-old boy should not be charged "because there's no victim here."

Michael Alig Reunites With Club Kids

On his first day out of prison after serving 17 years for the murder of his roommate, notorious nightlife promoter Michael Alig reunited with a group of New York City former club kids at a meal presided over by James St. James, who was played by Seth Green in Party Monster, which was based on James' book about the murder, Disco Bloodbath.

WaPo: 82% Chance GOP Wins Senate

Via the Washington Post:

According to the model, which was built for The Post by political scientist and Monkey Cage blog author John Sides, Republicans have an 82 percent chance of claiming the six seats they need to move back into the majority. Explains Sides: The main problem for Democrats is that it’s a midterm year — and the president’s party almost always loses seats in the midterm. Moreover, conditions make it difficult for Democrats to overcome this tendency: The economy is not growing that strongly and, partly as a consequence, President Obama is not that popular. Moreover, as many have noted, many seats that the Democrats must defend this year are in Republican-leaning states.

The Anti-Christ Won The Kentucky Derby

TRAILER: Gotham

"Before Catwoman, before Batman...there was Gotham."

TODAY: North Carolina's Primary

Miss Mona Sinclair isn't the only gay man in today's North Carolina primary.  According to the Wall Street Journal, Clay Aiken actually has a shot of winning his bid to be the Democratic nominee for the US House.

Mr. Aiken, 35 years old, faces a crowded field in Tuesday’s election, which pits him against the state’s former commerce secretary, Keith Crisco, and mental health counselor Toni Morris. And even if he wins, Mr. Aiken would face an uphill battle against the incumbent, Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers. Ms. Ellmers is in her second term in a district the Rothenberg Political Report rates as “safe Republican.” Republican Mitt Romney won 57% of the district in 2012. The Idol star has touted a poll conducted by his own campaign that shows him with a 20-point lead over the other two candidates, but no independent polling has verified those results.

Politico paints a less rosy picture.

American Idol contestant Clay Aiken drew plenty of buzz when he announced he’d be running for a North Carolina congressional seat as a Democrat. But he hasn’t gained much traction. Through the middle of last month, Aiken had raised under $300,000, less than half of what his self-funding primary opponent, former state Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco, had taken in. And the singer has found himself on the receiving end of a brutal ad from Crisco that accused the entertainer of skipping meetings for a presidential committee on intellectual disabilities that he’d been appointed to.

North Carolina's polling places close at 7:30PM. I'll post the early returns as they come in tonight.

LOS ANGELES: Stars And Activists Protest Brunei's Brutal Sharia Laws

The top clip features a rousing speech by Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lori Jean.

OHIO: ACLU Opposes Intervention Of DOMA Attorney Roberta Kaplan

The ACLU has filed an opposition brief to DOMA attorney Roberta Kaplan's request to join the marriage suit against the state of Ohio. Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade:

“Plaintiffs-Appellees have the utmost respect for Equality Ohio and the four unmarried couples and their counsel and the important interests they represent,” the brief states. “However, Plaintiffs-Appellees should be entitled to continue to litigate the case that they initiated in July of last year without the disruption and prejudice that would flow from new claims and parties at this late stage.” The ACLU contends Kaplan, who wanted to enter the case to argue that heightened scrutiny protection is warranted on the basis of sexual orientation, is making a claim that plaintiffs say they’ve already asserted. But the ACLU also objects to the new claims presented by Kaplan on the basis that they “have not been addressed by the parties or decided by the District Court.” Further, the ACLU takes issue with the timing of her request to intervene in the case, which was made late last month.

The ACLU's suit seeks recognition of out-of-state marriages on death certificates issued by the state.

IDAHO: Judge Promises Swift Ruling In Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit

Oral arguments in Idaho's same-sex marriage lawsuit took place yesterday and the judge promised to issue a ruling soon.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale told attorneys for four couples Monday that the emotional case raised lots of questions, and that she would get a ruling out in the "relatively near future." She declined to give a specific date, and it wasn't clear if her decision would come before other cases pending across the nation. The four couples, all women, say Idaho discriminates by subjecting them to different tax rules and denying them rights given heterosexual families. Their attorney, Deborah Ferguson of Boise, said the sole purpose of Idaho's 2006 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage is to subject same-sex couples to stigma and shame.

The couples are being represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

SEATTLE: No Hate Crime Or Terrorism Charges In Gay Nightclub Arson

From the Southern Poverty Law Center:

The man who tried to kill a crowd of 750 people packed inside a popular Seattle gay bar by setting it afire on New Year’s Eve has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of arson. Despite some evidence that he was motivated by hatred of LGBT people, Musab Mohammad Masmari will not face federal hate crime charges. The Seattle Times reports that Masmari, a 30-year-old American-born man of Libyan extraction and upbringing, reached an agreement with prosecutors on Friday to plead guilty to arson. Though prosecutors had substantial reason to believe it was an anti-LGBT bias crime, he will not face federal hate-crime charges. Prosecutors said that Masmari’s motives will be addressed by the judge during the sentencing phase, which comes next week.

According to Masmari's plea agreement, prosecutors will only ask for a five-year prison sentence. The SPLC notes that the judge is free to disregard the agreement and sentence Masmari to up to twenty years in prison. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

Garbage - Girls Talk

Stereogum reviews:

Garbage released two songs for Record Store Day this year: “Girls Talk” with Distillers frontwoman Brody Dalle and “Time Will Destroy Everything.” The former now has a video to go along with it, which sees Shirley Manson and Dalle ferociously singing in-studio while the song aggressively builds to a climax where even the camera is shaking around.

FLORIDA: Crackpot Seeks To Intervene In Gay Marriage Case So He Can Marry His "Porn Filled Apple Computer"

Remember the guy who sued Apple last year because his computer didn't block him from accessing the porn which ruined his marriage? He's back. Via the Broward New Times:

Enter Chris Sevier, "a former Judge Advocate and combat veteran" who filed a motion to intervene on the Florida gay marriage case on behalf of "other minority sexual orientation groups." In the 24-page document, Sevier says that if gay couples "have the right to marry their object of sexual desire, even if they lack corresponding sexual parts, then I should have the right to marry my preferred sexual object." Which is? "My porn filled Apple computer," according to Sevier's filing. "Recently, I purchased an Apple computer. The computer was sold to me without filters to block out pornography. I was not provided with any warning by Apple that pornography was highly addictive and could alter my reward cycle by the manufacturer. Over time, I began preferring sex with my computer over sex with real women. Naturally, I 'fell in love' with my computer and preferred having sex with it over all other persons or things, as a result of classic conditioning upon orgasm."

New Times notes that Sevier also sued A&E for suspending Phil Robertson and he attempted to intervene in Utah's marriage equality case. The judge in Florida has slapped him down: "Perhaps the motion is satirical. Or perhaps it is only removed from reality. Either way, the motion has no place in this lawsuit." (Tipped by JMG reader Scott)

RELATED: Sevier is also a wannabe model.

There is nothing inherently wrong with fashion and celebrating such things. For me placing the focus on beauty on the inside is more essential than the outside. Otherwise, fashion things can become destructive, if one believes that is all there is. Beauty fades and for those of us who place that as paramount to all things will fade with it. I venture on overseas mission trips every other month to work on my heart in the same way that I go to the gym to work up a six pack in an effort to portray a brand in the best light.

Tweet Of The Day - NSA

It's not a butt tweet, it's an encrypted job posting.

Demi Lovato To Headline NYC & LA Pride

Via Billboard:

Demi Lovato is about to go bi…coastal: The actress/singer will be performing at LGBT Pride events in both Los Angeles and New York during June's Pride month festivities. Lovato will first head to the west coast to lead the L.A. Pride Parade as Grand Marshal, in addition to performing, on June 8. The songstress will head to New York at the end of the month to headline NYC Pride's Dance on the Pier in Tribeca on June 29, one day after the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots of 1969 that sparked the gay pride movement.

58M views on this clip.

Feds Seek Dismissal Of NOM's IRS Case

The federal government has filed a motion seeking the summary dismissal of NOM's lawsuit against the IRS. NOM claims that their donor list was illegally leaked to the Human Rights Campaign.  (Via Equality Case Files)

Lambda Legal Vs Chris Christie

Clip description:

In an unprecedented move to reshape the NJ Supreme Court, Gov. Christie has refused the reappointments of two sitting justices, making him the only governor in NJ history to do so. Following the Court's Oct. 2013 decision that was instrumental in providing the freedom for same-sex couples to marry in NJ, he roundly criticized the ruling and disagreed with the Court. Now, Chief Justice Rabner, who authored the opinion, is up for reappointment and Governor Christie will once again decide whether to put politics before justice.

Learn more here.

Can "Young Blood" Cure Alzheimer's?

Via the New York Times:

Two teams of scientists published studies on Sunday showing that blood from young mice reverses aging in old mice, rejuvenating their muscles and brains. As ghoulish as the research may sound, experts said that it could lead to treatments for disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. “I am extremely excited,” said Rudolph Tanzi, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the research. “These findings could be a game changer.” The research builds on centuries of speculation that the blood of young people contains substances that might rejuvenate older adults. “We can turn back the clock instead of slowing the clock down,” said Dr. Toren Finkel, director of the Center for Molecular Medicine at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. “That’s a nice thought if it pans out.” This reversal could occur throughout the body, the new research suggests. “Instead of taking a drug for your heart and a drug for your muscles and a drug for your brain, maybe you could come up with something that affected them all,” Dr. Wagers said.

Researchers cautioned that waking up stem cells could lead to them multiplying uncontrollably.

IOWA: US Senate Candidate Joni Ernst Vows To Literally Shoot Down Obamacare

Via Aksarbent: "Joni Ernst, the Iowa state senator who voted in 2012 for a Ag Gag law to send animal cruelty whistleblowers in Iowa to prison and who touted her skills at pig castration in her first campaign ad, is now pandering to bang bang fetishists in her newest ad." Last year Ernst cosponsored a bill to overturn same-sex marriage in Iowa and her US Senate campaign site is a cavalcade of teabagging's greatest hits. Ernst is running for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. If she prevails in the GOP primary, she'll face US Rep. Bruce Braley in the general election.

Michael Alig Released From Prison

Infamous New York City "club kid killer" Michael Alig was released from prison today after serving 17 years for the gruesome murder of his roommate.

Alig, now 47, who masterminded some of the most extravagant parties of the early Nineties, pleaded guilty to bludgeoning the winged drug dealer Andre “Angel” Menendez to death in 1996, before pouring bleach into his mouth, dismembering his body with knives and disposing of his corpse in the Hudson River. His accomplice, roommate Robert Riggs (otherwise known as ‘Freeze’, was also sentenced to 10-to-20 years in prison after he confessed to manslaughter. The former promoter was famously played by Macaulay Culkin in the 2003 film Party Monster, which was based on the novel Disco Bloodbath by original Club Kid James St James (who was played by Seth Green).

Pat Robertson: Radicals On The Right Have Taken Over The Republican Party

FRC Cheers SCOTUS Ruling On Prayer

"The court today has upheld our first and most fundamental freedom. The court has rejected the idea that as citizens we must check our faith at the entrance to the public square. We applaud the majority on the court for getting that right. This is an historic victory for all Americans of faith and for the common-sense reading of the Constitution itself. The Court's affirmation of the right of Americans to practice their faith in public life and the public square is a major win for the religious liberty we have always cherished.If the lower court ruling were correct, then Congress would have been violating the Constitution for more than two centuries. The Supreme Court majority recognized the absurdity of a ruling that would have even found the Constitution's authors in violation of their own document. This welcome decision is very helpful in putting the brakes on the efforts of militant secularists to rid the public square of any religious expression." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via press release.

DELAWARE: Deputy AG Charged With Rape Of Teen He Met On Grindr

Delaware Deputy Attorney General Daniel Simmons has been charged with the rape of a 16 year-old he met on Grindr.

New Castle County police say 34-year-old Daniel Simmons faces four counts of fourth-degree rape. Simmons is a deputy attorney general assigned to the county's Misdemeanor Trial Unit. Police say Simmons met the boy through a social media app called Grindr and not during the performance of his public duties. The attorney general's office says in a statement that Simmons has been placed on administrative leave. The office approved warrants for Simmons' arrest on Friday. Attorney General Beau Biden did not make any comments.

News reports do not state whether Simmons knew of the boy's age or how the charges came to be brought. According to Delaware law, among the conditions for a fourth-degree rape charge is when the victim is under 18, the perpetrator is over 30, and the two are not married. Class C felonies are punishable in Delaware by up to 15 years in prison.

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