Don Lemon Defends Johnny Weir

Yesterday Bilerico editor John Becker and CNN anchor Don Lemon tangled over whether Johnny Weir has a responsibility to denounce Russia's treatment of LGBT people.

Lemon stood up for Weir and argued that just because he’s gay doesn’t automatically mean he has to be vocal about gay rights all the time. John Becker took a decidedly different position, saying that just because someone is gay “doesn’t automatically make you an expert on LGBT rights,” and slammed Weir’s “ludicrously offensive” downplaying of just how bad the situation is for gays in Russia. Nicholas Benton, a friend of Weir’s, defended him and said he’s making an “important statement” not by speaking out, but through his behavior and his flamboyant attire. Lemon said Weir shouldn’t have to speak out. He argued, “It doesn’t make him a gay activist, nor should he have to be a gay activist because he’s gay.” That being said, Lemon did opine a bit about the idea of a “gay minstrel show” that doesn’t exactly help the cause either.

Becker: "Silence in the face of that law is tacit agreement with that law." Exactly. Watch the clip.

UCF Calls Out Big Guns In Campaign To Cloak Emails About Regnerus Study

The University of Central Florida (my alma mater!) has hired the former chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court to defend themselves against demands that they produce the emails leading up to the publication of Mark Regnerus' discredited study on gay parenting. Via the Human Rights Campaign:

A judge ruled the university had to release the documents, deemed public records under Florida law. Late last week, UCF retained legal counsel and ignored the court order. The Law Office of Andrea Flynn Mogensen, P.A., and Barrett, Chapman & Ruta, P.A – which represents John Becker, the reporter who initially sought the documents under Florida public records law - immediately filed an emergency motion for civil contempt.  "What is UCF hiding?" asked Becker. "And why are they fighting tooth and nail - spending taxpayer dollars in the process - to keep these public records under seal?" UCF has retained Charles Wells, former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice, to serve as lead counsel in the case. "These latest stalling tactics are typical of the way UCF has conducted itself throughout this entire months-long ordeal," said Becker. "Instead of respecting the rule of law in Florida and turning over these public records, the university has stonewalled and obstructed at every turn. Nevertheless, I'm confident that we will prevail in the end and uncover all the public records, including even more of the anti-LGBT animus behind Regnerus' research.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Str8 Grandmother)