Happy Friday!
Are you all set for tonight’s Art Potluck at the Center? How about the North Tower Circle’s Bewitching Night Fundraiser? Need more? How about tomorrow’s LGBT themed Open Mic night also at the Center? Come on out! We have snacks!
It’s still summer and that means a whole slew of summer type movies are coming out this weekend … Did we really need a Conan remake? Sigh.
In other entertainment news, the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, James Ross aka Tyra Sanchez, was arrested on Tuesday for possession of marijuana.
In less fun news, VA is considering a delay in new rules for adoptions that will affect the LGBT community.
Most of our readers know how volatile the subject of same sex marriage going back on the CA ballot is… well, Oregon is facing the same sort of issue.
In an update to a post I wrote earlier this week , the Advocate reports that a judge ruled on Thursday that the State of Illinois does indeed have the right to terminate its relationship with Catholic Charities.
Have you heard the anti-LGBT rant from Adam Carolla in which he mocks the acronym, wonders when we started “giving a f” about trans people, and tells gays to shut up already about marriage equality? His two line apology citing his profession as a comedian and not a politician has done little to quell the anger and hurt that his comments inspired. GLADD says his apology is “empty.” (If you click on the link you can hear his rant, but I warn you, it is hard to listen to.)
From CNN: A former “teacher of the year” in Lake County, Florida, has been reassigned while school administrators investigate comments posted on his Facebook page about same-sex marriage. The Facebook comment in question was this one: “ “I’m watching the news, eating dinner, when the story about the New York okaying same sex unions came on and I almost threw up.”
A New Jersey bridal store attenedent refused to work with a lesbian bride citing that she didn’t want to participate in anything illegal. (The wedding was planned for New York but the purchase of the dress would have taken place in NJ.) Read this heartfelt response to the story for a glimpse at both a horribly bigoted woman (the sales clerk) and a wonderful straight ally (the author.)
The Obama administration has taken a step in protecting same sex couples … at least in terms of deportation. In a letter from homeland security, the administration calls for a new working group to help determine which immigration cases should be ignored or more carefully considered. Special consideration comes when the illegal person is married to a citizen, the sole caretaker of a citizen, etc. From SF Gate: Sexual orientation is not specifically mentioned, but Mary Kenney, a senior staff attorney with the Legal Action Center arm of the Immigration Policy Center said the administration has indicated that same-sex marriages are included in the definition of family for the purposes of the enforcement memo. She called the move “very encouraging.
And lastly, proof that the internet can help you learn something while bending your mind … this optical illusion and explanation is definitely worth the 3 minutes of your life.
That’s it for me. Have a happy, and safe, weekend!
