I Am Betrothed to My John Deere Lawn Mower

I Am Betrothed to My John Deere Lawn Mower
Rep. Steve King (R – IA) has championed the right of men to marry their lawn mowers. King recently stated that the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage “says anybody can marry anybody — and eventually it will be in any combination. I had a strong, Christian lawyer tell me yesterday that, under this decision that he has read, what it brings about is: It only requires one human being in this relationship — that you could marry your lawn mower with this decision. I think he’s right.”

My secret lover, John Deere, and I are extremely grateful that King has allowed man/mower unions to step out from the shadows. It is with enormous pride that I post the following announcement:

SCUDERA – DEERE ENGAGEMENT

Domenick Aloysius Scudera, M.F.A., and John Deere Lawn Tractor Model # X540 have announced their engagement following a long summer romance. Scudera, originally from Massapequa, NY, and Deere, manufactured in Horicon, Wisconsin, plan a late October wedding after the busy lawn maintenance season has ended. Scudera, 39, is a college professor in Pennsylvania. Deere, 3, recently moved to the area to mow lawns. This is the first marriage for both.

The pair met in the late spring when Scudera needed his grass cut. “At first, we worked together in a business sense. It was strictly about lawn care,” the human groom said, “But the attraction was undeniable. After a month or two of riding that mower, I was hooked. Mounting that 23.5 horsepower engine each week was overwhelmingly romantic. His fully welded chassis and automatic transmission with a differential lock was a dream come true. John’s got a 54 inch deck. His performance is incredible.”

Scudera proposed to his handsome tractor in July. “We were mowing around the sycamore tree in the backyard like we always do. But then I stopped the engine and pretended to kneel down to check the blade under the deck. But I was actually kneeling down to propose!” In lieu of an engagement ring, Scudera surprised Deere with a new deck belt that is engineered to withstand 2400 pounds of tension.

Family members have had difficulty with the announcement. “It ain’t natural,” Scudera’s cousin, Guido, commented. “Traditional marriage is between one human and one human. God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Tractor.”

The mower’s family could not comment because they are machines and do not have vocal cords.

The pair has had trouble finding bakers and florists who will accommodate their wedding needs. “My religion strictly forbids marriages between man and machine,” stated the owner of a local bakery who wishes to remain anonymous. “If we allow this sort of thing, what’s next? Will men want to marry their washing machines and their refrigerators? Where does it stop? Men and appliances cannot have children, so they will never be married in the eyes of the Lord.”

Despite the negative reactions, Scudera and Deere will forge ahead with their wedding plans. Scudera is hopeful: “It only takes one human to make a marriage, right? Some strong, Christian lawyer somewhere interpreted the Court’s decision that way. Our future is bright. My dear Johnny Deere really knows how to trim my blades, if you know what I mean.”

Scudera and Deere are registered at Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply Co., and Bed Bath & Beyond.

To honor the mower’s family, the couple’s wedding colors will be green and yellow.

* * * * *

The above announcement is ridiculous for a number of reasons:

  • I am already married. To a man. A human being.
  • I have no desire to marry a lawn mower.
  • The Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality does not grant the right for a man to marry a lawn mower.
  • No human being wants to marry a lawn mower. Rep. King’s claim that men can marry mowers is absolutely preposterous, incendiary, and insulting.
  • My middle name is not Aloysius.
  • I am not 39 years old.

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House buyers’ most in-demand Tube stop is… outside London

House buyers’ most in-demand Tube stop is… outside London

The Tube is London’s lifeline, connecting the sprawling North West to the green South East, from Amersham to Morden and Lewisham.

A study by online estate agent eMoov.co.uk has found the hottest and coldest Underground Stations to live close to, based on data from major property portals, with a surprising result.

The hottest stop on the Underground network is Watford, home to Geri Halliwell and only accessible through the Metropolitan line, with demand for properties at 78% – and it’s not even in (Greater) London, but in Hertfordshire.

Demand – defined as the percentage of properties currently sold – along the Underground lines is steadily growing: the last six months saw an increase of 13% across the 280 stations making up the network, but in some locations demand is exploding.

Tube strike madness: nearly 100 million customers pass through Oxford Circus each day - but demand for flats is declining.

Tube strike madness: nearly 100 million customers pass through Oxford Circus each day – but demand for flats is declining.

While the Central line is the most popular to live on – demand saw a 14% rise and is at its highest ever – the top three least popular stations are right in the middle of it: Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.

‘Our research shows that the East London property market is on fire at the moment,’ Russell Quirk, founder and CEO eMoov.co.uk, said.

‘From city brokers, trendy hipsters to commuting parents, the East offers up a variety of property for every type of homeowner.’

East London stations clocked the highest rise, with demand around East Ham Station – sitting just on the border between Zone 3 and 4 – rising by 26%; it’s followed by Woodford, in Zone 4 on the Central Line, and Zone 6’s Upminster Bridge, which rose by 25% and 23% respectively.

The post House buyers’ most in-demand Tube stop is… outside London appeared first on Gay Star News.

Stefanie Gerdes

www.gaystarnews.com/article/house-buyers-most-in-demand-tube-stop-is-outside-london/

Alabama Lawmakers Advance Bill to End Marriage Licenses Statewide

Alabama Lawmakers Advance Bill to End Marriage Licenses Statewide

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An Alabama state senate committee approved a bill on Monday that would get the state’s probate judges out of the marriage license business.

Last week, we reported that 13 Alabama counties were still refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The AP reports:

The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee on Monday approved the bill to do away with state-issued marriage licenses. Instead, spouses would file a signed marriage contract at probate offices. […]

Sen. Greg Albritton, the bill’s sponsor, says the bill could be a solution to lingering disputes over gay marriage.

Lawmakers are in special session to deal with a budget shortfall. Bills outside the governor’s call for a special session have a slimmer chance at passing because they require a two-thirds vote.

Watch a news report below:

 

The post Alabama Lawmakers Advance Bill to End Marriage Licenses Statewide appeared first on Towleroad.


Sean Mandell

Alabama Lawmakers Advance Bill to End Marriage Licenses Statewide

LGBTI rights language stripped from UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

LGBTI rights language stripped from UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

The sustainable development goals set for United Nations members to the year 2030 will not contain any reference to the rights of LGBTI people and will maintain the status quo on abortion, it has been revealed.

Several developed nations, including the United Kingdom and Brazil, had wanted to have language in the agreement which could have been interpreted to include protecting the rights of transgender persons and sexual minorities but these were stripped from the final text that member states will approve.

Brazilian Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota had reportedly pushed for the agreement to contain ‘more progressive language’ around human rights, including the rights of ‘LGBTI [people], whether or not these groups are fully stated.’

References to ‘gender’ in the document were also replaced with the more narrow term ‘sex’ to ensure there was no implied protections for transgender people or sexual minorities – and references to ‘social groupings’ as a protected category were also removed.

The document instead commits member nations to ‘empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status,’ by 2030 and to ‘ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action,’ without reference to sexuality.

Ambassador Usman Sarki of Nigeria reportedly lead the charge to have the agreement ‘cleaned’ of any language that might imply a commitment to the rights of LGBTI people.

The Agenda for Sustainable Development replaces the UN’s 15-year-old Millennium Development Goals.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon hailed the agreement as ‘bold, ambitious and transformative sustainable development agenda for the next 15 years,’ while speaking at a press conference on Monday.

‘The outcome document is called “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and it is a road map to ending global poverty, building a life of dignity for all and … is also a clarion call to intensify efforts to heal our planet for the benefit of this and future generations.’

The post LGBTI rights language stripped from UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals appeared first on Gay Star News.

Andrew Potts

www.gaystarnews.com/article/lgbti-rights-language-stripped-from-uns-2030-sustainable-development-goals/

PHOTOS: Step Inside Olso’s Dark Underground Pit Of Music And Debauchery

PHOTOS: Step Inside Olso’s Dark Underground Pit Of Music And Debauchery

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The Villa is a dark, underground hideaway in the center of Oslo. Known for its world-class DJs and state of the art sound system, it’s a place where people of all genders and sexualities can come together, leave their inhibitions at the door, and dance the night away to the beats of both national and international DJs.

Scroll down for a peek at what goes on inside The Villa, and check out the full gallery over at GayCities…

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Photo source: The Villa

Graham Gremore

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REVIEW: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs

REVIEW: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs

Set in 3,000 acres in an area of breathtaking natural beauty, The Broadmoor is America’s oldest five star hotel. Founded by Coloradian magnate Spencer Penrose, the hotel’s been hosting presidents, royalty and Hollywood A-listers since 1918.

There isn’t a whim you can’t indulge here. If you’re the active type, (we’ll assume you are – no one goes to Colorado for a nice lie-down), you can pass your time riding, boating, golfing, fishing or hiking – all without leaving the grounds.

There’s an all-American bowling alley in the hotel, serving an excellent line in ‘adult’ milkshakes. If you’re worried about your strike rate, bowl first, booze second. As you’d expect from this class of joint, there’s also a full gym and three swimming pools, including a heated lap pool for serious lengths.

Broadmoor Main, the oldest part of the hotel, is decorated in an early-20th century, European style. The newer Broadmoor West has recently been remodeled in more contemporary, but equally luxurious style.

Eastmoor SuiteMed

The TVs built into the bathroom mirrors are a special treat – who doesn’t want to watch Golden Girls in the shower? If you’re an art lover, take a guided tour: the hotel boasts one of the largest collections of American art in the USA.

The cuisine, too, is top notch. So committed to fine dining is the hotel, that it sent the chefs at its Italian restaurant Ristorante del Lago to Italy to learn with the masters there. Should you fancy a taste of home, there’s an English pub in the grounds serving fish and chips and English ale. (We’d stick to the Colorado brews – they’re fantastic.)

As far as famous guests go, take your pick. From Joan Crawford to Joan Rivers, Princess Anne to Prince Harry, the great and good from all walks of life have (temporarily) called The Broadmoor home.

Venture out of the grounds to take in more of Colorado Springs’ heart-stopping scenery. It’s a short journey to both the Garden of the Gods National Natural Landmark and park, and Red Rocks, a natural amphitheatre providing near-perfect acoustics, which regularly hosts megastars.

You can also visit Manitou Springs, a town not unlike London’s Portobello Road Market, full of charming bars and thrift stores. It’s here you can take the Manitou Railway, America’s highest cog railway. It’ll whisk you up to a height of 4.3km where you can get awe-inspiring views from up the world-famous Pike’s Peak.

One final note: bear in mind this hotel is marketed as ‘family-friendly’, so you might find yourself surrounded by rugrats if you decide to lurk in the communal areas during the day. But if kids tend to drive you a little crazy, by the time you get back from a day sporting or exploring, they’ll all be in bed, allowing you to enjoy The Broadmoor’s impeccable offerings in the company of adults only.

www.broadmoor.com, www.colorado.com

Words: Andrew Gonsalves

The post REVIEW: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs appeared first on Gay Star News.

Jamie Tabberer

www.gaystarnews.com/article/review-the-broadmoor-colorado-springs/

DVD: “Chocolate City,” “Seashore,” “Stand,” “Wasp,” & More!

DVD: “Chocolate City,” “Seashore,” “Stand,” “Wasp,” & More!

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Hot male strippers, Brazilian teens getting close (Seashore, above), gay Russians in a pickle and a gay couple on a vacay gone wrong make up this very queer (and homoerotic) week in home entertainment.

Read on!

 

Chocolate City

($29.99 DVD; Paramount)

A hot college student (Robert Ri’chard) begins moonlighting as a male stripper on the DL from his family in this indie, black Magic Mike. While predictable enough, the big show scenes feature some amazing choreography and super hot bodies, including Tyson Beckford’s. Extras include a blooper reel.

 

Seashore

($24.95 DVD; Wolfe)

In this artful and atmospheric Brazilian import, a trip to the seaside provides an opportunity for a pair of teenage friends, openly gay Tomaz and possibly not-too-straight Martin, to truly get close. Spoiler alert: they do indeed. Like, really close. You have permission to fast forward.

 

Stand

($24.99 DVD; TLA)

In this topical drama set in Russia, a gay couple witness what could be a brutal gay bashing. However, the pair is unsure what to do about it, since the country’s fiery homophobia and government stance could actually put them in hot water if they get too nosy. They eventually decide to investigate what was happening… and so goes this slow burn, tense drama.

 

Wasp

($24.99 DVD; Breaking Glass Pictures)

In this three character chamber drama, a British gay couple’s vacation in Provence, France, is disrupted when a female friend, recently dumped by her boyfriend, tags along. Things don’t go too well, though, as one of the guys and the girl begin to feel jealousy… and something more potentially threatening. Extras include a commentary and cast interviews.

 

ALSO OUT:

 

IMG_6885Insurgent

 

Child 44

 

A Little Chaos

 

Every Secret Thing

 

How To Get Away With Murder: Season One

Lawrence Ferber

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