Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson Praises ‘Bathroom Bills’: ‘We’re Losing Our Soul’ to Trans Rights – VIDEO

Duck Dynasty head honcho Phil Robertson has teamed up with Citizens United to attack – and make money from – anti-trans “bathroom laws” in North Carolina and other states.

Citizens United is best known for its part in a Supreme Court ruling which held that the government could not restrict political expenditures by nonprofit corporations.

In an email sent to supporters last weekend, Robertson wrote that “the Judeo-Christian values that led America to greatness are under full assault by the mob mentality of political correctness, and we’re slowly losing our soul.”

RELATED: Phil Robertson Advocates Marrying Girls When They Are 15 Or 16: VIDEO

“Men,” Robertson continued, “should use the men’s bathroom and women should use the women’s bathroom. Just because a man may ‘feel’ like a woman doesn’t mean he should be able to share a bathroom with my daughter, or yours. That used to be called common sense. Now it’s called bigoted.”

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the email includes a link to StandTallWithPhil.org, which asks for donations to Citizen United’s Speak Freely effort in conjunction with Robertson.

Back in February, Robertson called same-sex marriage “evil, wicked, sinful” at a Ted Cruz rally in Iowa.

Watch Robertson at the Cruz rally below.

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Nyle DiMarco Just Made History in Dancing with the Stars’ First Same-Sex Dance – WATCH

Sexually fluid America’s Next Top Model winner and current Dancing with the Stars contestant Nyle DiMarco made history Monday night by being the first male star to be part of a same-sex dance on the show.

The dance took place as part of the Judge’s Team-Up Challenge in which each two stars are paired together and coached by one of the show’s three judges. DiMarco and his partner Peta Murgatroyd were pared with actress Jodie Sweetin and her partner Keo Motsepe to work with Judge Bruno Tonioli.

And what began as a classic dance to the “Habanera” by Georges Bizet developed into a sensual display of same-sex affection on the dance floor.

Said DiMarco of the performance, “This is a Dancing With The Stars first, having same-sex dancing.”

Asked what it was like to be lifted (as opposed to the one doing the lifting), DiMarco said, “Well, it’s a different experience. Usually I’m lifting Peta but… should it only be for a woman? Maybe Peeta can lift me at some stage?”

On Monday night’s show, DiMarco also wowed audiences with a paso doble that included a section sans music to convey to the hearing audience what it’s like for him to dance without music. That dance left judge Carrie Anna Inaba in tears.

Watch the performance, below.

The post Nyle DiMarco Just Made History in Dancing with the Stars’ First Same-Sex Dance – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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What in the World is Going on in North Carolina? The Latest Developments in the Tar Heel State

There’s been a lot of news coming out of North Carolina over the past few weeks about HB2, Gov. Pat McCrory’s discriminatory anti-LGBT law, and Monday was no different.

There is a reason HB2 continues to make headlines. The legislation forces transgender students in public schools to use restrooms and other facilities inconsistent with their gender identity, putting 4.5 billion dollars in federal education funding alone at risk. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in publicly-owned buildings, including in public universities, convention centers, and airports. HB2 has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future.It also eliminated the ability of North Carolinians to be able to sue if they experienced discrimination in the workforce, including on the basis of race, religion, national origin and sex.  

The New York Times editorial board even called North Carolina a “pioneer in bigotry.”

Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about recent developments related to HB2 in the Tar Heel State:

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) determined that North Carolina’s discriminatory HB2 violates federal civil rights law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. The DOJ warned North Carolina officials that they had until Monday to stop complying with the anti-transgender law, or risk millions in federal funding and, potentially, a federal lawsuit.

But when Monday rolled around, Governor McCrory doubled down on discrimination, suing to defend HB2 in court. His costly and reckless lawsuit against the DOJ is just the latest in his desperate attempt to defend HB2, its heinous provisions, and the state’s reputation.

Hours later, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that the U.S. DOJ has filed a lawsuit against Governor McCrory, the state’s Department of Public Safety and the University of North Carolina and its Board of Governors, declaring HB2 “impermissibly discriminatory.” The DOJ also asked the judge to prohibit the state from enforcing HB2’s anti-transgender provisions.

Attorney General Lynch’s historic response to McCrory and HB2 was direct, unequivocal and moving. “This is about the dignity and respect we accord our fellow citizens and the laws that we, as a people and as a country, have enacted to protect them – indeed, to protect all of us,” she said.  “And it’s about the founding ideals that have led this country – haltingly but inexorably – in the direction of fairness, inclusion and equality for all Americans.”

www.hrc.org/blog/what-in-the-world-is-going-on-in-north-carolina-the-latest-developments-in?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

As North Carolina Doubles Down on Discrimination, Virginia AG Moves Commonwealth Closer to Equality

In an advisory opinion issued yesterday, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring affirmed that the commonwealth’s existing non-discrimination protections on the basis of sex are correctly interpreted to include discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity. Because the Virginia Human Rights Act incorporates non-discrimination protections found in federal law, Herring explained that Virginia courts will likely defer to federal cases for guidance when dealing with anti-discrimination laws, and noted that “the unmistakable trend in federal courts is towards construing anti-discrimination statutes to prohibit discrimination against LGBT individuals in circumstances.”

The opinion was issued as a result of requests by three state lawmakers seeking clarification on the parameters of sex-based discrimination in the state of Virginia.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Virginia’s neighbor, North Carolina, have just begun a contentious battle over North Carolina’s discriminatory HB 2 law, which, among other shameful provisions, prohibits transgender people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity. Yesterday, DOJ and the state each sued the other and embarked upon a legal battle that could last for years and cost the state of North Carolina billions of dollars. The DOJ’s position that HB 2 violates Title VII and Title IX is consistent with the position various departments of the Obama administration have taken in federal court and in issuing guidance on compliance with these federal laws.

Since taking office in 2013, AG Herring has been a staunch supporter of fairness and equality in his state, and we applaud him for his fair-minded interpretation of the law.

Read the full opinion here.

www.hrc.org/blog/as-north-carolina-doubles-down-on-discrimination-virginia-ag-moves-commonwe?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Lawyer Accidentally Kills Teen Boyfriend, Receives No Jail Time And Fawning CNN Profile

Lawyer Henry Hendron won’t serve any jail time after supplying his teen boyfriend with the drugs that killed him, but of course, he’s the real victim here.

At least, that’s exactly what you’d be primed to think after reading CNN’s awful, shameful, infuriating story about the fateful night 35-year-old Hendron’s 18-year-old Colombian boyfriend Miguel Jiminez died after mixing GHB with alcohol:

“I woke up and turned him over,” remembers Hendron of that winter’s morning in January last year. “Mouth frozen, blood there, clearly dead.”

In desperation, he performed CPR on his boyfriend until the ambulance arrived — “It must have been four or five minutes I was doing it, it felt like a lifetime.”

“At one point blood starts to trickle out of his mouth, and I’m thinking ‘he must be alive.’ But he’s not. I’ve broken his ribs or something, and moving that blood around.”

When the police arrived, Hendron’s nightmare only worsened.

Yes, Hendron’s nightmare worsened after Jiminez died.

Hendron and Jimenez had been dating for about a year, and Hendron estimates he spent about $1,400 per weekend on various drugs during “PnP” or “chemsex” sessions.

But, you know, it’s OK because he has a very posh upbringing:

Growing up in a well-to-do area of west London, Hendron’s dentist father died when the twins were babies. Today Hendron speaks with the cut-glass English accent of a privileged upbringing.

When Hendron talks of the heartache of Jimenez’s death, and the deeply personal details of his sex life, it is matter-of-factly. In a manner befitting a barrister.

…cut-glass English accent of a privileged upbringing. A manner befitting a barrister. CNN, we have a problem.

This writer has to be an intern, because we just can’t believe that CNN would pay someone to produce a single-sourced puff-piece “story” that makes the man responsible for his boyfriend’s death a noble victim of his privileged upbringing.

By the way, Hendron was sentenced to 140 hours of pro-bono work at London’s Central Criminal Court.

So, if you’re paying attention: the victim wasn’t the teenage working-class Colombian man who lost his life, it was the wealthy and privileged Englishman from a “privileged” upbringing who was just utterly destroyed by the entire situation.

And CNN, we’re happy that you’re covering LGBT issues, but you’re going to have to do better than this.

A lot better.

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PHOTOS: This Year’s World Naked Gardening Day Was Absolutely Plantastic

Saturday was World Naked Gardening Day. All across the globe, men dropped trou and showed off their green thumbs because, hey, why the hell not?

Related: PHOTOS: Guys Honor World Naked Gardening Day In Varying Stages Of Undress

World Naked Gardening Day was established in 2005 to promote both gardening and body acceptance.

Related: PHOTOS: Move Over Billy Reilich, Gab The Gardener Is Instagram’s Hottest New Grower

If you missed it, be sure to pencil it into next year’s calendar. World Naked Gardening Day is held on the first Saturday of May.

And in the mean time, scroll down for photos from last weekend’s plantastic event…

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How To Make a Straight Guy Jealous: WATCH

When the straight guy at work starts to take the attention he’s getting from his gay coworkers for granted, there’s really only one solution. Bring in another straight guy.

Watch the latest short from web comic Michael Henry, below:

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American Counseling Association Cancels Nashville Conference Over Anti-Gay Therapist Law

The American Counseling Association has canceled plans to hold its annual conference in Nashville over the state’s recent passage of a law allowing therapists to turn away gay clients based on religious beliefs.

RELATED: Tennessee Gov. Signs Law Allowing Therapists to Turn Away Clients for Being Gay

Richard Yep, Chief Executive Officer of the American Counseling Association ripped the new law in a video (top) calling it “the worst” legislation he’s ever seen.

The group made the announcement in a press release

Tennessee became the latest state to sign into law discriminatory “religious freedom” legislation targeting the counseling profession and LGBTQ community, permitting counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider’s “strongly held principles” a clear violation of the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics.

In light of the passage of SB1556/HB1840, ACA members have been very vocal about their opinions on the location of the 2017 Conference & Expo, originally scheduled for Nashville, Tenn. After careful consideration, and taking those comments into account, ACA has decided that the 2017 annual meeting will not be held in Tennessee.

“This was not an easy decision to make,” said Richard Yep, CEO of ACA. “After thoughtful discussion, the ACA Governing Council made the difficult—and courageous—decision on behalf of our membership. Of all the state legislation I have seen passed in my 30 years with ACA, the new Tennessee law based on Senate Bill 1556/House Bill 1840 is by far the worst. This law directly targets the counseling profession, would deny services to those most in need, and constitutes a dilemma for ACA members because it allows for violation of ACA’s Code of Ethics. By relocating from Tennessee, ACA is standing up to this discriminatory law and we remain committed in the battle to ensure that this law does not become the national standard.”

ACA pledged to work with the counselors and citizens of Tennessee to raise awareness of the danger of this new law.

Yep added, “We thank the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation and the Mayor’s office, who offered their support to ACA regardless of our decision to stay in or relocate from Nashville.

“No matter where we hold our 2017 Conference, ACA will continue to advocate on behalf of counselors and the diverse populations that they serve,” Yep stated.

ACA is currently seeking proposals from cities that can accommodate its space requirements and housing needs. More information on the location of the 2017 Conference & Expo will be released as it becomes available.

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Loathsome Rapper Azealia Banks Unleashes Homophobic, Racist Tirade at Zayn Malik

Loathsome, foul-mouthed rapper Azealia Banks unleashed a tweetstorm of racist and homophobic slurs against Zayn Malik last night after she accused him of stealing her ideas for his latest video “Like I Would”.

US reports:

“Damn Zayn be mood boarding the f–k out of me” she wrote via Instagram, sharing stills from his latest video for “Like I Would,” and other images of her work which she claimed were very similar. “I’m not mad about this though,” she added. “Zayn is a cutie pie.”

Initially silent, Malik eventually responded. “@AZEALIABANKS why you been saying nasty things about me? I wasn’t talking about you lol,” he tweeted.

Banks then unleashed a barrage of abuse at Malik.

Among Banks’s hate speech gems:

“Dude, I make better music than you. Simmer down with that fake white boy rebellion and that wannabe Beiber (sic) swag..“lol u a bitch n*gga for even responding like that. Keep sucking this yung rapunxel d*ck u hairy curry scented bitch. imma start calling you punjab you dirty bitch.”

“You a d— rider for real for real. Ride this d— until the wheels fall off Punjab.”

She then suggested he was in One Direction for his race:

“lol u were the only paki in the group and you knew you were there for a reason. You were the the token brown boy. All those white boys in 1D disrespected you and made you their PET. You were only apart of 1d to draw brown attention. You are and ALWAYS will be a TOKEN to the UK.”

“@zaynmalik still doesn’t change the fact that your mother is a dirty refugee who won’t be granted asylum. LOL @ZAYNMALIK IS A F*GGOT.”

About that hate speech policy, Twitter?

Here are just a few of dozens:

@AZEALIABANKS why you been saying nasty things about me ? I wasn’t talking about you lol ?

— zayn (@zaynmalik) May 11, 2016

“Trying to make myself known but I’m still known as the token sand nigga from 1D” t.co/iHaStz4SqQ

— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 10, 2016

“I eat sand for breakfast and suck dick for dinner” t.co/iHaStz4SqQ

— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 10, 2016

LOL @ZAYNMALIK IS A FAGGOT

— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 10, 2016

Do you understand that you are a sand nigger who emulates white boys’ renditions of black male hood? t.co/fNAk8XI1dg

— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016

This is the face he made when capital fm held auditions at the refugee camp for refugees best talent! t.co/sqJarejmHL

— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016

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