Virginia MLK Day Gun Rally Gets Underway Following Arrests of White Supremacists Plotting to Overthrow Government: VIDEOS

Thousands gathered for a Second Amendment gun rally in Richmond, Virginia on Monday to demonstrate against the state legislature’s plans to pass gun control laws.

The Washington Post reports: “State and federal officials were preparing for a volatile mix of weapons, passions and anti-government fervor. Central Richmond was braced for road closures and extensive police presence. … Gov. Ralph Northam (D) last week declared a state of emergency and issued a ban on firearms or other weapons on Capitol grounds. The state Supreme Court upheld the ban after a challenge by two gun rights groups. The Federal Aviation Administration has issued temporary flight restrictions for Richmond airspace, making it illegal to fly planes or drones above the city on Monday. Northam has said officials are concerned about threats from weaponized drones.”

Three white supremacists who are part of a group called The Base were arrested on Friday, following the arrest of three additional white supremacists on Thursday.

CNN reports: “The men — identified as Luke Austin Lane, 21; Michael John Helterbrand, 25; and Jacob Kaderli, 19 — allegedly had plans to overthrow the government and kill a couple in Bartow County, police said in a news release. All three face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and participation in a criminal gang, The Base, police said. ‘The group was involved in recruiting new members online, meeting to discuss strategy and practicing in paramilitary training camps on a 100-acre tract in Silver Creek,’ where the group allegedly had a ‘training camp,’ police said, citing their investigation with the FBI. According to an affidavit, the three allegedly discussed ‘the creation of a white ethno-state’ and ‘committing acts of violence against minority communities (including African-Americans and Jewish-Americans)” in encrypted online chat rooms.”

Last Thursday, three additional members of The Base were arrested: “The FBI arrested three alleged members of a white supremacist group early Thursday, including two men accused of possessing a machine gun, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition and body armor parts, according to the Justice Department.”

The post Virginia MLK Day Gun Rally Gets Underway Following Arrests of White Supremacists Plotting to Overthrow Government: VIDEOS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Virginia MLK Day Gun Rally Gets Underway Following Arrests of White Supremacists Plotting to Overthrow Government: VIDEOS

UK’s first-ever DragCon leaves some fans fuming

 

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A post shared by RuPaul’s DragCon (@rupaulsdragcon) on Jan 18, 2020 at 3:12pm PST

RuPaul’s first DragCon UK was a huge success over the weekend. Sort of.

It was a success in that it was hugely popular, coming fresh off the back of first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race on BBC last year. Many inside took to social media to share themselves having a great time.

Unfortunately, so many tickets were sold that the venue – the Olympia exhibition hall in Kensington (which can hold between 4,000-10,000 depending on how much of the venue is utilized) hit capacity very quickly on the first day. This left hundreds, if not thousands, stuck in queues outside. Some reported queuing with tickets for up to three hours, only to give up and… well, sashay away.

Related: “It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done” RuPaul on his new show ‘AJ & the Queen’

It didn’t help that temperatures in London hovered around 40-47F. And some had traveled from elsewhere in the country. With their kids. Cue some tears, anger and frustration on social media. The hashtag #RuFund briefly trended on Twitter on Saturday afternoon.

Inside was clearly packed.

 

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A post shared by RuPaul’s DragCon (@rupaulsdragcon) on Jan 19, 2020 at 9:52am PST

Outside, people were told they had to wait for entry.

#DragConUK pic.twitter.com/YI2phoFEBh

— Amy Louise (@Amy2489) January 18, 2020

On Facebook, one woman, Lynn Holley Shields, posted: “Travelled from Scotland early this morning with my granddaughter and friend. Weekend passes bought months ago. Waited hours in the Q!!!!! No chance of getting in today and two very upset teenagers. If I could get a refund for expensive train tickets and hotel I’d head home.”

Related: The six best places to see drag in London

Some took aim at RuPaul himself.

On Drag Race UK, RuPaul had previously commented on how British people love to queue. One Twitter user was quick to highlight the irony.

RuPaul himself has not commented on the situation. However, the official RuPaul’s DragCon Facebook and Twitter accounts blamed health and safety regulations for the queues.

“Hey kitty girls, we know that some of you unfortunately had to queue outside the DragCon UK convention center,” it posted. “We apologize for the wait as Health and Safety required us to slow the flow of people coming in.‬

“‪If your ticket isn’t scanned and you would like to return, you are welcome to come tomorrow and we will honor your ticket. If you would like to reach out, you can find us at [email protected]. We are working to make sure you have the best weekend possible.”‬

One woman, Nel Byars, traveled from Wrexham to London (approximately 200 miles) with her sister and three children under the age of 12. They queued for over three hours before giving up.

“They were all really upset because they were so excited to come here and experience it, so there were a few tears,” she told the BBC. She said returning on Sunday was not an option for them.

From postings online, most of the disappointed fans who couldn’t return on Sunday were issued with refunds speedily.

Just contacted [email protected] and received confirmation of a refund within 5 minutes. So disappointed we didn’t get in but thankful I got my £200 back! The organisers have massively underestimated this event. Bad venue choice.

— Sarah Matano (@MatanoSarah) January 18, 2020

Here’s hoping that when the event next returns, it’s either at a bigger venue or they restrict the number of tickets they sell.

www.queerty.com/uks-first-ever-dragcon-leaves-fans-fuming-20200120?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Trump Had Mar-a-Lago Fumigated After Visit from AIDS-Afflicted ‘Fixer’ Roy Cohn: BOOK

Donald Trump had Mar-a-Lago fumigated in 1986 after he was paid a visit by his former friend and fixer Roy Cohn, who was dying of AIDS. The story appears in a new book called The Fixers which contains profiles of Trump’s relationship with Cohn, as well as Michael Cohen and other men who helped Trump fight legal cases and bad publicity.

Newsweek reports: “By 1986, Cohn, ‘whose homosexuality and promiscuity were an open secret,’ the book says, was in the last few months of his life, dying as a consequence of AIDS, though he denied this publicly and claimed to be fighting liver cancer. Early that year, Trump ‘invited Cohn for what seemed like a farewell dinner at Mar-a-Lago… At the table, the place settings were ornate, and a gold candelabra rested on the table. Guests paid tribute to the dying lawyer,’ the book says.”

The book said Trump was often sentimental about Cohn but reported that after Cohn’s last visit to Mar-a-Lago when he was in the final stages of AIDS, Trump told guests, “I had to spend a fortune to fumigate all the dishes and silverware.”

Check out the videos below for more on Trump’s relationship with Cohn.

The post Trump Had Mar-a-Lago Fumigated After Visit from AIDS-Afflicted ‘Fixer’ Roy Cohn: BOOK appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Trump Had Mar-a-Lago Fumigated After Visit from AIDS-Afflicted ‘Fixer’ Roy Cohn: BOOK