Billboard and Newly Released Ad Feature Gay Iraq Army War Veteran in LGBT Public Education Campaign
Featured in HRC’s All God’s Children” campaign, Army Sergeant Justin Kelly is a Greenville native and fourth-generation soldier
HRC.org
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Stepping Down Amid Pressure: VIDEO
Chuck Hagel is stepping down from his position as Defense Secretary, The New York Times reports:
The president, who is expected to announce Mr. Hagel’s resignation in a Rose Garden appearance on Monday, made the decision to ask his defense secretary — the sole Republican on his national security team — to step down last Friday after a series of meetings over the past two weeks, senior administration officials said.
The officials described Mr. Obama’s decision to remove Mr. Hagel, 68, as a recognition that the threat from the Islamic State would require a different kind of skills than those that Mr. Hagel was brought on to employ. A Republican with military experience who was skeptical about the Iraq war, Mr. Hagel came in to manage the Afghanistan combat withdrawal and the shrinking Pentagon budget in the era of budget sequestration.
The paper adds Michèle Flournoy, the former under secretary of defense; Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ashton B. Carter, a former deputy secretary of defense are at the top of the list for potential replacement candidates.
Watch a CNN report on the breaking news, AFTER THE JUMP…
Kyler Geoffroy
www.towleroad.com/2014/11/defense-secretary-chuck-hagel-stepping-down-amid-pressure-video.html
Some Kansas Clerks Refuse to Issue Marriage Licenses (VIDEO)
We’ve added two or maybe three states to the marriage equality map this week: Montana, South Carolina, and sort of Kansas. Let’s start with Montana, where a District Court Judge ordered the state to start issuing marriage licenses this week. Montana is the last state in the Ninth Circuit to get the freedom to marry. Attorney General Tim Fox will appeal the ruling, but he’s not seeking a stay, probably because he knows there’s no point, since the Ninth Circuit will definitely uphold this decision, and the Supreme Court won’t review it. Marriage is here to stay in Montana.
And marriages have also started in South Carolina. That’s the last state in the Fourth Circuit to get marriage. Attorney General Alan Wilson had asked the Supreme Court to block marriage, pending an appeal, but they declined. Wilson’s appeal will still go to the Fourth Circuit, but they’ve already overturned marriage bans in neighboring states, so just like in Montana, marriage is there to stay.
Now on to Kansas. This is a tricky one. A District Court judge struck down the state’s ban, and the stay on the ruling expired at the end of last week. Some counties have started issuing marriage licenses. But others haven’t. And state agencies are refusing to honor the licenses that have been issued, since Governor Brownback is appealing the decision. Kansas is in the Tenth Circuit, where the every other court has overturned marriage bans, so they have virtually no chance of stopping marriage. Governor Brownback will lose his appeal, it’s just hard to say when.
A lawsuit in South Dakota is moving ahead. A federal judge there rejected the state’s claim that the 1972 case Baker v. Nelson prevents a federal ruling. Just a few weeks ago, the Sixth Circuit cited Baker as justification for upholding a marriage ban, so it’s a promising sign that the South Dakota judge rejected that argument.
Florida attorney general Pam Bondi has filed appeals in multiple cases to try to stop marriage. Her chances of prevailing are not great. But for now, marriage is still on hold in Florida. In Louisiana, gay couples have asked to skip the Fifth Circuit and go right to the Supreme Court for a ruling. And over in Alabama, the state has cited the work of Mark Regnerus in its latest brief. Regnerus is the author of a discredited study on gay parenting, which a federal Judge in Michigan called “entirely unbelievable and not worthy of serious consideration.” So, good luck with that, Alabama.
And finally, the National Organization for Marriage is not doing well. New tax filings show donations dropped over 50% in 2013, with the group ending the year $2.5 million in debt. NOM has faced large fines over the last year due to campaign finance violations, and donations have dropped sharply since the organization really hasn’t had a major victory in several years.
8 reasons you should visit Disneyland Paris: the gayest place on earth
Partying with Mickey and Minnie, Elsa and Anna; we’d call it camp as Christmas but that would be too obvious
jamiet
www.gaystarnews.com/article/8-reasons-you-should-visit-disneyland-paris-gayest-place-earth211114
PHOTOS: Atomic Bombshells Blow up the Stage
When burlesque started experiencing a modern revival a decade ago, we were a little worried that it would be just a flash in the pan, like when everyone liked swing for a few weeks in 1998. But we needn’t have worried! Burlesque has become more vital than ever, thanks in large part to the amazing talent of troupes like the internationally-renowned Atomic Bombshells of Seattle.
This weekend, the Atomic Bombshells performed the show Cake at the Triple Door Theater to raucous applause. Drag Race hotshot BenDeLaCreme hosted the affair, with a cast of local favorites like Kitten La Rue, Faggoty Randy, drag king Lou Henry Hoover, and Miss Indigo Blue. Fabulous guest superstars Perle Noire and Kitten De Ville brought the audience to their feet. Next time you find yourself in the Pacific Northwest — or when the troupe’s on tour — tickets are a must-get. (Hint: Many of the same artists are hosting a Christmas show next month, if you’re looking for a perfectly inappropriate way to celebrate the holidays.)
And as randy as these photos are, the performers peeled off far more than we can show you on this family-friendly site. Head over to photographer Matt Baume’s Flickr for some uncensored photos.
matt baume
feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/ohhFFQzfiNE/photos-atomic-bombshells-blow-up-the-stage-20141124
One Direction Nabs Artist of the Year at 2014 American Music Awards: VIDEO
One Direction took home the top prize at last night’s American Music Awards – beating out Iggy Azalea, Eminem, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, Lorde, John Legend, and Luke Bryan for the Artist of the Year award.
The British boy band also won favorite band and favorite album in the pop/rock category.
Watch 1D’s “Night Changes” performance and their big win, AFTER THE JUMP…
Fellow Brit Sam Smith also managed to nab an award last night in the favorite pop/rock male artist category.
Kyler Geoffroy
Robbie Rogers's Memoir Kicks Around Depression, Redemption, And Coming Out
Professional soccer player Robbie Rogers has found success in his sport after coming out, but he had to deal with plenty of internal demons to get there.
Michelle Garcia
These Vintage Photos Prove Every Thanksgiving Parade Should Be Hosted By Betty White
From the 1960s to the early ’70s, Betty White hosted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We say: Can we bring back this tradition? Take a look at our beloved Betty in action — and in promos (along with her co-host, actor Lorne Greene) — and see if you don’t agree.
Op-ed: Bosses Need to Step Up for Their Trans Employees
Transgender visibility is on the rise, but most trans people are still unprotected against workplace discrimination.
Richard Greggory Johnson
www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/11/24/op-ed-bosses-need-step-their-trans-employees
Towletech v.131: Star Wars, Google Glass, Terminator, Laser Watches, TGIF Drones, NASA Cats
A weekly round-up of the best tech, science, and geek-related news from around the web
Is this the first footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer rumored to debut next week?
In other “star wars” news, Russia is reportedly developing an “inspector satellite” that could chase down or destroy other orbiting spacecraft.
And if your mind (and ears) are still swarming with all things Interstellar, be sure and check out this behind the scenes video for the sound of the film.
On Thursday and Friday, Silicon Valley’s Singularity University was in Amsterdam for Summit Europe. The two day event centered around the concepts and consequences of exponential technologies. Check out SingularityHub’s coverage of the event, including the summit’s discussions on robots, artificial intelligence, and self-driving cars.
Was Google Glass just a grand, failed experiment?
The second phase of Expedition 42 blasted off to the ISS today, carrying commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, flight engineer Terry Virts of NASA, and Italian flight engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency. They will be joining their other three crew members already on the ISS. The crew has also put together a humorous poster mimicking The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Check out the first image of Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the iconic role of a T-800 robot for next year’s Terminator: Genisys.
Speaking of Terminator, Space X CEO Elon Musk recently said that he’s legitimately worried dangerous artificial intelligence (a la Skynet) is only five years away.
A video on the future of sex, courtesy of The Verge.
Check out this one of a kind, James Bond-inspired laser watch that pop balloons, light matches, and burn through CD cases all from a distance. Just don’t point it at your cat.
Why the internet of things is bigger than anyone realizes.
Two new sub-atomic particles have been discovered by CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have an ambitious plan to use Oculus Rift to help complete Google’s Lunar Xprize – a $30 million competition to land a privately funded robot on the moon.
Put this one down in the “insane, but heartwarming” category: TGI Friday’s in the United Kingdom are set to roll out mistletoe-armed drones inside restaurants to help encourage holiday kissing.
A Japanese construction company has unveiled a blueprint for a spiral ocean city that will be home to some 5,000 people and be ready for residents to move in as early as 2030.
Harvard scientists say it’s time to start thinking about engineering the climate.
Midterm surprise: Why the new GOP chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, and Science could lead to a planned mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa.
A fascinating look at how falling cats taught NASA astronauts about zero gravity back in 1969.
Kyler Geoffroy
You must be 18 years old or older to chat
