Eurovision 2014: Austria's Entry

Now this is the kind of Eurovision entry that made me fall in love with the contest many years ago. Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst (real name Tom Neuwirth) is a longtime performer on local reality shows. In 2007 he was part of the short-lived boy band Jetzt Anders with other cast members of the singing competition show Starmania. That year Jetzt Anders scored a couple of local chart hits with Neuwirth performing lead vocals. Enter Conchita Wurst in 2011, when Neuwirth's bearded drag persona appeared in the reality shows The Hardest Jobs In Austria and Wild Girls, the latter of which was a Survivor-style show set in the Namibian desert.

In 2012, Conchita Wurst took second place in Austria's Eurovision contest. When Wurst was named this year's entry for Austria, a petition campaign was launched in Belarus which demands that state television edit her out of the broadcast of the finals in Copenhagen. According to the petition, Wurst's appearance in the telecast "will turn Eurovision into a hotbed of sodomy." (Hooray!) A similar petition has been launched in Russia, where a group calling itself the All-Russia Parents Meeting is demanding that Russia not broadcast the competition at all. Wurst has vowed to denounce Vladimir Putin during the event.

Austria won't name the song that Conchita Wurst will compete with until Tuesday, but JMG reader Rich has prodded me to jump the gun by a few days. The first clip below is the track that won her second place in Austria's 2012 contest. In the second clip, Wurst covers Celine Dion in the 2011 singing contest, The Big Chance. As you'll see, her entrance was met with snickering, but the audience was on their feet cheering by the finish. If you haven't gotten the joke by now, wurst is the German word for "sausage."


RELATED: Wurst's beard is a topic of discussion on a men's facial hair forum, where contributors are arguing over its realness. There are many photos of Wurst in and out of drag there and one commenter claims she is styling herself after Kim Kardashian.

ALSO RELATED: Transgender pop star Dana International won Eurovision 1998 for Israel with her global hit, Diva. As with Conchita Wurst, her appearance in the contest generated widespread controversy.

Sen. Rand Paul: The GOP Needs To Back Off On Same-Sex Marriage

"I think that the Republican Party, in order to get bigger, will have to agree to disagree on social issues. The Republican Party is not going to give up on having quite a few people who do believe in traditional marriage. But the Republican Party also has to find a place for young people and others who don’t want to be festooned by those issues. On issues that are very contentious, that involve social mores—I think that allowing different parts of the country to make their decision based on the local mores and culture is a good idea. But when it comes to taxes and benefits, the [federal] government ought to take a neutral position—a way where marriage wouldn’t have an effect, positive or negative, on those things." - Sen. Rand Paul, speaking to Vocativ.

As the above softening emphasizes, Paul has already begun working on his 2016 presidential bid and is pressuring the Kentucky legislative to repeal a law that forbids candidates from appearing twice on the same ballot. That way he can run for president without surrendering his Senate seat. Even though Paul dominated the presidential straw poll at CPAC earlier this month, the reaction to the above-linked interview is bringing screams of "RINO" over at Breitbart today.  Hate group leader Bryan Fischer has been tweeting about it all day.

Media Matters: Right Wing Rodeo

"The week's worst moments in conservative media."

CHINA: Gay Man Sues Search Engine Giant For Promoting "Ex-Gay" Therapy

A gay man has filed suit against China's largest search engine company for directing him to an "ex-gay" therapist that tortured him with electroshock therapy. Via Gay Star News:

A court in Beijing will decide in the next few days whether to proceed with the lawsuit against Baidu and Chongqing-based Xin Yu Piao Xiang (XYPX). Baidu, the fifth most frequently visited website in the world, has broken various laws for displaying advertisements by XYPX with false claims about changing sexual orientation, according to volunteer lawyer Huang Yizhi. Last August, the gay man, who goes by the name of Xiao Zhen, googled the terms "homosexuality" and "gay therapy" on Baidu and the first result he got each time was an advertisement by XYPX. With XYPX promising to cure him of his homosexuality with a 30,000 yuan ($4880, €3525) treatment course, Xiao Zhen travelled all the way from the capital to Chongqing last month. "The psychological counsellor asked me to lie down for hypnotization, leading me to imagine being with another guy," he said. "I was electroshocked each time I was aroused. I was freaked out and jumped up at once, but he insisted that it was all right and that one needed persistence to succeed."

With an estimated market value of $55B, Baidu was the first Chinese company to be listed on the NASDAQ 100.

Sarah Palin To Launch Video Channel

Capital New York reports that Sarah Palin has signed a deal to launch her own digital video channel to be named Rogue TV. The project is expected to be similar to Glenn Beck's online network, The Blaze.

The channel will be available through Tapp, the digital video service founded by former CNN chief Jon Klein and former NBC Universal entertainment executive Jeff Gaspin. Subscriptions will cost $10 per month. Rogue is expected to launch in April or May, and it would be one of the first of the digital channels offered by Tapp. Palin’s channel will feature video commentaries from the former Republican vice-presidential candidate, discussing current events and political issues. “Think of it as a video version of her Facebook page,” the source said. That said, Rogue is also expected to feature footage of Palin and her family in Alaska, much as the 2010 TLC reality series, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” did. (TLC’s parent company, Discovery Communications, is an investor in Tapp.) It will also have advice and guidance from Palin, such as tips for parents and recipes. There are also tentative plans to have subscribers engage in regular video chats with Palin.

Tapp's website is here, but it features little information so far. (Tipped by JMG reader Claude)

Bill Maher Vs Noah

Trump: I Won't Run For NY Governor Because Republicans Here Suck

TENNESSEE: Court Issues Temporary Order Recognizing Three Gay Marriages

Buzzfeed reports:

A federal judge in Tennessee Friday ordered state officials to recognize the marriages of three same-sex couples during the consideration of their lawsuit challenging the validity of the state’s ban on recognizing such marriages. In considering the request for a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger wrote that “all relevant federal authority indicates that the plaintiffs in this case are indeed likely to prevail on their claims that the Anti-Recognition Laws are unconstitutional.” The plaintiffs, she noted, filed the case only on their own behalf, so the temporary ruling affects only the state’s treatment of the three couples.

Read the order here.

UPDATE: The National Center for Lesbian Rights reacts to their win.

The couples filed a motion in November 2013 to seek immediate protection while their case proceeds. In granting that motion today, Judge Trauger held that Tennessee’s laws prohibiting the state from acknowledging the equal dignity of the married couples’ relationships and families likely would cause them significant and irreparable harm, including because one of the couples is expecting a baby within days and urgently needs the legal protection and security of having both partners recognized as legal parents, as other married couples in Tennessee are recognized. The couples are Dr. Valeria Tanco and Dr. Sophy Jesty of Knoxville; Army Reserve Sergeant First Class Ijpe DeKoe and Thom Kostura of Memphis; and Matthew Mansell and Johno Espejo of Franklin. The couples are represented by attorneys Abby R. Rubenfeld of Nashville, William Harbison, Scott Hickman, Phil Cramer, and John Farringer of the law firm of Sherrard & Roe in Nashville, Maureen T. Holland of Memphis, Regina Lambert of Knoxville, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).

"Tennessee now joins several other states—including Utah, Oklahoma, Ohio, Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky, and Texas—in which a federal court has ruled that states must allow same-sex couples to marry or recognize the marriages of couples who married in other states since the Supreme Court’s ruling last June requiring the federal government to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples."

Happy In New York City

New Yorkers acting happy in the midst of one of the worst winters ever. Scenes include Central Park, Grand Central, Penn Station, Brooklyn Bridge, Coney Island, Times Square, City Hall, and the High Line. Somehow they caught a couple of nicer days in there too.

(Via Towleroad)

Austin Ruse: A Vatican Priest Once Offered Me Absolution If I Would Murder Hillary

"Hillary [Clinton] is the ‘conquering queen’ at the United Nations. I was standing on the floor of the UN a couple of months ago, when she was thinking about running, and I was talking to a priest from the Holy See delegation and — I shouldn’t tell you this but he offered me guaranteed absolution if I just took her out — and not on a date." - Breitbart columnist Austin Ruse, in a 2000 address to a Catholic group uncovered today by Right Wing Watch.

Earlier today the American Family Association fired Ruse for saying that all liberal college professors "should be taken out and shot." Ruse has now issued an apology.

I deeply regret and apologize for using the expression "taken out and shot" on the Sandy Rios Show this week. It was not intended to be taken literally. I have dedicated my life and career to ending violence. I regret that these poorly chosen words are being used to attack my friends at American Family Radio and American Family Association.

Will he apologize for joking about murdering Hillary Clinton?

RELATED: In addition to writing for Breitbart, Ruse is the head of C-FAM, the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute, which is a member of the World Congress of Families, the coalition working with NOM and others to export anti-gay hatred to foreign counties. During a speech at CPAC 2012, Ruse denounced the United Nations for issuing a resolution against the gay death penalty. Hillary Clinton, liberal college professors, and homosexuals. Is there anybody that Catholic leader Austin Ruse doesn't want to see murdered?

Eurovision 2014: Latvia's Entry

In recent years the Eurovision entries have trended towards boring English-language power ballads or forgettable EDM stompers and away from the glitzy, over the top schlock-dramas that made the contest so deliriously silly.  But this year, as we've already seen from Malta, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, there is a strange move to folksy, bluegrass-y, acoustic Up With People happy-clappers.  Add Latvia to that list with their entry below, which seems right out of the Wiggles songbook. But hey, you do get a brief lesson in Latvian.

INDIANA: Fourth Marriage Suit Filed

Make that four Indiana marriage equality lawsuits.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Friday morning in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on behalf of 15 plaintiffs, including two children of same-sex couples, challenging the same-sex marriage ban and the state's refusal to recognize gay unions legally performed in other states. "The government is a powerful teacher of discrimination," said Sean Lemieux, an attorney working on the ACLU case. "There is no justification for Indiana to treat these families as second-class citizens. The families in this case want the responsibility, security and dignity that only marriage provides, and their children deserve the same protections that other Indiana families enjoy."

If you think your head is spinning, just imagine how the haters must feel. #MutleyLaugh.

INDIANA: Third Marriage Suit Filed

Via press release from Indiana Equality:

This morning, four lawfully married same-sex couples filed a challenge to Indiana’s marriage law on the basis that the state’s unwillingness to recognize legal same-sex marriages performed elsewhere violates the U.S. Constitution. Of the eight women who joined the lawsuit, three are police officers and one is a retired firefighter. All four couples were lawfully married in states other than Indiana. The lawsuit focuses, among other denied protections, on the inability of first responders’ same-sex spouses to be named as beneficiaries for police and fire pension or death benefits. The lawsuit names Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and officials with the Indiana Public Retirement System, which oversees the Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Pension and Disability Fund.

Read the full filing. Here are the first and second suits.

Totally Dead? It's Not Too Late!

They have "dead raising teams" in 12 states, Canada, and the Netherlands. Details. And they've made a movie called Deadraiser. Of course.

Can dead people come back to life? Is it happening today? DEADRAISER is a captivating documentary exploring modern day resurrection stories. A true supernatural adventure, this film follows a dynamic group of spiritually empowered individuals from wide-ranging theologies, backgrounds and locations as they team up to live out the words of Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew 10:8. Get ready for the genuine Gospel message like you've never heard it before.

(Via Christian Nightmares)

Park Slope, Brooklyn USA

Saudi Arabia Bans 50 Baby Names

Via Gulf News:

Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry has banned 50 given names including “foreign” names, names related to royalty and those it considers to be blasphemous. Saudis will no longer be able to give their children names such as Amir (prince), Linda or Abdul Nabi (Slave of the Prophet) after the civil affairs department at the ministry issued the list, according to Saudi news sites. It justified the ban by saying that the names either contradicted the culture or religion of the kingdom, or were foreign, or “inappropriate”.

The banned non-Arabic names: Alice, Elaine, Lauren, Linda, and Sandy.

CT Pastor Drops Dead During Adultery Confession To His Congregation

Via the Connecticut Post:

A congregation loudly confronted its longtime pastor about his alleged infidelity -- and in the midst of their yelling, the pastor dropped dead. That's what happened Sunday at the Miracle Faith World Outreach Church, according to members of the congregation and police sources. Bishop Bobby Davis, pastor of the Harriet Street church since its founding in 1967, was pronounced dead at Bridgeport Hospital. "After the service on Sunday the bishop's family asked us to remain in the church and the bishop confessed to us something that happened long ago," said Judy Stovall, an elder at the church. "He wanted to come clean with all of us. He wanted to ask our forgiveness."

A member of the congregation says they were actually shouting their support for the pastor.

UPDATE: It turns out there is MUCH more to the story according to the Christian Post.

One source, who asked not to be identified during an interview with The Christian Post on Thursday, said the confession wasn't that clean-cut based on what they were told, and feels the situation could have been handled better. He (Bishop Davis) had confessed it (infidelity) personally to his wife prior to the service, and she called a meeting after church with just the members and the members stayed. He wasn't there at the time, he was somewhere else apparently, neither of them were in the service that morning. They had one of their pastors do the service," explained the source. "From what I was told, she (pastor's wife) told the congregation what he had done. And so, when he comes through the door he had no idea what he was walking into. So it wasn't even. 'We're gonna make an announcement today' ... in a unified way as a couple," the source continued. "I'm told that when he walked through the door she basically told him, 'Tell them what you just told me,' which is what induced the heart attack, because it's not like he was walking into it knowing," the source explained.

TMZ: Reality Show Marriage Bootcamp Husband Did Straight-For-Gay Porn

Reported in typical TMZ-style.

AFA Fires Breitbart Columnist Austin Ruse Over "Shoot Liberal Professors" Comment

Two days ago while filling in on the American Family Association radio show of Sandy Rios, Breitbart columnist Austin Ruse declared that liberal college professors should all be "taken out and shot." Ruse then spent the next day engaging in Twitter flame wars with his detractors. Today Right Wing Watch reports that Ruse has been fired by American Family Radio, who posted a statement to their Facebook page: "The fill-in host on AFR who made those comments is no longer on the air with us and will not be filling in on AFR in the future." AFR has also deleted Ruse's shows from their archives. For his part, Ruse has deleted his Twitter account, saying on Facebook, "Due to leftist swarm, I've had to deactivate my twitter account." Ruse continues to be listed as a Breitbart contributor.

And yet Bryan Fischer remains.

RELATED: In addition to writing for Breitbart, Ruse is the head of C-FAM, the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute, which is a member of the World Congress of Families, the coalition working with NOM and others to export anti-gay hatred to foreign counties. During a speech at CPAC 2012, Ruse denounced the United Nations for issuing a resolution against the gay death penalty.

Indiana Bakery Refuses Gay Cake Order

Probably spurred by the two marriage equality lawsuits filed there this month, an Indiana bakery yesterday announced it had refused to sell a cake for a "same-sex ceremony." From the Facebook page of One Eleven Cakery:

As artist we must find the inspiration to create something special for our clients. When asked to do a cake for an occasion or with a theme (alcohol explicit in nature) that is in opposition to our faith, that inspiration is not found. We feel that it is important for a paying customer to know when this is the case. Why would you want a cake that is less then inspired for your special event. That is why this week we told a man that requested a cake for a same sex ceremony that it was against our policy but we would be happy to help him with anything else. It was not that we wanted to deny them a cake it’s just tough to create something that goes against your beliefs. Was this the right thing to say? Maybe not but this phone call caused us to do a lot of soul searching because we want to be right with our God as well as respect others. We have not heard from this man but would welcome a chance to meet with him. We sincerely wish them the best. Please know that there is zero hate here. We are not judging the lives of our clients. We are not trying to make a political statement or change someone’s mind. We respect the fact that everyone has different values and believes. Everyone is entitled to their opinion we would encourage you to share those in a respectful way. We have happily done cakes for gay people, as well as people with different believes.

Indiana has no statewide public accommodation protection for LGBT citizens. However in Indianapolis, home to the One Eleven Cakery, such legal protections DO exist. (Tipped by JMG reader Homer)

BOSTON: Sam Adams Yanks St. Patrick's Parade Support Over Exclusion Of Gays

MassEquality points us to a statement from Boston Beer, the makers of the Sam Adams brand:

"We have been participating in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade for nearly a decade and have also supported the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast year after year. We’ve done so because of the rich history of the event and to support veterans who have done so much for this country. We were hopeful that both sides of this issue would be able to come to an agreement that would allow everyone, regardless of orientation, to participate in the parade. But given the current status of the negotiations, we realize this may not be possible. We share these sentiments with Mayor Walsh, Congressman Lynch and others and therefore we will not participate in this year’s parade. We will continue to support Senator Linda Dorcena Forry and her St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. We wish her all the best in her historic stewardship of this tradition."

Rocky Musical Debuts On Broadway

Sylvester Stallone showed up.

Pastor James Manning Strikes Again: "Jesus Would Stone Homos" Billboard Appears In Harlem

Last month Harlem Pastor James Manning earned national headlines when he posted a billboard declaring that President Obama has "released homo demons on the black man." Today Manning upped the Christian Love™ with the above sign.  According to Manning's YouTube clip posted this morning, Christians who refuse to stone homosexuals to death are "advocating lawlessness." He goes on: "Stoning of the homos is now in order. Stoning is still the law." We'll stand by for Christian leaders to denounce Pastor Manning, but don't hold your breath - there was nothing but silence last month.

US Suspends Some Aid To Uganda

In what Reuters calls the "first concrete move" by the United States since the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, the CDC has cut some financial aid to Uganda.

The U.S. had signaled it was reviewing its ties with the East African country after President Yoweri Museveni signed in legislation on February 24 that punishes gay sex with jail terms up to life. "As a result of this review process, a portion of the U.S. Centre for Disease Control's (CDC) cooperative agreement with the Ministry of Health has been put on hold pending this review," a senior U.S. government official told Reuters on Thursday. The U.S. official did not say how much aid was withheld but added the CDC had spent $3.9 million on a ministry of health program last year. Uganda's health ministry said it had been told it would no longer be able to access money from a fund used to buy antiretroviral drugs and HIV testing kits. Ministry spokeswoman Rukia Nakamatte said the freeze would affect 50 of its workers.

As some US activists have warned, among the first to suffer from these cuts are people living with HIV/AIDS. Total US aid to Uganda in 2013 was about $723M.

NEW YORK CITY: AIDS No Longer Among Top Ten Causes Of Death

Via the New York Daily News:

For the first time since the HIV epidemic exploded more than a generation ago, AIDS is no longer one of the top 10 causes of death in the city, the city’s top health official said Thursday. Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said AIDS dropped off the top ten list for 2012. In 2011, it was the number nine killer, with 766 deaths. That number dropped to 609 for 2012, according to statistics released last month. It’s the first time AIDS has not ranked among the top ten since 1983. City officials say better treatment is allowing New Yorkers with AIDS to live longer. “It’s a tribute to the efforts that have been made...in tackling this epidemic. We are seeing some success,” Bassett said at a City Council budget hearing.

According to the CDC, an estimated 1.2M Americans are living with HIV/AIDS.

Maddow Rips Wingnut Claims About Presidents Appearing On Comedy Shows

Clip recap via Noah Rothman:

On Thursday night, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow took aim at ABC News reporter Jim Avila, CNN political analyst David Gergen, and a number of conservative political commentators who asserted that President Barack Obama’s appearance on a Funny or Die web video debased the office of the presidency. Maddow took the opportunity to play clips of all the times when American presidents made light of themselves by appearing with comedians. Maddow featured presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush who appeared with popular comedians at some point in their presidency.

TRAILER: Get On Up

ARIZONA: Second Marriage Suit Filed

In January, four Arizona gay couples filed a class action suit against the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Yesterday a second lawsuit was filed in federal court by Lambda Legal.

The complaint was filed on behalf of seven Arizona couples, a Phoenix widower and a Tucson widow to overturn a 2008 amendment to the Arizona Constitution that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Every day that same-sex couples in Arizona are denied marriage, the government sends a message that their families are not worthy of equal dignity and respect," said Lambda Legal Senior Counsel Jennifer C. Pizer. The lead plaintiffs are a Scottsdale couple, Nelda Majors, 75, and Karen Bailey, 74, who have been together for more than 55 years. They have raised Bailey's great-grandnieces as their own daughters since the children were toddlers. They are now 15 and 21 years old.

Read the full filing here.

God Doesn't Believe In Climate Change

"Do you think God has a sense of humor? Well, I think he does. Let me tell you what happened. In the United States Capitol, Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer and the Democrats had an all night marathon advancing global warming. And they said we have to be in fear of global warming. So, God says, ‘Harry and Barbara, you’ve got it all wrong.’ He dropped the temperature 40 degrees, sent so much wind that it that it knocked out the lights in the Capitol dome for the first time in years. And it’s still cold! And the Lord is saying, ‘Democrats, it isn’t going to happen that way.' Isn’t that fun? God has a sense of humor.” - Pat Robertson, speaking yesterday on the 700 Club.

Porno Pete Has The Honey Maid Sadz

We haven't heard a peep from you-know-who yet, so I suspect they're stirring up something especially nasty in their cauldron. ICYMI: Here's the Honey Maid clip.

TRAILER: The Day It Snowed In Miami

Especially relevant in light of today's passing of former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew, coming soon to PBS is a documentary about Anita Bryant and Miami's famed battle for LGBT rights. The film premiered last week in Miami Beach. For those too young, some back story:

As promotion of civil rights for African Americans, women and other disadvantaged groups expanded, a handful of gay communities, notably in New York and San Francisco, started to speak out. None of those communities, however, were in the South. It was not a gay public official who brought the issue to Miami; there were virtually no openly gay public officials in those days save for San Francisco’s supervisor Harvey Milk. It was a Metro Dade County commissioner, Ruth Shack, who proposed an ordinance to protect county residents against employment and housing discrimination on the basis of “affectional or sexual preference.” She just thought it was the right thing to do. The measure passed on the frigid night of Jan. 18, 1977. The next morning, it snowed for the only time in Miami’s recorded history.

A backlash quickly ensued, led by Anita Bryant. She was a 1959 Miss America runner-up who went on to a moderately successful singing career. By 1977 her main gig was as a TV spokeswoman for Florida orange juice. Bryant and her husband at the time, Bob Green, were evangelical Christians. (Ruth Shack’s husband happened to be Bryant’s booking agent, until he resigned amid the gay-rights battle.) Backed by an assortment of church groups, Bryant’s organization, Save the Children, Inc., quickly gathered far more than the necessary 10,000 signatures to put the new ordinance to a referendum. A few months later, with a heavy turnout, voters repealed the law by a 2-1 margin.

The film debuts nationwide on PBS later this year.

RELATED: Miami Herald reporter Steve Rothous, one of the film's producers, wrote today about Askew.

Askew, according to his obit in the Miami Herald, was a "fiercely determined advocate" for racial equality. He was no friend to the gay community. As documented in the new Miami Herald/WPBT2 film by Joe Cardona, The Day It Snowed In Miami, Askew firmly stood by friend Anita Bryant and supported repeal of Miami-Dade County's gay-rights ordinance. Said Askew in 1977: "If I were living in Dade County, I would have no hesitation in voting to repeal the ordinance. I do not want a known homosexual teaching my child and I think that a person ought to have the right to determine whether or not they want someone with that known lifestyle living on their premises." Two years later, during his confirmation hearing to be U.S. Trade Representative under President Jimmy Carter, Askew testified in the Senate that he would not knowingly hire a gay person.

(Tipped by JMG reader John)

Media Night At The Nasty Pig Store

Last night I dropped in at the media party for Nasty Pig's newly relocated flagship store in Chelsea, where editors and writers for Out, Advocate, Men's Fitness and others knoshed on cater-waitered finger foods and slurped cocktails while ogling the endlessly changing young models. Hosting the event was Paper Magazine editor Mr. Mickey and on the decks was DJ Honey Dijon, seen above-right with fashion spectacle and Adidas model Xander Gaines. Nightlife maven Michael Musto swept in at one point, making me feel, fleetingly, a shred of the downtown cred I surrendered when I moved to the Upper East Side a decade ago. Nasty Pig marketing VP Dave Hughes, who has actual nightlife cred and who has supplied mixes for us on JMG via his alter ego DJ Dave Huge, neglected to tell me whether the harnessed pig seen above is an actual handbag or a store prop. It certainly would be a conversation starter at Bear Week.

Movie Trailer Voiceover King Hal "In A World" Douglas Dies At Age 89

Via the New York Times:

Hal Douglas, a voice-over artist who narrated thousands of movie trailers in a gravelly baritone heard by “audiences everywhere,” as he might have put it, “thrilled by images never before seen ... until now!,” died on Friday at his home in Lovettsville, Va. He was 89. The flexibility of his voice, and the longevity of his career — he worked steadily until two years ago — made him a “one name” phenomenon in Hollywood, said Marice Tobias, a consultant and voice coach to many A-list actors. “When you go past superstar status, you reach icon status in this business, where people know you by one name only,” she said. “That was Hal.”

The Times doesn't say why Douglas' death is only just being reported. Douglas mocked himself in the trailer for Jerry Seinfeld's 2002 documentary, Comedian.

White Supremacists To March In NYC

Gothamist reports on the organizer, some nutjob named Kyle Hunt.

Hunt acknowledges that it's hard to organize this kind of event on such a large scale—so the group has (seemingly informally) partnered up with another white supremacist group, Free America Rally (FAR), for the main NYC event. You have to email them (go ahead: info@freeamericarally.org) to get the full information about what they're planning, but based on their previous events, it'll likely take place outside the Plaza Hotel at 59th Street and 5th Avenue, and will involve a couple of sad looking men carrying a sign or two, glumly arguing over whether it's taking power away from white people to eat from a Halal cart.

There's a dress code.

If you are a man, put on a pair of light khakis and a nice dress shirt. It should almost look like you are a groomsman at a wedding. Or maybe like an avenging Aryan angel. Women, you know how to look great in white. You could also wear sunglasses. Ancient warriors knew that a mask covering the eyes offers protection, but also provides the wearer with extra confidence. Sunglasses can intimidate others who cannot see your eyes, while making you seem cool and collected.

And there's a video in which Hunt predicts that "thousands will participate in one way or another." My predicted turnout: Zero to five.

TEXAS: Father Of Victim Arrested In Slaying Of Houston Lesbian Couple

The Houston Chronicle reports:

The father of one of two women whose bodies were found last week on the Bolivar Peninsula was arrested Thursday in connection with the deaths. James Larry Cosby, 46, of Houston, is charged with two counts of tampering with evidence in the deaths of his daughter, Britney Cosby, and Crystal Jackson, according to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office. Both women were 24. Deputies said Cosby is in the Galveston County jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. Charges against him, deputies added, may be upgraded to capital murder as the investigation continues. Cosby was arrested early Thursday morning after investigators interviewed him about the case following a vigil in Houston for the slain women, said Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset.

Police have revealed that Jackson was murdered by gunshot and that Cosby's daughter died from blows to the head. The father attended the vigil for the couple. My first report on the murders is here.

Sources Say Fox Anchor Shep Smith Isn't Planning On Coming Out At LGBT Gala

Jim Romenesko followed up on my post yesterday about Shep Smith attending next week's gala for LGBT journalists.

I asked Fox News and NLGJA if Smith – outed by Gawker last October – plans to announce anything at next Thursday’s event. “Not to my knowledge,” NLGJA membership coordinator Matthew Rose told me. “Our special guest list is filled with allies,” straight and gay. (Another NLGJA member noted that Anderson Cooper attended the “Headlines and Headliners” bash during his closeted years.) Fox News spokeswoman Irena Briganti tells me: “Fox News is an annual sponsor of the NLGJA event and Shepard Smith is attending the benefit along with numerous other Fox News Channel & Fox Business on-air talent and staff.”

The event takes place on Thursday at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan.

IRELAND: US Embassy Says Americans Invented St. Patrick's Day

From the YouTube channel of the US Embassy in Dublin.

American Jesus Madnees: 2014 Brackets

You'll have to embiggen for the jokes. I think my favorite match-up is Gay Wedding Cake Vs Christian Persecution.  Source. (Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)

VIDEO: Pet Shop Boys Issue "Slow Mix" Version Of Panti Bliss' Homophobia Speech

Several days ago Pet Shop Boys issued a dance track that accompanies the now-legendary speech on homophobia by Irish drag activist Panti Bliss. A second, slower version of the track has now been released with an accompanying video. Pet Shop Boys explain the genesis of the project:

Impressed by what they considered (in Neil's words) "a great statement in this age when gay marriage and cruel homophobia exist side by side," the Boys decided to put excerpts of Panti's speech to music just a couple weeks after it he delivered it. They composed an atmospheric backing track, set key segments of the speech to it, and turned it over to Panti himself, who then released it to the world on SoundCloud in early March 2014, about a week after the Boys recorded it. That initial release was a "Dance Mix," rhythmically in a light house/trance vein that, as the title of the mix indicates, would be right at home in most dance clubs. A "Slow Mix" surfaced just a few days later, virtually identical to the Dance Mix except in its statelier, more placid rhythm track, which served to place even greater emphasis on the import of Panti's words. Both mixes were handled by Chris.

Watch the video, which contains images of anti-gay oppression and violence around the world. The audio-only dance mix of the track is here.

FLORIDA: Former Gov. Reubin Askew, Ally To Anita Bryant, Dies At Age 85

Former Democratic Florida Gov. Reubin Askew, who supported Anita Bryant's campaign to ban gay schoolteachers and who in 1977 signed Florida's statutory ban on same-sex marriage and gay adoption, has died of pneumonia at the age 85. Despite his opposition to LGBT rights and his other conservative positions, the New York Times today hails Askew as a progressive for his time.

Along with former Presidents Jimmy Carter of Georgia and Bill Clinton of Arkansas, Mr. Askew was part of a new wave of moderate Southern governors in the 1970s and ‘80s who embraced progressive ideas on racial issues, the environment, education, crime, taxation and economic growth. He was all but unknown outside his conservative panhandle constituency when he ran for governor in 1970, although he had served 12 years in the State Legislature. But he was tall, lean and telegenic — and he promised to tax corporate profits. He caught fire with voters who saw him approvingly as a populist tilting against big business, and he defeated the incumbent Republican, Gov. Claude R. Kirk Jr., handily. In his first term, Mr. Askew pushed through a 5 percent corporate income tax, and eased consumer, property and school taxes: minor miracles in a revenue-starved, anti-tax state. He also reformed penal statutes, streamlined the judiciary, achieved no-fault divorce and auto insurance laws, raised welfare benefits and extended workers’ compensation to migrant laborers. While the Legislature resisted his ideas for education reforms and for a consumer advocate, the governor protected environmentally fragile lands, restricted coastal construction and blocked oceanfront casinos. He also began to integrate state government, starting with the Highway Patrol. He named blacks to state commissions and boards, and supported proposals to bus children to desegregate public schools.

Askew ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 on a platform that included opposition to abortion rights and opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment. He withdrew early in the primary season after finishing last in New Hampshire. His 1988 bid for the US Senate suffered a similar fate.

RELATED: Askew's eight years as Florida governor began while I was in middle school and ended a couple of years after I came out. In a way, it was Askew's support for Anita Bryant that first fueled my interest in LGBT rights and politics. 

Harlem Pastor James Manning: Don't Drop Your Soap In The Oval Office

According to Pastor James Manning, not only does President Obama control all homosexual demons (you know, the ones that have been unleashed on straight black women), men become prison guards for all that hot gay sex. Manning closes his clip below by promising an upcoming sermon with the title "Don't drop your soap in the Oval Office." That announcement is followed by some really creepy laughter.

TEXAS: Joel Osteen's Prosperity Gospel Church Robbed Of One Week's Prosperity

But don't worry, they are insured. From the church:

We were heartbroken to learn today that funds were stolen from the church over the weekend. This includes cash, checks and envelopes containing written credit card information, and it is limited only to those funds contributed in the church services on Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9, 2014. If you made a contribution during these weekend services, we would encourage you to pay close attention to your accounts over the next several days and weeks and report any suspicious activity to your financial institution or credit card company immediately. It is important to note this was not an electronic data breach, but was instead limited to donations made in the services on March 8 and 9, 2014. You were not affected if you put your offering in a drop box, you gave online or through other electronic means, or you made a bookstore purchase. We are working with the police to fully investigate the incident. The funds were fully insured, and we are working with our insurance company to restore the stolen funds to the church.

Below: Joel Osteen's 17,000sf mansion.

SCOTLAND: Queen Elizabeth Gives Royal Assent For Gay Marriage Law

Gay Star News reports:

Queen Elizabeth II has signed same-sex marriage into law in Scotland today (13 March). By the end of the year, Scottish gay couples will be able to unite in matrimony. It is the last step in the long battle to get the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill through Parliament, making it an Act. Alex Neil, cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being, said: "I am delighted that the Same Sex Marriage Bill has now received Royal Assent. We continue to work in close co-operation with Westminster on implementation of the Act so that the first same sex marriage can take place in Scotland as soon as is possible."

The bill was approved by the Scottish Parliament last month in a lopsided vote of 105-18.

Bright Light Bright Light And Elton John - I Wish We Were Leaving

Two weeks ago I posted the audio. Here's the video.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

Irish Queers To Protest St. Patty's Parade

From the Facebook page of Irish Queers:

Join Irish Queers in protesting the 5th Ave St. Patrick's Day parade which for over twenty years has banned Irish GLBT groups from marching in the parade with our own banners. This year numerous elected officials from Ireland and New York are refusing to march in the parade because it is such an embarrassment. But thousands of uniformed NYPD cops and firefighters still march in their uniforms which sends the wrong message to GLBTQ New Yorkers, especially those who are already at risk of being targeted for harassment by the police. Join us on the parade sidelines! We'll have banners, hot beverages, and snacks.

The protest will take place from 10:30am to 12:30pm on Monday on the west side of Fifth Avenue between East 56th & East 57th streets.

KENTUCKY: Sen. Rand Paul Asks To Be Listed Twice On 2016 State Ballot

In preparation for his 2016 presidential bid, Sen. Rand Paul is pushing the Kentucky legislature to change state rules about appearing twice on the same ballot.

A bill that would allow Sen. Rand Paul to appear on the Kentucky ballot twice — running both for re-election and for president in 2016 — passed a Senate Committee on Wednesday, but its chances when it gets to the House still appear dim. Paul has asked Senate Republicans to pass the measure because under current state law, he would essentially have to give up his Senate seat if he wanted to appear on the ballot in the state’s GOP presidential primary. Senate Majority Damon Thayer said he would probably schedule a floor vote on the matter next week. The bill passed the Senate State & Local Goverment Committee on an 8-2 vote, with two Democrats voting against it.

Sen. Paul dominated the presidential straw poll at CPAC last weekend.

Lance Bass For Mississippi Marriage

INDIANA: Second Marriage Suit Filed

Last week the first marriage equality lawsuit in Indiana was filed on behalf of four same-sex couples. Today we learn that Lambda Legal has filed a suit of its own. Via press release:

On Monday, in the United States District Court Southern District of Indiana, Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of three same-sex couples who seek the freedom to marry in their home state of Indiana. "Same-sex couples and their families in the Hoosier state are vulnerable every day that they are denied the freedom to marry," said Paul Castillo, Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal. "Many families are helped and no one is hurt when same-sex couples are treated fairly by their government. Even if couples travel out of state to marry they will still be denied any respect by the state of Indiana and there are many important federal benefits, such as Family Medical Leave, that will be denied because those benefits are based on whether or not the home state respects the marriage."

Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit against Boone County Clerk Penny Bogan, Porter County Clerk Karen M. Martin, and Lake County Clerk Michael A. Brown, as well as Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller on behalf of three same-sex couples. Rae Baskin (60) and Esther Fuller (78), Bonne Everly (56) and Linda Judkins (57), and Dawn Lynn Carver (41) and Pamela Eanes (50). Ms. Baskin and Ms. Fuller have been together for twenty-four years and reside in Whitestown, Indiana. Ms. Everly and Ms. Judkins have been in a loving, committed relationship for over thirteen years and live in Chesterton, Indiana. Ms. Carver and Ms. Eanes, residents of Munster Indiana, have shared their lives together for seventeen years. All three couples wish to marry in Indiana, which bans marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

UPDATE: There's an interesting controversy about the suit filed last week. Read Bilerico for their take.

AP: Trans Troop Ban Faces Scrutiny

FLORIDA: ACLU Files Suit Demanding Out-Of-State Gay Marriage Recognition

Via press release:

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Florida have filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of eight same-sex couples and SAVE, an LGBT rights organization based in South Florida, challenging the state’s refusal to recognize the couples’ marriages, which were performed in other states and recognized by the federal government. One of the couples -- Sloan Grimsley, a firefighter from Palm Beach Gardens, and her wife Joyce Albu, a consultant assisting parents of children living with developmental disorders -- are seeking protections for their children, the youngest of whom is two years old. Sloan and Joyce have been together for 9 years and were married in August 2011 in New York. The couple is concerned that if something were to happen to Sloan in the line of duty, Joyce would not receive the support the state offers to spouses of first responders who make the ultimate sacrifice, and thus would struggle to provide for their family’s needs.

RELATED: In January, Equality Florida and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a marriage equality suit on behalf of six local couples. Last month the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel, who authored Florida's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, filed a motion to intervene in the case.

AUSTIN: Drunk Driver Plows Into SXSW Crowd, Two Killed, Dozens Injured

CNN reports:

An intoxicated driver fleeing police plowed his car into a crowd at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, killing two people, authorities said early Thursday. The man and woman killed were riding their light motorcycles, said Art Acevedo, chief of the Austin Police Department. At least 23 others were hospitalized, some with multiple internal injuries. A suspect is in custody and faces two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault by vehicle, Acevedo said. Before the incident, the man was driving the wrong direction on a one-way street. Authorities attempted to stop the car, but it sped off, almost hitting an officer, according to Acevedo. The car later ran into the crowd.

Billboard reports that among the acts performing last night were the 80s bands Spandau Ballet and X. Lady Gaga was nearby at the time and she posted the below tweet shortly after the incident.

IRELAND: Students Protest Anti-Gay Marriage Group On Campus

Students at the National University of Ireland staged a sit-in protest yesterday after an anti-gay marriage group placed posters on their campus.

A lunchtime demonstration by members of a Mayo-based family of Christian activists faced oppostion from students who took down and binned two posters opposing same-sex marriage. The family (understood to be a father with his three sons and two daughters) were campaigning for Enoch Burke, who is running for the position of Equality Officer in the college's up-coming student union elections. (Enoch Burke is understood to be the auditor of the Christian Union Society in NUIG.) Most of the group's posters related to the election, but they also displayed three posters opposing same-sex unions. In opposition, students staged a mock same-sex wedding to loud applause. Students also took down two of the posters and binned them, an observer told breakingnews.ie, at which point the family called the gardaí [police].

Marriage equality has been placed on the official agenda for Ireland's Constitutional Convention to be held in mid-April. A recent poll shows that 75% of the Irish public backs same-sex marriage. The video below shows the students performing a mock gay wedding.

(Tipped by JMG reader Gerard)

Open Thread Thursday

Pimp out your own website, your artwork, your music, your garden, your writing. Links and photos, please.

NEW YORK CITY: Search Continues In Harlem, Residents Blame Landlord

The search for bodies and possible survivors continues at the site of yesterday's explosion in Harlem. Residents of one of the destroyed buildings say they had complained to the landlord about a gas leak for weeks.

One of the victims was identified as 44-year-old Griselde Camacho, a public safety sergeant at Hunter College. The second victim was identified as 67-year-old Carmen Tanco, who lived on the second floor of one of the buildings. Rosaura Hernandez-Barrios, 21, was killed. Four bodies found overnight have not yet been identified. At least 69 other people are injured, at least two of them critically, including a 15-year-old boy. Harlem Hospital reports it has 13 patients, and Mount Sinai received 26 patients, including three children. A resident of one of the collapsed buildings, Ruben Borrero, said residents had complained to the landlord for weeks about the smell of gas, as recently as Tuesday. Con Ed says it received no gas complaints from the building before Wednesday. The Fire Department said it was checking its records for any gas complaints at the building. A team of NTSB experts arrived on the scene Wednesday evening to begin their investigation. "We will be looking at Con Ed's integrity management system, to see how they handled complaints reporting odors of gas," said NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt. "We will look for any evidence of third party damage by digging."

Yesterday local housing activists suggested that gentrification may be partly to blame, as landlords are sometimes slow to make repairs in an attempt to clear out tenants in buildings that they want to sell.