YouTube Celebrates Ninth Birthday

With a flotilla of viral stars.

Bryan Fischer Has The Bakery Sadz

TEXAS: Gun Nuts Invade Home Depot

After being tossed out of Chili's and Sonic last weekend, "open carry" gun nuts are invading a Fort Worth-area Home Depot today. The action has spawned the #GrillsNotGuns hashtag on Twitter, where customers are vowing to boycott the chain unless it bans guns in its stores.

Headline Of The Day

Is it too early for popcorn? Details.

Plan To Expand LGBT Historical Site List Announced At Stonewall Press Conference

National Review Attacks Trans People

"Regardless of the question of whether he has had his genitals amputated, [Laverne] Cox is not a woman, but an effigy of a woman. Sex is a biological reality, and it is not subordinate to subjective impressions, no matter how intense those impressions are, how sincerely they are held, or how painful they make facing the biological facts of life. No hormone injection or surgical mutilation is sufficient to change that. Genital amputation and mutilation is the extreme expression of the phenomenon, but it is hardly outside the mainstream of contemporary medical practice. The trans self-conception, if the autobiographical literature is any guide, is partly a feeling that one should be living one’s life as a member of the opposite sex and partly a delusion that one is in fact a member of the opposite sex at some level of reality that transcends the biological facts in question. There are many possible therapeutic responses to that condition, but the offer to amputate healthy organs in the service of a delusional tendency is the moral equivalent of meeting a man who believes he is Jesus and inquiring as to whether his insurance plan covers crucifixion." - Kevin Williamson, writing for the National Review.

Foster The People - Best Friend

Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Pride Month

"As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains.

"Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the respect and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this decision, my Administration is extending family and spousal benefits -- from immigration benefits to military family benefits -- to legally married same-sex couples.

"My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy -- which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among communities most at risk.

"Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending
the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.

"This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity -- because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too.

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

"IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth." - Barack Obama.

Christian Hate Group Has Bakery Sadz

"In America, we don’t separate a person’s creative expression from what he believes. Jack simply exercised the long-cherished American freedom to decline to use his artistic and creative talents to promote a message with which he disagrees. Because the government should not force him to choose between his faith and his livelihood, we are considering an appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals." - Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Nicolle Martin, who fucking lost her case today on behalf of an anti-gay Colorado bakery. In December 2013 Martin fucking lost the first hearing of the case before the Colorado Administrative Court. Also last year, Martin testified against civil unions before the Colorado legislature, a battle which she also fucking lost. Not incidentally, Martin is the source of the widely-cited claim that refusing gay customers will result in jail time, which is, of course, a fucking lie.

RELATED: For her day job, Martin works for an ambulance-chasing outfit called Auto Injury Solutions. Last year Martin's former coworker, Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Lisa Biron, was sentenced to 40 years in prison on eight felony counts of producing child pornography. With her daughter.

NOM Promotes This Year's Hate March

Mozilla, wedding cakes, photography. Also: TYRANNY!

FLORIDA: AG Pam Bondi Asks Federal Court To Toss Out "Harmful" Marriage Suit

Via the Associated Press:

The attorney general of Florida says in court documents that recognizing same sex marriages performed in other states would "impose significant public harm." Attorney General Pam Bondi has filed a response that asks a federal judge to throw out the lawsuit. Bondi's office says the state has a legitimate interest in defining a marriage as between a man and woman because Florida's voters adopted an amendment in 2008 that banned same-sex marriages. The filing also says same-sex marriage recognition would create significant problems for the state's pension and health insurance programs.

The ACLU, who brought this suit, responds:

"Florida's discriminatory laws cause serious harm to real families across the state," attorney Daniel Tilley said in a statement. "Despite the state's assertion that the harms to same-sex married couples aren't significant enough to warrant relief, the families living every day being treated like legal strangers by their home state know better." Equality Florida called Bondi's letter "deplorable." "The only Florida families suffering harm are the LGBT families who continue to be discriminated against. Pam Bondi is on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of Florida public opinion," wrote Nadine Smith, head of the organization.

RELATED: Bondi took office in 2010 after being endorsed by Sarah Palin. In 2012 Bondi was the lead litigant when she and 26 other state attorneys general unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the Affordable Care Act.

Walmart World Cup Fail

Via the Telegraph:

Supermarket Asda has defended a "wearable England flag" it has launched for the World Cup after claims it resembles a Ku Klux Klan outfit. The £3 St George's Cross, with the word "England" on the red cross, features a hood which Asda said was to allow fans to wear it and stay dry despite the unpredictable British weather. But some fans took to Twitter to point out what they believe were similarities with the hoods worn by the racist US organisation, also known by its initials "KKK". A company spokesman said it had also produced a wearable Brazilian flag ahead of the competition, with starts in the South American country on June 12. She added: "We know there's chatter on Twitter about our wearable World Cup flags, but it's simply a flag with a hood – nothing more, nothing less. "We opted for a hood on our wearable England and Brazilian flags as you never know what the British weather will bring. "We want customers to get behind the team without getting wet." The spokesman said there were no plans to withdraw the flag.

Asda is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart and is the UK's third-largest retail chain. (Tipped by JMG reader Lynda)

Pastor Matthew Hagee: Climate Change Is Just A Sign Of The End Times

Jesus is just hugging us closer to the sun!

Gays Plan Visit To Texas "We Don't Serve Fags" Diner, Owners Plan To Call Cops

Members of the Dallas-area LGBT community say they are planning on a mass visit to the Texas restaurant that kicked out a gay couple, telling them, "We don't serve fags here." The owners say they are ready to call the cops if that happens.

“If there’s any problems, they will be taken care of appropriately,” says Christina Cheney, who is Big Earl’s daughter and the waitress who made the homophobic remark. “We are aware that they are attempting to come out here. We’re ready for them; we have informed the Sheriff’s department and the state.” Cathie Adams President of the Texas Eagle Forum says she’s disgusted by the protest. “I think that for the homosexual community to be targeting a restaurant and good people is ugly, it is uncalled for.” Adams says, “They’re pushing an envelope and they want to not only have tolerance – they want to shove things down our collective throats.” She say she would never broadcast her personal life in public. “As one who has been married for 45 years to my husband, I don’t think that it’s my role to stand in the street corner and start talking about the style of private life my husband and I have.”

Meanwhile the Yelp page for Big Earl's is full of raving reviews calling it the best gay bar in Texas. Heh. (Tipped by JMG reader Elroy)

UPDATE: Homocon Matt Drudge has sent his hordes of Tea People to the first link above where you'll find many threats of physical harm for any gay people who dare visit Big Earl's.

Press Secretary Jay Carney Resigns

NBC News reports:

President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance Friday to announce that his chief spokesman Jay Carney is leaving his post behind the podium. Obama called Carney one of his closest advisers and friends at the White House in remarks to the press in the White House briefing room. Deputy Josh Earnest will take over the job as the president's press secretary. "Today the flak jacket is officially passed to a new generation," he said of Earnest.

Carney, 49, took the job in January 2011.

COLORADO: Civil Rights Panel Rules That Bakery Discriminated Against Gay Couple

Breaking news from the ACLU:

The Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruled that a Lakewood bakery violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act by refusing to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple, because of the owner’s personal religious beliefs. At a public hearing today, the commission rejected the bakery’s appeal of an earlier finding of unlawful discrimination by an administrative judge.

David Mullins and Charlie Craig visited Masterpiece Cakeshop in 2012, with Craig’s mother, to order a cake for their upcoming wedding reception. Mullins and Craig planned to marry in Massachusetts and then celebrate with family and friends back home in Colorado. Masterpiece owner Jack Phillips informed them that because of his religious beliefs the store’s policy was to deny service to customers who wished to order baked goods to celebrate a same-sex couple’s wedding.

“What should have been a happy day for us turned into a humiliating and dehumanizing experience because of the way we were treated,” said Mullins. “No one should ever have to walk into a store and wonder if they will be turned away just because of who they are.”

Long-standing Colorado state law prohibits public accommodations, including businesses such as Masterpiece Cakeshop, from refusing service based on factors such as race, sex, marital status or sexual orientation. Last year, an administrative judge upheld the Colorado Civil Rights Division’s finding of illegal discrimination by the bakery. Today’s decision from the Colorado Civil Rights Commission affirms the prior ruling. The commission also ordered a change of policy, staff training, and quarterly reporting to confirm that the bakery is not turning away customers due to sexual orientation.

Hear that? It's the sadz express, comin' round the bend!

Headline Of The Day

Details. (Tipped by JMG reader StrayKat)

Ted Baehr: Anti-Christian Bigotry In The Media Caused The UCSB Slayings

"Where did this young murderer get his narcissistic views about sex? Well, for decades, the mass media—not only through thousands of books and movies, but also through the national 'news' media and popular music—has been promoting the so-called 'Sexual Revolution,' an anti-Christian, unbiblical view of sexual morality. This pagan ideology has undermined the institutions of marriage and the family, along with the moral fabric of the United States and many other countries. In that light, it's important to note also that the mass media too often not only has been apathetic but also overtly antagonistic toward religion, especially Christianity and those of us who believe in the Bible. This anti-Christian bigotry in the mass media has created a culture of anti-Christian bigotry and atheist advocacy. The solution to this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Spreading that gospel is the best way to stop further media terrorism like what happened Friday night." - Christian movie reviewer Ted Baehr, writing for Charisma News.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: In 2011 Ted Baehr called for the arrest of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over the legalization of same-sex marriage. In 2009 Baehr demanded that the U.S. government block the release of Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno for its "extremely graphic depiction of homosexual sodomy." That same year Baehr attacked the Academy Awards for bestowing an Oscar on Milk star Sean Penn. His column, published by Porno Pete, was titled Hollywood Denounces God And Applauds Pedophilia.

VA Head Eric Shinseki Falls On Sword

Alan Keyes: Gay Sex Isn't Real Sex

"In the strict sense of the term, it is not 'sexual' activity at all. The functional difference that distinguishes one sex from the other quite literally has nothing to do with same-sex activity. That activity abstracts from the functionally defined difference in order exclusively to focus on bodily feelings and emotions that are important to the individuals involved, but that are of no consequence, concretely, for the species as a whole. As individuals, some human beings may find this activity intensely gratifying. But considered on the whole, in terms of its consequences, it implies the nonexistence of humanity. The homosexual couple is not engaged in the act of human procreation. Their activity is not haunted by the possibility of human offspring. Because it is, on the whole, of no consequence, homosexual activity involves no natural right – for every claim of natural right arises from respect for the law of nature, which in turn necessarily requires respect for the nature of law." - Three times failed presidential candidate and three times failed Senate candidate Alan Keyes, in a lengthy word salad published by World Net Daily.
 
PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Alan Keyes says it's racist to call out racism. Alan Keyes speaks at Larry Klayman's rally to overthrow the government. Alan Keyes says gay rights rape Christian parents. Alan Keyes says gay Boy Scouts will force straight Scouts to be gay themselves. Alan Keyes says gay activists are controlled by Satan. Alan Keyes says it is a fact that gay men have half the life expectancy of straight men. Alan Keyes says gun control is a government plot to murder hundreds of thousands of Christians. Alan Keyes says legalizing gay marriage is like legalizing slavery. Alan Keyes loses lawsuit which demands that the Supreme Court review President Obama's birth certificate.

TRAILER: Left Behind

The clip is wrongly dated. The film opens this October.

Without warning, millions of people around the globe simply vanish. All that remains are their clothes and belongings … and an overwhelming sense of terror. The vanishings cause unmanned vehicles to crash and burn. Emergency forces everywhere are devastated. Gridlock, riots and looting overrun the cities. And there is no one to help or provide answers. In an instant, the earth has been plunged into darkness. For RAY STEELE, the pilot of a jumbo jet, it means trying to calm his hysterical passengers who saw loved ones vanish before their eyes. It also means trying to land his damaged plane when every airport is jammed with burning wrecks, all while wishing that he could talk to his family one last time. For BUCK WILLIAMS, the world-renowned journalist trapped at 30,000 feet, it means a struggle to understand the incomprehensible, the most devastating event in history. And for CHLOE STEELE, Ray’s daughter back on the ground, it means trying to find her mother and brother. Lost in a post-apocalyptic landscape, she is forced to head home through a world where despair and rage rule the day. This is the story of the Rapture, the story of those LEFT BEHIND.

(Via Christian Nightmares)

Breitbart Has The Houston Sadz

Enjoy the anguish.

Viral Video: I Am A Transgender Kid

Via the Daily Mail:

When Jeff and Hillary Whittington, of San Diego, got the news in 2007 that they were having a daughter, the couple had no idea that in a few years' time they will be raising a son instead. Last Thursday, the family were honored at the 6th annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast, accepting the Inspiration Award after presenting a stirring video showing their daughter Ryland's female-to-male transition. The six-year-old dressed in a smart suit and tie, his hair cut short, stood next to a podium and read his prepared remarks from a sheet of paper, declaring to the audience: 'My name is Ryland Whittington. I am transgender kid.'

The clip already has 350K views.

(Tipped by JMG reader Brandon)

Alcohol Consumption By State

Via Policy Mic:

According to a new report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the hardest-drinking state turns out to be New Hampshire. The study calculated per capita consumption of ethanol from alcoholic beverages and found that the average New Hampshire resident consumed 4.65 gallons in 2012 — nearly twice the national average of 2.33 gallons. Among the New England states, Connecticut was the only one that didn't make the top 20 list for per capita alcohol consumption. Alaska, Louisiana, Florida, Delaware and Washington, D.C. are all big drinking regions, as are the Northern states, with the average resident consuming over 2.5 gallons of ethanol in alcohol per year. The NIAAA report also found that overall, per capita ethanol consumption increased by 2.2% — only seven states experienced a decrease.

(Tipped by JMG reader Win)

The Rainbow Flag: A Photo History

Rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker made the below clip from his extensive photo archive. The images are somewhat in reverse chronological order. How many of these moments do you remember?

Queer Nation Slams HRC On ENDA

Via press release:

At the same time it is criticizing Roman Catholic schools for their anti-LGBT discrimination, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is lobbying in Congress for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that has a religious exemption that would allow that discrimination under federal law. "All discrimination is immoral and HRC is right to object to what these schools are doing," said Ken Kidd, a member of Queer Nation. "So why is HRC spending millions in Congress to promote ENDA when that legislation has a religious exemption that will let Roman Catholic schools and other religiously-affiliated institutions fire LGBT people and perhaps even pro-LGBT people?" "HRC can't have it both ways," Kidd said. "It can't criticize Roman Catholic schools for discriminating against LGBT Americans and then seek to make that discrimination legal under federal law. ENDA is a lousy bill and it should be scrapped. What the LGBT community needs is comprehensive federal civil rights legislation."

The current form of ENDA is also opposed by the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, Lambda Legal, the ACLU, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Transgender Law Center, and Freedom To Marry. ENDA was approved by the Senate last last year but remains stalled in the House.

Insurers Accused Of HIV Bias

Two HIV advocacy groups filed a federal complaint yesterday over four insurance companies that have placed anti-retroviral medications in their highest payment tiers. Via the New York Times:

The complaint asserts that the four insurers — CoventryOne, Cigna, Humana and Preferred Medical Plan — placed H.I.V. drugs on the highest payment tier for midlevel, or silver, plans on the federal health insurance exchange in Florida. CoventryOne, for example, placed every H.I.V. drug, including generics, on the most restrictive tier, which meant consumers were required to exhaust a $1,000 deductible and were then asked to contribute 40 percent toward the cost of their drugs, the groups said. Similarly, Humana requires that members spend their $1,500 deductible and then contribute 50 percent, they said. Many of the plans, the groups said, also placed other requirements on the drugs, like advance authorization by a doctor or a limit of a 30-day supply. Representatives for all four insurers said their plans’ H.I.V. drug coverage was in line with accepted medical practice and met requirements for coverage.

More from the Wall Street Journal: 

HIV advocacy organizations have said the issue isn't specific to Florida and they believe a decision would influence plans across the country. The health law bars insurers from charging customers more based on their medical history when it comes to setting premiums. The Wall Street Journal reported in December that HIV organizations believed some health insurers had found other ways to discourage people infected with HIV from signing up for their plans, such as requiring higher copayments for HIV drugs than they would for other prescriptions. The two patient advocacy organizations are trying to challenge that practice by using another provision in the health law that bars any health program that receives federal funds from discriminating on the basis of "race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability."

New Condom Idea: The Galactic Cap

Via the LA Weekly:

Condoms are a need, not a want. So why not make them as minimal as possible? Brands have tried with the ultra-thin this and the super-sensitive that. But, so far, your options are to place an obvious barrier between you and your lover ... or not. Condoms are a huge issue in adult video, which is fighting mandatory prophylactic rules because, the industry says, consumers don't want to see them. It turns out that an L.A. area inventor just might have a solution: Charles Powell's Galactic Cap is a prophylactic device that goes only on the very tip of the penis. It sounds like a challenge to the laws of physics, but Powell says it works. It's a two-piece product that uses a U-shaped base comprised of a polyurethane adhesive film and a cap that sticks to that film. The base can be put on hours or even days before sex, and it allows users to urinate or even shower.

The condom is yet to be approved by the FDA.

(Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

Learn To Speak Benghazi

Kirk Cameron Wavers On Marriage

The Daily Beast points out that early this month Kirk Cameron refused to condemn same-sex marriage in an interview with an Alabama newspaper.

Kirk Cameron, the teenage heartthrob turned Christian Right entrepreneur, the man who once called homosexuality “detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization,” has recently changed his tune. He said in an interview earlier this month that Christians should look within, rather than blaming others for the “decay” in traditional values. “I think the greatest threat to marriage is not other people’s definition of marriage,” Cameron said in a telephone interview with the Alabama-based website AL.com. “The church isn’t taking God’s definition of marriage seriously. It’s not other people sabotaging marriage that’s the problem.” Tellingly, Cameron, who has previously taken an explicit position against same-sex marriage, declined to do so in the May 2 interview. Rather, he placed the blame for society’s ills on Christians themselves. “When people get too focused on redefining marriage, you’re distracted from the bigger problem—fornicators and adulterers… If the people sitting in the pews are fornicators and adulterers, the church will destroy marriages much more quickly than those outside the church. When God’s people mock marriage, God doesn’t take that lightly.”

Read the full piece. (Tipped by JMG reader Birdie)

Hedwig Cast Album: July 1st

Via Broadway World:

Atlantic Records will release the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the most nominated musical revival of the season, featuring Tony Award nominees Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall. The album is produced by HEDWIG composer Stephen Trask, Tony Award nominated sound designer and platinum-selling record producer Tim O'Heir, and the production's music director Justin Craig. The album is executive produced by Elie Landau and David Binder. On July 1, the album will be available digitally everywhere and available on-site at the Belasco Theatre. Other retail outlets will begin selling the physical album Tuesday, July 15.

(Tipped by JMG reader James)

New SpaceX Ship Unveiled

Janet Porter Has The Gay Disney Sadz

Harlem's Hate Church Has New Message

Pastor David Manning, who earlier brought you "Jesus Would Stone Homos," last night posted the above message on his Harlem billboard, which is just steps away from the Apollo Theater tribute to Maya Angelou. Much more chillingly, also just down the street is the brand new Harlem drop-in shelter for the Ali Forney Center, which had its grand opening last night. Probably not coincidentally, Manning's June 2nd meeting is the same day as Ali Forney's rally for more beds for homeless LGBT youth.

Texas GOP Bans LCR From Convention

"It’s simply unconscionable that more than a dozen years since Log Cabin Republicans took the fight for gay equality against the homophobic fringe of the Party, the Texas State GOP still doesn’t get it. We are your friends and neighbors; we are your colleagues and family members; above all else, we are loyal Republicans, and deserve a literal seat at the table at the Texas State GOP Convention. Make no mistake: This isn’t about disagreements we may have on civil marriage; this isn’t about the party platform — this is about an anti-gay wing of the party that hates gay people so much they can’t even stand to see us acknowledged as a necessary part of a winning Republican coalition. At a time when Democrats are working overtime to turn Texas from red to purple and then a vibrant blue, now is not the time for the politics of subtraction and division in the GOP; it is time for addition and multiplication. The Texas State GOP and its leadership ignore that advice at their peril." - Log Cabin Republicans head Gregory Angelo.

I am also surprised that Log Cabin has been banned. They certainly say ALL the right things.

GALLUP: Americans Split On "Born Gay"

Via Gallup:

In a year when the movement for same-sex marriages continues to make strides across the U.S., Americans remain divided on how people come to be gay or lesbian. More than a third of Americans (37%) believe people become gay as a result of factors such as their upbringing and environment, while 42% say people are born gay. This latter belief is down slightly from 2013, when nearly half (47%) believed people were gay at birth. When Gallup first asked about the origins of same-sex orientation in 1977, over half of Americans (56%) attributed it to an individual's upbringing and environment, while 13% believed it to be something a gay person is born with. This gap in opinions narrowed over the time, and by 2001, Americans were more likely to believe in homosexuality as occurring at birth (40%) for the first time, though only by one percentage point. Since then, Americans have been roughly equally divided over this question, although with some year-to-year fluctuations in the precise percentages.

Satan Is Speaking Through Miracle Whip

A Miracle Whip ad is for deviled eggs, you guys. And the girl in the ad is named Stacy, which is totally almost kind of an anagram for Satan. And she has black fingernail polish, so Stacy is totes a witch. Also if you add, subtract, then multiply and divide the number of eggs that come in a carton you get to 666. Or something. Therefore Miracle Whip is a warning of the End Times. (That must be why I love its sugary Satan-y sweetness.) This is truly one of the more batshitious and therefore amusing clips from the Third Eagle of the Apocalypse.

TONIGHT: Manhattanhenge

Sunsets are not regularly visible to most of Manhattan. But tonight, if you stand in the right place, you'll see one.

It’s Manhattanhenge. Just before sunset, the sun will line up with Manhattan’s cross streets. For 15 minutes, beginning just after 8 p.m., the sun will appear on the edge of the grid in half-disk form, like a postcard. It will illuminate the city’s deep canyons and wash the streets in peachy light. Then it will set on the streets’ center lines, at 8:16. The term Manhattanhenge was popularized by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium. The phenomenon reminded him of Stonehenge, where the sun aligns with several of the ancient stones on the summer solstice. If Manhattan’s grid ran strictly north-south and east-west, Manhattanhenge would fall on the spring and fall equinoxes. But it is turned about 30 degrees east from due north. Dr. Tyson has said that Manhattanhenge “may just be a unique urban phenomenon in the world, if not the universe.”

The best viewing spots are on the major crosstown streets below Central Park.

ExxonMobil Rejects LGBT Workplace Protections For 17th Consecutive Year

Via the Washington Blade:

For the 17th time, Exxon Mobil shareholders rejected a resolution that would have instituted new policy within the oil-and-gas giant to prohibit discrimination against LGBT workers. According to the company, only 19.5 percent of shareholders voted to approve the proposed resolution at their annual meeting on Wednesday, which this year took place in Dallas, Texas. The resolution would have incorporated LGBT non-discrimination language in the oil-and-gas giant’s equal employment opportunity policy. This year, as in previous years, the resolution was sponsored by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The resolution was one of eight measures to come up at the meeting; only three were approved by shareholders.

Freedom To Work reacts:

“An executive order by President Barack Obama would force Exxon Mobil to adopt LGBT workplace protections in order to continue profiting from hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded contracts,” Almeida said. “Exxon’s leadership has rejected these common-sense nondiscrimination policies year after year, even though their competitors at Chevron and BP understand that banning discrimination is good for business. It’s time for presidential leadership to move Exxon to accept the American value that everybody deserves a fair shot in the workplace.”

The company did institute domestic partners benefits following last year's partial overturn of DOMA.

FRC Asks God To Stop Gay Pride

Today's prayer from the Family Research Council:

LGBT Pride Month - On Call2Fall Sunday, June 29th, the very day believers and churches across America will fall to their knees to pray for our nation, those who self-identify as homosexuals will be celebrating "LGBT Pride Day," a grand finale for June's observance of "LGBT Pride Month." President Obama will announce the observance and the White House, federal agencies, the Pentagon, many state agencies, many businesses and like-minded organizations across America will join the celebration. Only heaven knows exactly how this brazen departure from the moral law of God will impact our nation. But we are called to intercede with an Almighty God. May the Lord hear our intercessions stop the advance of this official celebration of sin! (Gen 20:18-23; Rom 1:16-32; 3:10 ff; Heb 13:4; Jude 7, 21-25)

CHICAGO: Willis Tower Skydeck Ledge Cracks As Tourists Pose For Photos

Speaking of  "Ow, my balls." NBC Chicago reports:

Alejandro Garibay, his brother, and two cousins were in the glass enclosure that juts out of the west side of the building shortly before 10 p.m. when Garibay said they heard cracking. They stepped off and alerted staffers. "I walked them over so they could see and they were totally shocked and asked us to step away and then proceeded to start calling staff and techs and I don't know who else. When we pulled our phones to start recording and take pictures they asked us to leave right away," he said.

Willis Tower officials say the ledge remains safe and that it was just the coating on the glass that cracked. The 103rd floor ledge is advertised as capable of bearing five tons. So go ahead, step on out.

VIRGINIA: GOP Leadership Rejects Effort To Impeach Attorney General Mark Herring

Anti-gay Virginia state Del. Bob Marshall has been rebuffed by his own party in his campaign to impeach Attorney General Mark Herring for refusing to defend his state's marriage ban.

House Speaker Bill Howell (R) immediately denied Marshall’s resolution when it was first submitted and released a short statements saying he “does not believe impeachment is an appropriate or practical recourse at the moment.” Marshall then blamed his own party’s higher-ups for not challenging the AG’s actions. “The failure of the republican leadership to address his first violation of the constitution has led to more [violations].” Marshall had hoped the impeachment inquiry would have “the other delegates look and see if Mark Herring is following the procedures proscribed of him in the Virginia constitution.” Though he admits he “didn’t calculate” the possibility of his resolution being turned down.

RELATED: Marshall's bid for the US House has been endorsed by Phyllis Schlafly. Virginia's primary is June 10th.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: In January Marshall filed an amendment that would grant Virginia state legislators the right to claiming standing in marriage lawsuits. In September 2013, Marshall petitioned the US Supreme Court to overturn Virginia's legalization of sodomy. In May 2012, Marshall attempted to block the appointment of an openly gay state judge because the nominee has "an illegal husband." In 2011 Del. Bob Marshall claimed it is a felony for a state office to fly the rainbow flag. Marshall has also called on Virginia to issue its own currency, and has claimed that God punishes women who have abortions by giving them deformed children. After the DADT repeal bill passed, Marshall tried to have gays banned from the Virginia National Guard.

This Week's TIME Magazine Cover

The story is behind a paywall.

LONDON: Daredevil Climbs Crane

He hangs by one hand at the end. Ow, my balls.

(Tipped by JMG reader Rob)

Dolly Parton - Home

Billboard reviews:

Dolly Parton has just released a new video, "Home," from her hit "Blue Smoke" album. The playful video follows Parton as she prepares for a photo shoot. True to form, her wardrobe is colorful throughout, and she even breaks out the banjo for part of the clip. The decidedly poppy song is a heartwarmer about, well, home. "I'll never be lost as long as I know, there's a place like that where I an go / Where I can restore my weary soul," she sings. The country music icon is currently on a hot streak, as the album entered the Billboard 200 chart in the No. 6 position -- marking her highest charting solo set ever. What lies ahead for the iconic figure? She admits she never stops dreaming.

SAN DIEGO: Vandal Smashes Office Of Homocon House Candidate Carl DeMaio

The campaign office of homocon US House candidate Carl DeMaio was vandalized yesterday. NBC San Diego reports:

Officers arrived at the office in the 9600 block of Black Mountain Road in Miramar around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. They discovered extensive vandalism, including smashed computer screens and cords and cables that had been cut. “Almost every cord inside the entire office – phone cords, communications, network cords, power cords – appears to have been cut,” said Dave McCulloch, the campaign’s communications director. McCulloch said someone also poured water on laptops, printers and copiers, and stole gas cards. Police have not identified a suspect or motive, but McCulloch said this was “no random act of violence.” “We are extremely disappointed someone would do this just six days before an election, specifically targeting our communications and electronic equipment,” he said.

DeMaio is in a bitter battle with incumbent Democratic Rep. Scott Peters, who was criticized earlier this month by the Log Cabin Republicans after he linked to an Americablog post which referred to DeMaio as "Mary." Peters, DeMaio, and two other GOP candidates will compete in Tuesday's open primary with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election.

UPDATE:  An ABC reporter speculates that the crime was "an inside job" as the vandal left untouched a file cabinet that was next to the one with the stolen gas cards.

RELATED: Two weeks ago DeMaio confessed to having plagiarized a National Journal report on members of Congress who take government pensions in addition to their salaries.

KNOXVILLE: County Offices Evacuated After Bomb Threat Over Gay Pride Event

A reader tips us to this news item from two weeks ago:

The City County Building was evacuated Wednesday afternoon following a bomb threat apparently aimed at Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero’s support for the upcoming Pridefest parade downtown, police said. Staffers throughout the downtown government office building were told to leave early for the day about 4 p.m. in response to an email threat sent to the mayor’s office, Knoxville Police Department Capt. Nate Allen said. The threat stated that, “Someone disagreed with the city’s stance on the LGBT parade,” Allen said. “And with that disagreement the person threatened to blow the City County Building up.” KPD and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office personnel and bomb-sniffing dogs searched the offices floor by floor before reopening the building shortly after 5 p.m.

According to my source, who wishes to be identified as a "rainbow cop," the email claimed that a bomb would be detonated "in two hours" unless the mayor issued a Twitter statement that "fags and other criminals of God and nature are not welcome in this city." Knoxville's pride parade takes place on June 21st.

HIV/AIDS News: The First Ten Years

JMG reader Dave Evans has compiled the below hour-long clip of news reports from the first ten years of HIV/AIDS. Noted figures that appear: Ryan White, Lyndon La Rouche, Larry Kramer, Ronald Reagan,  Magic Johnson, and Cleve Jones.

AFA: Don't Open Mail With Milk Stamp

"Unfortunately, the deed is done. The United States Postal Service honored a child predator at the whim of a drag queen. Furthermore, the radical homosexual lobby will undoubtedly encourage businesses to use these stamps - all in the name of inclusiveness, political correctness and diversity. This is not diversity; this is perversity. What you can do: 1. Refuse to accept the Harvey Milk stamp if offered by your local post office. Instead, ask for a stamp of the United States flag. 2. Refuse to accept mail at your home or business if it is postmarked with the Harvey Milk stamp. Simply write 'Return to Sender" on the envelope and tell your postman you won't accept it." - From a super-sadz message by the American Family Association.

Orrin Hatch Surrenders On Gay Marriage

"Let’s face it, anybody who does not believe that gay marriage is going to be the law of the land just hasn’t been observing what’s going on. There is a question whether [the courts] should be able to tell the states what they can or cannot do with something as important as marriage, but the trend right now in the courts is to permit gay marriage and anybody who doesn’t admit that just isn’t living in the real world. We have an excellent federal bench [in Utah]. Other federal judges down there might not have arrived at the same conclusion that these two have. But I think it’s a portent of the future that sooner or later gay marriage is probably going to be approved by the Supreme Court of the United States, certainly as the people in this country move towards it, especially young people. I don’t think that’s the right way to go; on the other hand, I do accept whatever the courts say." - Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), speaking on Utah radio.

RELATED: The Salt Lake Tribune points out that Hatch "played a key role" in the appointment of the judge who overturned Utah's ban on same-sex marriage. They also note that his website continues to back a federal ban.

TEXAS: Gay Couple Told Not To Return To Restaurant, "We Don't Serve Fags Here"

Via KLTV-7 in Texas:

"We don't serve fags here." That's what a Pittsburg couple said they were told while leaving a local restaurant. The men went to eat at Big Earl’s Restaurant in Pittsburg for breakfast Tuesday morning. They said they enjoyed their food, paid for their meals, but it’s what the waitress said on their way out that ruined the whole experience. Collin Dewberry, who was leaving with his partner, said the waitress told them they do not serve a certain type of person at that restaurant. The word she used was derogatory and targets homosexuals. Collin and his partner Kelly Williams said they have lived in East Texas their whole lives and have never been called that word before. “We’ve never had that kind of hate displayed to us before,” Dewberry said. They explained that the waitress then recited the following phrase: “Here at Big Earl’s we like for men to act like men and for ladies to act like ladies, so we want you to never return.” They had eaten, paid, and had no idea they had done anything wrong. “It was just so nonchalantly, almost like she was reading a piece of paper,” he said. Well, she was. That phrase is posted on a piece of paper on the front door of the restaurant.

(Tipped by JMG reader Homer)

Alex Trebek: I'm No Pat Sajak

"I consider myself a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. I believe that climate change exists, and is contributed to by human activity. I have seen firsthand the effects of climate change, in trips to Antarctica and Mt. Kilimanjaro, both of which are showing huge changes due to global warming. I’m in favor of equal pay for women, and the Lilly Ledbetter act. I believe in equal rights for the LGBT community; in fact, this winter, I braved the Minnesota winter weather to attend a gay wedding (which was officiated over by my wife)." - Alex Trebek, responding to an inquiry by Salon.

Open Thread Thursday

Time for our quarterly book report. What are you reading?

Tori Amos - Trouble's Lament

OREGON: Justice Anthony Kennedy Requests Stay Briefs From Both Sides

Via the Oregonian:

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said Wednesday that he wants more information before ruling on an attempt by the National Organization for Marriage to halt same-sex marriages in Oregon. Kennedy asked for briefs to be filed by 1 p.m. Monday from the parties in the two lawsuits that led to U.S. District Judge Michael McShane's May 19 ruling that allowed gays and lesbians to marry in Oregon. Kennedy, who hears emergency appeals from the region that includes Oregon, could issue a ruling on NOM's motion on its own or pass the issue on to the full court. At a minimum, Kennedy's action means that he wants more information on the case before he makes a decision. But it's hard to know whether NOM has a strong shot for its argument that the Supreme Court should get involved in the Oregon case because of its unusual nature.

Money-laundering NOM chairman John Eastman says Kennedy's action "is a very good sign."

Texas Hater Has The Houston Sadz

Saenz is the head of Texas Values.