Random Musings

Sometimes, when a bill passes that paves the way for statewide discrimination — I’m looking at you Mississippi, right now — folks need a Come To Jesus moment.

Enter nonprofit organization Planting Peace who purchased space on a giant electronic billboard:

Yup, Planting Peace just countered a bill that discriminates in the name of religious freedom with one of Christianity's most fundamental principles. 

Aaron Jackson, president of Planting Peace:

"We will keep sharing this message as long as we need to, to counter hateful actions designed to infringe on people's basic human rights and dignity."

This isn’t the first time Planting Peace used a billboard to fight hate; last September, when Kentucky Kounty Klerk Kim Davis was to return to work after objecting to signing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Planting Peace bought billboard space in her hometown with a message about redefining marriage:

Planting Peace; it’s a good thing. 

Well the Supremes really gave a smackdown to the Conservatives and they did so unanimously … by ruling that states can rely on total population, and not just eligible voter population, when redrawing voter districts. 

It all began Texas Bigots Conservatives said that only the number of eligible voters should be relied upon when redistricting, and that the Constitution forbids counting immigrants, children, and prisoners, who are not legally eligible to vote.

Not so much said SCOTUS:

"The plaintiffs alleged the Texas legislative map effectively diluted the representation of citizens in rural, Republican-leaning areas in favor of Democratic-trending cities like Houston, where the population includes immigrants and children who are ineligible to vote. As the Framers of the Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment comprehended, representatives serve all residents, not just those eligible to vote" — Notorious RBG, AKA Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

So sorry Texas, but your plan to keep your state red, and conservative, might just fall out of favor now.

In North Carolina News:

PayPal has announced it will cancel its planned expansion in Charlotte over North Carolina’s newly-imposed anti-LGBT bill which bans all local LGBT rights ordinances.

PayPal CEO Dan Schulman said:

“Two weeks ago, PayPal announced plans to open a new global operations center in Charlotte and employ over 400 people in skilled jobs.  In the short time since then, legislation has been abruptly enacted by the State of North Carolina that invalidates protections of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens and denies these members of our community equal rights under the law … . As a result, PayPal will not move forward with our planned expansion into Charlotte.”

It’s on!

I kinda like, er, liked Martin Sheen but this idea of his sounds, well, disgusting.

It appears that Sheen believes that O.J. Simpson is innocent of the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman; he doesn’t mean “not guilty,” he means “innocent.” And so he wants to prove it with a true crime TV show and is seeking to produce a six-part docuseries called Hard Evidence: O.J. Is Innocent for Investigation Discovery.

He says the show will reveal new evidence — like that rusty knife? — and cover a new hypothesis as to what happened on the night of the murders.

I know what happened: OJ murdered two people that night.

Most of Sheen’s docuseries — notice it isn’t a documentary but a docuseries, which is what Oprah called Lindsey Lohan’s “reality” show — will be based on a book by a private investigator called O.J. Is Innocent and I Can Prove It. Except, um, he didn’t prove it.

Sheen will also narrate the series and says he hopes that O.J. Is Innocent will help answer the following three questions:

“What if there were enough evidence that proved O.J. Simpson did not murder his ex-wife Nicole or Ron Goldman?

What if the real killer were still at large?

And finally, what if a grand jury convened to reconsider the case based on new evidence.”

And a fourth question: what if this is a ploy to capitalize on the American Crime Story: The People v OJ Simpson?

Oh, and this: OJ did it.

Greensboro, North Carolina was one of those cities whose LGBT rights ordinance was overturned by Hate Bill 2 and this week the Greensboro City Council voted 8-1 in favor of a resolution opposing Hate.

The lone dissenting vote came from the council’s only Republican because … of course.

“This is one of the worst discrimination bills that we’ve seen in a long time. It’s not really about bathrooms; that’s to throw us off track.” — city council member, Sharon Hightower

It’s a symbolic move, sure, but these voices of reason need to be heard throughout the state.

And speaking of voices of reason, on the heels of Mississippi’s voraciously hate-filled anti-LGBT law, the Jackson, Mississippi City Council also passed a resolution regarding that state’s Religious Liberty Accommodations Act signed into law by Governor Phil Bryant.

“Regardless of what our Governor, our state agencies our legislature may have passed, the city of Jackson wants you here regardless of what color you are, regardless of your sexual orientation, regardless of what gender you are, we want you here in Jackson.” — Councilman Tyrone Hendrix

The resolution states that Jackson acknowledges the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits governments from respecting an establishment of religion and protects all people equally under the law.

Sound, sane voices in Mississippi; let’s hope they are heard and more join the fight.

Up there in New York Coty, the MCC Theater held its annual Miscast benefit, in which Broadway’s stars perform songs from roles in which they would never be cast. The benefit helps MCC Theater produce Off-Broadway shows and supports its Youth Company and in-school partnerships that serve New York City public high school students. 

This year’s steamiest duet was between Broadway vets Gavin Creel — Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie,  Claude in the revival of in Hair, and Elder Price in The Book of Mormon in London — and Aaron Tveit —  Gabe in Next to Normal, Frank Abagnale Jr. in the stage version of Catch Me If You Can, and Danny Zuko in Grease Live—who stole the show by playing the parts of Maureen and Joanne singing “Take Me of Leave Me” from Rent:

Aaron Tveit also sang “As Long As He Needs Me” from Oliver which cannot be embedded so go HERE to see and hear it ... beautiful.