Random Musings

First, the Good News … the Missouri House Emerging Issues Committee voted down Senate Joint Resolution [SJR 39] — a bill to legalize state-sanctioned anti-LGBT discrimination by allowing individuals, organizations, and businesses to use religion as a weapon … as God intended it, you know.

But, SJR 39 went beyond protecting the rights of the religious; for example, under SJR 39, taxpayer-funded foster care providers and adoption agencies could refuse to place children with same-sex couples; taxpayer-funded homeless shelters could turn away LGBT couples and their families; and businesses could refuse to provide goods or services to same-sex couples.

Now the Bad News … while SJR 39 has been defeated, Missouri still lacks explicit, statewide non-discrimination protections for LGBT people meaning we can be denied housing and employment and some services  just for being gay.

More “woman troubles” for [t]Rump … Barbara Res, the woman who headed up the construction of Trump Tower in New York is Team Clinton. Res, who worked for Trump for nearly twenty years, now says:

"I'm a Hillary gal. ... What won't go away is that the people that don't like Trump really don't like him. He's got a lot of supporters but he's got more, more, more detractors and I don't think — he's never been in politics before. He has no executive experience. I mean, his candidacy is unheard of. It's testimony to his being able to promote himself that he’s gotten as far as he has."

Cue the [t]Rump announcement that Res is a loser and ugly and a fat pig in five … four … three …

North Carolina continues to go bigoted and anti-trans … the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education has adopted a policy to allow high school students to carry pepper spray in school, and, according to one board member, Chuck Hughes, it may be useful for students who encounter transgender classmates in the bathroom.

Yes, students will be pepper-spraying in the bathrooms and yet it’s the trans folk we’re supposed to fear.

Penny Dreadful returned to Showtime last week and introduced Dr, Jekyll into the mix … which includes Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, Dracula and a werewolf, along with assorted witches and demons. Jekyll — who has yet to transform into Mr. Hyde — is played by the delicious Shazad Latif, left.

And over on Empire — which has become almost comical and bad 1980s soap opera in its storytelling this season— we met Derek Major, a potential new gay love interest for Jamal. Derek is played by the hothothot Tobias Truvillion, right, and his first make-out scene with Jussie Smollett was rather steamy.

Just sayin’.

[t]Rump is refusing to release his tax returns, claiming an audit makes it impossible for him to do so.

Is it the audit? Or, is it as I believe, that we’ll learn [t]Rump—like Mittsy Romney before him—also pays less than a schoolteachers in taxes or that we’ll finally have proof that [t]Rump is nowhere near as rich as he claims?

Uh huh.

PS: In 2008, then Senator Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton released six years worth of returns while John McCain released two.

What’s good for the goose is good for the lying “billionaire.”

In the Sick To My Stomach File … George Zimmerman who murdered 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in cold blood and was subsequently acquitted of the crime because “Young Black Man In A Hoodie” is auctioning off the 9-millimeter pistol he used to kill Martin.

Yup, he’s selling a murder weapon or, as he calls it, “an American Firearm Icon." Zimmerman says the proceeds will be used to “fight [Black Lives Matter] violence against Law Enforcement officers” and to “ensure the demise of Angela Correy’s persecution career and Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric,” though he hasn’t expounded upon how.

See America, this is what happens when murderers get off.

Following weeks of protests and boycotts over its policy of allowing transgender customers to choose the bathroom they wish to use, Target Corp. chief executive Brian Cornell says the stores will remain trans friendly and that the company will add more family restrooms in its stores.

“We want to make sure we provide a welcoming environment for all of our guests. One that is safe, one that is comfortable. We took a stance. We’re going to continue to embrace our belief in diversity and inclusion, just how important that is to our company. But we’re also going to make sure our focus on safety is unwavering.”

Stand tall, Target, and know this: you are not alone.

This week Starbucks, Hudson's Bay Co. — parent company to Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue — and Barnes & Noble have announced that employees and customers in their stores are welcome to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.

Starbucks spokeswoman Jaime Riley: 

“[We are] looking into additional opportunities to have more gender-neutral signage in our restrooms where jurisdictions allow it."

Hudson's Bay Co. spokeswoman Tiffany Bourré: 

"HBC respects and affirms each person’s right to self-identify and access facilities that reflect their gender identity."

Barnes & Noble spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating: 

“As a company, Barnes & Noble treats all employees and customers with dignity and respect. For our transgender employees and customers, that means that they are allowed to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with."

Sears Holdings, which operates Sears and Kmart stores, did not directly address the issue of bathroom use, but expressed support for customer rights in general. But other retailers and businesses — including Wal-Mart, Macy's, Whole Foods and Simon Property Group — have not responded to the issue at all.

But there is hope ... PS How much do I love that South Carolina is in the "failed Bathroom Bill" category!