Minute Rave: NCAA To Reconsider Host Cities That Aren't So Anti-LGBT

In light of the newest assault by the religious right, the conservative wingnuts, and the GOP, against civil rights protections based on sexual orientation, the NCAA is said to be reconsidering sites already chosen to host its championships … including Indianapolis.

“We’ll continue to review current events in all cities bidding on NCAA championships and events, as well as cities that have already been named as future host sites, such as Indianapolis.” — Bob Williams, NCAA senior vice president for communications

So, if this move happens, it might put an end to Indianapolis being the site of the men’s basketball Final Four — set to return to the city in 2021. And that could spell huge economic losses for the city; when the same event was held there this year it pumped an estimated $71 million into the local economy.

Ouch. Indianapolis is also scheduled to host first- and second-round games in the 2017 men’s basketball tournament though that also may not happen.

That NCAA decision comes on the heels of the vote in Houston earlier this month to repeal an ordinance that banned discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, and so the NCAA is rethinking allowing Houston to host any events as well, though the already scheduled 2016 men’s Final Four will take place there because of the advanced planning and scheduling needed for such an event. Likewise, the women’s Final Four in Indianapolis will go on as planned in April.

Things can change, though; there is hope that the Indiana state Senate may actually pass an LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination bill, and therefore successfully dodge that economic bullet. And hopefully Houston will get the message, too, that hate literally does not pay.

Indy Star

Minute Rave: Muslim Marine Mocks [t]Rump

_____ is a racist, it’s clear. At the beginning of his campaign he railed against Mexicans, and this week he seemed to revel in the idea of his supporters beating up a #BlackLivesMatter protester, adding that he believes the man should have been “roughed up.”

But it was his assertion this week, in light of the ongoing debate about Syrian refugees, that we close down all mosques in America and force Muslims to register in a national database and wear carry special identification cards that has riled up the more rational among us. But one man, a Muslim, and a Marine, Sergeant Tayyib Rashid, Tweeted to _____ that he already carries his own identification card — a Marine Corp identification card:

Of course, we all know _____ doesn't have that kind of identification card because he took several deferments rather than serve in the military for his country.

Naturally, the racist conservative Republicans and so-called Christians in this country immediately jumped on Rashid, but he calmly, and quietly, took them all to task.

Lesson to be learned — though I doubt _____ and his racist asshatted minions will ever learn anything — don’t come for Sergeant Tayyib Rashid unless he sends for you.

If You Only News

Minute Rave: Muslims Raise Money To Rebuild Burned Churches

Muslims are terrorists. We all know that. Muslims flew plans into the Twin Towers; Muslims crashed into the Pentagon. Muslims, Muslims, Muslims. Okay, I kid, because I know that Muslims aren’t terrorists — terrorists are terrorists — and Muslims are just people of a different faith than maybe yours, or mine, or whomever.

But one thing Muslims, some Muslims, are doing that maybe some other people, some other faiths, some other churches, might want to try is raising money to help rebuild the eight black churches that have mysteriously burned since the Charleston shootings.

So far Muslim charities, using LaunchGood, have raised over $20,000 for the repair and rebuilding of those churches:

“All houses of worship are sanctuaries, a place where all should feel safe, a place we can seek refuge when the world is too much to bear.

We are calling on you to help add our support to faith communities across the country pooling their resources to rebuild these churches.

As Muslims we know the importance of protecting the vulnerable and respecting people who call on God in their various tongues.

We must always keep in mind that the Muslim community and the black community are not different communities.

We are profoundly integrated in many ways, in our overlapping identities and in our relationship to this great and complicated country.”

This makes me happy, because I remember those days after 9/11 when people who were assumed to be Muslim were attacked; Muslim–owned business were torched; Muslims were the new ‘them,’ people to fear, people to hate. People of the Muslim faith could have just sat by, watching these churches burn and done nothing, remembering how people of other faiths attacked them 14 years ago, but they didn’t. They stood up and gave because it was the right thing to do.

Where was the charity back then? Perhaps we should have thought more like Muslims and been more open and willing to help and understanding of the fact that one’s faith does not automatically make you a criminal.

Being a criminal makes you a criminal. 

i100

Minute Rave: Jeff Amyx Hangs "No Gays Allowed" Sign At His Hardware Store

I know many of you think this post should be a Minute Rant, but, for me, it’s a Rave:

Jeff Amyx, who owns Amyx Hardware & Roofing Supplies in Grainger County, Tennessee, has posted a new sign on his door in the wake of that lovely Supreme Court ruling last Friday; it says:

'No Gays Allowed.’

Amyx, who is also a Baptist minister, put the sign up gay and lesbian couples are against his religion. huh; I guess I missed that part of the Bible — not that I am fully familiar with the text — where it says 'Thou Shalt Not Sell Hardware To Fags or Dykes.'

Anyway, Amyx says that since homosexual people aren’t afraid to stand for what they believe in, Christians should be brave enough to stand for what they believe in.

"They gladly stand for what they believe in, why can't I? They believe their way is right, I believe it's wrong. But yet I'm going to take more persecution than them because I'm standing for what I believe in."

He said he has no plans to take the sign down.

Here’s the rave part: now everyone in Grainger County, in Tennessee, hell, everywhere in the Marriage Equality United States of America, knows where not to buy their hardware.

If you’re gay, stay away; if you’re straight and you hate any form of bigotry or intolerance or hatred, even the kind people mask with a Bible, stay away.

And here’s the queer deal: if I walk past a store that says ‘No Jews Allowed’, I won’t go in, even though I’m not Jewish. If the sign says ‘No Mexicans Allowed’, I’ll stay away even though I’m not a Mexican. No Women Allowed? No Bob going inside; ‘No Blacks,’ ‘No Fats’, ‘No Freckles, No … whatever, I’m staying away, and being thankful that now I know exactly where the bigots and the haters are and where they do business so I can go elsewhere.

Now, the Minute Rave. I see your hate and raise you less business, less money, less profits, and the idea that one day soon your little hardware store will go under and you’ll sit at home in your lonely little house blaming The Gays when all along it was you.

WBIR

Minute Rave: Jessica Lange

I have always been a huge fan of Jessica Lange; from the days when she was Oscar nominated in the same year for both Best Actress — for Frances — and for Best Supporting Actress —for Tootsie.  And in another film, A Thousand Acres, there is one scene, one small few minutes onscreen, where, without uttering a sound, she nearly broke my heart. And do not get me started on American Horror Story ...

Brilliant actress; thoughtful person; fabulous lady.

And even more so now, because, yesterday, when the images of Caitlyn Jenner broke the internet a lot of people were saying Caitlyn looked a little like Jessica Lange. And when Jessica was asked what she thought about Caitlyn Jenner looking like her, she said:

“That's so wonderful.”

And she hadn’t even seen the pictures yet.

What a fabulous lady; I love her even more.

Daily Mail

photo via Us Magazine

Minute Rave: Alec Mapa

Y’all remember the firestorm openly gay actor Russell Tovey created — at least in The Gay Community — when he said this:

“I feel like I could have been really effeminate, if I hadn’t gone to the school I went to. Where I felt like I had to toughen up. If I’d have been able to relax, prance around, sing in the street, I might be a different person now. I thank my dad for that, for not allowing me to go down that path,” 

Lotsa folks, myself included, saw this as a kind of self-loathing, and a putdown of gay men who may be effeminate, as though that makes them less, well, manly. But the best response ever to Tovey’s remarks came from actor-comedian Alec Mapa, a flamboyantly gay, out loud and proud actor you’ve no doubt seen on Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Roseanne, Seinfeld and Friends.

Mapa isn’t one to shy away from his flamboyant persona, but detractors … and we’re kinda lookin’ at you, Russell … better not confuse that for any sort of weakness.  He spoke up on behalf of effeminate gay men in response to Tovey’s comments and here’s his entire Facebook post:’

“He’s glad he’s not effeminate?

Well the feeling is mutual lady, I’m glad I’m not you.

I kind of feel like this is why I do what I do. Why I’m not just a homo, but A BIG ONE. Being an effeminate gay man still remains an unforgivable sin in our masculinity obsessed culture. I think about all the young sissy boys who return from school after being bullied and shamed day after day, perhaps returning home to the same treatment. I know because I was one of those kids. Was? I still am! I still get it in the neck for being who I am.

I’ve spoken to so many non gender conforming youth who have the same recognizable look of despair on their faces. All they need to hear is that they’re fine exactly the way they are. That there’s nothing wrong. That they haven’t killed anyone. That they’re worthy of love and acceptance, AS IS.

Perhaps if they heard that they’d stand up for themselves. Perhaps if they heard that they wouldn’t be four times as likely to commit suicide than their straight peers. Perhaps if we were all encouraged to love ourselves from the beginning we wouldn’t grow up to be gay men who treat other gay men like shit.

I’m in no way outraged by this. I’ve been hearing this since the day I could mince. It’s just disappointing. We experience so much discrimination from the outside world, wouldn’t it be great if we were kinder to each other in our own community? There are a billion reasons to feel actual shame and remorse. Being your authentic, fabulous, faggy self shouldn’t be one of them.

Sincerely,

Alec Mapa

Professional Effeminate Homosexual for nearly 50 years.”

Brava, Alec, brava!

We’re all kinds of different people, and we should be made to feel any kind of shame from one of our own.

h/t Towleroad

Minute Rave: Stephen Colbert Steps Up For SC Schools

Stephen Colbert, a South Carolina native and product of South Carolina's public schools, has stepped in where our legislature, and governor, have refused to go.

Last week Colbert  announced that he would fund every single existing grant request that South Carolina public school teachers have made on DonorsChoose.org, an education crowdfunding website. Colbert partnered with The Morgridge Family Foundation 's Share Fair Nation and ScanSource, which is headquartered in Greenville, to fund about 1,000 projects for more than 800 teachers at over 375 schools; his donation exceeds $800,000.

"Using the proceeds of the sale of my old set on The Colbert Report which we auctioned off, and with the generous matching funds from The Morgridge Family Foundation and ScanSource, DonorsChoose is going to flash-fund all 1,000 projects in South Carolina. Enjoy your learning, South Carolina." — Stephen Colbert

Grants will fund everything from new books to classroom supplies, school-branded clothing or professional development for teachers and, at a time when South Carolina schools are severely underfunded, and South Carolina teachers earn far less than the national average — South Carolina ranks near the bottom in nationwide teacher salaries — this donation by Colbert is a great boost.

Greenville Online