Sunday Funnies

I Ain't One To Gossip, But......Mugshot Edition

Charlie Sheen is at it again.

While he is known as a Hollywood bad boy, it was his recent activities in New York City that have everyone buzzing.

Sheen, who was in town with exwife Denise Richards and their daughters Sam and Lola, ALLEGEDLY trashed his suite at The Plaza Hotel one night this week when he realized his wallet was missing. The ensuing ruckus and fuss lead security to Sheen's room.

And when the authorities did arrive, at around 2 AM Tuesday morning, they discovered a naked and drunk Charlie Sheen in a badly damaged room. Police described Sheen as "emotionally disturbed" when they found him.

He was subsequently admitted to New York Hospital, accompanied by his exwife.

Adding a more salacious note to this story, if that's possible, a source--and by source I mean hotel hooker--claims that Sheen was, ahem, entertaining an escort in his room at the time of the disturbance. The source says: "She was fearing for her life and was naked. Charlie was incoherent but started screaming slurs at the cops."

Sheen, who checked himself into rehab as a "preventative measure" in early 2010, also ALLEGEDLY accepted the treatment in lieu of jail time for brandishing a knife at former wife, Brooke Mueller, just last December.

Someone needs to be locked up this time.

Mel Gibson is thinking of another Apology Tour, like the one he took after his DUI arrest, and anti-Semitic rant of a few years back.

This seems to be the result of the fact that the cast and crew of 'The Hangover 2' wanted nothing to do with Mel Gibson, who was set to cameo in the film, and his part was subsequently cut out.

So, seeing that his wallet may now be taking a hit, sources--and by sources, I mean the people who keep his mouth taped shut and all phones out of his reach--are saying that Melvin will do a sit-down interview and apologize again for being a douchebag: "Since the second the tapes were released, every media outlet has been contacting Mel's people asking for an interview. Now, after months of silence, Mel has finally realized if he doesn't say something really soon it might be too late. The days of burying his head in the sand hoping this whole ugly mess goes away are over."

So, who should Melvin sit down with? Oprah? Hmm, his misogyny won't play well with her audience. Barbara Walters? Hmm, the fact that she's Jewish might be an obstacle. Jay Leno? Hmm, talking to a comic would not be funny.

Melvin, however, seems intent on talking to a man, since his interview with Diane Sawyer after his anti-Semitic didn't go so well for him. It seems that gives Matt Lauer a leg up, and Lauer is quite the media whore so he may just sell his soul to interview Gibson.

Oh, Lindsay! Even when it looks like it's going good for you, it really isn't.

One would think that La Lohan would be happy as a cokewhore in Colombia since the judge decided to keep her rehab and out of jail....this time. But sources--and by sources, i mean the guy who helps Lindsay knit potholders in rehab--say Lindsay is anything but happy these days.

Well sure, i mean this is party season in LA and she's stuck finger-painting and listening to Dina rant about activist judges and poor little girls.

But what really makes her unhappy is her rapidly depleting bank account. It seems that drug addict and criminal, Lohan, will need to find a to help cover her bill at the Betty Ford Center.
The source says: "Lindsay can't afford to pay for treatment. Three months at the facility will cost her almost $50,000, which she doesn't have."

Man, if she'd just skipped that last coke binge, you know, the one that got her arrested again and sent back to rehab again, she might have had the 50K.

Lohan, who is used to living the high life--pun intended--asking for free clothes and free dinners and free admittance to the latest drug party, doesn't seem to have it in her to ask someone to pay for her rehab.

Her 'peopele'--and by 'perople,' I mean, famewhoring mother, Dina Lohan, the root of all that is wrong with Lindsay Lohan--tried and failed to sell her first post rehab interview for big bucks, so her only option now is to find some sort of sponsor.

Um, yeah, good luck with that.
Although....maybe if I made some "Save Lohan" t-shirts, I could help her.....Nah.
Let her find a cheaper rehab.

Speaking of rehab:

Comedian Andy Dick chose to appear on Celebrity Rehab to fight his addictions to drugs and alcohol, and, well, the rahb doesn't seem to be sticking.

Dick was up to his old, er, tircks in Hollywood this week when he ALLEGEDLY drunkenly flashed his, well, dick, at patrons of the Cafe Audrey Coffee House.

An onlooker--who got a glimpse of Dick's dick--says the comnedian was sitting with friends when he suddenly kissed one of his male companions on the mouth, exposed the aforementioned gentials, and then "staggered down the street, making quite the commotion."

Yes, folks, even in Hollywood, the sight of a D-list actor being drunk and naked can cause a commotion.

Of course, this isn't Dick's first time to show off. He also exposed himself at a Fourth of July party over the summer, ALLEGEDLY idecalring his independence from clothing. And he has been arrested twice for unwarranted sexual advances to both men and women,

Maybe Dick ought to get to a rehab that isn't a TV show.

Clint McCance Is Out......Of A Job

Midland School Board Member Clint McCance is resigning.

Halle-freakin-lujah!

Clint McCance:
"I am going to resign from the school board. It is to--to help my community, to help my school. I don't want them to receive bad press or have a distraction because of some ignorant comments that have--that I made. If they decide later, you know, a year, five years, 10 years from now to vote me back in, if my constituents want that, then--then I will run again."

Hopefully your constituents will have long-term memory and you will never be on any school board, anywhere, any time, ever. But then Clint McCance wants to apologize:

"I--you know, I would--would like to extend an apology, especially to those to those--to those families that have lost children, not just gay, heterosexual, all--all children that feel like suicide's the only way out. It's a--it saddens me, and--but especially for those five -- five families that have just recently lost children. You know, I have--I have brought more hurt on them with these comments. And that was never my intention. And I apologize for that, because they don't--they don't deserve that. And I do feel genuinely bad for that, for them."

Too little, too late. I might forgive, might, but I find it hard to forget that Clint McCance wished and hoped and prayed, that LGBTQ youth would kill themselves. Hopefully, he'll learn to think before he speaks, and keep his homophobia and hate to himself.
Here's McCance on Anderson Cooper 360:



via Towleroad

PR8EP14: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It all started with a reunion show, and me looking at the screen at more than half the people there and wondering, Who is that? I guess that means it's been a long season, and the finale is upon us.
But first, the reunion. Nice to see Pickles, er, Peach, and the girl with the dreads who got Auf'd first. Good times. Nice to see Ivy stirring up trouble again, by outing Gretchen as a backstabbing bitch.
Ivy? Honey? Pot? Kettle? Black.
Mercifully, the reunion was short-lived and it was on to the Finale, so.....
Let's rip.....

ANDY

From the last challenge he was told he needed to produce more range, because his three looks seemed a little safe. One of the three was that god-awful swim-suit with the shorty sheer, and that was the first look tossed from his Tent Show. See, he had another, more interesting swimsuit and sheer cover-up, and when I saw that I thought, Why did he show the other one? This one is modern and edgy and Andy, and the other one was an April knock-it-off.

I think Andy might need more time to polish his collections and his show, and step back and be objective.

That said, I just loved the color in his designs. His inspiration was the Buddha Park in Laos, and the greens and grays really looked the part. Although, I was hoping for more green.

The most telling part of his collection is that once again the judges felt that his last minute piece, the one created for last weeks' show, was the best of the best. Just shows that Andy may have swung too far from Asian Warrior, into Asian Ethereal.

And Michael Kors loved the personal touch of Andy's heritage coming forward in his designs. He liked that it could have gone costume, but held back, though he wished for more diversity. There were a lot of shorts sand short dresses, but they were all impeccable. I think Kors make have wanted a bit more color variation, too, because when the entire collection walked, it seemed a little two-dimensional.

Heidi wasn't wowed when the show started, but it did build, while Nina liked the softness, but missed some on the Andy hard, modern edge. The clothes were lovely, but there wasn't a lot of drama. And we live for the drama.

Jessica Simpson, whom Carlos said looked like a stuffed sausage, said Blah blah blah blah. And, I don't mean she called the collection Blah, I just mean i paid her no mind.

The judges all agree that Andy isn't the winner, and, I, too, agree, but I feel bad because of those colors. I may be going all gray and green Laotian Buddha Temple in my own wardrobe from now on.
MONDO

He was all Day of the Dead, but fun.

if that makes any sense.

His collection was completely Mondo and completely fun and polished and show. But that may have been his downfall, because even last week Nina worried that he was too circus to be taken seriously, though she loved his showmanship.

Yeah, a fine line to walk.

Mondo got the drama edit, with models not showing for fittings and one model not showing for the runway, but it was a throwaway storyline and one PR uses every year to create drama. It gets old, because you just know it'll work out.

And Mondo worked it out in his little shiny suit. I missed the shorts and the wackadoo hats and the suspenders, and marveled at how much he looked like a grownup serious designer.

But that was where serious ended and show time began.

Even though he kept down some of the color by using black-and-white prints, his clothes were sexy and fun and flirty. I got a real Frida Kahlo vibe from some of his pieces. They had the whimsy and the grimness of Kahlo; really beautiful. And, of course, I knew he had this in the bag.

I've known for weeks.

Heidi loved that Mondo's collection seemed to have a wink to it, and Nina agreed that he is an incredible talent. Jessica Simpson woke up long enough to say she loved the polka dot dress, as did Heidi, and Kors and Nina once again said it was horrendous. Nina did love the plaid bubble dress, but thought Mondo's collection looked too young. The styling, and the wee hats and the bangles and baubles, read teenager to her, and she wondered if his clothes would appeal to a woman of a certain age. She thinks his looks are too costume-y, and Kors thinks he needs time to edit down his work.

GRETCHEN

Once again, Gretchen gets the new revised I'm-not-a-bitch-but-I-play-one-on-TV edit. I was going to pummel my television set if I heard her say that the whole experience was humbling, because Gretchen doesn't exude humble. She exudes cold, and calculated; she exudes business not art, and, in my mind, fashion design should lean a little heavier on the art side.

And she appeared on the runway in what looked like one of April's outfits from this season, albeit an outfit even April wouldn't show. It was weird and , well, ugly. And then she starts off with the tears about how she's happy her mommy was there and, cynic in me, I thought it was all forced and fake. She called her show "Running Through Thunder" and I dubbed it "Boring As Hell."

I don't get the granny pants and the pimp hats. I don't know what woman would wear them and where they'd be going. I mean, if you called them swimwear, I could see it, but as sportswear it just looked bad.

It looked Ready-To-Wear, and I thought this was a fashion show.

But Heidi liked it, and thought she could wear some of the pieces, though Heidi in granny pants will never happen--even when she's a granny. Nina liked the accessories; the jewelry that Gretchen told us she designed and had forged, Yeah....whatevs. Kors thought she was true to herself, and Jessica Simpleton, er, Simpson, said she could see her sister Ashley wearing Gretchen's clothes.

And if that isn't reason enough to give Gretchen the boot, I don't know what is.

The judges deliberations turned into a Battle Royal, with Simpson and Klum pitted against Garcia and Kors. The girls--and by girls, i don't mean Nina and Michael, I mean Heidi and Jessica--loved Mondo's work, and could see themselves wearing his clothes.

Kors and Garcia kept saying Gretchen had her finger on the pulse of what's happening next.

Women of the world? If that's what's happening next, and yes, I'll say it again, pimp hats and granny pants, then you need to rethink ever leaving the house again.

I so thought that since Heidi wanted Mondo, that it would go that way. I loved Mondo's clothes, though he did have some misses, but you get the feeling that he creates from his soul. Gretchen, on the other hand, creates from her bank account.

She's cold, he's an artist. He's Auf'd.

WTF?

Gretchen gets the win, and instantly is thrilled that she can get her stuff out of storage. Yeah, she's a designer. Even Tim Gunn, brought back to the runway, could only keep muttering Well, well, well.

Which is Tim-Gunn-speak for Are the judges smoking crack again?

So, there's PR8.

Gretchen wins. And we lose.

I liked the season, though. Very interesting characters, and stories and designs. I think the PR is coming back from the disastrous LA season, and hopefully the next time will keep improving.

Gretchen? Really?

REALLY?

I Didn't Say It......

President Obama, on marriage equality:

“I have been to this point unwilling to sign on to same-sex marriage primarily because of my understandings of the traditional definitions of marriage. But I also think you’re right that attitudes evolve, including mine. And I think that it is an issue that I wrestle with and think about because I have a whole host of friends who are in gay partnerships. I have staff members who are in committed, monogamous relationships, who are raising children, who are wonderful parents. And I care about them deeply. And so while I’m not prepared to reverse myself here, sitting in the Roosevelt Room at 3:30 in the afternoon, I think it’s fair to say that it’s something that I think a lot about. That’s probably the best you’ll do out of me today.”

What's to "wrestle" with, Mister President?

There is no such thing as "traditional" marriage, because marriage has evolved since the beginning of time.
Used to be marriages were arranged and the bride and groom had no say.
Used to be women became the "property" of men.
Used to be one man could have many wives.
Used to be you didn't marry outside your faith.

Used to be you didn't marry outside your class.

Used to be you didn't marry outside your religion.
Used to be you didn't marry outside your race.
That isn't tradition, that's change, and evolution.

Rebecca Kleefisch, GOP candidate for lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, on marriage equality:

"This is a slippery slope. In addition to that at what point are we going to be okay marrying inanimate objects? Can I marry this table or this, you know, clock? Can we marry dogs? This is ridiculous. And biblically, again, I'm going to go right back to my fundamental Christian beliefs marriage is between one man and one woman."
No, Rebecca, what's ridiculous, and demeaning, and homophobic, is you comparing two people of the same sex, who want to be married, to bestiallity.
What's even more disgusting, is you inflicting your religious beliefs on the rest of us.
You don't beleieve in gay marriage, don't marry a gay person [props to Whoopi Goldberg for that one.]

Jamie Lee Curtis, on her father, Tony Curtis:

"The invention of Tony Curtis was his life. He was in the navy, he was present for the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay - then he became this whole other thing, he changed his name and he changed his life.

Children, as we all know, are complicated and messy. He was not a father and he was not interested in being a father. It's not a slant against him, he was very clear. He did what he was supposed to do from a financial standpoint, which was honorable of him but he was not an involved father."
Strong words, but no anger.
She completely understands that her father chose to be "Tony Curtis" and not a father, and, well, now she's okay with that.

Former Bush administration Solicitor General Ted Olson, on the Obama administration and DADT:.

"It happens every once in awhile at the federal level when the solicitor general, on behalf of the U.S., will confess error or decline to defend a law. I don't know what is going through the [Obama] administration's thought process on 'don't ask, don't tell.' It would be appropriate for them to say 'the law has been deemed unconstitutional, we are not going to seek further review of that.'"

Nicely put. The Obama administration does have the right to not pursue a law that has been deemed unconstitutional, and is, in fact, unconstitutional.

Alan Cumming, on his disappointment with Barack Obama and his administration's banning the injunction on the DADT:

"We keep hearing that Obama is an ally, that DADT will end under his watch, but what do we actually get? Diddly squat thus far on a federal level and in addition to that some very offensive statements that would have made the Republicans look bad. In a time when America is full of hatred of all kinds, but especially hatred towards young gay people, what message is the president sending when he repeatedly goes out of his way to spread the message that the gay population is not worthy of the respect that everyone else is?!"

This is also my problem with Obama.
Simple lack of action.
Simple lack of making a statement.
On the campaign trail he was full of statements regarding the LGBT community, and now, though some of his actions have been pro-LGBT, his definitive statements have all but disappeared.

Angels in America/Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto, on whether or not he's gay:

 “I’m grateful that celebrity or notoriety wasn’t thrust upon me when I was in my 20s, because I think I would have buckled under the weight of it, as so many people do, but I’ve come to realize through experience that ultimately I really do have a lot of power in terms of the way I relate to the public or to people outside of my intimate circle of friends and family. Boundaries are very important to me.

The fact that these things are such hot-button issues right now, socially and politically, I would much rather talk about that than talk about who I sleep with. I would love to be a voice in this maelstrom of chaos and obsessive celebrity infatuation that says, ‘Let’s talk about something that matters'."

Look, I don't know of he's gay, though all the blogs seem to think he is, but I do know that he is very gay-friendly, and one of the few celebrities to speak out for gay rights on a consistent basis.

That makes him all right in my book.
But, if he is gay, then he needs to come out, and carry that same inspiration for the LGBT community.

Sharron Angle, on America being destroyed by gay marriage and straight divorce, and social services:

"I confess that we are a nation who has killed our children. I confess that we are a nation who has walked away from the family and allowed divorce even among our ranks. We have walked away from the biblical definition of marriage; one man, one woman, the two become one flesh. We as a nation have been walking away from our constitutional freedom and relying on government instead to take care of the widow and the orphan...we're saying 'well, the government we have all these programs now, aid for families with dependent children and medicare and social security."

Not much left to say except that she is one crazy bitch, and Nevada, if you want her, and you elect her, then you deal with her.
Don't come cryin' to me that she's a crazy bitch, because I told you so right here.

I'm In A Shawn Colvin State Of Mind

Lullaby or love song.......it's just pretty.

Tube Talk

I just loves me some Modern Family because I see myself and Carlos in that show all the time.
One minute we're Cameron and Mitchell...obviously...but more often than not we're also Gloria and Jay, er, Yay.
I was howling last night when the family got together and reminisced about Gloria's difficulty with English. A doggy-dog world? A box of baby jesus'?
Reminds of someone I know.

And the Glee Rocky Horror Show was fun. I drove Carlos crazy singing the songs, and telling him about being a RHPS devotee and going to the midnight show every week. I made him shudder, when I Time Warped around the sofa.
Plus, John Stamos? Hot.
Chord Overstreet? Dear baby cheeses, er, Jesus.
Matthew Morrison? Oh man.
Best line: Sam, hating his gold lame briefs, and worrying about showing a little "nuttage."

I caught some of The View this week, especially when Joy Behar called Sharron Angle a bitch. Loved that.
But, does anyone else think Babs should give it up. I mean, she continually tries to speak and then rambles on, nearly incoherently about her opinion.
So much of what she says makes no sense, that soon, I think we'll be hearing her mutter things like "Soap" in response to a question about politics.
You've had a good run, Babs, now take a hike.

Top Chef: Just Desserts With Dawn Hand Renewal and Albertson's and Godiva and Breyers.
Seriously, enough commercials.
This week was Bake Shop Wars, and it was fun. But then there's Morgan, who channels Seth and the Crazy from time-to-time, and is obsessed with team Diva so much so that i think he's a closet diva wannabe.
In a closet filled with women's shoes.
Come out already Morgan.

And The A-List.
i know, I keep saying I hate this show, but then there I am watching it.
And, well, maybe this is why:



The Big C on Showtime.
What a great show. About cancer. Funny and sweet and sad and charming and sexy. about cancer.
Laura Linney is just amazing. And I so want to be Marlene, the neighbor, when i grow up....like I'm ever going to grow up!

Last note:
I saw Jane Fonda on Oprah yesterday.
She's fit, fabulous and seventy-two.
But, and this is mean, but I'ma say it anyway, when Fonda stood next to Oprah, all i could do was think of Sesame Street and say, This has been brought to you by the number ten.
10.
Yeah, Oprah really needs to dust off the Fonda workout tapes and step away from the cookies.

Clint McCance: Homophobic Bully

"Borrowed" from Maybe It's Just Me.....

The Arkansas Department of Education has condemned anti-gay messages purportedly posted by a north Arkansas school board member on Facebook:

“The Arkansas Department of Education strongly condemns remarks or attitudes of this kind and is dismayed to see that a school board official would post something of this insensitive nature on a public forum like Facebook. Because Mr. McCance is an elected official, the department has no means of dealing with him directly. However, the department does have staff who investigate matters of bullying in schools and we will monitor and quickly respond to any bullying of students that may occur because of this, as we have with other civil rights issues in the past”

Condemned.
Notice they didn't ask him to apologize, to rethink his homophobic rant, or to resign.
They just condemned.
However, the Midland School Board, of which Clint McCance is an elected official, had this to say:

October 27, 2010
For Immediate Release:
The Midland School District, Board of Directors, administration, faculty, and staff do not support or condone the comments Mr. Clint McCance posted on his personal social networking page. Mr. McCance was not acting as an agent of the school board, but as a private citizen when this comment was posted. This post does not reflect the thoughts of the board or administration of the Midland School District.
The district strives to foster an environment that discourages all forms of bullying and an environment that encourages a safe and productive educational climate of all of our students. The district is very diligent in pursuing and addressing bullying of any variety on our campuses.
Sincerely
Dean Stanley, Superintendent
Midland School District
And I have this to say:
Clint McCance cannot be fired. This is not a job, but an elected position. But, if you live in his district and have the ability to express your disgust and distaste for what he says, then you should do so.
Demand that he resign.
Demand a special election to replace him if he doesn't.
You don't like gay people? Good for you, nobody said you have to like us.
But to celebrate the suicides of five young men, and to hope there are more, is the lowest a person can sink without actually entering hell.
Arkansas? Midland school District families?
Demand that Clint McCance resign.
NOW.

Obama Appointments Out-Gay All Others

Y'all know that I have been somewhat disillusioned by our "Fierce Advocate" and his broken promises. I still remember the I will end DADT as soon as I get into office and yet here we are, nearly two years later and still waiting.
I do take solace in the fact that had a nightmare occurred and the Grampa/Mama Grizzly Bore ticket been elected, we wouldn't even be discussing DADT or LGBT rights at all. So there is that.
And there's also this:
Less than halfway through his first term, President Obama has appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in history.

It seems that Obama's 150 appointments so far--from agency heads and commission members to policy officials and senior staffers--surpasses the previous high of 140 appointments under President Clinton.
And advocates feel that Obama's appointment of LGBT men and women into government positions helps ease the disappointment we feel from Obama's lack of action on DADT, and DOMA.
And, in more good news, Obama's appointments of LGBT men and women hardly raises an eyebrow, and causes nowhere near the ruckus that we saw back in the Clinton presidency with his nomination of then-San Francisco Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg as assistant secretary for Housing and Urban Development.
Achtenberg was the first openly gay official to serve at such a senior level, and she won confirmation despite contentious hearings and Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., who denounced her as a "militant extremist."
While many gay activists hoped Obama would be the first to appoint an openly gay Cabinet secretary, that hasn't happened......yet. However, he did appoint the highest-ranking LGBT official ever when he named John Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the nation's 1.9 million federal workers.
Other prominent names include Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Fred Hochberg, chairman of the Export-Import Bank. Obama also named Amanda Simpson, the first openly transgender appointee, as a senior technical adviser in the Commerce Department. And David Huebner, ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, is the third openly gay ambassador in U.S. history.
So, I do see some positive movement for the LGBT community in this White House, but, well, I want more. I'd like a definitive statement against DADT which we haven't gotten yet; it's all been rhetoric and press releases. I'd also like the president to respond more quickly to issues involving the LGBT community, like the recent spate of LGBTQ youth suicides, or the proclamations of Pride month and so on.
Obama is doing more than  presidents past, but he must keep pushing.

source

Architecture Wednesday

Last time on Architecture Wednesday, I showed you the Boxcar Guesthouse, one of the smallest ever. Now, for something a little more extravagant.

from DigsDigs: 

Kaweah Falls is a modern rustic retreat home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s student Frank Robert. It’s located at the base of the Sequoia National Park, the perfect getaway for nature lovers, hikers, kayakers and so on. The main feature of this spectacular 3,000 square foot home is a river running through it–right under the dining room. It bridges to a private island with a sandy beach and a year round active waterfall. The house features 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 kitchens plus several private decks and porches all with amazing river views. There is also a detached 2 car garage with an office, deck, and a view of the river. This amazing house is an ideal retreat for those who are ready to escape the hassles of the city.

For those interested, we have a website for Kaweah Falls that has a YouTube video showing the water flowing under the house, more pictures and info about the history/renovation. [HERE]

Gold's Gym Has Lost Some Of Its Luster

By now most of you have probably heard that Robert Rowling--Owner, CEO and President of TRT Holdings which runs Gold's Gym--has made a sizable donation to American Crossroads, the pro-Republication organization founded by Karl Rove.
Yes, that Karl Rove.
And, according to Politico, American Crossroads [sidenote: does anyone else find these homespun names for groups that espouse hate to be more than mildly annoying?] intends to spend "$65 million to oust the Democratic majorities in Congress."
Well, of that 65 million, 2 million came directly from Robert Rowling's corporate and personal accounts.
Rowling's money is being used to elect Nevada GOP senate candidate Sharron Angle, who is challenging Harry Reid. Angle, as you might remember, believes that women who are raped should turn their "lemons into lemonade," and wants LGBT people barred from adopting children. Angle called gay people "sodomites" and "perverts" and endorsed a statement that said there was no evidence to suggest homosexuality was biological, and that scientists who argue otherwise are flawed.
And yet, Angle isn't the only candidate that American Crossroads, and by association, Robert Rowling, is supporting. There's Roy Blunt in Missouri, who is currently running for US Senate, and has a 0%--yes, zero--rating from the Human Rights Campaign when it comes to legislation focused on the LGBT community.
Blunt is against the Employment Nondiscrimination Act [ENDA], in favor of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and in favor of banning gay adoptions in Washington, D.C. And he is focusing heavily, this campaign season, on the preservation of the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA], implying that if he loses his race, DOMA will die and gay people will be allowed to get married all over the country.
Egads! The horror.
Still, Robert Rowling supports this group and these candidates. And that's his right.
But........as is our right, and the right of Gold's Gym in San Francisco, is the ability to disagree.
So, to that end, Gold's Gym San Francisco announced this week that it is leaving its umbrella company, TRT Holdings, over Rowling's support for, and donations to, Karl Rove's American Crossroads.
This is what they had to say, in part:

Our company has worked for over twenty years to support our LGBT staff, members and community in every way possible and we will continue to.
We were as surprised by Mr. Rowling's action as anyone but because our company believes in and lives up to the ideals of equality for all we are going to take the following actions:
1: Our contractual obligation with Gold's Gym expires on September 15th, 2012 and on or prior to that date (our legal counsel is reviewing our options) we will leave the Gold's Gym brand. It is a major initiative to create a new brand and leave Gold's Gym which has been our identity for over 20 years but we will begin that process today.
2: For every dollar we pay Gold's Gym in franchise fees we will donate an equal or greater amount to LGBT charities. While we donate much more than this to charities and community groups that support the LGBT community we want to make a commitment to match or exceed this amount until our relationship with Gold's Gym can be severed.
3: Our management and staff will continue to support LGBT causes in every way possible and we will use our business as a platform to fight for change and equality for everyone. We have always taken great pride in being a leader in the LGBT community and we will continue to.

Thank you,

Don Dickerson, Director of Operations, Gold's Gym Bay Area

Nicely done. See, we can support whomever we choose. It's all good.

[from Towleroad]

Clint McCance Needs To Resign Now

Clint McCance

Last weekend, while grocery shopping with Carlos, we stood in one aisle discussing what we were going to make for dinner that night. A woman walked by, and it was quite obvious by our conversation--and she was listening--that we were a couple. So she gave us the up-down look, the head shake, and the sneer, and then walked off with her shopping cart...filled with Lean Cuisine.
So, I get it. Some folks don't like The Gays. And it's usually due to fear or ignorance, or religious or political indoctrination. And that's okay by me. You don't like me for being a flaming queer, keep on moving.
But what's frightening is that this week, in the Midland School District in Arkansas, school board member Clint McCance took his hatred, his fear, his ignorance, his bigotry, his stupidity, one step further.
Onto Facebook. It seems that Clint McCance took to his Facebook page last week to discuss his disgust for Spirit Day, a day in which a great many people, gay and straight, wore purple in remembrances of those LGBTQ youth who had committed suicide in recent months. Clint McCance says by doing so we were honoring "sin." And then he went on; from his Facebook page:

"Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way I'm wearin' it for them is if they all commit suicide. I can't believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed themselves because of their sin."

Clint McCance is a school board member. A position of power where he helps set the education policy for students in the district. Is this the kind of man the Midland School District in Arkansas really thinks needs to be involved in education at all? Maybe so, but after his first hateful post, Clint McCance continued:

"Being a fag doesn't give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then don't tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die."

Once more: Clint McCance is a school board member of the Midland School district in Arkansas.
One of Clint McCance's duties, according to the Midland School District's mission statement, is "making a difference" in the lives of students. And this is how he does it? So, if you're as disgusted as I am that Clint McCance is allowed to be involved in the lives and education of children, let him know. It's one thing to sneer at queers in the soup aisle at Kroger, but it's quite another to spew the kind of hatred Clint McCance did on Facebook.
Meanwhile, back at Facebook, a page calling for Clint McCance to be fired has attracted some 10,000 members; follow it HERE. And Joe Solomonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign [HRC] has released a powerful statement about the effect rhetoric like Clint McCance's has on all students, gay and straight:

"Clint McCance has put a face on the hate that devastates our young people. McCance and his hate shouldn’t be allowed near children, let alone managing their education. We call for his immediate resignation from the school board.”

So, add your voice to the list and go HERE to sign a Change.org petition calling for the immediate resignation of Clint McCance. He has no right to be involved in the education of children.

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A Lesson To Be Learned

Stoke Newington School, a secondary school in north London, claims to have almost eradicated homophobic bullying.
What? Huh? How?
Elementary, my dear readers, they simply started teaching lessons on gay history.
Students learn about World War II code-breaker Alan Turing, who committed suicide after being prosecuted for being gay, and forced to choose between prison or taking female hormones.
The school also features studies on gay authors like Oscar Wilde and James Baldwin, and artist Andy Warhol.
Music teacher Elly Barnes developed the lessons with colleagues five years ago--FIVE YEARS AGO--after becoming concerned about students using the word "gay" as a derogatory term, and now Stoke Newington School plans to extend the program by teaching hundreds of teachers how to "educate and celebrate" being gay.
Elly Barnes: "Many schools haven't even begun to deal with homophobia. Some still think being gay is illegal in parts of the country. By looking at famous LGBT people in history, we've changed opinions and we have had a number of pupils come out.
We have also changed the language used in the school. I used to hear the word gay used all the time as a derogatory term. Now we hardly hear it."
And that kind of silence is surely golden.
Brava to Elly Barnes and the Stoke Newington School. Brava!

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