I Didn't Say It ....

Bill Maher, pissing off Catholics everywhere:

"Hey Catholics, newsflash—if the Pope can quit, it’s OK for you to quit, too. As you all know, this week Pope Benedict told Vatican radio—you know Vatican radio, playing the hits from the 8th century, the 9th century and today—Benedict told them he was going to resign because the church needs a fresh young face somewhere other than a priest’s lap."

It’s funny, ‘cuz it’s true.

Azealia Banks, 'singer', continuing her defense of using the word 'faggot':

“There are such bigger problems… and then you've got organisations like GLAAD, which are f**king complete bulls**t.  I mean let's look at it, it's gay and lesbian alliance against defamation, or whatever…. that's what it stands for, right? I mean would you agree that homosexuals, and the homosexual community, have bigger problems than the word faggot, you know what I mean? .... Some people are Satanists, some people are Christians, some people are Jews, Buddhists, you know what I mean? Some people are still Nazis… there are some people who are still KKK members… Come on people, please. If you're trying to call me a homophobe, you're basically trying to imply that I’m insulting you for having sex with men. I have sex with men too – what the f**k? .... I have sex with men and women, do I have to take a picture of my licking a f**king pussy? What the f**k! It doesn't make any sense. It's so stupid. It's so stupid and it's so evil. And it's just like this stupid f**king media sh*t, you know what I mean? It's the media sh*t. And this is why I go about myself the way the way I go about myself, and I do whatever the f**k I want. If the media is going to build me up to tear me down, you motherf**kers are not going to tear me down. .... I just make these f**king raps, and I'm just gonna wear these outfits, and f**king live my life. I can't deal with you motherf**kers, I don't have time for this sh*t.”

Our lesson for the day: This is what idiocy sounds like.

And, let’s be clear, she does this to get her name in the press hoping people will Google her and download her music.

Let’s not.

Chris Kluwe, LGBT ally and professional football player, on the idea of an openly gay NFL member:

"If any NFL players happen to read this, I guarantee you’ve played with or against a gay player at some point during your career — that’s simple statistics. Guess what? It didn’t make him any less of a player. It didn’t make him any less able to push through conditioning drills, less able to stay awake during meetings, less able to rally for the win when down by 10 with four minutes to go in the game. That gay player, whether you knew it or not — he was a teammate. He was your teammate. He was my teammate. Just like the coaches go on and on about every preseason: Once you step between those white lines, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from, what you believe or when you were born. There’s only one thing that matters, and that’s Can you play?'"

I imagine they’ve played with gay players, been coached by gay coaches, and taught by gay teachers. The idea is this: if you’re good enough to play professional sports, any professional sport, it should not, does not matter what your sexual orientation might be. All that matters at the end of the day is, do you play well …. Do you win …. Do you make money for the team.

Anything else is irrelevant.

Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey creator, on the homosexuality of the Thomas Barrows character:

“He was always going to be gay. I don’t know about in America, but here [in England], there are so many people under 40 who were hardly aware of the fact that it was actually illegal until the 1960s. Perfectly normal men and women were risking prison by making a pass at someone. Their whole life was lived in fear, and ruin and humiliation and career after career would be smacked down. I think it’s useful to remind people that many things that they take for granted, are, in terms of our history, comparatively new. But I also felt it was believable that someone living under that pressure would be quite snippy and ungenerous and untrusting. But once you understood what he was up against, you’d forgive quite a lot of that. I like to write characters where you change your mind, without them becoming different people.”

And that is the character of Thomas. I also like that he is not very likable; so many times the gay characters are drawn as ‘puppy’ like, cute and oh so precious. Thomas is devious and sneaky and not at all nice, and that had nothing to do with him being gay.

Kelly Clarkson, on Clive Davis' selective memory in his new 'memoir':

“So I just heard Clive Davis is releasing a memoir and spreading false information about me and my music. I refuse to be bullied and I just have to clear up his memory lapses and misinformation for myself and for my fans. It feels like a violation. Growing up is awesome because you learn you don't have to cower to anyone - even Clive Davis .... First, he says I burst into ‘hysterical sobbing’ in his office when he demanded ‘Since You Been Gone’ be on my album. Not true at all. His stories and songs are mixed up … I resent him dampening that song in any way. But, yes, I did cry in his office once. I cried after I played him a song I had written about my life called ‘Because Of You.’ I cried because he hated it and told me verbatim that I was a ‘sh*tty writer who should be grateful for the gifts that he bestows upon me .... He continued on about how the song didn't rhyme and how I should just shut up and sing. This was devastating coming from a man who I, as a young girl, considered a musical hero and was so honored to work with. But I continued to fight for the song and the label relented. And it became a worldwide hit. He didn't include that in the book.”

I’ve long been a fan of Clarkson’s for a couple of reasons, most evident during the Grammys last month, where she won the award for best Pop Vocal Album, and then sang ‘Tennessee Waltz’—a country tune—followed by signing ‘Natural Woman’—an R&B hit.

Pop, Country, R&B; that’s the talent of Kelly Clarkson, and for Davis to take what amounted to a private conversation with Clarkson and use it to sell books—aside from saying she sobbed hysterically—is the height of ego.

He thinks Kelly should ‘shut up and sing’? I think he needs to shut up.

Jon Huntsman, on marriage equality and the GOP:
"While serving as governor of Utah, I pushed for civil unions and expanded reciprocal benefits for gay citizens. I did so not because of political pressure—indeed, at the time 70 percent of Utahns were opposed—but because as governor my role was to work for everybody, even those who didn’t have access to a powerful lobby. Civil unions, I believed, were a practical step that would bring all citizens more fully into the fabric of a state they already were—and always had been—a part of .... That was four years ago. Today we have an opportunity to do more: conservatives should start to lead again and push their states to join the nine others that allow all their citizens to marry. I’ve been married for 29 years. My marriage has been the greatest joy of my life. There is nothing conservative about denying other Americans the ability to forge that same relationship with the person they love .... All Americans should be treated equally by the law, whether they marry in a church, another religious institution, or a town hall. This does not mean that any religious group would be forced by the state to recognize relationships that run counter to their conscience. Civil equality is compatible with, and indeed promotes, freedom of conscience."

I doubt the GOP will listen.
I mean, they're planning on listening to Mittsy and the MGB™ at CPAC this year so Huntsman's ideas won't get a chance.