Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Zac Efron Rocks A Skin-Tight Red Leather Dress
HE-vage for dayyys.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Zac Efron’s snatched body makes plenty of appearances in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, but here’s something else we can all look forward to: Zac Efron in a skin-tight red leather dress that does wonders for his man cleavage.
The 28-year-old heartthrob is sporting the look in a teaser uploaded to Instagram.
The video starts with a shot of Zac’s unzipped, chunky heel boot and pans upward to reveal the outfit’s short cut, a massive tattooed bicep resting next to Zac’s lace bustier, and finally his face.
“Sorry, mom,” he says, looking into the camera.
Zac Efron’s mom, as you may remember, bought him a box of penis pasta for his birthday this year.
Fans may also remember the last time Zac dragged himself up in 2014 for an episode of The Tonight Show, where he played a teenage girl in a skit opposite Jimmy Fallon’s “Sara” character.
Neighbors 2 stars Efron and Chloë Grace Moretz as dueling fraternity and sorority house leaders opposite Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, with cameos from Selena Gomez, Dave Franco, Abbi Jacobson, and Lisa Kudrow.
Wyoming Fourth Of July Parade Includes Outhouse Labeled “Transgender Bathroom”
Members of the community have slammed parade organizers for the insensitive oversight.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
A float depicting a ramshackle outhouse as a “transgender restroom” is causing a stir on the Internet after rolling through Cody, Wyoming in a Fourth of July parade.
Critics believe the float’s transphobic undertones marginalize trans people and trivialize the trans experience, while others have defended the float as it was “meant in humor.”
A float from the 4th of July parade in Cody, Wyoming that won an award.What a classy place to vacation. pic.twitter.com/JDKRIWmjUR
— Clint Falin (@ClintFalin) July 5, 2016
“It’s a valid point,” one person wrote in a Reddit thread discussing the float. “Outhouses and portajohns have been used by everyone with no issues for years and years.”
On Facebook, a commenter added: “Wow-I didn’t find that tasteless or hateful…hopefully more people have a tougher skin than some. All I thought it was saying is we have all been using the same facilities since there was only one place to go so we should stop being so pathetic and realize it is a non issue!!!”
Local radio station My Country 95.5 noted another response posted the the Cody Chamber of Commerce page:
“WOW!!! Cody Country Chamber of Commerce and Wyoming Office of Tourism — Do you think this is an appropriate entry in the 4th of July Parade???? Crap like this, seen by thousands of visitors, makes your efforts worthless. Hey thanks Cody, Wyoming for making our state look like a bunch of prejudiced jerks.”
The parade’s organizers, the Cody Stampede Parade Committee, responded to the discussion in a Facebook post addressing the “confusion” some felt over the float’s message.
The post also recognized an “award” sign posted to the float in the photo that’s being circulated. Apparently the award was actually given to a different entrant who had momentarily rested the sign on the outhouse float at the time of the picture — the float itself was not the recipient of the award:
Wyoming Equality confirmed on Facebook that it would be speaking with parade organizers in the near future, but asked supporters to do three things in the meantime: Listen, be patient, and donate.
“Let trans voices lead this conversation,” the post reads in part. “If you are cisgender, listen to and support your trans brothers and sisters in Wyoming. Listen and respect their perspective- they have far more experience navigating life in Wyoming as a trans person than we do.”
Wilson Cruz At Outfest Opening: “It’s Very Easy To Feel Like A Hunted Animal These Days”
The actor and activist delivered an emotional tribute to the victims of the Orlando massacre.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Los Angeles’ Outfest Film Festival kicked off its week-long celebration of LGBT films with a powerful speech by Wilson Cruz, who used the opportunity to address the recent dark times that the U.S. has been facing.
“It’s very easy to feel like a hunted animal these days,” the emotional actor said, before empowering the crowd with his compelling words.
“I don’t want you to retreat. I don’t want you to dim your light. I want you to shine it brighter,” said Cruz.
The activist then paid tribute to the victims of the Orlando massacre, one of which was his mother’s stepsister.
“We lost 49 people,” he said. “49 individuals with individual stories. Most of them part of marginalized Latino and LGBT communities. They were like so many of our invisible heroes.”
Cruz used to be a former national spokesman for GLAAD, and urged the crowd to tell the stories of the victims and the people of color who are now unable to.
“My hope tonight is that this room of creators and storytellers will find inspiration in this tragedy somehow and in these 49 lost lives,” he said. “It shouldn’t take their murders for them to be worthy of our attention.”
Listen to his entire poignant speech below.
Will Young Sings Joyous Cover Of “True Colors” At Glastonbury Festival
Better than the original?
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
English singer-songwriter, Will Young performed an uplifting cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” at the BBC Music Tepee during this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
Young-who is not widely known in the United States-is a top-selling artist in the U.K. He rose to fame when he won the first season of Pop Idol, the U.K.’s version of American Idol.
He made headlines when he came out in 2002. “I’m sure this will not come as a surprise to many people… I’m gay,” the singer said in a statement. “It’s totally no big deal, just part of who I am.”
Since then Young has recorded six albums, his last one, 85% Proof, was released last year.
If you’re unfamiliar with Young watch the video for his 2011 single “Jealousy,” where he plays an acrobat lusting after a male teammate.
'Big Brother' Hottie Paulie Calafiore’s Alleged Nude Pic Leaked
Are you guys watching the new season of Big Brother?
If not, we might have a compelling reason for you to start.
Paulie Calafiore (big brother to season 16's Cody) is looking mighty fine.
And surprise! Here is his alleged nude photo.
While there is not a face with the penis, the tattoo seems to match up.
What do you think?
Why Has There Never Been An Openly Gay Hockey Player?
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league is more than ready to embrace an out player.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Professional hockey has been at the forefront of embracing LGBT inclusivity in professional sports.
The NHL was the first pro sports league to have all its teams do PSAs in support of LGBT athletes.
Top players, like Andrew Ference, have marched in Pride parades and sported rainbow tape on their sticks.
NHL safety director Patrick Burke even founded the You Can Play Project, which provides support and resources to out athletes.
But still, no professional hockey player past or present has ever come out. In fact, the NHL is the only major American sports franchise that’s never had a gay player.
“I think it’s very difficult to generalize as to why, in a particular league or a particular industry, somebody has or has not come out,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told the Chicago Tribune .
“We certainly don’t want a player to come out for our sake. It should be what’s right for him and something that he has to be comfortable with.”
The league’s job, says Bettman, is to create an environment where a gay player knows he is “safe and welcome.”
Any by and large the NHL has done that: In April, when Blackhawks player Andrew Shaw used a homophobic slur against an official, he was suspended for an important playoff game.
“You want to eliminate the use of the word, but the fact is, what you do in response to set the right tone in terms of what’s acceptable is more important than the word itself,” Bettman said.
“So making clear in a strong way that this is not acceptable, I hope, transcends the use of the word itself.”
So, with all this acceptance and good will, why hasn’t there been a gay NHL player?
Burke has spoken to closeted players, and theorizes it’s because hockey is a sport “where anything that distracts from the team concept is seen as a negative.”
But, he counters, a player coming out would actually be good for a team.
“An athlete who’s wasting time and energy and mental health and well-being hiding himself in the closet isn’t bringing his entire individual self to the team.”
Watch Michelle Obama And James Corden Rock Out To Beyoncé In “Carpool Karaoke”
All the single ladies!
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
The First Lady is James Corden’s latest passenger in his “Carpool Karaoke” series from The Late Late Show.
The talk show host has had some big names on before like Adele, Mariah Carey and Elton John, but Michelle Obama might be his biggest get yet.
“That was the only time in seven and a half years that I’ve been in the passenger seat rocking out like this,” says Obama in the clip.
Let loose, FLOTUS!
Watch the preview below and tune in for the entire segment on tonight’s Late Late Show on CBS.
Third Eye Blind Trolls Republican Convention With LGBT Rights Message
"Raise your hand if you believe in science!"From: NewNowNext
When Third Eye Blind was invited to perform at the 2012 Republican National Convention, lead singer Stephan Jenkins penned an op-ed about how the group refused to sing for a party dedicated to “exclusion.”
Many were surprised, then, to find that the group had accepted an invitation to perform at an un-officially sponsored RNC charity event in Cleveland this week. That was until it became clear that the band was using the opportunity to blast the Republican party.
According to reports from Billboard, the group staged the concert at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to “repudiate” all the things the GOP stands for.
In addition to not playing any of their requested hits, the band talked about the need for “tolerance and acceptance,” and taunted the mostly-Republican crowd with questions like, “Raise your hand if you believe in science!”
When they did play one of their old songs, “Jumper,” which is about a gay man jumping off a bridge, Jenkins talked about the importance of bringing people like “my cousins, who are gay, into the American fabric.”
Though the audience jeered throughout the two-hour set, Jenkins exclaimed: “You can boo all you want, but I’m the motherf—in’ artist up here.”
Third Eye Blind tonite at #RNCinCLE event: We believe in tolerance, acceptance 🙌🙌 (Followed by boos) pic.twitter.com/WPRIEMZmEp— Tina (@tinpant) July 20, 2016
After the concert, conservatives railed against the band for taking up space at a charity event to promote their personal politics.
"We used an event meant to aid suffering veterans and kids to troll for attention"
— F. Bill McMorris (@FBillMcMorris) July 20, 2016
@FBillMcMorris @ThirdEyeBlind it gets even more pathetic when you realize they're all in their 40's & still acting like a teen garage band— Jason Hornbuckle (@JasonHornbuckle) July 20, 2016
@iammattcote @ThirdEyeBlind @LWhiteGRLprob wow you trolled an event that paid you. 👏🏻👏🏻 good job. Says a lot about your character. Weirdos.— Roger smith (@TrumpTrain1989) July 20, 2016
Liberals, however, praised Jenkins for using the event to troll the GOP.
THIRD EYE BLIND: LGBT rights!RNC AUDIENCE: BoooooooooooTHIRD EYE BLIND: Science!RNC: BooooooooooooooThat troll was funny but terrifying
— (((Michael))) (@Home_Halfway) July 20, 2016
Um, can we talk about how much I love @ThirdEyeBlind right now? Epic #RNC troll. https://t.co/8FKhrDmK7a— Mindi Westhoff (@MindiLWesthoff) July 20, 2016
Lefty musos feverishly revising their opinions of Stephan Jenkins and @ThirdEyeBlind— annkpowers (@annkpowers) July 20, 2016
For their part, Third Eye Blind seems perfectly content with their evening.
The Worst Gay Man In America Just Got Himself Banned From Twitter Forever
Like his "Daddy," Donald Trump, gay gadfly Milo Yiannopoulos uses hate and fear to boost his personal profile.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Gay Republican and Breitbart contributor Milo Yiannopoulos got himself permanently banned from Twitter yesterday, after he and his followers deluged Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones with racist and misogynist messages.
“People should be able to express diverse opinions and beliefs on Twitter,” a spokesman for the platform said. “But no one deserves to be subjected to targeted abuse online, and our rules prohibit inciting or engaging in the targeted abuse or harassment of others.”
Of course Yiannopoulos’ troll army has already started circulating #FreeMilo.
“With the cowardly suspension of my account, Twitter has confirmed itself as a safe space for Muslim terrorists and Black Lives Matter extremists, but a no-go zone for conservatives,” he declared, insisting he didn’t incite his followers to attack Jones directly.
“This is the beginning of the end for Twitter,” the 32-year-old Brit told The New York Times.
“Some people are going to find this perfectly acceptable. Anyone who believes in free speech or is a conservative certainly will not.”
Apparently he’s confused First Amendment rights with a company’s right to dictate terms and conditions.
It’s hardly Yiannopoulos’ first controversy. in fact he’s been blocked on Twitter before—most recently in June for attacking Islam after the Pulse nightclub shooting.
He’s the kind of media gadfly fueled by scorn and outrage—a minstrel for homophobic conservatives to both embrace and ridicule, because embodies their worst stereotypes about gay men.
There’s really no “bad press” that can’t be spun into clickbait (or more followers) by the self-proclaimed “most fabulous super villain on the internet.” No wonder he’s buddies with Ann Coulter and refers to Donald Trump as “Daddy.” (Ugh.)
In 2014, he stoked attacks on female video-game programmers and reporters, claiming gaming culture had been beset by “an army of sociopathic feminist programmers and campaigners.” During “Gamergate” female game developers and writers were targeted with malicious attacks and threats of violence and murder.
In a podcast interview last year, Yiannopoulos declared European civilization was vastly superior to any other because “Ultimately, our sense of right and wrong comes from the Bible.”
He added that “If I could choose, I wouldn’t be a homosexual,” while still claiming “people with a very high IQ are more likely to be homosexual”
In January, he launched the Yiannopoulos Privilege Grant, “a scholarship exclusively available to white men who wish to pursue their post-secondary education on equal footing with their female, queer and ethnic minority classmates.” (He rejects accusations that he’s a white supremacist, though, stating “if that’s the case, I must be the first black-dick-sucking white supremacist in history.”)
And just last night, he hosted “Gays For Trump” party at the GOP convention, which looks about as creepy as it probably was.
Ironically, in 2012, Yiannopoulos called for Internet trolls to be censored and banned from social media.
“If people cannot be trusted to treat one another with respect, dignity and consideration, perhaps they deserve to have their online freedoms curtailed,” he advised.
Pot. Kettle. Black.
Mike Pence’s Seven Most Vicious Homophobic Moments (There’s A Lot To Choose From)
From: Queerty
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is a darling of the religious right, and with good reason. Over the course of his political career, he has been a crusader (in his white-bread way) for the right’s pet causes. Chief among these, of course, is stopping the “homosexual agenda.”
While Pence is best known for his bumbling attempt to rebrand antigay bigotry as religious liberty last year, that was hardly his first foray into the fields of homophobia. In fact, both as governor and as a Congressman, Pence took the lead in attacking legal equality. He is far and away the most antigay candidate to run on a national GOP ticket, which is saying a lot.
As he accepts the Republican nomination, here’s a roundup of some of his choicest moments. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of them…
1.
Supporting a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality
In 2006, then-Rep. Pence told 100 of his fellow Republicans that he supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex weddings. Or as Pence put it, supported “God’s plan” in the face of the destruction of civilization. “Societal collapse was always brought about following an advent of the deterioration of marriage and family,” Pence complained.
2.
Signed a bill to jail same-sex couples for applying for a marriage license
In an effort to make a bad idea even worse, as governor Pence signed a bill in 2013 that would jail same-sex couples in Indiana who applied for a marriage license. To prove that he wasn’t singling gay people out, Pence was also willing to jail marriage clerks who supplied a license or clergy who performed the wedding.
3.
Wanted to divert funding from HIV prevention to conversion therapy
This one’s a two-fer: as a Congressional candidate in 2000, Pence wrapped two awful ideas into a single dreadful proposal. He wanted to ensure that “federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus.” So where should the money go? “Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.” In other words, conversion therapy.
4.
Opposed repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
Longing for the good old days of complete invisibility for gay people, Pence predictably ignored the preponderance of evidence in support of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Instead, Pence put himself out there as a leading opponent of the policy change. “There’s no question to mainstream homosexuality within active duty military would have an impact on unit cohesion,” Pence argued, dismissing the repeal as “some liberal domestic social agenda.”
5.
Complained about the passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes bill
In Pence’s ideal world, there would be zero protections. So it’s no surprise that he groused when the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes bill was signed into law in 2009. Pence didn’t cite legal objections. Instead, he complained that it advanced a “radical social agenda” and would have “a chilling effect on religious expression, from the pulpits, in our temples, in our mosques and in our churches.”
6.
Served on the board of an antigay group
Pence has had a close relationship with the antigay leadership in his state. He served on the board of the Indiana Family Institute, an affiliate of Focus on the Family, which has been in the forefront of attacks on LGBT rights in the state, including a state constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. Thanks to its connections to Pence and other Republicans, IFI has been the recipient of funding for the state’s “Health Marriage” program. The former head of IFI has served as an aide to Pence both in Congress and the state house and as a campaign consultant.
7.
Argued that passing ENDA would ban Bibles from the workplace
Of course, in Congress Pence voted against federal workplace protections. What was unique was his reasoning, which was that ENDA would discriminate against Christians. To comply with the law, Pence claimed, “the employer has to ban employees from having a Bible at the workplace for their break time, or displaying Bible verses.” Foreshadowing the Indiana religious liberty law, he went on: “We must stand for the right of every American to practice their faith according to the dictates of their conscience, whether it be in the public square or in the workplace.”
Laura Benanti As Melania Trump On “The Late Show” Is Hilarious—And Scary
"Melania" defends herself against charges she plagiarized her RNC speech.
From: NewNowNext
It’d almost be worth it to have Melania as First Lady to get more of Laura’s shenanigans. ALMOST.
From: NewNowNext
Sometimes celebrities just have to embrace their similarities to unpopular figures. Tina Fey did it with Sarah Palin, and now Broadway’s Laura Benanti is doing it with Melania Trump.
Benanti, who just appeared on stage in She Loves Me , hit The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and gave an impression of the Donald’s current spouse that was both rip-roaring funny and eerily uncanny.
We never thought they looked alike before, but when Benanti adopts Mrs. Trump Slovak accent and starts cribbing famous quotes, it’s like we’re back at the Quicken Loans arena in Cleveland.
It’d almost be worth it to have Melania as First Lady to get more of Laura’s shenanigans. ALMOST.
Dustin Lance Black Will Dedicate Memorial To America’s First LGBT Rights Demonstration
The memorial will be presented at a Philadelphia meeting house on July 27.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
The award-winning Milk screenwriter will present a Philadelphia Conference Historic Marker at the Arch Street Meeting House, the site where 300 LGBT activists gathered to plan the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
The activists gathered at the house a few short months after the assassination of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, a leading activist in the fight for LGBT equality.
There, they strategized and put into motion the steps that would lead to the groundbreaking 100,000-person demonstration in D.C., which many regard as a turning point in the LGBT civil rights movement.
Organizers say Black was chosen to deliver the keynote address at the ceremony because of both his own activism and his connection to the late Milk, whom he immortalized in film.
“For the LGBT civil rights movement, the Philadelphia Conference is akin to Seneca Falls,” said Malcolm Lazin, Equality Forum’s Founder and Executive Director.
“Given Dustin’s Oscar-winning biopic of the late civil rights activist Harvey Milk, whose assassination inspired LGBT activists prompting the organization of the Philadelphia Conference, it’s an honor to have him dedicating this historic marker.”
The marker (which will look like the one pictured left) will not only memorialize the meeting house, but will also provide visitors with information about the landmark conference that took place there.
The dedication will take place on July 27 at 11 AM.
Caitlyn Jenner Explains Why She’s A Republican, Sort Of
"Im not giving up on this country, Im not giving up on the Constitution. I want this country to thrive. "From: NewNowNext
Caitlyn Jenner is in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention this week. And while she’s not addressing GOP delegates at Quicken Loans Arena (though she wouldn’t be the worst speaker they’ve had up there) she is attending a panel for LGBT Republicans at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
An emotional Jenner told attendees about her father, who was an Army ranger in WWII who landed at Omaha Beach and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
“If my dad knew what was going on, and he saw what’s happening with our country I think he’d be very disappointed,” she said. “Because of that I think our best hope in getting back to a constitutional government—with 18 enumerated powers—is in the Republican Party.”
Jenner seemed to be agreeing with the conservative line that the Obama Administration and the Supreme Court have overstepped their authority. Of course, such “oversteps” have benefited the LGBT community greatly—with marriage equality and President Obama’s guidelines ordering states to respect the rights of trans youth.
“I'm not giving up on this country, I'm not giving up on the Constitution. I want this country to thrive,” she added to much applause. “I want this country to be the best place to do business. I want jobs for everybody—I want jobs for the trans community. Hopefully we can all make some positive changes if we all work together.”
Sure, if job creation, help for the trans community and real respect for the Constitution (including the separation of Church and State) were tenets of the GOP, we’d all be voting Republican. But Jenner seems out of touch with the party as it is today.
A party whose vice presidential candidate, Gov. Mike Pence, happily signed a bill protecting anti-LGBT discrimination into law and said money for HIV/AIDS foundations should be given to ex-gay conversion groups.
A party whose presidential candidate, Donald Trump, hasn’t given any clue what his economic policies are and can’t make up his mind where he stands on LGBT issues. (In his most recent pronouncement, Trump said he supported North Carolina’s odious HB2.)
That party—the real-world Republican Party of here and now—is about as far away from what Caitlyn wants as you can get. Hopefully she’ll realize that sooner rather than later.
Ben Carson, A Surgeon, Tells GOP Delegates Being Transgender Is “The Height Of Absurdity”
"We don’t know anything, everything is relative—this doesn’t make any sense.”From: NewNowNext
In a recent interview, Ben Carson, a successful neurosurgeon, told reporters that being transgender is as ludicrous as someone waking up in the morning and deciding they want to change their ethnicity.
“For someone to wake up and think that they belong to a different sex because they feel different that day is the same as if you woke up and said, ’I’m Afghani today because I saw a movie about that last night, and even though my genetics might not indicate that, that’s the way I feel, and if you say that I’m not, then you’re a racist,'” Carson told The Hill before his speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday.
He went on to say that it’s “the same kind of situation” and urged Americans to “utilize our brains…our common sense as human beings.”
“We’ve known what men are and what women are for thousands of years,” he concluded. “So we don’t know anything, everything is relative—this doesn’t make any sense.”
Carson’s statements are, of course, not just insulting but altogether wrong. Though he doesn’t seem to grasp the inherent nature of gender and sexual identity, he ironically disproves his own point when talking about the inability of a leopard to change its spots: “It’s not based on your feelings, it’s based on what you are.”
Later, Carson railed against political-correctness and directly linked Hillary Clinton to Lucifer in a confusing six-minute speech delivered before the convention.
Anglican Church Discovers Voting Error, Reverses Decision On Same-Sex Marriage
"I'm very happy. I'm excited, I'm relieved for the future of our church and for our young people."
From: NewNowNext
A week ago, leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada voted on whether to allow same-sex marriage. The motion failed to pass by a single vote, prompting several members to claim their votes had not been recorded.
After a hard manual recount, marriage equality won the day.
“That is an issue of concern,” said Archbishop Fred Hiltz when the issue was first raised. “We cannot leave this synod with this kind of confusion.”
After the recount Hiltz announced the resolution had passed.
“That is our reality,” Hiltz told the more than 200 delegates attending the six-day general synod. “That the motion is in fact carried in all three orders.”
About 1.6 million Canadians identify as Anglican, with some 500,000 belonging to one of the 2,800 congregations across the country.
The news of the recount felt like a miracle to some clergy members.
“I heard the news between subway stops on my way to the airport,” Rev. Allison Courey an out lesbian minister, told the CBC.
“A text popped up on my phone that said ’It passed’ with a hundred exclamation marks.’ I’m very happy. I’m excited, I’m relieved for the future of our church and for our young people.”
Earlier in that day, Courey said, she saw young people at the General Synod breaking down in tears over the news that the Church had rejected marriage equality.
The measure will still need to be affirmed by the next synod in 2019 before it becomes church law, but some clergy aren’t waiting that long to begin solemnizing unions.
Bishop John Chapman of Ottawa said his diocese would proceed immediately, although priests would not be forced to officiate at such a ceremony.
Debate on the issue had gotten ugly at times, and some worry the vote will lead to a schism, as it has threatened to in the US Episcopal Church, the sole Anglican body to approve same-sex marriage.
Hiltz acknowledged “our work on this matter is not done.”
“It’s not sufficient for us to simply say we dealt with the resolution,” he added.
Anderson Cooper Explains Why He’s Not Voting For Hillary Or Bernie
Here's one man who won't be headed to the polls.
From: NewNowNext
From: NewNowNext
Anderson Cooper refused to endorse a candidate for president on the Howard Stern Show in April, taking the opportunity instead to explain why he doesn’t vote at all, and why he thinks other journalists should take his lead and do the same.
“I don’t think I’m going to vote. I don’t think reporters should vote,” the 48-year-old CNN anchor told a stunned Stern. “A lot of reporters don’t vote. It’s a thing.”
Cooper explained he chooses not to vote so he can remain impartial and open to all candidates.
“I’ve had the debate. There have been years where I have voted because sometimes I thought maybe I should. I’ve gone back and forth on it. I don’t want to be influenced one way or the other,” he said.
“I believe people should vote, but my role is to ask questions.”
When Cooper came out publicly in 2012, he used a similar defense in explaining why he’d kept his rumored sexuality a ’secret’ for so long. At the time, he said having an elusive sexuality allowed him to remain politically neutral on the subject, and afforded him safety when traveling to countries where homosexuality is illegal.
“For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own,” Cooper told The Daily Beast in 2012.
He decided the battle for LGBT equality, however, could benefit from his advocacy.
“There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand,” he said.
Cooper was on hand to discuss The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss, the book he recently published with his 92-year-old mother, heiress Gloria Vanderbilt.
Said Cooper:
“In the book, she describes someone she was dating at 85 as ’the Nijinsky of cunnilingus. I had to look up Nijinsky … a ballet dancer, very limber, I assume. My mom just thought it was funny, I was like, ’oh jeez, Mom, I don’t need to hear this.'”
Listen to part of Cooper’s interview below:
Pulse Protester Tells Marco Rubio “You Have Blood On Your Hands”
"Your policies enable people to be murdered....you’re not protecting us."From: NewNowNext
While speaking to press about ways to help alleviate slow business traffic in the area directly surrounding Pulse nightclub, Sen. Marco Rubio was challenged by an angry protester who slammed the senator for his lack of support of the LGBTQ community.
David Moran joined the press to express the views of a group of 30 protesters who had gathered outside the event to blast Rubio for not doing more to promote gun control or equality.
“I’m really angry at you,” Moran began. “I don’t feel you’re doing anything to support the LGBTQ people. I need to know what is your relationship with the NRA. Why are you talking with transphobes and homophobe…all of you have blood on your hands,” Moran said.
Rubio responded, “I disagree with your assessment…Homophobia means you’re scared of people, I’m not scared of people. Quite frankly I respect all people. We probably have a disagreement on the definition of marriage.”
“Your policies kill people,” Moran interrupted. “Your policies enable people to be murdered. You have to protect us. You’re not protecting us. We’re going to be gunned down.”
Rubio brushed off the accusation and continued to talk about his plans to revive commerce on the main thoroughfare of South Orange where Pulse is located.
Though Rubio elected to stay in Orlando this week to help with relief initiatives, he’s scheduled to appear via video at the Republican National Convention.
Watch the confrontation between Rubio and Moran, here.