MONDAY MAN: St.Jon

A Majority Of Republican Voters Fear Something That Virtually Never Happens

In-person voter fraud just isn’t a real problem in the U.S. So why do states keep trying to fight it?
From: Huffington Post

A worker carries a sign informing voters of a voter ID law
 intended to go into effect in 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
An appeals court struck down the law earlier this summer.

More than one in three Americans is very concerned about a boogeyman named “voter fraud,” so it’s time to shine a flashlight under the bed: Neither the boogeyman, nor in-person voter fraud ― at least as the GOP portrays it ― are real.

According to a Gallup poll released Monday, 36 percent of Americans believe voter fraud is a “major problem,” and a further 32 percent view it as a “minor problem.”

The poll found that Republicans are much more concerned about voter fraud than Democrats. Fifty-two percent of Republicans think ineligible voters casting ballots will be a major problem in this year’s election, compared to 26 percent of Democrats.

There’s just one problem: There’s virtually no evidence of in-person voter fraud occurring, and voter ID laws passed by state legislatures do nothing to address the fraud that actually does exist. Instead, the laws mostly just impede minorities from voting.

For example, in Texas ― home to a voter ID law so restrictive a federal appeals court recently found it violates the Voting Rights Act ― you’re literally more likely to get struck by lightning than encounter in-person voting fraud.

A 2015 PolitiFact investigation found Texas has prosecuted just three people since 2002 for the type of fraud addressed by the state’s voter ID law. That means only around 1 in 18 million votes in Texas might be a) fraudulent and b) prevented by the state’s voter ID law. 

And in-person voter fraud is just as rare on a national level.

According to a “comprehensive investigation” by Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt, between 2000 and 2014 there were just 31 incidents of in-person voter fraud (the sort a voter ID law would prevent) in more than 1 billion ballots cast nationally.

Even worse, in a guest article for the Washington Post, Levitt explained the voter ID laws don’t actually target the fraud that actually does exist:

Most current ID laws ... aren’t designed to stop fraud with absentee ballots (indeed, laws requiring ID at the polls push more people into the absentee system, where there are plenty of real dangers). Or vote buying. Or coercion. Or fake registration forms. Or voting from the wrong address. Or ballot box stuffing by officials in on the scam.
Instead, requirements to show ID at the polls are designed for pretty much one thing: people showing up at the polls pretending to be somebody else in order to each cast one incremental fake ballot. This is a slow, clunky way to steal an election. Which is why it rarely happens.“Election fraud happens,” Levitt noted. “But ID laws are not aimed at the fraud you’ll actually hear about.”

Instead of actually stopping real fraud, many critics point out that these laws conveniently target voters more likely to support Democrats.

In addition to the Texas law, a U.S. appeals court struck down a similar law in North Carolina earlier this summer, ruling the state legislature there targeted African-Americans “with almost surgical precision.”

And in Wisconsin, U.S. District Judge James Peterson came to a similar conclusion this July regarding voter ID laws in the state, which he said unfairly targeted minority voters.

“To put it bluntly,” Judge Peterson wrote in the decision, “Wisconsin’s strict version of voter ID law is a cure worse than the disease.”

Team LGBT's Olympic medal count beat every country that criminalizes gay sex

Not even the anti-gay country of Jamaica, with its 11 medals, could come close to the performance of publicly out gay, lesbian and bisexual athletes at the Rio Olympics.
From: OutSports

The publicly out gay, lesbian and bisexual Olympic athletes in Rio outperformed expectations, with 25 of the 53 publicly out athletes winning medals. All told they accounted for 14 medals, when you combine multiple athletes on single teams (e.g., four out women played on the gold-medal-winning Team USA basketball team).

Those 14 medals beat every single country that criminalizes sex between people of the same gender. Jamaica, with 11 medals, was the closest such nation to catching Team LGBT. Most countries that criminalize gay sex fared very poorly in the Olympics. Iran, for example, won only eight medals; While 47% of the out LGBT athletes won medals, only 13% of Iranian athletes won medals.

Various notoriously anti-gay nations won zero medals, including Libya, Sudan and Uganda.

The LGBT athletes from Great Britain alone accounted for four medals, beating all of these countries that criminalize gay sex, and others like Nigeria (one medal) and Tunisia (three medals).

To be sure there are other nations with big LGBT issues that fared better. For example, Russia won 56 medals and finished fourth overall. Sex between two people of the same gender is legal in Russia, even if there are other issues in that country.

Still, the lesson should be clear: If you want your population to thrive, including in the world of athletics, let them be free.

SAM KENDRICKS

US track and field athlete and Army reservist was about to make a pole vault, but then he heard the National Anthem.

47% of out LGBT athletes won an Olympic medal in Rio

Of the 53 publicly out LGBT athletes, 25 of them won a medal including 10 gold.
From: OutSports

Britney Griner and Elena Della Donne won gold for Team USA women's basketball.
Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Almost half of the publicly out LGBT athletes competing in the Rio Olympics won a medal, which is a drastically higher percentage than the athletes in general. All told, 25 of the 53 publicly out athletes, a full 47% -- won a medal, including 10 athletes winning gold.

In 2012, about 40% of the publicly out LGBT athletes won medals, as Team LGBT did very well for itself at the Summer Olympics in London. This number is even higher, thanks in part to the success of the Swedish women's soccer team and the American women's basketball team, which combined account for almost a third of the athletes winning medals.

It is odd that being publicly out would translate to Olympic success in two straight Summer Games. You have wonder if there is a correlation.

Gold Medals

Nicola Adams

Great Britain

Boxing

51kg weight class

Beat France's Sarah Ourahmoune, 3-0, in gold-medal match

Kate Richardson-Walsh

Helen Richardson-Walsh 

and 

Susannah Townsend

Great Britain

Field hockey

Won gold by beating defending-champ Netherlands in shootout

Rafaela Silva

Brazil

Judo

Women's 57kg

Won first gold medal for Brazil and Team LGB

Seimone Augustus

Elena Delle Donne

Brittney Griner 

and

Angel McCoughtry

United States

Basketball

Team USA went unbeaten and won gold easily over Spain

Caster Semenya

South Africa

Track and Field

800 meters

Won silver in London and gold in Rio

Silver Medals

Alexandra Lacrabère

France

Handball

Lost to Russia, 22-19, in the gold-medal match

Lisa Dahlkvist

Nilla Fischer

Hedvig Lindahl 

and 

Caroline Seger

Sweden

Soccer

Fell to Germany, 2-1, in the gold medal match after beating USA and Brazil

Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel 

and 

Maartje Paumen

Netherlands

Field Hockey

Lost to Great Britain in a shootout

Sunette Viljoen

South Africa

Track & Field

Javelin

Barely edged out third and fourth place for silver

Rachele Bruni

Italy

Swimming

10km

Dedicated her medal to her "beloved"

Carl Hester 

& 

Spencer Wilton

Great Britain

Dressage

Team Dressage

Hester also won gold in team dressage in London

Bronze Medals

Stephanie Labbe 

& 

Marie-Eve Nault

Canada

Soccer

Canadian soccer team beat Brazil, 2-1, for bronze

Tom Daley

Great Britain

Diving 

Men's synchronized 10-meter platform 

Edged out German duo on last dive for bronze

Jen Kish

Canada

Rugby

Women's sevens 

Beat Great Britain, 33-10, to win bronze; Lost semifinal match, 5-0

A record 53 out LGBT athletes competes at the Rio Olympics

The Rio Olympics had 53 publicly out LGBT athletes, the most ever for an Olympics.
From: OutSports

The  2016 Summer Olympics in Rio had a record number of publicly out lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes.

Outsports and Olympic and LGBT historian Tony Scupham-Bilton have identified at least 53 out athletes who are competing, as well as three coaches. There were 42 lesbian or bi women, 11 gay men and no out transgender Olympians. Several out athletes have also qualified for the Paralympics.

There were a record 11 publicly out male athletes, though none are from the U.S. There is also one married couple, Helen Richardson-Walsh and Kate Richardson-Walsh, British field hockey players. There are no openly transgender athletes competing in Rio.

As expected, the list grew, as more athletes were revealed to be out (our original list on July 11 had 27 names). This often occurs on team sports in Europe or in lesser-know sports where athletes are out but haven't gotten much publicity. If you know of an out LGBTI athlete not on the list, please contact us via email (outsports@gmail.com), direct message on Twitter (@outsports) or in the comments section of this story.

The 2012 Summer Games in London featured 23 out LGBT athletes. Others have come out publicly since they competed in London.

Here are the out LGBT athletes in Rio.

# after a name indicates an athlete added after our original list on July 11.

Nicola Adams (Great Britain, boxing)

Seimone Augustus (USA, basketball)

Tom Bosworth (Great Britain, race walk)

Rachele Bruni (Italy, swimming)

Anne Buijs # (Netherlands, volleyball)

Isadora Cerullo # (Brazil, rugby)

Tom Daley (Great Britain, diving)

Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel (Netherlands, field hockey)

Lisa Dahlkvist (Sweden, soccer)

Elena Delle Donne # (USA, basketball)

Katie Duncan (New Zealand, soccer)

Nilla Fisher (Sweden, soccer)

Amini Fonua # (Tonga, swimming)

Larissa França (Brazil, beach volleyball)

Edward Gal (Netherlands, equestrian)

Kelly Griffin # (USA, rugby)

Brittney Griner (USA, basketball)

Carl Hester (Great Britain, equestrian)

Michelle Heyman (Australia, soccer)

Mélanie Henique # (France, swimming)

Jen Kish # (Canada, rugby)

Valentina Kogan # (Argentina, handball)

Stephanie Labbe # (Canada, soccer)

Alexandra Lacrabère # (France, handball)

Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden, soccer)

Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (Finland, swimming)

Robbie Manson (New Zealand, rowing)

Hans Peter Minderhoud (Netherlands, equestrian)

Ian Matos (Brazil, diving)

Angel McCoughtry (USA, basketball)

Eefje Muskens # (Netherlands, badminton)

Nadine Müller # (Germany, discus)

Marie-Eve Nault (Canada, soccer)

Ashley Nee # (USA, kayak whitewater slalom)

Maartje Paumen (Netherlands, field hockey)

Fiona Pennie # (Britain, canoe)

Mayssa Pessoa (Brazil, handball)

Jillion Potter # (USA, rugby)

Megan Rapinoe (USA, soccer)

Helen Richardson-Walsh (Great Britain, field hockey)

Kate Richardson-Walsh (Great Britain, field hockey)

Tessie Savelkouls # (Netherlands, judo)

Carolina Seger # (Sweden, soccer)

Caster Semenya (South Africa, track and field)

Rafaela Silva # (Brazil, judo)

Martina Strutz # (Germany, pole vault)

Susannah Townsend # (Great Britian, field hockey)

Sunette Stella Viljoen # (South Africa, javelin)

Julia Vasconcelos # (Brazil, taekowndo). Julia confirmed to Claudia Custodio (@Cau__ on Twitter) with ESPN Brazil that she is a lesbian.

Marleen van Iersel # (Netherlands, beach volleyball)

Linda Vilumsen # (New Zealand, cycling)

Jeffrey Wammes # (Netherlands, gymnastics)

Spencer Wilton # (Great Britain, equestrian)

**Victor Guttiérez, a Spanish water polo player was originally on the list, but he announced July 12 that he is not going to Rio.

***This list had been one larger, but one athlete contacted us to say she was not publicly out, so we removed her name.

**** We had originally listed Dutee Chand (India, track & field) and Caster Semenya (South Africa, track & field) as intersex athletes competing. However, we have removed them as intersex athletes after consulting with an expert on intersex athletes, who told us: "Neither of them has publicly confirmed anything about their biology or that they are intersex. For that reason I have not labeled them as such in my writings. Intersex women have hyperandrogenism but not all women with hyperandrogenism  have an intersex trait."

Semenya is married to a woman, Violet Raseboya, so she is added an an LGB athlete.

At least three publicly out head coaches were also in Rio. Alyson Annan coaches the Dutch women's field hockey team,  Jill Ellis is the head coach of the United States women's soccer team and Pia Sundhage is head coach of Sweden's women's soccer team.

Gold medal Olympic diver Greg Louganis will travel with the United States diving team as an official athlete mentor, the same role he held in 2012. Equestrian Robert Dover, who competed in six Olympics as an athlete, is a coach for the U.S. dressage team.

Here is a fascinating note from historian Scupham-Bilton: 

"George Morris is trainer to the Brazilian Olympic equestrian team (his partner is Brazilian). They call him the 'Godfather of American Equestrianism.' He came out officially earlier this year in his autobiography at the age of 78, even though he states he was never 'in.' His Olympic involvement goes way back to 1956. He won a silver medal in Rome 1960. He was Chef d’Equipe for many years, and he’s probably the oldest LGBT person involved in the sporting events."

A number of other out athletes also competed at Olympic trials and came close to earning a spot in Rio:

Tina Hillman finished ninth in the Team USA shot put Olympic trial.

Matt Llano finished sixth in the Team USA marathon Olympic trial.

Javier Ruisanchez competed in the Puerto Rico swimming Olympic trial.

Matt Lister finished third in the canoe slalom trials with his doubles partner at Team Great Britain selection trials. He's acted as LGBT Ambassador for the British Athletics Commission since May 2015 working with athletes preparing for Rio.

Carly Muscaro finished 14th in the women's 400 meters at the U.S. Track and Field Trials. 

Marieke van der Wal made the reserve/alternate list for the Dutch women's handball team.

A number of LGBT athletes will also compete in the Paramlympics after the Olympics. Angela Madsen will compete for Team USA in track and field, and Jen Armbruster and Aysa Miller will compete for the USA in team goalball. Lee Pearson will return to the Olympics in equestrian. Moran Samuel will represent Israel in rowing. Claire Harvey will represent Britain in track and field.

Nude Statues of Donald Trump Pop Up in Cities Around America

From: Wicked Gay

 There are a lot of men I fantasize about seeing naked. Gronk, Julian Edelman, Ben Cohen, James Haskell, David Pocock, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Nick Jonas, to name just a few, but Donald Trump does not make this list. To be honest, these statues could have been of an in shape and well endowed Trump, and I would have the very same reaction. If the inside doesn't match the outside, why bother?

Edge reports, "On Wednesday a handful of life-sized nude statues of Donald Trump popped up in public places in cities across America.

Five identical larger-than-life size nude statues of Trump showed up overnight and appeared in highly trafficked areas of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle and New York City. 

The statues of the cellulite-plagued billionaire, grossly overweight with laughably small genitalia were the work of the archaist collective INDECLINE, and were titled "The Emperor has no Balls," - an obvious reference to the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale about self-absorbed Emperor who was tricked into strolling among his people nude to show off his new suit of "invisible clothes."

"Like it or not, Trump is a larger-than-live figure in world culture at the moment. Looking back in history, that's how those figures were memorialized and idolized in their time - with statues," said an anonymous spokesperson from INDECLINE."

Mongolia’s Wrestling Coaches Strip Off Clothes To Protest Official’s Call At Rio Games

The protest came after their wrestler was narrowly defeated by a technicality.
From: NewNowNext

 After appearing to have bested Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov in a bronze freestyle wrestling match Sunday afternoon, Mongolia’s Mandakhnaran Ganzorig was penalized for celebrating before the match had actually finished, which swiftly turned his victory into a defeat.

Following the call, his coaches rushed to the judges’ table, where they ripped off their clothes and screamed in protest.

 In the final seconds of the Sunday match-up, Ganzorig had clearly won against Navruzov in a 7-6 finish. His coaches ran onto the floor and the three hugged and jumped in celebration. Suddenly, however, the scoreboard changed, and Navruzov had a one point advantage over Ganzorig.

According to the judges, the Mongolian wrestler had been docked for fleeing in the waning seconds of the match. While Ganzorig fell to the mat and began to roll around inconsolably, his coaches erupted and approached the scorers’ table.

Coach Byambarenchin Bayoraa arrived at the table first, tore off his shirt and shoes and slammed them in the direction of the judges. Tsenrenbataar Tsostbayar followed suit and one-upped him by also taking off his pants. Together, they pleaded with the officials for a replay of the event.

The judges refused to offer a replay, but Bayoraa and Tsostbayar would not leave the mat. The mostly Brazilian crowd began to cheer “Mongolia! Mongolia!” After a few moments, a group of Brazilian national force officers arrived to escort the coaches and Ganzorig from the stadium.

This wasn’t the first time that a dicey call had seen Navruzov triumph over a competitor.

Earlier in the Games, three officials were suspended after delivering what many considered to be a shady ruling against Puerto Rican Franklin Gomez in favor of Navruzov.

When Navruzov took to the medal stand to claim his bronze, the crowd booed.

MONDAY MUSCLE: Wilson Cruz

Glistening Shirtless Tongan Athlete Pita Taufatofua Returns for Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony

From: Towleroad

 Tongan taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua, who caused a stir two weeks ago when he appeared during the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremonies shirtless and glistening with oil, made a repeat performance at last night’s closing ceremonies.

Wrote Taufatofua on Instagram:

“And now they know!!#WhereisTonga Congratulations to the best ever Tongan Olympic team! And to the beautiful people of Brazil for a Marvelous Olympics… We did it!”

Taufatofua did not win a medal, but he became more famous than many who did, and was perhaps the most popular ambassador for Tonga that the nation has ever had.

Sports Illustrated reports:

“I was here because it took me 20 years to get here,” he said. “People thought I walked out with a shiny body and was an overnight success. F— that. … It was 20 years of work to walk out on that stage and be chosen as the flag bearer.”

The crowd at Carioca Arena 3 chanted “Tonga! Tonga!” Saturday, at a volume that Taufatofua never imagined hearing before he got to Brazil. That was because of the coconut oil. He wroteon his Facebook page that the oil “is an integral part of indigenous Oceanian body adornment…an expression of ancestral ties.” It doesn’t really matter if the attention was part of a master plan or happy accident.

“How the hell does the crowd know what Tonga is?” Taufatofua said. “Well, obviously, we did something right. To me, that’s what the Olympics is about. It’s about bringing people who don’t know each other and have different cultural and religious beliefs or views together as one. We’re all human beings.”

#THINKIN

Celebrating Today August 22nd

From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things

Hated his character so much on OZ, loved him on Lost, but either way, a strangely enchanting and beautiful man. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje turns 49 today.

 Rugby's Agustín Pichot turns a manly 42 today.

 Cindy Williams turns 69 today.

 I find actor Colm Feore stunning. Something about that amazing face. This movie, TV and theater great turns 58 today.

 Pole Vaulter Okkert Brits turns 43 today.

 Rick Yune turns 45 today.

If 'Rhoda' were on TV today, she would make a great fag hag. Rhoda and Valerie Harper was one of the best things about the MTM show. Harper turns 77 today.

Favorite Pic Series Of The Day: August 22, 2008

From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things

 More pics of supermodel David Gandy.