Soap Dish #4 (In Which We Welcome Demi Moore and John Stamos to General Hospital)

From: Deep Dish

In today's Soap Dish, we welcome Demi Moore (as Jackie Templeton) and John Stamos (as Blackie Parrish) to General Hospital. Below you can watch 19 episodes of the show from January 1982, and click here for previous Soap Dish posts.

CAST

Ruby Anderson - Norma Connolly

Dr. Gail Baldwin - Susan Brown

Lee Baldwin - Peter Hansen

Scotty Baldwin - Kin Shriner

Dr. Arthur Bradshaw - Martin E. Brooks

Jessie Brewer - Emily McLaughlin

Delfina - Nita Talbot

Dr. Noah Drake - Rick Springfield

George Durnley -Paul Comi

Stella Fields - Jeff Donnell

Alice Grant - Lieux Dressler

David Gray - Paul Rossilli

Audrey Hardy - Rachel Ames

Dr. Steve Hardy - John Beradino

Tiffany Hill - Sharon Wyatt

Claudia Johnston - Bianca Ferguson

Slick Jones - Eddie Ryder

Dr. Seymour Katz - Jordan Charney

Joe Kelly - Douglas Sheehan

Rose Kelly - Loanne Bishop

Anne Logan - Susan Pratt

Jeremy Logan - Philip Tanzini

Emma Lutz - Merrie Lynn Ross

Mickey Miller - Milton Berle

Susan Moore - Gail Rae Carlson

Bryan Phillips - Todd Davis

Blackie Parrish - John Stamos 
Georgia Price - Lisa Figus

Dr. Alan Quartermaine - Stuart Damon

Edward Quartermaine - David Lewis

Lila Quartermaine - Anna Lee

Dr. Monica Quartermaine - Leslie Charleson

Capt. Burt Ramsey - Bob Hastings

Dan Rooney - Frank Maxwell

Robert Scorpio - Tristan Rogers

Richard Simmons (as himself)

Laura Webber Spencer - Genie Francis

Luke Spencer - Anthony Geary

Dr. Zack Stewart - Steve Doubet

Jackie Templeton - Demi Moore

Laura Templeton - Janine Turner

Amy Vining - Shell Kepler

Heather Webber - Robin Mattson

Dr. Lesley Webber - Denise Alexander

Mike Webber - David Mendenhall

Dr. Rick Webber - Chris Robinson

Mel Wilson - Dawson Mays

Friday, January 1, 1982

Anne kisses Joe in front of a jealous Heather. Rick and Lesley finally tell Amy that she talks too much, and she makes a resolution to keep her mouth shut. Delfina goes face down into her scrambled eggs during breakfast. Laura is spooked out by the man that keeps watching her.

Monday, January 4, 1982

Demi Moore makes her debut as magazine reporter Jackie Templeton, who arrives in Port Charles to interview Laura. Susan throws Alan out of the house, but she later forgives him after he starts divorce proceedings.

Tuesday, January 5, 1982

After learning that Jeff has remarried, Anne decides to change her image. Later at Dr. Bradshaw's party, she accuses him of being responsible for the death of a patient.

Wednesday, January 6, 1982

Dr. Bradshaw demands that Anne post a written apology to him on the hospital bulletin board.

Thursday, January 7, 1982

Scotty and Heather run into each other in a bar. Robert and Tiffany make love.

Friday, January 8, 1982

David Gray follows Laura back to Port Charles. A judge declares Mike the legal son of Rick and Lesley.

Monday, January 11, 1982

Richard Simmons holds an exercise class at General Hospital.

Tuesday, January 12, 1982

Steve puts Anne on probation for a month. Lila hires Robert to find Eric, the son of the woman he previously traced for her. Scotty finds Laura's nightgown on the yacht and rips it to shreds.

Wednesday, January 13, 1982

At her photo session, Laura gets a message that Luke is in NYC, and she runs off to meet him. She is surprised to find Scotty instead, and he wants her to forgive him. David Gray discovers there are two Lauras when another Laura (Janine Turner) visits photographer Mel Wilson.

Thursday, January 14, 1982

Joe confronts Heather about her referring clients to him from General Hospital.

Friday, January 15, 1982

Genie Francis concludes her nearly five-year run on General Hospital as Laura disappears in the fog after David Gray flashes his sapphire ring at her. Luke searches for Laura (who doesn't return until November 1983), and instead he runs into the other Laura on the docks (you can watch the final scenes of this episode at the end of the third video).

Monday, January 18, 1982

The new Laura calls her sister, Jackie Templeton, and tells her boyfriend Mel that two men are out to get her in Port Charles. Luke discovers that Scotty was on Laura's flight to Port Charles

Tuesday, January 19, 1982

Divers search for Laura, but they don't believe she fell in the water. Luke suspects that Laura may have been kidnapped by the Cassadines.

Wednesday, January 20, 1982

Mel isn't happy to learn that Laura called her sister for help. Jackie arrives in Port Charles to find Laura. David Gray tells Mel that they are ready for the second phase of their project.

Thursday, January 21, 1982

Laura Templeton calls her sister and tells her that she's fine, but Jackie insists on seeing her. Mickey Miller tells Robert and Tiffany that Laura may have run off with her photographer Mel, who has also disappeared. Alan is upset to learn that Monica is selling the Quartermaine mansion, and he meets potential buyer, rock star Rusty Metal.

Friday, January 22, 1982

Luke and Jackie meet when they both rush to General Hospital to see a hit-and-run victim, who turns out to be another woman named Laura.

Monday, January 25, 1982

No one is very enthusiastic about Richard Simmons' exercise class. Jackie wants to team up with Luke to help find their missing Lauras. She later slugs him after learning that he saw her sister but didn't offer her help.

Thursday, January 28, 1982

John Stamos makes his debut as Blackie Parish, a tough street kid who vandalizes Rick's sports center with his gang. Heather makes her move on Joe, and they make love.

Friday, January 29, 1982

David Gray hypnotizes Laura Templeton, who later has no memory of the special project that she and Mel are working on. Rick learns that Blackie was beaten up by Durnley's men. Dr. Bradshaw tells Gail that Ruby must have a hysterectomy. Monica realizes that Alan put in the offer on the mansion.

Tribal

From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things

 If like me, you thought Ozzy being voted out, would provide the main drama on this week's Survivor, you were mistaken. Last night's tribal counsel was one of the most emotional 15 minute or so I have ever seen on reality television. It proved both the mediums power and ability to positively spotlight difference and diversity, and the horror of the mediums ability to magnify how far some (not just Varner, but the producers...) go to exploit others for the almighty dollar. It was beautiful and horrifying and I was riveted. 

Cosmo Centrefolds 2011

From: Cosmo UK

 ROB NORBURY

Norbury played footballer Riley Costello on Hollyoaks was a little nervous about dropping trou for Cosmo, explaining, "I'm not a fan of being naked in front of girtls. I'm a lights off, pajamas and dressing gown kind of guy!"

Cosmo Centrefold Hall of Fame

From: Cosmo UK

Jason Donovan

Played Daniel Marrack on ITV's Echo Beach

Jason Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his debut album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989, with UK sales of over 1.5 million copies. He has had four UK No. 1 singles, one of which was "Especially for You", his 1988 duet with fellow Neighbours co-star Kylie Minogue. He has also appeared in several stage musicals, most prominently in the lead role of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the early 1990s.

Born in Australia, he now resides in London, United Kingdom.

Texas Lawmakers Planning Legislative Attack on LGBT People Next Week

From: Towleroad

State Rep. Ron Simmons (R)

Texas plans to consider a new heinous “bathroom bill” next week that mimics the sham HB2 “repeal” approved by lawmakers in North Carolina recently which essentially left discrimination in place.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Ron Simmons.

The Dallas Morning News reports:

House Bill 2899 will be debated in the State Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The amended bill would ban cities, school districts and any other “political subdivisions” from passing local laws that protect certain people from discrimination in an intimate space. This would render local nondiscrimination ordinances that protect the rights of transgender people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity unenforceable.

“Except in accordance with federal and state law,” the bill’s language reads, “a political subdivision, including school districts, may not enforce an order, ordinance, or other measure to protect a class of persons from discrimination to the extent that the order, ordinance, or other measure regulates access to multiple-occupancy restrooms, showers, or changing facilities.”

While the language isn’t an exact match, Simmons bill looks quite a bit like the revised bathroom law recently passed in North Carolina. Both ban local governments from regulating use and access of restrooms, changing rooms and locker rooms.

GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis has denounced the bill:

“The newly proposed HB 2899 is even worse than SB 6 because it invalidates all existing local non-discrimination ordinances that protect LGBTQ Texans and gives anti-LGBTQ state lawmakers full control over future LGBTQ local non-discrimination laws. HB 2899 is another harmful ‘solution’ in search of a problem and will accomplish one thing: further putting the lives of all LGBTQ Texans in jeopardy.”

365 Groovy Books Worth Reading

From: Deep Dish

35

Glamourpuss

 by 

Christian McLaughlin

 1994

McLaughlin's hilarious first novel chronicles the true confessions of Alex Young, a daytime soap actor who is outed by a national tabloid (the author later co-created MTV's 2001 soap, Spyder Games).

36 Fetishes Every Gay Man Should Know

From: The Advocate

28

Beard/Facial Hair Fetish

You know by now that shaving tools and buzzed haircuts have fetishes attached to them. Beards and body hair should be less surprising, especially these days. Beards are so sexually charged and erotically idealized among today's scruffier populations of gay men that one might forget that fact that beards are still, technically, fetish objects.

Team DC Awards 7 Scholarships to LGBT Athletes

Night of Champions highlights LGBT student-athletes
From: OutSports

Recognizing contributions of LGBT youth in sports
is paramount for Team DC’s Night of Champions.

This weekend Team DC, the umbrella organization for LGBT sports organizations in Washington DC, will host its Night of Champions, benefiting the group’s college scholarship program.

In addition to other awards, they will be recognizing seven student-athletes who have received scholarships this school year. Team DC uses the scholarships to reward out athletes, but also to further discussion in schools about issues facing said athletes.

“Since the Scholarship Program was created in 2008, our goal has been not only to support openly out student-athletes, but to also educate and foster discussions with coaches and other school administrators about the challenges facing LGBT athletes,” said Dan Schaefer, Chair of the Team DC College Scholarship Committee, in a statement.

The seven student-athletes being honored with scholarships are (with high school and college listed):

• Jauan Durbin, School Without Walls High School, Washington, DC / Morehouse College (GA)
• Adonis Garcia, Cardozo High School, Washington, DC / University of the District of Columbia (DC)
• Joshua Hicks, Chesapeake High School, Pasadena, MD / University of Maryland at College Park (MD)
• Jasmine Johnson, Ballou High School, Washington, DC / Delaware State University (DE)
• Stephen Lambert, Northern Virginia Community College / George Mason University (VA)
• Daja Latten, Cardozo High School, Washington, DC / Virginia State University (VA)
• Elaina Perry, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Greenbelt, MD / American University (DC)

A number of other LGBT-sports-community leaders will also be recognized, including members of DC Front Runners and DC Pride Volleyball. You can find the full rundown here.

Alan Ritchson, behind the scenes of N2N shoot

April 15, 2008
From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things

Hot behind the scenes video.

19 Inspiring Trans People-Currently In Sports-You Should Know About

From: OutSports

Stephanie Shostak

Shostak is a volleyball official in Edmonton who has officiated various levels of competition and served on numerous boards in the sport.

13 LGBT Superheroes To Watch Out For

From: NewNowNext

7

Batwoman

Batwoman has been a part of the DC Universe since the 1950s, and was revamped from Batman’s girlfriend to a lesbian caped crusader back in 2006.

Kate Kane still comes from a wealthy Gotham family, but she was a decorated soldier until she was kicked out of the military under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She’s a lead character in Detective Comics, where she trains some of the city’s younger heroes, and started headlining  her own book again in February.

As with the Ray, her adventures will be chronicled by queer writers—Marguerite Bennett (DC Comics Bombshells) and James Tynion IV (Batman and Robin Eternal). She’ll also be appearing on The CW’s Supergirl.

12 HOTTEST BEARDS OF BASEBALL

From: Bear World

Pedro Álvarez

Pittsburgh Pirates 

2010–2015

Baltimore Orioles 

2016

Here Comes Peter Cottontail.....

RuPaul Headed To HBO For An Episode Of “Animals”

He played the mysterious Dr. Labcoat
From: NewNowNext

 Drag Race fans might had to keep an eye out for last night’s episode of Animals on HBO.

The animated series is going live action for a night with an episode featuring celebrity guests like Judy Greer, Raven Symone and the mother of all drag queens, RuPaul.

Ru plays Dr. Labcoat, a doctor who has created a “Green Pill” that will mysteriously cure a virus that is plaguing New York City.

In a new clip from the episode, Dr. Labcoat goes over his busy schedule with his adoring assistant, played by John Early (Wet Hot American Summer, Search Party).

This isn’t the only TV show Mama Ru will be popping up in. Later this month you can catch him playing Britt Robertson’s sassy neighbor on Netflix’s Girlboss.

When it comes to TV we have always thought the more Ru the better.

Pulse shooter’s wife pleads not guilty to federal charges

From: WESH

The wife of the gunman in the Pulse Nightclub massacre has pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding and abetting her husband and obstruction of justice.

Noor Salman, wife of Pulse Nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, made a brief appearance before a judge in the Orlando federal courthouse Wednesday.

Salman's attorney waived the reading of an indictment and entered a not guilty plea for her.

Documents filed indicated a June 5th trial date before Judge Paul Byron, just one week before the one year anniversary of the Pulse massacre. Salman's next court date is June 15.

Salman agreed last week to be transferred to Florida from California, where she'd been held since her January arrest. A tentative June trial date was set.

Prosecutors say she knew about Mateen's plans to attack the nightclub on June 12, killing 49 people. Her attorneys say she didn't know the extent of his plans and has no connection to terror groups. A federal indictment also charges her with obstruction of justice during the investigation of the nightclub massacre.

Security was heavier than usual outside the federal courthouse in downtown Orlando with a bomb sniffing dog and Homeland Security SUV's parked in front.

Federal marshals are not disclosing where Salman is jailed but her attorney said was returned to central Florida to face charges in the last couple days.

Private Valley: Willi F by New Manhattan Studios

From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things

'I really had a lot of fun. I got to play in the pool, be around a bunch of beautiful trees under a brilliant sky! I got to play with a dog, and represent California with my state flag that I had brought from home.'

-Willi-

It is always a great day when I get to present the work of New Manhattan Studios. I always know I am going to be sent incredible images, and the stories, always equally stimulating and compelling. This set of images come from Willi's second time in front of the expert eyes and lens of Wes from NMS. Willi, and his incredibly fit physique looked amazing in both shoots, but there was something about this second set that had me wanting to make it the focus of today's feature.

 Willi's magnificent face and body, the water, shimmering in the heat and light of the afternoon's Santa Cruz sun... the lush tree's and greenery of the valley location all came together perfectly for a sensual and sun drenched afternoon of California dreaming. Wes recounts that during the shoot, Willi shared a story of biking home from work in San Francisco earlier that week. Willi was in cut-offs and a T-shirt but it was a warm day and he decided that, this being San Francisco, he would take the rest of his clothes off. There, on Market Street, Willi stripped down and completed the ride home in the nude. This story, aside from being incredibly hot, (and wanting me to spend some time on Market St.) also gives us a glimpse into the soul and spirit of the man in front of the camera. As you can see from the images, along with the recollections shared by both Willi and Wes, the shoot was not just an afternoon of working and posing. It was also, especially for Willi, a moment of meaningful transition, growth and change. I thank both Wes and Willi for sharing their images, and the story behind them.

-Wes-

'We had worked with Willi once before, when the Californian had made a trip back east. This time, heading out in his direction, I reached out to see if he was still modeling and if he was still fit. I was pleased that the answer to both questions was yes. The location was the home of eminent photographer friends, complete with gardens, pool, multi-level patios and a hot tub is situated on a hillside, surrounded by orchards and woods, in a private valley in the hills above Santa Cruz, California.'

-Willi-

'I really enjoyed this last shoot with Wes out here in California. it was actually set on the property of a mutual friend of ours in the Santa Cruz mountains. A really beautiful winding drive to a gorgeous setting. Being outdoors with the redwoods, the sun, the clouds and the birds was great. This was definitely the most nourishing setting that I've done a shoot, which made it pretty easy to relax and look like I was enjoying myself.'

 -Wes-

'Willi had been correct when he assured me that he was as fit as ever. I doubt he has 4% body fat and, shirt off, his definition was every bit as impressive as I had remembered. He changed outfits a couple of times in our work around the pool and eventually he traded swim trunks for brief white mesh briefs. They weren’t see-through, but they were low-riding and quite brief. To complement the defined abs, I decided that we could get yet more definition if the underwear were wet.'

-Willi-

''It's always nice to work with someone I've worked with before. Finding a rhythm we've discovered before and working with people who appreciate me and my work helps me relax, and when I am relaxed, the work is much easier. I always appreciate Wes, he is very professional and respectful approach to his work. It was great, too, having his assistants on hand to help out, and fun to work with Alex Corso again.'

 -Wes-

'I had scoped the property out prior to Willi’s arrival that morning and had a mental list of where all I wanted to shoot but I had not given any thought to the order of the session. Nor had I considered the ever-shifting sun and the movement of shadows through the unfamiliar property. We worked our way, terrace by terrace, up the hillside toward the hot tub. By the time we reached the top of the property around the hot tub, the light had changed considerably and, next to the forest, much of the area was already in deep shade.'

 -Wes-

'In the mid-afternoon Alex returned from his own photo shoot in the East Bay and found us high above the house. The two models exchanged greetings but Alex was all work and reached for the reflector as we kept shooting. But in short order there was no sun in the area to reflect. The shots I had earlier anticipated getting in this area were no longer feasible.' 

 -Wes-

'As we descended back down to the house we noticed that the sun was still hitting one end of the pool. We decided to seize the last minutes of light to get some back-lit shots of splashing water around the model. OK I said, Willi, I want water beading up and rolling off you, 'Into the pool!' Alex was designated as the splash machine. He stripped off his clothes and joined Willi in the water. In short order the carefully orchestrated shots of splashing water gave way to a water fight.'

-Willi-

'In many ways i feel like this was one of my best shoots. It felt more natural and more enjoyable for me than work in the past. I know some of it has to do with the incredible setting- in my own backyard, so to speak- and the familiar energies of Wes and Alex.'

-Wes-

'Without hesitation Willi jumped into the pool. And the effect was precisely what I had hoped for when, dripping with water, he emerged from the water:. underwear, nearly translucent, clinging to every curve of his body.'

 -Willi-

''Getting to go swimming and lie in the sun definitely helped. a great part of it, too, I think, was being in a much better place emotionally, spiritually, personally. There's had been a lot going on for me over the last few years- a lot of inner turmoil, transition, transformation, and growth. It was great to feel myself having passed through a lot of the rough stuff and feeling more integrated in myself than ever in my life up to that point. so more than ever I was feeling really me, and I was able to bring more of that to my work, taking more liberty in being spontaneous to whatever impulses were arising, which seemed to work well for me and Wes. Finding some good moments of easy rhythm and flow.'

-Willi-

'It sounds kind of obvious, but I had a simple and profound experience of just being myself naturally and letting that be the work. It ended up being one of my best shoots and one of the easiest shoots I've ever done. Getting to a place in my life where I could be myself more easily (in my underwear, in front of a camera)- THAT felt like the real hard part of the work. I enjoyed the shoot for the setting, the activities, and the professional interaction, and in addition to that, it felt great to me on a personal level to do this shoot and track the growth I had gone through as a model, and as well, spiritually and emotionally as a person.'

Willi on ModelMayhem

Dish of the Day #128

APRIL 15, 2009
From: Deep Dish

History's 125 Hottest Gay-Porn Stars:

From:  Boy Culture

 Flexx appeal

93 

Lon Flexx 

(David Lee Anderson)

1965—1995
AIDS

This late '80's player was a very focused performer, kinda the Anthony Perkins of the genre—cute but intense. Like Perkins, he died of AIDS, but not before appearing in noteworthy fare like Davey and the Cruisers (1989) and More of a Man (1991).

Orange Covered Mini Eggs

From: Favorite Hunks & Other Things

One of my favorite models, Igor Kolomiyets,
rockin' the bunny ears, and the orange boxer briefs!

Meat The Press, British Vogue, 2017

Congratulations to Edward Enninful, the new Editor in Chief at British Vogue.
This is for you.  XX OO  V8

Levi’s New Jeans Come With Their Own Butt Window

These cheeky pants will set you back $1,870
From: NewNowNext

 A new pair of jeans from Levi is leaving very little to the imagination.

In collaboration with French fashion label Vetements, the iconic denim brand just unveiled its latest jean design, which features a zipper that runs right down the butt.

vetements_official

#VETEMENTSxLEVIS

@mytheresa.com @kevingiacco

The jeans, which also come in short shorts, seem to be marketed toward women, but we have a sneaking suspicion we’ll be seeing these pants popping up in gay clubs all across the country this summer.

The cheeky partnership comes from Vetements’ spring ’17 collection, which featured collaborations with several major brands to reimagine their most classic fashions, including Reebok, Canada Goose, Dr. Martens and Manolo Blahnik.

“We thought we’d go straight to the brands who make all these things best, and ask to do something in our way with each one,” Vetements designer Demna Gvasalia told Vogue. “The people who work at Vetements don’t really wear designer fashion—a lot of these are the labels they wear all the time.”

Snag a pair of your own assless jeans here for a whopping $1,870.

Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam, Described as ‘Trailblazer,’ Found Dead in New York

From: NBC News

Justice Sheila Abdus-Salaam looks on
as members of the state Senate Judiciary Committee vote unanimously
to advance her nomination to fill a vacancy
on the Court of Appeals at the Capitol in Albany on April 30, 2013.
Mike Groll / AP file

She was the first African-American woman to sit on New York State's highest court. She was also widely hailed as the nation's first female Muslim judge — or at least one of the first judges with a Muslim surname.

And now the New York Police Department is trying to determine whether Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam, whose body was found floating off Manhattan in the Hudson River, took her own life.

"It's too early to tell right now," NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Thursday. "We've spoken to many people in her family about her history. We don't believe she was on any drugs at all. It was a surprise to everyone."

The 65-year-old judge, who lived in nearby Harlem, had spent the weekend in New Jersey with her husband, the Rev. Gregory Jacobs, and spoke with her assistant on Tuesday morning, Boyce said.

Abdus-Salaam was discovered on Wednesday afternoon in the water near West 132nd Street. She had a MetroCard in her pocket and there were no obvious signs of trauma on her clothed body.

"We don't believe she was in the water for a long time," Boyce said.

The New York City Medical Examiner said it too was "unable to confirm the cause and manner of death at this time," a spokesperson told NBC News.

Meanwhile, tributes poured in for the respected jurist who Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called a "trailblazer."

"During her time on the bench, Justice Abdus-Salaam earned the respect of all who appeared before her as a thoughtful, thorough, and fair jurist," he said in a statement "I join all those who knew Justice Abdus-Salaam in mourning this terrible loss."

“She was a force for good whose legacy will be felt for years to come.”

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called her a "humble pioneer." And Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Abdus-Salaam possessed an "unshakable moral compass."

"She was a force for good whose legacy will be felt for years to come," Cuomo said.

Asked what makes her a good judge, Abdus-Salaam said in a 2012 profile for Columbia Law School Magazine, "I think people consider me to be a judge who listens and gives them a fair shot."

Born Sheila Turner in Washington on March 14, 1952, Abdus-Salaam was the great-granddaughter of a slave. She took her first husband's last name and continued to use it professionally after that marriage ended, according to the Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History.

Despite being widely hailed by that encyclopedia and several published reports as "the first female Muslim U.S. judge," it was unclear if she was been a practitioner of Islam. A spokesman for the Court of Appeals told the New York Times she was not Muslim.

One of six children raised by working class parents, Abdus-Salaam attended public schools and first became interested in the law by watching the TV show "Perry Mason." But she found her calling when Frankie Muse Freeman, a civil rights attorney and the first woman to be appointed to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, visited her high school.

"She was riveting," Abdus-Salaam recalled in the profile. "She was doing what I wanted to do: using the law to help people."

The judge also gave her mother credit for pushing her to succeed.

"If my mother wasn't such a smart and resourceful woman, I might have ended up in foster care or worse," Abdus-Salaam recalled in 2015 at a Black History Month celebration. "Although she dropped out of school, my mother realized that a good education would help us escape the poverty that we were trapped in."

Abdus-Salaam earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard College in 1974 and graduated three years later from Columbia Law School where she was classmates with future U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, who remembered as serious but fun-loving.

“Sheila could boogie, but there was a seriousness about her, a strong sense of purpose at a relatively young age. She never forgot where she came from.”

"Sheila could boogie, but there was a seriousness about her, a strong sense of purpose at a relatively young age," he said. "She never forgot where she came from."

Her first job out of college was as a public defender in Brooklyn where she often represented poor defendants and immigrants in landlord versus tenant disputes.

"The job was not just legal, but also part social work, and some part education," she said in the profile.

Later, she was an assistant attorney general in the New York State Department of Law's civil rights where she won an anti-discrimination suit on behalf of 30 female city bus drivers who had been wrongly passed over for promotions.

In 1994, Abdus-Salaam started serving on the New York Supreme Court. Then in 2009, Gov. David Paterson appointed her associate justice to the New York Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

In 2013, Cuomo nominated Abdus-Salaam to fill a vacancy on the New York Court of Appeals and praised her "deep understanding of the everyday issues facing New Yorkers." And after the state Senate confirmed her nomination, Abdus-Salaam received a standing ovation.

She quickly distinguished herself as a champion of the poor and downtrodden and as a hedge against the powerful and politically-connected corporations. She also wrote a landmark decision that gave the non-biological parent in a same sex couple visitation rights after a breakup.

Abdus-Salaam was married three times. Her second husband was James Hatcher. And she is survived by Jacobs, whom she married in 2016 and who is a minister at the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story described Abdus-Salaam as the nation's first female Muslim judge but it appears that she never converted to Islam. 

Italian Town In Uproar Over Gay “Last Supper” Poster

"You will have to apologize for the rest of your life for the lack of respect towards those who believe in Jesus."

From: NewNowNext

An Italian bar is facing backlash this week for a poster promoting a gay night that featured a very “alternative” version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

Promoters for the event, which is held every Thursday at Caffe Verdi in the city of Salerno, reimagined the famous painting with a tattooed Jesus surrounded by a group of shirtless, hunky apostles kissing each other. The poster also features two men removing their togas, with a different man appearing to perform oral sex on a guy behind the table. Sounds like quite a party!

Local political groups instantly called for the event to be cancelled out of respect for the Christian community, calling the poster “misplaced and disrespectful” and accusing it of “slaughtering respect and good taste,” according to The Local.

The cafe’s Facebook page was inundated with negative reviews, with one commenter writing, “You will have to apologize for the rest of your life for the lack of respect towards those who believe in Jesus. Shame!”

Not all comments were negative, however, with some users praising the cafe, including commenter Francesco Napoli, who wrote, “Five stars for courage, independence and equality.”

Caffe Verdi confirmed in a statement that the event would continue as planned, saying it would not “remain silent in the face of multiple attacks on our business from the media.”

The venue also expressed “unconditional support” for DiverCity, the group which has organized the event at the cafe for the past two years.

“We reiterate with strength and conviction our freedom to live and enjoy ourselves as we see fit,” wrote DiverCity event planner Emanuele Avagliano, urging the LGBT community to attend the night “with even more force and conviction, to lay claim to a space of freedom which is indispensable for the gay and transgender men and women in our city”.

House Democrats want Kushner's security clearance suspended

From: Politico

A group of House Democrats led by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.)
called for Jared Kushner, a senior White House aide and President Trump's son-in-law,
to have his security clear suspended while the Russian investigation continues.
AP Photo

A handful of House Democrats are calling on federal authorities to suspend Jared Kushner’s security clearance amid a wide-ranging probe into Trump associates' contacts with Russian officials.

Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser failed to disclose numerous foreign contacts when he applied for top secret clearance, including at least two meetings with high-profile Russians during Trump's transition to the White House, according to a New York Times report cited by the lawmakers. It is, they noted, a felony to intentionally conceal such meetings on a national security form.

"Mr. Kushner’s lack of candor about meetings with Russian officials appears to be part of a larger pattern of dissembling and deception on Russian contacts from the Trump team, and we believe the public deserves the truth about what connection, if any, exists between these incidents," five House Democrats said in a statement accompanying the missive.

The letter, led by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), is an attempt to keep public attention on Trump’s ties to Russia, despite a week in which tension between the president and Russian leaders flared over a U.S. military strike in Syria. Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu of California, Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Peter Welch of Vermont also signed the letter.

Lawmakers said in their statement that the article "did not receive the scrutiny it deserved." The story broke just hours after the military launched 59 missiles at a Syrian air base, which dominated the news in Washington over the weekend.

The Times reported that Kushner left out dozens of foreign contacts from his national security form, but two stood out: a meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and a meeting with Sergey Gorkov, an FSB-trained leader of a bank subject to U.S. sanctions.

In the report, Kushner's lawyer indicated that the omissions were inadvertent and that Kushner would provide additional details to the FBI.

The Democratic lawmakers said they want Kushner's clearance suspended pending a review of his "compliance with the laws and regulation governing security clearances." The federal form for national security positions emphasizes that making false statements or concealing information could be punishable by up to five years in prison. And those found to have made false statements may be denied security clearance.

Kushner aides told the Times that he has been operating under an "interim" clearance while he works to gather more information for the FBI.

The Senate Intelligence Committee also intends to interview Kushner as part of its own probe into connections between Trump and Moscow.