Twitter Tweets
@LukeVernon my favourite song ever, and its my alarm on phone. Wakes me up in a good mood!1 week ago from Twitter for iPhone
@LukeVernon gimme shelter gives me the urge to watch my favorite film #goodfellas1 week ago from Twitter for Android
Or GLASTONBURY even. Not sure where Galstonbury is, but Im sure it doesn't have the worlds biggest festival. Sounds Texan.1 week ago from txt
In a restaurant in the middle of the US and the song with the best intro ever came on, Gimme Shelter. Which reminded me, in 3 weeks....1 week ago from txt
I shall be seeing one of the greatest live acts of all time, The Rolling Stones, @ THE greatest festival ever, GALSTONBURY! Yes, Im shouting1 week ago from txt
A Body That Only One Million Moms Could Hate
Well, it should come as no surprise that OMM is now urging its followers to contact Kraft and demand that they discontinue the "offensive" campaign: Last week's issue of People Magazine had the most disgusting ad on the inside front cover that we have ever seen Kraft produce. A full 2-page ad features a n*ked man lying on a picnic blanket with only a small portion of the blanket barely covering his g*nitals. It is easy to see what the ad is really selling.
A person has to look closely to see the item the company is marketing because the salad dressing bottle is so small next to the male model, picnic basket and other food items. There is also a small Kraft logo in the upper corners with the words "Silverware Optional - Let's Get Zesty." The website getmezesty.com is listed in the bottom corner. Kraft has gone too far and will push away loyal, conservative customers with this new ad campaign.
Christians will not be able to buy Kraft dressings or any of their products until they clean up their advertising. The consumers they are attempting to attract - women and mothers - are the very ones they are driving away. Who will want Kraft products in their fridge or pantry if this vulgarity is what they represent?
One Million Moms cannot get over the gall of this company.
It is unnecessary for Kraft to use s*x to sell salad dressing!
Can you get over OMM's gall trying to make salad dressing boring again?
Continue readingBoy Scouts Vote to Lift Ban on Gay Youth!
For former members like James Dale, who was expelled from the organization in 1990 at age 19 after BSA officials learned he was gay, it is a hard-fought victory in a battle which has continued for more than two decades. His case, Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale , grabbed headlines in 1998 after an appellate court in New Jersey ruled that the BSA violated the state s antidiscrimination law by expelling Dale because of his sexual orientation.
Though the ruling was reversed June 28, 2000, by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling saying private groups like the BSA have the right to set their own membership criteria, Dale believes his case helped pave the way for today s landmark vote. I lost by one vote in the Supreme Court, but I think that I pretty much continue to win in the court of public opinion, he said in a recent interview with GLAAD.
Since then, public disapproval of the BSA s antigay policy has continually increased over the years, reaching a fever pitch in 2012. Even as the organization continued to expel employees such as former Eagle Scout Tim Griffin, who was fired from his job at a California Boy Scout camp because he was gay, and leaders such as Jennifer Tyrrell, who was ousted as a leader of her son s scout troop in Ohio for being a lesbian, a wave of support for equality arose. Last year both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said they opposed the BSA s discrimination against gays, while groups such as the Intel Foundation, the BSA s largest corporate donor, announced it would no longer fund the organization unless the its gay ban was lifted.
By January of this year, mounting public pressure had forced the BSA to announce it would consider ending the gay ban and replace the policy with one which allowed local scouting organizations to set their own rules on the matter. However, a vote by the group s national board set for February 6, 2013 to decide the issue was soon delayed until May, with the organization claiming the complexity of policy required a more deliberate review. National BSA officials then put forth the proposal voted on today, allowing openly gay young people in the program but still barring gay adults.
While today s vote is a step forward, the fact that the BSA has remained steadfast in its ban on gay adult leaders remains an obstacle in the battle for equality. However, Dale believes the fight will eventually be won as more people continue to raise their voices as he did 23 years ago. We have won as a community, he said.
We continue to win when we tell our own stories.
View a timeline on the Scouts slow evolution here . (Via Advocate ) Continue reading
WATCH: What’s the Worst That Would Happen If Boy Scouts Admit Gays?
Officials are expected to call for an end to the organization s ban on gay scouts but recommend continuing to prohibit gay adults from serving as troop leaders. The final vote is scheduled to occur later this month at the national council. The FRC's videos, which encourage their supporters to Stand With the Scouts, feature scoutmasters and former members who believe adding gay members would expose current scouts to harm, or violate the Boy Scouts' oath.
A few of the videos, posted at Back2Stonewall , below: (Via Advocate ) Continue reading
New Zealand: Homophobic beer advert causes controversy
Yeah right . The beer s Facebook page has attracted many comments, some calling it disgusting , offensive , and homophobic , some calling for a boycott of the brand, and others disagreeing that the billboard is offensive at all. William Papesch, Tui s marketing manager, said: Given the recent passing of the Same Sex Marriage Bill in Parliament, this Yeah Right line is a topical spin at the age-old situation of a parent s new partner.
Papesch also went on to say that the billboards featuring that joke had been around since 1994. Given the duration of this campaign and the quantity of Yeah Right lines, occasionally there is the odd Yeah Right line which doesn t hit the mark in generating a smile for all. The Facebook page for Tui, attracted comments, both in agreement and against the allegations of homophobia.
I have always had a good giggle at your billboards as I drive down the Hutt motorway each morning, but I am pretty disgusted by the one I saw yesterday. Homophobia in this day and age? Really?? , posted one user, Sophie Lockwood.
As a gay man who has fought for equality all my life, I cannot believe the stupidity of people getting upset to me it s not anti-gay, if the billboard said new wife no one would raise an eyebrow, why should new husband be any different, Deklan Martin wrote. New Zealand last week became the first country in the Asia-Pacific to legalise equal marriage, as well as the third of the 54 Commonwealth member states, and the second of Queen Elizabeth II s realms, as its parliament voted for the bill 77 to 44. The bill has received royal approval, and the Marriage Equality Act will take effect on 19 August.
As the Parliament of New Zealand passed a bill to allow equal marriage in the country, those in attendance of the reading broke into song, once it was announced that it had passed.
Discuss this Continue reading
UK: Ethnic minority church leaders call for same-sex marriage referendum
The letter is also signed by the South Asian Forum, a network of Asian UK churches, and the New Testament Church of God a network of churches predominantly for the black community. In an open letter to the Telegraph, the leaders said: The government is forcing through fundamental changes to the nature of marriage, and has failed to think through the consequences properly. We are leaders of large, ethnically diverse denominations in Britain growing churches.
Instead of hearing our concerns, the government is taking direction from tiny faith groups to infer backing for its plans. If the government gets its way, it will not be a victory for equality. Equality requires diversity, and diversity requires distinctiveness, and marriage is and always will be distinctively a union between a man and a woman.
By changing marriage from its historic foundation it would be creating a legal fiction, and consequently devaluing this vitally important social institution. The government is not respecting difference, and it is not promoting a plural society. The people of Britain need to have their say.
These plans were not in any party s manifesto, and if the government had any respect for democracy it would allow a referendum before making fundamental changes to the nature of marriage. With the Commons committee stage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill now complete, the House of Lords is set to debate the bill in May. In January, Conservative MP Mark Pritchard called on his party to shelve the bill, claiming it was unlikely to attract the votes of ethnic minorities.
Discuss this Continue reading
Vatican not to conduct inquiry into Cardinal Keith O Brien s inappropriate sexual conduct
The Vatican then claimed it would conduct an inquiry once the new pope was in place. Pope Francis was appointed on 13 March. Scotland on Sunday now reports that the Vatican has no active investigation into Cardinal O Brien s actions, and the Vatican is keeping only a loose watching brief over his case.
It is unlikely that O Brien will be made to give up his rank as Cardinal, unless the Pope decides that another senior Scottish catholic should be granted the traditional red hat. The report suggests that senior figures in the Catholic Church have decided that an inquiry is not necessary, as O Brien has already admitted his wrongdoing, and apologised. He has not been seen in public since 25 February, when he resigned as archbishop.
A source close to the Roman Curia said: When an investigation takes place people expect some kind of public result of the investigation, but there is just no way there is going to be some kind of public examination and a published report on this matter. The Church doesn t work that way. The paper reports that a second source explained that the loose watching brief was being kept over the case, to watch out for further allegations against O Brien.
It is unlikely that the Vatican will forcibly remove O Brien s title as Cardinal, however if the Secretariat of State should deem it necessary to appoint a new Scottish cardinal, he may be asked to voluntarily resign it. Another source said: The secretariat of state and the papal nuncio will decide what is the best course of action, they will make this decision and then ask Pope Francis whether he agrees. Last month, the four priests who accused Keith O Brien of inappropriate sexual conduct, which led to his resignation, denied that they were part of a gay cabal seeking revenge for his anti-gay stance.
In March it was also claimed Cardinal O Brien groped a priest on the same day he became a cardinal in 2003.
It was later alleged that he had a long-standing physical relationship with one of the men whose complaints about his conduct sparked his resignation.
Discuss this Continue reading
Daughter of anti-gay marriage Tory MP makes Mis rable Lesbians equal rights movie
I love my father and he s entitled to his opinion but I disagree with him on gay marriage, Katie, who lives in Hollywood, said. I have my own views and I am very pro-gay rights, even though I am straight myself I believe everyone should be treated equally and I am proud to do my bit to support gays and lesbians and raise awareness of this very important issue. I am sure Dad is happy I am finally working.
Mum s watched the film, but Dad hasn t. In the film, Katie Amess plays Courgette a play on the character of Cosette in the original Les Mis rables. She is a young girl who fights the good fight in revolutionary France to help a rebel band of lesbians achieve their goal of sexual freedom.
Mis rable Lesbians writer and director Sandro Monetti said: Gay rights is a hot topic around the world right now and through our comedy musical we hope not only to make people laugh but also to make them think. Our show is about women in 19th century France locked up for the crime of falling in love with each other. They and the brave rebels who support them dream a dream of gay marriage one day being legal.
The recent change to legalise gay marriage in France is a cause for celebration for many, and hopefully this show will be too. Katie Amess is currently trying to raise money to stage the show in Edinburgh and off-Broadway in New York through the crowdfunding website Indiegogo.com , while the original short film is available to view on YouTube. David Amess, who represents Southend West, was among 136 Tory MPs to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in February s second reading.
Despite being at odds with his daughter on the issue of marriage equality, the Mail reports the MP is full of praise for the 27-year-old s cinema efforts: Obviously I have heard all about the spoof film Mis rable Lesbians but have yet to see it. I am hoping to go to Edinburgh to see the performance in the summer. In a statement he added: We are enormously proud of our daughter and her utter determination to make a success of her acting career.
We also fully recognise what a very tough industry it is and how highly competitive.
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Damian Barr: Maggie & Me
Sometimes we go back home to catch up with each other and our families. They are still there but Newarthill is unrecognisable. Ravenscraig s great steel gates were padlocked for ever in 1992 and now they are gone, along with the cooling towers that used to puff clouds into the sky.
There s only one sunset now. In her declining years, the woman held responsible could often be found in one of the smaller London parks, walking slowly on the arm of a paid companion like an aged aunt from a PG Wodehouse novel. Her platinum helmet was a gentle champagne-coloured halo and few passers-by would have guessed that she was once the most powerful woman in the world.
Sometimes, I thought about going to that park to watch her from afar. Not to trouble her or talk to her, but to see her in person just once before she went. Yes, she smashed the miners and closed Ravenscraig.
Yes, she created Clause 28 to prohibit the teaching of homosexuality not very successfully in my case. She did all that and many other things she became hated for. But she also led by example, making a hero of the individual and a cult of the striver.
That gave me the escape ladder from the world I hated. It made it possible for me to run away and never look back. And for that, I will for ever be grateful.
Barf. The Mail has found an ex-working class gayer who liked Maggie Thatcher. And it's not David Starkey or Andrew Pierce!
It's another gay Uncle Tom and "useful idiot"; some journalist I've never heard of called Damian Barr.
He also hates the working-class world he's so proud he escaped from - and makes it sound positively ghastly.
Oh well, another name to be added to my pink lamp-post list of collaborationists. Continue reading
Briefs: Darren Criss Reaches That High Note and "Romeo & Juliet" Prepare To Die Again
The winner is ... "Never fall asleep when the kids have a sleepover." Thanks to Darrien for this week's winning caption! Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on AE). Nicholas Brendon (above) is 42, Ed O'Neill is 67, David Letterman is 66, Sarah Michelle Gellar is 36, and Claire Danes is 34.
Kristen Chenoweth will star as Matthew Broderick 's sister in an untitled CBS comedy pilot. Just a heads up that our own Louis Virtel will be co-hosting the 2013 Logo NewNowNext Awards red carpet livestream along with Willam Saturday night at 8 PM ET. Here's a much-bleeped clip from last year.
Below you can see Darren Criss performing at the Verte Grades of Green's Annual Fundraising Event. I think this may be my favorite Darren pic. And here's Mindy Kaling trying to keep up.
Below you can see the trailer for the latest version of Romeo & Juliet , with Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth as the doomed lovers. The most crucial question is, can Douglas' posterior possibly compare to the iconic film ass of Leonard Whiting in the 1968 classic version? Those are some perfect orbs to fill.
Introducing our new feature - The Weekly ShoutOUT . Each week we're going to focus on one out athlete/performer and feature a daily pic and career timeline. We'll be showcasing the big names, but also the lesser-known gay celebs who deserve more recognition.
This week we give a ShoutOUT to ... Zachary Quinto . Wrapping up our week with Zachary, in between Trek films, Zach returned to TV as part of the Ryan Murphy ensemble for the American Horror Story series.
He's also a Hollywood Super Couple with Jonathan Groff . It's not fair. Continuing the Top 50 Movie Songs Of The 80's! .
we've now come to THE TOP TEN MOVIE SONGS OF THE 80'S! At #4 is "Live To Tell" by Madonna , from At Close Range Madonna's greatest song, it was featured on her greatest album, True Blue , and comes from her then-hubby Sean Penn 's crime drama At Close Range . It entered the chart on April 12, 1986, and hit #1 on June 7th..
Monday's clue - "The planets aligned, so rare!." Congrats to No One! Nobody was able to correctly guess that yesterday's Pixuzzle was Dr. Strangelove Here's today's Pixuzzle .
Below you can see characters from a famous film. Can you name it? And today's Briefs are brought to you by...
Here's your caption pic for this week.
Drop your caption ideas in the comments (And please remember to keep the captions PG-13!) Matthew Mitcham and friends Continue reading
Boy Band Twitter Feud Turns Homophobic
Tom Parker : @Louis_Tomlinson I ll enjoy the press even more when you come clean #narnia #itgetsbetter Louis Tomlinson : @TomTheWanted You clearly spend too much time on twitter. Funny that face to face you act like a little girl. Goodnight old friend.
We're guessing that #narnia is a reference to a lionless and witchless wardrobe, aka closet, but using the #itgetsbetter hashtag to insinuate that someone's gay? Not cool, Tom even if the idea of a romance between 1D's Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles is the stuff of shipper dreams and legend . Most of this nonsense has been deleted, so here's the offending tweet: Needless to say that fans are in a tizzy, but perhaps none so much as the band Wheatus of "Teenage Dirtbag" fame, who subsequently tweeted , " homophobia is the ugliest kind of jealousy...
too many young people are suffering the loneliest sadness & fear.
use of the #itgetsbetter hash tag in a hateful manner is unacceptable...
let's focus on what #itgetsbetter is actually about and forget the fight...k? #LGBT #LOVE #Tolerance @bullymovie" Never thought we'd write this sentence, but how cool is Wheatus? Continue reading