Gay Men To That!!

After all the violence and carnage of the last 4 years, it's only logical to hold him accountable. Via ABC News: With his impeachment trial set to begin this week, a narrow majority of Americans say they support the Senate convicting former President Donald Trump and barring him from holding federal office again, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday. Compared to public attitudes in the early days of his first impeachment trial, support for the Senate convicting Trump is higher now. In an ABC News/Washington Post poll published in late January 2020, when the first trial was ongoing but before senators had voted, 47% of Americans said the Senate should vote to remove Trump from office and 49% said he should not be removed. But in this latest poll, 56% of Americans say Trump should be convicted and barred from holding office again, and 43% say he should not be. The new poll was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel. Read the ...

Via Out.com: President Joe Biden has signed a historic memorandum on the worldwide protection of LGBTQ+ rights. The Hill reported White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Biden would announce the memo later today from a State Department appearance. “It reflects his deep commitment to these issues both here in the United States and everywhere around the world,” Sullivan told reporters ahead of the announcement. “The United States will speak out and act on behalf of these rights as we go.” In the official announcement, Biden spoke of all of his State Department directives. He mentioned the memo itself briefly. "And to further repair our moral leadership, I'm also issuing a Presidential memo to agencies to reinvigorate our leadership on the LGBTQI issues, and do it internationally," he said to reporters. "You know, we'll ensure diplomacy and foreign assistance are working to promote the rights of those individuals included by combatting criminalizati...

Photo by: Laura Roberts/Laura Roberts/Invision/AP This is a pretty big deal, because he is the only openly gay artist signed to a major country label!!  Via CNN: T.J. Osborne, the lead vocalist of Brothers Osborne, the band he formed with his brother John Osborne, has publicly shared for the first time that he is gay. The "Stay a Little Longer," singer tells Time that while his close-knit Nashviile community knew for years, he is now ready to tell the world. "I'm very comfortable being gay," Osborne told the publication, adding, "I find myself being guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don't have a problem with. That feels so strange." He added that he knows some fans will ask why he needed to come out, saying: "People will ask, 'Why does this even need to be talked about?' and personally, I agree with that.' But for me to show up at an awards show with a man would be jaw-dropping to people. It wouldn...

  Another LGBTQ first with the Biden Administration! Elections do matter and do have consequences! In this case for the better!! Via Huffington Post: The Senate on Tuesday confirmed former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg to lead the Transportation Department, making him the first openly gay person confirmed to a Cabinet seat. The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor was confirmed 86-13 in the upper chamber. Sen. Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.), the first openly bisexual U.S. senator, announced the vote.  “I’m honored and humbled by today’s vote in the Senate ― and ready to get to work,” Buttigeig tweeted later Tuesday. LGBTQ rights advocates cheered Buttigieg’s historic confirmation. “This confirmation breaks through a barrier that has existed for too long, where LGBTQ identity served as an impediment to nomination or confirmation at the highest level of government,” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said in a statement. Richard Grenell, who briefly se...

Via Los Angeles Times We have a serious problem with a large group of Americans who have fallen prey to conspiracy theories. They are largely right wing Trump supporters and they have been fed a huge diet of lies and, what would seem obviously ridiculous conspiracy theories. And yet, here we are!!  Via Raw Story: Political science expert Brian Klaas, in a Washington Post op-ed published on January 25, lays out some reasons why it is so difficult to "deprogram" Americans who have embraced far-right political cults and outlandish conspiracy theories. "There is no doubt: the United States has a serious problem with pathological political delusions," Klaas warns. "So, do we have any hope of deprogramming the millions of Americans who are devoted to dangerous lunacy? Don't hold your breath….. Once people have gone far enough down the rabbit hole of conspiratorial thinking, it can be nearly impossible to get them back out." Klaas goes on to list some reasons...

Photo credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Another good move from Biden on reversing Trump's terrible policy!!  Via Politico: President Joe Biden repealed the ban on transgender troops serving in the military on Monday, rolling back an order from former President Donald Trump that shocked Pentagon leaders and kick-started years of legal trouble for the administration. The change in policy, the latest of Biden’s moves to undo Trump’s orders, was announced by the White House before the ceremonial swearing in of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Read the full article here.