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Franklin Graham Got Banned From Another Arena For His Hate Speech By David Vandygriff Tennessee Governor Signs Anti-Gay Adoption Bill By Allison Massengill Sam Pancake Still “Carries the Scars” of Living Through the AIDS Epidemic By Chris Walker RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 Cast By David Vandygriff
Tips for LGBT Travelers By Drew Childers
Jacksonville Will Host Its First LGBTQ Film Festival In Almost 20 Years By David Vandygriff Jax Code Bootcamp Moves Into Springfield By Jennifer Davis
NFL Player Aaron Hernandez Came Out To His Mother As Gay Before His Suicide By Michael Joshlin Forgotten Trans Movie From Fifty Years Ago By Beth Rose
Virginia Advances LGBTQ Rights As Republicans Call For Secession By Michelle Fryer
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‘Franklin Graham Got Banned From Another Arena For His Hate Speech By David Vandygriff
Notorious for his fervent homophobia, evangelical preacher Franklin Graham has threatened to sue a Scottish event venue, the SSE Hydro, after they cancelled an event he had planned there due to the strong likelihood that hate speech and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric would be used.
free speech. How he expresses his views could, I believe, fundamentally breach the council’s statutory equalities duties.” Now, Graham has threatened legal action against the venue, According to Pink News, this is claiming he’s being the third arena that has discriminated against for being cancelled an event with Christian. Graham in what is supposed to “Though this venue may be be an eight-day tour across the cancelled we have not pulled UK. out of Glasgow,” Graham told The tour has evoked outrage the Scotsman. and protests, which have “We’re coming,” he continued. caused venues to reconsider “We do have options legally. hosting him. We’ll certainly pursue those Susan Aitken, leader of the options. We would rather not Glasgow City Council, the do that. We don’t like having to majority shareholder in the do that.” SSE Hydro, said, “The Graham went on to attack reporting of the ways in which those who have been Mr. Graham expresses his protesting his events. “The views makes clear that this is other side talks about how not simply about offense or tolerant they are and how disagreement.” inclusive they are, but they are “Neither is it a debate about the least tolerant, the least
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inclusive people in the U.K.” Graham’s virulent anti-LGBTQ beliefs include referring to gay Christians as “the enemy,” boycotting Girls Scout cookies due to the organization’s support of LGBTQ rights, and calling for boycotts of businesses that feature same-sex couples in their advertisements. He has praised Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay propaganda law and has said that gays and lesbians are “recruiting” people by adopting children. The list goes on. And yet, Graham told The Scotsman, “I don’t preach hate speech. We’re not coming to speak against anybody, everybody is invited to our meetings – we’re inclusive.”
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Tennessee Governor Signs Anti-Gay Adoption Bill By Allison Massengill
Tennessee has become the latest state to assure continued taxpayer funding of faith-based foster care and adoption agencies even if those organizations exclude LGBTQ families and others based on religious beliefs. Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill Friday without fanfare or an official announcement, making it the first law to be implemented in Tennessee this year. Previously, Lee said he endorsed the law because he believed defending religious liberty “is very important.” The Republican has often cited his Christian faith throughout his first term as governor. However, under the new law, current adoption practices in Tennessee aren’t expected to change. Some faith-based
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agencies had already not allowed gay couples to adopt. But the measure now provides legal protections to agencies that do so.
individuals because of religious objections. Earlier this month, state Sen. Those protections have Paul Rose — the bill's sponsor sparked criticism from the — conceded during a floor American Civil Rights Union of debate that he didn't think the Tennessee, which has raised bill was necessary, pointing out legal that President Donald Trump’s concerns surrounding the administration is currently proposal because it authorized proposing a rule that would the use of a “religious test to impose the same protections. participate in a government Yet he said he advanced the program.” idea because there was no guarantee Trump would be A handful of states to date have enacted similar legislation reelected later this year. including Kansas, Oklahoma, Trump’s proposal would Texas, Alabama, South rescind an Obama-era rule that Dakota, North Dakota, Virginia, prevented foster care agencies Mississippi and Michigan. But from receiving federal funds if Michigan agreed in settling an they discriminated against ACLU lawsuit to no longer turn families based on sexual away LGBTQ couples or orientation and gender identity.
Sam Pancake Still “Carries the Scars” of Living Through the AIDS Epidemic By Chris Walker
If you’ve watched any network television over the past 30 years, then you probably recognize Sam Pancake. The out actor’s IMDb page is lengthy; he’s had parts in everything from Friends to Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3. He can be currently be seen on ABC’s A Million Little Things, but it’s his appearance on a recent podcast that has him making headlines. Pancake was a guest on Crooked Media’s Lovett or Leave It, a comedy podcast hosted by Jon Lovett, which pokes fun at the latest political news. During his appearance, the actor spoke about how he had recently encountered ageism, or “gaygism,” from
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another gay guy who said he would “rather be dead” than live to be Pancake’s age—which is “over 50.” “I fought for you, I marched for you… a lot of guys my age, a lot of whom died, made the world okay for you now,” Pancake told the Lovett or Leave It audience, recounting what he wish he would have said at that moment. “In the ’80s, when I was in my teens and early twenties, it was a terrible time to be a gay person, as we all know with AIDS. Men were dying, men had HIV. We lost so many people.” “Go to a party, look around at your five closest friends,” he
continued. “Two years later they won’t be there anymore.” “Bitch, my friends did die. My uncle died, my boss died, so many acquaintances, people I worked with at Johnny Rockets when I first moved here. The best guy in the world—two weeks later you come back and he’s dead. That’s how life was for us back in the ’80s and early ’90s.” “I wish this weren’t so messy, but it genuinely is off the top of my heart,” Pancake later tweeted. “Much love to all y’all that also went thru this, & still carry the scars today.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 Cast By David Vandygriff
For months now, fans of RuPaul's Drag Race have been searching every corner of the Internet for clues about what's coming next. Lucky for them, the wait is officially over! On Thursday (Jan. 23), VH1 announced the long-awaited return of RuPaul's Drag Race for season 12. Premiering on Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Emmy-winning reality show is bringing together a brand new cast of 13 drag stars to fight it out for $100,000 and the coveted title of "America's Next Drag Superstar."
"Mama Ru needs you to pledge allegiance to the drag." As the clip continues, each of the 13 new queens introduce themselves, in their best patriotic looks, all while delivering their new pledge of allegiance.
Aiden Zhane | Acworth, GA "Hailing from rural Georgia, it’s apparent Aiden Zhane is attracted to the darker side of life. Horror films, Marilyn Manson, and weirdness all inform her outlandish – and “With each new generation of original – spooky persona." queens, the RuPaul’s Drag Brita | New York, NY Race revolution continues to drive culture,” RuPaul said in a "Everyone who knows drag in New York City knows Brita. statement released with the news. “And as more and more That’s because this hard-working Polynesian queen new viewers discover the captivates audiences with her show, the phenomenon famous lip-syncs…no less than continues to open hearts and minds with love, laughter and a seven nights a week." whole lotta sass." Crystal Methyd | Springfield, To celebrate the show's return, MO VH1 shared their first look at "The only thing Crystal Methyd the 13 new queens joining the is addicted to is attention. And cast of Drag Race with a with her quirky fashions, red-white-and-blue themed incomparable makeup skills promo video. "My fellow and screwball sense of humor, Americans, RuPaul's Drag she’ll certainly be catching the Race season 12 is here," Ru judges’ eyes." says in the new clip, clad in a Dahlia Sin | Los Angeles, CA stunning blue mini-dress. 12 www.cityxtramagazine.com
"Originally hailing from
Brooklyn, Dahlia Sin emerged from the Haus of Aja (of Season 9 and All Stars fame). Now this look queen lives in LA, where she wows the west coast with her urban brand of sexiness." Gigi Goode | Los Angeles, CA "This leggy fashion queen is only 21, but enters the competition with a sizeable social media following. Gorgeous fashion illustrations come to life and make her Instagram fans stan." Heidi N Closet | Ramseur, NC "Heidi comes from Ramseur, a small country town in North Carolina. She playfully says there’s little to do there except count chickens and cows. But her infectious persona is sure to make her a global name very soon." Jackie Cox | New York, NY "The Persian princess of drag has arrived. Born in Canada and with Iranian heritage, Jackie Cox now considers the New York cabaret stage her home. She loves to write her own shows and bring them to life."
Jaida Essence Hall | Milwaukee, WI
"Jaida Essence Hall always strives to be the essence of glamour. She originally wanted to be a fashion designer, and now gets to both live that fantasy and model her own gorgeous creations." Jan | New York, NY "Jan is a musical theater queen and skilled singer, who can belt in the original key of a female popstar’s song. Ambitious and driven, she’s looking to slay the Drag Race performance challenges."
Nicky Doll | New York, NY
categorization."
"The first French contestant to compete in RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nicky Doll relocated from Paris to New York City, where she enchants audiences with her European catwalk, high fashions and seductive charm." Rock M. Sakura | San Francisco, CA "Rock M. Sakura’s aesthetic is an amalgamation of anime, manga, and anything pink. With her high-energy death-dropping performance style and dirty sense of humor, this is a queen who defies
Sherry Pie | New York, NY "A campy, polished queen who knows her references, Sherry Pie will leave an audience in stitches. And with Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett as her icons, she’s certainly learned from the best." Widow Von’Du | Kansas City, MO "The Widow is up in the building. A Missouri girl who lives life out loud, this queen can perform the house down… and dance circles around her competition."
Tips for LGBT Travelers By Drew Childers
Planning a trip can be a daunting task, but for a gay traveler, it can be even more difficult. There are limited resources for the LGBT community, so Travel Channel has put together a quick list of gay travel guides, websites and other resources to help you plan your next gay vacation. When planning a trip, some travelers enjoy the flexibility of having a travel guide on-hand to highlight important travel tips and must-see sights. Damron and Spartacus travel guides are our picks for top gay travel resources; both are chock-full of gay-owned or gay-friendly destinations, accommodations, restaurants, bars and more. Damron, a popular travel source since 1964, publishes the Men's Travel Guide and Women's Traveller each year. Damron lists thousands of gay-friendly businesses in the US, Canada, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, South America, Europe and Asia. Accommodations, bars, bookstores, gyms and a calendar of events are just some of the info you’ll find inside these guides. Damron also has a travel app. Gay Scout by Damron is available for travelers who enjoy 14 www.cityxtramagazine.com
sightseeing and exploring without carrying extra weight. The Spartacus International Gay Guide is another annual travel guide for planning your gay getaway. Spartacus, much like Damron, also has other guides that travelers can purchase, including the International Hotel & Restaurant Guide. This comprehensive international travel guide is sometimes difficult to find at US bookstores because it’s published by a German company. Even though we suggest LGBT travelers check Damron and Spartacus travel guides and their websites, we also suggest looking at more familiar brands, such as Frommer's, Shermans Travel and Lonely Planet. These travel guides offer great general information, but in most cases, also provide insightful travel tips for “friends of Dorothy.” So you really can’t go wrong with picking up a mainstream travel guide. In addition to travel guides in print, online travel websites can reduce the stress of planning a trip. Out Traveler covers the
pulse of LGBT travel, including hot trends, topics and destinations. The website provides travelers with city guides and vacation packages. IGLTA, the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, is another great resource to find LGBT businesses and destinations. This site provides the best locations and packages for individual, group, corporate and student travel. It has dozens of links to hotels, cities, countries, travel agents and tour operators around the world. IGLTA publishes its annual member directory, a listing of businesses around the world. All businesses are listed in alphabetical order by country for ease of use. Another useful travel aid is Passport Magazine, available in print and on the interwebs. This magazine covers all the regular gay travel faire with a keen focus on business travel, and international destinations and events. Yes, there is a Passport Magazine app, but it’s only useful if you’re looking for aspiration, or if you want to check out the magazine on
your iPhone or iPad. Passport is a great travel resource with in-depth articles about exotic destinations, travel gear and much more. In addition to Passport Magazine, GayCities is a popular website to check out for gay travel information. Plan your next getaway using more than 200 extensive city guides, a LGBT events calendar and other unique features. Register to become part of the GayCities community and connect with other travelers. Ask questions and get real answers from locals or t ravelers in the know. For the tech savvy, check out the nifty GayCities app. Gay-ville may not have a mobile app yet, but it’s a great website to get tips from locals, pick up the local lingo and find low-cost accommodations in a few gay-friendly destinations around the world, including Rio de Janeiro, Mykonos, Berlin and Sydney. Don’t be startled, but this website appears to be more popular among gay travelers in Europe. However, we’re sure you’ll be able to glean some helpful information, especially if you’re into couch surfing and crashing in a host family’s spare bedroom.
op-
Jacksonville Will Host Its First LGBTQ Film Festival In Almost 20 Years By David Vandygriff
The festival will include shorts and documentaries, “the best in LGBTQ film,” including one executive-produced by actor and racer Patrick Dempsey about Hurley Haywood, the gay racing champion who lives in St. Augustine.
portunity for our city.” Likely the city’s first such film festival was in 2001, when JASMYN hosted six LGBT films at the Ritz Theater, according to Dan Merkan, policy director of the nonprofit, Jacksonville’s first LGBTQ film which serves LGBTQ youth. festival in several years is The June festival will include being planned for June 11-14 shorts and documentaries, “the at the Museum of best in LGBTQ film as well as Contemporary Art Jacksonville. films directed by members of The LGBTQ Community Fund the LGBTQ community to for Northeast Florida, founded celebrate their diverse impact in 2014 to help address the on the world of cinema,” needs of the area’s lesbian, according to organizers. gay, bisexual, transgender and Among the eight scheduled questioning population, will films will be one underwrite “The Many Sides of executive-produced by actor Pride Film Festival.” and racer Patrick Dempsey The fund’s $36,700 grant to about Hurley Haywood, the gay MOCA was one of the four racing champion who lives in announced this week that St. Augustine. Haywood is totaled $85,700. expected to attend.
245 Riverside Ave., Suite 310, Jacksonville, FL 32202; (904) 356-4483; info@jaxcf.org; jaxcf.org; jaxcf.org/lgbtq. Also, there will be presentations from filmmakers, panel discussions and moderated post-film conversations. ″‘The Many Sides of Pride Film Festival’ will be an opportunity for all to explore the many powerful stories of the LGBTQ community through the lens of film,” said MOCA Director Caitlin Doherty. “MOCA Jacksonville is grateful to partner with the LGBTQ Community Fund in creating this exciting cultural program for our city.”
The fund’s other grants were: ‒ $25,000 to OneJax Institute, “We are eager to bring to TO LEARN MORE an interfaith organization, to Northeast Florida a high-caliber ‒ Museum of Contemporary Art implement “OUTLook,” a selection of films with timely leadership development Jacksonville (MOCA) , a topics for those in the LGBTQ cultural institute of the program for LGBTQ youth community and their allies,” ages 14-19; University of North Florida said Joe Barton, chairman of 333 N. Laura St., Jacksonville, ‒ $20,000 to the Nonprofit the fund’s advisory board. Center of Northeast Florida to FL 32202; (904) 366-6911; “There is a wealth of talent support the launch of an hellomoca@unf.edu; creating films for and by the “LGBTQIA+ Emerging Leaders mocajacksonville.unf.edu. LGBTQ community, and my Program,” which invests in and fellow board members feel ‒ The Community Foundation develops the next generation of strongly that this is a special for Northeast Florida/LGBTQ nonprofit leaders; Community Fund 16 www.cityxtramagazine.com
‒ $4,000 to the Jacksonville chapter of PFLAG for administrative support and community outreach. The organization supports the LGBTQ community and their parents and allies and advocates for diversity. Administered by The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, the fund is a giving circle, a group who pool their charitable gifts to have a greater impact on the community. The fund has awarded $725,000 since its inception, including substantial grants to organizations representing youth, elders and on-campus services. It also invested $168,000 on local research and public meetings about LGBTQ issues.
Jax Code Bootcamp Moves Into Springfield By Jennifer Davis
About two years after starting, Jax Code Academy has outgrown its space at the University of North Florida: On March 1, it will move into a space on Main Street in Springfield. Jax Code is a full-stack boot camp for web developers, with the program lasting lasts twelve weeks. Dr. Stephen Fitzmeyer, Jax Code's founder and CEO, said he was looking for a hip and up-and-coming neighborhood to move into. "I was surprised when we went and saw how far along it was," he told the Business Journal. He found the cluster of microbreweries and restaurants to be an attractive quality that other parts of Jacksonville
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seemed to be lacking. "I like that environment, I saw that up in Atlanta and I wanted to duplicate it," said Fitzmeyer. "I didn't know that it existed." Tuition for the program is $3,500 and has no prerequisites. Students also have the option to stick around for an internship after the program to build a website for local businesses. Class sizes are usually between 12 and 20 students and the program has just over 100 alumni. "Merchants can get websites that may not otherwise be able to afford and students get real practice," Fitzmeyer said. The move to 1501 N. Main St.
might not be the last for Jax Code: It is also hoping to open a space at Jacksonville Beach, and more in the future, depending on demand. For now, Fitzmeyer is happy with the demand he sees. Jacksonville has a healthy ecosystem of technology and software opportunities with high demand for talent, he said: Robert Half Technology told Fitzmeyer the company would be able to place all of its students, and Apex Systems is looking to hire graduates as well.
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NFL Player Aaron Hernandez Came Out To His Mother As Gay Before His Suicide By Michael Joshlin
Jonathan Hernandez, the older brother of convicted murderer and former NFL player Aaron Hernandez, said that Aaron came out as gay to their mother shortly before his suicide in prison on April 19, 2017. Aaron died by hanging himself with his prison bedsheets. Jonathan told talk show host Dr. Oz this week that Aaron came out to his mom during her 2017 visit to the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster, Massachusetts, where Aaron was incarcerated for the first-degree murder of his friend, semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. In 2013, Aaron, a former tight end for the Patriots, was arrested in connection with the murder of
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Lloyd, his fiancée’s sister’s boyfriend. He was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison. Jonathan was on Dr. Oz’s talk show to discuss the January 2020 Netflix docuseries Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. He said:
anticipated being in this situation… sharing this news. Jonathan added, “It was never about accepting or anything… It was never about whether or not [she’ll] accept him. That’s her son, she loves him to [Aaron was] like, “Mom, you’re death.” going to die never knowing Jonathan says that Aaron’s your son.” … They started bick- internalized homophobia was ering back and forth, and all of exacerbated by his being a sudden they have this conabused by an older versation, and they’re both neighborhood boy at a young flooded with tears across from age and living in a homophobic each other, and here the culture. Jonathan added that weight of what’s on my brother he had no idea his brother was is being expressed. And for a gay and is unsure whether his mother to be looking at it sexuality played any role in across from the scratched Lloyd’s murder. glass in the zone, seeing your son who you would have never
Forgotten Trans Movie From Fifty Years Ago By Beth Rose
In 1970, Gene Nash wrote and directed a movie about “A glamorous movie queen of the 1950s”. The movie details the aftermath of the revelation that said movie queen “is revealed to be a man whose secret led to complicated relationships.” It’s not Myra Breckinridge nor is it The Christine Jorgensen Story, but Dinah East – a trans movie produced in 1970 and, while it isn’t completely not detestable, it remains troublesome on several fronts. After hitting theaters sometime in late 1970 or early 1971, it seemingly disappeared. After accidentally learning of the film while perusing 70s issues of the Advocate on microfilm a decade and a half ago, I asked around and found that it appeared to have become a ‘lost movie,’ meaning no copies of it were extant. That turned out to not be the case – not long afterward, I found it on DVD. The plot of the movie is rather easy to lay out: Think Tootsie, with Michael Dorsey having to adopt the Dorothy Michaels persona in his teens instead of his 40s – and then til’ death would they part. 22 www.cityxtramagazine.com
Dinah East is a famous movie star, in or near her 40s. As the movie opens, she dies in the back seat of her snazzy, chauffeur-driven car. Her autopsy reveals something that Dinah had kept secret for her entire career. While there is just enough ambiguity to suggest that she might be a trans woman, the bulk of the movie – consisting primarily of flashbacks to Dinah’s interactions with various people, some intimate – makes a much stronger case for Dinah simply living through the persona she used to secure her first acting job. It doesn’t sound like a strong enough plot to justify marketing Dinah East with “The Great Put On” in bold, but that’s not to say such a story couldn’t be told without denigrating trans women, intentionally or otherwise, by continuing to frame trans people are ‘deceivers.’ For example, Hedwig and the Angry Inch was an insult of the highest order to trans women, even though the basic story could have been told without being so. Though there weren’t ‘wobbly walls’ a la so many Doctor Who
episodes of the same era, I’m not sure “opulence” is a proper descriptor. In all likelihood, whatever rental fee secured the use of the vehicle that Dinah expired in was the largest single line item in the film’s budget. (I guess the “old Selznick Studio” wasn’t as bad as it could get, though; it could have been Spahn Ranch.) Even while skewering Gene Nash’s writing and directing, the Advocate’s review of Dinah East nevertheless heaped praise on the film’s “opulence of the production,” which primarily took place at “the old Selznick Studio in Culver City.” Drag Magazine’s Linda Lee damned the movie with faint praise, calling it “pretty good” but, making sure she was not misunderstood, added “that’s the most that can be said about it.” At the time, one thing that everyone tried to dance around was the obvious: the movie was a thinly veiled exposition upon the rumor that a certain directionally-surnamed film star of the 1930s was actually a man – Mae West. In the early 1970s, unlike the character of
Dinah East, West was still very much alive and still very capable of filing defamation actions.
the idea of a Christine Jorgensen Story remake, though I also can’t really see the point of doing so. Her autobiography is historically Whether or not Mae West was significant but, ultimately, it anything other than an over-the falls into that wide swath of the -hill sexmonger is subjective, trans auto/bio genre containing but any suggestion that the relevant information while made-up name “Dinah East” being examples of less-thanwas not a play on West is great of writing. I’d recommend laughable. sticking with the 1957 audio recording of Christine What isn’t laughable is the Jorgensen Reveals – not the portrayal of Dinah by Jeremy Stockwell, someone I can find stage recreation thereof. no solid reference to since the Think about Tom Ewell’s film’s release. (An actor with scenes in the movie version of that name does pop up on The Seven Year Itch where searches, but that Jeremy he’s alone and talking. Yes, Stockwell has a listed birth they serve a purpose for year of 1959, making him an driving the story, but they impossible 11 at the time of always strike me as a bit sad – Dinah’s filming.) even when he’s frenetHe was quite believable in the ic. Still, I bet they were a bit more role – which may have led to an element of the film we could powerful when delivdo without: his end credit. As if ered in to emphasize ‘yes, the person person to an audience. playing Dinah was a guy,’ his Undoubtedly, some of credit comes last and he’s the depicted in boy mode – getting dialogue in Dinah was up from a chair and walking meant to evoke sadaway. It almost seemed as ness or even pity, but though he was flipping the bird much of it just comes at the movie I’d just spent 90 off as boring. Linda minutes of my life watching. Lee’s assessment was I can’t say I would want to see that Nash was “so anxious that the characters a new Dinah East film – but that doesn’t mean I want Dinah are not overplayed” in to remain dead. Apart from my his writing that “they all trans-centric critiques, my one wind up being broad assessment of the movie underplayed.” Arguably is that the pacing and dialogue the one exception is seemed better suited for stage Dinah’s colloquy with Andy than screen. Warhol This is similar to many older superstar Ultra Violet films centered on trans which, due to less-thancharacters – I wouldn’t oppose stellar acting, was just
annoying. So, fifty years after it was produced and fifteen or so after I ran across the nearlyforgotten, almost-lost celluloid quasi-extravaganza, I have to say that if, perhaps, Harvey Fierstein was to get hold of the rights to Dinah East…And if he punched up the dialogue a bit…And if he made sure the acting was first rate…I’d be all in for an evening with Dinah East at the theater. Even if Harvey somehow misses the mark by a bit, it would not be, as Linda Lee ultimately summed up the movie, “rather like a banquet, all the courses of which taste like Cream of Wheat.”
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Virginia Advances LGBTQ Rights As Republicans Call For Secession By Michelle Fryer
In November, Democrats took control of the Virginia state legislature for the first time in 26 years. Since then they have been working quickly to pass a slew of progressive legislation, including several LGBTQ rights bills. On January 21, alone, the Virginia Senate approved four bills that would improve the lives of LGBTQ Virginians. Senate Bill 161 requires schools to provide the proper ID cards for transgender students and allow them to use the appropriate bathroom; Senate Bill 245 bans conversion therapy for youth; Senate Bill 657 eases restrictions for trans residents to change their name and sex on their birth certificates; and Senate Bill 17 repeals a statutory ban on same-sex marriage that still exists in the state. The bills are predicted to easily pass through Virginia’s House of Delegates, which also passed a resolution on Wednesday that officially recognizes the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th in Virginia. 26 www.cityxtramagazine.com
The Democrat-controlled legislature is also pushing to increase minimum wage, expand reproductive rights, and invoke stricter gun laws — which led to a massive pro-gun rally at the Virginia Capitol last week. Republicans are outraged by all of the change taking place in their state, so much so that some of them are calling for unhappy counties to secede and become part of West Virginia. And this is not just coming from disgruntled Twitter users. The idea of secession, which was proposed at a press conference by evangelical President of Liberty University Jerry Falwell Jr, is supported by the Republican Governor of West Virginia, Jim Justice. “The palpable yearning in Virginia for a pathway to greater freedom with our family in West Virginia grows greater by the day,” Falwell Jr. said at the press conference. He continued, “Many counties are taking a long hard look at escaping the barbaric, totalitarian, and corrupt democratic regime in Richmond that is trampling on
individual rights throughout the state.” Justice stood by Falwell’s side during his speech, adding, the Associated Press reported, “If you’re not truly happy where you are, we stand with open arms to take you from Virginia or anywhere you may be. We stand strongly behind the Second Amendment and we stand strongly for the unborn.”
While secession remains unlikely and necessitates approval from Congress as well as both Virginia and West Virginia, the AP reported that actual resolutions have been introduced by lawmakers in West Virginia to make it possible. “This isn’t street theater,” conservative activist Rick Boyer told the AP. “We fully intend to do everything we can to see it through.” Speaking to the AP, Virginia’s Democratic Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw called the idea of secession “preposterous.” Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger called it “a comedy routine.”